What are the perks of having your business or brand on Pinterest to utilize social media marketing Melbourne FL?  It’s a place to showcase your brand or business to an engaged, niche market.  There are over 200 million monthly Pinterest users worldwide. Out of that figure, a lot of folks are looking to seek and share helpful ideas.  Pinterest often acts as an information resource for many users and that’s why it’s a good place to showcase your brand or business. Did you know that 40% of Pinterest users have a household income of $100k+?  That is a huge audience with spending power!

Pinterest is where people come to for inspiration based on their interests.  Every inspiration is represented by a Pin, which is an image that is searched and saved to a users board.  Pins can also have links back to a brands website. This is why Pinterest is great for generating traffic back to a business website.  Some folks may be coming to Pinterest for an idea and may accidentally discover a brand or business that they like. It is recommended that a link always is included with a pin.  This could be to an article, a brands blog, or a website. The difference between Pinterest and Instagram is that one can add links to each pin on Pinterest. On Instagram, a user can only put a link in the bio. Adding a link to a pin makes it super easy for a user to get more information about a product or service and all the more likely that they take out their credit cards to make a purchase. Pinterest drives 3.8 times more sales than other platforms and 87% of Pinners have purchased a product because of Pinterest and social media marketing Melbourne FL.  

Pinterest may not have as many users as Facebook or Instagram but what makes it especially valuable is it’s a search engine.  Another thing to note is to take a look at who uses Pinterest and if that is the desired target audience. Let’s take a look at who is using Pinterest.  In the U.S. it has been reported that up to half of all millennials use Pinterest. 66% of users are females ages 25- 54 globally, with the male demographic growing everyday. There is a wide variety of interests that are being shared on Pinterest daily.  There are a lot of users who use Pinterest for inspiration every day. That inspiration could be in the form of Travel, Food, Fashion, Interior Design, Hairstyles, Makeup, cars, and many more interests. Let’s take a brand or a business in the Travel industry as an example.  Someone can create boards with their top bucket list destinations but may discover a new dream destination they may not know about. They spend all their extra time learning about this new dream destination like for instance say Tulum Mexico. Before Pinterest, they may not have known about this destination using Google or Facebook.  For a hotel in Tulum who has their business on Pinterest, they could find their pin being discovered all of sudden. One thing may lead to another and before you know it, you may have a reservation booked.

Another example is a user who loves coastal decor.  They want to decorate their new home but does not know where to start.  For a business who carries coastal decor, this is great because they may be discovered by this consumer and many others like them.  The user types in coastal decor as their keyword. They will get a lot for pins with ideas from a coastal living room to a coastal dining room. As the user scrolls down looking at the pins, they can create pins of their own or add pins to their Coastal Decor Ideas board. That board may then be discoverable to that user’s network.  Now the chances of a pin being viewed by more users have gone up.  If it is repinned and shared, then it just multiplies in views.  They say that the life of a pin goes on forever. That’s because if people keep sharing it, then it won’t just sit in the dark like on other social platforms.  If a brand or business’s target audience is on Pinterest and they have not tapped into a part of the business strategy, they could be missing out on a wonderful opportunity to grow and a huge aspect of social media marketing Melbourne FL.

Anyone who has been on Pinterest knows that it is highly active.  A Pinterest user can go from Pinning a dreamy Tulum yoga retreat to organizing a week trip complete with Tulum outfit ideas, places to eat, and what to do.  Pinterest boards keep everything organized so that users can later refer to their Pins in an organized fashion. Brands and Businesses like to ask the question, how did you hear about us.  They love to hear Pinterest because they know they are well represented on this social platform.

The AD Leaf ® wants to help get your company on track for successful social media marketing Melbourne FL with Pinterest and all social platforms! We focus on the big picture and understand the strategies to get the most out of your social channels. We will collaborate with you to cultivate your unique brand, improve your internet presence, exposure, and client base. For more information about the benefits of social media marketing Melbourne FL, contact us today at info@theadleaf.com or give us a call at 321-255-0900.

Why should I be on LinkedIn? The real question is why aren’t you already on LinkedIn? Currently, LinkedIn is the leading social network for the business world and a main contributor to social media marketing Melbourne FL. They generate billions of dollars and they host more than 500 million business professionals from around the world. Out of those, almost half are authority figures or executives in their companies, on average making over 100k a year. According to the most recent statistics, each day 172,800 LinkedIn accounts are created, that’s two accounts per second!

Not only is it an amazing tool for sharing your personal business story to the world, but it is also an incredible resource for finding articles relevant to your industry, connecting with past and current colleagues, recruiting qualified candidates, and sharing your expertise and content into groups. LinkedIn, unlike other social platforms, still maintains high levels of organic reach for social media marketing Melbourne FL. This means that more people are likely to come across your page or content without having to put any money behind it! Page creation is free too, so this should be a no-brainer decision. You’ve got nothing to lose.

How to start?

Your business should have a distinct and individualized branding image as well as a core message behind what the business does. The Company Description and Overview is there to inspire others with an authentic story about the creation and capabilities of your business. This is a chance to share the mission statement, vision, and goals of the company with others. This isn’t about selling, this is about communicating the things that make the company unique. Give people a reason to follow you and root for you. This is also a time to consider SEO strategies by including keyword phrases, a unique tagline, and hashtags because they are all huge contributors to social media marketing Melbourne FL.

Like Facebook, the visual aesthetics of your branding will be represented by the banner image and logo (or profile icon). What are the signature colors? Will people see your website, LinkedIn, and your Facebook and know without a doubt it is the same business? There should be a streamlined and distinct voice behind all the images you have representing your online presence and page creations. We call this, optimization, and we are the best at it!

Okay, I created it, now what?

Don’t set it and forget it, you will be missing out on so many great marketing opportunities this way.

Groups! Create, join, share, and favorite them! This is one of the keys to LinkedIn success and also free. Spending the time to engage with people and other companies in relevant industries, organically, will boost your page presence and your reputation as an expert in your field. It might seem counter-productive to share groups with competitors, but that camaraderie builds your following. Within the group, you can send the individual members announcements and messages to keep the conversation going to gain leads and loyalty.

Daily posts are preferred and don’t worry that doesn’t mean you have to become a professional writer overnight. Although LinkedIn loves long-form text and articles, sharing relevant industry news or interesting facts from other sources will also provide the presence and posts you want for exposure. Don’t forget to tag the people you referenced or that are connected to the content.

New to LinkedIn is a native video feature, no typing necessary! Just pull out your phone and record highlights from a business event, share tips and tricks, interview an employee, record customer testimonials, review your favorite book, if it’s professional and appropriate, it will work for LinkedIn’s video feature. It’s basically Instagram story’s cool uncle, more mature and put together but just as fun.

Analytics is your friend! We know numbers aren’t the sexiest way to influence, but there’s nothing like seeing those numbers skyrocket after a successful campaign. The metrics LinkedIn provides will help identify what worked and what flopped, who is visiting your page, and where they are from. With this information, creating a clear strategy for success will be much easier.

Now, this part might be the most important, encourage all employees, clients, friends, and family to follow your page. These are the people that are directly invested into the success of the business and already advocate for it. If they don’t, maybe you need to re-evaluate a few things (that’s a different blog altogether). Many employees will enjoy this, as a way for them to share their career progress with their network. Whether it’s the innovative projects they are working on, the helpful products they’ve had a hand in creating, or services they are selling, no matter what the industry, establishing your home base of followers will truly make a difference. On every social platform, people want to see the humanity behind the strategy and that is where true progress is made.

How has LinkedIn evolved?

LinkedIn was a concept invented by Reid Hoffman in 2002. It initially took time to catch on, only receiving as little as 20 signups on some days. The potential and small growth they were able to achieve attracted a large investment by Sequoia Capital. By 2004 the platform expanded with new features like groups and address book uploads. When American Express decided to partner with them, they decided to promote the platform to small business owners. By the following year they had over 2 million members, they established their fourth office in three years, and they launched their first business lines of Subscriptions and Jobs. Another year passed, and they achieved profitability and introduced their signature features, People You May Know, and Recommendations, and they changed CEOs. In 2007 Reid stepped down and handed over the reins to Dan Nye. He had a short-lived reign, but he prompted their global expansion and different language capabilities. Another CEO change occurs in 2009, introducing Jeff Weiner, who still stands as CEO today. He came in with a clear vision and mission for the company which fast-tracked them into massive success and expansion. LinkedIn went through a full platform makeover in 2012 which reflected their three concepts of simplify, grow, every day. Now owned by Microsoft with Reid on the board, they continue to flourish and influence the business world as well as social media marketing Melbourne FL.

Let’s move forward!

The AD Leaf ® wants to help get your company on track for successful social media marketing Melbourne FL with LinkedIn and all social platforms! We focus on the big picture and understand the strategies to get the most out of your social channels. We will collaborate with you to cultivate your unique brand, improve your internet presence, exposure, and client base. For more information about the benefits of social media marketing Melbourne FL, contact us today at info@theadleaf.com or give us a call at 321-255-0900.

Facebook In a Flash:

• 2.32 billion active users per month

• 5+ billion messages are posted on Facebook Pages per month

• Facebook has been translated into 100+ languages

 

Have you seen “The Social Network”? It shares the story of a Harvard student who endures a hard breakup and creates a website where you can compare pictures of your classmates to farm animals. He created this site by hacking into Harvard’s student database, and with a few tweaks decides to utilize this software to compare pictures of students against each other instead of farm animals, which is meant to be less demeaning somehow. We go on to learn that this student, Mark Zuckerburg, and the website, which was dubbed “Facemash” evolves to become the social networking site we know and love, Facebook.  While the scenario of a scorned boyfriend creating this website as payback for his girlfriend dumping him isn’t entirely true, it is true that Mark Zuckerburg created “Facemash” long before Facebook was even a twinkle in his eye.

“Facemash” was launched by Mark Zuckerburg is July 2003, but was later changed to “TheFacebook” on February 4th, 2004. At the time, membership was available to Harvard students exclusively but was eventually expanded to other colleges by September 2006. The name was derived from a student directory featuring photos and basic information of students attending Harvard at that time. The school distributed paper sheets called “face books” to students to help them get oriented with their peers on campus.

On October 1, 2005, Facebook expanded to twenty-one universities around the world. After allowing access to these universities, they began allowing access to high school students and later, large companies such as Apple Inc. and Microsoft. By February 2011, Facebook had become the largest online photo hosting site and expanded to 2,000+ colleges and 25,000+ high school throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland.  By October 2011, over 350 million users accessed Facebook through their mobile phones, accounting for 33% of all Facebook traffic.

Today, Facebook is the third most-visited website in the world. According to PEW Research Center, 66% of Facebook users access the site on a daily basis. In an average day, an American spends 58 minutes on Facebook. Mobile access has jumped from 33% in 2011 to 88% in 2018. It has grown to become an important discovery platform for the modern consumer, with 78% of American consumers purchasing a retail product they found through Facebook.

 

Isn’t Facebook only for grandmas who share pictures of their cats and grandchildren? 

The short answer is, “no”! Facebook continues to be the top platform for both Business to Business (B2B) and Business to Consumer (B2C) models. According to Hootsuite’s 2018 Global Barometer Report, a whopping 98% of B2C companies use Facebook in addition to 89% of B2B companies. This is significantly higher than the business-oriented platform LinkedIn, where B2C usage averages around 46% and B2B usage averages around 86%.

Can you imagine having access to a platform where your product, service, or business can be presented in front of 1.47 billion people for 58 minutes a day? We’re going to share 5 key things your small business can be doing to utilize Facebook.

 

1. Provide Authentic Content

Facebook, as a social networking site, is just that… it’s SOCIAL. Chances are, you yourself have a personal Facebook account and fall into the category of people who access the site on a daily basis. Think about your personal usage of the website. As you scroll through your newsfeed, do you stop and look at the stock photo of a Caucasian model smiling way too big holding a water bottle that’s poorly photoshopped into the photo? No.  Does that make you want to buy said water bottle? Definitely no.

The general audience on Facebook is looking for authentic content that they can relate with. Be realistic with the photos you’re sharing of your product or service. Feature your product in the day-to-day life of your consumers. Share a photo of your son playing with your water bottle in the yard. Take a snap of a soccer player using your water bottle on the sideline of her playoff game. Show off your water bottle on the beach with a beautiful sunset in the background. The social world of Facebook thrives on what are called “lifestyle” photos, stylistic photos of life.

 

2. Don’t be “Salesy”

Like we mentioned before, think about your personal use of Facebook. Do you stop for the post that says “Buy this great product now or you’re missing out”? Probably not. It’s not attention grabbing nor does it really tell you WHY you’re missing out. Think about why people need your service or product. Are they workout junkies who should have your water bottle because it’s specifically designed to fit in the cup holder on a treadmill? That means you’re selling convenience, the ability to make their day more efficient, and the comfort of knowing they don’t have to feel embarrassed while they awkwardly hold their water bottle while running. Are they a soccer mom on the go? That means you’re selling durability that won’t break when handling 3 kids on the way to school, a money saving solution knowing they won’t have to replace this water bottle in a month, or the hope that they’ll actually go to the gym after they put the kids to bed instead of plopping down on the couch to watch Netflix… again. The age of “call to actions” such as “Call Now!”, “Buy Now!”, and “Click Here!” are gone. Dive into why your product could bring someone comfort, convenience, or peace of mind.

 

3. Pay Attention to Your Insights

Did you know your Facebook Business Page can tell you your number of followers, where they’re located, and how old they are? If not, you’re missing out on a crucial tool that will help you build your customer base. Take a look at the “Insights” tab at the top of your Facebook Business Page and learn about your performance. This will help you fine tune the content you’re sharing and help you learn about who your product is really appealing to. You might think your water bottle is designed for the middle aged blue-collar man who is working out on his way home from work, but after looking at your insights you might be surprised to learn that your biggest demographic is college-aged females who are trying to create a new routine in a new phase of their lives. This might lead to you design a separate product line geared towards your new found audience! Measure your performance and pay attention to what’s working. It will lead to higher sales in the long run.

 

4. Take Advantage of Facebook Ads

Now that you’ve identified an audience, you’ll be elated to learn that Facebook Ads allows you to hyper-target who your content is shown to. Do you want to show an ad of a young female using your water bottle on a treadmill to women ages 18-25 in New York City who have an interest in running? With Facebook Ads, you can do that. Do you want to encourage men between the ages of 45-55 who own their own business to visit your website? With Facebook Ads, you can do that. There is a Facebook Ad campaign for just about every goal you could possibly think of. Since it’s start launch in November 2007, Facebook Ads has expanded immensely. It’s can be a daunting task to tackle Facebook Ads and ensure your money is being spent wisely but don’t worry, that’s what we’re here for. We have watched the growth and development of Facebook Ads throughout the years and take pride in being Facebook Ads Certified. We’ll work with you to identify an audience, develop an ad campaign, monitor and provide statistical updates, and maximize the use of your dollar.

 

5. ENGAGE 

Captain Picard from Star Trek was spot on when he said “ENGAGE”! Social platforms always have been and always will be centered around being social. If your audience is taking the time to message you, comment on photos, or share your content on their personal page, the least you can do is respond to that. This might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s difficult to get wrapped up in creating and producing content. Facebook will ultimately give preference to those who are most active on it’s platform. Your Facebook message response time, responsiveness to comments, and frequency of posting are all factors that Facebook takes into consideration when decided how many people to show your Facebook page to.

There are your five way to grow your small business via Facebook. Sounds easy, right? It’s okay to say, “No way! Who’s got time for that?”. Chances are you’re busy running your business, manufacturing a product, building a network, or managing your employees. That’s where we come in. We want to help you grow your business and it just so happens that we also love Facebook.

Whether you need help setting up a Facebook Business Page, can’t figure out how to decipher your insights, or want to run a full-blown Facebook Ads campaign, we would love to help! We enjoy collaborating with our clients to build a campaign unique to you, positioning your business for success. Call us today to talk with your very own Facebook expert, 321-255-0900.

Instagram In An Instant

*1 billion+ accounts are active worldwide every month
*500 million+ accounts are active worldwide every day
*80% of those accounts are following a business

If these staggering facts don’t raise an eyebrow and have yourself asking ‘what does this have to do with me as a business owner?’ then you may just want to close up shop right now. In all seriousness though, with a social media platform that boasts a colorful Polaroid-esque icon, you must know that you’re getting ready to dive into a wonderful world of visual immersion!

Launched in October 2010 for iOS, then later in April 2012 for its Android counterpart, Instagram has millennials arranging the perfect plate of food before taking one bite and snapping selfies from 4 different angles so that they can use that warm-glow filter that makes their skin look flawless. Users can create their own view of reality and only share what they feel is most worthy to their world of followers.

It’s even turned into a game for those in the ever-changing pop culture world. @World_Famous_Egg created an Instagram account for the sole purpose of getting users to like a photo of a plain brown egg to surpass the likes on a baby photo posted by popular gal pal Kylie Jenner. When the egg prevailed with more than 50 million likes in January 2019 over her 15 million likes, her response was cracking an egg on the sidewalk. That still got nowhere near as many likes.

Where Pop Culture Meets Business

The whole egg fiasco is only one example of the influence that a dedicated Instagram account can have. Obviously, this is about as ridiculous as you can get, but the point is that it worked in a big way! If users are going gaga over that photo of your dog napping or the mini video of the guy next door mowing his lawn in his underwear, why can’t a business visually brag on their goods and services to bring in new, soon to be faithful customers?
Forbes has said that “Social media has created this intense desire and opportunity to share what we learn. Most of us enjoy sharing ideas, especially when there’s a video or a photograph or drawing.” These are the posts that go viral, not wordy posts or status updates. The best part about Instagram for small businesses is that it does not discriminate against the type of business you are either– be it a mom and pop shop or a big e-commerce brand. As long as you are consistently enticing potential clientele with the visual wonders of your goods and services, there is no doubt they will be falling in line to purchase time and again.

A Few Helpful Hints

One more fun fact for the doubters: 25 million businesses are reaching customers on Instagram! Type in the name of the closest competitor in your industry. Chances are they have a flourishing profile with eye-catching imagery, helpful information for consumers, and a following that is already purchasing. Good news is you are not too late in the “game” as Instagram and other social media platforms are constantly evolving and finding new ways to help businesses succeed. Follow a few simple steps to get started:

The Perfect Profile

One thing remains constant across most popular social media sources and that is a company needs to start with an uncomplicated, straightforward profile page with easy access to contact information and a clear idea of what type of business they are. Make sure your branding is consistent across the board with an Instagram for small business handle that matches your business name, a logo or other image that best represents the company, and a mini bio that lets the users know what you are about.

Talented Targeting

Think about your typical consumer. Are you a chic boutique looking for young hipsters to buy your one of a kind creations? Or are you a local bar with craft beers on tap and giant TVs on the wall coaxing hard-working blue-collar men in for a round after a hard day’s work? Before posting anything on your Instagram for small businesses, make sure the visuals and the captions are custom crafted to spark an interest in your target audience. Keep it simple and use niche hashtags that you know will be searched for. #rockclimbing brings up more than 3 million images of world travelers with daring mountain top views. #coloredhair offers over 1 million photos of amazingly colored and inspirational hairstyles. Find some perfect tags that fit your business model and those eager searchers who are looking for your type of company will find you!

Visual Awareness

With the emergence of free and easy to use photo and video editing tools, you have full creative license when it comes to what you post. Establish the look for your page by staying consistent with colors, filters, and the physical content you post. This does not mean that a chic boutique should only be posting the same boring photos of clothing laying on a table. Those are great for a hard sell, but it’s perfectly OK to spice things up with images of your customers strolling downtown in your signature collection or shots of the staff in the store enjoying their jobs. No matter what you post, make sure it is visually appealing!

Collaboration & Calls-To-Action

Remember not to talk AT your potential clientele. Talk WITH them. Engage them in conversations about your goods and services, ask questions and bring up topics that will get people interacting with your content, and even offer contests that encourage users to like, comment, and share posts. Don’t be afraid to throw in some easy instructions to get them closer to that final sell. “Visit our website and sign up for our newsletter to get 15% off your first order!” “Tell us who your favorite television star is for a chance to win a $10 gift card towards your next car service!” There are many options to get your followers converting to customers without saying “BUY BUY BUY!”

Marketing Magic

This is the part where you do your thing and we do ours! A business owner has much to do when it comes to keeping the shop going, the workers happy, and the clients wanting more. Not to mention the bookkeeping, the problem solving, and the trailblazing of new and interesting products and ideas! Devote your time to business development while we devote ours to the strategy and implementation of awesome marketing magic!

 

To get started on an Instagram for Small Business profile, or jump head first into a full-blown social media marketing campaign, call the experts at The AD Leaf ® Marketing Firm at 321-255-0900. We truly enjoy collaborating with our clients and offering our amazingly imaginative social platform expertise in order to position your business for ultimate success.