I don’t need to tell you that as a small business owner, you have a lot going on day in and day out. One look at your calendar, inbox, or stack of voicemail messages paints a picture. In your position, it can often seem like you have to “do it all.”
Or should I say: one look at my calendar/inbox/whatever. It’s a disaster and I’m not proud of it, but it’s the life of an business owner.
Might there be a better way to accomplish your business goals? The short answer is yes. Outsource as much as you can!
This is a bit of, “do as I say, not as I do.” I’m really good at outsourcing some things, but sometimes struggle to let go of others. On the whole, though, over the nearly 13 years that my agency has existed, I’d say I’m winning on the letting go wars! And you can too.
If there are business and marketing activities that you wrestle with, outsource them!. Doing so will allow you to do more of what you’re good at and less of what you’re not. Before you head down that path, here are a few things to think about.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/CJMM1Hire-an-agencyDo-More-of-What-Youre-Good-at-and-Less-of-What-Youre-Not-1.png6751200Stephanie Schwabhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngStephanie Schwab2023-03-12 18:04:482023-03-12 18:08:29Small Business Best Practices For Outsourcing Business and Marketing Activities
Are you currently using buyer personas in your marketing and business strategies? If not, you should be! Creating buyer personas can be the difference between marketing that works and marketing that doesn’t.
Buyer personas help you understand who represents your target audience. They define certain characteristics that you can then use in your marketing efforts to generate lead generation. It’s more than just demographics. It’s about really understanding who your buyer is, how they think and what they feel. Buyer personas help you tailor messaging and creative elements across your marketing content and assets.
One question I would pose is, how diverse are your buyer personas? Are they “truly” reflecting an accurate representation of your target audience? By creating a diverse set of buyer personas, you open up opportunities to a wider audience and foster business growth.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/CJMF15-Marketing-with-diverse-personas-blog-3.png6751200Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2023-02-24 08:11:322023-03-08 17:19:55Championing Representation and Equality: Why Diverse Buyer Personas Are Important
Small business owners are often tasked with playing many roles within their company (if not all the roles). You’re the CEO, human resources manager, customer support professional, IT coordinator…the list never ends. That’s why time management is so important—not just to ensure the business keeps humming but also to allow room for small business growth.
How can you best manage all the duties and distractions that occur daily and still maintain a positive work-life balance? Here are some tips to consider.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/CJMF5-Blog-2-Time-MgmtProductivity-Super-Bowl.png6751200Sylvia Andersonhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngSylvia Anderson2023-02-08 10:32:132023-02-08 10:32:148 Time Management Tips for Small Business Owners: Boost Your Productivity
Over the past few years, live events have been scarce, as many events moved to virtual platforms. While it was a good alternative when social distancing was necessary, many virtual events don’t quite have the same feel as in-person events, nor can they garner the same attention.
Now that more events are happening in person, there’s a great chance to make the most of social media marketing to boost brand awareness when you’re attending live events. For example, if you are a coach, consultant, or small business service provider attending a tradeshow and have a booth, social media can help you attract traffic. Or, if you’re presenting as a thought leader at a conference, social media is a great way to pre-network and invite people to attend your session.
No matter the type of live event—conferences, tradeshows, masterminds, workshops, summits—social media helps you build up your audience database, turning in-person contacts into online ones. And, even if an event continues to live on a virtual platform, these tips also apply!
Aligning Social Media Marketing with the Event Timeline
One way to approach social media marketing for events is to consider the before, during, and after timelines of the event.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/CJMJ10-Blog-2-Supporting-events-with-social-media-3.png6751200Stephanie Schwabhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngStephanie Schwab2023-01-30 13:10:512023-01-30 13:10:52Social Media and Live Events: Promoting Your Small Business
Whether you’re a solopreneur or a CEO of a small to midsize company, you know just how important it is to incorporate social media into your business and marketing strategies. As we have now entered the second week of January, there are a few key social media predictions to pay attention to this year.
Let’s take a look at these top predictions for 2023.
[When you’re done reading this article, make sure to pop over to this Crackerjack Marketing Instagram post to get a few platform-specific ideas for this year.]
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Social-Media-Predictions-for-2023.png6751200Sylvia Andersonhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngSylvia Anderson2023-01-11 14:53:512023-01-18 11:13:57Top Social Media Predictions for 2023
Have you ever Googled anyone? How about yourself or your brand? As a marketer and business owner, you know that showing up in “search” is important (the higher the better!). It’s an essential component of online marketing. You want to be in as many places as people are looking for you.
If you have the budget, investing paid search can help. But, there are other things you can do besides relying on organic search ranking and paid search engine marketing. Have you heard of social search? It’s a strategy that can really contribute to your marketing efforts—and at a minimal cost if you approach it the right way.
What Exactly Is Social Search?
“Just Google it” has become part of our regular vocabulary over the last couple decades—making “Google” a verb, as well as a noun. Now, it’s no longer the only go-to search engine. In fact, recent data reveals that many people are turning to social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok as their search engines of choice.
Anytime you secure a new (or recurring) customer, how much do you think about how they arrived at that decision? Getting a sale is a well-deserved victory, to be sure. Yet, there’s great opportunity in paying attention to how those customers ended up coming to you—and how they decided to buy.
This is what’s known as the customer journey.
Now, if you’re thinking, “this is just one more thing I need to add to my never-ending list,” don’t worry. Understanding the customer journey isn’t some complicated matrix you need to absorb in order to understand your customers’ and prospects’ tendencies. In fact, with just a few simple steps, you can optimize your business and marketing efforts—and convert more customers as a result.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CJMBLN2-Marketing-Customer-Journey.png6751200Stephanie Schwabhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngStephanie Schwab2022-11-29 09:00:002022-11-30 15:10:18Why Is the Customer Journey Important for Small Business Owners?
For many years, we’ve been told that email marketing is dead—or, at the very least, on its way out. It makes one wonder who, exactly, is putting that message out there. Because nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, we think there’s an email marketing resurgence!
In fact, an anonymous quote that one of my colleagues discovered captured email marketing’s place in the greater scope of marketing strategy: “Email marketing is like Jason Bourne. It will never die.”
If you’ve been receptive to the notion that email marketing should be dead, that it’s not an effective marketing tactic, there are plenty of facts to dispute it.
Death? Talk About an Email Marketing Resurgence Read more
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/EmailJason-Bourne.png6751200Sylvia Andersonhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngSylvia Anderson2022-11-08 08:00:002022-11-09 17:05:27Email Marketing: The Jason Bourne of Marketing Strategy
There’s no getting around it: Businesses need to have a presence on social media platforms. Now, you don’t have to be on all the platforms, but it’s important to have a place where you can engage with your customers and potential customers.
A lot of people cringe at the word “test.” Whether it reminds you of your days of schooling when you simply weren’t prepared or a medical scan, tests typically aren’t people’s favorite thing to do.
Of course, tests are important. In marketing, testing allows us to understand what is working, or not working, and why. A common approach to this is A/B testing for marketing optimization.
What Is A/B Testing for Marketing, Exactly?
In simple terms, A/B testing is putting forth, to your audience, two different versions of something—whether it is a subject line, piece of content on your website, or even an entire marketing campaign. You might also test the time of day you deploy an email.
If you’ve read any of my recent blog posts, you’ve probably noticed that I’m a big fan of analogies. When looking at your email marketing subject lines, and the best practices that make them great, I often think about it in this way…
Let’s say you’re a contractor who builds houses with the intention of then turning around and selling them. You’ve put so much effort into designing the layout of the structure, choosing the perfect elements (paint, flooring, cabinetry, etc.), creating a beautiful landscape, and getting everything in tip-top shape to put the home on the market.
You’re all set to have an open house, but your signage is confusing. Or inaccurate. Maybe your attempt to attract potential buyers is so blasé, they simply skip over your house and go on to the next.
So, let’s think about this in respect to email marketing. It’s important to do everything you can to invite your audience into your email. To “tour your home” so to speak. Otherwise, what’s the point?
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Email-Subject-Lines-Best-Practices.png6751200Sylvia Andersonhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngSylvia Anderson2022-09-22 09:12:322022-09-22 09:12:33Email Subject Line Best Practices
Small and mid-market business owners wear a lot of hats. Besides the day-to-day of running a business, you are often tasked with the (perceived) burden of writing content for your website, email communications, ads, social media, and more.
“But, I’m not a writer!”
I’ve heard that sentiment more times than I can count. Even if you do have experience with the written word, taking on the content marketing responsibility can feel overwhelming.
Take a breath. I’m here to tell you that better writing for content marketing is just a few tweaks away. You might choose to incorporate all of these tips, or just a few. But, remember, however much you invest in your content marketing will be returned to you in kind.
Remember 9th grade chemistry? Trying to learn all those formulas and hoping an unfortunate experiment gone wrong might cancel the rest of class?
Well, that was my experience. I’m not “science-minded” by any stretch of the imagination.
But, I do understand that when things come together in the right combination, something magical can happen. Even the most basic, elemental components are capable of producing groundbreaking results.
In marketing, there are also the “basics.” For example, marketing channels: email, social media, your website, paid advertising. Another essential component is SEO.
Does email marketing for lead generation really work?
In business, marketing experts caution against putting stock in a “magic bullet” solution or anything that sounds too good to be true. Well, at least if those experts are on the up-and-up.
But, there’s a bit of a secret weapon that you likely already have at your disposal: your email list.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/CJM-Blog-Images.png6751200Sylvia Andersonhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngSylvia Anderson2022-08-16 14:12:472022-08-17 10:36:26How to Use Email to Get More Leads
Oscar winner Colin Firth could be the perfect person to ask about finding his voice – his virtuoso portrayal of a stuttering King George in The King’s Speech so cogently highlighted the frustrations of not having a clear way to communicate with a community. Some brands are equally tongue-tied, unclear about what the brand should sound like, leaving them either silent in social media or sounding haphazard and unrehearsed.
Get over your brand speech impediments by considering the following concepts, all of which play an important role in a well-rounded social media brand voice.
To say that these are uncertain times would be an understatement. With many businesses scaling back operations, or temporarily closing, as part of COVID-19 protection measures, social media is playing a crucial role in how they are communicating with their customers. Social media management during COVID-19 may be critical to the success of many brands.
There will rarely be a time when you have as much attention on your company as right now. Not only are customers looking to you for updates about how you are handling your operations and what it means to them, but with more people practicing “social distancing” right now, there are more people online and on social media at any given moment. If there is any point in this year so far where brands need to “get it right,” when it comes to social, it’s now. Exactly how to get it right will really depend on your current social media strategy, industry, and, most importantly, the community you serve. There are some best practices that apply to every brand and business.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Social-Media-Marketing-and-Management-for-Brands.jpg440840Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2020-03-18 12:40:392022-06-10 22:05:09Social Media Marketing and Management for Brands During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Is it possible to go a whole day online without seeing a meme? Wherever you look on social media, you find those amusing combinations of images and text sending a short, sharp message. Marketers can use memes in marketing, too.
Originally a meme was simply “an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture” (Merriam-Webster) but now it can be a piece of content – usually visual – that spreads quickly and may even go viral. A case in point: all the memes around Donald Trump, many of which focus on his hair and fake tan.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Memes-for-Marketing-Success-Kid.jpg440845Sharon Hurley Hallhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngSharon Hurley Hall2019-07-29 01:58:462022-06-10 22:05:09Memes for Marketing: Should You Use Them?
It’s never pleasant to receive negative comments and reviews. You work hard to deliver your very best products and services, and bad feedback stings. However, every business receives negative feedback from time to time. It’s how you handle it that sets you apart and keeps your customers coming back to you despite one less-than-stellar experience. And it’s how you respond that influences new customers to give you a chance, despite any negative reviews. The most important thing to remember is that social media is a public forum. Your audience (current and potential customers) will be paying attention to how you handle criticism and complaints.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Negative-Comments-About-Your-Brand_.jpg440840Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2019-07-23 04:45:052022-06-10 22:05:09Negative Comments About Your Brand? Make Them Work for You
The KonMari Method is taking closets everywhere by storm. If you haven’t heard of it yet, it’s a system of decluttering that focuses on keeping only the items that spark joy in your life. And though the book that reveals the system, The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, is all about organizing your belongings at home, you can use it for social media too. Here’s how to organize your social media the KonMari way:
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Social-Media-KonMari-Way.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2019-07-16 04:48:272022-06-10 22:05:09Social Media: The KonMari Way
Your brand story is so much more than a collection of facts about your business. It’s even much more than how you feel about your company and what makes it tick. It’s a unique, complex combination of the facts about your brand blended with the emotions your brand stimulates in its customers. Essentially, it’s a human-to-human representation of your business. Fans are already posting to Instagram and Facebook, why not empower them and harness their user-generated content for brand marketing?
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/How-User-Generated-Content-Can-Tell-Your-Brand-Story.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2019-06-18 05:08:152022-06-10 22:05:10How User-Generated Content Can Tell Your Brand Story
Creating remarkable content can be a great way to generate inbound media coverage for your business. In fact, we’ve seen many businesses successfully use this very tactic, conducting studies and publishing reports using industry statistics to attract the attention of media publications and bloggers. Heck, at HubSpot, we do it, too!
But once you’ve put that great, PR-worthy content out there into the online world, are you making it easy for interested media folks and bloggers to contact you about it? What if they have a question about a certain statistic you mentioned, or they want to interview one of your business’ executives? Would they be able to easily find and get in touch with the right person at your company? Could they gather all the information they’re looking for if they decided to write more in-depth coverage of your business?
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/newsroom.jpg440845Guest Authorhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngGuest Author2019-06-04 09:00:202022-06-10 22:05:108 Steps to a Killer Social Media Newsroom for Inbound PR
It’s only a small snippet of code, but it’s the difference between knowing whether your marketing is working or failing miserably. I’m talking about analytics software, which packs a powerful punch in terms of helping you to understand your website, social media profiles and customers and letting you know whether you’re succeeding in getting attention for your brand and making your business better known.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/How-to-Improve-the-Success-of-Your-Marketing-Campaigns-with-Analytics.jpg440844Sharon Hurley Hallhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngSharon Hurley Hall2019-05-28 05:17:472022-06-10 22:05:10How to Improve the Success of Your Marketing Campaigns with Analytics
Like every aspect of inbound marketing, social media is constantly evolving. Once upon a time, when marketing on Twitter and Facebook was in its infancy, auto-uploading the same posts to both platforms were considered acceptable and efficient.
For the savvy inbound marketer, those days are over. While efficiency is important, it should never be at the expense of quality content and relevant social media posts. Twitter and Facebook speak a different language — what your audience looks for on one is not the same as what they look for on the other.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/How-to-Customize-Your-Social-Updates-for-Facebook-and-Twitter.jpg440845Guest Authorhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngGuest Author2019-05-21 09:00:282022-06-10 22:05:10How to Customize Your Social Updates for Facebook and Twitter
Never underestimate the value of great content to your business. Companies that get content right get more attention and more leads, and if their marketing funnel works right, that usually translates into more sales. But in order to get those benefits, you need to have the right writer for your content. Since the writer is creating content to represent your business, you can’t afford to leave it to chance. Here are some tips on finding the right writer to deliver on your content strategy.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/How-to-Hire-the-Right-Writer-for-Your-Content.jpg440844Sharon Hurley Hallhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngSharon Hurley Hall2019-04-30 06:17:062022-06-10 22:05:10How to Hire the Right Writer for Your Content
So you’ve signed up for a bunch of social media accounts? Now, you can sit back and bask in your accomplishments, right? Wrong. So, so wrong. Signing up for social media accounts is only a small part of the battle. You need more than just a presence on well-known social media networks. You have to engage on them, and, well, be social. This means putting daily effort into developing your network and increasing your online visibility. How? By attending to housekeeping, monitoring, posting, and reaching out each day.
Here are some must-do tasks to include on your social media checklist:
You are the social media Jedi, and your editorial calendar is The Force. Use The Force, my young Padawan. Use it well.
Making your blog or social media into an effective marketing tool is a challenge, and so many people get lost along the way. It’s harder than it sounds to not only post regularly but also post content that attracts the right type of traffic and keeps it coming back for more. Even harder is getting your audience to engage by commenting on your content and sharing it. When the going gets rough, though, you’re not at the mercy of fate. Here are three ways your blog or social media editorial calendar can make your job easier.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/May-the-Force-Be-With-You-Your-Blog-Editorial-Calendar.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2019-04-02 20:17:552022-06-10 22:05:11May the Force Be With You: Your Blog Editorial Calendar
“What’s the point of content marketing, anyway?” It’s a question many in-house marketers hear from those higher up the chain. It doesn’t matter that YOU know it’s worth it; the question is how to convince your C-level colleagues that this kind of marketing is worth their investment. My experience of doing this shows that there are four areas you need to cover to show what content marketing can achieve.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/How-to-Convince-Your-Boss-Content-Marketing-is-Worth-It.jpg440844Sharon Hurley Hallhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngSharon Hurley Hall2019-03-24 20:21:342022-06-10 22:05:11How to Convince Your Boss Content Marketing is Worth It
As if maintaining a company’s vision while creating viable marketing strategies weren’t enough, CMOs are also responsible for staying on top of the latest marketing news, trends, and changes.
With the demand to be an expert in both leadership and subject matter, CMOS and other marketing professionals require a balance of practical leadership guidance and strategic marketing advice.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/podcasts-for-CMOs.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2018-05-21 07:00:192022-06-10 22:05:1110 Podcasts Every CMO Should Be Listening To
There are billions of people using social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and these people all represent current and prospective customers that you can reach with your brand. There are a number of ways brands can interact with each of these platforms; essentially it comes down to using either organic social media or social media advertising.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/The-Difference-Between-Social-Media-Marketing-and-Social-Media-Advertising.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2018-05-14 07:00:502022-06-10 22:05:11The Difference Between Organic Social Media and Social Media Advertising
When it comes to marketing your brand or business through social media, you really can’t ignore the potential that a Facebook page has to offer. Chances are that if you have a business, you more than likely have a business page on Facebook, and most of your current or prospective customers are already using the platform as well. But are you using Facebook Featured Photos to your advantage – both for your business and personally?
The bottom line is, utilizing Facebook and all of it’s ever-changing features should be incorporated as an essential part of your marketing strategy.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Facebook-featured-photos.jpg440845Sharon Hurley Hallhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngSharon Hurley Hall2018-05-07 07:30:222022-06-10 22:05:11Why Businesses Should Care About Facebook Featured Photos
There are many reason why you should encourage customer reviews in your marketing strategy, even if you’re in a B2B (business-to-business) industry. If you’re a software company, you can often find helpful reviews on software review sites. For other types of B2B companies, using reviews from actual customers provides potential customers with real use cases, which can better help them make a decision whether to use your services or product, as well as improve trust in your company. Consumers today highly value other consumers feedback and opinions, and often rely heavily on reviews for purchase decisions. When you solicit and display B2B customer reviews on your site or in your marketing materials, you create social proof that your business has been valuable to others.
As a social media consultant, I get asked this question all the time: Which social media platform should I use for my business. And my answer is always the same: It depends.
Of course, there are many variables to consider when determining your marketing strategy, and your use of social media platform(s) should be part of that strategy. And your personal preferences, or available resources, must be part of the decision making process. If you hate yourself on video, YouTube may not be your first or best choice of social channels for your business. If you don’t like to take and manipulate photographs, Instagram won’t work for you.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Business-Social-Media-Farming-vs.jpg440844Stephanie Schwabhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngStephanie Schwab2018-01-09 01:22:352022-06-10 22:05:12Business Social Media: Farming vs. Fishing
If you know anything about science fiction, you know that there are two types of bots in the world: good bots and bad bots. Good bots, when implemented by businesses, can be a semi-automated way to talk to visitors on your website. Businesses, of course, want to take advantage of good bots while avoiding the bad. Since 2018 seems like it will be the year for using chatbots for business, let’s investigate how your business can use chatbots in your own marketing efforts. To start, let’s take a look at what bots are and how they got to where we are today.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Chatbots-for-Business-blog-banner.png440845Stephanie Schwabhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngStephanie Schwab2018-01-08 06:59:272022-06-10 22:06:07The Bots Are Coming: The Rise of Chatbots for Business
You’ve read it in all the influencer articles, you’ve heard it at conferences and in meetings, and you’ve listened to it through podcasts for ages now. Content is king. And, it doesn’t matter if you’re a business- or customer-facing industry, you must have content because it reigns supreme for the Google. But not just any content will do. It must be high-quality content that solves the user’s issues. The majestic, sparkling unicorn of all content. Even when that user is another business. So, how is this done? How can you compete in a world with content that is for a business, by a business? That’s where we come in with our handy-dandy B2B Content Marketing Survival Guide.
The online advertising world is getting increasingly complicated with a growing variety of platforms to choose from. Google and Facebook are the giants in the field: Google accounts for a 78% share of the total US search ad market and Facebook ads generated over $9 billion in revenue for the company in Q2 2017. However, marketers should be looking at other platforms, too, as they often have value with more precise targeting and specialized demographics.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/how-to-advertise-on-snapchat.jpg440844Guest author Ilan Nassimihttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngGuest author Ilan Nassimi2017-10-19 08:00:192022-06-10 22:06:07How to Advertise on SnapChat Like a Pro
In every niche market, the desire for growth among small businesses is ever present. Most people prefer to experience measurable growth as constantly as possible. However, if your daily activities are misaligned with the long-term goal of growing your business, that growth will continue to elude you for a long time to come.
Depending on the size of your business, you are probably wearing too many hats already. This means that with each passing day, you could have multiple responsibilities in management, leadership, marketing, accounting, customer support and many others. Consequently, you feel helplessly trapped in busyness.
There is a limit to how many hours you can work each day. Add to this the reality other limited resources, especially money, and then your small business growth potential will remain untapped. This is where these tools for small business growth come into play. Beyond what is possible with your working hours, these tools help business owners like you to grow brand awareness, generate more leads, and increase sales volume and ROI.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/best-tools-for-small-business-growth.png440844Guest author Nikhil Premanandanhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngGuest author Nikhil Premanandan2017-10-05 12:21:552022-06-10 22:06:08The Best Daily Activity Tools for Small Business Growth
Whether your objective is to grow an audience for your blog, sell a product, or provide a service, you first need to build trust. If you want people to come to you for your travel tips or sign up for your online course, you need to give them a reason to choose you over the sea of other options out there. It sounds like this could be quite the difficult task, huh? Well, that’s not necessarily the case as long as you’re willing to put in the effort.
If you’re ready to open up and be transparent, not only about your brand but also the person or people behind the brand, you’re going to have a lot more success.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/how-to-humanize-your-brand-featured2.png440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2017-08-31 08:00:252022-06-10 22:06:08How to Humanize Your Brand and Why You Need To Do It
If you want to increase your brand’s awareness, engagement, and sales leads through social media, then get ready to roll up your sleeves. In a time where things are always changing, especially in the digital world, it can be hard to stay up-to-date with everything you need to know. Social media marketing requires countless hours of brainstorming, developing new strategies and tactics, testing, experimenting, and measuring results.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Should-You-Fire-Your-Social-Media-Agency-.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2017-08-17 08:00:312022-06-10 22:06:08Should You Fire Your Social Media Agency?
When you think of marketing genius, the team behind Apple, Inc. may come to mind. The technology company dominates the internet, cell phone, and entertainment use across the globe. Apple is synonymous with success and technological innovation.
Even if you’re a great writer, you may struggle now and then with how to structure a blog post that’s certain to get your key points across. In the nearly ten years blogging and helping clients with blogs, I’ve learned a few tricks on how to structure a blog post along the way which may help you.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/How-To-Structure-A-Great-Blog-Post.png440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2017-07-27 08:00:202022-06-10 22:06:09How To Structure A Blog Post to Get More Readers and Maximize SEO
A business with no blog or website is left open to the possibility of false representation. Of course, current or prospective clients can Google you, and chances are they will find something about you online. This information could include anything from a Yelp review of your business, your personal Facebook page, or maybe even a comment you left on a forum years ago. Though none of this may hurt your business, it may not be the impression you’d like to project.
Give your audience a designated place to visit where they can find more information about you. A blog or website will be the reflection of your business that you choose to put on display. It will provide information and answer clients questions, but that’s only scratching the surface. Let’s dive a little deeper.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/the-difference-between-a-blog-and-a-website-featured.png440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2017-07-12 08:00:042022-06-10 22:06:09The Difference Between a Blog and a Website in Your Marketing Strategy
Recently, I had the honor of giving a presentation to some of the smartest people in social media. Hosted by the Social Media Association of Michigan, sponsored by Tech Town Detroit, I was asked to “cram everything I know about blogging into a one-hour presentation.”
Well, it’s pretty difficult to condense 12 years of experience into one hour. Knowing that these are savvy marketers, I thought presenting the tools and systems for keeping the content engine turning would be the most helpful since this can be a daunting task for even the most well-seasoned content marketers.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/creating-a-content-engine-featured.png440845Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2017-06-22 08:04:262022-06-10 22:06:09Creating a Blog Content Engine
Creating an agile team is more or less considered as a must for today’s entrepreneur, assuming you have a small, bootstrapped business. As global trends show, more and more successful businesses follow lean startup model methodology; therefore, creating an agile company and adding additional layers of flexibility and responsiveness to your team structure can really boost your results. Luckily, it’s not all that difficult to create an effective organization. Following are a couple of neat tricks you can resort to in order to add agile in front of your team.
Hiring an intern can seem like a win-win situation. You get cheap labor for handling your social media, and the candidates for your internship are likely to be digital natives. On top of that, you get the warm, fuzzy feelings that come with helping another person learn and gain experience that may help him or her secure a high-paying job one day. Before you jump for joy at your free or super cheap social media intern prospects, consider that there is a dark side to this arrangement. It’s highly likely your interns cost more than you originally thought they would. Read more
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Hiring-Interns-Cost-More-Than-You-Think.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2017-06-08 07:30:162022-06-10 22:06:10Hiring Interns Costs More Than You Think
Top Reasons Why You Should Be Using Video Captions
These days the idea of making your content “mobile friendly” is top-of-mind for many of us in the content-generation business, but are you also thinking about making it as “people-friendly” as you can? You probably already know that as a best practice you should strive to make sure that your content is accessible to as many people as possible, but you may not be considering captions as part of that accessibility strategy. Here’s why you should.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Video-Captions-Not-Just-for-Watching-CNN-at-the-Gym.jpg440844Crackerjack Marketinghttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngCrackerjack Marketing2017-06-01 08:00:482022-06-10 22:06:10Video Captions: Not Just for Watching CNN at the Gym
Can you use a part-time social media manager to achieve your online marketing goals? Will hiring a part-time social media manager be enough to achieve your goals? Isn’t social media marketing simply making announcements to a network of people who have signed on to receive your news and tidbits? Isn’t it simply sharing links, images, and videos you find interesting or inspirational? Or is it all about building relationships and finding ways to engage with your prospects and customers? These things are definitely part of social media marketing, but they don’t tell the whole story.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/part-time-social-media.png440845Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2017-05-25 08:00:562022-06-10 22:06:10Social Media is More than a Part-Time Position
As a business owner, marketing manager, or executive, you may wonder if your company needs a social media policy. After all, nearly everyone we know uses a Facebook account, and lots of people are Instagramming photos of their families, or posting this weekend’s party on Snapchat. How do you protect your business when your staff are loose on the social web? Smart businesses have social media policies which govern the actions of employees in social media, whether on behalf of the company or while on their own time.
Most social media policies are crafted primarily with company protection in mind. I’d argue that an equally important goal of your policy should be to eliminate confusion on the part of employees, making it safe for them to engage in social media without constantly asking for guidance (or fouling up). Therefore, a good social media policy needs a number of key elements in order to make it easy for employees to follow and clear for HR and executives to interpret. Even if you already have a policy, perhaps it’s worth checking to be sure you’re covering the following eight points.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/The-Anatomy-of-a-Social-Media-Policy.jpg440844Stephanie Schwabhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngStephanie Schwab2017-05-16 09:10:532022-06-10 22:06:10Your Corporate Social Media Policy
“You gotta follow through all the way.” That’s what my dad, and later numerous softball captains, said over and over again every time I stepped up to the plate. (Mind you, I was no star softball player – just a casual work-league player who mostly warmed the bench.) I’ve taken that notion to heart in business, particularly, and try to be really diligent with followthrough on projects.
Apparently, many people who do blogger outreach and influence marketing do not adhere to the same concept.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Blogger-Outreach-All-About-The-Followthrough.jpg440844Stephanie Schwabhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngStephanie Schwab2017-05-09 08:09:472022-06-10 22:06:11Influence Marketing: The Good & Bad of Following Up
For those of you who are unaware, he was a huge star of his time, incredibly well-rounded, with a career that worked through stage, screen, television, records, and food. He died in 1987, after giving us the classic films such as “The Court Jester,” The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” and “White Christmas,” as well as a variety show and a handful of special TV shows. Kaye was a classic comic, too, always pushing the envelope even in serious situations.
A huge part of Kaye’s appeal was his incredible well-roundedness. No matter the situation, he was able to bring something to it: a little soft-shoe, his lovely singing voice, his wide variety of foreign accents, or his in-depth knowledge of food (especially Asian cuisine).
Kaye was a real, old-fashioned entertainment jack of all trades.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Why-The-Best-Agency-For-You.jpg440844Stephanie Schwabhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngStephanie Schwab2017-04-20 08:00:062022-06-10 22:06:11Why The Best Agency For You Might Not Be A Social Media Agency
“Keep it simple” is good advice when it comes to most things business related, and that includes social media. Why, you ask? Well, the fact of the matter is that some of the simplest things can influence your success with social media. However, it’s also the simple things that many business people overlook or forget to do on a regular basis.
For example, it is simple to share information that is of interest to your audience, striving to make their lives better, easier, or more entertaining rather than posting repeatedly about your business and what makes it so great. That’s simple but good advice, yet it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that we should always push our products and services. Unfortunately, constantly pushing our offerings backfires in a really big way. Likewise, there are many other ways in which the simplest of things threaten to trip up even the most-savvy business people. But, no worries. We’re here to help you avoid falling into some surprisingly simple social media traps.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/7-Social-Media-Tips.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2017-03-30 08:00:522022-06-10 22:06:117 Tips for Success in Social Media
You try to create the most compelling marketing messages. You know how important it is to speak directly to your target audience and share ideas, features, and tips that will capture their attention. But try as you might, it seems like you’re pushing a bunch of boulders up a super-steep uphill. Your messages seem on-point to you, but your audience doesn’t seem to remember them. And if they do, they don’t seem to remember them long enough to buy your products and services. Never fear! You do have options—good options, actually.
There’s no denying that visual content has taken over our generation. With more than 3.7 billion internet users in the world and smartphone users expected to reach 2.32 billion by the end of 2017, from Snapchat to Facebook to Instagram, there is practically no end to our appetite for visual content.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Role-of-Images-in-Content-Marketing.jpg440844Archie Alibasahttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngArchie Alibasa2017-03-02 08:00:542022-06-10 22:06:11What Makes Visuals So Crucial to Content Marketing Success?
If you’ve attended any of our social media training sessions, you’ve heard us compare growing social media presences to building a house before. We’ve talked about how you need to build a solid foundation and then the right layers on top of that.
Because construction analogies come easily to me, let’s just roll with, shall we?
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/social-media-tools-we-love-and-use.png440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2017-02-16 08:00:442022-06-10 22:07:03Social Media Tools for Collaboration, Organization and Creation We Love (and Use!)
Yes, you read the title right, Snapchat is now Snap. A change of name in the fall told us that the brand is now planning on expanding itself to be more than a messaging network. Since its creation in 2011, Snap has been interesting, unique, entertaining, and fun! You know about the filters (maybe you have used the dog filter a time or two), the disappearing pictures, videos, and chats, the compilation of stories, memories, ads, spectacles, and discovering other news and current events.
Rebranding became necessary to Snapchat in the fall of 2016. You might find yourself in the same shoes now. You can’t hide from rebranding (and that’s a good thing), and you can’t ignore it. If you feel the pressing need to rebrand and don’t know where to start, take a page out of Snapchat’s book on the matter.
When you hear the phrase “content marketing,” chances are written text comes immediately to mind. However, blog posts and articles aren’t the only types of content you can use for content marketing. You can also create, publish and share your content in video format. YouTube provides a fairly easy-to-negotiate and definitely well-known platform for doing just that.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/How-to-Use-YouTube-for-Content-Marketing.png440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2017-01-12 08:00:182022-06-10 22:07:04How to Use YouTube for Content Marketing
It’s that time of year again. If you’re like many of us, you’re probably deciding that this year will be different. 2017 will bring a better you, and perhaps a better business too. That’s right. You can and should make resolutions for your business. But before you get off to the races, preparing your long list of business resolutions, we want you to know that one resolution stands out in importance. It involves social media but doesn’t focus on crafting more posts or finding more followers.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/The-One-Social-Media-Resolution-You-Need-to-Make-This-Year.png440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2017-01-05 08:37:152022-06-10 22:07:04The One Social Media Resolution You Need to Make This Year
Often, business owners try Facebook out as their first venture into social media marketing. They know they need to have a Twitter presence too (because their audience is there), but they often drag their feet, finding Twitter intimidating or believing it’s complicated. The truth is Twitter is no harder to use than Facebook; it’s simply different. But no worries; we have you covered. Here are 8 Twitter hacks to make successful tweeting easier:
Being an influencer wasn’t even a thing ten years ago.
In fact, if someone asked you what you do for a living and your answer was “I’m an influencer” you would sound like a pretty nefarious person out to do some pretty nefarious things.
In today’s landscape, however, being an influencer means that you are a powerful and engaging member of the online marketing community making bank for getting things done!
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Influencer-Tips-to-Make-You-the-One-All-Brands-Want-to-Hire.png440844Amanda Rodriguezhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngAmanda Rodriguez2016-12-08 08:00:382022-06-10 22:07:05Honing Your Influence: Influencer Tips to Make You the One All Brands Want to Hire
If you’ve been on Twitter for an extended period of time, you’ve seen a Twitter chat and party or two. Maybe you’ve participated in or hosted one or two! It’s one of the ways brands and businesses are connecting on Twitter. Most importantly, chats and parties are a direct connection to your current audience and to the audience you’re trying to reach. We’ve had tremendous success in hosting Twitter parties for some of our clients! Our efforts yielded participation rates of up to 233 (averaging 185 per party) people and 8,194 tweets in just one hour!
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/The-Ins-and-Outs-of-Twitter-Chats-and-Parties.png440844Lesley Lloydhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngLesley Lloyd2016-12-01 08:00:522022-06-10 22:07:05The Ins and Outs of Twitter Chats and Parties
Twitter through some of us for a loop (pardon the pun) at the end of October, by announcing the closure of Vine, its 6-second video app. This is big news whether you loved and/or were involved with Vine or not. Twitter is now refocusing, and we can’t wait to see what that looks like. In the meantime, social media marketers who have made an investment in the app now need to take serious steps in another direction. If the Vine stars we knew, loved and laughed at can move on, then you can, too. This is a great time for you to revisit your social media strategy to make sure that you have a backup plan if you used Vine, and to make sure the rest of your channels are covered in case one of them bites the dust.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/alternatives-to-Vine.png440844Lesley Lloydhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngLesley Lloyd2016-11-17 08:00:172022-06-10 22:07:05Alternatives to Vine (and What to do When a Channel Gets Shut Down)
Any business can create a blog, and as you know, many, many of them do. But when the time comes to plan your own, you may be wondering whether you really need one at all. After all, you probably have a website, and you should be making your mark in social media. So how do you decide if you say “Hello World!” with a blog or just stick to your already traveled Internet terrain? Here are some questions to ask yourself when making this important decision.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Do-You-Really-Need-a-Business-Blog.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2016-11-07 07:41:192022-06-10 22:07:05Do You Really Need a Business Blog?
Are your brand’s blog posts getting enough (or any) comments? Do you wonder if anyone is actually reading your posts? More than likely, your posts are getting read, but you might not be getting the amount of interaction you’d like. While Facebook likes and shares are great, blog comments are the highest expression of social media love. Of course, we’re not talking about the weird “Buy these awesome name-brand shoes!” comments, but even comments that may disagree with your point of view tell you that people are paying attention to your brand.
Blog comments also have a bit of a snowball effect. Once one or two people respond to your post, other people start to jump into the conversation too.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/21-Secrets-to-Getting-More-Blog-Comments.png440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2016-11-04 07:00:352022-06-10 22:07:0521 Secrets to Getting More Blog Comments
Content marketing is the bridge between you and your target audience – it connects you to people you otherwise might never reach. The goal of your content is to get the audience so interested in your content that they can’t help but cross the bridge to your side. However, we all know that sometimes our content misses the mark and our audience isn’t interested for very long, or even at all! What’s keeping readers engaged? Your story is! What makes up your story? Your content!
“How to Better Understand and Connect with Customers in a Digital World” is co-authored by Sharon Hurley Hall and Christina Strickland”
With the majority of adult Internet users spending time on social media sites, it’s no surprise that social media is such an important way to get your audience’s attention and connect with those in need of your products and services. But if there is one thing many businesses have learned the hard way, it’s that talking at your audience simply doesn’t work. That sort of strategy (or lack thereof) results in your message becoming a part of the online background noise.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/How-to-Better-Understand-and-Connect-with-Customers-in-a-Digital-World.png440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2016-10-20 08:00:242022-06-10 22:07:06How to Better Understand and Connect with Customers in a Digital World
Facebook is an excellent place to post ads for your brand. Why, you ask? Though most advertising questions don’t have a simple answer, this one definitely does. Essentially, just about everyone is on Facebook in some capacity or another, so advertising there means more and better chances to reach your audience. Just what do we mean by everyone? Well, upwards of 70 percent of adults spend time on this platform. With well-targeted ads and a good strategy, you can reach a significant portion of your audience, whether you’re targeting a B2C or B2B audience.
Of course, the fact that everyone is on Facebook is really just the tip of the iceberg. There’s also the fact that Facebook really makes it easy to hone in on a particular audience based on locations, demographics, interests, behaviors, and connections. And once you target a particular audience, there is so much you can use Facebook ads for, including boosting likes and engagement and increasing website clicks and conversions. You can do all of this on the budget you set AND use Facebook’s tools to track your progress, so you can easily optimize your ad campaigns.
If you’ve been at content marketing for any length of time, you’ve discovered that it’s all too easy to become comfortable or even complacent. You know what you’re doing, you’re no longer a newbie, and things are running like clockwork, but are you doing all you can do? Could doing a bit more improve your results?
Yes, you are putting effort into producing compelling content, but there is always room for improvement. Why should you bother? Well, the bottom line is that even small improvements can prevent your audience from growing bored and losing interest while also providing your current followers with a reason to keep coming back for more. And you want new visitors, right? Taking the time to refresh and reinvigorate your content also encourages sharing and helps to draw new visitors in your direction.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/8-Simple-Ways-to-Breathe-New-Life-Into-Your-Content-Marketing.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2016-10-06 08:00:282022-06-10 22:07:068 Simple Ways to Breathe New Life Into Your Content Marketing
“Building and Protecting Your Brand Voice on Social Media” was co-authored by Stephanie Schwab and Christina Strickland
Every brand needs a strong brand voice. What is brand voice, you ask? Essentially, it’s the tone and style you use when communicating with your audience. Your brand voice not only tells your audience who you are and what you have to offer, but also proves critical in engaging your audience members and motivating them. Your brand voice gives your audience a feel for your brand’s personality, and since the explosion and rapid growth of social media marketing, it’s become more important than ever before.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Building-and-Protecting-Your-Brand-Voice-on-Social-Media.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2016-09-29 08:00:262022-06-10 22:07:07Creating Brand Voice on Social Media
In years gone by, it was enough to create some business cards and set up a website, but today you need so much more. Today, your prospects are ever more social online, and your audience will expect to not only see you but also interact with you via social media. Too many startups view social media as an afterthought rather than an essential part of succeeding in business. They soon discover just how critical it is for encouraging interest, building a reputation and developing lasting relationships with potential customers Fortunately, you have this essential guide to help you start off on the right foot.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/The-Essential-Guide-for-Startups-Using-Social-media.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2016-09-22 08:00:262022-06-10 22:07:07The Essential Guide for Startups Using Social Media
“Surefire Ways to Generate Blog Post Ideas” was co-authored by Stephanie Schwab and Christina Strickland.
Sometimes the hardest thing about having a blog is figuring out what to post on it each week. Maybe you started with a bank of grand ideas, but as you used them up, your blog started to feel, well, a lot less fresh. Perhaps you’ve struggled for ideas since the very beginning. The good news is you can stop liberally applying your forehead to your desk.
Here are some of the best ways to generate blog post ideas:
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Surefire-Ways-to-Generate-Blog-Post-Ideas.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2016-09-15 08:00:272022-06-10 22:07:07Surefire Ways to Generate Blog Post Ideas
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so what does that mean for live video broadcasting via tools like Periscope, Meerkat, Snapchat, Facebook Live, and Blab? I’m going to say live video is worth a million words. Why? Well, as far as content marketing is concerned, we all know how important it is to educate and inform your audience in a way that is also entertaining. We also know how important it is to reach your customers where they spend time and encourage them to connect with your brand. Live video makes this easy.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/how-to-use-live-video-to-marketing-your-brand.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2016-09-08 08:00:252022-06-10 22:07:08How to Market Your Brand Using Live Video
Instagram has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception. What started off just trying to gain a foothold in the social media arena now has an incredible 400 Million+ people who are active on it monthly, and over three quarters of those users are in the United States. This is an important place to be if you’re serious about your brand. But the competition is fierce! There are many brands that have nailed it on Instagram.
This is both good news and bad news for you. The bad news is that, yes, like I just said, the competition is fierce. The good news is, you’re reading this blog post and we’re going to tell you exactly what they’ve done to become so popular.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/what-brands-should-do-on-instagram.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2016-09-01 08:00:052022-06-10 22:07:0821 Things Your Competitors Do on Instagram that You Don’t
With over 100 billion active users on Facebook, and one million people using Instagram monthly, social media is a definitive part of our communication culture.
Among the average daily users wanting just to connect with friends and share fun pics of their kids, are what we call influencers, individuals with large, vibrant communities and audiences who tune in to connect with them on a regular basis.
There are many benefits to working remotely. Even if you typically work in a traditional office, you’ve dreamt about escaping to work from somewhere else from time-to-time. This is the lifestyle we at Crackerjack Marketing have adopted and loved for a little over six years now: our team is 100% virtual, and we all work out of home offices (or sometimes on the road when we travel for business or pleasure). While we believe there are huge benefits to working remotely, we do rely very heavily on digital tools to help our team stay in touch and in sync with each other.
Simply put: the right tools help your company, your partners, and (if you’re an agency) your clients work together efficiently and effectively without having to be in the same place.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/How-to-Run-a-Remote-Business-With-the-Right-Tools.jpg440844Lesley Lloydhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngLesley Lloyd2016-08-18 08:00:582022-06-10 22:07:54How to Run a Remote Business With the Right Tools
Social media sites have become more than just platforms for marketing and advertising. They’re also important channels for soliciting and receiving customer service—all in the public eye. In fact, a recent study showed that nearly half of American consumers use social media to ask questions or to talk about their experiences (good and bad). What does this mean for you? How you treat your customers and what they have to say about you is increasingly visible. Mess this one up, and you stand to lose not only one disgruntled customer but a whole slew of prospects.
I’ve already talked about why your brand should be using social media for customer care a few weeks ago. If you’ve been following along here at Crackerjack Marketing, you already understand the importance of how your brand is represented in social.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/how-to-provide-great-customer-service-on-facebook.jpg440845Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2016-08-04 08:00:212022-06-10 22:07:54How to Provide Great Customer Service Using Facebook
Facebook used to be considered a progressive part of a brand’s marketing plan. These days, it’s not “progressive,” it’s an integral part of your plan. Consumers aren’t impressed with the fact you have a Facebook page for your business; expect you to have one.
Of course, merely having a Facebook page with your logo isn’t enough. Consumers also seek out social proof. In other words, they look for indicators that your business is thriving and responsive, including your number of fans, how often you post and how much your fans interact with your page.
As Facebook’s continued changes to its algorithm have made it harder to get consumers’ attention on this platform, many marketers have turned to paid advertising to help with fan acquisition. We use Facebook advertising for our own clients as well and think it should, most certainly, be included as part of your overall social media marketing efforts.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/How-to-Get-Facebook-Fans-Without-Advertising.png440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2016-07-28 08:00:032022-06-10 22:07:547 Ways to Gain Facebook Fans Without Using Paid Ads
Instagram has certainly proven to be an unstoppable force among social media channels. With 500 million (and counting!) active users and 200,000 advertisers, it’s no wonder many brands and businesses are trying to reach customers through Instagram.
There are many things you could (and should) be doing to get the most mileage out of the time and energy you put into Instagram. While some won’t cost you anything more than your own time and effort, there are other options to consider, if you have a little bit of budget to spend.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/instagram-for-business.jpg440844Lesley Lloydhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngLesley Lloyd2016-07-21 09:00:022022-06-10 22:07:5512 Tips for Using Instagram for Business
Social media is a viable avenue for providing service to your customers. As more and more consumers embrace social media for personal use, they are also reaching out to companies this way.
Some brands listen and respond better than others, and these are the brands that enjoy increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. In most industries, consumers have a good deal of choice when it comes choosing where to spend their money, so encouraging loyalty is an important goal. In fact, a 2015 study from Garnter revealed that customer service, not price point, is the most competitive factor in the purchase decision.
Customer service isn’t an either or proposition, so you don’t have to choose social media customer service over traditional methods. In fact, you shouldn’t choose one over the other at all. Social media isn’t “up and coming” in the customer service realm, consumers are already taking to their favorite social networks with complaints, suggestions, and compliments.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/social-media-customer-care.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2016-07-14 08:00:292022-06-10 22:07:55Why Your Brand Should Use Social Media for Customer Care
With over 106 million users sending more than a total of 140 million updates per day; you can see why we think Twitter is an essential platform for your business. We’ve written about Twitter a lot, everything from finding people to follow, finding content to share and explaining why Twitter Moments matters to your brand.
Now that you’ve gotten the basics down, it’s time to fine tune your Twitter strategy so you can maximize the benefits.
Have you noticed the rise of brands implementing social media charitable giving campaigns or, as some may know them, “share-to-donate” campaigns? It’s no big surprise. After all, sharing on social media is what people love to do most. When you combine that with a good cause, you’ve usually got a recipe for success. Right?
Well, maybe or maybe not. While it’s true that this type of social media campaign could present a huge opportunity for your brand and your chosen charity, it could backfire on you and generate the wrong kind of buzz if not executed thoughtfully.
The good news is that when done properly, charitable giving campaigns really do create a win-win-win situation for your brand, charity, and community. In this blog post, we’re going to take a closer look at four brands that got it exactly right. We are also going to give you some tips for planning and creating a successful charitable giving campaign.
If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you can probably tell we’re all aflutter about Twitter. Even though we wonder why Twitter is so darn difficult for people, we’re big advocates for using Twitter as part of your overall social media strategy. It’s a powerful tool for building your business.
What do you do when the ideas just don’t flow as readily as you’d like? What can you do when you’re long on enthusiasm but short on compelling ideas for tweets? No worries! We’ve compiled a list of ideas you can use to get you through those difficult times as well as great resources for finding content to share.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Tweet-Like-a-Pro.jpg440844Stephanie Schwabhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngStephanie Schwab2016-06-23 08:00:002022-06-10 22:07:56How to Tweet Like a Pro
Content is king, right? But that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to write every word of it. After writing blog post after blog post and article after article, with an eBook or white paper thrown in, you may feel as if you’re penning the Great American novel rather than marketing your business. The good news is you don’t have to type until your fingers fall off. Original content is certainly good, but content curation helps get the job done too.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/what-is-content-curation.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2016-06-17 05:00:452022-06-10 22:07:56The Art of Content Curation and Making it Work for Your Brand
You know the influence of Twitter. It is, after all, a powerful and engaging social media platform. But, if you’re not following anyone and no one’s following you, it’s neither powerful nor engaging. You need followers (beyond your family and friends), and you need to be following other interesting Twitter users too. So, how do you do that? We have you covered. Here’s a quick guide to finding people to follow on Twitter.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/how-to-find-people-to-follow-on-twitter.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2016-06-09 08:00:302022-06-10 22:07:56How to Find People to Follow on Twitter
Promoting your business with content is an excellent strategy for raising awareness of your brand and getting your customers’ attention. But some businesses don’t get the benefits they should, because of easily avoidable errors. Here are some common content marketing mistakes you should avoid.
Creating blog content is one of the best investments you can make in promoting your business. The stats are clear:
Brands that create 15 new posts monthly average 1200 new leads each month.
Blogs increase the number of pages in the search engine index by 437%.
You’ll get 55% more visitors by having a company blog.
Whichever way you look at it, blogging for business is a good thing.
Many brands build a blog and expect the traffic to roll in simply because it’s a super awesome piece of web real estate. They’re in for a rude awakening when their launch day comes and goes with hardly a couple of stragglers stopping by to read what you’ve written.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/increase-blog-traffic.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2016-05-26 08:00:362022-06-10 22:07:5610 Ways to Increase Blog Traffic
I do a lot of social media training, which I really enjoy. I work with small business owners, executives, front-lines social media managers, and people who are trying to gain skills for their next job.
I’ve trained on social media strategy, on blogging, and on just about every platform out there: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube. As well as Twitter.
And it’s really remarkable: Every person I’ve ever trained on Twitter seems to think it’s the most difficult and confusing of all the social networks. So I’ve spent some time thinking about why this is the case. Here’s what I’ve concluded on what makes Twitter difficult.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Confused-with-Twitter-Heres-why.png440844Stephanie Schwabhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngStephanie Schwab2016-05-11 08:00:182022-06-10 22:07:57Why Is Twitter So Darn Difficult for People?
One of the most common answers I hear to the question of “how do I grow sales for my eCommerce business” is: social media. But what does that mean? Everyone’s “doing social media,” but are they doing it correctly, and more importantly, does it work for your business?
By “doing social media,” people generally mean: using social media platforms to achieve an objective in your business. For most businesses that objective will be either raising brand awareness or achieving sales. However, there are other objectives such as community engagement, providing customer service, and to humanize your brand.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/social-media-marketing-for-ecommerce.jpg440845Archie Alibasahttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngArchie Alibasa2016-05-03 07:00:522022-06-10 22:07:57Pros and Cons of Social Media Marketing for eCommerce Businesses
We use social media sites every day, but how much do we really understand about how to use them effectively in marketing? To help you, Crackerjack Marketing is creating a series of posts to guide you, and naturally, we’re starting with Facebook.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/5-Things-You-Should-Know.jpg440844Sharon Hurley Hallhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngSharon Hurley Hall2015-12-17 18:42:042022-06-10 22:07:575 Things You Should Know About Facebook
If you’ve been paying attention to search engine optimization (SEO) this year, you know that things have changed. That has big implications for how you handle SEO in the year to come.
1. Goodbye Keywords; Hello User Intent
Once upon a time, a focus on keywords was the hallmark of good SEO. That’s been on its way out for a while, and is now a definite no-no. Keyword data is only useful if it tells you about user intent because it’s user intent that you’re optimizing for. Your SEO and content strategy will change depending on whether visitors your site are doing general research, looking for specific information or are ready to buy your services. And whichever it is, focus on keywords will be much, much less important than delivering what users want.
2. Focus on UX
UX, or user experience, is about having a site where visitors can easily find the information they need and have a positive experience on your site. If they don’t, they may “pogostick” away. That will increase your bounce rate and reduce your search ranking because Google will track that behavior and decide that certain pages aren’t relevant to users.
3. Building Authority
Google authorship may be dead, but that’s probably in name only. Make no mistake; Google is tracking your authority and the content you publish is one measure of that.
The more authoritative content you publish and the more visitors you attract, the higher your page authority and domain authority will be, making it even easier for potential customers to find you in search results.
Don’t forget about external authority signals. Publish content on well-respected sites or take part in high-profile webinars and events to increase your online authority.
4. The SoLoMo Trifecta
Social, local and mobile (SoLoMo) are also integral to your 2016 SEO strategy. Social signals also indicate authority and trustworthiness, so being active on social media will make you more visible. Google now indexes tweets – who knows what other social media content they will add next year? Think about whether Blab, Periscope or Instagram should be part of your 2016 social media strategy.
Optimizing your local search listing is also a must, especially since Google now shows just three local results in its answer box. If you haven’t checked out your Google My Business listing, now’s the time to do it.
Mobilegeddon hit earlier this year, which meant that some sites that weren’t mobile-friendly took a search ranking hit. That’s not going away. If you’re using a mobile device, you mobile-friendly pages are labeled, so why would you visit any others? Mobile device users are known to make quick buying decisions, so ignoring this metric could be costly. Search Engine Watch says Google has practically abandoned desktop-focused SEO and advises readers to do the same.
5. Quality Optimization
From the beginning, Google has tweaked its algorithms to make sure that web users see better content. That won’t change. If your content isn’t good, no-one will see it; make it great and you improve your chances. One thing that’s been happening in Google’s search results is the provision of rich answers. That means when users type in questions, the answers appear in a box at the top of the page. If your content appears here, you’ll get more traffic, as Stone Temple Consulting found. The secret? Clear answers to simple questions.
The bottom line? Anyone trying to game Google is wasting their time. SEO in 2016 means working to earn authority by delivering stellar content and an online experience that users value.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/seo-changes.jpg440844Sharon Hurley Hallhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngSharon Hurley Hall2015-12-10 01:08:292022-06-10 22:07:575 SEO Changes That Will Affect Your 2016 Strategy
Using social media is now a fact of life, but there’s one key mistake business owners have to avoid. If you have an active presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram or whatever social media is best for your business, that’s fantastic, but you must avoid the perils of digital sharecropping. What is it? It’s where you put your eggs in a social media basket and have no web presence of your own.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/digital-sharecropping.jpg440844Sharon Hurley Hallhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngSharon Hurley Hall2015-10-29 01:47:512022-06-10 22:07:57Why You Should Avoid Digital Sharecropping
Creating blog content is one of the best investments you can make in promoting your business. The stats are clear:
Brands that create 15 new posts monthly average 1200 new leads each month.
Blogs increase the number of pages in the search engine index by 437%.
You’ll get 55% more visitors with a company blog.
Whichever way you look at it, blogging for business is a good thing. But not everyone will read your blog, so to get more from content marketing, use your blog content in other ways so that more people will see it and interact with your company.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/5-Ways-to-Get-More-Eyes-on-Your-Blog-Content-1.jpg440844Sharon Hurley Hallhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngSharon Hurley Hall2015-10-15 02:14:042022-06-10 22:07:585 Ways to Get More Eyes on Your Blog Content
Did you notice something different over on Twitter recently? Twitter unrolled its new, and, quite possibly, most important feature called “Moments.” Moments takes what everyone is talking about and puts it into a tidy place for the user to find. Now we don’t have to jump in and get lost, mid-conversation. This is a great way to check out and interact with what’s going on on Twitter, before you dip your toes fully into the stream.
Getting acquainted with Periscope and learning what it does was an important first step. Now, however, you have to figure out how to use this innovative new social media tool for your brand. Don’t worry. We have you covered with five tips brands can use to make the most of Periscope:
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/5-periscope-tips.png366550Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2015-10-01 02:17:162022-06-10 22:07:585 Tips for Brands Using Periscope
No brand can afford to rest on its laurels, thinking last year’s, last week’s or yesterday’s marketing is enough to keep its audience interested and engaged. You have to continually market, finding new ways to gain exposure and get the right people paying attention. One exciting new way to do that is with Periscope.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/periscope.png366550Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2015-09-24 02:20:172022-06-10 22:08:195 Reasons Your Brand Should Be on Periscope
Everybody wants a magic bullet. And if you’re using content marketing to promote your business you may want it more than most. There are so many sites and types of content out there, so how do you find out what really works to you get great performance and return on investment, and content marketing value for your efforts?
The good news is, you don’t have to look far to find the answer, because Buzzsumo and Fractl have done it for you, analyzing 220,000 articles over a 6 month period from June to November 2014. The infographic is published on Hubspot. Here are some of the key findings, along with the lessons to learn about your content strategy.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/content-marketing-value-1.png440844Sharon Hurley Hallhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngSharon Hurley Hall2015-09-17 02:23:082022-06-10 22:08:19How to Get the Most Bang for Your Buck with Content Marketing
No matter how motivated you were about starting your blog way back when, it’s all too easy to let it slide. It starts with a day of posting missed here or there. Then you start missing weeks, telling yourself it’s no big deal and you’ll get back on track…er…soon. Before you know it, your blog has gasped its laugh breath and you’re faced with deciding whether to bury it or try to perform a modern miracle of resurrection.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/resurrect-a-blog.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2015-09-10 03:52:472022-06-10 22:08:19Tales From the Crypt: Bringing Your Company Blog Back to Life
Many people don’t trust advertising any more, especially millennials. That’s why you need content marketing. If you create content that speaks directly and personally to your target customers, they are more likely to trust you. And if their friends also recommend your content, you will win their trust and loyalty and they are more likely to buy into your offer.
Content marketing lets you reach your audience in lots of different ways and helps your search rankings and online authority. But to get the benefits, you have to see content marketing as an investment. Not everyone does, even if they should.
Visual content is king, and Instagram is its court. More than any other social media platform, Instagram provides your audience with a way to visually connect with your brand, taking a virtual look inside your business. Of course, any social media platform is only as good as the content you post on it. To put Instagram to work for your business, post images that are not only creative, beautiful, inspirational, or fun but also accurate representations of your brand and the subject matter you find important. Above all, aim for fun and interesting, taking care to avoid obvious marketing.
There are already more social networks than we know what to do with. In addition to those trying to fix social networking, like Ello, there are networks for almost every niche. So how do you pick the ones your business should spend time on.
Let’s be clear: it’s almost impossible to do several social networks well on your own. If you’re a small business without an individual or team dedicated to social media, you’ll find it hard to handle all the social media marketing tasks for every network. Unless you’re planning to hire a marketing agency you have to pick a place to start, whether that’s Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn or another network.
Here are some of the questions to ask to help you make the decision.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/which-social-network.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2015-07-30 04:31:232022-06-10 22:08:20How to Decide Which Social Network is Right for Your Business
Co-Authored by Sharon Hurley Hall and Christina Strickland
So you thought guest blogging was dead? While Matt Cutts initially suggested that, he later clarified that he was talking about guest blogging for SEO link building. Guest blogging for reach and authority is alive and well, but you have to do it right. That means getting a professional to handle your guest blogging campaign.
In my last post I explained some of the insights analytics offers to help you improve your marketing campaigns. This time round, I’d like to look at two aspects of analytics in more detail: social and mobile analytics. Over the last couple of years, Google has enhanced these features significantly, so it’s worth seeing what you can learn. The reason this is important is because the more you know about how your customers are using mobile and social, the better you can target your marketing.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Exploring-Mobile-and-Social-Analytics.jpg440844Sharon Hurley Hallhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngSharon Hurley Hall2015-06-04 05:14:532022-06-10 22:08:21Exploring Mobile and Social Analytics
Will your customers be wearing your website soon? The chances are that they will be. If you pay attention to technology news, you know that wearable computing (it’s exactly what it sounds like: computing devices that you wear) is set to make the mobile market even more mobile.
The most common devices are smart watches. These started by allowing you to manage smartphone functions from a device worn on the wrist. But some of the latest ones fly solo, so you don’t need a smartphone to use them. (Check out the Samsung Gear S for an example.) That’s the revolutionary part, and it’s why if you’re not ready for mobile market changes, it’s time to think seriously about what that means for your website and marketing. Google Glass may be wearable, but something that’s just like the watch you wear already, but better, is likely to be more popular.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Will-Your-Customers-Be-Wearing-Your-Website.jpg440844Sharon Hurley Hallhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngSharon Hurley Hall2015-05-14 06:10:252022-06-10 22:08:21Will Your Customers Be Wearing Your Website?
The Mopocalypse is here. What does that mean for your marketing strategy? Let’s take a look at Google’s mobile-friendly update and other algorithm changes and see what you need to do next.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Google-Algorithm-Updates.jpg440844Sharon Hurley Hallhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngSharon Hurley Hall2015-05-05 06:15:342022-06-10 22:08:21Google Algorithm Updates: Should You Be Worried?
Did you know that among the five most popular words on Twitter are the words please and retweet? That tells you something very important. If you want to encourage people to share your work on social media, sometimes all you have to do is ask. It’s a call to action, social media style. Most people can’t resist a heartfelt appeal mixed with a little politeness. That’s why one of the things it’s most important to master in your content marketing is the call to action.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/The-Power-of-the-Ask-How-to-Encourage-Social-Sharing.jpg440844Sharon Hurley Hallhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngSharon Hurley Hall2015-04-16 19:43:272022-06-10 22:08:21The Power of the Ask – How to Encourage Social Sharing
Ever wanted to know how to use social media advertising for your business, particularly your B2B business? Look no further – here’s our guide to advertising on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
We cover general advertising tips, plus capabilities and use for each of the three major social ads platforms.
Feel free to download and share this eBook direct from Slideshare. (Hint: View the Notes for the presentation by clicking on the Notes tab next to comments and statistics.)
And of course, if we can assist with your social media advertising programs, please don’t hesistate to contact us!
You’ve probably heard plenty about the importance of tracking and monitoring in your online business. And while there are many tools designed to help you collect and analyze data about your online audience, Google Analytics is one of the most well-known.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/5-Ways-to-Use-Google-Analytics.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2015-04-09 19:49:352022-06-10 22:08:215 Ways to Use Google Analytics
What You Can Learn About Social Media From The Walking Dead
You can learn a lot from watching The Walking Dead (TWD), and not just how to survive a zombie apocalypse (Hint: Always stay with Rick and Daryl). Believe it or not, TWD teaches lessons that are critical for social media. Here are 5 social media tips you can take from TWD.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Social-Media-Lessons-from-The-Walking-Dead.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2015-03-19 20:21:432022-06-10 22:08:22Social Media Lessons from The Walking Dead
We know what you’re thinking: platforms like Facebook and Twitter are perfect for generating leads. And yes, you can use social media for lead generation. But if you focus on that alone, you really don’t get the gist of how this thing works. The be-all and end-all of social media for business is, wait for it: relationship building. Without it, you’re dead in the water.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Relationship-Building-Via-Social-Media.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2015-03-12 20:21:502022-06-10 22:08:22Relationship Building Via Social Media
With so many social terms whizzing by, it’s easy to forget if you’re coming or going. Maybe you finally have terms like engagement, consumer advocate, and ROI figured out. Well, now we want to toss another one your way — social search. Don’t worry, though. We have no plans to leave you twisting in the wind. We’re going to lay it all out for you, in terms you can understand, without so much as wrinkling your brow.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Social-Search.png440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2015-02-26 20:21:592022-06-10 22:08:22Social Search: What the Heck Is It?
Are you planning to hire a digital marketing agency this year? Here’s what I’ve learned from working on thousands of projects that can help set you up for success.
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.png00Sharon Hurley Hallhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngSharon Hurley Hall2015-02-19 21:04:172022-06-10 22:08:226 Ways to Help Your Marketing Agency Do a Better Job
As in the brick-and-mortar world, it is surprisingly easy to develop social media bad habits. You know how you start out eating ice cream at midnight just a couple of nights per week? Then, before you know it, you’re eating a bowl of the good stuff every night before bed, and packing on the pounds. The same goes for social media. Bad habits snowball until your formerly interested fans wants to hear from anyone but you—anyone.
Often, we develop bad social media habits in the hopes of becoming more efficient and effective, but these no-no’s actually undermine our efforts. Here are 5 ways even smart business people annoy their audiences on social media. Take a look and pledge to avoid them at all costs:
https://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/How-to-Annoy-Your-Fans-on-Social-Media.jpg440844Christina Stricklandhttps://crackerjackmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CJM-Header-Logo-New.pngChristina Strickland2015-02-12 21:18:262022-06-10 22:08:23How to Annoy Your Fans on Social Media
Small Business Best Practices For Outsourcing Business and Marketing Activities
Marketing StrategyI don’t need to tell you that as a small business owner, you have a lot going on day in and day out. One look at your calendar, inbox, or stack of voicemail messages paints a picture. In your position, it can often seem like you have to “do it all.”
Or should I say: one look at my calendar/inbox/whatever. It’s a disaster and I’m not proud of it, but it’s the life of an business owner.
Might there be a better way to accomplish your business goals? The short answer is yes. Outsource as much as you can!
This is a bit of, “do as I say, not as I do.” I’m really good at outsourcing some things, but sometimes struggle to let go of others. On the whole, though, over the nearly 13 years that my agency has existed, I’d say I’m winning on the letting go wars! And you can too.
If there are business and marketing activities that you wrestle with, outsource them!. Doing so will allow you to do more of what you’re good at and less of what you’re not. Before you head down that path, here are a few things to think about.
Read moreChampioning Representation and Equality: Why Diverse Buyer Personas Are Important
Content Marketing, Marketing StrategyAre you currently using buyer personas in your marketing and business strategies? If not, you should be! Creating buyer personas can be the difference between marketing that works and marketing that doesn’t.
Buyer personas help you understand who represents your target audience. They define certain characteristics that you can then use in your marketing efforts to generate lead generation. It’s more than just demographics. It’s about really understanding who your buyer is, how they think and what they feel. Buyer personas help you tailor messaging and creative elements across your marketing content and assets.
One question I would pose is, how diverse are your buyer personas? Are they “truly” reflecting an accurate representation of your target audience? By creating a diverse set of buyer personas, you open up opportunities to a wider audience and foster business growth.
Read more8 Time Management Tips for Small Business Owners: Boost Your Productivity
Social Media Agency MattersSmall business owners are often tasked with playing many roles within their company (if not all the roles). You’re the CEO, human resources manager, customer support professional, IT coordinator…the list never ends. That’s why time management is so important—not just to ensure the business keeps humming but also to allow room for small business growth.
How can you best manage all the duties and distractions that occur daily and still maintain a positive work-life balance? Here are some tips to consider.
Read moreSocial Media and Live Events: Promoting Your Small Business
Marketing StrategyNow that more events are happening in person, there’s a great chance to make the most of social media marketing to boost brand awareness when you’re attending live events. For example, if you are a coach, consultant, or small business service provider attending a tradeshow and have a booth, social media can help you attract traffic. Or, if you’re presenting as a thought leader at a conference, social media is a great way to pre-network and invite people to attend your session.
No matter the type of live event—conferences, tradeshows, masterminds, workshops, summits—social media helps you build up your audience database, turning in-person contacts into online ones. And, even if an event continues to live on a virtual platform, these tips also apply!
Aligning Social Media Marketing with the Event Timeline
One way to approach social media marketing for events is to consider the before, during, and after timelines of the event.
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Top Social Media Predictions for 2023
Social MediaLet’s take a look at these top predictions for 2023.
[When you’re done reading this article, make sure to pop over to this Crackerjack Marketing Instagram post to get a few platform-specific ideas for this year.]
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Why Social Search Matters
Social MediaHave you ever Googled anyone? How about yourself or your brand? As a marketer and business owner, you know that showing up in “search” is important (the higher the better!). It’s an essential component of online marketing. You want to be in as many places as people are looking for you.
If you have the budget, investing paid search can help. But, there are other things you can do besides relying on organic search ranking and paid search engine marketing. Have you heard of social search? It’s a strategy that can really contribute to your marketing efforts—and at a minimal cost if you approach it the right way.
What Exactly Is Social Search?
“Just Google it” has become part of our regular vocabulary over the last couple decades—making “Google” a verb, as well as a noun. Now, it’s no longer the only go-to search engine. In fact, recent data reveals that many people are turning to social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok as their search engines of choice.
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Why Is the Customer Journey Important for Small Business Owners?
Content MarketingWhat’s a Customer Journey and Why Does It Matter?
Anytime you secure a new (or recurring) customer, how much do you think about how they arrived at that decision? Getting a sale is a well-deserved victory, to be sure. Yet, there’s great opportunity in paying attention to how those customers ended up coming to you—and how they decided to buy.
This is what’s known as the customer journey.
Now, if you’re thinking, “this is just one more thing I need to add to my never-ending list,” don’t worry. Understanding the customer journey isn’t some complicated matrix you need to absorb in order to understand your customers’ and prospects’ tendencies. In fact, with just a few simple steps, you can optimize your business and marketing efforts—and convert more customers as a result.
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Email Marketing: The Jason Bourne of Marketing Strategy
Marketing StrategyFor many years, we’ve been told that email marketing is dead—or, at the very least, on its way out. It makes one wonder who, exactly, is putting that message out there. Because nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, we think there’s an email marketing resurgence!
In fact, an anonymous quote that one of my colleagues discovered captured email marketing’s place in the greater scope of marketing strategy: “Email marketing is like Jason Bourne. It will never die.”
If you’ve been receptive to the notion that email marketing should be dead, that it’s not an effective marketing tactic, there are plenty of facts to dispute it.
Death? Talk About an Email Marketing Resurgence
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Social Media Mistakes
Social MediaThere’s no getting around it: Businesses need to have a presence on social media platforms. Now, you don’t have to be on all the platforms, but it’s important to have a place where you can engage with your customers and potential customers.
Social Media Mistakes to Avoid
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Power of A/B Testing: Maximize Your Marketing Efforts
Content MarketingA lot of people cringe at the word “test.” Whether it reminds you of your days of schooling when you simply weren’t prepared or a medical scan, tests typically aren’t people’s favorite thing to do.
Of course, tests are important. In marketing, testing allows us to understand what is working, or not working, and why. A common approach to this is A/B testing for marketing optimization.
What Is A/B Testing for Marketing, Exactly?
In simple terms, A/B testing is putting forth, to your audience, two different versions of something—whether it is a subject line, piece of content on your website, or even an entire marketing campaign. You might also test the time of day you deploy an email.
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Email Subject Line Best Practices
Content MarketingIf you’ve read any of my recent blog posts, you’ve probably noticed that I’m a big fan of analogies. When looking at your email marketing subject lines, and the best practices that make them great, I often think about it in this way…
Let’s say you’re a contractor who builds houses with the intention of then turning around and selling them. You’ve put so much effort into designing the layout of the structure, choosing the perfect elements (paint, flooring, cabinetry, etc.), creating a beautiful landscape, and getting everything in tip-top shape to put the home on the market.
You’re all set to have an open house, but your signage is confusing. Or inaccurate. Maybe your attempt to attract potential buyers is so blasé, they simply skip over your house and go on to the next.
So, let’s think about this in respect to email marketing. It’s important to do everything you can to invite your audience into your email. To “tour your home” so to speak. Otherwise, what’s the point?
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Better Writing for Content Marketing
Content MarketingSmall and mid-market business owners wear a lot of hats. Besides the day-to-day of running a business, you are often tasked with the (perceived) burden of writing content for your website, email communications, ads, social media, and more.
“But, I’m not a writer!”
I’ve heard that sentiment more times than I can count. Even if you do have experience with the written word, taking on the content marketing responsibility can feel overwhelming.
Take a breath. I’m here to tell you that better writing for content marketing is just a few tweaks away. You might choose to incorporate all of these tips, or just a few. But, remember, however much you invest in your content marketing will be returned to you in kind.
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The Winning Content Formula
Content MarketingRemember 9th grade chemistry? Trying to learn all those formulas and hoping an unfortunate experiment gone wrong might cancel the rest of class?
Well, that was my experience. I’m not “science-minded” by any stretch of the imagination.
But, I do understand that when things come together in the right combination, something magical can happen. Even the most basic, elemental components are capable of producing groundbreaking results.
In marketing, there are also the “basics.” For example, marketing channels: email, social media, your website, paid advertising. Another essential component is SEO.
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How to Use Email to Get More Leads
Content Marketing, Marketing StrategyIn business, marketing experts caution against putting stock in a “magic bullet” solution or anything that sounds too good to be true. Well, at least if those experts are on the up-and-up.
But, there’s a bit of a secret weapon that you likely already have at your disposal: your email list.
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Finding Your Brand Voice
Content Marketing, Inbound Marketing, Social MediaOscar winner Colin Firth could be the perfect person to ask about finding his voice – his virtuoso portrayal of a stuttering King George in The King’s Speech so cogently highlighted the frustrations of not having a clear way to communicate with a community. Some brands are equally tongue-tied, unclear about what the brand should sound like, leaving them either silent in social media or sounding haphazard and unrehearsed.
Get over your brand speech impediments by considering the following concepts, all of which play an important role in a well-rounded social media brand voice.
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Social Media Marketing and Management for Brands During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Social MediaTo say that these are uncertain times would be an understatement. With many businesses scaling back operations, or temporarily closing, as part of COVID-19 protection measures, social media is playing a crucial role in how they are communicating with their customers. Social media management during COVID-19 may be critical to the success of many brands.
There will rarely be a time when you have as much attention on your company as right now. Not only are customers looking to you for updates about how you are handling your operations and what it means to them, but with more people practicing “social distancing” right now, there are more people online and on social media at any given moment. If there is any point in this year so far where brands need to “get it right,” when it comes to social, it’s now. Exactly how to get it right will really depend on your current social media strategy, industry, and, most importantly, the community you serve. There are some best practices that apply to every brand and business.
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Memes for Marketing: Should You Use Them?
Content MarketingIs it possible to go a whole day online without seeing a meme? Wherever you look on social media, you find those amusing combinations of images and text sending a short, sharp message. Marketers can use memes in marketing, too.
Originally a meme was simply “an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture” (Merriam-Webster) but now it can be a piece of content – usually visual – that spreads quickly and may even go viral. A case in point: all the memes around Donald Trump, many of which focus on his hair and fake tan.
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Negative Comments About Your Brand? Make Them Work for You
Inbound Marketing, Social MediaIt’s never pleasant to receive negative comments and reviews. You work hard to deliver your very best products and services, and bad feedback stings. However, every business receives negative feedback from time to time. It’s how you handle it that sets you apart and keeps your customers coming back to you despite one less-than-stellar experience. And it’s how you respond that influences new customers to give you a chance, despite any negative reviews. The most important thing to remember is that social media is a public forum. Your audience (current and potential customers) will be paying attention to how you handle criticism and complaints.
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Social Media: The KonMari Way
Social MediaThe KonMari Method is taking closets everywhere by storm. If you haven’t heard of it yet, it’s a system of decluttering that focuses on keeping only the items that spark joy in your life. And though the book that reveals the system, The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, is all about organizing your belongings at home, you can use it for social media too. Here’s how to organize your social media the KonMari way:
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How User-Generated Content Can Tell Your Brand Story
Content Marketing, Inbound MarketingYour brand story is so much more than a collection of facts about your business. It’s even much more than how you feel about your company and what makes it tick. It’s a unique, complex combination of the facts about your brand blended with the emotions your brand stimulates in its customers. Essentially, it’s a human-to-human representation of your business. Fans are already posting to Instagram and Facebook, why not empower them and harness their user-generated content for brand marketing?
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8 Steps to a Killer Social Media Newsroom for Inbound PR
Content MarketingCreating remarkable content can be a great way to generate inbound media coverage for your business. In fact, we’ve seen many businesses successfully use this very tactic, conducting studies and publishing reports using industry statistics to attract the attention of media publications and bloggers. Heck, at HubSpot, we do it, too!
But once you’ve put that great, PR-worthy content out there into the online world, are you making it easy for interested media folks and bloggers to contact you about it? What if they have a question about a certain statistic you mentioned, or they want to interview one of your business’ executives? Would they be able to easily find and get in touch with the right person at your company? Could they gather all the information they’re looking for if they decided to write more in-depth coverage of your business?
Read moreHow to Improve the Success of Your Marketing Campaigns with Analytics
Content Marketing, Inbound Marketing, Social MediaIt’s only a small snippet of code, but it’s the difference between knowing whether your marketing is working or failing miserably. I’m talking about analytics software, which packs a powerful punch in terms of helping you to understand your website, social media profiles and customers and letting you know whether you’re succeeding in getting attention for your brand and making your business better known.
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How to Customize Your Social Updates for Facebook and Twitter
Social MediaLike every aspect of inbound marketing, social media is constantly evolving. Once upon a time, when marketing on Twitter and Facebook was in its infancy, auto-uploading the same posts to both platforms were considered acceptable and efficient.
For the savvy inbound marketer, those days are over. While efficiency is important, it should never be at the expense of quality content and relevant social media posts. Twitter and Facebook speak a different language — what your audience looks for on one is not the same as what they look for on the other.
Read moreHow to Hire the Right Writer for Your Content
Content MarketingNever underestimate the value of great content to your business. Companies that get content right get more attention and more leads, and if their marketing funnel works right, that usually translates into more sales. But in order to get those benefits, you need to have the right writer for your content. Since the writer is creating content to represent your business, you can’t afford to leave it to chance. Here are some tips on finding the right writer to deliver on your content strategy.
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Social Media Management Checklist
Social MediaSo you’ve signed up for a bunch of social media accounts? Now, you can sit back and bask in your accomplishments, right? Wrong. So, so wrong. Signing up for social media accounts is only a small part of the battle. You need more than just a presence on well-known social media networks. You have to engage on them, and, well, be social. This means putting daily effort into developing your network and increasing your online visibility. How? By attending to housekeeping, monitoring, posting, and reaching out each day.
Here are some must-do tasks to include on your social media checklist:
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May the Force Be With You: Your Blog Editorial Calendar
Content Marketing, Inbound MarketingYou are the social media Jedi, and your editorial calendar is The Force. Use The Force, my young Padawan. Use it well.
Making your blog or social media into an effective marketing tool is a challenge, and so many people get lost along the way. It’s harder than it sounds to not only post regularly but also post content that attracts the right type of traffic and keeps it coming back for more. Even harder is getting your audience to engage by commenting on your content and sharing it. When the going gets rough, though, you’re not at the mercy of fate. Here are three ways your blog or social media editorial calendar can make your job easier.
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How to Convince Your Boss Content Marketing is Worth It
Content Marketing“What’s the point of content marketing, anyway?” It’s a question many in-house marketers hear from those higher up the chain. It doesn’t matter that YOU know it’s worth it; the question is how to convince your C-level colleagues that this kind of marketing is worth their investment. My experience of doing this shows that there are four areas you need to cover to show what content marketing can achieve.
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10 Podcasts Every CMO Should Be Listening To
Marketing Strategy, Social MediaAs if maintaining a company’s vision while creating viable marketing strategies weren’t enough, CMOs are also responsible for staying on top of the latest marketing news, trends, and changes.
With the demand to be an expert in both leadership and subject matter, CMOS and other marketing professionals require a balance of practical leadership guidance and strategic marketing advice.
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The Difference Between Organic Social Media and Social Media Advertising
Marketing Strategy, Social MediaThere are billions of people using social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and these people all represent current and prospective customers that you can reach with your brand. There are a number of ways brands can interact with each of these platforms; essentially it comes down to using either organic social media or social media advertising.
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Why Businesses Should Care About Facebook Featured Photos
Social MediaWhen it comes to marketing your brand or business through social media, you really can’t ignore the potential that a Facebook page has to offer. Chances are that if you have a business, you more than likely have a business page on Facebook, and most of your current or prospective customers are already using the platform as well. But are you using Facebook Featured Photos to your advantage – both for your business and personally?
The bottom line is, utilizing Facebook and all of it’s ever-changing features should be incorporated as an essential part of your marketing strategy.
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Why You Should Encourage and Share B2B Customer Reviews
Marketing StrategyThere are many reason why you should encourage customer reviews in your marketing strategy, even if you’re in a B2B (business-to-business) industry. If you’re a software company, you can often find helpful reviews on software review sites. For other types of B2B companies, using reviews from actual customers provides potential customers with real use cases, which can better help them make a decision whether to use your services or product, as well as improve trust in your company. Consumers today highly value other consumers feedback and opinions, and often rely heavily on reviews for purchase decisions. When you solicit and display B2B customer reviews on your site or in your marketing materials, you create social proof that your business has been valuable to others.
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Business Social Media: Farming vs. Fishing
Marketing Strategy, Social MediaAs a social media consultant, I get asked this question all the time: Which social media platform should I use for my business. And my answer is always the same: It depends.
Of course, there are many variables to consider when determining your marketing strategy, and your use of social media platform(s) should be part of that strategy. And your personal preferences, or available resources, must be part of the decision making process. If you hate yourself on video, YouTube may not be your first or best choice of social channels for your business. If you don’t like to take and manipulate photographs, Instagram won’t work for you.
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The Bots Are Coming: The Rise of Chatbots for Business
Content MarketingRead more
The B2B Content Marketing Survival Guide
Content MarketingYou’ve read it in all the influencer articles, you’ve heard it at conferences and in meetings, and you’ve listened to it through podcasts for ages now. Content is king. And, it doesn’t matter if you’re a business- or customer-facing industry, you must have content because it reigns supreme for the Google. But not just any content will do. It must be high-quality content that solves the user’s issues. The majestic, sparkling unicorn of all content. Even when that user is another business. So, how is this done? How can you compete in a world with content that is for a business, by a business? That’s where we come in with our handy-dandy B2B Content Marketing Survival Guide.
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How to Advertise on SnapChat Like a Pro
Social MediaThe online advertising world is getting increasingly complicated with a growing variety of platforms to choose from. Google and Facebook are the giants in the field: Google accounts for a 78% share of the total US search ad market and Facebook ads generated over $9 billion in revenue for the company in Q2 2017. However, marketers should be looking at other platforms, too, as they often have value with more precise targeting and specialized demographics.
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The Best Daily Activity Tools for Small Business Growth
Content Marketing, Social MediaIn every niche market, the desire for growth among small businesses is ever present. Most people prefer to experience measurable growth as constantly as possible. However, if your daily activities are misaligned with the long-term goal of growing your business, that growth will continue to elude you for a long time to come.
Depending on the size of your business, you are probably wearing too many hats already. This means that with each passing day, you could have multiple responsibilities in management, leadership, marketing, accounting, customer support and many others. Consequently, you feel helplessly trapped in busyness.
There is a limit to how many hours you can work each day. Add to this the reality other limited resources, especially money, and then your small business growth potential will remain untapped. This is where these tools for small business growth come into play. Beyond what is possible with your working hours, these tools help business owners like you to grow brand awareness, generate more leads, and increase sales volume and ROI.
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How to Humanize Your Brand and Why You Need To Do It
Content Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Social MediaWhether your objective is to grow an audience for your blog, sell a product, or provide a service, you first need to build trust. If you want people to come to you for your travel tips or sign up for your online course, you need to give them a reason to choose you over the sea of other options out there. It sounds like this could be quite the difficult task, huh? Well, that’s not necessarily the case as long as you’re willing to put in the effort.
If you’re ready to open up and be transparent, not only about your brand but also the person or people behind the brand, you’re going to have a lot more success.
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Should You Fire Your Social Media Agency?
Social Media Agency MattersIf you want to increase your brand’s awareness, engagement, and sales leads through social media, then get ready to roll up your sleeves. In a time where things are always changing, especially in the digital world, it can be hard to stay up-to-date with everything you need to know. Social media marketing requires countless hours of brainstorming, developing new strategies and tactics, testing, experimenting, and measuring results.
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Marketing Lessons from Apple {Infographic}
Marketing StrategyWhen you think of marketing genius, the team behind Apple, Inc. may come to mind. The technology company dominates the internet, cell phone, and entertainment use across the globe. Apple is synonymous with success and technological innovation.
That recognition is priceless.
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How To Structure A Blog Post to Get More Readers and Maximize SEO
Content MarketingEven if you’re a great writer, you may struggle now and then with how to structure a blog post that’s certain to get your key points across. In the nearly ten years blogging and helping clients with blogs, I’ve learned a few tricks on how to structure a blog post along the way which may help you.
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The Difference Between a Blog and a Website in Your Marketing Strategy
Inbound Marketing, Marketing StrategyA business with no blog or website is left open to the possibility of false representation. Of course, current or prospective clients can Google you, and chances are they will find something about you online. This information could include anything from a Yelp review of your business, your personal Facebook page, or maybe even a comment you left on a forum years ago. Though none of this may hurt your business, it may not be the impression you’d like to project.
Give your audience a designated place to visit where they can find more information about you. A blog or website will be the reflection of your business that you choose to put on display. It will provide information and answer clients questions, but that’s only scratching the surface. Let’s dive a little deeper.
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Creating a Blog Content Engine
Content MarketingRecently, I had the honor of giving a presentation to some of the smartest people in social media. Hosted by the Social Media Association of Michigan, sponsored by Tech Town Detroit, I was asked to “cram everything I know about blogging into a one-hour presentation.”
Well, it’s pretty difficult to condense 12 years of experience into one hour. Knowing that these are savvy marketers, I thought presenting the tools and systems for keeping the content engine turning would be the most helpful since this can be a daunting task for even the most well-seasoned content marketers.
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Tips for Creating Agile Teams
Inbound Marketing, Social Media Agency MattersCreating an agile team is more or less considered as a must for today’s entrepreneur, assuming you have a small, bootstrapped business. As global trends show, more and more successful businesses follow lean startup model methodology; therefore, creating an agile company and adding additional layers of flexibility and responsiveness to your team structure can really boost your results. Luckily, it’s not all that difficult to create an effective organization. Following are a couple of neat tricks you can resort to in order to add agile in front of your team.
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Hiring Interns Costs More Than You Think
Social Media, Social Media Agency MattersHiring an intern can seem like a win-win situation. You get cheap labor for handling your social media, and the candidates for your internship are likely to be digital natives. On top of that, you get the warm, fuzzy feelings that come with helping another person learn and gain experience that may help him or her secure a high-paying job one day. Before you jump for joy at your free or super cheap social media intern prospects, consider that there is a dark side to this arrangement. It’s highly likely your interns cost more than you originally thought they would. Read more
Video Captions: Not Just for Watching CNN at the Gym
Content Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Social MediaTop Reasons Why You Should Be Using Video Captions
These days the idea of making your content “mobile friendly” is top-of-mind for many of us in the content-generation business, but are you also thinking about making it as “people-friendly” as you can? You probably already know that as a best practice you should strive to make sure that your content is accessible to as many people as possible, but you may not be considering captions as part of that accessibility strategy. Here’s why you should.
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Social Media is More than a Part-Time Position
Marketing Strategy, Social Media, Social Media Agency MattersCan you use a part-time social media manager to achieve your online marketing goals? Will hiring a part-time social media manager be enough to achieve your goals? Isn’t social media marketing simply making announcements to a network of people who have signed on to receive your news and tidbits? Isn’t it simply sharing links, images, and videos you find interesting or inspirational? Or is it all about building relationships and finding ways to engage with your prospects and customers? These things are definitely part of social media marketing, but they don’t tell the whole story.
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Your Corporate Social Media Policy
Social MediaAs a business owner, marketing manager, or executive, you may wonder if your company needs a social media policy. After all, nearly everyone we know uses a Facebook account, and lots of people are Instagramming photos of their families, or posting this weekend’s party on Snapchat. How do you protect your business when your staff are loose on the social web? Smart businesses have social media policies which govern the actions of employees in social media, whether on behalf of the company or while on their own time.
Most social media policies are crafted primarily with company protection in mind. I’d argue that an equally important goal of your policy should be to eliminate confusion on the part of employees, making it safe for them to engage in social media without constantly asking for guidance (or fouling up). Therefore, a good social media policy needs a number of key elements in order to make it easy for employees to follow and clear for HR and executives to interpret. Even if you already have a policy, perhaps it’s worth checking to be sure you’re covering the following eight points.
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Influence Marketing: The Good & Bad of Following Up
Content Marketing“You gotta follow through all the way.” That’s what my dad, and later numerous softball captains, said over and over again every time I stepped up to the plate. (Mind you, I was no star softball player – just a casual work-league player who mostly warmed the bench.) I’ve taken that notion to heart in business, particularly, and try to be really diligent with followthrough on projects.
Apparently, many people who do blogger outreach and influence marketing do not adhere to the same concept.
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Why The Best Agency For You Might Not Be A Social Media Agency
Content Marketing, Social Media Agency MattersDo you know who Danny Kaye is?
I think I can be appropriately curmudgeonly in saying that most kids today don’t know who Danny Kaye, the great 20th Century entertainer, is (was).
For those of you who are unaware, he was a huge star of his time, incredibly well-rounded, with a career that worked through stage, screen, television, records, and food. He died in 1987, after giving us the classic films such as “The Court Jester,” The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” and “White Christmas,” as well as a variety show and a handful of special TV shows. Kaye was a classic comic, too, always pushing the envelope even in serious situations.
A huge part of Kaye’s appeal was his incredible well-roundedness. No matter the situation, he was able to bring something to it: a little soft-shoe, his lovely singing voice, his wide variety of foreign accents, or his in-depth knowledge of food (especially Asian cuisine).
Kaye was a real, old-fashioned entertainment jack of all trades.
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7 Tips for Success in Social Media
Social Media“Keep it simple” is good advice when it comes to most things business related, and that includes social media. Why, you ask? Well, the fact of the matter is that some of the simplest things can influence your success with social media. However, it’s also the simple things that many business people overlook or forget to do on a regular basis.
For example, it is simple to share information that is of interest to your audience, striving to make their lives better, easier, or more entertaining rather than posting repeatedly about your business and what makes it so great. That’s simple but good advice, yet it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that we should always push our products and services. Unfortunately, constantly pushing our offerings backfires in a really big way. Likewise, there are many other ways in which the simplest of things threaten to trip up even the most-savvy business people. But, no worries. We’re here to help you avoid falling into some surprisingly simple social media traps.
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What Makes Visuals So Crucial to Content Marketing Success?
Content Marketing, Marketing StrategyThere’s no denying that visual content has taken over our generation. With more than 3.7 billion internet users in the world and smartphone users expected to reach 2.32 billion by the end of 2017, from Snapchat to Facebook to Instagram, there is practically no end to our appetite for visual content.
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Social Media Tools for Collaboration, Organization and Creation We Love (and Use!)
Content Marketing, Social MediaIf you’ve attended any of our social media training sessions, you’ve heard us compare growing social media presences to building a house before. We’ve talked about how you need to build a solid foundation and then the right layers on top of that.
Because construction analogies come easily to me, let’s just roll with, shall we?
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A Lesson in Re-Branding from Snap (Snapchat)
Social MediaYes, you read the title right, Snapchat is now Snap. A change of name in the fall told us that the brand is now planning on expanding itself to be more than a messaging network. Since its creation in 2011, Snap has been interesting, unique, entertaining, and fun! You know about the filters (maybe you have used the dog filter a time or two), the disappearing pictures, videos, and chats, the compilation of stories, memories, ads, spectacles, and discovering other news and current events.
Rebranding became necessary to Snapchat in the fall of 2016. You might find yourself in the same shoes now. You can’t hide from rebranding (and that’s a good thing), and you can’t ignore it. If you feel the pressing need to rebrand and don’t know where to start, take a page out of Snapchat’s book on the matter.
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How to Use YouTube for Content Marketing
Content MarketingWhen you hear the phrase “content marketing,” chances are written text comes immediately to mind. However, blog posts and articles aren’t the only types of content you can use for content marketing. You can also create, publish and share your content in video format. YouTube provides a fairly easy-to-negotiate and definitely well-known platform for doing just that.
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The One Social Media Resolution You Need to Make This Year
Social Media Agency MattersIt’s that time of year again. If you’re like many of us, you’re probably deciding that this year will be different. 2017 will bring a better you, and perhaps a better business too. That’s right. You can and should make resolutions for your business. But before you get off to the races, preparing your long list of business resolutions, we want you to know that one resolution stands out in importance. It involves social media but doesn’t focus on crafting more posts or finding more followers.
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8 Twitter Hacks for Better Content Marketing
Social MediaOften, business owners try Facebook out as their first venture into social media marketing. They know they need to have a Twitter presence too (because their audience is there), but they often drag their feet, finding Twitter intimidating or believing it’s complicated. The truth is Twitter is no harder to use than Facebook; it’s simply different. But no worries; we have you covered. Here are 8 Twitter hacks to make successful tweeting easier:
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Honing Your Influence: Influencer Tips to Make You the One All Brands Want to Hire
Influence MarketingBeing an influencer wasn’t even a thing ten years ago.
In fact, if someone asked you what you do for a living and your answer was “I’m an influencer” you would sound like a pretty nefarious person out to do some pretty nefarious things.
In today’s landscape, however, being an influencer means that you are a powerful and engaging member of the online marketing community making bank for getting things done!
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The Ins and Outs of Twitter Chats and Parties
Social MediaIf you’ve been on Twitter for an extended period of time, you’ve seen a Twitter chat and party or two. Maybe you’ve participated in or hosted one or two! It’s one of the ways brands and businesses are connecting on Twitter. Most importantly, chats and parties are a direct connection to your current audience and to the audience you’re trying to reach. We’ve had tremendous success in hosting Twitter parties for some of our clients! Our efforts yielded participation rates of up to 233 (averaging 185 per party) people and 8,194 tweets in just one hour!
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Alternatives to Vine (and What to do When a Channel Gets Shut Down)
Social MediaTwitter through some of us for a loop (pardon the pun) at the end of October, by announcing the closure of Vine, its 6-second video app. This is big news whether you loved and/or were involved with Vine or not. Twitter is now refocusing, and we can’t wait to see what that looks like. In the meantime, social media marketers who have made an investment in the app now need to take serious steps in another direction. If the Vine stars we knew, loved and laughed at can move on, then you can, too. This is a great time for you to revisit your social media strategy to make sure that you have a backup plan if you used Vine, and to make sure the rest of your channels are covered in case one of them bites the dust.
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Do You Really Need a Business Blog?
Content MarketingAny business can create a blog, and as you know, many, many of them do. But when the time comes to plan your own, you may be wondering whether you really need one at all. After all, you probably have a website, and you should be making your mark in social media. So how do you decide if you say “Hello World!” with a blog or just stick to your already traveled Internet terrain? Here are some questions to ask yourself when making this important decision.
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21 Secrets to Getting More Blog Comments
Content MarketingAre your brand’s blog posts getting enough (or any) comments? Do you wonder if anyone is actually reading your posts? More than likely, your posts are getting read, but you might not be getting the amount of interaction you’d like. While Facebook likes and shares are great, blog comments are the highest expression of social media love. Of course, we’re not talking about the weird “Buy these awesome name-brand shoes!” comments, but even comments that may disagree with your point of view tell you that people are paying attention to your brand.
Blog comments also have a bit of a snowball effect. Once one or two people respond to your post, other people start to jump into the conversation too.
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3 Ways to Deliver Successful Content
Content MarketingContent marketing is the bridge between you and your target audience – it connects you to people you otherwise might never reach. The goal of your content is to get the audience so interested in your content that they can’t help but cross the bridge to your side. However, we all know that sometimes our content misses the mark and our audience isn’t interested for very long, or even at all! What’s keeping readers engaged? Your story is! What makes up your story? Your content!
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How to Better Understand and Connect with Customers in a Digital World
Social Media“How to Better Understand and Connect with Customers in a Digital World” is co-authored by Sharon Hurley Hall and Christina Strickland”
With the majority of adult Internet users spending time on social media sites, it’s no surprise that social media is such an important way to get your audience’s attention and connect with those in need of your products and services. But if there is one thing many businesses have learned the hard way, it’s that talking at your audience simply doesn’t work. That sort of strategy (or lack thereof) results in your message becoming a part of the online background noise.
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6 Crucial Tactics to Improve Your Facebook Advertising Efforts
Marketing StrategyFacebook is an excellent place to post ads for your brand. Why, you ask? Though most advertising questions don’t have a simple answer, this one definitely does. Essentially, just about everyone is on Facebook in some capacity or another, so advertising there means more and better chances to reach your audience. Just what do we mean by everyone? Well, upwards of 70 percent of adults spend time on this platform. With well-targeted ads and a good strategy, you can reach a significant portion of your audience, whether you’re targeting a B2C or B2B audience.
Of course, the fact that everyone is on Facebook is really just the tip of the iceberg. There’s also the fact that Facebook really makes it easy to hone in on a particular audience based on locations, demographics, interests, behaviors, and connections. And once you target a particular audience, there is so much you can use Facebook ads for, including boosting likes and engagement and increasing website clicks and conversions. You can do all of this on the budget you set AND use Facebook’s tools to track your progress, so you can easily optimize your ad campaigns.
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8 Simple Ways to Breathe New Life Into Your Content Marketing
Content Marketing8 Simple Ways to Breathe New Life Into Your Content Marketing was authored by Sharon Hurley Hall and Christina Strickland.
If you’ve been at content marketing for any length of time, you’ve discovered that it’s all too easy to become comfortable or even complacent. You know what you’re doing, you’re no longer a newbie, and things are running like clockwork, but are you doing all you can do? Could doing a bit more improve your results?
Yes, you are putting effort into producing compelling content, but there is always room for improvement. Why should you bother? Well, the bottom line is that even small improvements can prevent your audience from growing bored and losing interest while also providing your current followers with a reason to keep coming back for more. And you want new visitors, right? Taking the time to refresh and reinvigorate your content also encourages sharing and helps to draw new visitors in your direction.
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Creating Brand Voice on Social Media
Content Marketing, Social Media“Building and Protecting Your Brand Voice on Social Media” was co-authored by Stephanie Schwab and Christina Strickland
Every brand needs a strong brand voice. What is brand voice, you ask? Essentially, it’s the tone and style you use when communicating with your audience. Your brand voice not only tells your audience who you are and what you have to offer, but also proves critical in engaging your audience members and motivating them. Your brand voice gives your audience a feel for your brand’s personality, and since the explosion and rapid growth of social media marketing, it’s become more important than ever before.
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The Essential Guide for Startups Using Social Media
Social MediaIn years gone by, it was enough to create some business cards and set up a website, but today you need so much more. Today, your prospects are ever more social online, and your audience will expect to not only see you but also interact with you via social media. Too many startups view social media as an afterthought rather than an essential part of succeeding in business. They soon discover just how critical it is for encouraging interest, building a reputation and developing lasting relationships with potential customers Fortunately, you have this essential guide to help you start off on the right foot.
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Surefire Ways to Generate Blog Post Ideas
Content MarketingSometimes the hardest thing about having a blog is figuring out what to post on it each week. Maybe you started with a bank of grand ideas, but as you used them up, your blog started to feel, well, a lot less fresh. Perhaps you’ve struggled for ideas since the very beginning. The good news is you can stop liberally applying your forehead to your desk.
Here are some of the best ways to generate blog post ideas:
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How to Market Your Brand Using Live Video
Content Marketing, Social MediaThey say a picture is worth a thousand words, so what does that mean for live video broadcasting via tools like Periscope, Meerkat, Snapchat, Facebook Live, and Blab? I’m going to say live video is worth a million words. Why? Well, as far as content marketing is concerned, we all know how important it is to educate and inform your audience in a way that is also entertaining. We also know how important it is to reach your customers where they spend time and encourage them to connect with your brand. Live video makes this easy.
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21 Things Your Competitors Do on Instagram that You Don’t
Social MediaInstagram has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception. What started off just trying to gain a foothold in the social media arena now has an incredible 400 Million+ people who are active on it monthly, and over three quarters of those users are in the United States. This is an important place to be if you’re serious about your brand. But the competition is fierce! There are many brands that have nailed it on Instagram.
This is both good news and bad news for you. The bad news is that, yes, like I just said, the competition is fierce. The good news is, you’re reading this blog post and we’re going to tell you exactly what they’ve done to become so popular.
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Reasons Why Your Influencer Marketing Isn’t Working
Influence MarketingWith over 100 billion active users on Facebook, and one million people using Instagram monthly, social media is a definitive part of our communication culture.
Among the average daily users wanting just to connect with friends and share fun pics of their kids, are what we call influencers, individuals with large, vibrant communities and audiences who tune in to connect with them on a regular basis.
And they are powerful.
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How to Run a Remote Business With the Right Tools
Social MediaThere are many benefits to working remotely. Even if you typically work in a traditional office, you’ve dreamt about escaping to work from somewhere else from time-to-time. This is the lifestyle we at Crackerjack Marketing have adopted and loved for a little over six years now: our team is 100% virtual, and we all work out of home offices (or sometimes on the road when we travel for business or pleasure). While we believe there are huge benefits to working remotely, we do rely very heavily on digital tools to help our team stay in touch and in sync with each other.
Simply put: the right tools help your company, your partners, and (if you’re an agency) your clients work together efficiently and effectively without having to be in the same place.
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How to Provide Great Customer Service Using Facebook
Social MediaSocial media sites have become more than just platforms for marketing and advertising. They’re also important channels for soliciting and receiving customer service—all in the public eye. In fact, a recent study showed that nearly half of American consumers use social media to ask questions or to talk about their experiences (good and bad). What does this mean for you? How you treat your customers and what they have to say about you is increasingly visible. Mess this one up, and you stand to lose not only one disgruntled customer but a whole slew of prospects.
I’ve already talked about why your brand should be using social media for customer care a few weeks ago. If you’ve been following along here at Crackerjack Marketing, you already understand the importance of how your brand is represented in social.
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7 Ways to Gain Facebook Fans Without Using Paid Ads
Social MediaFacebook used to be considered a progressive part of a brand’s marketing plan. These days, it’s not “progressive,” it’s an integral part of your plan. Consumers aren’t impressed with the fact you have a Facebook page for your business; expect you to have one.
Of course, merely having a Facebook page with your logo isn’t enough. Consumers also seek out social proof. In other words, they look for indicators that your business is thriving and responsive, including your number of fans, how often you post and how much your fans interact with your page.
As Facebook’s continued changes to its algorithm have made it harder to get consumers’ attention on this platform, many marketers have turned to paid advertising to help with fan acquisition. We use Facebook advertising for our own clients as well and think it should, most certainly, be included as part of your overall social media marketing efforts.
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12 Tips for Using Instagram for Business
Content Marketing, Influence Marketing, Social MediaInstagram has certainly proven to be an unstoppable force among social media channels. With 500 million (and counting!) active users and 200,000 advertisers, it’s no wonder many brands and businesses are trying to reach customers through Instagram.
There are many things you could (and should) be doing to get the most mileage out of the time and energy you put into Instagram. While some won’t cost you anything more than your own time and effort, there are other options to consider, if you have a little bit of budget to spend.
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Why Your Brand Should Use Social Media for Customer Care
Social MediaSocial media is a viable avenue for providing service to your customers. As more and more consumers embrace social media for personal use, they are also reaching out to companies this way.
Some brands listen and respond better than others, and these are the brands that enjoy increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. In most industries, consumers have a good deal of choice when it comes choosing where to spend their money, so encouraging loyalty is an important goal. In fact, a 2015 study from Garnter revealed that customer service, not price point, is the most competitive factor in the purchase decision.
Customer service isn’t an either or proposition, so you don’t have to choose social media customer service over traditional methods. In fact, you shouldn’t choose one over the other at all. Social media isn’t “up and coming” in the customer service realm, consumers are already taking to their favorite social networks with complaints, suggestions, and compliments.
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Twitter Strategy
Social MediaWith over 106 million users sending more than a total of 140 million updates per day; you can see why we think Twitter is an essential platform for your business. We’ve written about Twitter a lot, everything from finding people to follow, finding content to share and explaining why Twitter Moments matters to your brand.
Now that you’ve gotten the basics down, it’s time to fine tune your Twitter strategy so you can maximize the benefits.
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Charitable Giving Campaigns Best Practices and Examples
Social MediaHave you noticed the rise of brands implementing social media charitable giving campaigns or, as some may know them, “share-to-donate” campaigns? It’s no big surprise. After all, sharing on social media is what people love to do most. When you combine that with a good cause, you’ve usually got a recipe for success. Right?
Well, maybe or maybe not. While it’s true that this type of social media campaign could present a huge opportunity for your brand and your chosen charity, it could backfire on you and generate the wrong kind of buzz if not executed thoughtfully.
The good news is that when done properly, charitable giving campaigns really do create a win-win-win situation for your brand, charity, and community. In this blog post, we’re going to take a closer look at four brands that got it exactly right. We are also going to give you some tips for planning and creating a successful charitable giving campaign.
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How to Tweet Like a Pro
Marketing Strategy, Social MediaIf you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you can probably tell we’re all aflutter about Twitter. Even though we wonder why Twitter is so darn difficult for people, we’re big advocates for using Twitter as part of your overall social media strategy. It’s a powerful tool for building your business.
What do you do when the ideas just don’t flow as readily as you’d like? What can you do when you’re long on enthusiasm but short on compelling ideas for tweets? No worries! We’ve compiled a list of ideas you can use to get you through those difficult times as well as great resources for finding content to share.
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The Art of Content Curation and Making it Work for Your Brand
Content Marketing, Marketing StrategyContent is king, right? But that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to write every word of it. After writing blog post after blog post and article after article, with an eBook or white paper thrown in, you may feel as if you’re penning the Great American novel rather than marketing your business. The good news is you don’t have to type until your fingers fall off. Original content is certainly good, but content curation helps get the job done too.
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How to Find People to Follow on Twitter
Social MediaYou know the influence of Twitter. It is, after all, a powerful and engaging social media platform. But, if you’re not following anyone and no one’s following you, it’s neither powerful nor engaging. You need followers (beyond your family and friends), and you need to be following other interesting Twitter users too. So, how do you do that? We have you covered. Here’s a quick guide to finding people to follow on Twitter.
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10 Common Content Marketing Mistakes
Content MarketingPromoting your business with content is an excellent strategy for raising awareness of your brand and getting your customers’ attention. But some businesses don’t get the benefits they should, because of easily avoidable errors. Here are some common content marketing mistakes you should avoid.
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10 Ways to Increase Blog Traffic
Content MarketingCreating blog content is one of the best investments you can make in promoting your business. The stats are clear:
Many brands build a blog and expect the traffic to roll in simply because it’s a super awesome piece of web real estate. They’re in for a rude awakening when their launch day comes and goes with hardly a couple of stragglers stopping by to read what you’ve written.
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Why Is Twitter So Darn Difficult for People?
Social MediaI do a lot of social media training, which I really enjoy. I work with small business owners, executives, front-lines social media managers, and people who are trying to gain skills for their next job.
I’ve trained on social media strategy, on blogging, and on just about every platform out there: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube. As well as Twitter.
And it’s really remarkable: Every person I’ve ever trained on Twitter seems to think it’s the most difficult and confusing of all the social networks. So I’ve spent some time thinking about why this is the case. Here’s what I’ve concluded on what makes Twitter difficult.
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Pros and Cons of Social Media Marketing for eCommerce Businesses
Social MediaOne of the most common answers I hear to the question of “how do I grow sales for my eCommerce business” is: social media. But what does that mean? Everyone’s “doing social media,” but are they doing it correctly, and more importantly, does it work for your business?
By “doing social media,” people generally mean: using social media platforms to achieve an objective in your business. For most businesses that objective will be either raising brand awareness or achieving sales. However, there are other objectives such as community engagement, providing customer service, and to humanize your brand.
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5 Things You Should Know About Facebook
Social MediaWe use social media sites every day, but how much do we really understand about how to use them effectively in marketing? To help you, Crackerjack Marketing is creating a series of posts to guide you, and naturally, we’re starting with Facebook.
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5 SEO Changes That Will Affect Your 2016 Strategy
SEOIf you’ve been paying attention to search engine optimization (SEO) this year, you know that things have changed. That has big implications for how you handle SEO in the year to come.
1. Goodbye Keywords; Hello User Intent
Once upon a time, a focus on keywords was the hallmark of good SEO. That’s been on its way out for a while, and is now a definite no-no. Keyword data is only useful if it tells you about user intent because it’s user intent that you’re optimizing for. Your SEO and content strategy will change depending on whether visitors your site are doing general research, looking for specific information or are ready to buy your services. And whichever it is, focus on keywords will be much, much less important than delivering what users want.
2. Focus on UX
UX, or user experience, is about having a site where visitors can easily find the information they need and have a positive experience on your site. If they don’t, they may “pogostick” away. That will increase your bounce rate and reduce your search ranking because Google will track that behavior and decide that certain pages aren’t relevant to users.
3. Building Authority
Google authorship may be dead, but that’s probably in name only. Make no mistake; Google is tracking your authority and the content you publish is one measure of that.
The more authoritative content you publish and the more visitors you attract, the higher your page authority and domain authority will be, making it even easier for potential customers to find you in search results.
Don’t forget about external authority signals. Publish content on well-respected sites or take part in high-profile webinars and events to increase your online authority.
4. The SoLoMo Trifecta
Social, local and mobile (SoLoMo) are also integral to your 2016 SEO strategy. Social signals also indicate authority and trustworthiness, so being active on social media will make you more visible. Google now indexes tweets – who knows what other social media content they will add next year? Think about whether Blab, Periscope or Instagram should be part of your 2016 social media strategy.
Optimizing your local search listing is also a must, especially since Google now shows just three local results in its answer box. If you haven’t checked out your Google My Business listing, now’s the time to do it.
Mobilegeddon hit earlier this year, which meant that some sites that weren’t mobile-friendly took a search ranking hit. That’s not going away. If you’re using a mobile device, you mobile-friendly pages are labeled, so why would you visit any others? Mobile device users are known to make quick buying decisions, so ignoring this metric could be costly. Search Engine Watch says Google has practically abandoned desktop-focused SEO and advises readers to do the same.
5. Quality Optimization
From the beginning, Google has tweaked its algorithms to make sure that web users see better content. That won’t change. If your content isn’t good, no-one will see it; make it great and you improve your chances. One thing that’s been happening in Google’s search results is the provision of rich answers. That means when users type in questions, the answers appear in a box at the top of the page. If your content appears here, you’ll get more traffic, as Stone Temple Consulting found. The secret? Clear answers to simple questions.
The bottom line? Anyone trying to game Google is wasting their time. SEO in 2016 means working to earn authority by delivering stellar content and an online experience that users value.
Why You Should Avoid Digital Sharecropping
Inbound Marketing, Social MediaUsing social media is now a fact of life, but there’s one key mistake business owners have to avoid. If you have an active presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram or whatever social media is best for your business, that’s fantastic, but you must avoid the perils of digital sharecropping. What is it? It’s where you put your eggs in a social media basket and have no web presence of your own.
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5 Ways to Get More Eyes on Your Blog Content
Content MarketingCreating blog content is one of the best investments you can make in promoting your business. The stats are clear:
Whichever way you look at it, blogging for business is a good thing. But not everyone will read your blog, so to get more from content marketing, use your blog content in other ways so that more people will see it and interact with your company.
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Why Twitter’s New Moments Feature Matters to Brands
Social MediaDid you notice something different over on Twitter recently? Twitter unrolled its new, and, quite possibly, most important feature called “Moments.” Moments takes what everyone is talking about and puts it into a tidy place for the user to find. Now we don’t have to jump in and get lost, mid-conversation. This is a great way to check out and interact with what’s going on on Twitter, before you dip your toes fully into the stream.
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5 Tips for Brands Using Periscope
Social MediaGetting acquainted with Periscope and learning what it does was an important first step. Now, however, you have to figure out how to use this innovative new social media tool for your brand. Don’t worry. We have you covered with five tips brands can use to make the most of Periscope:
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5 Reasons Your Brand Should Be on Periscope
Social MediaNo brand can afford to rest on its laurels, thinking last year’s, last week’s or yesterday’s marketing is enough to keep its audience interested and engaged. You have to continually market, finding new ways to gain exposure and get the right people paying attention. One exciting new way to do that is with Periscope.
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How to Get the Most Bang for Your Buck with Content Marketing
Content MarketingEverybody wants a magic bullet. And if you’re using content marketing to promote your business you may want it more than most. There are so many sites and types of content out there, so how do you find out what really works to you get great performance and return on investment, and content marketing value for your efforts?
The good news is, you don’t have to look far to find the answer, because Buzzsumo and Fractl have done it for you, analyzing 220,000 articles over a 6 month period from June to November 2014. The infographic is published on Hubspot. Here are some of the key findings, along with the lessons to learn about your content strategy.
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Tales From the Crypt: Bringing Your Company Blog Back to Life
Content MarketingNo matter how motivated you were about starting your blog way back when, it’s all too easy to let it slide. It starts with a day of posting missed here or there. Then you start missing weeks, telling yourself it’s no big deal and you’ll get back on track…er…soon. Before you know it, your blog has gasped its laugh breath and you’re faced with deciding whether to bury it or try to perform a modern miracle of resurrection.
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Why It’s Worth Investing in Content Marketing
Content MarketingMany people don’t trust advertising any more, especially millennials. That’s why you need content marketing. If you create content that speaks directly and personally to your target customers, they are more likely to trust you. And if their friends also recommend your content, you will win their trust and loyalty and they are more likely to buy into your offer.
Content marketing lets you reach your audience in lots of different ways and helps your search rankings and online authority. But to get the benefits, you have to see content marketing as an investment. Not everyone does, even if they should.
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Instagram Content Ideas for Brands
Social MediaVisual content is king, and Instagram is its court. More than any other social media platform, Instagram provides your audience with a way to visually connect with your brand, taking a virtual look inside your business. Of course, any social media platform is only as good as the content you post on it. To put Instagram to work for your business, post images that are not only creative, beautiful, inspirational, or fun but also accurate representations of your brand and the subject matter you find important. Above all, aim for fun and interesting, taking care to avoid obvious marketing.
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How to Decide Which Social Network is Right for Your Business
Social MediaThere are already more social networks than we know what to do with. In addition to those trying to fix social networking, like Ello, there are networks for almost every niche. So how do you pick the ones your business should spend time on.
Let’s be clear: it’s almost impossible to do several social networks well on your own. If you’re a small business without an individual or team dedicated to social media, you’ll find it hard to handle all the social media marketing tasks for every network. Unless you’re planning to hire a marketing agency you have to pick a place to start, whether that’s Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn or another network.
Here are some of the questions to ask to help you make the decision.
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The Essential Guide to Guest Blogging
Content MarketingSo you thought guest blogging was dead? While Matt Cutts initially suggested that, he later clarified that he was talking about guest blogging for SEO link building. Guest blogging for reach and authority is alive and well, but you have to do it right. That means getting a professional to handle your guest blogging campaign.
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Exploring Mobile and Social Analytics
Inbound Marketing, SEOIn my last post I explained some of the insights analytics offers to help you improve your marketing campaigns. This time round, I’d like to look at two aspects of analytics in more detail: social and mobile analytics. Over the last couple of years, Google has enhanced these features significantly, so it’s worth seeing what you can learn. The reason this is important is because the more you know about how your customers are using mobile and social, the better you can target your marketing.
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Will Your Customers Be Wearing Your Website?
Inbound MarketingThe Mobile Market Shift – Are You Ready?
Will your customers be wearing your website soon? The chances are that they will be. If you pay attention to technology news, you know that wearable computing (it’s exactly what it sounds like: computing devices that you wear) is set to make the mobile market even more mobile.
The most common devices are smart watches. These started by allowing you to manage smartphone functions from a device worn on the wrist. But some of the latest ones fly solo, so you don’t need a smartphone to use them. (Check out the Samsung Gear S for an example.) That’s the revolutionary part, and it’s why if you’re not ready for mobile market changes, it’s time to think seriously about what that means for your website and marketing. Google Glass may be wearable, but something that’s just like the watch you wear already, but better, is likely to be more popular.
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Google Algorithm Updates: Should You Be Worried?
Inbound Marketing, SEOThe Mopocalypse is here. What does that mean for your marketing strategy? Let’s take a look at Google’s mobile-friendly update and other algorithm changes and see what you need to do next.
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The Power of the Ask – How to Encourage Social Sharing
Social MediaDid you know that among the five most popular words on Twitter are the words please and retweet? That tells you something very important. If you want to encourage people to share your work on social media, sometimes all you have to do is ask. It’s a call to action, social media style. Most people can’t resist a heartfelt appeal mixed with a little politeness. That’s why one of the things it’s most important to master in your content marketing is the call to action.
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Social Media Advertising: Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn, Oh My!
Social MediaEver wanted to know how to use social media advertising for your business, particularly your B2B business? Look no further – here’s our guide to advertising on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
We cover general advertising tips, plus capabilities and use for each of the three major social ads platforms.
Feel free to download and share this eBook direct from Slideshare. (Hint: View the Notes for the presentation by clicking on the Notes tab next to comments and statistics.)
And of course, if we can assist with your social media advertising programs, please don’t hesistate to contact us!
Social Media Advertising Overview: Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn from crackerjackmarketing
5 Ways to Use Google Analytics
Content MarketingYou’ve probably heard plenty about the importance of tracking and monitoring in your online business. And while there are many tools designed to help you collect and analyze data about your online audience, Google Analytics is one of the most well-known.
Here are 5 ways you can use it in your business:
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Social Media Lessons from The Walking Dead
Social MediaWhat You Can Learn About Social Media From The Walking Dead
You can learn a lot from watching The Walking Dead (TWD), and not just how to survive a zombie apocalypse (Hint: Always stay with Rick and Daryl). Believe it or not, TWD teaches lessons that are critical for social media. Here are 5 social media tips you can take from TWD.
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Relationship Building Via Social Media
Social MediaWe know what you’re thinking: platforms like Facebook and Twitter are perfect for generating leads. And yes, you can use social media for lead generation. But if you focus on that alone, you really don’t get the gist of how this thing works. The be-all and end-all of social media for business is, wait for it: relationship building. Without it, you’re dead in the water.
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Social Search: What the Heck Is It?
Social MediaWith so many social terms whizzing by, it’s easy to forget if you’re coming or going. Maybe you finally have terms like engagement, consumer advocate, and ROI figured out. Well, now we want to toss another one your way — social search. Don’t worry, though. We have no plans to leave you twisting in the wind. We’re going to lay it all out for you, in terms you can understand, without so much as wrinkling your brow.
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6 Ways to Help Your Marketing Agency Do a Better Job
Inbound MarketingAre you planning to hire a digital marketing agency this year? Here’s what I’ve learned from working on thousands of projects that can help set you up for success.
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How to Annoy Your Fans on Social Media
Social MediaAs in the brick-and-mortar world, it is surprisingly easy to develop social media bad habits. You know how you start out eating ice cream at midnight just a couple of nights per week? Then, before you know it, you’re eating a bowl of the good stuff every night before bed, and packing on the pounds. The same goes for social media. Bad habits snowball until your formerly interested fans wants to hear from anyone but you—anyone.
Often, we develop bad social media habits in the hopes of becoming more efficient and effective, but these no-no’s actually undermine our efforts. Here are 5 ways even smart business people annoy their audiences on social media. Take a look and pledge to avoid them at all costs:
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