Digital, Marketing, Social
Social media has changed the way we communicate as brands. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, chances are your organization has at least one social media account. Unfortunately, that becomes one more thing you need to manage, and it is often forgotten or put on the backburner. Can it be easier? In a word, yes. There are steps you can take to make this less of a time-heavy chore and more of an efficient system that helps you sell. Here are five steps you can take to make your social media easier to manage:
1. Simplify with Scheduling
Remembering to post several times a day on your social media accounts can be difficult at best. On top of that, trying to create good content when you are in a rush is a recipe for disaster. Planning your posts ahead of time is always key, and there are a few ways you can do so.
You can pre-schedule your posts on most social media platforms without a tool or app to help you. Simply creating a spreadsheet or google doc ahead of time is an easy way to keep organized. If you want to take it next level, investigate a social media management tool that will let you queue or schedule posts for all of your accounts, seeing an entire week or month at a glance. This is especially helpful if you are managing a larger content calendar with topics, offers, deals, or sales. If you don’t have many accounts, there are several free versions that might be a good fit to start until you grow into a larger tool.
We have tried them all and would be happy to recommend one that will meet the needs of both your staff and budget. We also offer social media management tool setup, training, or assistance as a service to help you in this process.
2. Plan for Daily Engagement and Interaction Time
You cannot just post nowadays and hope for the best. If you want to grow your accounts organically over time, you need to set aside time each day for engagement and interaction.
This doesn’t mean you need to respond to inbox messages or comments the moment that they come in, but they will need a prompt response. “Getting to that later” when you are busy doesn’t always work and is a good way to set yourself up for failure. How can this be avoided? Schedule time each and every day for these tasks and handle them in bulk. You will be surprised at how much you can accomplish when you can focus on one thing and aren’t dealing with other tasks.
Other things to do during this scheduled time: invite people to like your page, comment in groups or on others’ posts as your page, and share or like other posts. This is also a good time to boost your content or setup ads or offers. A small budget can get a big return on social media advertising, especially if you target well.
3. Automate Some Customer Service Options
Do customers inbox your social media asking the same questions over and over again? Are there some qualifying questions that you need to ask on a consistent basis with those who contact you? You can save some time by automating some of these functions.
Through the help of bots and using a social media management tool (or sometimes the platforms themselves), you can automate the easy functions. This can save you so much time! It’s honestly not as creepy as it sounds and can be written using your brand voice.
Most management platforms have tutorials that show you how to do this, or if you want training in how to set this up, we can do that for you.
4. Centralize Your Inbox
Social media can be tricky to manage when you have multiple accounts on multiple platforms with multiple logins. Simply logging in to each one and checking your notifications takes a decent amount of time.
How can you make this easier? Centralize that inbox! This is the best gift that any social media management platform can give you. There is only one place to log in and the information for all of your accounts falls into one centralized location. You’re much less likely to get sucked into scrolling social media accounts and wasting precious time.
If multiple staff members are monitoring your accounts, you’ll know what was handled and what still needs to be managed. You can even leave each other internal notes!
5. Carve Out Creative Time
One last way to make your social media easier to manage is to carve out your creative time separately to create your content. Make sure this is protected time, and that you have space and freedom to focus on flexing those creative muscles. This is the time where you create images, videos, and the accompanying posts that go with them – something witty, clever, and eye-catching that will resonate with your target market.
Carving out this time will make a big impact on how these posts land in the days to come and will make you stand out from your competition. Focusing on your creativity without distraction will allow you to connect with your customers digitally, which is even more important during these trying times.
Taking the steps to make your social media easier to manage will help you focus on what really matters with your social media – creating content that sells. The pandemic has changed everything, including how you communicate with your customers. Selling your product or service(s) digitally are essential to be successful in this environment.
If you need help with any of this – strategy, training, setup, or management, please contact us. We would be happy to have a consultation with you to discuss your needs and budget and find a solution that will work for you and your team.
by mollymason | June 27, 2016 | Marketing, Strategy | 0 Comments
Let’s pretend it’s a warm, sunny day and we’re running a lemonade stand. You walk by, purchase a cup, and declare “Wow! That is some seriously good lemonade. What do you guys do so different?” Truthfully, a recipe isn’t that hard to follow: proper portions of water,...
by mollymason | June 27, 2016 | Marketing, Strategy | 0 Comments
Let’s pretend it’s a warm, sunny day and we’re running a lemonade stand. You walk by, purchase a cup, and declare “Wow! That is some seriously good lemonade. What do you guys do so different?” Truthfully, a recipe isn’t that hard to follow: proper portions of water,...
Digital, Marketing, Social
How can you sell and market online if you rely on foot traffic sales?
As we traverse through this changing world, one thing is clear: business is not the same as usual. Even as businesses begin to reopen, operations won’t look as they once did. Whether you have to function at reduced capacity, or customers are staying closer to home, this pandemic will impact your revenue projections for 2020.
If you operate a traditional brick-and-mortar business that relies on customers coming to your location for sales, what can you do? How can you sell to customers that aren’t coming through the door? How can you continue to see the same volumes that you saw pre-pandemic? One word: Online.
This virus has changed the way we use the internet, but it is also going to change the way we do business. As work, schools, and families transitioned home, they made many changes to their lifestyle and doing business online became the new normal.
If you’re feeling underprepared or overwhelmed, it’s okay. Here are five easy tips that will impact the transformation of your business into the digital world.
1. Social Media Selling
Do you have a social media presence? Are you selling online through social networks? Whether you are utilizing a specific inventory shop or simply posting items for sale, this is a great strategy. Customers may not be browsing in your store, but they are browsing online.
We have seen many businesses use social media to develop creative sales methods during this pandemic. Consider having a live auction on Facebook Live for selling overstock, a weekly special that requires an entry to win, or a “deal of the day” that can only be purchased through Instagram. The possibilities are endless!
2. Make Supporting You Convenient
Do you have gift cards available? Can customers easily buy them online? While we are “all in this together” and many want to #BuyLocal and #SupportLocal, your customers may not feel ready to engage as they once did. Make it easy for the community to support your business by purchasing gift cards. Why do you think Amazon gift cards are such a popular gift? They are easy to buy and easy to give.
If you don’t have gift cards yet, you are just a few clicks away from being able to sell them in-store and online.
3. Google My Business
Google is doing its best to help all organizations during this time and has made several changes to help maximize their online presence.
- You can solicit donations as part of your Google listing
- You can promote gift cards purchases as part of your Google listing
- New search options to help support local businesses
- Merchants who are certified on Google My Business will be able to add attributes like online appointments, online classes, or online estimates.
4. Create a Community
Staying connected while staying apart has proven to be one of the biggest challenges for organizations during this pandemic. How can you connect with your customers virtually and create the same environment when you aren’t in all one location? It’s time to create your own community.
Start a Facebook Group for VIP Insiders. Host virtual Zoom parties or Google Hangouts. Having a live event at your establishment? Steam it online and offer “event kits” that viewers can order ahead of time to participate at home. The important thing is to stay connected with customers and stay front-of-mind so when it is safe to reopen, you are fully booked.
5. Strategic Selections
As you get back to business, think about what you can do differently. People are bored. People are tired. What can you offer them that will make this situation a little more bearable (and make you a profit at the same time)? Here are a few examples others have done:
- Free shipping on orders over a certain dollar amount
- Curbside pick-up
- “Family packs” with special meals large enough to feed an entire family
- Subscription boxes
- Curated packages around a theme
This isn’t a complete list, but it’s a great place to start. It is easy enough to accomplish in one weekend, it doesn’t take a technology expert to implement, and it is something your business will need to survive.
If this feels overwhelming to you, you aren’t alone! Outsourcing some or all of this work is an option and may end up saving you time and money in the long run.
Liked this article? Check out a few others like it!
by hoydencreatstg | February 6, 2024 | Web Design | 0 Comments
Digital accessibility is the practice of ensuring that online content can be accessed and used by members of the disability community.
Branding, Marketing, Social, Strategy
Looking back on what people thought 2017 might look like 100 years ago, most people probably imagined flying cars or teleportation. I think it’s safe to say that didn’t happen. Instead, we reinvented something even more amazing: rompers for men.
Yes. You read that right.
For those of you who have never heard the word “romper” before, a romper is a one-piece garment that looks similar to a dress but has shorts below the waste instead of a skirt. They are as convenient as they are fashionable, a true American treasure.
The newest clothing line called RompHim, by ACED Design, was launched last week as a Kickstarter campaign. The four male founders set a goal of raising $10,000. Clearly, they underestimated the demand for chic male onesies, because they surpassed their goal by over $355,000. Not too bad for still having 21 days left in the campaign. Bravo, gentlemen.
Been there, done that.
The Kickstarter pledging process is simple, but unique. Unlike the old school, magazine-ordered bodysuits, RompHim customers can choose their price. Starting at $5 and capping off at $1,250, the company offers anything from online updates, to the opportunity to hand select your own RompHim fabric. Your $1,250 pledge also buys you a night on the town with the ACED Design team, making your evening as unique as the onesie you rode in wearing.
Tweet about it.
Twitter seems to be the social media platform of choice for both praise and disapproval, resulting in several millions of #RompHim tweets. Whether people see it as a fashion statement or a frat-inspired gag gift, it doesn’t matter. Either way, the tweets and memes are considered “the best thing on Twitter”, and I have to agree.
Two thumbs up!
So where does that leave me? Besides paying $1,250 to go on a bro-date with the founders, I think RompHims are fantastic. Anything that can make me laugh out loud and still look that good has my vote. Also, I’m quite pleased that men will finally understand the struggle of having to completely undress to use the restroom.
As for the next 100 years, I can only hope that men will still be coming up with ways to masculinize products that were originally designed for women. That said, I’m all for gender equality, but some things are better off unaltered. They can have their Mandles, Brogurt, and RompHims, but I’d like to keep my high heels and over-priced handbags.
Communication, Marketing, Public Relations, Social, Strategy
The age of posting excessive pictures of your fancy drinks and fun foods on social media has arrived. Since the dawn of social media, people have captured photos and posted them online for the world to see. But now, everywhere you turn someone is seeking the perfect lighting for a picture of the newest vegan soup, or for the case of this discussion, the newest Starbucks drink.
But I love Starbucks…
There is no denying that Starbucks is dominating the Café industry, but have they gone too far? The new Unicorn Frappuccino went from an internet sensation to a controversial lawsuit in a matter of weeks. The globally desired drink hit the shelves on April 19 and was said to be a limited time offer. Limited time offer…brilliant. Not only did they develop a drink that was social media gold, they scheduled it so that everyone would have to try it before it was too late. Even the customers who were unable to get their hands on one turned to social media. Only this time to vent their frustration. I guess it’s true what they say, there’s no such thing as bad publicity!
PR specialists explain that the Unicorn Frappuccino was inspired by unicorn-themed food and drinks trending on social media, unicorn emojis, and the unicorn filter on Snapchat. Brooklyn café, The End, had a different opinion, saying that Starbucks ripped-off their already established drink called the Unicorn Latte. The End began selling the Unicorn Latte in December of 2016, and has had a pending trademark for the drink name since January of 2017. That said, The End isn’t the only small business with a unicorn-inspired drink on their menu. This mythical creature is truly taking the social media world by storm #magic.
The interesting thing about these trends is that companies often leave the marketing up to the consumers. Why dump millions of dollars on social media campaigns when your customers will go online and do it for you? Aside from the initial announcement of the new product, companies get to sit back and watch as we upload endless posts, making their product a desirable fixation.
Take away the sparkles and what are you left with?
As a millennial, I too have developed a love for social media. I’ll even share the occasional photo of decadent cocktails or colorful cuisine that I come across. The one thing I don’t understand is the obsession over these trends, especially when people don’t actually enjoy the product. Most folks who purchased the Unicorn Frappuccino said they didn’t like the taste, claiming it tasted like sour milk.
There’s nothing magical about sour milk. I don’t care how sparkly or mystical it looks, if it tastes like dairy-gone-bad we should be tagging it the #DirtyDonkeyFrappe.
