Your cart is currently empty!
Author: Shelby Mumma
-
How to Manage Facebook Follow Settings
Good marketing is good management.
If you don’t manage your online presence well, there is a good chance you can lose business to someone who is running their business effectively.
You may want to follow various similar businesses to enhance your own or use these steps to get your new and current followers to be more engaging.
Follow these steps to improve your Facebook following!
Once you have liked a page, there is a 3 dot button to the right.
This will give you different options. Choose ‘Follow Settings’ at the top. If you haven’t followed the page already, you will have to select ‘Follow’ before you see the ‘Follow Settings’ option.
There will be many choices to select, but what we are focusing on is the News Feed section. By choosing the ‘Favorite’ option, this will make the posts that a page sends out appear higher as you scroll through Facebook.
Don’t forget to scroll down and click the blue ‘Update’ button or your settings will not save.
We hope this crash course gives you a better understanding of how to improve your Facebook follow settings.
Log on to your Facebook today to get started with your Facebook follow settings!
If you would like to know more, we have the answers! Visit our Contact page or follow us on our social media accounts below to chat.
Always Looking Forward!
-
The 5 Must Knows of Mobile Marketing
Adobe defines mobile marketing as a multi-channel digital marketing strategy aimed at reaching a target audience on smartphones, tablets, and other mobile electronic devices via websites, email, social media, messages, and apps. This read on mobile marketing isn’t just for business owners, managers, or technologically sound people. It’s for everybody because in a way, marketing connects all of us through our mobile devices. So wherever you fit into the marketing world from producer to consumer, it’s important to develop personalized content and keep the attention of your audience through their little screens!
1. If it’s not obvious already… mobile users are EVERYWHERE.
A study done by the Pew Research Center in 2019 shows that 1 in 5 Americans are ‘smartphone only’ internet users. This means there is no laptop or computer in their house or any type of broadband service. So, as everybody continues to be on the go, so does their mobile phone! As a business, this is important to know because you have to find a way to strategically market where your target audience is – which is more than likely on mobile devices.
2. The number of smartphone users increase daily.
Statista predicts that the number of smartphone users worldwide will surpass 3.8 billion in 2021. Whereas in 2016, there were only (but still a lot) 2.5 billion users.
Number of smartphone users worldwide from 2016 to 2021 This indicates yet again that people would rather be on their phone than anything else. So what does this mean for producers, managers, and anybody that develops and creates for the digital marketing world? It time to design easy to engage and mobile friendly websites, apps, messaging, accounts, and more!
3. Good mobile marketing = good mobile traffic
No, I’m not talking about when the highway is backed up. I’m talking about ways to track your audience’s responsiveness to what you are putting on the internet for them to see! Google Analytics is a popular site for looking into all kinds of reports from page visits to how users found your site to what kind of browser they were on – it’s crazy y’all! It might even be able to show you what you had for breakfast…just kidding!
4. You have Viral Potential
If you don’t believe me, just look at Instagram! Influencers, brands, bloggers, small business owners, friends and everyone in between can use Instagram to promote their content. In fact, Instagram alone has topped over 1 billion monthly users according to Adobe Spark. An app like Instagram is so easy to share videos and/or pictures by messaging, putting it on other social media platforms, copying the link, etc. Your content can be found by hundreds, thousands, and millions of people! This form of mass communication creates room for more exposure without the effort of the company. Just let the mobile marketing content speak for itself and people will share!
5. Payments made easy
This is specifically for anyone that sells any time of product or service online. We all know how it is looking through your purse to find your wallet, swiping your card or making exact change for your purchase. Comparingly, online payments are playing a significant role especially during this COVID period. So get online, sit back, and watch your mobile marketing sales go up!
Now you know – mobile is the best way to market! So what are you waiting for? Bring your business to mobile phones to see great new results!
Struggling to figure out the best way to market on mobile? No worries, that’s what we are here for! You can send us a message on our Contact Us page, give us a call, or connect with us on social media account below. We hope you learned something new from this article and don’t be afraid to reach out to us if you have any questions…that is what we are here for!
Always Looking Forward,
Shelby
-
Ways to Boost your Email List
So let’s start off with the bad news first to get it out of the way…
“Email marketing databases naturally degrade by about 22.5% every year.” – Hubspot
How can that be? The biggest reason is because people switch jobs, they retire, finally get a new email address because they are still using AOL, things like that.
Thankfully, GOOD NEWS is here to stay…
“The average expected ROI is $42 for every $1 you spend on email marketing.” – Data & Marketing Association
Considering this statement, that is why the ‘quality over quantity’ phrase is so true! It does not matter if you have 10 or 200 people signed up to receive your email, what matters is their engagement. So although we are talking about how to grow in email marketing, we want to stress the importance of keeping your subscribers active as well.
In-Person
This could be word of mouth, a sign up sheet in a local business, attending craft shows or festivals in town, business cards, local events, the possibilities are endless! Human interaction is still very effective – it’s harder for people to turn you down when you are standing in front of them. Who knows, they might actually like your company after they give it a shot!
Website
Email features have become more and more popular. However, you don’t want to hound them for meaningless information. Keep it simple – name and email. You can find out details later after building a relationship with them! You can also get as creative as you want with it. Here is a simple example from Country Living:
New Content
Whether it is a free online tool, resource, brand structure, contest or promotion, you can use a landing page to gather email addresses. You want them to see it as a ‘bonus’ to get something in return because let’s face it, nobody does anything ‘just because’ if they aren’t benefiting from it. While getting your new content out there to the Internet, you could also ask them for feedback from a live chat tool. This could be through social media or your website for people that have stayed on your page for a certain amount of time.
Social Sharing Buttons
For people to want to share your content, it has got to be top notch. When you are able to fine tune it, you’ll have more confidence to encourage your subscribers to share on social media or forward your email to colleagues which makes it important to still include a Call to Action to subscribe in your emails (even though the people you originally emailed it to are already subscribed).
We hope these tips can help you get recognized in your community. Keep in mind that:
You’re only as successful as your least engaged subscriber.
Thanks for reading and don’t forget to keep up with us on our social media!
Feel free to look back at our previous posts for more content!
- Wayne County Georgia Probate Court | Constantly Connected
- Wayne County Clerk of Court | A Forward Digital Marketing Special Build
- Long County Recreation | Communication and Education for Local Sports
Always Looking Forward,
Shelby
-
Are You Riding the Struggle Bus?
Let’s face it, everybody struggles. Some days, you may even feel like you are driving and the brakes have gone out! The awesome part about it is that challenging situations can lead to success, wisdom, new strength, and better opportunities. So whether you are struggling in the digital marketing department or just winding through life’s twists and turns, we have some helpful tips and suggestions to get you off that bus and driving your own vehicle.
#1: Stretch every dollar you have
Whether it be investing in our local businesses, fine tuning your target audience in ads, or connecting with other companies, make sure that every decision you make has a purpose behind it. For example, you only have $50 in your budget for the month to do all your social media advertising. No need to panic. You can advertise on Facebook and run your ad for as low as $3 a day. This will give your ad at least 15 days to run. That’s half of a month! While it may be frustrating dealing with numbers (I know that struggle), prioritize and make the most of it. If you know that you only have a limited amount of money to run the ad, make sure it is the best ad you could possibly create that will generate as many new followers and page likes as possible.
#2: Enhance your landing pages
If you’re seeing a good amount of impressions but not a lot of engagements, it may be because the places potential customers click aren’t grabbing their attention. When you see a cute pair of shoes you want or a special tool (for you men), you don’t want to click through 5 different pages to get to the checkout page or search the page for 10 minutes trying to figure out how to purchase them. Keep them reeled in with a simple and user-friendly website. This will have them coming back for more if they are impressed by the ease of use.
#3: Think differently to generate new leads
Establishing a strong online presence while being a small business can seem like a big mountain to climb. We know you have spent endless hours of your time pouring your heart and soul into a business. If your vision and end goal you have just seem too unachievable, take a deep breathe and know that it is okay. These are crazy times we are living in – you have no one to blame, especially not yourself. While taking that deep breathe, step back and adjust your sails. A lot of businesses have been learning new ways to operate because of COVID restrictions. It could end up being a great blessing in the end!
I have only touched the surface of what small businesses are facing in today’s society. If you’d like to read a more in-depth article of struggles within digital marketing, check out the Why Your Company Struggles to Master Digital Marketing Maturity article from Forbes.
I look at struggle as an opportunity to grow. True struggle happens when you can sense what is not working for you and you’re willing to take the appropriate action to correct the situation. Those who accomplish change are willing to engage the struggle.
– Danny DreyerWe would love for you to comment or share this post and tell us what has gotten you a ticket on the struggle bus before. If so, how did you manage to navigate your way to a better mode of transportation?
Always Looking Forward,
Shelby
-
Get Your Business Online with Google Q&A
Since we know navigating the Internet can be complicated, we came up with questions you may have regarding how to get your business on Google with answers for the experienced and unexperienced. So, here we go:
What is a Google My Business page?
It is a free tool offered by Google to set up a profile of your company, organization or business. It lets you manage how people will see your business when it shows up in their search and maps. If you have to, think of it as Google’s version of a dating website. How can you make your business profile look the best it can be for the customers looking for your service or product?
What all does the profile include?
- Business name
- Location
- Hours of operation
- Photos/videos
- Reviews
- Delivery method
- Contact info.
- Website link
There is a lot more advanced information in there when you dig deeper, but this is a great place to start if you are just setting it up. You can go back in any time and move things around, update photos, change users, etc.
Check out these statistics from a UGA Small Business Development Center webinar I virtually attended:
Do you have to have a Google account to create a Google My Business page?
- YES! So if you already have one, sign in.
- If not, you can find a blue box in the top right corner that says “Sign In” where you can create an account.
- Next, you want to go to google.com/business where you can click on the “Start Now” button in the top right corner.
This is where you can find all the information you will enter that the public will be able to see on your business profile. It is important that this information is accurate and complete to effectively connect with your customers.
Which option should I choose to verify my GMB?
This can be different for certain types of businesses. Your options are:
- Phone or email which would be the easiest.
- Bulk verification shouldn’t be an option unless you are verifying the same business in 10 or more different locations.
- Postcard which is sent in the mail with a code you can use to verify your account.
Note: Some people also don’t want to put their whole address on Google because they may work from home. So, if you choose the postcard verification, you will need to put your whole business address in for this method, but it will not be made public.
Another note: Google searchers will not be able to see your business if it isn’t verified. This step is VERY important.
How will I go back into my GMB and make changes later on if I need to?
Once you sign into the Google My Business, you will see a sidebar on the left side. You can go through each tab and change or update your information from there. This includes:
- View Insights
- Manage the users allowed on the account
- Update photos
- Create an ad
- Respond to reviews
- Add events, updates or offers,
- Enter wheelchair accessibility,
and a whole bunch more.
There is also an option for the public to suggest an edit that doesn’t go through your google account to confirm that information. Check back regularly to make sure all your business information is correct.
Do I need the app on my phone?
Although it doesn’t have a desktop version, it would be helpful to have handy in case your hours unexpectedly change. It can also be easier to upload recent photos from your phone to make a post instead of going onto your computer and uploading the images from there.
There is so much information to share because it can be a complex process. However, you should be good to go if you follow the steps above.
We wish you all the best in navigating your way through the Google My Business account process. As always, we are here to help if you have any questions along the way. When in doubt, you know that you can always do this:
Don’t forget to share and follow the links below to keep up with us throughout the week!
Always Looking Forward,
Shelby
-
5 Ways to Increase Social Media Productivity
Are you struggling to get a good following for your new business? Have you been around for years and want to give this ‘social media’ thing a try? We can help you!
Every company has to start somewhere so don’t get discouraged!
We have some great tips to share with you on how to stay positive through this time of growth – from our business to yours!
1. Join question and answer sessions.
Although this doesn’t directly affect your social media and amount of activity on it, you can always learn something new! I recently attended a virtual webinar that the UGA Small Business Development Center conducted. It focused on the importance of having a Google My Business page, mainly for the fact that that’s how a lot of people look up business hours. If people can’t see what your business looks like, what times it is open, or a phone number to contact, they are more likely to look somewhere else for what they need. It was an interesting webinar and I didn’t expect to walk away from my work day having that much more knowledge about Google My Business. There are also PLENTY of webinars and videos out there for you to watch. I was recently asked to join another UGA webinar previously and liked it so much, I signed up to receive emails on other topics related to our business they are doing and found the Google My Business webinar. I’m really glad I didn’t miss my chance of attending. Make sure you research and find organizations that directly affect the business you do.
2. Create Facebook ads.
This doesn’t have to be an expensive project. Fortunately, Facebook is extremely cost-efficient. $30 will get you a long way with more engagement and impressions than you would think. Instead of getting discouraged that your page isn’t getting the attention it deserved and your last resort is to pay for an ad, think of it as an opportunity to get your name out there to people. And hey, if it doesn’t do as good as you thought, at least you only spent $30 (except I don’t think you will have that issue).
3. Follow relative people and businesses.
I’ve seen so many new Instagram pages that just start following thousands of random people to beef up their following. That will only result in them later unfollowing you because they aren’t interested in the content that you are putting out. What I would recommend is starting with your location first. For example, if your business is in Jesup, GA, search that and see what comes up. Follow other local businesses and people that you know around that area. They are more likely to be a loyal follower because they are familiar with what you do. If you operate a Constant Contact account, it would be beneficial for you to also look and see what kind of people you send your email blasts to. If you are sending them emails regularly and they haven’t unsubscribed, I would assume they wouldn’t mind a mutual follow with your business on social media either.
4. Find an analytic platform to track progress.
When we first changed over to Forward Digital Marketing from Web Electronics, Inc., one of the first things we did was set up an online scheduling system that all the team members could work from. This set us up for a collaborative approach to help everyone stay on task and keep in the loop with each other without actually acknowledging every time someone completed a task or project. With this scheduling system (we use CoSchedule), it also helps us see the best times to post our social media. This gives us the best chance to catch eyes of the most amount of people…and we didn’t even have to do anything! Although your own research helps, it is very helpful to have a computer do it for you. Facebook also has its own analytics program that you can find under the Insights tab on your business page.
5. Everybody loves free rewards.
Who doesn’t love free stuff?! This is a great way to get the people that already do follow you more involved. This in turn will get those followers talking about your business and be serving as ambassadors for your company without even knowing it! So, whether it be a photo/video submission, sharing what they love about your business, or a like, follow & share contest, it’s amazing to see what people will do for a free gift.
As you go along, it will get easier. You will be able to see what works and what doesn’t. Forward Digital Marketing wishes you all the best in your journey navigating the World Wide Web.
As always, how can we help you with your Social Media Productivity?
Always Looking Forward,
Shelby