Follow these LinkedIn tips for success when creating a b2b LinkedIn Marketing Strategy

#1 – Document your LinkedIn Marketing Strategy with help from these LinkedIn Tips

Like every social media platform, LinkedIn has unique characteristics that require a tailored strategy.  Like any other strategy, you need to document your LinkedIn marketing strategy with specific actionable items, or it won’t happen.  Whether you’re trying to sell your products or services or looking for employment, having a well documented LinkedIn marketing strategy, is a great way to reach other business owners.  Continue reading our LinkedIn Tips and make sure you don’t make mistakes.

#2 – Never stop building your LinkedIn audience.

Follow this Tip by connecting with everyone on LinkedIn.  Don’t forget to include those in your professional and personal life.  Don’t stop doing this, because the more people you connect with, the more visibility and reach you have on LinkedIn.  Why?

• Continually building your connections improves your chances to rank well when someone does a search on LinkedIn for your expertise.
• A more extensive network of connections means that your activity will reach more people. Because your LinkedIn activity appears in the news feeds of your connections with every status update, comment and like. Likewise, your contacts activity as it relates to engaging with you and your posts will also appear on their connection’s feeds.

Thus the more connections you have, the broader your potential audience, so don’t stop building that audience.

#3 – Views are second to engagement.

#4 – Helpful content with great value can strengthen your brand.

#7 – It’s all about interaction – Create conversations.

You don’t just post an article on LinkedIn and leave it sitting. Think of it as a launching point from which to start a discussion with your readers. You see, LinkedIn openly reveals the identity of those who, for example, decided to “like” a particular post. Whenever someone leaves a comment, even if it doesn’t contain a question, you should still respond to it, thanking the person who started it.

#8 – Get inspired by reading other people’s comments.

Are there any particular things they’re mentioning? Do you recognize a pattern of people asking for a specific type of content? Comments contain a goldmine of information; it’s just as if people were to come to you and reveal what it is that they want to see. Then, all you have to do is write an article that answers these queries. Simple as pie.

#9 – Most LinkedIn users are professionals.

Keeping this in mind will help you a great deal when structuring your responses and posting new content. Knowing your target demographic will allow you to custom-tailor it to their needs and expectations. What you’ll find is that most of them are professional (at least when it comes to what they do) and are less likely to engage in petty arguments with others, unlike what’s rather commonplace on other social media.

#10 – Master the art of refining your writing.

If you didn’t get the response, you were hoping for, learn from your experience, and try to make it better next time. Was the title not exciting enough? Was the content a bit too dull and non-revolutionary? Letting your experience guide you makes all the difference. Hence once you learn what’s working from a bit of trial and error, you can apply that knowledge to all the other content you produce.

#11- Make sure you regularly update and keep your contacts engaged

Updating your article is one of the most exceptional tricks of the trade, especially if you haven’t attracted many readers when publishing it the first time around. Even if you add a paragraph or two, a graph, or maybe even an image, this is enough of a reason to let others know what you’ve changed. There is another benefit to this: you’ll be giving off the vibe that you’re pouring a substantial amount of effort into your work, which is bound to motivate plenty of those who missed out on it before to check you out.

#12 – Stay professional and positive!  Avoid posting controversial content.

Unlike Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube where you can go viral by posting issues that are controversial, a good LinkedIn marketing strategy requires a more professional approach.  For this reason, it is often more challenging, but not impossible, to go viral on LinkedIn.  It is the same reason you would not bring up politics in a business discussion.    Politics polarizes and therefore should never be part of your marketing strategy.  Thus a robust LinkedIn Marketing Strategy should steer clear of politics unless elections are your business.  Then, by all means, be a democrat or republican or whatever suits your fancy.

#13 – Publish on LinkedIn Pulse and your blog.

LinkedIn Pulse, much like LiveJournal, Blogger, and other free providers.  The service offers you a way to host your content for free. Yes, you don’t get much control regarding inserting your squeeze pages and ads. Yes, LinkedIn’s editors can take it down at any time if they so choose.

But (and this is a big one), in return, you can tap into an already-existing audience LinkedIn has established, and articles published on LinkedIn Pulse show up in LinkedIn’s search results more often, as well as in organic search engine results. You probably don’t need us to tell you the amount of authority LinkedIn has in the eyes of the search engines, and they’re giving you the option to ride that wave free of charge.

Of course, having your blog is essential as well, and you should not neglect this aspect of your business either. Now here’s a neat trick if you want to leverage the same piece of content and double-dip it by posting it on LinkedIn Pulse as well. Just be sure to mention where it was published originally in the opening paragraph. That should cut it. If you’re keen on siphoning that traffic and sending it to your website instead, you can also just copy and paste a snippet, and leave a link to where they can read the full version.

#14 – When is the best time to post to LinkedIn?

According to research done by Hubspot the best time to publish content on LinkedIn is during off work hours   This means, to get the best click-through rates, you should schedule your posts to release on LinkedIn after and before work and during lunch.  Hence you should target posting your content in the middle of the week between Tuesday – Thursday at times that correspond with the morning and evening commute.  (roughly 7:30-8:30 a.m. and 5-6 p.m.) as well as the lunch hour, around 12 p.m.

LinkedIn Tips Conclusion

Follow these LinkedIn tips as a guide.  In doing so, your LinkedIn marketing strategy can be one of the best ways to reach other business owners. Having access to such a highly targeted demographic is something you should take advantage of to get new clients. The final question is, are you willing to put in the sheer amount of work it takes to succeed?  Only you can answer that question.

Do you need help managing your social media marketing?  If you liked our LinkedIn Tips you will love what we can do for your business.  We can help everything from web design, LinkedIn marketing strategy to creating engaging content for your blog.  Contact our team at 978-851-9077 for a consultation.

The post 2017’s best LinkedIn tips and marketing strategy appeared first on New Hampshire Web Design.

Websites and blogs still cite this publication as a reference for why people share online.  Broken are hundreds of links to the report.  The report’s website was taken down in 2016.  Hence it created an undesirable impact on the SEO and credibility of the websites that link to the page.

We set up this page as a backstop until there is a new study on “Why people share online.”

Therefore, feel free to link to the page as a reference.

The Psychology of Sharing, Why do People Share Online

You can also link to the original PDF below.

NY Times Study: the Psychology of sharing, why people share online.

This study was used as a reference in our article: Learn how to go viral on Facebook by posting shareable content.  We hope it helps you with your social media marketing.

Publications, Academic Research, and Studies on Why Do People Share Online,  Sharing on Social Media and Social Networking Behavior

1) Everyone is too distracted to stop sharing fake news, study shows

Published on PBS science June 26, 2017, 4:06 PM EDT

Nsikan Akpan the digital science producer at PBS did a great job reporting on the nature magazine publication on why people cannot stop sharing the fake news.  The study found that when news feeds are overflowing, people have a difficult time discriminating between fact-based stories and fake news on social media. The problem stems from how social media platforms work, and may also explain the popularity bias in modern journalism.

This news story is based on the Nature human behavior study and publication – Limited individual attention and online virality of low-quality information, PUBLISHED: 26 JUNE 2017 | VOLUME: 1 | ARTICLE NUMBER: 0132

About the Authors: Xiaoyan Qiu, Diego F. M. Oliveira, Alireza Sahami Shirazi, Alessandro Flammini and  Filippo Menczer

2) Why Is Facebook So Successful? Psychophysiological Measures Describe a Core Flow State While Using Facebook

Published On December 2011 in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking Vol. 14, No. 12

The study explores whether the use of Social Networking Sites (SNSs) elicits a specific psychophysiological pattern.  It also records specific positive and negative effects using SNS has on individuals.  What aspects of the social networking experience make SNSs so successful?  Hence, the increasing use of SNSs shows that people use SNS because they have a positive experience when they use them.

About the Authors:

Maurizio Mauri – Institute of Human, Language and Environmental Sciences, IULM University, Milan, Italy.  Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Pietro Cipresso – Institute of Human, Language and Environmental Sciences, IULM University, Milan, Italy.  Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, Istituto Auxologico Italiano–IRCCS, Milano, Italy.

Anna Balgera – Institute of Human, Language and Environmental Sciences, IULM University, Milan, Italy.

Marco Villamira -Institute of Human, Language and Environmental Sciences, IULM University, Milan, Italy.

Giuseppe Riva – Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, Istituto Auxologico Italiano–IRCCS, Milano, Italy.  Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano, Italy.

3) The Importance of Sharing Experiences – Two new studies suggest that extraordinary adventures are overrated—unless you have them with someone else.

Published in the Atlantic in October 2014, is about two recent studies in Psychological Science.   The results suggest: 1) that unusual experiences can have a social cost, in that they alienate us from our peers who did not share those experiences with us. 2) Sharing experiences—even with a complete stranger—makes people rate those experiences as more intense than people who underwent them alone.

About the Author: Olga Khazan is a staff writer at The Atlantic.

4) Beautiful friendship: Social sharing of emotions improves subjective feelings and activates the neural reward circuitry

Published in October 2014 in the Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Volume 10, Issue 6, 1 June 2015, Pages 801

While not about online sharing, this publication provides insight into the basic human motivation to share and affiliate with others in emotional situations.  Researchers in Germany evaluated the effect of social sharing of emotions on subjective feelings and neural activity by having pairs of friends view emotional movies at a cinema either alone or with the friend.   As a result, the study showed that people appreciate the company of others because their mere knowledge of the presence of a peer who shares the same emotional experience is subjectively rewarding.

About the Authors: Ullrich Wagner, Lisa Galli, Bjorn H. Schott, Andrew Wold, Job van der Schalk, Antony S. R. Manstead, Klaus Scherer, Henrik Walter

Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Division of Mind and Brain Research, 10117 Berlin, Germany, University of Münster, Department of Psychology, 48049 Münster, Germany, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Cardiff University, School of Psychology, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK, and Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland

5) New, More Rigorous Study Confirms: The More You Use Facebook, the Worse You Feel – Holly B. Shakya,  Nicholas A. Christakis, April 10, 2017

Published in the Harvard Business Review and covers the impact that Facebook can have on our self-esteem.

Written in 2017, the study and research show that the use of Facebook and social media may; detract from face-to-face relationships, reduce investment in meaningful activities, increase sedentary behavior by encouraging more screen time, lead to internet addiction, and erode self-esteem through unfavorable social comparison.  Furthermore, the sheer quantity of social media interaction may detract from more meaningful real-life experiences.   Consequently, the exposure to images and content from others’ lives leads to negative self-comparison.

About the Authors: Holly B. Shakya is an Assistant Professor of Global Public Health at UC San Diego.  Nicholas A. Christakis is the Director of the Human Nature Lab at Yale University and Co-Director of the Yale Institute for Network Science.

6) Online Social Networking and Addiction—A Review of the Psychological Literature – Daria J. Kuss and Mark D. Griffiths

This review was published in the  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health and covers ‘addiction’ to social networks on the Internet and the potential mental health problems it can create.

Published in August 2011, this study covers the ‘addiction’ to social networks on the Internet and potential mental health problem for some users.  The focus of the publication includes a study of six areas of human behavior on Social Networking Sites (SNSs).   Areas of interest include: (1) outlining SNS usage patterns, (2) examining motivations for SNS usage, (3) examining personalities of SNS users, (4) examining negative consequences of SNS usage, (5) exploring potential SNS addiction, and (6) exploring SNS addiction specificity and comorbidity.

About the Authors: Daria J. Kuss  and Mark D. Griffiths are from the International Gaming Research Unit, Psychology Division, Nottingham Trent University, NG1 4BU, UK

Finally, here is our own comprehensive list of why people share online.

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The post NY Times Study: The Psychology of Sharing, Why do People Share Online appeared first on New Hampshire Web Design.

If you want to go viral on Facebook, you have come to the right place. First of all, if you’re going to get any return on your investment posting, shareable content must be a big part of your marketing strategy.

The benefits of shareable content should be easy to see. By motivating your Facebook followers to share your content more people are going to know about your business. This engagement will almost always create significant traffic, and this is what every business owner needs. After all, it cost you nothing and the social value it produces is substantial. Furthermore, the benefit will be even more meaningful if the message reaches your targeted audience.

Doing this right could also trigger a snowball effect, making your content go viral. This result is the ideal goal you want to achieve. However, there is no foolproof formula on how to go viral on Facebook; it’s just that certain types of content have a higher chance of striking a home run than others.

Before your content can go viral on Facebook, it’s important to understand the reasons why people are inclined to share content in the first place.

Why do people share content?

A New York Times study revealed the human psychology behind why people share content online, and they do it for the following reasons:

– Educate: 73% of them state they can process the information more clearly and thoroughly when they share.

– Influence: 49% of the respondents say that they want to influence the opinions of others or inform them about a specific cause.

– To help others: the vast majority of the respondents (94%) want the content they share to be helpful to the recipient.

– Personal identity: 68% of respondents share content because they want to create a persona and associate themselves with specific activities or values.

– To connect with people: 78% share content online since it allows them to remain in touch with the people. 73% of them do so because it will enable them to establish new connections with people who have similar interests.

– Feelings of participation: 69% of people share content because they feel more connected to the world.
– To support: 84% of respondents want to help a cause or bring attention to specific issues, and sharing content online allows them to do that.

View the New York Times Study on The Psychology of Sharing: Why Do People Share Online,

The types of content that go viral on Facebook

Now that we’ve established the reasons why people share content online, it’s time to look at what types of content are the most suitable to invoke the desired response (in other words, get users to share and make your post go viral on Facebook).

1. Shareable content can give

The giving could be special offers, discounts, limited-time sales or contests. As long as there is a benefit, they will happily share it with their friends. This sharing is especially true in the case of giveaways with progressive rewards (as in the more people participate, the more prizes are given out).

2. Shareable content can advise

If you can provide helpful material that gives good advice, you’re onto a winner. Think about solving a problem, achieving something, or overcoming an obstacle. However, it does need to be related to your business to make an impact on your revenue.

3. Shareable content can warn

If there is an impending danger of any sorts, people will be motivated to share it to inform their friends.

4. Shareable content can entertain

Entertainment is a surefire way to success, especially if it clicks with a broad user profile. Funny anecdotes, pictures, and quotes are a great way to entertain your audience. The only thing to look out for is that the humor is not too offensive to a specific group of people since you don’t want to offend your followers.

5. Shareable content can motivate

Inspirational quotes and stories get people moving towards a particular goal in their lives, and carefully picked inspirational material can go a long way towards getting lots of shares.

6. Shareable content can amaze

If you can come up with amazing pictures, that’s great. Fact listing is also excellent, as long as you keep it relevant.

7. Shareable content can unite

People are naturally inclined to form groups based on personal, religious, or other types of values and beliefs. That way, they feel like they belong to a group, which allows them to reinforce their standpoint.

How does Facebook measure user engagement?

Facebook does, in fact, measure user engagement regarding shares, views, likes, clicks, reactions, the number of people reached, and so forth. With the help of these metrics, Facebook can quickly determine which types of content the users consider to be the most interesting.

User engagement is essential since it has a direct effect on how many people will see your posts. In other words, your reach depends on the user engagement of the content you post. In the end, a high user engagement on Facebook shows that you have a quality audience and that you tend to share content that matches their interests.

A quick word on getting ideas

Getting ideas is much more comfortable than what you might think, and we’ll let you in on a little secret:

Follow the Facebook pages of your competitors, observe what works and replicate it.

That’s it! Of course, you shouldn’t just copy and paste other people’s content directly, but it’s a great way to get a tip on what you should be doing.

Then, all you need to do is to come up with quality content of your own, or – better yet – just link to relevant pieces of content you found online. If the material meets the criteria outlined above and you believe it is something your audience would enjoy, just run with it.

Ask others to share your content, and it can help you go viral on Facebook with little effort.

If you’re promoting a good cause, for example, there is no shame in asking others to share it. In fact, they will be glad to do it, since showing your support is a good deed, and it also portrays whoever shares it in a good light. Remember the vast majority of the respondents to the study as mentioned above (94%) want the content they share to be helpful to the recipient.

Now go viral on Facebook with a solid content marketing strategy

By reading this article, you’ve learned the most important reasons why people share content and the most shareable elements. By using this knowledge, you can increase user engagement, promote your business, and increase sales. Now you’re on your way to mastering Facebook and growing your business.

For more on this subject read this related article on how to “Create Viral Press Releases and Content“

The post Learn how to go viral on Facebook by posting sharable content appeared first on New Hampshire Web Design.

Follow these techniques and get free Facebook page likes and followers.

Once you’ve created a page on Facebook, the next logical step is to get free Facebook page likes and grow a following. Generally speaking, the more people that follow or like you on Facebook, the more exposure your business will get. After all, if no one sees your message, you’re probably not going to get sales, so it’s essential to build an audience of potential customers.

There are many things you can do to increase your following and get free likes on facebook. Often you can leverage the power of other online assets you’ve built to reach these goals. Today, we’re going to reveal some strategies you can use to create an audience by getting free likes on Facebook:

1) Link your profile to your page and get free Facebook page likes.

If you’re active on Facebook, chances are you’ve also established a personal profile that goes hand in hand with your brand. If you don’t mind associating your name with the name of your business, one easy way to get free likes is to connect the two. The simplest way to link your profile to your business page is to fill in the “work” category and drop a link to it your page.

Doing so is rather straightforward. Navigate to your page, find the “work and education” section, then select your business page as your place of employment. That’s all there is to it! Just make sure you set your Facebook page permissions to public, and you’re good to go.

2) Invite everyone you know to like your Facebook page.

Many feel asking your friends to like your Facebook business page is shameful. They believe it is necessary to earn likes and followers with quality posts, photos, videos, and content. It doesn’t count if you invite friends and family to like the page. It’s like asking your mother for a review. Of course, she will give you a good one, even if you just got out of jail for some federal crime.

While this may be true, I can’t think of a better reason why you need to ask friends to like your page. Likes are similar to reviews; we all look at them when considering if we should follow a page or not on Facebook. They are social proof that you are doing a good job. If you don’t have likes, it is harder to get likes and so on. So drop your ego and start asking your friends and family to like your page.

3) Customize your message and invite friends and family to do you a favor and like your page.

When you invite close friends and family to like your page, send it with a personal message. Include a plea to do you a personal favor to like your page. Make it a custom message, so they see you are sincere and not just sending out another dreaded mass email.

4) Give them a template to invite their friends.

If you have ever run for office before or volunteered for a political campaign, you may have sent a dear friend card. It’s how friends invite friends to vote for public officials. This approach works wonders when the public official is a newbie without a tarnished reputation. This method also works with a new Facebook page. An invitation to like a Facebook page is just like a dear friend card.

The template could be as simple as:

Dear [insert name],
My friend [name] has just launched a Facebook page [page name] on [page topic].
I know that the page will have fantastic videos, photos, and posts covering [page topic]. Also, please consider trying the services and or products that they are offering at [insert your company name and location] Unlike the competition, they are community focused and want to make a difference.  Thank you for your time and consideration. 

Your Friend 

John Doe

5) Promote your page by asking for free Facebook page likes on your website.

Most business owners also have a website that’s receiving search engine traffic. Why not take advantage of this to get free Facebook page likes well?

The most convenient way of doing this is to add a Facebook “like” button to every piece of content you post. That way, your visitors will be able to “like” your content without ever needing to leave your website.

6) WordPress can install Jetpack which includes a free Facebook page likes box widget.

If your working with a web designer that uses WordPress, getting free likes on your Facebook page is easy to do. Just install Jetpack for WordPress and enable the Facebook Like box widget.  Complete your options. Features include whether or not you want to show faces, message stream, and your total likes. Then place the widget in a sidebar, homepage or other visible section of your web pages.

Essentially, by putting a like button on your website, you are killing two birds with one stone. Not only is your Facebook page going to receive additional likes, but you’re also going to be adding the much-needed social proof.

7) Identify other opportunities where you can drop the “like” button.

Consider this approach for sign-up forms, login pages, thank you pages, footers of your email messages and so on. Once you start getting free Facebook page likes, you can determine which is the best approach for your business.

8) Get additional exposure from forum and blog posts.

By being active on forums and online discussions, you’re establishing yourself as an expert in your niche. This marketing strategy is useful for promoting your business because you are helping others. People typically appreciate being supported and will almost always return the favor? Why not use this to bring more attention to your Facebook page.

Furthermore, if you make a significant contribution, you will be liked and respected within the community. Other users will be naturally inclined to want to learn more about you and your business. As a result, it will increase the chances of them becoming your Facebook followers.

9) Don’t forget to ask for the like.

Sometimes it is not enough to be helpful and give quality advice. Even if you do, people may not automatically search for your Facebook page and give you a “like.” You will need to ask for the like. So don’t forget to ask users to like your Facebook page after you have helped them out or at the end of a great forum post.

10) Posting relevant and engaging content will produce free Facebook page likes.

Perhaps this section deserves a dedicated article, but just to cover the main idea here, it’s important to mention that your followers typically come to you looking for one thing in particular: high-quality content. It should be relevant and tailored to your audience’s interests (also regarding age groups, education, etc.)  Read this Tips for first-time bloggers article for more on creating helpful content.

Whenever you decide to post a new article on your page, you should also make a post about it on the Facebook page (and other social media if you’re using it). This technique will give them a reason to keep an eye on what you’re doing, and if your content is fantastic, they’ll share it with their friends too (however, asking them to do it doesn’t hurt either).

11) Sharing is caring! Especially if you get free Facebook page likes from it.

Now, don’t limit yourself by posting the content you’ve created exclusively. While this should be a part of the overall equation, linking to content that others have written, as long as it’s relevant and well-written, will motivate your followers to keep coming back for more. After all, your knowledge, personality, and good taste are the main reasons why they’ve decided to become your followers in the first place.

12) Shop the competition and take notes on how they get free Facebook page likes.

If you run out of ideas on what to post, it doesn’t hurt to check what your competitors are doing. The important thing to grasp here is that you shouldn’t create the same posts or link to the same articles. Instead, try to dig deeper into the topic or put your unique spin on things.

Hence reviewing the competition lets you get a general feel for what they’re feeding their followers. If you see it helps them, do something similar, but always put a unique spin on things.

13) A word on Facebook post consistency.

Adopt the mindset that growing your Facebook audience is a marathon and not a sprint. You are unlikely to achieve massive results overnight. However, if you work on increasing your Facebook followers and likes slowly and steadily, good results are bound to follow.

14) Whether you do it yourself our outsource – just make it a priority.

The catch is to focus on things that work and leaving everything else behind. After all, social media marketing requires some serious work and dedication on your part. In fact, many business owners decide to outsource the social media management part of their business, either because they don’t have the time to do it or because they prefer to be doing other things.

It is essential to stick to a schedule and post something at least a couple of times a week. It could end up never getting done if you do it whenever time allows you. In any case, just make sure that the quality of what you post doesn’t diminish merely because of time constraints.

15) Identify your kind of people on Facebook and get them to like you.

Finally, don’t forget to focus on the people who share similar interests. If you are networking or engaging in online discussions to promote your business, you need to target the right audience. Your time is well-spent if you’re addressing the right type of people (in other words, those who are interested in what you have to say).

Conclusion: Get out there and ask for free Facebook page likes.

Hopefully, you’ve learned a couple of tricks on building an audience on Facebook. After this is taken care of and you’re reasonably satisfied with the results, it’s important not to rest on your laurels and keep on going with what’s brought you this far. After all, fans, followers, and potential prospects are the lifeblood of every thriving business.

Once you have mastered marketing on Facebook with one page you might want to look at the benefits of getting more than one Facebook page.

The post Build an audience of followers with free Facebook page likes appeared first on New Hampshire Web Design.

Marketing automation is not just for big companies anymore.

Marketing automation is big business, these days. Let’s face it; we’re all marketers in the age of blogging and social media. Even if we’re not marketing our companies in the workplace, we’re job hunting on LinkedIn, promoting the blogs that we write or merely seeking a little attention and validation from a Facebook update.

At the same time, large companies are deploying social media marketing campaigns supported by digital advertising, or they’re hiring marketing agencies to do the work for them. For smaller companies, or for individuals and self-employed workers who are trying to cut through the noise, it can all seem a little daunting.
But there’s good news: you don’t need to spend a fortune to do marketing like a professional. In fact, marketing is more about strategy and engagement than flat out spending, and it’s often those with the smallest budgets who can outmaneuver the big spenders and who get the biggest and best results. Here’s how.

It’s all about marketing strategy.

When it comes to running a marketing campaign, the strategy is vital. The beauty of today’s tools like Facebook and WordPress is that it’s easy to sign up and get started, and that’s often better than flat out doing nothing. But at the same time, it’s important to put some thought in up front so that you’re investing your time where it’s going to make a difference.

Modern marketing is about reaching the right person with the right message in the right place at the right time.

To do this, it helps to create buyer personas for each of your most common types of customer and to make sure that every piece of content you create would be of interest to them. If you’re a blogger or your company is predominantly a publisher, the same thing applies – you just need to profile your readers instead of your customers.

Let’s face it, in this digital world there’s no escape for your customers.  No matter who you’re trying to reach, there is a cost-effective way to reach them. Even when their computers and their mobile phones are off, their Amazon Echoes and Google Homes are still listening. The key is to find out where they are and how you can help them, and then to deliver a piece of content that does the job.

Marketing Automation, if done right can produce huge dividends.

Now, you’re probably curious how you are going to handle all of this. Tailoring your message to every single customer takes a lot of time if you do it manually, which is why most people turn to marketing automation tools. At their most basic level, automation tools can help you to schedule social media posts or emails or to set up autoresponders, while at a more advanced level they tap into customer relationship management (CRM) systems or they nurture leads along the buyer’s journey until they’re ready to make a purchase.

You can start marketing automation today for under $100.00.

There’s a perception that these tools are expensive to purchase and cumbersome to use, but that’s not true anymore. In fact, one of the best things about digital marketing is that the barrier to entry is relatively low. All you need to get started is a website with a domain name and an email address.  For do-it-yourself marketers, this can cost under $100.  From there, you can sign up for social networks or create a free MailChimp account to start building your email list.

Back in the early days of digital marketing, if you wanted to get something done, you had to use expensive specialist software to do it. And don’t get me wrong, those tools are still relevant. It is often worth splashing out on HubSpot or Salesforce if you’ve got the resources. When you’re marketing on a shoestring budget, though, that’s out of the question. Luckily there are alternatives.

MailChimp is giving away free marketing automation tools.

In May 2017, MailChimp announced that it would be providing marketing automation services for free to all of their customers – including the free accounts. This decision is huge news because it opens up marketing automation to the masses through an interface in which many are already familiar. In 2016 alone, MailChimp users sent nearly 250 billion emails, leaving no doubt that it’s a significant player in the email marketing marketplace. And if you have less than 2,000 subscribers, it is available for free!

Social media websites take target marketing seriously.

With MailChimp, you can set up free drip emails to your customers, but it’s not the only tool you’ll want to use. Social networking sites are your friend as well because their advertising options allow you to deliver your message to only the people that you want to reach. For example, if you are a Red Sox fan located in a specific town, social media websites know this by your activity (who you follow, like and mention) and freely share this with advertisers.

Target Facebook users directly, just upload contact information.

Facebook takes target marketing to the extreme by letting advertisers create and upload a custom audience of customers and target them directly with your ads. Hence you can focus only on your customers and reach those who have already purchased from you.  Happy customers are always more likely to buy from you again.

MailChimp has partnered with Facebook so you can run those same ads without leaving MailChimp. MailChimp makes it possible for you to run ads targeting Facebook users that are already on your email list. In other words, with MailChimp, you can send the same message to the same person both in their inbox and on Facebook the same day at a low cost.

Google lets you follow people all over the web.

In a similar vein, Google will allow you to use a simple piece of tracking code to create ads that will follow your website visitors as they surf the web. Google calls this Remarketing, and it works even if someone visits your website for a short time.

Small businesses compete with large ones using high tech marketing tools and strategy

Smart advertisers combine the email marketing automation of MailChimp with the extreme targeting capabilities of Facebook.  This lets them reach known prospects and customers easily. They also use Google Remarketing to follow those who stumble on their website. Therefore, by the right combination of the services described above even a small business owners can market like a pro on a shoestring budget.

Marketing Automation will help manage your customer journey.

You’ve got your buyer personas, and you understand how automation can help you to reach the right people with the right message at the right time. You also know which tools you can use to increase the relevancy of your messaging without burning a hole in your wallet. Now it’s time to think about the customer journey.

What is customer journey and why is it important?

The customer journey is the term used for the path that someone takes between first discovering your company and making a purchase. It even continues far beyond that in terms of the aftercare that you provide.  It can also include whether customers go on to recommend your company or make a second purchase. You can’t control the path that your customers take, but you can map it out and try to usher them along the way.

This is where those automation tools come in. With MailChimp,  you can set up emails that will automatically be sent if they’re triggered by an event.  This can be almost any event including:

• Scheduling ‘Happy Birthday’ emails
• Adding new subscribers to an introductory email series
• Following up with people after they visit your pricing page or abandon a shopping cart.

People need guidance on their journey. Don’t keep them waiting.

Your website visitors and your email subscribers are waiting for you to tell them what to do next. In fact, the reason why marketers use calls-to-action is that they work. Furthermore, if you use a free split testing tool to optimize your calls-to-action, you can guide as many visitors as possible along their journey. (you can do it using Google Analytics)

The same thing applies when people sign up to your email list. You’ll want to use the emails you send them to guide them along the buyer journey until they’re ready to make a purchase. You can test subject lines and other factors within MailChimp to see what gets results, and you can even follow up on transactions to make sure that people are happy or to ask them to complete a survey.

This approach will help you create a picture of individual customers so that you can send them even more targeted messaging. For example, if someone has purchased from you in the past and has shown an interest in a specific product or service, you can send a targeted message to them. This approach is more efficient than if you didn’t have any data on who they were and what their interests were.

Conclusion: Even small businesses can automate and personalize marketing campaigns.

This article should give you a good idea of how the pros use automation and personalization to market their companies. You should also know which tools are out there to help you to get started on a shoestring budget. Using MailChimp marketing automation alone can help you to make more sales, boost customer loyalty and encourage repeat purchases. MailChimp becomes even more useful when you combine it with other tools like Facebook custom list advertising.

When you get the strategy right, and you perfect your messaging, you’ll start to see results flowing in, and the good news is you can scale this approach as it begins to deliver an ROI. MailChimp is only free for up to 2,000 subscribers, but by the time that you have 2,000 subscribers you’ll be making enough revenue for the investment to be worthwhile. MailChimp is betting its entire business model on this assumption. Likewise, you might want to scale up your advertising efforts as your shoestring budget starts to increase from all of the sales that you’re making.

And remember that while your shoestring budget might feel like a hindrance, you have something that those huge companies with global marketing departments don’t. You can be nimble and authentic instead of slow and corporate, and people respond to that. If anything, you’ve got an advantage. So why are you waiting? Start automating your marketing efforts and bring in the customers?

If you need help setting this all up, don’t hesitate to contact our team of marketing consultants.   Just call 978-851-9077

The post Marketing Like a Pro on a Shoestring Budget appeared first on New Hampshire Web Design.

This article on creating more than one Facebook page is the first of a series on finding success on Facebook and social media.

What are the benefits of creating more than one Facebook page?

Many business owners ask if it makes sense to create more than one page on Facebook.   You’d think that once you are done creating a facebook page, you can get to the business of social media marketing. Well, yes and no.  Depending on your business and background, you may want to consider creating another page.

With everyone else competing for your customer’s attention, a single page is rarely enough these days. More than one page will allow business owners the ability to reach a higher number of potential customers in a more targeted way. This approach can result in more sales and a more significant audience for your message.

Three examples where more than one Facebook page can pay off

Do you have more than one location?  A business with more than one location can benefit from more than one Facebook page.

You own a restaurant in numerous locations and wonder if it makes sense to create a facebook page for each site. Consider that your restaurants are in different communities, and each area has unique demographics. There will always be times you will want to send messages to customers of one town and not the other. For example menus, promotions and events may all vary between locations. You may decide to have a fundraising event for a local cause, and it makes sense to promote it only in one area. Hence multiple pages allow you the option to keep your posts targeted to your audience.  In doing so, you will achieve a better response rate and high-quality customer engagement.

Do you have promotional campaigns that benefit your community?  Whan it comes to cause marketing, more than one Facebook page can boost followers and engagement.

Setting up a separate page to promote the cause can increase your audience and their engagement.  This approach is especially true if your company’s promotional campaign has the dual purpose of promoting your business and bettering society.    For example, your business is hosting an annual event to promote a particular cause.  You may want to set up one page for your business and another for the fundraising event. Keeping your business and fundraising separate can result in more community interest on Facebook.  Your company will benefit as a result. After all, people are more likely to identify with, “follow” and “like” a cause than a for-profit company.

Does your business have a joint venture?  When it comes to joint ventures separate Facebook pages are a must-have.

The most obvious reason for more than one Facebook Page is when your company has a joint venture. In this case, setting up a separate Facebook page is a requirement. You will want to keep your primary business, and the new venture separated on social media.  You can still leverage cross-promotional opportunities on Facebook.  However, if that joint venture turns sour, you will want to escape the social media fallout which can harm both businesses.

Managing more than one Facebook page can be a challenge.

There is a downside to having more than one Facebook page for your business. The most obvious one is that having more than one Facebook page requires more work and makes things arguably harder to manage. Depending on what your budget allows you to do, though, you can outsource this aspect of your business.  This may be a good option if it becomes too overwhelming or if you just prefer to focus on running your business.

Duplicated posts are another issue you need to consider. You can end up annoying your audience by posting the same message on all your pages.  The reason is that they may end up getting the same thing more than once if they are following all your pages.  If you want to publish on more than one page, allow for a day or two to pass.  Now the message will serve as a reminder instead of an annoyance.   Therefore be selective where and when you make your post to avoid losing followers.

Facebook makes it easy to target your audience with messages they are interested in receiving

If you want to stick with one page, you can use Facebook’s Targeting feature. By using it, you can decide exactly which segment of your audience is going to see a particular message you post. This capability will cost you money, so if a primary goal is to generate as much free exposure as possible, then more than one facebook page is the best approach.

The best Facebook strategies involve having one page to promote your business and other pages to target the diverse interests of your customers. This approach could be as simple as a separate community page for your local area where you can build an audience by posting great content. While doing so, you can discretely promote the name of your business and your local services. When goals of your business and the community work well together, it can become a recipe for success.

Some local service providers don’t need to sell on Facebook, just be visible.

Creating multiple Facebook pages is an excellent option for marketing for service providers like Realestate Agents, Lawyers, and Financial Advisors or other professions.  Because the name of the business and your reputation are closely tied, it may not be necessary to promote your business at all. It is all about name recognition. Hence if you achieve high name recognition from social media, it can give you a high ROI for your business without you even needing to promote your business.

What are my options for creating a Facebook page?

Creating a Facebook page is the first essential part of achieving social media marketing success on Facebook. But since there are multiple types of Facebook pages the following tips will help you decide the right choice for you and your business.

Before you can create a Facebook page, Facebook requires that you select a type or category for your page.  Depending on the type of page you choose you will have different content and functionality options for your page.  The good news is that you don’t have to make this a stressful process, if you need to change the category of your page, Facebook allows you to do so without complications. With that in mind, let’s look at the different page types you can create:

1. Creating a Facebook page for a Brand or product

Select this if more than one store is selling your product. Companies use this option to promote a brand or product they are selling. Consider companies like Coca-Cola and Adidas as this is an option they would use. As you can imagine, this choice is ideal if, you’re a manufacturer of products sold at various outlets

2. Creating a Facebook page for Entertainment

This category is for Radio stations, magazines, and TV channels, as well as anyone else whose primary role is to entertain others. If you have a local band, you may want to hold off on this option and continue reading as there is another category that is better suited.

3. Creating a Facebook page for a Cause or community

Although charities and similar organizations will find this type entirely relevant, it is not exclusive to non-profits.   It can also be used for community groups or special interests.   The purpose of these pages is to focus on and raise awareness of concerns that benefit society.  However, this option is not just for non-profits because the power of cause marketing can bring huge rewards if done right.  Just look at the NRA for an example of a cause with a substantial presence on Facebook and an industry that makes a lot of profit.  Local business owners can generate substantial business, brand awareness and goodwill if they use this feature to promote a favorite social cause.

4. Creating a Facebook page for a Local business or place

This category is straightforward.  If you have a physical location your customers can visit, this one is a no-brainer. If you’re still not sure, go through the category list provided by Facebook. There, you will find various examples, and you can use them to help you determine whether this category is the right choice for your business.

5. Creating a Facebook page for an Artist, band or public figure

If you’re a known writer, actor, a politician running for office, artist, etc., then this is a good match for you.  As you can see, there is a bit of an overlap with the ‘entertainment’ category. Just use your best judgment when making a choice and look at the examples provided by Facebook.

6. Creating a Facebook page for a Company organization or institution

Choose this option instead of ‘local business or place’ if your business has more than just one physical location. Each of these may have a different schedule, address, and open hours.  However as stated above there are benefits to having separate pages for each location so you will want to give this some thought before jumping in.

Now that you have picked a category you will also find that each category has many sub-categories.  In fact, there are too many to cover in this article.   Just take your time picking the right one, and remember you can always change the category later.

Facebook groups are a marketing option that’s often overlooked by business owners

Facebook groups have filled the shoes of what online forums have served in the past. The traditional public forums are still not dead, but think about it: it’s much easier to get someone to join your discussion group directly on Facebook rather than having them leave the site and visit some other domain. Doing so would require much more work on their part since they’d probably need to register for an account as well. On the other hand, while they’re on Facebook, they can post directly from their existing account.

Facebook groups can be better than Facebook pages since they allow like-minded individuals to connect, share their thoughts, and achieve common goals. And yes, everyone can create a Facebook group! Some of them are public, and some of them are private (also known as invite-only).

There are two ways you can use Facebook groups to promote your business.

• You can try to build a community from scratch, but this will take time and resources to develop the group.
• You can come up with meaningful replies to existing group posts in your niche. This approach will let you will grab the users’ attention and divert it towards your business.

Regardless the approach you take, make sure all your posts are helpful, meaningful and that they are designed to help solve someone’s problem or give some solid advice.

More than one Facebook page or group, when done with care, can be a good strategy for social media marketing.

So the verdict on whether you should have multiple Facebook pages or not is as follows: it depends.   The primary considerations are your goals, resources, purpose, the number of physical locations you have, and other variables.

Now you are ready to get started on Facebook. Creating an engaging page and building an audience is your next step. You can take advantage of the knowledge to gained from this article those that follow to get an edge over your competition.  Not everyone uses these social media tactics, so there is plenty of opportunity on Facebook.

If you feel social media management is too time-consuming or complicated, our team of social media consultants is available to help.  Call 978-851-9077 for a free consultation.

The post Should I create more than one Facebook page? appeared first on New Hampshire Web Design.

Before we talk about hiring a local SEO Consultant, let’s cover the basics of local SEO.  What is it and what it can do for your business? In the simplest terms, Local SEO means helping customers find your local business through search engines. Local SEO is most important for companies with physical locations (like a retail store) or face-to-face services (like a plumber).  These companies need to reach customers in a geographical area.  Local SEO means giving your business the best possible chance of ranking high in local search results. Furthermore, it is most important to do this when someone in your local area is searching online for your product or service.

Why Do I Need Local SEO?

Your customers are increasingly going online to search for businesses to meet their needs.

According to HubSpot, 18% of local mobile searches lead to a sale within one day—these deals are going to happen, the only question is whether your business will be in the running.

Today’s customer is out and about, searching on their phone for a place to eat or shop, then going there immediately. Only a few results show on a mobile phone, and you want to be one of them.

Not to mention local search results are highly targeted and timely. Like I said, today’s customer is searching for a nearby business to use right now. If you are one of those top few results, the conversion rate is high. No other marketing strategy gets you in front of a customer who has already asked for your services and is nearby, ready to commit.

Lastly, today’s customers expect you to be available via local search. Say someone searches for “John’s Autoparts” based on a recommendation from a friend. The search engine will assume they want localized results and look for nearby places with this name. If you’re not optimized for local searches, the search engine may not find you. Now your potential customer is presented with alternative auto parts stores, and you have lost credibility for not being easy to find.

How Does Local SEO Work?

Local SEO comes into play in two basic scenarios. For one, when someone searches for something like “pizza,” most search engines automatically assume the user wants local results and will return local pizza places based on the person’s location. For two, when someone specifies a location in a search like, “best lawyer in Grand Rapids,” the search engine will return local results for Grand Rapids, Michigan based on the search terms.

But how does the search engine choose which businesses to return? With any SEO strategy, it’s important to remember that search engines want to show the best possible results to their customers. Search engines want to find you if you are a local business that offers a service customers need. Your job is to make it as easy as possible for them to find and validate your existence.

First, you will need to define your NAP: Name, Address, Phone Number (NAP). Consistency is essential as you grow your web presence because exact matches increase your business legitimacy. If your company is referred to as “John’s Auto Parts” in some places and “John’s Auto Parts & Repair” other places, these will seem like two different businesses to Google. Decide on one primary name, one standardized postal address, and one business phone number. Then use it everywhere. It’s best to have this information on every page of your website, often by including it in the footer.

Search Engines and Social Media

Search Engine local listings

If you haven’t done so already, you will need to claim or establish your Local Search Engine listings starting with Google My Business and Bing Places. It is essential to distinguish the difference that Google and Bing are powerful search engines or social media portals, not citations, and they require special care.

Social Media Business Pages

The same is true with Social Media websites like Facebook, YouTube, Google +, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. People are visiting these sites every day to communicate and stay in touch with those who are important to them. You will want to have a presence on social media to rank well in local search. Facebook alone has 2 billion monthly active users. Therefore having social media pages are critical weapons in your local marketing arsenal and you will want to keep them updated and accurate.

Online Reviews and Specialty sites

Start with Yelp! Wait, isn’t Yelp just for finding good restaurants? Not anymore! Yelp has been branching out into almost all areas of the business including home improvement, so you won’t want to ignore them. The most important reason for Yelp is that they have an exclusive relationship with Apple and Bing to display business listings and reviews in local search results. For Apple, this means when over 700 million iPhone users ask Siri to find a restaurant near me, Yelp results are displayed. The same happens when you search using Bing to search for a restaurant except it depends on the type of business because Microsoft also uses its own local Bing Places directory so you will want to get listed there.

If you are in the Home Improvement Industry, you will want to read our article 13 Tips on SEO for home improvement businesses. Then set up an account, become familiar with, and publish your information on Angie’s List, HomeAdvisor, Houzz and other specialty websites. These websites are similar to Yelp for the restaurant industry, and you have a better chance of being discovered for projects when multiple sites that display your information.

In summary, you will want to load up directory websites with as much accurate information as possible including your NAP. Upload high-resolution pictures, your hours of operation, and encourage customers to leave reviews. The more complete and robust your social media and search engine profiles, the more legit your business appears search algorithms. After that, you want to increase the number of references to your company throughout the web —these are called citations.

What Are Citations?

A citation is a reference to your business’s NAP on another website. You gain a vote of legitimacy each time your company is referenced accurately with the same NAP. Each entry validates your location and contact information.  Thus the more you have, the higher you will rank in local search engine results.

Citations fall into a few categories: online business directories, social media mentions, public records, and mentions on other business websites.  These citations include your suppliers or business partners sites. The most popular type is online business directories because there are hundreds available.  Local SEO involves contributing your information to each, and making corrections when it doesn’t match your NAP. Examples of online directories are Yelp, Yellow Pages, Angie’s List, and CitySearch. Local SEO Guide provides a comprehensive list of the top local directories.

Do you need to fix your citations?

Before you go any further, take a minute to check the status of your local business citations in over 60 popular online directories with our free Local SEO Scan.

How can you increase your citations?

Do it yourself

Entering your information into tons of directories is time-consuming and repetitive work. You may decide that your time is better spent elsewhere and outsource some of this job to a consulting firm. There are pros and cons to using an outside company and many from which to choose. Let’s first discuss the benefits of managing your citations vs. getting help.  Then we’ll cover what you need to know when selecting a Local SEO consultant.

Get help from a Local SEO Consultant

If you do your citations, you don’t have the added cost of paying a Local SEO consult. You can focus on your company and make sure to avoid or correct mistakes like duplicate listings or inaccurate information. You can also determine your list of directories based on your priority. Many directories require manual verification like a postcard, phone call, or text message. Even with an outside firm, you as the business owner have to be involved in these steps. If you’re on your own, these actions don’t require any coordination with another group.

Using a local SEO consultant or consulting firm will save you a lot of time and energy. These experts specialize in local SEO. Hence with a reputable consultant, you should expect them to improve your ranking.  They will be more efficient and reach a wider audience faster than you. Make sure that the local SEO consultant will focus on finding and correcting inaccurate or duplicate listings.  Incorrect data will work against your ranking in search results. Furthermore, citation building services have access to data aggregators that aid the process by helping distribute data.  Therefore you won’t have as a lone wolf. Overall, outsourcing this work will leave you to focus on your business.

Don’t just increase citations, update and enhance your listings

It’s not enough to get accurate NAP information into the local directories; because it’s is only half the battle. To rank above your competition in Local SEO, you need to update your listing regularly. Google reminds users every time they log into Google My Business.  Business owners who add a photo or update their listing increase the chances of people finding their business online. Therefore smart business owners follow Google’s advice, and you should follow it also.

How to hire the best Local SEO Consultant

When picking a local SEO consultant, the cost is not the only factor. Look at their track record and success with other customers.  Find out how long their services take and how easy it is to work with them. Like I mentioned above, you will have to be involved in the process no matter what.  Knowing the tools the company uses for building your local SEO presence is essential. Lastly, you need to know what they are doing so request monthly reports and read them. They are not doing their job if they are doing the data entry once and billing you for extra work. You are better off doing it yourself.

Tools of the Trade for a Local SEO Consultant:

Like tradespeople who need the right tools for home improvement, a local SEO consultant also requires the right tools. When there are so many online business directories and social media sites, it makes little sense to do everything manually. Chances are your local SEO consultant is working with online tools for citation building. Online services are the most efficient way to update your local citations to multiple websites. You will want to know how they plan to do the job and if they are using the best tools. So why not get to know what they plan to use for your business.

Three of the top online tools for Local SEO are Yext.com, BrightLocal.com, and Moz.com. They all have strengths and weaknesses. Because pricing can change, we won’t go into detail on pricing. You will have to visit their websites Yext, BrightLocal.com, and Moz.com or contact them for that. Here are some points we feel are important factors to help you decide which will work best for you:

Evaluating Top Citation building services: Which is better Yext.com, BrightLocal.com or Moz.com?

Most Local SEO consulting firms use citation building services to manage and get your company more visibility. You should know who the citation building service providers are and what they do.

When it comes to Local SEO all three online citation building services:

• • • Have online systems to report on progress and help you submit your listings.
    • Offer some aggregator service to send your data to numerous online directories.

Why would you go with Yext.com?

• • • Yext is the fastest and provides the most comprehensive local SEO
    • If you use Bright Local or Moz, you increase your chances of having a customer finding inaccurate information.
    • Yext locks down your listings with its direct connection to Local websites and services.  This lock means your citations are updated immediately.
    • Never worry about seeing the wrong phone number or address on popular directories.
    • Moz and Bright Local rely on aggregators or manual submissions to update your listing.  This approach can take a long time and could cause errors in your listings.   With Yext you have full control over all your listings in one place. Therefore changes and updates happen immediately.
    • If checked our Local SEO Diagnostic tool and see mistakes Yext is your best chance to fix your listings immediately.   Hence you won’t lose business from a wrong phone number or address.
    • Larger companies with many locations may want quick results and extensive reporting so we would use Yext.
    • Many directory services allow specials, events, and deals. If you go with Yext, they can update your deals, events, and other activities in the click of a button. If you need to get the word out quickly, you would be better with Yext.
    • Yext is the most expensive of the three, and we do not expect that to change.
    • If building good reviews are a focus I would suggest using Yext.  Yext makes linking directly to your review page easy.  You don’t want people to have to go out of their way to give you a review. It should take one click. Paying the extra money for excellent review management tools is worth considering.

Why would you go with Bright Local or Moz?

• • • Moz has a complete SEO solution all in one place with MozPro for Organic SEO.  Thus you don’t have to visit more than one website to do SEO.
    • BrightLocal and Moz are more affordable than Yext. If you are on a budget, you may want to look at them first
    • Updating directory information with BrightLocal and Moz can take months. Delays happen because online directories update in batches.  Yext has negotiated agreements for a direct API connection to many of them. If you don’t mind waiting several months to see results, you would be ok going with either BrightLocal or Moz.
    • BrightLocal handles both aggregators and manual submissions.
    • BrightLocal.com charges a small fee for each submission. The cost is reasonable, but you have a minimum quantity with each transaction.

Most Local SEO consultants will use just one service and won’t take the time to get to know your needs. The best SEO consultant will decide which factors are most important for a particular customer based on their needs. Thus as a Local SEO consultant, we use all three depending on the needs and budget of our client.

What Citation Building Services won’t do:

• • • None of them will change or update the information for you. You need to do that or hire a Local SEO consultant who knows what to do. Again regularly updating your listings is half the battle.
    • None of these companies will encourage your customers to leave reviews. You need to do that or hire a Local SEO consultant who can do this for you. Having good reviews and ratings are a big part of local SEO. Google makes this clear on its Google My Business page.
    • None of the service providers will respond to reviews. You will need to work with your consultant to do that.
    • One potential issue you might find is once you cancel your subscription you will lose control over the listings again. Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to this problem. You don’t want to visit hundreds of websites.
    • Many companies opt for a mix of both manual submissions and an automated approach. We do this for our customers.

A local SEO Consultant may use multiple citation building services because different providers cover various data aggregators and directory listings. Talk to other business owners, search for online reviews, and do your research. When you hire an SEO Consulting consultant, you are inviting them to take part in creating your online web presence.  Local SEO is a critical piece of your marketing strategy. Choose wisely.

Want a free consultation? Contact us for help with Local SEO

The post Should I hire a Local SEO Consultant or do it myself? appeared first on New Hampshire Web Design.

All customers are different, and they want you to communicate with them in a variety of ways. If you sell predominantly to retirees, for example, then direct mail is likely to be much more efficient than Snapchat. Similarly, younger customers are more apt to find you through Instagram than in the phone book.

Social media marketing and email marketing are a little different because almost everyone has an email address and a social networking profile. 78% of people in the US have a social networking profile, and usage is expected to hit a third of the world’s population by 2020.  Email use worldwide will top 3 billion users by 2020. (Source: hubspot.com )

With that in mind, it’s time to take a look at which is better. Will social media marketing take the crown or will email marketing come out on top? Let’s find out.

Social Media Marketing

Using Social media as a tool to promote your business has enormous potential in comparison to email marketing, in part because the barrier to entry is so low. It only takes a couple of minutes to sign up and to start posting, and you don’t need huge marketing budgets to get going. You also don’t need to have subscribers to begin with, which you need if you want to start sending emails. Best of all, it’s a great leveler, allowing individuals and small businesses to compete with national and international companies in a way that was never previously possible.

Still, to do social networking right, you’re going to need to invest in advertisements and content creation and to spend a considerable amount of your own time if you want to get results. It can also be hit and miss. Too many people set out to create a viral video, and that’s just not how social networking works. Sure, it might happen – but it’s unlikely, and it’s a poor idea to aim for viral success because you’ll inevitably fall wide of the mark.

Instead, social media marketing is all about building long-term relationships with people. Email marketing tends to be more transactional, whereas your social media presence will almost act as an extension of your customer service team.

That means that measuring the success of your social media marketing efforts on sales alone is not a good idea. It’s much easier to generate a direct profit using email marketing, but social media marketing will boost your business in ways you never even thought about – it just might take a while to pay for itself. Prepare yourself for that before you invest the time, or you’ll be disappointed.

Email Marketing

There’s a perception of email marketing as old fashioned, but the truth is that email marketing is as strong as ever thanks to easy personalization and marketing automation software which can help you to do the job much more efficiently.

Email marketing is still huge for a variety of reasons. For B2B campaigns, for example, it’s a no-brainer. 86% of professionals prefer to use email when communicating for business purposes, and if you integrate an email marketing campaign with a customer relationship management (CRM) system, you can usher prospects along the buyer’s journey until they’re ready to make a purchase.

When it comes to capturing potential customers’ attention, nothing can top email. Even if people don’t open them, they’ll still see them there sitting inside their inbox. And when you compare the open rates of your emails to the number of your Facebook fans who are seeing your updates, you’re likely to find that email marketing comes out on top.

But email marketing also plays a vital role in the inbound marketing methodology. Many companies are choosing to release high-quality content, such as e-books, white papers, or webinars, in exchange for a visitor’s email address. Once you have their email address, you can contact them on a regular basis and start to develop a relationship in the hope of turning them into a customer – a lot like you’re doing on social networking sites but with more precise targeting.

Conclusion: social media or email marketing

Trying to pick between social media or email marketing can feel like trying to choose your favorite child. Certain technologies work better in certain situations, but both email marketing and social media marketing are so versatile that they both have a place in every marketer’s toolkit.

That’s why the very best marketers take advantage of both social media and email marketing, and they adapt their messages for each platform so that they’re reaching the right person in the right place at the right time. Choosing only one or the other will artificially limit your potential, so test both and track the results and see what works for you.

That’s how you succeed using modern marketing tools like email and social media. You have to find out what works for you, and not just what works for your competitors or the industry as a whole. Test, measure and refine. You’ll be bringing in new customers in no time.

The post Which is better Social Media or Email Marketing? appeared first on New Hampshire Web Design.