How Can I Generate Leads For My Business?

A lead is somebody who has, by some means, expressed interest in something you have to offer for sale. You're going to have many more leads than prospects, and many more prospects than customers. You need to be constantly generating more business leads in the hopes of turning those leads into customers.https://ezinearticles.com/?How-Can-I-Generate-Leads-For-My-Business?&id=9751491

Here are 5 proven ways to generate more leads fro your business.

1. Regularly Publish Content On Your Website

Putting information to your blog or website frequently, and on a regular schedule, boosts your chances of your website being ranked by the search engines and connecting with your audience. Remember that every bit of content for your leads needs to be checked for grammar, clarity, and format. You want the information you provide to represent the type of products and services you offer. If you make silly mistakes, it will reflect back onto your business.

2. Host A Webinar

Hosting a webinar is a great way for generating more business leads. A webinar is a live web-based video or audio conference that connects the host of the webinar to an audience. It's an easy way to introduce yourself your business, and your unique personality to your prospects. And it doesn't have to cost any money. YouTube Live, Google Hangouts and other websites and software suites offer free webinar services.

3. Record Helpful Videos

Video "connects" with your target market much better than text-based content. Videos are quick and easy to create and you don't even need to appear on camera if you don't want to. There are many video sharing sites that draw in millions of frequent users. YouTube and Vimeo are just two of the many places where you can host videos where you solve real problems in the lives of your prospects.

4. Answer Questions on Q & A Sites

People online go to websites like Quora, Yahoo Answers and WikiAnswers to ask questions about almost every topic. This is a way to prove yourself as an informed leader in your field. The search engines on these websites let you to focus on a specific question or topic, and when people see your answers, you can guide them back to your website.

5. Write An eBook

It's not difficult to write an eBook and you can offer it for free in return for a prospect's email address. Deciding upon an eBook topic is important. If you have existing clients, what questions do they keep asking? Check out the questions on industry related forums and Facebook groups. What are people asking for help with? If you provide the answer in your eBook, your prospects will want it.

Build an Email List Fast — in 2019 & Beyond

Taking a blog from 100 pageviews to 100K

How Can I Build My Email List With Genuine Prospects?

The one essential element to the success and growth of your online business is an email list. This list is a collection of people who have indicated an interest in your business and have given you their agreement to email them more information.https://ezinearticles.com/?How-Can-I-Build-My-Email-List-With-Genuine-Prospects?&id=9770790

Email marketing is still one of the most effective forms of marketing. However, if you're sending generic information out to random subscribers you'll see little benefit. Today, smart marketers build targeted lists, full of genuine prospects who want to receive a specific message.

So how can you build your email list with more genuine prospects?

Plan In Advance

Effective email list building starts with attracting the right people to the right list. Identity your target audience and create customer profiles so that can help you build a list full of subscribers who want to hear from you. Then be clear on how you can provide them with value.

Offer Something Valuable And Specific For Free

To encourage your target audience to provide you with their email address, provide them with something of value for free. When creating your freebie, focus on a precise target audience. You want to give them something that genuinely adds value to their lives and even fixes one of their main problems. Make the offer so specific that only people who are supposed to be on your list will want to sign up for it.

Send Your Freebie Straight Away

Don't make a new subscriber wait for information you promised. Ensure that your email autoresponder software is set up to deliver your freebie as soon as somebody signs up.

Make It Simple To Sign Up

Steer clear of asking for too much information in advance. At most, request a name and email address. You can make it even easier by only obtaining an email address. You can always get more information from a subscriber when they've signed up to your list.

Secure Their Privacy

Make sure your subscribers know that you will not give or sell their information to any other companies. You can put a privacy notice on your sign up form by adding a hyperlink to it.

Don't Forget Your Other Channels

Let your subscribers know the other places that they can find you on the internet. This will increase trust as they get to know you and your brand outside of the email inbox. Make it easy for them to connect with your social media channels, blog, YouTube channels, etc

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ClickFunnels Vs Leadpages - A Biased Review

ClickFunnels vs. Leadpages: Why Clickfunnels is the Better Choice

Clickfunnels

If you are a business owner who runs your business completely online, you know the struggles of engaging and retaining your customers. https://ezinearticles.com/?ClickFunnels-Vs-Leadpages---A-Biased-Review&id=9806271

For eCommerce or Direct Sales businesses, it can be even more complex to maintain a website that has all the bells and whistles you want without the technical training of a programmer.

It does not matter if you are a blogger, consultant or service-based business. If you have a problem with engagement and getting your prospects and customers to keep coming back to your site, I think it is time for you to rethink the way you build your website.

I may have the answer to your problem. You, my friend, need to begin using a landing page platform. But, it can't just be any old landing page platform. It needs to do more without asking you to do more, you know?

They need to be able to create capture pages that will help you engage more with your customers. On top of that, these pages need to be sale-oriented and have a ton of different sales "funnels" that will direct customers where you need them to be. With these platforms, you can do the following but are not limited to:
Create mobile responsive landing pages
Have options for subscribers to submit for immediate email opt-ins
Choose from various templates and themes to individualize your site
eCommerce options that are compatible with major retail services
Ability to host webinars
Integration of social media channels

No matter the type of business you have, there is definitely a landing page platform out there for you. The leading platforms out there are Leadpages and ClickFunnel. Between the two, I would highly recommend ClickFunnel because, hey I said so. Actually, it really is the better of the two and let me tell you why.

ClickFunnels is for Newbies

Here is the 411 on this. We have all been there where we've almost picked up our computers and threw them out the window because they are so frustrating to deal with sometimes, right? Technology is not always my friend, to say the least. ClickFunnels was developed with the newbie in mind.

Us entrepreneurs may not have the "proper" training to code, program or other fancy techy words so we rely on engineers to do all this stuff for us. But, if you are a growing small business, you aren't necessarily going to run a hiring campaign for the top programmer out there.

ClickFunnels allows users to build landing pages with ease.

Leadpages can be a little cumbersome for an amateur who is trying to learn the ropes of the course. The complexity is more suitable for programmers and let's be honest, not every small business has the means to pay for one. Another thing I should mention is that ClickFunnels has a lot more features than Leadpages, but it is still easier to use.

For a blogger who specializes in developing recipes, I doubt she has the time to learn about coding. Let the woman cook and ClickFunnels will take care of the rest!

All-in-One

We like to do many things as combinations. We bundle our internet and cable packages. We combine our car and home insurance. We possess smartphones. All these things are a result of combined resources that we would rather access from one central area.

With ClickFunnels, you get all the different funnels in one place: order forms, website hosting, membership sites and shopping carts.

One specific feature that ClickFunnels has that Leadpages lacks is that of the automatic email responder. When a customer opts to receive emails from your site, they will immediately get a "Thank You" pop-up as well as a confirmation email in his/her inbox.

What else is amazing about this all-in-one concept is it takes away the guessing game of how to integrate all of these functions on a website. So, not only are the features simplified, but they are all connected without requiring you to learn how to do it. All of it is automatic and included.

Say goodbye to pulling your hair out and hello to efficiency!

The name itself should give you a clear sense of what it does. A funnel is meant to bring all components of a liquid and combine it in one container, right? This is exactly what it can do for your website, easier and better. Plus, I may like it more just because it has the word funnel in it and who doesn't love a good funnel cake?

What Are You Waiting For?

Have I convinced you yet? Well, here is some more pertinent information:

ClickFunnels has taken the online marketplace by storm. As other website hosting and landing page platforms have made great incremental improvements, ClickFunnels has taken all of those improvements and surpassed its competitors.

It has made great strides towards making the landing page experience efficient and innovative for any online business.

The bottom line is that to be a successful online business, you cannot sell from a flat website.

Leadpages still does its job of being a landing page platform but ClickFunnels does the same thing better. It creates sales funnels and offers ways for you to personalize your pages versus using universal templates from Leadpages.

You need ClickFunnels to simplify the process and this saves you time and money. Score!

Unlike its counterpart, ClickFunnels is the only tool that provides you with all the resources to market, sell and deliver your products online. You don't have to have a degree in IT or be this amazing website designer. All you need is a vision and this amazing tool.

Plus, it all happens in one place. There is no need to add one thing here to make another thing work there and so on. You are now able to cut down your time of stress and anxiety from trying to figure out all the technicalities behind building a landing page.

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The Key to A Successful Online Business Is in the List

The importance of List Building for online businesses can never be overemphasized!

List building defined:

List building is a marketing process that involves strategic gathering of limitless volume of followers for the sole reason to deliver vital news, messages, products info or events, etc. This ever-growing mailing list is created and developed by end-users who freely opt-in via subscription into an online business marketer's autoresponder facility. Whatever business you do online, you can compel your audience, prospects and clients to be part of your list for several reasons, such as: receiving newsletters, updates, discounts, etc. When you consider list building for your online business, it can be very lucrative and highly effective.https://ezinearticles.com/?The-Key-to-A-Successful-Online-Business-Is-in-the-List&id=9862510

Below are some benefits of building and using a mailing list to help promote your online business:

For Pitching New Products/Services

When you choose to build a list for your business, it is actually people who trust in your products or services that will opt-in. A mailing list offers you the opportunity to market new products or services to potential customers. Whatever it is that you sell online, whether it is new software or some popular electronics, sales are almost guaranteed with your subscribers since they actually willingly opted into your mailing list. Once you are able to deliver effective sales pitch to your subscribers, making good profit becomes forthcoming and certain.

For Offering Exclusive Deals/Offers

When you are in the process of launching special offers, your mailing list will be most convenient to reach out to prospects that will quickly engage with the business. For example, if you sell a service or product at a list-price of $200 on your website you can sell the same service/product at $100 (providing special discount deal purchase link) to people who are subscribed to your mailing list. This can help you make loads of profit - especially if you have a large mailing list of subscribers.

For General Business Updates

When you need to inform your customers of very important product/service update your list will come in handy. Let's assume that your business social networking channel experiences a sudden technical disruption. You can quickly forward an email to your list informing them about the problem at hand.

Also, if you plan on having a live webinar or any event, subscribers on your mailing list would usually be among the first people to find out. With your list, you will be able to send emails at intervals inviting people to attend your live webinar or event.

With so many advantages of building a mailing list for your online business as mentioned above, it is clear that the Key to a successful online business is in the list. Start building your list today!

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What Is A Niche In Blogging?

Have you ever heard someone say, "She's really found her niche in life?" This refers to someone discovering a career, job or pastime that perfectly suits that person's values, goals and abilities.https://ezinearticles.com/?What-Is-A-Niche-In-Blogging?&id=10209406

The same is true for a niche in blogging. A blogging niche is nothing more than a very focused interest or market.

Niche Blogging

A niche blog may be relevant to a specific industry or age group. It could focus on the needs of a particular ethnic group, geographic area or future goals. If you are someone who relates to hard definitions, and you want to develop a blog that makes a difference and is truly helpful, here's what you need to remember:

"A niche market is a subset of a larger market on which a specific product or service is focused."

So a blogging niche might be scrapbooking for beginners with a passion for scuba diving. Scrapbooking is the large market. Scrapbooking for beginners narrows the focus, and by further narrowing your marketplace to scuba diving enthusiasts who want to take up scrapbooking for the first time, you have an excellent niche marketing opportunity for an authoritative blog.

Create An authoritative Web Presence

Niche marketing is far from a 21st century concept, it has been around forever. Blogs are certainly not new, though they are relevantly new in comparison to niche marketing. When you put the two together, you can create an authoritative web presence which can help people answer big problems in their lives.

Authoritative niche blogging is different from running a website where your goal is to simply get people to click on ads that earn you money. Yes, you may have some type of monetization on your niche blog, but that is not the main intent. Successful niche blogs inform, answer questions, provide solutions and work to develop relationships with their readers and followers.

Choosing A Niche

When choosing which niche you want to blog about, think about a specific problem in a tight marketplace. Don't try to be everything to everyone. When you have a laser targeted approach, you can quickly become an authority figure in your niche.

So think of a marketplace where you want to really make a difference. Then niche down until you have identified a very specific area of focus. Inform, answer questions, help and care about your audience, and your niche blog will never be confused with a spam blog (splog) or autoblog intended solely for revenue generation.

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4 Ways Write Your Online Content Faster

Content is the currency of any online business. Content attracts new clients, helps get you noticed on search engine results pages, and helps build a loyal following. https://ezinearticles.com/?4-Ways-Write-Your-Online-Content-Faster&id=10209409

But content takes time to create! Although you should never rush your online content, there are some ways to ensure you create it as quickly as possible without sacrificing quality.

1. Don't Constantly Edit

The first time you draft a new piece of content, let the words flow without editing as you go. Write your entire first draft before you look for any spelling mistakes or potential changes. Most people tend to edit as they go along, and again at the end. This is a waste of time and will often halt the creative "flow".

2. Eliminate Distractions

When you know it's time to write your content, make a point to eliminate distractions. This might seem obvious, but are you really doing it? Many people tend to keep their Facebook, Twitter, email, and so on open on their browser while they're writing.

Even if you don't check them, notification sounds affect our concentration. Find a quiet place where you can concentrate, and only have sites that are relevant to your post's research open on your internet browser when you write. If necessary, install a browser plugin that blocks distracting sites (there are many free options available).

3. Make A Plan

Do some basic planning before you begin writing. While some writers are talented enough to write fluently as they go along, others may get stuck halfway and have a hard time continuing. Before you write your content, type out a basic outline listing each basic point from beginning to end. Use this draft as your guide, and improvise if you need to along the way.

4. Write Shorter Content

If possible, keep your content shorter! This doesn't mean deliberately writing short posts that don't provide any value. Instead, it means saying what you need to say but in as few words as possible. As long as your readers can get what they need to your post, and feel as though you are delivering value, then there's no difference between a 500 or 1000-word post! Many readers will lose interest anyway when you don't keep to the point!

Lastly, remember that you will simply get faster with practice, and especially when you "batch" your content creation process to create many posts at once. So keep on writing and creating content!

How To Start Social Media Marketing As A Beginner - STEP BY STEP

Engage People On Social Media By Asking Questions

As I've said repeatedly, "It's called social media for a reason." How do you gain traction with people on social media? Not by telling them things, but by asking them questions.https://ezinearticles.com/?Engage-People-On-Social-Media-By-Asking-Questions&id=9940963

When you make a post, go ahead and finish it with an open-ended question, something like "What do you think about the topic? Post your thoughts below." BTW, and open-ended question is one that doesn't automatically elicit a short, one or two word answer like "Yes" or "No," "red" or "blue." It asks people to express their inner views on a subject, to answer expansively.

Of course, the other part of the social media equation is interacting on other people's posts. In order for you to be seen, you need to do more than write your own posts. Of course, other people are asking questions on their social media posts. Some of them are asking closed questions, to be sure. "Am I right - yes or no?" A few people will be asking open-ended questions. Either way, when you reply, your voice is added to the conversation. More importantly, your on-line name or handle is added to the stream of information flowing past the eyeballs of others.

If you look for advice on marketing, a metric crap-ton of people will shout a single-word piece of advice at you - "Content!" What they mean is that you should be creating unique information to put in front of others to grab their attention.

But here's a bit of content the so-called experts tend to overlook: asking your own questions on other people's social media posts.

Let's say, someone makes a post about carpet cleaning. Yes, I use that industry in a lot of examples. So let's say a person posts that you should steam clean your carpets at least every six months. Go ahead and ask your own question! Like with your own posts, open-ended is best. "In addition to the 6-month cleanings, should I also clean before a holiday gathering?" You could switch that to a closed-ended question: "Which is best, cleaning before or after a holiday gathering?"

If you can't think of a relevant question, it's okay to ask for examples and clarification. I can guarantee there are plenty of other folks out there who would like additional examples or a different explanation. "Is there a different schedule you'd recommend for a carpet in the reception area of a business?" "Can you give an example of a hotel lobby carpet cleaning process?"

Asking relevant questions, ones that dig deeper into the subject of the post, are often nearly as good as - and sometimes better than - the original informational posts, and will get your name out there as someone who knows what they're talking about.

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6 Easy But Effective Steps To Grow Your Twitter Followers

Have you ever imagined why most businesses and brands have an active Twitter account and strive to grow their Twitter followers? https://ezinearticles.com/?6-Easy-But-Effective-Steps-To-Grow-Your-Twitter-Followers&id=9959033

Twitter is a very powerful business tool when used correctly. Twitter is more relevant now than ever considering the shift from brand-centric marketing to people-centric marketing.

And the good part is that Twitter doesn't just assist you to increase your followers, generate leads and solidify your brand, it ensures that every lead that you generate is interested in your brand. This way you don't go targeting the wrong audience.

Not minding this ample opportunity that Twitter offers, many of the Twitter users are still having a tough time on how to best utilize Twitter and increase grow their followers.

If you are one of these persons losing nights on growing their Twitter followers without seeing appreciable results, read this piece to the end. And discover how to easily grow your Twitter followers without spending a dime on Ads.

1. Focus On Adding Value

There's nothing that turns off your followers as consistently pushing them to buy. It is good to monetize your Twitter handle but this should be done with some sense of maturity. One of the main reasons that you are being followed is because they are interested in your tweets and hope to get value reading it. And if that desire is not being gratified, what in the world do you think will make them not to un-follow you?

To retain and keep growing your followers, you've got to focus more on adding value to your followers and pitch mildly.

Apply the 80/20 rule which states that 20% of your social media content should be about your brand (pitching your brand) while the remaining 80% should be dedicated to adding value to your audience.

One sweet thing about adding value is that it positions you as a go-to expert in your niche and wins trust and loyalty.

2. Optimize Your Bio

Optimizing your Twitter bio boosts your chances of attracting the right audience and makes all your social media efforts pay off.

Some persons would wish to know some things about you before clicking the follow button; and if your bio is not optimized, chances are, that you will lose that person to a competitor.

Here are the components a good bio should have:

• A clean profile picture which could your business logo or a picture of yourself clearly showing your face

• Your personality: giving your followers a sense of who you are, what you do, what company you work with and where you operate.

Ensure your bio complete, professional and does a great job of representing you and your business.

3. Follow Your Followers

This is one of the tactics used by some of the influential persons on Twitter. When you receive notification of someone following you, check their profile and follow back. This way the person will have the feeling of being valued and will always visit your page. But if you don't follow back, the person might probably think you snubbed him/er even when you have no such intentions.

Always try as much as you can to reciprocate the gesture of following your followers.

4. Tweet Consistently And Include Visuals

Remember, you are not the only person in your niche and some of your followers might also be following other persons in your niche too, any little mistake can make you lose them to your competitors.

Posting valuable contents consistently gives your audience the insight of when to always expect your contents. Your post could come in form of quotes, motivational talks, info-graphics or any other valuable content

As you may already know, humans love visuals and this is one of the reasons why Instagram is waxing stronger day in day out. What this means is that you should always spice up your tweet with photos.

5. Good Use Of Hashtags

Hashtags offer you the avenue of reaching out to a larger target audience if used properly. And mind you, you've got to be careful using hashtags to avoid your post looking spammy. Out of the 140 characters available for you to work with, use the hashtags sparingly (2 to 3 hashtags is okay).

Always look out for trending hashtags in your niche and include them in your tweet. Follow influencers in your niche and add their hashtags in your tweets.

6. Drive Traffic To Your Twitter Page

This is another way of growing your Twitter followers. You can drive traffic from your Facebook account by adding your Twitter username in the "About" section.

Outside Facebook, you can add you can also drive traffic from your LinkedIn account, marketing email and website.

In your website and email marketing, you can use the social media buttons to achieve this while in your LinkedIn you can add your Twitter username to your bio.

Twitter is a powerful marketing tool that is worth leveraging. The higher your Twitter followers, the higher your Twitter conversion rate and vice versa.

Feel free to add your contribution via the comment section.

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4 Brand-Building Tips on Using Instagram for Your Business

How to Create a Powerful Instagram Social Media Marketing Strategy

One of the most powerful marketing tools marketers have today is social media. From Facebook posts to tweets on Twitter, sharing your products or services on social media platforms is a great way to increase brand awareness, engagement, sales and leads.https://ezinearticles.com/?4-Brand-Building-Tips-on-Using-Instagram-for-Your-Business&id=10003805

However, many people are left scratching their heads when it comes to marketing with Instagram.

Many of us use Instagram as a personal account to post photos of our family, friends, vacations and food - but how can it tie into business? And should it?

With the speed of which Instagram is growing, don't underestimate its value to boost your brand and marketing efforts.

It has grown into an incredibly valuable marketing platform and even though the 18-29 year old's are still prevalent users, the higher age groups are catching on and catching up fast.

Some 2018 Instagram stats from Sprout Social are telling:

• 7 out of 10 hashtags on Instagram are branded

• 80% of users follow a business on Instagram

• 65% of top-performing Instagram posts feature products

If you feel the tug to explore Instagram as part of your social media marketing strategy, check out these initial pointers to help you get started:

1. Use Hashtags Wisely

You don't need to cram every hashtag you can think of in one post, but you do need at least a few.

A hashtag is the # sign followed by descriptive words about your image as in this example, I used #marketing and #ctaconf, which was the conference I was attending at the time.

When a user clicks/taps on a hashtag or types a hashtag into the search box, it brings up all images that use that hashtag. The user can even subscribe to continue to follow that hashtag.

The hope is the user will see your photo, head to your profile and best-case scenario, follow you and get engaged with more of your posts!

However, when hashtags are extremely popular, the competition to show up in the results is fierce. Similar to SEO keywords, the more popular a term is, the harder it is to stay at the top of the search results. Thus, my example of using #marketing really was futile if I wanted to get any traction from that post.

You want to make your hashtags relevant to your business and location, but also engaging enough that a user would type them into Instagram's search box.

For instance:

• Say you have a pizza joint in Vancouver. You post a pic of your Pepperoni pizza with the hashtags #VancouversBestPizza #NicolosRestaurant #DeliciousDeepDish

• Or you're a Toronto wedding planner. You post an image of a bride and groom's first dance with the hashtags #TorontoWeddingPlanner #LoveWins #WinterWedding

Holidays and special events are an excellent time to promote your business and gain Instagram followers. Whether it's a sale on Black Friday, a Thanksgiving-related use for your product or a product shout-out on National Dog Day, they are all ideal opportunities to showcase your business brand in a non-salesy way.

2. Thank Your Audience for Showing Up

You don't just post a bunch of photos and hashtags and wait for the likes to roll in.

To gain Instagram followers, engage with your audience and grow sales or leads, you need to put in the time.

See an example here from video expert Michele Moreno where she responds back to each of the comments left on her video post.

So if someone leaves a comment or question on one of your posts, take the time to reply and thank them/answer their question.

Take a look at their profile, and if you like what you see, follow them.

Businesses often follow commenters first, in the hopes that they might return the favour.

You can also look for people who might be interested in your product, then comment on their photos and/or follow them, but don't spam them with an ask to follow you right away.

3. Interact with the Right Influencers

Influencers are Instagram users who can influence your target audience because of their popularity and/or social media following.

Danielle Bernstein is a good example of an influencer who worked with a brand. You may not recognize her name, but the 1.8 million followers of her Instagram account WeWoreWhat do.

Bernstein and FIJI Water worked together to create BodyWoreWhat, a marketing campaign offering 8-minute workout videos with her and her personal trainer.

That may be an extreme example, and unless you have deep pockets you probably won't be able to attract an influencer with almost two million followers.

But don't despair. From mommy bloggers to local foodies, you can always find someone who your target audience follows, likes or admires. Maybe they'd be willing to review your product or take a photo using it - use your imagination!

4. Don't Just Shill Your Products

Instagram is not the place to simply share product shots all the time. Think of the experience people have using what you're offering, or the benefits it gives people.

Even better, show real-examples. Asking for user-generated content from your audience is one way to do this. That means that users share their photos using a hashtag you provide.

The online furniture store Wayfair.com does user-generated content very well. They have a user-generated campaign that lets customers share photos of their stylish Wayfair-filled homes using the hashtag #WayfairAtHome.

Be sure to let people know that their images might be featured on your page and you can increase your Instagram content big time - for free!

No matter how you use Instagram for your business, be authentic and true to your brand. It's what the platform is all about, and it's going to help you grow your business, gain Instagram followers and attract sales or leads.

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3 Tips for Social Media Storytelling

How to Build Better Engagement for Your Business

Stories predate television, the internet and social media, but they're a big part of the modern marketing landscape. Social media is-or should be-a big part of your marketing strategy, no matter what line of business you're in.https://ezinearticles.com/?3-Tips-for-Social-Media-Storytelling&id=10092441

Social media storytelling can increase reach and brand awareness and help you gain new followers. However, there is a great deal of noise out there.

If you don't attract attention, your message is going to be lost in a sea of other competing messages.

When we're attempting to connect and engage with our followers, customers and potential customers, it's essential to remember that we're not talking at people or simply posting products or services.

Think of this as a chance to narrate your brand, to start a conversation about who you are and what you offer.

Here's 3 tips to help bring storytelling into your social media marketing strategy:

Tip #1: Be Human

People are going to connect with people first, not brands. Share what's happening in your world with your followers, what you're learning and what's exciting you. Reinforce your brand's message, your mission and what you stand for.

Audiences are savvy, and they can tell when a brand isn't being authentic in their posts. Recently, we've been engaging our eVision audience with questions, and based on the response we're getting, it's a fun and genuine way to learn more about our followers while promoting our business.

That said, only share things that you want the whole world to know! Once you put something out there, it's out there for everyone to see-and snapshot and share-so make sure it's well-thought out and appropriate.

Tip #2: Create Value

Your creative has to have intent, which isn't necessarily to make leads or sales. Think of ways to inform, entertain or surprise your audience.

Provide people with unique and interesting content, like blog posts, articles, infographics, videos or eBooks on platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

Offering resources is one of the top ways to attract attention and followers. Inviting your community to be part of your brand is an ideal way to get them engaged with your resources.

For example, if you're an accountant trying to increase your online presence and engagement, you could ask your followers to share their top reasons for hiring someone else to do their taxes.

Ask them to hashtag their responses with #taxhelp or #relaxingnottaxing or something else clever and short.

If you don't have many fans, you'll need to gain more followers by sharing relevant content from your industry, interacting with people and finding relevant users to follow.

Here's an example of a brand who did this well: Lululemon with their #justmymat campaign. It began with a woman doing yoga in different settings in an Instagram brand video. As a result, thousands of followers uploaded photos and videos of themselves practicing yoga all over the world while using the campaign hashtag.

Tip #3: Show, Don't Tell

Telling your brand story doesn't have to mean typing out a whole bunch of copy. Images and videos can be a great way to capture the essence of your branding. Some platforms centre around images (Pinterest and Instagram, for example).

Even the ones that don't have made changes to make social media storytelling easier, with more opportunities for photos, videos and albums.

If you're not sure where to get images, do some research on design apps and sites that let you use your own images or templates and backgrounds to create engaging posts for the various social platforms.

There are so many ways you can tell a story that will best reflect your brand, business and you! You don't need to tackle the world of Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter on your own.

7 Skills Every Marketer Must Master (Or Else Get Crushed by The Competition)

How To Schedule Your Instagram Posts For Better Results

The first thing to realize when using Instagram for business and being able to schedule Instagram posts is that you need to upgrade your account to a business account. https://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Schedule-Your-Instagram-Posts-For-Better-Results&id=10110705

When you have a business Instagram account, you unlock many features that aren't in the personal platform. So do that right away, then follow the rest of the steps.

Tools You Can Use

There are numerous tools that you can use to schedule Instagram posts. Hootsuite.com, Later.com, and HopperHq.com are great platforms to use. You can upload the information using your laptop or PC, or you can hire a virtual assistant to do it for you. You don't have to push individual posts out via your phone anymore. If you have a business account you can just use the scheduling software to schedule each post. But you will still need to use your phone to finish the process if you are publishing photo albums or videos.

Engage with Your Followers

Even though you can now use tools to schedule posts on Instagram without your phone, you still need to force yourself to engage with your followers. You don't want to forget to look at Instagram and comment to people who say things to you and comment on other people's posts, even though you can schedule using your PC. Remember, social media is all about engaging. Engage.

Instagram Automation

There are some services that will say that they'll automate getting more follows and shares for you. But the truth is, this is a bad idea. While it might seem fun to automatically follow and like people who comment or use a hashtag you set up, the best way to do this is personally. If you really want an active and legitimate following, do that yourself or ask your VA to do it for you. Otherwise you could even end up with a blocked account.

Don't Spam Your Audience

Instagram are very adept at getting rid of spammers. So, you want to be careful about appearing spammy. If you have a lot of images that are from the same event, post them as a photo album. Plus, try to offer free content more than you promote. They say that you should promote only once after three posts. So, post useful content three times, then on the fourth time promote. It's a good rule of thumb.

Avoid Scheduling Content Too Far Out

If you schedule your posts too far out, you may end up accidentally offending people. But, if you pay attention to the news and can stop your schedule, you might be saved if something happens. Be super-careful about any type of scheduled post that could be taken wrongly on a bad day.

Always check your post before you schedule or post. Check that you don't have typos, and ensure nothing is wrong with your image that could be taken the wrong way, or something you don't want out there. Post regularly, use appropriate hashtags, and follow your fans back.

5 Most Powerful Sales Questions Ever

How To Make Your Business More Visible On Social Media

The more people see you, the more they're going to remember you. When you think of it that way, you can automatically see that as people notice you it will build your brand. Some studies say that a new customer needs to be exposed to you at least seven times over a short period of time in order to recognize your existence.https://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Make-Your-Business-More-Visible-On-Social-Media&id=10111839

Be Active on the Right Social Media Platforms

You don't need to be on every single social media platform. You might want to get a profile on each of them, but you don't need to be on every single one. You only need to be where your audience is. Study your audience to find out where they like to be active. When you discover that, that is where you should concentrate your efforts.

Improve and Optimize Your Visual Branding

Images and graphics are very important online. People are attracted to looking at images over text first. Ensure that you have the same branding throughout all social media platforms, your website, and offline.

Post Regularly

Blogging or posting articles and content on a regular basis on your website (and then sharing it on social media) should be done regularly. Don't just do it once, then get upset that there is no response. Content marketing is a slow process. It is more effective than other methods, but it does take time and commitment.

Work with Influencers

One way to be more visible is to work with influencers. Don't worry; you don't have to find someone with a million subscribers. You'll want to pick the right platform for your product or service, but other than that find someone with 10,000 to 40,000 active subscribers or followers to work with.

Make the Most of Your Profiles

Don't forget that on all social media you have a profile or a bio space that needs to be completed. Use every single space the platform offers you that you reasonably can. If you don't have content for that space yet, put it in your calendar to create it. Check them regularly because each platform often updates the features they offer.

Promote Yourself

Many people are scared to promote themselves on social media. But, you must. Now, don't go and spam a group about your offers without permission, or anything like that. However, use retargeting ads with the Facebook pixel, look-a-like ads, and some paid promotions. Build up a group where you can engage with others and promote your products without issue.

Engage More

Remember that social media is about being social. No one is on Facebook to buy stuff. But, if you engage, share, and become a resource to people on those platforms, you're going to stand out from the crowd and build trust through engagement.

Building your brand is something you should always be doing - just like marketing. It's all part of the solution to reach more people, help more people, and make more money. 

How to get the sale, even if the customer says the product is too expensive.

Instagram for Business - Ultimate Beginner's Guide

7 Ways to Use Videos for More Engagement on Instagram

In the digital world, social media has become a very important part of a successful marketing strategy. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. offer a lot of opportunities for brands to showcase their products. These platforms are free to use and you can directly interact with a larger audience at once. You don't need to invest a lot of money in building a marketing strategy that includes social media videos. No matter whether you have a small or a large business, it's time that you take social media marketing seriously.https://ezinearticles.com/?7-Ways-to-Use-Videos-for-More-Engagement-on-Instagram&id=10200394

Based on statistics shared by Lyfe marketing, 93 percent of videos on Twitter are accessed from mobile phones. Views of branded video content on YouTube has doubled in the last three years. Moreover, Facebook live videos receive 10 times more comments that a regular video. All these statistics show that video content is in demand on social media networks. This is because millennials connect more to videos on social media. Web Marketing Video Council has found that more than 60 percent of brands are using social media videos actively for promotions. Thus, it is highly likely that your competitors are also leveraging the power of social media video to expand their customer base.

Instagram is a very powerful social media platform that allows you to share images and videos online. Techcrunch has been studying Instagram trends since its launch. As per their study, Instagram crossed the threshold of 1 billion monthly active users in 2018. Moreover, Instagram is currently growing at a rate of 5 percent per quarter, the highest among social media platforms. So, Instagram should be your first choice in showcasing your brand's product and services. In this article, we will take you through some ways to use Instagram videos for engaging more audience.

Short Commercials

Create short, valuable videos that represent your brand. You can showcase your product in an artistic way through these videos. The commercial can be inspirational, funny, or emotional. Instagram currently allows you to share a 60 second video on your timeline. With such short videos, it is easy to grab the attention of the target audience. Also, short videos are best to share crisp information about your products. You can share the commercial in Instagram stories, IGTV or in the Instagram timeline.

Product details

Showcase your product's specifications or a 'product in action' video to demonstrate its capability. Focus only on important features to keep the viewers engaged. Keep the video more informative and less descriptive. Attention to detail is the key to creating a cool and sexy video. You can put the product video in your brand's Instagram page's timeline for the audience to see anytime. Creating such spontaneous videos attracts a lot of attention.

Do it yourself videos

An effective way to use Instagram videos is to create instructional content. 'Do it yourself' or 'how to' videos share your products working. This helps the users to understand the product's usage. You can also create troubleshooting videos related to any problem that your customer might face. To the point videos are liked by the target audience as they get relevant information within a short span of time. By sharing such videos from time to time you can build a relationship with your existing customers.

Behind the scenes video

Customers have become picky in choosing a product, hence it is important to establish a connection with them. You can create behind the scenes videos that take them through trivia related to your product. You can even conduct quick learning sessions about tips and tricks related to your product usage. The fast forward video that Sheryl Cole has shared about her work will give some idea. You just have to be creative and smart in capturing the right moments for your Instagram video.

Instagram Stories Video

Instagram launched Insta stories in August 2016. Through stories, you can share images or videos with your followers for a 24-hour duration. This short span creates a sense of urgency and people tend to view the stories as they see one active. You can use stories to promote your business as follows:

1. Sharing short-time deals is a good way to attract people to your products and services. You can set up the offer so that it can only be redeemed during the story's lifespan. Once people get to know about such deals, they will come for more.
2. Let an influencer take over your Instagram handle to share a sneak peek of the products and discount offers. A familiar face is sure to attract more audience.

Live on Instagram

The best feature on Instagram is that you can stream live video on it. Once you go live on Instagram, you are at the forefront of your follower's feed. Hence, there are high chances of your followers engaging with your live stream. They get to see your stream even if they aren't physically part of the event. Product previews, product releases, Q&A sessions, educational streams, etc. are some ways in which you can engage with your online audience. If your event is pre-planned, then you can promote it through emails and other social media platforms.

Bring in the makers

Give a personal touch to your stories by introducing your employees who have created your products and services. You can get the team members to share their journey in product development. Also, you can let your employees handle your brand's Instagram account for a day. They can then share details about their work life and the hard work that goes into making the product. The employees can even conduct a Q&A session for the audience to educate them about the product. Such video sessions create an emotional connect with the target audience and more views to your Instagram account.

Conclusion

If you aren't incorporating the power of Instagram into your digital marketing campaign, then you are missing out on something big. Instagram's potential if exploited properly, can take your products to new heights. There is no perfect way to use Instagram video, the techniques mentioned above will help you in getting started in doing so. You can even hire social media management agencies that will help you promote your products by creating some amazing video content.