Online Marketing

#38 - Should we be Facebook Friends?

On today’s podcast I am speaking with Elizabeth Salazar, owner of Get Visible Marketing. Elizabeth helps female entrepreneurs launch online products or courses with a core focus on marketing. We know Facebook is a powerful marketing tool, but sometimes we forget (or maybe don’t know!) that our personal profile is also an important Facebook marketing tool.

How to market yourself through your personal profile

Elizabeth Salazar

When you are marketing your business organically on Facebook i.e., by engaging in Facebook Groups, etc. then this is an important issue because more often than, not clients and potential clients will send you a Facebook friend request.

You need to know what they're going to be finding when they click through to check you out. The first step is to check the info section of your personal profile. Don’t just check it from your point of view – view your timeline from the public’s point of view as well. Also, make sure people don’t have to click “About” to see more about you. Make sure the link to your Business Page or website is on the public version of your personal profile. The key is to make it as easy as possible for people to find out what you do and then take the next step to learn even more.

Why would someone want to see my personal profile?

Whether you accept everyone’s friend request or not - your personal profile is the first entry into your sales funnel. When people from a Facebook Group click your personal profile they are not trying to creep you, they are simply trying to figure out who you are, what the name of your business is, and what services or products you offer.

Keep your title simple and to the point – don’t call yourself something too ambiguous, but do have your business title and a link to your business page easy to find. People do not want to be clicking around to find out more information about you.

Should you be Facebook friends with people you are not really friends with?

If you want to – why not?

If you have a Facebook Group you may want to “friend” the members of your group so you can message them directly, without Facebook Messenger filtering them. 

There is a huge potential to building relationships with people on Facebook using your personal profile. Depending on what you post on Facebook, your content allows potential clients to get to know you better and the more you engage with them on a personal level the more they will get to know and trust you; and the more likely Facebook is to show your content to those on your friend’s list – just be careful not to discuss too much business on your personal profile because Facebook could flag your profile as being used inappropriately (business talk is for your Business Page or Group).

Let potential clients get to know you better by posting relatable content. Just remember that although there are people on Facebook who may never post or engage in your Facebook Groups, etc. they may still be seeing and paying attention to your content, so always maintain a level of professionalism that is in line with your business goals.

How can I control my personal Facebook content for clients?

You can segment your Facebook friends into lists. You can segment family, friends, clients, professional acquaintances, etc. into separate lists. So, you can segment content you publish on Facebook based on who (or which list) you want to see it or not see it. You can then put something up just for your closer friends, or put something up that just goes to your business acquaintances.

How you sort your friends list is entirely up to you and how comfortable you are with sharing your personal and public life on Facebook.

What if I am nervous about opening my Facebook Page to everyone? 

If you absolutely do not want to share your personal Facebook page then completely lock it down and keep it private - that's a personal choice that is completely OK. Instead invite clients and fans to go to your Business Page or Group and try to relate and create content there that makes you relatable and shows your more-human side. You don’t have to open your personal page if you don’t want to – there are other ways to market yourself and your business.

I’d like to learn more!

Elizabeth runs a marketing Facebook Group called, “Marketing your Business Mastermind.” It’s for service based businesses online who need help marketing themselves. There is a free weekly mastermind where Elizabeth and group members talk about a specific subject for 45 minutes – just so people know they are not alone in the roller coaster of business. There are also threads with information and feedback, as well as training available to business owners looking for more help.

#31 - Getting More Traffic Using Pinterest

Pinterest is touted as being the "catalog of ideas," but a lot of business owners struggle to see their place (and purpose) amongst the plethora of recipes and birthday party ideas found on Pinterest. Katrina Thom, from Thinking Outside the Sandbox (TOSS) Network, joins me to discuss why Pinterest is more than just pinning things you like, but that you can (and should) use it as part of your online marketing strategy.

Why pay attention to Pinterest?

Getting more traffic with Pinterest

Katrina believes business owners should be paying attention to Pinterest as much as they are any other social network. Pinterest is a free platform that has millions of users, it’s free and it drives traffic to your content – especially blog content.

The average user is mainly female between 18 and 25. To give you an idea of how powerful Pinterest can be, about 85% of TOSS Network blog traffic comes from Pinterest. Pinterest is one way to get more eyeballs on your content!

How can Pinterest work for my business?

If you have a content creation component to your online marketing strategy, Pinterest is simply another way to make it stand it out more. To make Pinterest work for your business, you need an image with every blog post – in fact, two images is recommended.

Simply add the images to your blog post (it can be created online using free image creation websites such as PicMonkey) and place it within the blog post so someone can “Pin” it from there. This is the most passive and least time consuming way to use Pinterest.

What is the ideal image size for Pinterest?

Pinterest images should be long and vertical in shape. The ideal size for Pinterest is 700 x 1300. Pinterest allows you to have this large space so you should maximize its potential and make your content stand out amongst the other visual content.

Images should be enticing. You can add text, but remember that Pinterest is a visual platform so make sure it is attractive and doesn’t have too much text.

What is an ideal image description?

Make sure the description describes the image and blog content, and is also enticing. This is where it is important to have a good alt description when you upload the image to your website. Also, make sure there is a link attached to the link that will direct pinners to your content.

How do you get your content seen on Pinterest?

Have a Pinterest business account because when you have a business account you have access to stats – and it’s still free! You can also choose your icons and add your logo to pins with a business account.

Then create “Boards” and make sure there is at least one board for just YOUR stuff. Then create other boards for trends, etc. that relate to your business.

Also, look for Group Boards. Group Boards allow more than one person to pin to them and is a great way to have a wider audience see your stuff.  You will have to request to join these group boards.

PinGroupie is a website that tells you what boards are available to pin on based on what it is you want to pin.

How much content and how often should I pin?

The more content you have on Pinterest the higher up you will be on their algorithm, so don’t just pin something once. Pin an image over and over again, but in between third party content and on other boards.

Consistently share and pin enticing content – this will better your chances of being found in search.

What tools are available to help the busy business owner with Pinterest?

Ahalogy – This tool is a Pinterest marketing partner, you will have to apply to join, but if you have quality images you shouldn’t have any issues. It is also free. This tool will make your content available for others to pin and in return you will be expected to pin other marketers relevant content. The good news is you can do this right through this platform and not through Pinterest. The content through this tool is of high quality because of the application process.

Board Booster – This is another scheduling tool, but it is a paid tool. You can make a secret board and loop pins so that pins loop to other boards. It takes the work out of having to pin to multiple boards by doing it for you.

TailWind – Made through Pinterest, this is also a paid platform. It’s another scheduling tool that will tell you when the people who like to pin your stuff are doing so. TailWind also has tribes where you can get together with like-minded pinners.

How much time does Pinterest take?

If you were to use all three above mentioned tools, it would take about 1.5 per week, but choose the tools that work for you – it doesn’t have to be all three of them. Start with one Pinterest tool and go from there.

Additional Pinterest Tips

Go look at Pinterest for pins relevant to your business. See if people are looking for what you have to offer to see if it is worth it for you to be there.

Once you take the time to get started and build boards, Pinterest will not be time consuming and will start directing traffic to your content.

#27 Instagram Advertising for Small Business

Should you be using Instagram advertising for your small business? It's a question a lot of people have so I was thrilled to have Jordon Meyer join me on the show this week to talk about Instagram advertising, why it's a good idea, and how to get started. 

Jordon is the Founder and President of Granular, a leading PPC agency based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Jordon and the team at Granular have managed over $50 million in pay per click ad spend, ranging from startups to leading companies like Best Buy, Master Lock and Summerfest. He is frequently asked to write and speak on the topic of search marketing. His most memorable moment in PPC is spending over $300,000 in a single day, during Cyber Monday at Best Buy. He also initiated the implementation of Shopping Ads at Best Buy; before he joined the team they were not using PLAs.

Instagram advertising is your opportunity to get in front of specific audiences. Instagram uses the same audience data as Facebook, which lets you get REALLY specific.

Where do you start with Instagram Advertising?

You need to go to the Facebook advertising platform to advertise on Instagram. 

You create an ad as you would for a regular Facebook campaign and then select Instagram from the choice of options for where it should be displayed (newsfeed, sidebar, mobile, Instagram, etc.).

Instagram Advertising for Small Business.jpg

When you create the ad however, make sure to create it with Instagram in mind and run it only to Instagram. This will give you better data and probably better results compared to just pushing an ad to Instagram that was planned for Facebook. 

Setting up targeting strategies is really important: Who do you want to have see the ad? Geographic area? Age? Gender?

Make sure you have the Facebook ad pixel installed on your website. This will allow you to target ads to people who have already been on your website (called warm leads).

Are Instagram Ads Effective?

Instagram ads are the only clickable things in your Instagram newsfeed which gives them a huge advantage (though they now require two clicks instead of just one, to confirm you are looking to leave the Instagram app and that you didn't click accidentally).

Questions to ask yourself when advertising on Instagram:

1) What's your goal?

  • Are you hoping to have people click through to your site?
  • Watch a video?
  • Download an app?

Think about what you're looking to have happen before you start advertising.

2) What is your budget?

You can start fairly low: $50 - $100

3) How long do you want to advertise?

Pick a start  date and end date - two weeks is a good test length. By having a start and end date you have clear data afterwards to measure how your ad did.

4) What's your end goal?

Write down what you want to have happen in the end: More page likes? More downloads? More sales? 

5) Who are you targeting?

Sometimes people think if you're using Instagram you have to target who they think are on Instagram. With the power of the targeting with Facebook and Instagram ads you can target so specifically that even though your audience may not make up a huge percentage of the people on Instagram, you can find them and advertise specifically to them.

#4: Should your business have a Facebook Page?

Episode four is all about why your business should have a Facebook page and I also share tips on how to make Facebook work for you!

Who is on Facebook?

Facebook has over one billion accounts and is the social network we hear about the most often. It may not be the right place for every business, but if you’re going to invest time and effort into a social network, Facebook is the best place to start because more than half of all Canadians online are on Facebook.

What is the difference between a Facebook profile and page?

Your Facebook profile is where you share personal thoughts and information with family and friends. Only an individual can have a Facebook account – not a business or company. A Facebook page is where people who want to come and get your business information and updates in their Facebook feed by hitting ‘like’. People who like your Facebook page can’t see your personal information – just what you post on your Facebook page.

How do I set up a Facebook page?

Setting up a Facebook page is easy. Simply visit: https://www.facebook.com/pages

  • Choose your correct category; for small business choose “Local Business or Place”
     
  • Fill out the pertinent information i.e. category, business name, etc. and once done click, “Get Started” and follow the step-by-step instructions.
     
  • For questions and complete guidelines on how to set up a Facebook Page visit: https://www.facebook.com/page_guidelines.php

Facebook updates their guideline page frequently, so it’s a good link to save for future reference.

What are Facebook insights?

A Facebook page will give you extensive statistics that show you whether or not what you’re doing is working, which is necessary to know before deciding whether or not to keep investing time in certain activities.

Insights give you access to interesting information such as who ‘likes’ your page, where they are from, how old they are and what time of day people are viewing your page.

What are Facebook Groups and how are they different from pages?

Facebook groups are different than pages in that they are more like forums where everyone can participate and comment on a more equal footing.

Facebook groups are a great way to build community outside of your business page. They can also be great for committees or as a value add for clients, especially if you offer online courses.

Do I have to pay Facebook in order for my posts to be seen?

It used to be a lot easier for people to see your Facebook content, but over time this has changed. Why? Because of the sheer volume of content being posted. The average person has over 250 friends and follows 100 pages. There is simply too much content for people to see everything that is being posted.

The average percentage of fans who will see your posts is generally under 5%.

What is the Facebook algorithm?

Facebook’s algorithm is designed to make the Facebook experience as personalized as possible for every user. Their goal is to show you content that you want to see. The more you ‘like’ or comment on specific posts by pages or people the more likely you are to see more of that kind of content. The same works for what other people in your network are ‘liking’ on commenting on; you are more likely to see content that a lot of people are engaging with than other less-engaged with content.

How often should I post on Facebook?

At least daily, but if possible even more. Have a schedule and automate using themes and categories. What kind of content should I be posting on Facebook? Post or share content that provides value. For example, give your audience tips, recommend products, and share articles about successes. Engage with your audience by replying to comments as quickly as possible. Give value by educating, entertaining and empowering. Try different kinds of content until you find what works best for you and your audience.

Links mentioned in this post

How to create a Facebook Page

Facebook Page Guidelines

How to schedule your Facebook content

Lara Wellman Facebook Page

Social Media Simplified on iTunes

Episode 1: Instagram

The goal of the Social Media Simplified podcast is to introduce entrepreneurs to online tools that can grow their business. This episode focuses on Instagram. Instagram is an online tool that most small businesses should be using, but aren’t – yet. 

What is Instagram?

Instagram takes pictures and short 12-second videos and shares them on a variety of social networks including Tumblr, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, and so on. 

People can like or comment on a photo or video shared on Instagram.

What makes Instagram different?

Unlike Twitter and Facebook, you cannot share or re-post Instagram content without using a third party app or physically copying and reposting.

It’s a visual social network with its own unique following. It’s a tool where you share images and tell a story.

What businesses should use Instagram?

If your audience is younger than 30, then your business should be on Instagram. Younger people are spending less time on Facebook since their parents and grandparents started joining it.

To determine if your audience is on Instagram simply ask them. Casually connect with them via Facebook, in person, on the phone or through e-mail marketing.

Visual businesses, such as florists, restaurant owners and artists – if you sell or produce a product then you should be on Instagram taking incredible pictures of that product.  

What do you share/post on Instagram? 

Think about what you want your customers to know and then figure out how you can capture and share beautiful images that support that message i.e., what you sell, how you can help, how you can give value.

If you have a blog, such as I do, (my blog is Kids in the capital), share things that relate to that blog. We share things such as what we’re making for our kids to eat, silly things they did, and craft ideas.

You want people to know what kind of products you produce and how they can be helpful. Share images of finished products and explain how they’re used. Instagram has a lot of space for accompanying content; so don’t feel like you can only write one sentence. 

Tell the story of your turn around times, exciting new launches, and include links to clients and celebrate their wins.

Instagram Tips

- Links in Instagram posts are not clickable, which is frustrating for business owners looking to link to a specific product or call-to-action. 

- Instead of having the link in your Instagram bio directing to the homepage of your website, change it whenever you want to direct people to a specific product or page. 

- Instagram isn’t about selling; it’s about sharing and building community.

- Use hashtags. Hastags are how people find new accounts and Instagram content to like and follow. Try at least 4-8 hashtags per post. Experiment and see what works best for your content. 

- Tag other people you think would be interested in your post. This works well with contests, i.e. tag a friend who would like a specific product, etc.

Links mentioned in this post:

Kids in the Capital

Lara Wellman’s Instagram

Kids in the Capital Instagram