A fundamental rookie mistake in Facebook/Instagram advertising is not spending enough time on understanding the target audience of the campaign. What type of content drives the target audience to act? Furthermore, what are the important messages of the ad campaign? Research has found that 60% of Instagram users reported discovering new products on the channel. Furthermore, 75% of Instagram users said that a post motivated them to act. However, are the right users taking the right action at the right time on the ad?

A misunderstanding of the target audience may lead to a negative brand impression. The negative impact on the brand is an unwelcome side effect of a lack of defined goals and metrics for the ad campaign. Alongside with a defined target audience, the campaign objectives should be selected such as brand awareness, engagement, or product sales. The beginner social media advertiser should strive for a synergy between a carefully selected target audience and a well-defined brand campaign.

Another newbie mistakes that Facebook and Instagram advertisers make is overlooking the way the ad campaign will look and be delivered to the audience. The prevalence of smart phones has changed the way people hang out on social media. Research has found that more people now visit Facebook on mobile devices vs. desktop computers. Instagram was made for scrolling on a mobile device. Are the ad campaigns mobile optimized? There is nothing more frustrating to a user than to not be able to open a post because it is not formatted correctly. The rookie advertiser should consider the delivery method of the ad message for a seamless user experience.

Furthermore, the name of the game in social media is image curation. An ad launched into the Facebook or Instagram virtual space is competing with a tsunami of baby pictures, wedding announcements, and viral memes on Facebook and a wealth of fabulous fashion, travel, and dinner posts on Instagram. For a marketer to compete in this visual environment, the images for the ads must be highly aesthetically pleasing and eye catching.

The dominance of visual social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram have changed the rules of online advertising. Those new to advertising on social media should learn to identify the target audience, set goals for the brand campaign, optimize for mobile, and curate compelling images. These few albeit important guidelines will make the best use of the newbie advertising dollars on Facebook and Instagram.

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Here is a short breakdown of the announcements.

Responsive Search Ads

The new ads which give more real estate to advertisers have been in beta testing during the early months of 2018. This new kind of ad automates ad testing and allows an an advertiser more real estate on the web. The product will roll out to all Google advertisers over the next several months.

Local Campaigns

The use of phrase “near me” has been on the rise in mobile searches. To that end, a new campaign type called “local campaigns” has the aim of driving store visits. The ads are generated based on creative supplied by advertiser and location extensions. The platform then optimizes the ad delivery across ad networks.

Cross-device Reporting and Remarketing Stats in Google Analytics

The announcement that drew the most crowd response was the news that advertisers would be able to review cross-device reporting in Google Analytics. Excitingly, this means advertisers will be able to create and deploy cross-device remarketing audiences for use in new Google Ads.

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The new Marketplace ads from businesses will appear next to other products and services available for purchase in Marketplace. When a business selects the automatic placement option for their ad, they will also see Marketplace alongside:

• The News Feed
• Instagram
• Messenger
• The Audience Network.

In addition to these locations for ad placement, it is important to understand that Marketplace Facebook ads would also show up as a sponsored post in the News Feed.

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Why Do You Need a Social Media Manager?

• A social media manager’s job requires that he or she know all about all of the social media platforms that are available, because it will give your brand and message greater reach. The social media manager must also know how to effectively optimize his or her use of the social media platforms.
• Most social media sites allow for some form of customization of your page, all of which give you a ton of opportunities to make your social media accounts more interesting to your potential clients. A social media manager stays informed about the options available on each social media platform, and can build your account into one that maintains a maximum level of appeal.
• The accessible nature of social media platforms allows a business to find and attract new followers who, in turn can support your brand through a viral marketing campaign. The social media manager understands how to find these new fans.
• Using social media properly means spending extended periods online, which does not allow you to walk away from the computer. Small business owners are left with little time to run their business, hiring a social media manager allows your focus to shift. A social media manager allows a small business owner to spend time working to build a business, rather than spending time on the computer.
• A social media manager can provide regular updates, interact with visitors and help encourage communication with both current and potential customers. A person responding consistently reinforces the idea that there is a face behind the computer. Ongoing personal interaction with customers allows the customer to understand that they are valued, and that they matter.

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Mel Carson, a contributor for entrepreneur.com, stresses the importance of web search. Search engines like Google keep track of every single word on a particular website. With your business’ website, it is important to skip the fancy talk and use simple key terms that are more likely to be typed in a search box by the public. Websites that include additional links or hyperlinked words to other websites gain a lot more traffic because somebody could search for only one of the websites to have both sites pop up in his or her search result.

We must all admit that social media marketing is hard. If there was not a difference between good and bad social media marketing, the “next Kim Kardashian” would make her debut daily. It takes time and patience to build a solid reputation in a world where every business is trying to grab everyone’s attention. It is worth spending the money on a more sophisticated strategy to make a long-lasting, virtual impact.

The Digital Divide, by Mark Bauerlein, is a collection of essays that discuss how to understand the Millennial generation. When it comes to virtually connecting to this next generation audience, it is about making he or she feel individually important. Reach out by requesting feedback and taking the time to address and resolve issues when somebody submits a bad review. Try to stay as transparent as possible. A lot of famous YouTubers reached public figure status accidentally by posting video blogs that opened up about his or her personal life and true feelings. The trick is not to trick someone into becoming a customer but getting on their level and really connecting.

The post There’s No Such Thing As a Walk In the Park Selfie – Social Media Marketing Is Hard! appeared first on Assorted Design.

1. Start From The Very Beginning
If you start thinking about making your customers your sales persons after they’ve made a purchase, then you are already too late. It starts from the very moment you are trying to acquire them as prospects. This will determine how you design your sales funnel. You will treat them with delicate care because you are NOT just interested in making a quick buck. You intend to build a partnership that will go on for a long time. You will make sure that you connect with your prospect at a level that other businesses in your niche don’t even bother about. You will ensure that you develop products that meet their real desires. You will ensure that any issues or challenges they may have are resolved in a very timely and professional manner. In fact, you’ll simply do everything within your power to sweep them off their feet.

2. You Will Make Them Feel Special Selling For You
How do you think a customer would feel if they know that their friends can buy your product at a special discount just because they referred them? Walk in through the door like every other person and you’ll pay 15% more but come with a coupon or discount code from this special customer and you’ll pay a lot less.
Remember, they already love your product and now you are showing them they are really special by offering their friends a discount. This will motivate them to promote your product.

3. Make Them Your Affiliates
How about paying them even after you’ve given their friends that special treatment all because of them? How about paying them a commission for referring their friends? You can easily start an affiliate program and make all your existing customers automatic members. How do you think your customers will feel if they got a check in the mail? They open it and discover that they’ve just earned commissions for referring some of their friends to your business? Do you think this will make them send over even more of their friends and acquaintances?

Don’t forget this: You are NOT trying to make them promote a product or service they don’t care about. They already love what you offer. You are only giving them an incentive to talk about it the more.

4. Make It Easier For Them To Share In Your Wealth
Affiliate commissions can motivate your customers to spread the word around. However, you can do something special to compel them to go the extra mile: Offer them lifetime commissions on every referral that comes to your business through them. Think about it: All you need is just one encounter with your target prospect if you have a great product. That’s where you spend a lot of money.

If your customers know that they’ll keep earning something (albeit little) for people they refer, they’ll be encouraged to do so. Have you ever been “waylaid” by network marketers? Do you see the enthusiasm with which they promote products from the parent company? It’s because they now share in the wealth. Can you make your existing customers go all out to promote your business this way?

The post Small Business Internet Marketing — How To Turn Your Customers Into A Sales Force appeared first on Assorted Design.

1. Over-Deliver On The Promise
Every business can make promises when they are looking to get the sale. However, very few can actually over-deliver. Yes, many just work hard to deliver what they’ve promised. Those who go a step farther by doing more than they promised are very likely to have very happy customers. And you know what? Happy customers easily convert to fans.

2. Make Sure You Provide Excellent Support
Can you remember the last time you encountered a company with poor customer support? How did you feel when you had to be sent from pillar to post just to get one question answered? How did you feel when it was obvious their support staff weren’t adequately trained and so did NOT understand your problem well enough to get it resolved as quickly as possible? You were turned off. Are you likely to do business with such a firm again? I doubt so.

But how did you feel when you met with support staff that resolved your challenge in minutes because they were well trained and knowledgeable? How did you feel when they went out of their way to ensure everything worked just fine? How did you feel when they called back a few days later just to find out if everything was still ok?

Now I know that many businesses do NOT go the extra mile to call back later to check on you and to ensure everything is fine. But that’s something that would turn normal customers into raving fans. Call them to check if everything is still working as it should and be willing to make their lives as easy as possible and you will win their hearts.

3. Show Them You Really Care About Them
The truth is that people love dealing with people who truly care about them. Technology has NOT changed that (and will NOT). How would you feel if you get a birthday present from a company you did business with sometime last year? “Wow, so they still remember me,” you’ll say. That single act will raise them above competitors who do NOT show as much interest in you.

So make out time to brainstorm ways to show that tender loving care (without breaking your budget). Remember that little things count for much in building a relationship? Let’s assume you run a restaurant: You could easily find out their wedding anniversary and give them a special anniversary discount to mark this special day. Depending on how loyal they are as customers, you can arrange a surprise dinner for them. After all, you are making an investment into a customer who would keep buying from you for years.

4. Make Them Look Good Before Their Friends
Make them look good before their friends. How do you do that? Give their friends special discounts and add something like “Special discount for John’s friends.” Get creative. What would make you look good before your friends? What would make your employees look good before their friends? Ask questions and you’ll get a lot of tips that will transform your business.

The post Small Business Internet Marketing — How To Turn Customers Into Fans appeared first on Assorted Design.

1. Always Give More Than They Expect

Every business is driven by a desire to profit. However, some make it so obvious by cutting every corner that they can legally. You can differentiate your business by pretending you are NOT interested in maximizing profits.

Give your customers much more than they expect. Yes, it might eat a little in your profit margin but it won’t go unnoticed by your customers. Some might NOT tell you, but they’ll tell others and they’ll keep coming back to you for more.

Do you deliver services? Try to give a little more than they expect. Do you sell products? Throw in something extra from time to time. Make sure they get delivery of their orders a little earlier than they expected. Think of something that is much more than your competition would dare to do. Do it for them and you are on the right path to building a loyal customer base (or do I call it fan base?).

2. Turn Lemons To Lemonade

Take advantage of every bad situation. Studies have shown that you have a window of opportunity to turn an unhappy customer to a raving fan. Let us assume you just got a call from one of your customers about how they are having issues with your product…

a. Do your best to resolve the matter without compelling them to make another call. If it is such that can’t be resolved on the first call, tell them when you’ll call back and make sure you do.

b. Even if you were able to resolve the matter at the first call, call them again just to check on them and ensure everything is running smoothly. This will show them that you really care about them and are NOT just interested in their money.

c. Can you offer them something extra just to say “we are sorry” for the inconvenience they’ve had to put up with? Try this and you’ll have a customer who goes about using your business as an object lesson of what customer support should be.

3. Make Them Feel Special

Don’t we all gravitate towards people who make us feel special? Your customers are NOT different in any way. Show them they are special by giving them special privileges. Can you give them a unique coupon that entitles them to a special offer? Can you give them another that extend such privileges to a limited number of people they choose?

Do you know their birthdays? Do you know a few things about their families? If the business you do allows you to get such information about them, then it makes sense to use it to your advantage…

How would you feel if your get a handcrafted birthday card from a company you did business with a year ago? I guess it will awaken the better emotions in you. And believe it or NOT, unless their products are totally useless (and you don’t have any need for them), they’ll be given top consideration. After all, it takes special people to take note of other special people.

4. Make Sure You Keep In touch

Just call to ask how the product they bought three months ago is performing. Just call to find out how their business has grown due to their interaction with your business. Just call to follow up and find out if they are really happy with the services you rendered.

Call immediately after they make a purchase. Let them know you are there for them (And, please, make sure you are really there for them). This will take up some of your resources but it would be well-worth it.

5. Align Your Business To Be Customer Focused

Make sure you set your business up in such as way that anyone that is contacted can offer some form of support to the inquirer. Make sure you empower your employees to take proactive actions. Does a product need replacement? Make sure it is done with minimum fuss. Yes, you may lose a bit, but it is usually far less than the damage you’ll do to your business if you keep the angry customer waiting.

Along these lines, make sure your employees are trained to deal effectively with customer-related issues. There are few things that can repel customers from a business more than having to be sent from pillar to post just to resolve a minor issue.

Lastly, make sure your customers know that they can get to you, the owner, to report any issues. You may need to delegate matters to competent executives as your business grows. However, the point is that they (your customers) must be able to speak with someone who can wipe all their tears away.

6. Could You Just Pay Attention, Please?

You will get to learn a lot about your customers if you only pay close attention to them. You own the business, quite alright, but it’s NOT about you. It’s about them. All you may have to do is get accounts with the different social networks where your customers hang out. Assign an executive to give just a few minutes a day to monitor what the conversation is in your industry.

People are talking and telling businesses what they need and how they can make them loyal customers. However, few businesses are paying attention. How can they when they are too focused on developing the best products and services those customers will never need?

Listen to what they are saying and you’ll be in a better position to give them what they are looking for.

7. Return Calls Promptly

Do everything within your power to ensure every email is replied to as quickly as possible. Make sure you return every call promptly. The quicker your response is; the better for your business. Go to forums and read product reviews and you will find a number of customers who became raving fans simply because of the promptness of response from a product creator.

Nobody likes to be kept waiting. It makes us feel we are NOT that important to the other party. Most of us will opt for a firm that shows us more respect even if they are NOT the very best (But at least they deliver the goods and value your time).

The post Small Business Internet Marketing — Building a Loyal Customer Base appeared first on Assorted Design.

1. Join The Conversation
Don’t ever forget that it is all about holding a conversation. And it is NOT a conversation if you are the one doing all the talking. Listen to what they have to say and then share what you have to say. You’ll soon have no one listening to you if you are the only one doing the talking. People can get that kind of stuff from their TV stations. When people come to social networks they want to hold a conversation.

So how do you get them to hold a conversation? Share tips and ask for their opinions. People like sharing their opinions if they know you’ll listen. Also, ask them what they’ll like your business to focus on the more. Make it about them and NOT you and you would have taken the biggest step in drawing them out of their shells. Many businesses miss the opportunity of holding conversations with new prospects and this costs them dearly as these people move over to competitors who understand how to do this right. Don’t worry if you are NOT skilled in the use of social media. Just get a competent SEO firm and they’ll set things up in a way that you’ll get the best results for your business (You can focus on the things you understand best).

2. Give Much Value
People have so many options these days. Therefore, make sure that they only get top value when they give you their attention. If you are sharing tips, give tips that they can’t find easily elsewhere. If you are sharing something that most people already know, add a slant that isn’t so common. Give them special discounts for paying attention to you. They really deserve it and a move like so would make you stand out more. Think of different ways to reward them for choosing to be part of your audience. But whatever you do, make sure it is always something that they’ll place a lot of value on. Remember, they have very many options.

3. Sell Only 10% Of The Time
Yes, you are into this whole thing to build your business. This isn’t just a game. This means that you’ll have to sell from time to time. However, make sure you only sell for about ten percent of the time. Give free value for about 90% of the time (That is, if you want to maintain your audience). If all people get from you all the time is a pitch then they will tune off and look for your competitors.

4. Look For Networks That Suit Your Business Best
There are different social networks out there and NOT all of them would serve your business equally. Let’s assume you are into a line of work that lends itself to visuals (say, you sell paintings). You will get the best return on your time and investment by taking advantage of networks that are media focused. Think Pinterest. Think Youtube. Your target customer usually hangs out on places like these because they are visual persons.

The point here is: Look at your business and where your ideal customer is most likely to hang out and then spend more of your resources at such networks.

The post Small Business Marketing — Winning More Customers Through Social Media appeared first on Assorted Design.