by Angela Taffs | Apr 4, 2019 | Sales and Marketing
Do you get confused when posting on social media. Are you unsure where, when and what to post. Follow these simple tips to make it all a lot easier.
Where to post
Before blindly following the crowd and using the same social media channels as everyone else, stop and think. Which channels are going to work best for YOUR business?
Who is your ideal client and where do they hang out?
Firstly, you need to be clear on who is your ideal client. You need to know who they are, what their
interests are and where they go online to ask questions and find answers to their
problems. When you know this, you will
have a better understanding of where they hang out online.
Facebook is still currently the biggest social media platform
but that doesn’t mean it is the best for your business. If you have a B2B business you could be
better placed using LinkedIn.
If your business is highly visual Pinterest or Instagram could
be the place to hang out.
Instagram has rapidly gained popularity particularly with a
younger audience, but still has to catch on with the older generation. Therefore, if you are looking to gain elderly
clients for arthritic massage sessions, Instagram may not be the best place to
spend your time.
One or two channels can be better than the whole caboodle
To avoid overwhelm, don’t go trying to post on every social
media channel going. It will simply
become too time consuming and confusing.
Choose two channels and become really good at these rather than spreading
yourself too thinly.
When to post
When planning when to post take into consideration what time
zone your ideal client is in and when are they most likely to be active online.
If your target audience is young mums,
they are unlikely to be online when it’s the early morning school run or pick
up. You may be better posting when they
have put the kids to be and are settling down in the evening.
What to post
You want to create a mix of posts both in type and content,
but to attract your ideal client you need to posting what they want to hear
about.
Get social yourself.
Join groups where your ideal client hangs out. What questions are they asking? What are the hot topics? What frustrations are they talking
about? Use this information to create
posts that help solve their problems or give tips to help them towards gaining
solutions for their problems.
Listen to the words and phrases that your ideal clients are
using. Replicate these words in your
posts. If you hear people complaining
and asking for tips on how to get their child to sleep through nightmares,
start your post off with ‘top tip to help your child sleep through a nightmare’. Keep it simple and don’t get so creative with
your words that you lose your target audience.
Look at the interaction within these groups and also watch your competitors. What type of posts get the most response? Is it quotes, pictures, questions or top tips? Replicate these types of posts on your own chosen channel.
P.S. Would you like help planning your social media to help increase your reach to gain more clients and make more money? Join my member’s club for a step-by-step guide. You’ll love it and start to get the results you want. Find out more here.
by Angela Taffs | Apr 3, 2019 | Sales and Marketing
Why are your Facebook likes getting less and less
Have you noticed your reach on Facebook is getting less and less?
You are coming up with what you think are fabulously creative posts and yet still there the comments and likes are so intermittent as to be non-existent?
Well, here is the reason why.
Firstly, one of the simplest reasons may be the huge increase in the number of people using the platform. This means that you are now trying to gain attention from a far larger pot than you were a couple of years ago. More and pages are being created on a daily basis so you really need to make sure that you know who your ideal client is and post things that are going to captivate your audience.
But the other reason that has cropped up relatively recently is that Facebook surveyed hundreds of thousands of people and the overwhelming response was that they didn’t want to see so much promotional content. They wanted to see interesting posts.
Facebook is rewarding quality, not quantity
Therefore, Facebook decided to reward those that created quality content that their audience really wanted to hear about rather than the constant promotions and gimmicks that are so frequently posted.
Facebook is less and less likely to show overly promotional posts that use calls to action and push for sales, to enter competitions etc.
Facebook will seek out those posts that gain interactions such as likes, shares and comments which show they are quality, relevant posts and they will help these posts to reach a wider audience.
Overall, the Facebook algorithm is rewarding those pages who post less and focus on quality rather than those which post numerous times each day that is not of much interest to the audience.
Too many people trying to widen their reach when it drops by posting more often (up to 10 times per day), but this is simply going to work against you.
To increase your reach, you need to make sure you write your posts for what your target audience wants to hear and read. Stop trying to sell so much and concentrate more on giving value and starting to build trust and relationships.
You can still promote your business of course but use your language carefully.
Rather than saying ‘click the link to buy’ try something along the lines of ‘there is something amazing awaiting you on the other side – go check it out’. Do you see the difference?
A few other tips include:
Schedule posts from Facebook rather than a third party software
Some people believe that third party apps, such as scheduling posts from HootSuite, Buffer or similar, will affect reach.
I have tried to get conclusive answers to this but there is so much conflicting information out there. If your reach is significantly dropping and you use third party apps, it may be worth trialing using Facebook’s own scheduler for a while and seeing if it makes any difference. (Do let me know the results in the comments box).
Upload videos directly to Facebook, not via YouTube links
There is numerous research that Facebook favour videos that are uploaded directly to its site rather than via links from YouTube. According to a study by Loren Baker of Search Engine Journal, they discovered that on average, native videos reach 2.04 times more people, receive 2.38 times more likes, 2.67 times more shares, and 7.43 times more comments.
Quite simply, Facebook does not like anything that drives traffic away from its site to an external source. Therefore, any post taking the audience away will simply get less reach.
Don’t overuse links to your website.
Leading on from the point above, Facebook wants to keep people on its site, not to take people away to other platforms. I have seen a few people using a new trick to try and get over this were rather than putting the external link in their main post, they create the post and tell people to look in the comments below for where to go for further information. They then simply put the link as a comment below.
Aim to gain interaction.
Facebook will increase reach to those posts that get likes, comments and even the amount of time someone spends viewing the post.
So how you can encourage this?
People like to feel good, laugh, know the latest gossip and news and be shocked! Think how you can use this in your posts. Use motivational posts, let them in on something funny that has happened in your day, give them the latest hot off the press news. These can be the type of posts that will gain likes, comments, and shares. Ask simple but fun questions!
Now for a disclaimer. At the time of writing, I believe my research and findings to be correct. But good old Facebook can change its rules and algorithms at any moment so test what works for you best and keep an eye what others are doing that are getting the interaction you so desperately want.
Happy posting.
P.S. Want a little help getting a post like? Pop the link in the comments below and I will pop over and take a look and if it’s a good one, may just leave you a like and a comment
P.P.S. Do you get stuck when trying to come up with fresh content to post on social media? Does your mind draw a blank and you get confused as to what to post next? Subscribe now to get immediate access to my simple planner and easily create a whole month’s worth of posts to attract more attention to your business.
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by Angela Taffs | Aug 8, 2018 | Sales and Marketing
I was given a challenge recently by my own mentor to do a series of Facebook Live videos to help build my profile. Now, I have done many of these in the past so this didn’t bother me at all but I had forgotten a few simple tricks that can make the process less daunting and far more successful.
And I’m going to share them here with you.
Top Tips How To Do A Successful Facebook Live
PREPARE YOUR CONTENT
Don’t just start recording without at least a few minutes of thought.
What’s your subject going to be about?
Yes, that’s obvious, I hear you say but so many go off track and totally forget what they were supposed to be talking about when caught up in the live moment.
What’s your objective?
Do you want to raise your visibility or gain more subscribers to your mailing list? Or are you using this as a lead into a paid product? Decide this in advance as it will determine your call to action at the end of your Facebook Live recording.
Create your content
- Write your intro and what you are going to be talking about
- Create a catchy heading to give to the Facebook Live video
- Prepare some bullet points for the main content. You need to be looking at the camera so don’t read off a full script. Just a few simple bullet points will keep you on track.
- Jot down a short, simple call to action. Tell viewers what you want them to do next. Do you want them to call you, email you, visit your website or something else?
GAIN PRIOR INTEREST
Post in advance and let followers know what date and time you are going live and what the subject is going to be.
Encourage them to be there live for a special offer (if you have one)
FINAL CHECKLIST
- Microphone turned on
- Wi-Fi connected (if live)
- Battery fully charged on recording equipment or connected to a power source
- Lighting correct. Use natural daylight if possible but beware of shadows across your face or sunlight in your eyes. Buy an anglepoise light with a daylight bulb if you are in a dimly lit room.
- Non-distracting background. Check your background. Keep it simple and uncluttered. You don’t want people being distracted by what’s going on behind you and a busy or messy background will do just that.
- Phone turned off. Don’t forget to turn off the sound on your landline if that is in earshot. (Remember to turn it back on again after!)
- Computer notifications turned off
- Children and animals out of earshot
- Lift your chin and look up to the camera. If you have the camera too low and look down to it viewers will be staring up your nose – not the best view!
- Check your appearance. Do your clothes look ok and are your teeth clean? You don’t want spinach from your lunch causing more conversation than what you are talking about. Double check hair and makeup.
- Have your bullet point prompts near to hand
- Keep pen and paper near to hand (make notes of any follow-ups to questions required)
- Have a flash card with your contact details (useful to hold up at the end of the video for people to know how to contact you.
- A glass of water (useful if your throat gets dry or for coughing fits)
- Smile – and have fun!
GO LIVE
Give housekeeping tips.
Do you want people to ask questions as you go along, or do you want them to wait until you have finished? Tell people watching on replay to post their comments and use the like/love buttons.
Ask for interaction.
Tell people constantly to give you a thumbs up or a heart as you go along. Ask them to give a thumbs up if they understand what you are talking about. Ask them to give you a heart if they love what you are saying.
Be responsive to messages.
Make sure you answer messages. Thank people if they leave a message. Respond quickly if viewers ask questions.
Be yourself.
Smile and have fun. People want to see the real you. Don’t worry if it doesn’t all go to plan. Viewers will see that you are human after all and will be able to relate to you so much better.
AFTER
Keep checking in
Go back and check for any messages. Go back over the next couple of days and check if any new comments or messages have come in. Respond to these.
Share your video
Share your Facebook Live video using the specific link. All you need to do is right-click on the video once it is finished and, on your page, and copy the URL. Take this link and share it in your blog and newsletters. Get your message out to as many other people as you can.
by Angela Taffs | Jul 12, 2016 | Sales and Marketing
How to create 15 pieces of content from just one blog post
Do you still struggle to come up with ideas of what to post on social media? Do you get brain freeze trying to think of different ways to engage with your audience?
Well, I have a trick for you that is going to save you so much time and energy and give you oodles of content from just one source.
By repurposing content, you can reach new audiences, gain new followers and drive more traffic back to your website.
Firstly, you will need a blog post. This can either be a brand new post that you write or go back and find a favourite that you have created before.
From this one blog post, you can now create 15 pieces of content (at least).
All you need to do is create the following:
5 headlines
Yes, from this one post come up with 5 different headlines. This will allow you put out the same post a number of times but to potentially gain more attention with a variety of catchy headlines.
1 key question
Ask a question that leads back to your blog post. If you are a VA and your blog post is about saving clients time by doing their social media scheduling, ask the question ‘How much time do you spend on scheduling your social media and what else would you prefer to be doing with this time?’
This then opens up a conversation. Where people respond you can chat back with them, direct them to your blog post for tips and maintain ongoing contact with a potential prospect who may become a client – win win!!
2 quotes
These can be created either from your own words or find a famous quote that is relevant to your post. Find an engaging image and create a meme for each and post out on social media for people to like and share.
2 top tips
From your content pull out two top tips and use these as social media posts to provide snippets of valuable information to your audience to help raise your visibility and reputation.
1 x 60 second bite size video
Take one of your tips (or both if you like and create 2 videos) and record a video. Video is a great way of interacting with your audience and letting them get to know you. Again this will help build your visibility and trust.
1 x 15 min video tutorial
Now do a longer video talking about the content of your blog post. People who prefer to watch video can see who you are, hear how you speak and pick up your passion for what you do. You can post this out on social media and also showcase on your website and your YouTube channel.
Podcast
For those who prefer podcasts, take your video content and create a podcast. This again can be put on your website for future visitors.
Facebook live or periscope broadcast
A great way to gain new followers is to do a Facebook live on your business page or do a Persicope broadcast. You can talk about the content of your blog post and take questions from viewers and allow them to share their thoughts.
Worksheet
If relevant, create a worksheet or cheat sheet for your blog which you can offer out as a freebie. If you an events manager and your blog post is about planning a launch, how about creating a checklist for the launch day. You can then offer this as a freebie in return for an email address which you can then add to your mailing list.
Now you can see how from one blog post, you can create 15 social media posts that can be used again and again. What other ideas do you have? Share them in the comments
by Angela Taffs | May 31, 2016 | Sales and Marketing
Two genius examples of how to get your business in front of a worldwide audience
This past week I saw two pieces of marketing genius. They were completely different from each other but both had sprinklings of magic within them.
One was not done to promote a business and was done completely off the cuff without any payment and gained phenomenal media attention worldwide.. The other was indeed a little more premeditated, was a business promotion and cost money. But the way it was done again gained worldwide attention and gained tremendous visibility for the business in question.
The simple joys of life
The first was by the wonderful Candace Payne.
No, she doesn’t run her own business but she has wiped the floor as far as visibility is concerned and become an online sensation. And how? All by being herself and having some fun.
Candace is the lady who simply went out, bought a Chewbacca face mask, put it on in her car and screamed with laughter whilst recording it all on Facebook live. During her gales of laughter she spoke about her antics being one of the simple joys of life.
She didn’t sit back and plan how to get views and likes on Facebook. She didn’t watch endless webinars on how to create a perfect video or how to master Facebook live. She just got out there and did her own thing.
And the result has been simply breath-taking! She has so far had 1.5 million views of her Facebook live video, breaking all records. She has appeared on the James Corden show. She got to visit Lucas Film Studio where Star Wars was made. She got invited to the headquarters of Facebook. She is getting to meet movie stars and everyone wants to have her in their life.
Off the back of all this publicity, Candace has created a line of clothing being branded to enjoy the simple joys in life and her business is booming after just a few days.
I think we can all take a lesson from her to stop over thinking things, stop planning to the nth degree, stop trying to be someone you are not and to be true to yourself and let your true personality shine through. Oh, and stop taking life so seriously and have some bloody fun!!!
Way to go Candace
Free? Did you say free???
The second example is somewhat different but still just as brilliant in itself.
A local businessman, Rob Braddick, who owns a number of businesses in the area went and purchased one of the council car parks near to one of his restaurants, The Pier House in Westward Ho! He then pictured himself in front of the parking meter, covering it up and declaring the park could be used for free. Yes, FREE!!!
His social media post declared:
‘HOT OFF THE PRESS……
As of 4pm today my company ‘Braddicks Leisure Ltd’ has acquired a long lease on SEAFIELD CAR PARK at the end of Merley Road.
With immediate effect I’m making it FREE,yes FREE for the community and the public to use.
Please do park up and stroll over to The Pier House for a coffee or a cold pint.(not free!)
Enjoy.’
He paid thousands for the privilege of owning the car park so was he not mad to want to charge people to use it?
Obviously not. The publicity he gained off the back of this gesture was quite frankly incredible. His story got picked up on and was published in national newspapers, radio stations and shared thousands of times on social media.
Local people are visiting his venue to have their picture taken with him with a typical comment on social media stating
‘Just shaken hands with the most famous car park long-leaseholder in the world (surely Sir) Robert Braddick!’
‘Ooooh, super excited to be able to sneak this little podcast in today -possibly the most talked about carpark in the UK! Behind the scenes with Rob Braddick – the most generous business man in Devon.’
He has been hailed as a ‘hero’, ‘star’ and ‘legend’ and has whipped up a media frenzy.
If he had spent thousands of pounds on paid advertising, there is no way his money would have gained him the attention that doing something wholly unexpected and out of the ordinary did. He went against the grain and instead of looking to make immediate gains by charging for his services, he gave something of value away for free. This got people talking and in the world of psychology, where the power of reciprocity is well documented, people now want to come visit his premises to buy food and drink to pay him back for his generosity.
So the lesson to be learnt here is not to always keep trying to sell. Think about doing something unexpected, giving something of value away for free and create an environment in which people want to buy from you.
Way to go Robert!
What genius way can you think of to raise visibility for your business? Leave a comment below
