Messaging is Everything

“Your smile is your logo, your personality is your business card, how you leave others feeling after having an experience with you becomes your trademark.”  —Jay Danzie, motivational speaker

In today’s culture, everyone is an influencer.  Your actions, words, and even your image are your brand.  LIKE IT OR NOT.  For decades we’ve seen this play out time and time again.  It’s the reason why top industries routinely seek out celebrity endorsements and hire big names to represent their products or services.  Now, with the prominence of online media, we’ve seen the rise of micro-influencers and even “everyday joes” who use various platforms to garner attention and sway with just a tweet or viral video.  The ability to post across numerous social channels, communicate via email or text, and potentially reach an ever-expanding audience means that you (individuals, groups, and businesses) have a powerful voice...maybe even more powerful than you realize.  And with this newfound power comes much responsibility.  Having a messaging strategy is important to maintaining your brand—whether you’re representing yourself, a group, or our business.  Without delving into the psychology behind branding, know that what you say and how you say it, says a lot about you personally and the type of groups/organizations you represent.

Digital content strategists know that in today’s climate messaging is everything and that responding rather than reacting can make all the difference, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Emotions are running high, the need for information has never been more urgent, and everyone is trying to adjust to this new normal...with varying success.  It’s important to pause and carefully formulate your message.  Taking just a few moments to process your thoughts can save you, your group, and your business the headache of having to walk-back a poorly worded or easily misconstrued message.  Save face by following these strategic messaging tips.  And remember multiple drafts and rewrites always help.

P.A.M.M. AN ACRONYM FOR STRATEGIC MESSAGING

PURPOSE

What is the purpose of your message?  Is the message informative, reflective, urgent, detail specific, entertaining, persuasive, etc.  The purpose behind the message we seek to deliver can cover a wide variety of topics.  Outlining a clear purpose will help you make sure that what you say comes across the way it was intended.  Narrowing down the message category we’re hoping to convey is vital, not only to the one delivering the message but also to the person(s) who will be receiving it.  

AUDIENCE

Who is this message for?  Will you be addressing people professionally or casually?  What age group are you hoping to reach?  If the message is intended for a mixed audience, try to avoid industry jargon.  Make sure you know exactly who your intended audience is as you continue the message writing process.  Put yourself in their shoes.

MESSAGE 

Most of us are not gifted communicators.  So craft your message knowing that you will need to rewrite several times (three to seven rewrites to be more specific.)  Check for the obvious, spelling and grammar.  Then reread for clarity all the while keeping in mind both purpose and audience.  If you have the opportunity, read it out loud and let someone else have a look at it.  Tone is crucial.  Make sure it reads correctly.  

MEDIUM

On what platform will you be sharing this message?  Is this a text message?  If so, make sure that information is not lost in the brevity or tone of the message.  Short messages can be confusing.  Is this an email?  Emails are longer than text messages, thus more opportunity for your message to be misunderstood.  Use the additional space in your email to convey your message by providing important details and make sure you maintain an appropriate tone throughout.  Social media posts vary in length according to platform.  Keep this in mind and use photos/infographics/videos to help convey your message.  Use appropriate hashtags to further clarify the purpose.  Remember, tagging individuals and groups can aid in reaching your intended audience.  

Keep in mind that taking just a few extra seconds to review and even rewrite your message can help you better reach your audience with meaningful content.  Communication is key.  It is an important building block in establishing relationships.  Relationships build trust, respect, and foster loyalty.  All key factors in building a brand—especially when that brand is you!  

UTILIZING USER-GENERATED CONTENT TO GROW YOUR SMALL BUSINESS AUDIENCE

UGC:  Today’s Low Cost, High Impact Marketing Strategy

User-Generated Content (UGC) has been compared to traditional word of mouth marketing, only better!  Today, customers are encouraged to share their experiences with brands and companies online who will then, in turn, share these same posts, videos, reviews, and testimonials through their company’s social media channels.  The exchange is a win-win scenario as it increases brand awareness, grows credibility between customers and businesses, and ultimately propels audience engagement—generating marketing buzz AND sales all the while! Bonus, capitalizing on UGC costs little to nothing making this strategy a must for start-ups and small businesses.  

DETERMINE GOALS & AUDIENCE FOR UGC

For small businesses, UGC acts as a social media secret weapon giving power and purpose to customer food pics and selfies.  This free content is created by the customer putting your brand or business in the spotlight. As with any social media marketing campaign, it’s important to develop your UGC strategy with specific goals in mind.  While conversion is the end prize, growing your target audience is a good place to start when implementing a UGC marketing plan.  

Brands should first determine a key demographic.  Age, race, gender, socioeconomic status, region, and education level are categories to consider.  Next, choose a social media channel(s) that best attracts this demographic: Instagram and Twitter for Millenials, Facebook for a large cross-section of adults, Pinterest for a female demographic, and LinkedIn for a professional audience are some of the top platforms on the list.  Make sure your plan includes metrics such as Audience Insights, Likes, Pins and Retweets to help measure your progress. Many of these social media channels offer free analytics, a budget-friendly incentive for small businesses and start-up companies.  

UGC COMMUNITY CREATION

Businesses should begin with community creation.  Showcase your product or service through social media content, blogs, vlogs and be sure to include polls and contests.  Your content should be engaging with a specific Call to Action (CTA,) a powerful hashtag and social media tagging opportunities that encourage followers to begin sharing their own posts, videos, reviews, and testimonials.  Small businesses can greatly increase the size of their page following with the addition of prizes, discounts and insider exclusives in exchange for UGC. Keep in mind that your brand should always ask permission to repost, give credit to the post originator and offer something of value in return.  

Fan-powered campaigns have proven successful on a variety of levels.  Consider the innovative “Share A Coke” marketing strategy that created a huge splash across the nation.  Popular names printed on Coke bottles quickly filled social media posts and tweets.  Small businesses were watching and soon followed with clever hashtags of their own. For example, #TheSheJewels is a small business that specializes in hair scrunchies and jewelry.  The company has a website and is active on four social media channels that meet their younger demographic. The social sites have an extremely small following compared to Coca Cola, however, this small business utilizes UGC every day, sharing posts and testimonials from satisfied customers.  They frequently run contests and include surprise rewards in the packages of return customers. As an added bonus, customers see their name as a pop-up on the website celebrating their purchases. These are winning UGC strategizes that create community and keep customers coming back time and time again.  

UGC SOCIAL SHARING

Authenticity is key among customers and potential customers.  Nearly two-thirds of customers rely on endorsements and reviews when it comes to making a purchase.  Many customers note that they are more likely to trust a fellow buyer when considering a new product.  And the recommendation from a friend offers additional credibility to the endorsement. These are all important factors to consider as your brand begins the social sharing process.  Through a quick keyword search and tagging, businesses and brands will be able to quickly find positive UGC to share. Small businesses can use these posts to create a content library to help promote their brand in the future.  

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK AS UGC

UGC doesn’t just occur through hashtags and tagging, businesses should mine their product review page and seek out testimonials as well.  Today’s marketing is a two-way street and includes conversations between customers and brands. Customers are looking for opportunities to share feedback and they expect their voices to be heard.  

A great example of this includes a small coffee shop in western Kansas.  Patrick Dugan’s Coffee House not only uses its social media sites to create brand awareness but also as a way to authentically connect with its customers as they develop trust.  While they only utilize two social media channels, their posts are frequently shared and questions are quickly addressed. Simply tagging them or using their hashtags in a post will almost immediately be met with not only a response but also with a comment as well.  They are also known to reply to reviews further creating that customer and business bond. In the short time that this coffee shop has been in business, they have seen great success and recently added staff and space to their business.

UGC DOs & DON’Ts FOR AUDIENCE GROWTH

• Do use specific CTA keywords to encourage UGC.

• Don’t forget to promote your UGC hashtags across platforms.  

• Do make sure you ask permission before posting and sharing UGC.  

• Don’t take credit for content that you didn’t create. 

• Do offer rewards and incentives for UGC.

• Don’t ignore your UGC creators.  

• Do monitor keywords, hashtags, and tagging. Engage your audience by responding to posts and reviews in a timely manner.

• Don’t skip the metrics.  Analytics will help your business to know what kinds of UGC are working for your brand.  Use this insight to reinforce or create future campaigns. 

We know that small businesses and start-ups have fewer and limited resources when it comes to growing their audiences.  Creating a UGC social media strategy is a great way to save time and money while building brand awareness and increasing your following.  Through a careful selection of social media platforms, smaller companies can consistently connect with customers and potential customers proving this low investment, high impact strategy works for businesses of all sizes.  

Quick Tips: LinkedIn for Business

If you’re looking for a social media channel to grow and maintain your professional network, get your brand noticed or find a job then LinkedIn is for you!  LinkedIn is designed to help individuals and companies manage their professional connections and share industry-specific content with like-minded individuals.  LinkedIn currently has over 610 million members, 90 million senior-level influencers, and 92% of Fortune 500 companies use this platform making it a must for business professionals across the globe.  

PROFILE BASICS

Getting noticed on LinkedIn means filling out as much of the account profile as possible.  Use a current and professional photo, write a killer headline that includes at least a handful of your best professional attributes and accomplishments, be sure to include your recent work history and link to all relevant websites. Successfully complete the profile and you’ve essentially created an online business card that will help you grow an audience and make valuable professional connections.  

7 WAYS TO GET NOTICED

1. POST DAILY:  Two-thirds of LinkedIn users are working professionals ages 25-54.  This group is getting news and information from the site and more importantly, they are networking.  Daily posts speed up the connection process.  Remember to not only post during typical work hours but also after business hours.  Then, engage! Ask questions and comment frequently. Update as needed and post/share career opportunities.  Job seekers average 30 minutes a day on this platform.  

2. MAKE CONNECTIONS:  LinkedIn offers a unique approach to making connections through its 1st, 2nd, and 3rd level connection system.  1st level connections are direct connections who will see your posts in their newsfeed. However, as soon as they begin to like, comment and share, your content, it will be seen beyond your immediate network to their connections (2nd level) and connections of connections (3rd level.)  This system allows for networking beyond your immediate circle potentially putting you in contact with important new connections.

3. LINKEDIN GROUPS:  Join groups, this is a social network after all!  Search and join industry-related groups. Don’t forget to seek out regional groups as well.  Get active. Share experiences and insights. Ask questions, offers answers, and message group members.  

4. ASK FOR RECOMMENDATIONS:  LinkedIn is geared around professionals, so recommendations are a great feature on this channel.  Connections can also endorse you for skills. Both build up your personal profile and can lead to new connections and job opportunities.

5. TAG STRATEGICALLY:  When done correctly, tagging can draw attention to your posts.  Bonus, you don’t have to be “connected” to the person to tag them.  If you mention or quote an influential person in your post/comment, he or she may repost your content or connect with you.  Networking like this is a win-win.

6. PROFILE VIEWS:  Another great way to grow your audience and make connections is by checking out who’s viewed your profile.  Making contact through sending invitations, following or messaging profile viewers is a great way to network.  LinkedIn’s free version allows users to see 5 recent profile viewers, the paid version allows users to see all profile viewers.  Keep in mind that profile viewers can browse in private mode, keeping their identity hidden. 

7. KEYWORDS:  Using keywords on the LinkedIn platform can help connections find you when they need a product or service you offer.  Make a list of keywords related to your business and use them in your profile.  

LINKEDIN PUBLISHING

Publishing on LinkedIn is a must.  Longer content allows more in-depth audience targeting on the social network.  By publishing blogs and articles, you can make more connections through shares, get noticed by others in your industry, and grow your own personal credibility as an industry authority.  Publishing also provides SEO benefits such as backlinks from LinkedIn and indexable content. Be sure to tag your content for increased traffic after publishing. Doing this means your published content will have lasting searchability.  The best published articles include the following: great headlines, articles under 1,000 words, content about careers, and compelling visuals/images.

LINKEDIN FOR BUSINESS

A company profile on LinkedIn serves as a broadcasting tool to grow your brand and create awareness.  This is a great place to share company updates and job opportunities.  While it’s important to remember that people want to connect with other people, a company profile will show up in searches, solidify company branding, bring employees together, and allows a company to run ads.  

ANALYTICS

Every social media channel offers analytics LinkedIn is no exception.  Viewing insights offered on this platform informs users of their reach, helps make additional connections and gain valuable business insight.  LinkedIn insights can help you directly connect with those reading your content and key industry leaders. Analytics measure page views and shows you how often a unique viewer is visiting your profile or reading your content.  Users can also monitor impressions (the number of times the post was shown to LinkedIn members,) engagements (the number of interactions divided by impressions,) and clicks (the number of clicks on your content, company name, or logo.)  

BEST PRACTICES

The biggest takeaway from LinkedIn is that this is a business-minded social network.  Professionalism is key. LinkedIn largely serves as a personal marketing tool and as such users should go in with goals in mind.  Showcasing your expertise, posting blogs and articles, sharing milestones, launching products, and highlighting industry-related news all happen here.

Quick Tips: Pinterest for Business

Pinterest is making a name for itself among the top social media channels for business.  No longer is the platform relegated to soccer moms and crafty homemakers! Today, Pinterest has positioned itself as a prominent search engine similar to Google and YouTube and marketers are using the platform to create brand awareness, increase website traffic and ultimately grow their business profiles.  

WHY PINTEREST

With a hyper-engaged audience of over 200 million users under 40, Pinterest represents a huge opportunity.  The social media channel is growing in popularity especially among men and minorities.  Statistically, two-thirds of Pinterest users say they’ve discovered new brands and products from Pinterest features like Promoted Pins and half of all users say that Pinterest helps them find new products to buy.  Pinterest is a go-to channel for mobile users as well with nearly 80% of pinners accessing the platform via mobile technology.  When marketing on Pinterest be sure to bring your A-game because this social media channel boasts big returns!

PINTEREST FOR BUSINESS

Setting up a Pinterest account for business is easy.  Users have three options here.  Set up a solo business account, link your personal account to a business account (you can have up to four,) or convert an established personal account into a business account.  No matter which option you use, the business account status comes with a lot of perks.  

1. FREE business account (this allows you to set up paid advertising on the platform.)

2. Ability to select a business category so “pinners” can find you.  Don’t forget to select “Featured Boards” to add to your profile.

3. Links to business email and website to draw traffic to your site.

4. The ability to claim your website, Instagram, Etsy and YouTube accounts.  Linked accounts mean cross-promotion!

5. Download a Pinterest Browser Button making “pinning” your posts quick and easy.

PINTEREST BASICS

• PINS:  Visual bookmarks that users can collect and categorize.  You can “pin” items while browsing Pinterest or add new ones from your favorite websites.

• BOARDS:  Used to save and organize pins.  Categorized by names you choose.

• REPIN:  Adding a “pin” to your own boards.  When you “repin” the person with the original Pin will also get the credit.

• PROMOTED PINS:  Paid “pins” that a user sees based on interest and activities.

• RICH PINS:  There are four types of rich pins—Product, Article, App, and Recipe.  The process requires a little extra work, but utilizing meta tags and going through the Rich Pins validator can greatly improve pin visibility and boost your business profile.  

WHAT TO PIN

• Pin your best ideas!  Make sure your pin has clear content and is actionable for a specific audience.  When users click on a pin they expect to be directed to a landing page for more info so be sure to link your accounts!

• Blog posts are ideal for pinning.  Pinners want direct links AND information so they can discover and buy new products.

• Use vertical graphics with text overlays.  Pinterest is a visual platform. Make sure your graphics always point back to your brand or business.

• Pinterest allows videos to play right from their platform.  This drives traffic straight to your website instead of linking to another social media channel. Video pins are only allowed on business accounts.

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT

Eye-catching pins draw in an audience so it’s important to know who you’re targeting.  Is it women, men, both? What age? Does your product have regional, national, or global appeal?  Going in with clear goals helps. Keep in mind that most Pinterest users are females age 40 and younger with household incomes between $50 thousand and $125 thousand dollars.  Millennials are also using the platform just as much as Instagram.  Pinterest makes growing an audience easy through categories, keywords, and hashtags.  Pin consistently (daily) for best results.

• Connect through Categories:  Pinterest is set up similar to a search engine.  Pinners can select categories and the platform will offer up a list of suggestions AND other category suggestions for pinners to explore.

• Connect through Keywords:  Similar to SEO, businesses have some control over the categories their pins show up in through keywords.  While pinning, businesses should ALWAYS include keywords in the pin description. It’s important to also include links back to your website at every opportunity.

• Connect through Hashtags:  Hashtags help your content perform better.  Pinners can find your pins via a hashtag search and hashtags are listed chronologically, so regular business pinners can quickly move to the top of that list. 

PINTEREST ANALYTICS

Pinterest offers a variety of analytics for its users.  The number of monthly viewers is probably the most important stat to pay attention to on your profile page.  Audience Insights is another great way to take that number and adjust content to gain more traffic.  On this channel, businesses should be more concerned with views and saves, and not necessarily likes and comments.   Monitor top pins to know what works. You can filter your “Top Pins” by “Impressions”, “Engagements”, “Closeups”, “Link clicks”, and “Saves”.  Then revamp and repost.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Pinterest is a great option for businesses of all sizes.  It offers a longer shelflife for content because content can be discovered at any time and doesn’t disappear into a newsfeed.  Pinterest users utilize the site with the intent to purchase. Cross-promotion opportunities abound on this platform with direct links to websites for quick and easy conversions.  With pin ready images, share buttons, linked accounts, and the ability to appear in numerous “searches,” Pinterest is an excellent platform to showcase your brand and grow your audience.

Quick Tips: Twitter for Business

Love it or hate it, Twitter is a global social media powerhouse.  With 500 million tweets posted each day, your business can’t afford to overlook Twitter!  Here, your business and/or brand can really shine and show off its personality.  Described as a “microblogging system,” Twitter makes it easy for both mobile and PC users to tweet and retweet short messages and quickly exchange banter.  This social media channel entertains a wide variety of users with audiences ranging from youth and young adults to politicians, researchers, educators, professionals, the news media and more!  Twitter's key demographic includes 18-29 year-olds with a large number of users located outside the United States.  

WHERE TO BEGIN

Unlike other social media accounts, establishing a Twitter profile for your business requires some additional forethought.  Without an official “business” designation, users must quickly establish a “voice” in order to build a following. Twitter has also stopped its “verification process,” so “voice” is imperative.  Will you operate as a strictly corporate account, a corporate led-persona account, a business/personal hybrid account, or a character account?  Determining “voice” early will help your business to develop and cement its personality and ultimately determine business goals for this platform.  

Twitter insiders remind us that within the account profile one should include a brief business summary, a link to an existing website to draw in traffic, and finally, a “pinned tweet.”  Additionally, don’t get too cutesy with the name, your account handle should clearly reflect your business. Once you’re set-up, immediately begin following industry leaders to build your own profile and attract an audience.  Don’t forget to monitor your competition, too!

TWEET WITH PURPOSE

1. Post often, but strategically to gain a following.  Timing is everything.  The lifespan of a tweet is about 18 minutes with 7,000 new tweets sent every second.  Statistics suggest posting Monday through Friday as well as on weekends.  Insiders further recommend tweeting in the afternoon between noon and 6 PM.  Don’t have something to tweet?  Well, don’t let that stop you. Businesses can further build their audience by posting comments on other businesses’ tweets.  These exchanges can draw attention to your brand. Nearly, one-third of users say they can recall specific Twitter posts, so utilize every opportunity to build your audience.  Don’t forget to include @mentions and tag influencers...drive a little traffic their way and watch them reciprocate.

2. Use photos, gifs, videos and polls to engage audiences.  Utilize these media formats to promote your business but also to share your point of view.  Here’s where you can really show your brand’s personality. Like other social media channels, great content begins with great visuals.  Keep in mind that Tweets with a GIF get 55% more engagement, 93% of Twitter videos are viewed on mobile, and Tweets with video attract 10x as much engagement.  Storytelling should be brief but intriguing.  Remember you can always link back to your website, blog or article to share additional info.  Be sure to mix it up!

3. Include RELEVANT hashtags. This is a biggie!  Tweets that contain hashtags receive twice as much attention as those that don’t.  Hashtags help to group subject matter together making it easier for audiences to find trends, industries, and specific topics.  When you use a hashtag, your content becomes a part of this grouping. Similarly, you can search hashtags to seek out groupings that you want to be associated with.  Don’t forget to check “trending” hashtags to use as needed in your tweets and get creative, develop a hashtag specific to your business, but don’t get greedy—too many hashtags are a turnoff.  The keyword here is RELEVANT.

4. Direct Message responses.  You can use this Twitter feature to welcome new audience members, engage in conversation, answer questions, and troubleshoot.  Your businesses’ response should be professional and prompt as if you were helping a customer face to face.  Direct Message is another key way of developing customer loyalty and should not be overlooked.  

5. Live Tweet, Twitter Chats and Interact with Influencers.  With Twitter, it’s not just who you are, but who you know.  Take advantage of Live Tweet opportunities! Look for trending current events and topics, or create your own.  Make sure you grab the right hashtags and then start posting.  Prepare before you begin and then tweet and retweet away. Similarly, you can engage your audience through Twitter Chats.  Address current industry topics and show your knowledge as a means of growing your audience and establishing trust for your brand.  At all times, keep in mind the power of influencers in your field and interact when appropriate, this is another opportunity for @mentions and tagging.  

TWITTER ANALYTICS

After establishing Key Business Requirements, creating content, and tweeting, Twitter offers several opportunities to measure your company’s goals.  Twitter’s At Home feature is like a report card for your business profile.  This feature allows you to track statistics from month to month.  Your Tweet Activity Dashboard gives you important metrics for each of your posts and allows you to discover which tweets are performing best and at what time.  Finally, stay connected to your audience through the Audience Insights Dashboard.  Here you can monitor followers' growth, interest, and demographics.  Knowing the metrics will help you to make adjustments to your social media marketing plan.  

LAST THOUGHTS

Twitter is supposed to be fun!  With a young demographic, mobile interface, quick responses, trending topics, and more there’s a lot of room to play and interact with your audience.  Twitter users are looking for the “next big thing.” This social media channel moves fast so remember to vary your tweets, take advantage of Twitter features like Live Tweeting, @mention influencers, discover new hashtags, and follow your industry’s movers and shakers because Twitter is all about personality.  Success on Twitter is as much about listening to your audience and monitoring analytics as it is about learning the ins and outs of this social media channel.