Rallio – Social Media for Franchises, Small & Local Business

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Reputation

How to Handle Negative Online Reviews

When you’ve worked hard to build a business, negative online reviews can be a real disappointment. You might do everything right, and some customer, somewhere, will manage to find something wrong. Unfortunately, this is simply a fact of doing business in the 21st century.

At the same time, negative online reviews are a chance to diffuse customer complaints and demonstrate empathy, patience and understanding. You can smooth over the situation while showing the general public that you can handle criticism.

When negative online reviews come your way — and they probably will at some point — there are a few things you can do to make things right. Start by taking a deep breath, and then walk yourself through these tips.

Don’t React

By all means, take a few moments to vent to coworkers or friends when faced with negative online reviews. If their comments are unfounded, you rightfully will feel like the review is unjust.

Once you’ve got the venting out of your system, you’ll be in a better place to sit down and type out a response. Don’t type out the first thought that comes into your head; take some time to craft a response that will address your customer’s concerns.

The last thing you want to do is post something confrontational in response to negative online reviews. It will only make your customer more upset, and it won’t look very good for you, either. 

Be Professional

On that note, the high road is the path of choice when it comes to negative online reviews. If there are blatant errors in the review — for instance, they claim you’re only open until 6 p.m. on Saturdays but you know you’re open until 9 — you can correct the errors politely. 

If any part of their review rings true, acknowledge what the customer is saying. Maybe they didn’t get their side of macaroni and cheese with their to-go order. Perhaps there was a long line at checkout. 

Whatever the case may be, try to put yourself in the customer’s shoes. How big of a bummer is it to get home after picking up your food and realize you’re missing the most important part of your meal? Or to have to wait in a huge line with only one cashier working?

There can be valid reasons that things go wrong from time to time. Maybe whomever packed the order simply forgot the mac ‘n’ cheese, or you were short-handed and didn’t have anyone else to ring up orders.

You can explain what happened while still being apologetic and professional. Use names, and offer to remedy the situation. It could be a simple: “We deeply apologize that your order was missing an item, Joe. We’d like to offer you a free entree for next time you come in.” Or maybe: “We’re so sorry you had to wait in a long line, Mary. Unfortunately, we were short-handed that day, and our customers had to wait longer than we all would have liked. We’d love to offer $5 off your next order.” 

Learn more: A Step-by-Step Guide to Responding to a Bad Yelp Review

Respond Quickly

While you should always collect yourself and regain your composure before responding to negative online reviews, don’t wait too long. If you can get back to them within an hour, that’s ideal. If that’s not possible, then 24 hours should be the max.

Remember, you don’t have to have all the details in order to respond. Sometimes, you may need more information before you’re able to remedy negative online reviews. For example, a review might be vague and unclear as to what happened or the people involved.

If that’s the case, you can simply apologize that the customer had a poor experience and offer to take the conversation offline: “We regret you had a less than stellar experience with us, Jane. We would love to talk with you personally and make things right. Please contact us at [your phone or email].”

This way, you’re putting the ball in the customer’s court without ignoring them. What they choose to do at that point is up to them, but you’ll know you’ve done your part to remedy matters.

Read more: Franchise Social Media Best Practices You Need to Know

Franchise social media best practices

Customize Your Responses

Negative online reviews are bad enough. Don’t make matters worse by posting a canned response that makes it seem like a bot delivered it.

This is why you need a real human looking at both positive and negative online reviews. Whether a review is good or bad, it’s important that it receives a genuine reply.

You’re either taking the time to address any concerns, or you’re thanking customers for posting their positive testimonials. Every review deserves a response.

Your customers will feel validated and significant — and they’ll be more likely to send you referral business.

Be Systematic

Make a habit of checking your online reviews regularly. If you don’t check, you might not even be aware of negative online reviews (or positive reviews, for that matter).

If you are time-crunched, you might have to just set specific times in the day for checking reviews. Maybe first thing in the morning and last thing before the end of the day works. 

Using technology to manage positive and negative online reviews helps, too. The Rallio Dashboard pulls in reviews from the major review platforms so you can see everything in one place.

You can also outsource your review responses to our Rallio Local team. We work with individual business owners every day who need our help managing their online reputation and creating appropriate responses to negative online reviews.

Lastly, you can take advantage of our Revv reputation management app. It’ll prompt your customers for feedback immediately after the sale and help you generate more positive reviews.

Don’t Let Negative Online Reviews Bring You Down

Receiving negative online reviews isn’t fun, but don’t let it ruin your day. If you handle these reviews courteously and quickly, then the positive reviews should outweigh the negatives. 

If the majority of your customers are happy, then you’ll know you’re doing things right. Get in touch with us if you could use a hand addressing negative online reviews.

Read more: Should You Outsource Your Small-Business Social Media? 4 Compelling Reasons It Makes Sense

Rallio Local for Small Business

Categories
Social Uncategorized

5 Terrifying Social Media Mistakes That Can Scare Away Your Followers

Social media mistakes are not uncommon — and they could be costing you big if you continue to repeat them. The most terrifying social media mistakes are the ones that might just scare away your followers for good.

Is your social media page turning into the haunted house on the hill that nobody wants to visit? Are you losing sleep because you’re concerned about your social media results? 

Time to call in the Ghostbusters of social media and let Rallio scare away the goblins and ghouls — so you can put an end to the nightmare these social mistakes might be causing:

1. Being an Unwanted Guest

There are a couple of different ways your page can turn into the unwanted guest in newsfeeds: posting infrequently and/or posting irrelevant content. 

If you’re posting infrequently, your followers will forget about you and what you do. Any posts you do create either won’t be seen — especially if you’re not boosting them — or may be met with a “Huh? Who and what is this?”

If you’re posting irrelevant content, it will garner the same results. You’ll be forgotten, unfollowed or hidden from newsfeeds. 

Ghostbuster tip: Post relevant, local content that shows the real, authentic you. Include a wide variety of posts about team members, product spotlights and how-tos, blog posts, and videos featuring your people and customers.

As far as frequency, the typical cadence is three to four times per week, according to HubSpot. If you’re posting local, non-promotional content, you can post more frequently, even daily. Just don’t go overboard, as that will also be unwelcome by your followers.

Pay attention to the content that gets the most engagement with your audience, too. Boost the most relevant posts to increase your chances of being seen — without the accompanying frightened look of surprise from your followers. Focus on quality over quantity for the best results.

Read more: 7 Habits of Highly Successful Social Media Marketers

Successful social media marketers

2. Haunting Followers With Promotions

Along with posting irrelevant content, another social media mistake is posting too much promotional content. Just like they don’t want to see content they don’t care about, they don’t want to be flooded with promotions, either. It’s like getting junk mail, and it’s not going to win over your followers.

Ghostbuster tip: As you begin posting relevant content, you’ll build a relationship with your audience. At that point, the occasional promotional post won’t be off-putting to your audience. It will feel more like a friend telling them about a great deal or a cool new product. You can also boost these promotional posts to increase visibility and reach.

3. Scaring People Away

If you snarl at people who criticize you, or you’re rude when they ask a question, or you ignore people altogether, that’s a definite no-no. This social media mistake has to do with failing to realize that social platforms are also customer service channels. 

People turn to your social media pages to ask questions, leave reviews and share about their experiences with your brand. If you’re rude to them or don’t get back to them, it’s going to scare them away — or send them on a spree of spreading negative information about your brand.

Ghostbuster tip: Respond to your engagements, messages and reviews. Whether it’s positive, negative or neutral, you always want to look alive and make sure your followers hear from you.

Read more: How’s Your Customer Response Time? 6 Simple Ways to Step It Up

Customer response time

4. Being overly controversial

In 2020, it’s expected that there will be a degree of controversy on social media. Whether it’s about the pandemic, politics or social issues, there are many different topics about which you might want to take a stand.

While it’s important to stand by your convictions and core values as a company, it’s also important to do it as tastefully and respectfully as possible. Insulting people who don’t agree with you doesn’t make you look very inviting.

Ghostbuster tip: If you’re going to comment on touchy subjects, stick to the facts. Think of it like Thanksgiving dinner with a bunch of relatives. Unless you want people flinging mashed potatoes and turkey at each other, you’ve got to remain pleasant and approachable. 

Want to encourage people to vote, for example? Great! Be encouraging. Tell your followers where to find their local ballot dropoff box. Post a photo of yourself wearing your “I voted” sticker. Don’t say, “You’re a real dummy if you don’t vote” (even if secretly that’s what you think). 

5. Letting your analytics collect cobwebs

If you’re posting content, boosting your posts and running promotions, you need to know what’s working and what’s not. Checking your analytics helps you gain an understanding of the types of content that work best on your page. It also helps you tailor promotions for your audience. 

So if you’re not checking your analytics and getting to know your audience, you won’t be able to make any of those important tweaks. 

Ghostbuster tip: Regularly take a fine-toothed comb to your analytics. All of the major platforms offer insights into your audience, your promotions and your growth. Then use that information to create the most compelling content and campaigns going forward.

RIP to Your Social Media Mistakes

You work hard to gain followers on social media. Don’t scare them away by succumbing to the social media mistakes above. 

Rallio has perfected the process of creating engaging content, responding to online reviews and making sure our clients’ pages are performing optimally. If you’re ready to lay your social media mistakes to rest, get in touch with us today.

Read more: Should You Outsource Your Small-Business Social Media? 4 Compelling Reasons It Makes Sense

Categories
Branding

Branding Your Business Is Easy Once You Handle These 4 Potential Pitfalls

This post is an updated repost of a previously published article.

As a franchisor, you put a lot of time and resources into branding your business. Logo development, brand guidelines, marketing materials and brand visuals are just a few of the ways you create an initial blueprint for your brand.

When franchisees join your organization, they gain access to those branded resources. They’re given permission to use your logo, your systems and your marketing materials. So when franchisees post on social media, naturally you want your brand image to stay consistent.

At the corporate level, your brand looks solid — and you may think the work of branding your business is done. But what happens at the local level when franchisees start posting on social media? Here are some possible scenarios:

  • They change your messaging, interpreting it in a way that doesn’t match your goals
  • They use your logo incorrectly or alter it
  • They post information that conflicts with your corporate page
  • They post randomly and inconsistently
  • They post imagery that isn’t in line with your brand guidelines
  • They fail to respond to customers’ comments, questions and online reviews
  • Their directly listings are inconsistent or missing information

The list goes on.

If you’re like many of the clients with whom we work at Rallio, giving the social-media car keys to franchisees is risky business at the local level. The branding and messaging you worked so hard to develop can easily become diluted, out of brand and unrecognizable from its original form.

So why does this brand disaster happen? Let’s look at three of the top reasons.

Read more: Brand Voice: What Is It and Why Does It Matter?

Branding voice for branding your business

Reason #1: They have no social media guidelines.

Do your franchisees have a “Wild West” mentality that causes them to think they can do whatever they want on social media? If so, then perhaps you haven’t clearly stated what they can and cannot do. Branding your business on social media begins with guidelines that define how franchisees should approach social media, as well as what the approval process is for their content.

What to do about it: You might already have guidelines in place for print and web marketing and advertising. Build on those guidelines by telling franchisees the parameters for social media. Do you want to be able to review their content before it gets posted? Or are you OK with supplying corporate content and letting them post at the local level without your approval? Spell it out so there’s no confusion.

The clearer you are with your social media guidelines, the less likely it is that franchisees will go rogue. (And rogue franchisees can not only destroy your brand, but your reputation as well.)

Reason #2: You haven’t prioritized social media yourself.

If you don’t see social media as important to your brand, then your franchisees won’t, either. At best, they’ll ignore the social platforms and potentially miss out on opportunities. At worst, they’ll ruin your brand and reputation, as mentioned above.

What to do about it: Whether you like or dislike social media, there’s no denying its existence. And once you make it a priority at the top level, you take back control of how your brand appears in the public eye.

You help your brand overall while also helping franchisees to post in the smartest, most efficient way possible. Remember, the goal is to have one brand and multiple locations … not multiple brands and multiple locations! Embrace this mentality, and everyone will have an easier time of branding your business.

Read more: Your Guide to 2021 Marketing Based on Current Consumer Trends

Guide to 2021 marketing

Reason #3: They lack technology.

Branding your business and managing social media can be time-consuming without the proper technologies in place. Franchisees often don’t have the time required to respond to reviews and engagements, post frequently and continue coming up with content ideas.

What to do about it: While we’re biased about our technology platform here at Rallio, it’s only because we see it working so well for hundreds of different franchisors and franchisees who use it. We recommend implementing our technology systemwide to help everyone stay organized.

With Rallio, you can set permissions for franchisees, while also giving them some control over their local social media. You can upload and store media assets, schedule posts, update your directory listings in a few clicks, view analytics, and run ad campaigns. Corporate can syndicate branded assets to franchisees.

Once you start using it, you’ll wonder how you ever got by without it. Branding your business will become much easier once you have the tools to manage your social media from the top down.

Nearly 50% of the world’s population uses social media, amounting to over 3 billion users worldwide. —Statista

Reason #4: They lack resources.

Even with the right technology, many franchisees don’t have the resources needed to post local content. They might have trouble coming up with ideas of what to post, or they simply don’t have the time.

What to do about it: Again, we’re biased, but the Rallio Local program has helped our clients who find themselves lacking the resources needed to post local content. Putting a great caption to a local photo, boosting content, interacting with followers, and assisting with online recruiting or other social media needs is the job of our Rallio Local division.

Some of our franchisor clients choose to fully cover this cost for their franchisees. Others leave it up to individual locations whether they want to join. Whatever the case may be, making these resources available to franchisees takes the burden off them of finding a social media manager. They can outsource this function without hiring someone full-time.

Branding Your Business Is Easier With Rallio

Our platform lets multi-unit businesses create a unified social media presence while still enabling individual owners to customize content to reach local customers. Post across thousands of locations, manage imagery, control messaging, monitor keywords, view analytics and generate new business — all from one convenient dashboard. Interested in a demo? Drop us a line here.

Categories
Case studies

Are You a Social Media Success Story? Rallio Can Help You Get There

Recently in our Friday morning Zoom calls, our team has been sharing stories of the different ways we’ve had a positive impact on clients. Each social media success story of which we’ve been a part is a win-win for both the client and for Rallio. They benefit from our expertise and technology, and we have the satisfaction of knowing we’ve made a difference in their business — and beyond.

This is an important point to understand, because it contributes to the “why” — why we do what we do. By the same token, the client with a social media success story gets to be reminded of their why, too.

Take it a step further, and you begin to see that each impactful moment helps not just the business owner, but oftentimes their own customers or employees. It’s a ripple effect that you’ll notice if you start looking for how these small moments add up to lasting positive effects.

Social Media Success Story: Recruiting

Impactful moment: One of our Social Media Strategists, along with a member of our sales team, worked with the franchisee of a residential cleaning business. The client, one of many within the franchise organization, had been trying to recruit new employees through Facebook. 

In working with the franchisee, we were able to provide some insights on recruiting via Facebook. We also reminded her of the various tools available in Rallio to help spread the word about her job openings.

Previously, this owner felt overwhelmed by social media and didn’t know where to begin with her Facebook recruiting efforts. We were able to step in and shed some light on the ways our technology and services could help her.

Why it matters: Recruiting via social media is a smart way to share your job openings and find qualified applicants. You can reach a targeted market of candidates and allow them to easily apply online. Social media recruiting has become an indispensable part of hiring today. With Rallio’s help, we can simplify the process and help set you up for success.

Drill down deeper: Helping a client with their recruiting needs helps not only the business owner, but also the applicant. Ultimately, we’re helping someone find a job while also helping the owner fill a hiring need.

Read more: The Ultimate Guide to Social Media Recruiting

Now Hiring

Social Media Success Story: Pet Adoptions

Impactful moment: Rallio’s Social Media Strategists frequently assist our pet retailer client in spreading awareness for their pet adoption events, held in conjunction with local animal shelters. The events take place at individual locations, and our Strategists work directly with franchisees to create adoption-related posts.

Our Strategists not only create posts, but help boost the content — spreading the awareness even further. Additionally, locations are able to keep their content organized using the Rallio Database and view detailed post analytics. 

In partnership with Rallio, the entire franchise organization has benefitted from Rallio Local services. Moreover, Rallio has been able to help grow the brand on social media via boosted posts, local content for franchisees, and responses to their online reviews. PSP is set for a strong year of growth in 2021, and Rallio is proud to be a part of helping them to grow their social pages.

Drill down deeper: When the client’s social media posts result in a successful pet adoption, it’s allowing a fur baby to find a forever home. It’s also allowing the family to experience the joy of welcoming in a new animal companion.

https://www.facebook.com/pspgoosecreek/photos/a.1725616444346458/2569763073265120

Social Media Success Story: Online Reviews

Impactful moment: In one conversation between a Rallio Local Strategist and a fitness center client, the client discussed a negative review his location had received. The client wasn’t sure how to handle this review, and they were able to work together to craft an appropriate response. 

The conversation also served as an educational moment for the client. Our Strategist was able to remind him of the powerful tools available to him on the Rallio Dashboard.

“I enjoyed having this discussion over the phone rather than via email because we were able to have a more personal conversation. He actually attended SDSU as well, so it was nice to connect on that and talk about his time when he used to live in California,” says Kayla, the Strategist who works with this client. “Rallio does not simply just provide a platform that clients can manage their social media through. There are real people behind the technology who want to help all our clients. It’s also really nice to talk on the phone with clients because they can then put a voice to the name.” 

It’s one thing to have social media technology, which our clients can access for social media management, scheduling, and responding to social media engagements. Now just imagine having a Strategist available to offer their expertise and guidance. This is the “secret sauce” that sets Rallio apart and enables us to exceed our clients’ expectations.

Drill down deeper: Providing a response to a negative review shows the customer you care. There have been many situations in which we’ve been able to respond to reviews on our clients’ behalf and resolve problems — which makes everyone happy. We also have technology (called Revv) that enables the acceleration of positive reviews, helping to boost a client’s online reputation.

Read more: 3 Critical Questions to Ask Before Slashing Your Marketing Budget

Marketing Budget

Social Media Success Story: More Time

Impactful moment: One client tells us Rallio Local services are exactly what she was looking for. She says the content posted on her social profiles matched what she envisioned for her page and what she needed for her business.

“Most importantly, it has given me the flexibility to focus on other areas of my growing business,” she adds. “I highly recommend [Rallio] for all levels of social media users!”

What would it mean to you to be able to run your business without worrying about your social media pages? That’s time you can spend elsewhere while we propel your online growth.

Drill down deeper: The owner who outsources their social media social media marketing and management has more time to run their business. It might mean more time for networking, employee hiring and retention, financial management, expansion efforts and more. Outsourcing also saves money, since you’re not spending the money on a full-time employee.

In Conclusion

From one social media success story to the next, the common theme is that Rallio is able to partner with clients for results. 

If you’re hoping to have a social media success story of your own, then get inspired by this quick roundup we’ve provided below. These tales of social success might help remind you of why you’re doing what you do — and start tailoring your content to meet specific goals you have for your business.

Did you know? Over 1.6 billion people around the world are connected to a small business on Facebook. (Facebook 2018) (Source: https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics)

Categories
Social

Your Guide to 2021 Marketing Based on Current Consumer Trends

If 2020 has taught us anything as social media marketers, it’s adaptability. The plans you had for your 2020 marketing may have had to be adjusted, put on hold or scrapped altogether. Now, as you create a 2021 marketing strategy, you might be wondering how to approach an uncertain future.

Rather than get overwhelmed at the thought of creating a 2021 marketing plan, look to the lessons learned from 2020. The consumer behaviors we’re seeing today on social media provide a good idea of what to expect in 2021 and post-COVID, whenever that day comes.

By looking closely at how consumers are engaging on social media, you can predict how they’ll behave in the coming year. And while we always recommend doing your own research related to your particular industry, the following predictions should serve as a good starting point. Using these predictions, you can begin formulating a 2021 marketing strategy and prepare for whatever lies ahead.

Another caveat: These predictions are always subject to change based on unforeseen circumstances. Keep an eye on the trends as we move into the final days of the election, the colder days of winter and flu season coinciding with COVID, and any local weather events that could impact buying. 

2021 marketing plans

Consumers Are Planning for Better Days Ahead

The panic buying of toilet paper, groceries, hand sanitizer and other essentials we saw early in the pandemic have subsided to a degree. Although we’re still seeing lines to get into some grocery stores and some shelves emptier than others, we’re also seeing the sentiments shift on social media.

People who had to postpone their weddings, travel plans and other events are now thinking beyond the pandemic. Rather than stock up on endless supplies of paper goods, they’re thinking of ways to spend their money on fun.

They’re enjoying staycations and eyeing vacation home rentals and camping excursions to fill their calendars. With time on their hands and a desire to connect with nature, families are hitting the road.

Forbes adds, “An oversupply of oil is slashing gas prices and enticing more travelers to hit the road. Many people, especially families, are also looking toward nature, and some private and public campgrounds have seen an increase in visitors over the past few months.”

2021 marketing strategy: Adjust your messaging to address how you’re helping people make the most of pandemic times or look forward to happier days ahead. Do you own a tire shop? Tell customers you’re ready to help them get on the road. Flower shop? Show customers your beautiful wedding bouquets. Use language that inspires positivity and makes your followers feel optimistic for the future.

Recommended resource: Rallio Local for custom, local content with spot-on messaging

Contactless Is Here to Stay

We’ll continue to see a rise in contact-free options for making reservations, ordering food, checking in, shopping for goods and services, and earning loyalty rewards. By eliminating common touchpoints, businesses are providing a clean, safe, convenient way to carry out tasks that previously required much more hands-on interaction. 

The cost of implementing these new technologies is an upfront expense that may prove to be a burden for some businesses. However, this is a necessary expenditure if you want to survive and thrive in 2021. Consumers now expect there to be contact-free and ecommerce options if they’re going to give you their business.

2021 marketing strategy: Implement touch-free and ecommerce options if you haven’t already. Share what you’re doing on social media to let your followers know how to take advantage of these technologies. 

Recommended resource: The Free Website Guys for a beautifully designed, ecommerce-enabled website built for you totally free — yes, free. No credit card required.

The Free Website Guys builds free custom websites for qualified applicants.

No Moment Is Too Small

While people were watching the moments tick by at home, they also started to make those moments count. From breaking out Halloween decorations early to supporting local bakeries on National Dessert Day, consumers are looking for reasons to celebrate.

2021 marketing strategy: Step up your marketing around everyday celebrations to help your followers find some joy at home. Additionally, dedicate extra planning for the traditional holidays that are coming. People will likely be shopping online in record numbers this holiday season and starting their gift-buying research early. 

NetImperative notes, “July (along with August and September) has one of the highest rates of UGC interaction, highlighting that shoppers are engaging with customer reviews, photos, and questions and answers as they research gifts online.”

Recommended resource: Facebook IQ holiday marketing guide

Read more: Planning for a Christmas like no other

Customer Service Is Paramount

Social media is not only a social platform, but also a customer service channel. People are routinely turning to a brand’s social media pages to air concerns, ask questions and learn more about the business.

2021 marketing strategy: Respond to every review, comment, inbox message and other social interaction. Treat social media as an extension of your customer support team.

Recommended resource: Rallio Local for responding to all of the above on your behalf, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks.

Read more: Brand Voice: What Is It and Why Does It Matter?

Brand voice

Doing Good Translates to Good Business

More than ever, customers are interested in seeing brands participate in initiatives that serve the greater good. From advocating for social justice to providing resources during the pandemic, businesses have stepped in and stepped up — and consumers are taking notice. 

As Inc.com puts it, “Nine in 10 Americans expect companies to do more than make a profit. Is your company taking action to build a more just, sustainable, and prosperous world?”

If you’re shying away from heart-centric endeavors, just remember that your followers may feel differently. Deloitte reports: “Executives also told us they’re prioritizing improving efficiency and productivity over more human-centric initiatives such as strengthening customer engagement and increasing the company’s impact on society. But when we polled consumers, they told us that these are precisely the types of actions they expect from brands. More than a quarter of consumers said they walked away from companies they perceived to be acting self-interestedly.

“The message is clear: Efficiency may be paramount to survival, but at a time when people are demanding more from businesses, marketing post COVID-19 is about creating an authentic human connection.”

2021 marketing strategy: Consider ways you can be a force for good in the coming year. Define how your marketing can communicate your desire to be of service and help others.

Recommended resource: Deloitte’s 2021 Global Marketing Trends

Learn more: Digital Marketing Institute: 16 Brands Doing Corporate Social Responsibility Successfully

Corporate responsibility

Stay Flexible With 2021 Marketing Plans

The past year reminds us that being ready to change on a dime is critical to surviving as a small business. Keep an eye on your own customer base, their likes and dislikes on social media, and their needs and wants going into 2021. Be ready to change course if you’re thrown another curveball.

Oh, and stay positive. Be prepared, but don’t panic. And that, perhaps, is the best advice of all as we round out this strange, chaotic year.

Categories
Branding

Brand Voice: What Is It and Why Does It Matter?

In the cluttered world of social media, distinguishing yourself from the competition is more important than ever. Brands are vying for attention, and your brand voice can help you stand out from the crowd.

Your brand voice complements its visuals, and vice versa. While your logo, images, designs and other visual elements establish how you look, your brand voice uses specific words to convey your personality. Together, your brand voice and visual appearance work to create a brand identity. 

Why does brand voice matter? Let’s take a closer look so you can generate a brand voice of your own and appeal to your target customer.

What Is Brand Identity?

Think of your brand identity as the life of the party. In a crowded room, people can easily pick you out — with an easily recognizable appearance and tone of voice. 

In other words, your brand identity stands out. 

Your brand identity is unique to you. It sets you apart from all the others, like one pink sneaker in a closet filled with brown dress shoes.

It’s what allows your customers to think of you when they’re in the market for your products or services.

What About Brand Voice?

To support this brand identity, your brand voice takes on a personality through its communications. Imagine the same “life of the party” sneaker above opening its mouth and speaking. What words does it say? What type of story does it tell?

The words used in your communications — including your social media posts, emails, blog posts, website copy and ads — complement the visual story you’re telling. 

Maybe you are fun, edgy, quirky and lighthearted. Or there might be a need for you to be more professional and subdued.

It all depends on your target customer. But either way, your storytelling should capture their attention. Just because you’re a brown dress shoe doesn’t mean you have to be boring.

Consider Progressive Insurance with its range of quirky commercials. In a crowded, competitive insurance marketplace, the brand manages to make its ads memorable. 

There’s Flo, the iconic friendly female character who convinces people to save by switching to Progressive. And there’s Dr. Rick, who reminds people of the need for “unbecoming your parents.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WcqGMzy1s0&feature=youtu.be

When you have followers tweeting about your commercials, then you know you’ve established a strong, effective brand voice.

Why Is Brand Voice Important?

Not only does a distinct brand voice make you memorable, but it also helps to inform every piece of written content. From your social media posts and engagements, to review responses and email campaigns, your brand voice should be infused into everything you publish.

With a consistent brand voice, you become a familiar “friend” to your followers. They know that if they comment on your posts or ask a question, they can expect consistent replies. 

It shouldn’t feel like several different people are working on your social media. Even if that’s the case, it should feel like it’s “the brand” responding every time — like one human typing directly to followers.

Here are just a few places where you should have a consistent brand voice:

  • Replies to comments on your social media posts
  • Responses to direct messages and online reviews
  • The stories you tell via social media, i.e., compelling storylines that people will want to follow
  • Customer service questions submitted via social media 
  • Email campaigns and website copy
  • Ad copy

Without a distinctive brand voice infused into your content, you risk becoming irrelevant to your followers. They probably will not continue following you if your personality doesn’t shine through on your social profiles — no matter how great your product or service may be.

Read more: 7 Habits of Highly Successful Social Media Marketers

7 Habits of Highly Successful Social Media Marketers

How You Can Develop a Brand Voice of Your Own

If you’re struggling to find your own brand voice, the following tips will get you started.

Create brand guidelines that dictate your brand voice. 

These guidelines should include rules on how to present your brand both visually and with tone of voice. A good starting place is your brand’s core values and mission statement.

From those core values and mission statement, pull out some common words and phrases that describe your brand. Think of your brand as a person. What words describe your brand’s personality traits? 

Include examples of how to write various pieces of copy within those guidelines. Take five to 10 images, and caption them in your brand voice. This way, anyone who picks up these guidelines (either internally on your team or externally with an agency partner) will be able to understand how to present your brand in words and in visuals.

Look at brands you follow.

You don’t have to look just at competitors’ brands. Look at brands you follow on social media just for the mere fact that you are entertained, inspired or educated by their content. 

Jot down the words and phrases that come to mind when you see these posts. Study their content to understand how they pair words and images. How can you emulate their work with your own content? 

Create an audience persona.

Who are the people who make up your target audience? Are they younger, older? What kind of language and tone resonates with them? If you were talking to one of these audience members on the phone, what would you say? 

Imagine you’re sitting down to coffee with one of them. What topics of conversation would come up? What pop culture or generational references speak to them? Write down personality traits, slang words and vocabulary words associated with your ideal customer. 

Know how to adjust your tone for different situations.

The tone you use to address a customer complaint will differ greatly from the tone used to announce a new product. In your brand guidelines, include examples of how to handle different scenarios. Offer guidelines on responding to complaints. 

Have a few template-type responses that serve as a starting point for responses. Always tweak these responses to suit the situation! You don’t want to sound like a robot.

Review your brand voice from time to time. As with anything in marketing, it’s important to revisit your brand guidelines and brand voice periodically. This can be done annually or as needed. 

For instance, the pandemic or other life-changing events may prompt you to review the ways you interact with customers. By reviewing your brand voice, you can avoid sounding outdated or out of touch.

Give Your Brand Voice the Attention It Needs

By taking the time to develop your brand voice, you’ll have a better grasp of how to approach your social media. You’ll also be able to navigate different scenarios with your audience with a confident, consistent tone. 

If you’d like some help in developing your brand voice and presenting it on social media, turn to the experts at Rallio. We’ll be happy to lend a hand.

Read more: Top 9 Social Media Questions, Answered

Top 9 Social Media Questions, Answered

Categories
Social

3 Critical Questions to Ask Before Slashing Your Marketing Budget

If you’re thinking of slashing your marketing budget right now, you’re not alone. Faced with the pandemic and economic uncertainties, many business owners are looking for ways to trim their expenses.

While there may be certain cost-cutting measures you can take, however, your marketing budget should not be one of them. With internet and social media usage at an all-time high, you have an opportunity to reach customers who otherwise would never find you. 

“During a March 2020 survey of social media users in the United States, 43.1 percent of respondents stated that if confined to their homes during the coronavirus, they would use Instagram more during that period. YouTube and Facebook were also popular social platforms that users were estimating to increase their usage during physical distancing at home.” — Statista

Although the pandemic has brought about challenging times for businesses and consumers alike, now is not the time to reduce marketing spending. In fact, ramping up your marketing budget could be the thing that pushes you ahead of your competition.

According to Harvard Business Review (HBR): “Companies that have bounced back most strongly from previous recessions usually did not cut their marketing spend, and in many cases actually increased it. But they did change what they were spending their marketing budget on and when to reflect the new context in which they operated.”

So rather than cut your marketing budget, ask yourself these three critical questions. You might find that it’s simply a matter of reallocating your marketing dollars in new and better ways.

Read more: The 6 Most Important Social Media Metrics to Track for ROI

ROI of social media

Have You Pivoted?

By pivoting, we mean changing course when faced with these types of unprecedented times. (Apologies if you’ve heard that phrase a zillion times by now — it’s just the most accurate description for what we’re all going through.)

Throwing your marketing dollars at the same things you were marketing heavily a year ago just doesn’t make sense. Instead, consider how your business can shift to address the current reality.

By now, many businesses have already figured out how to pivot. There have been entirely new lines of business created, out of necessity. Fitness studios, forced to close their doors due to COVID-19, had to launch virtual classes. Restaurants had to create takeout and delivery options. Retailers had to create ecommerce offerings in place of in-person shopping.

Many of these new additions to businesses are here to stay. And yet … can you do more?

Now is not the time to get comfortable. Keep the things that are working, but keep discovering ways to be better than your competitors, too. 

As HBR puts it: “Research … shows that products launched during a recession have both higher long-term survival chances and higher sales revenues. That’s partly because there are fewer new products to compete with, but it also comes from the fact that companies maintaining R&D have focused the investment on their best prospects — which may explain why products introduced during recessions have been shown to be of higher quality.”

“A new and innovative product engenders hope that the economy is on the mend, and that the consumer may soon be able to afford it,” HBR adds.

It’s not enough to launch new products and services — how are you going to spread the word?

It’s essential that you pair your launches with strategic marketing plans for the greatest impact with your target audience. 

Read more: Lessons Learned From the Pandemic: A Conversation With Franchisees

Are You Satisfied With Your Share of Voice?

Share of voice (SOV) is a metric that describes your share of advertising compared to your competitors. It also includes all forms of measurable brand awareness, such as the number and reach of online mentions, pay per click, website traffic and other factors, says Search Engine Journal (SEJ).

“Basically, share of voice helps you understand how popular your brand is compared to all your competitors,” adds SEJ.

Calculating your SOV requires a detailed explanation that goes beyond the subject matter of this article. The SEJ article referenced above offers a nice breakdown you can use to determine your own SOV. (Feeling acronymed out yet?)

However, the key takeaway is that increasing your advertising is a smart move right now while your competitors are cutting back. Think about it: As they decrease, and you increase, you gain more SOV.

“During recessions, when most firms are cutting back on their brand advertising, a firm’s share of voice increases if it can maintain or increase its advertising budget,” says HBR, citing Reckitt Benckiser, whose family of brands includes Clearasil, Durex, Woolite and, notably during the pandemic, Lysol. 

“In the recession following the 2008 financial crash, the company launched a marketing campaign aimed at persuading its consumers to continue purchasing its more expensive and better performing brands, despite the harsh economic climate,” explains HBR. “Increasing its advertising outlays by 25% in the face of reduced marketing by competitors, Reckitt Benckiser actually grew revenues by 8% and profits by 14%, when most of its rivals were reporting profit declines of 10% or more. They viewed advertising as an investment rather than an expense.”

In today’s climate, gaining SOV means ramping up your marketing budget and advertising via social media and other digital mediums. Your followers need to hear from you, or they’ll forget about you and go elsewhere. 

And even established brands need to work to stay relevant. Just look at big names like Coca Cola in 2020, reminding its customers that the brand “always has been, and always will be there for you, in good times and bad,” notes HBR. (Learn more in this YouTube segment.)

Your followers also need to see that you’re responsive to social media questions, comments, online reviews and other digital engagements. All of these small interactions add up to a greater SOV than the competitor with no social presence, unanswered comments and questions, and sometimes even reviews that haven’t received a response.

In summary, increasing your marketing budget has the potential to give you:

  • Not just greater SOV, but also greater market share as a result of increased connections with customers and new prospects. Your social media ad campaigns, boosted posts and related email offers all help you reach your target audience.
  • Retention of your core customer base. Staying top of mind means they think of you when they need your products or services. Out of sight means out of mind.
  • New customers. How are you going to keep a constantly growing pipeline if you aren’t marketing and advertising yourself?
  • A positive online reputation. Having someone dedicated to responding to every single social interaction and review is essential for cultivating credibility and trust with your target audience.

Can You Better Allocate Your Marketing Budget?

So if you aren’t going to cut your marketing budget, it makes sense to look at where you are spending your marketing dollars.

If you take a good look at where you are spending your marketing budget, you might find that you need to make some tweaks. If you’re spending money on pay per click but spending nothing on social media, for instance, you’re missing out on opportunities to reach your customer.

Learn more: 5 Ways to Integrate Email Marketing With Social Media Marketing

email marketing

What kind of tweaks can you make? 

  • Allocate money toward social media. Our research and firsthand experience with clients have demonstrated the value of social media marketing and advertising. Time and time again, we’ve seen that even a modest social media ad budget allows brands to extend their reach and expand their following.
  • Ensure your digital platforms are an extension of in-person experiences. Your social media messaging, design, visuals and even the people pictured in your local photos should reflect what you have in-store. Own a restaurant? They should see James, your head chef, and Sally, your hostess with the mostest.
  • Provide a seamless shopping experience by aligning your social media with the rest of your marketing. For example, a shopper who shops in your physical store should be able to hop on your social media pages and have a similar experience. A shopper who receives marketing offers via email but isn’t targeted and retargeted via social media is a lost opportunity. 
  • Consider whether outsourcing would help you achieve more of your marketing goals with less money. The cost of hiring someone to manage the full-time job of social media marketing is often greater than the cost of outsourcing to an agency and technology partner like Rallio.

Your Business Deserves a Smart Marketing Budget

We understand the current economic climate might make some businesses nervous about spending money on marketing. However, without a dedicated and properly allocated marketing budget, your business will have a tough time getting ahead.

Keep in mind that Rallio offers a variety of different products and services to help with your marketing goals. We’ll make things work for your particular marketing budget — so you can feel good about spending the money. Schedule a no-obligation consultation to find out how we can help.

https://www.rallio.com///get-started/

Categories
Social

7 Habits of Highly Successful Social Media Marketers

Certain habits are, arguably, not very productive (say, binge-watching Netflix). Others are the stuff that great businesses are built upon. Successful social media marketers have the good habits figured out — and they’re reaping the rewards.

When you start putting the habits below into practice, you can begin growing your followers, engagements, leads and sales via social media. Hey, you might even have time left over for some of those less-than-productive habits. Let’s dive right in.

1. They Build Relationships, Not Follower Lists

Yes, it’s important to grow your follower list so you have an audience, plus potential reach outside your immediate network. However, the number of followers you have doesn’t mean much if you never engage with those followers.

Successful social media marketers reply to comments and messages in a timely manner, share engaging content, and demonstrate an understanding of the kind of content people want to see. 

How to develop this habit: 

  • Check on your social media daily. If you don’t have time to do it, hire someone who does.
  • Respond to all questions and comments on your posts, online reviews and direct messages. Even negative comments or reviews need a response.
  • Be a real human, not a robot. Take an interest in people. Ask them open-ended questions, just like you would if you met someone in real life

2. They Put People Before Profits

Nobody likes greedy social media marketers. If your posts are consistently promotional and have a “me, me, me” feel to them, your followers will leave. 

On the other hand, if you consistently celebrate and uplift the people who make your business tick, your followers will celebrate, too. 

How to develop this habit:

  • Have an attitude of gratitude. Of course you can post customer testimonials, but use them as an opportunity to thank your customers for supporting your business.
  • Give your fellow social media marketers and team members props. “Team Member Tuesday” types of posts that spotlight your employees help to build employee morale. In turn, employees will be more likely to share their own positive experiences with your brand.
  • Have the majority of your content be non-promotional. This way, when you do have a special offer for your followers, it will feel more like a gift than a sales ploy.

Read more: Top 9 Social Media Questions, Answered

Top 9 Social Media Questions, Answered for social media marketers

3. They Have a Heart

Successful social media marketers also have a heart. They give back, and they consistently demonstrate that they care.

There’s no one way to “give,” and every brand will be slightly different in terms of their efforts. We’re not here to tell you how to give, but rather simply that it should be considered in your social media marketing plans. Whether you’re taking a stance on diversity, equity and inclusion, or you’re helping people in need during the pandemic, or you’re giving to a certain charity, you’ll want to hammer out the details. 

Forbes reports findings from the American Association of Advertising Agencies that 56% of consumers say they are happy to learn how brands are helping during the pandemic. For example, Audible is offering hundreds of free titles to children. Many big tech companies like Apple and Facebook donated N95 masks to hospitals. Joanne Fabrics gave away supplies and instructions for making cotton face masks. The list goes on.

How to develop this habit:

  • Get together with your team and executives to develop a policy. Decide how you want to contribute to something bigger than you. 
  • Share the policy with the entire team.
  • Create brand guidelines for social media.
  • Use your social media pages to share what you’re doing.

4. They Use Multiple Channels 

In addition to posting on the major social media platforms, great social media marketers also ensure their other marketing efforts are aligned with any social campaigns they’re running. With this habit, not only will you be able to reach more customers, but you’ll also present a cohesive brand image.

What sometimes happens in a busy small business is that one or two people are working on sales, and one or two people are working on marketing. Bringing these great minds together will help you move the dial faster on your goals.

How to develop this habit:

  • Create monthly, quarterly and yearly goals for your sales and marketing.
  • Establish content topics that support your goals and sales objectives.
  • Identify distribution channels for your content, including social media, emails, blog articles, your website and digital advertising.

5. They Create Local Content

Great social media marketers have local content at the forefront of their marketing efforts. As we discuss in this article,: “The key element that makes local social media, well, local, is that it shows the real side of your business. These posts are usually snapshots of the owners, employees, customers, product recommendations, how-tos, and other authentic-feeling images and videos.

“It’s the difference between a post with a stock photo or a sales graphic versus a real photo or a video of a team member. When you see it, it’s instantly more relatable and engaging than something that feels like you’re being sold to.”

Having local content on your page improves your engagement rates and reach with your target audience. As you post this content and boost it, you’ll ensure more of your content gets seen than it would with organic reach alone.

How to develop this habit:

  • Post real images and videos of your team, your products, your customers and your location.
  • Avoid stock photos.
  • If you’re a franchisee receiving corporate branded content, be sure you are also posting local content at least three or four times a week.
  • Read 31 Days of Social Media Content Ideas for more ideas.

31 days of content for social media marketers

6. They Collaborate 

Trying to manage your social media marketing alone will burn you out. Successful social media marketers know that they need not only a team, but also an extended network of humans who like and support their business. 

This can be employees who post about their jobs and how much they love working for you. It can be customers who love your products and services. It can be an outsourced social media provider like Rallio that’s dedicated to posting for you, replying to engagements and reviews, and boosting content.

How to build this habit:

  • Create and formalize an employee advocacy program that encourages employees to post about your business on social media. 
  • Be willing to outsource certain tasks to experts. Save your valuable time for running your business.
  • Gamify the process with leaderboards and rewards. Rallio has technology and tools to help you with this part.

7. They Continually Assess Results

Social media marketers who assess their results understand what’s working and what’s not. Social media analytics can tell you what kind of followers you have, how they’re engaging with content and how much you’re growing over time. You can also assess your sales results to identify what portion of your leads are coming from social media. 

Assessing your results will help you understand if anything needs to be changed. Or if you should do more of something. 

How to build this habit:

  • Study your analytics every week and month.
  • Decide if you should tweak anything.
  • Be willing to let go of anything that’s not working, and to ramp up efforts for anything that works well.

Successful Social Media Marketers Practice These Habits

Social media marketers who follow these seven habits tend to be more successful than those who approach their social media haphazardly. Remember, we’re here at Rallio to help you develop those positive habits — as well as get the work done within your budget.

Categories
Content Marketing Social

Your Best Cheat Sheet on Instagram Reels for Business

If you’re using Instagram for business, then you’re probably familiar with Instagram Reels by now. As a newer feature that’s essentially Instagram’s answer to TikTok, Instagram Reels for business can be a powerful way to showcase your brand via short-form video content. 

Of course, having the feature and making use of it are two different things. Toward that end, we’re giving you this quick cheat sheet on Instagram Reels for business.

With these content ideas, you’ll gain a basic understanding of the type of content to post. But first, a little background.

Read more: 6 Powerful Benefits of a Business Instagram Account

Use Instragram Reels for business Instagram accounts

About Instagram Reels for Business

This article is not so much a “how to” for getting up and running on Instagram Reels for business. Many other reputable sources have already covered that topic, such as this article from Social Media Examiner.

To give you a basic understanding, though, Reels can be uploaded as Stories or the feed, and you have the option to create a Reels gallery on your profile. Reels can also appear on the Explore page. Here are a few key highlights to know:

  • Reels are short-form video content, from 3 to 15 seconds long, in 9:16 portrait mode.
  • You can film Reels from the Reels camera or upload video content from your mobile device’s camera roll.
  • Film your Reels in one take, or piece together different scenes — have fun with it!
  • You can only upload Reels from mobile devices currently.
  • Your Instagram business profile has access to three features along the left side of the Reels screen: Speed, for a faster or slower recording pace; Effects, for various filters; and Timer, to set a timer for hands-free recording. 

Note, too, that your business Instagram account probably doesn’t have the option to incorporate music. This is because business accounts are restricted in their ability to use copyrighted material for promotional purposes.

Given this limitation, you’ll need to get creative when using Instagram Reels for business. You might not be dancing around to pop music in your Reels like you might with a personal or creator Instagram (or TikTok) account — but there are plenty of other ways to make the most of this platform.

Create How-To Videos

No matter what kind of business you have, there’s probably something you can show your followers how to do. Here are just a few ideas for how-to videos:

  • Step-by-step instructions for using your products
  • Behind-the-scenes glimpses of your business or the services you offer
  • Before-and-after clips showing the results of using your products or services 
  • Any kind of tips that relate to your business, such as cleaning tips for a cleaning business

Part of the fun of Instagram Reels for business is the stop-motion effect, where different “scenes” are pieced together. With stop motion, you can show the progression from start to finish of building a product, completing a task or putting together an outfit, for example. 

Read more: Top 9 Social Media Questions, Answered

Top 9 social media questions

Share Resources and Information 

Be an expert at what you do, and your audience will want to follow you and keep up with your latest posts. Along with your how-to videos, you can use Instagram Reels for business to share educational content, such as:

  • Answers to frequently asked questions you tend to get
  • Easy fixes for common problems related to your business
  • A “teaser” of information that relates to your products or services
  • Q&A with an executive on your team

If you’re incorporating text overlays or audio, keep it brief and use these for any key points or calls to action. Visit your competitors’ pages to see what kind of content they’re creating for their Reels, Stories, feed and IG Live. You should be able to get several ideas for the type of content to produce on your page (only yours will be better, of course!).

Show Off Your Personality

Remember, you only have up to 15 seconds per clip, so keep your Reels fun and brief. Capture your audience’s attention so they’ll come back for more.

How about introducing your team and customers — the people who make your company come to life? Give your followers a look at the day-to-day behind your business. Some ideas include:

  • A quick tour of your location
  • A team member preparing to open or close up shop for the day
  • Spontaneous dance parties caught on film
  • A series of clips featuring loyal customers and testimonials

Visit the Explore tab for ideas from like-minded brands, too. Take note of the Reels that catch your eye, and recreate them for your own business. 

Showcase Your Products or Services

How can you show off your products or services on Instagram Reels for business? Use your Reels to entice your followers to shop online or visit your store. Ideas include:

  • Short Reels featuring your new products — a new shipment of clothing at a boutique or a new menu item at a cafe, for instance
  • Special services you’re offering during the pandemic, such as curbside delivery and online ordering
  • Tips for pairing certain products — ideal for fashion accounts, food and beverage brands, and other businesses that naturally pair up certain items

Get Started on Instagram Reels for Business

There are many different features you can use on Instagram, and Instagram Reels for business is yet another tool in your social media toolbox. Because the feature is built right into Instagram, you can start posting Reels right away as long as you have an Instagram account.

And while many people simply repurpose their TikTok videos on Instagram, it’s wise not to rely on this strategy. With TikTok’s future being uncertain in the United States, it makes sense to create unique content for Reels. 

In time, you can become an expert in filming, editing and uploading videos for Instagram Reels. Who knows? You might even have some fun in the process.

Learn more: With TikTok’s future uncertain, users are jumping to these other apps

Categories
Social

Top 9 Social Media Questions, Answered

The top social media questions can range from technical to tactical when you’re new to the world of social media marketing. Although you might not feel like a master of social media platforms from day one, rest assured you can jump in and start making progress right away.

If you have a long list of social media questions, we’re betting that some of them are included in the list below. We’ve rounded some of the top social media questions and provided answers to all of them. And within the next five to 10 minutes, you can feel more confident navigating any other social media questions you might have.

1. How many people use social media today?

According to DataReportal, more than half the people on the planet use social media, as of July 2020. That’s about 3.96 billion people. In short, more people are on social media than not. 

The numbers are growing. With the pandemic having shifted many operations and activities online, people who didn’t use social media before 2020 have now hopped on board. 

“Adoption is growing rapidly, too,” notes DataReportal. “With more than 376 million new users since July 2019, that translates to almost 12 new users every second, suggesting that user numbers are growing even faster today than they were at the start of 2020.”

Social media use around the world

2. How many people use Facebook?

Statista reports there were over 2.7 billion active users as of the second quarter of 2020, making it the largest social media network in the world. Active users are those who have logged in to Facebook within the last 30 days. 

Facebook’s other products are popular, too. Statista adds that the company reports 3.14 billion people were using at least one of its core offerings each month. That includes not only Facebook, but also Instagram, Messenger or WhatsApp.

3. How often should I post?

There’s no one magic number of posts you should be publishing on a weekly basis, because the success of your posts depends on many different factors. Post frequency isn’t as important as the quality of your posts, whether you’re boosting your content, and whether people are engaging with it, for instance.

That being said, aim to post at least three or four high-quality images per week on Facebook and Instagram. (We’ll get into what “high quality” means in the next question.) That’s your minimum. Additionally, you can sprinkle in your promotional offers, recruiting posts and event posts as they come.

If you use Twitter, there’s no real “cap” on the number of tweets if you’re using the platform to engage in conversations. The platform refreshes continuously, so there are always new tweets appearing at the top of the feeds. Focus on using trending hashtags, replying to tweets and retweeting others’ content.

LinkedIn is a good place to focus on professional relationship building and growing your network. Keep it professional, and limit your posting to two to five times per week.

Forces shaping social media and top social media questions

4. What do I post? 

Of all the social media questions, this is one of the most common — and the one that can feel like the biggest headache. It doesn’t have to be, though, if you have a handy list of content ideas nearby.

For purposes of answering this social media question, we’ll focus on Facebook and Instagram (use the parameters above for guidance on Twitter and LinkedIn). In our article 3 Major Forces Shaping Social Media Marketing for Franchises, we offer several ideas for what to post on social media:

  • “Before and after” photos, if it makes sense for your business.
  • Team or customer testimonials. Try Canva.com for free graphic design tools.
  • Pictures or videos of your product or service in action.
  • Partner shoutouts: What partners work with you and why?
  • Your work with the local community. Document any photos showing how you support local businesses, nonprofits, schools or other groups.
  • How-to videos. What knowledge do you have that your clients do not?
  • How does your product or service make your clients feel? How can you show that?
  • Networking events, even if virtual.

For busy small-business owners, the thought of snapping all these photos and videos can be overwhelming. To take some of the burden off yourself, you can activate and incentivize employees and customers to post images on your behalf. Rallio has a suite of tools to help you organize these images and videos for use on your pages.

As Smart Insights points out: “According to the Nielsen Consumer Trust Index, 92% of consumers trust organic, user-generated content more than they trust traditional advertising. This is because brands don’t pay for UGC — it is unbiased and created by users because they like the offerings of a business. As a result, UGC is perceived as more authentic and honest.”

5. Why do I need to boost?

Boosting your content allows you to reach more of your audience than organic reach alone. Although your followers may initially see your content after liking your page, they won’t continue to see it as frequently without boosting.

When you boost high-quality images and videos, your followers should start to engage with it via likes, comments and shares. You’ll then start to extend your reach to include friends of your followers and new followers, too. Even with a modest budget of $5 a week or more, boosting allows you to target your local audience and people who aren’t already connected with you.

6. Why do I need to respond to all my reviews?

When you respond to every review, both positive and negative, you build trust with your customers and people who aren’t your customers yet. When someone leaves a positive review on Facebook, Google, Yelp or another review platform, be sure to thank them. If it’s a negative review, be professional and offer to resolve the complaint.

Positive reviews

Imagine Sally leaves a review saying: “I love the customer service here. They carried my bags out to my car and provided contactless payment. The store was clean and employees were wearing masks. I will definitely be returning to this store.” 

While a simple “thank you” is better than nothing, consider going the extra mile. Personalize your response by using names and commenting on something they said. 

Here, you could say: “Sally, we appreciate your taking the time to let us know you enjoyed your shopping experience. The satisfaction and safety of our guests is our top priority. We’re happy to know you’ll be returning in the future, and we look forward to serving you again soon!”

Negative reviews

Now imagine Sally leaves a review saying: “The customer service is horrible here. I felt like I was being ignored. The store was in disarray, and employees were chatting with each other and staring at their phones. I will never come back.”

It’s tempting to get defensive here, especially if you pride yourself on great customer service. Instead of reacting to the negative review, try something along these lines: “Sally, we deeply apologize you had a negative experience shopping with us. Your situation is not the norm at our store, and we will be looking into this matter to ensure these events never happen again. We would love to speak with you to make things right. Please contact us at [email] or [phone number].”

Both responses aim to make your customers happy and bolster your online reputation. In addition, responding to all your online reviews may work in your favor in terms of local SEO. 

Consider using a solution like the Rallio Dashboard to pull in all your reviews in one place. With Rallio, you can respond to Facebook and Google reviews without having to leave the platform and log in somewhere else.

7. Do I have to respond to all my comments and messages, too?

Yes. Respond to all your comments, direct messages and other engagements on your social media pages. Again, you’re handling customer service issues, building trust and confidence in your brand, and taking advantage of opportunities for potential leads and sales. 

Fast response times on your messages and engagements can also work in your favor with the algorithms on social media platforms. For example, have you ever seen a “Very responsive to messages” notice on a Facebook business page? Pages earn this badge of honor by — you guessed it — responding to messages quickly.

8. How do I get started?

Start with your goals for social media marketing, and then develop a strategy and KPIs to support those goals. Define your target audience and how you want to reach them. Create guidelines for posting, especially if you plan to include other team members and influencers in your social media marketing team. And create brand guidelines for visuals, messaging and style.

From there, set up your pages, set up an ad account, and get to posting. Follow the guidelines in previous questions to make sure you’re posting the most relevant, engaging content and getting it in front of your audience.

9. I don’t have time for all this. What do I do?

Many small businesses do not have the time to devote to social media marketing, and understandably so. It’s a full-time job to develop your strategy, post local content, boost it, respond to everything, study your analytics, and stay on top of any changes to social media technology. 

Most people find that to be successful on social media, it takes a team. While you may initially be able to handle some of the tasks yourself, over time and as you grow, you’ll need more help. You can either assign the task to someone on your team, or outsource to a third party like Rallio

Got More Social Media Questions? We’re Here to Help

Whether you want to be more hands-off or be actively involved with your social media, we’re here to answer your social media questions and help you find the best solutions. Get in touch with us for a walk-through of your options.

Read more: Should You Outsource Your Small-Business Social Media? 4 Compelling Reasons It Makes Sense

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