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How to Build Social Media Content From Scratch

Whether you’re a new or established business owner, by now you know the importance of having a social media presence. But if you’re just getting started with the various social media platforms, sometimes it’s tough to know where to begin.

Today’s post is all about helping you do just that. Building something from nothing is totally doable if you have the right tools to get going one step at a time.

First, the Basics

Although it’s important to have some kind of presence on the major platform, you’ll probably only pick one or two where you’ll really focus your efforts. Start by finding out where your audience spends the most time; that’s where you’ll want to be. If your audience is millennials, for instance, you’ll likely be on Instagram and Snapchat.

Once you’ve nailed down your platforms and set up your pages, you’ll need a system for creating and scheduling your posts. The Rallio platform is a great option, especially if you’re trying to manage multiple locations. There are others out there, too, such as Hootsuite and Buffer. I won’t get into comparing these different options in this post, other than to say we’re happy to walk you through a Rallio demo. Click here to request one.

[bctt tweet=”Find out where your audience spends the most time; that’s where you’ll want to be. #socialmediatips” username=”rallioHQ”]

Now, the Ideas

Most business owners would say that the reason they’re not posting on social media is lack of time, lack of ideas or a combination of the two. As far as time goes, try carving out 30 minutes daily to dedicate solely to social media. You might find you actually enjoy interacting with customers and building a following!

And as far as ideas, I’ve got several to get you going.

Easiest: Share relevant content from others

Don’t have time to write a blog post or an article? Someone else has already done it for you. Search for content created by non-competing entities, and simply share their content on your social pages.

Take our client Saddleback Memorial Hospital, for example, for which we actually create social media content. In this post, we shared mountain climbing safety tips from the publication Healthline, adding in a health-related spin (“bring the right gear, stay hydrated …). The post works great because not only did Saddleback Memorial not have to create the content themselves, but they also capitalized on a “holiday” of sorts, National Mountain Climbing Day.

Also easy, once you’ve done the work: Repurpose your own content

This one takes a little more legwork initially, but once you’ve done the work, you have endless opportunities to repurpose your own content. You can either write blog posts or videos yourself or hire someone to do it for you, but in any case, those posts are great shareable content.

Here’s an example. I wrote a post over a year ago, 31 Days of Social Media Ideas, in two parts. We’ve repurposed several elements of those two posts over and over again, pulling out different ideas to share. Here’s a recent tweet that capitalized on one idea from my post:

All it took was going back to that original post and calling out one of the “days” to share. No extra blog post needed!

Create a Poll

People love voicing their opinion on social media, so why not capitalize on their desire to be heard? Polls can be silly or serious, but make sure you ask something that’s sure to get a response. On Twitter, you can create polls right from your “Compose new Tweet” box. On Facebook, see this link for help creating a poll on the platform.

Some polls should focus on helping you learn more about your audience, while others might simply speak to a current trend. Entrepreneur magazine recently created a poll on the topic of the eclipse:

The post has nothing to do with entrepreneurship or small business, but it’s so easy to answer that users can’t resist voting in the poll. The lesson: Keep it simple and relevant.

Ask a Question or Invite “Fill in the Blank” Responses

Along the lines of polls, anytime you pose a question or ask users to fill in the blank in a post, you’re inviting engagement. Try a simple either-or question such as, “Would you rather eat hamburgers or pizza if those were the last two foods on Earth?” You can also post an engaging photo and either ask users to caption it, or create a fill-in-the-blank response, such as, “My favorite thing about summer is ____.”

Post a Quote

Apps like canva.com make it easy to create your own attractive graphics. Find some inspirational quotes, plop them into a Canva template, download and upload the image, and voila! You’ve got a post. Repurpose the quote image across platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Here’s one from our CEO, Chuck Goetschel, created in Canva:

Or Create an Infographic

Share facts and stats about your industry in an infographic, which you can create yourself using Canva or Visual.ly. Head over to Daily Infographic for ideas, such as this gem, The Ultimate Guide to Burritos.

Go Behind the Scenes

Can you share a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world behind your business? Maybe offer a look at how your products are produced, or make it personal, like this Instagram post of our team out to lunch:

Invite User-Generated Content

Ask your audience to post photos of themselves using or benefitting from your product or service. Not only does this invite some creativity into your posts, but it also provides the social validation people are looking for online. Your audience is more likely to believe a testimonial from a real customer versus a piece of sales copy you created!

Gather Inspiration

As you’re browsing online, save your favorite articles and images so you can look at them later and get inspired to post. Pinterest and Pocket are great tools for organizing and keeping track of your content.

What are some other ways you’ve created content from scratch? Let’s hear your ideas! For additional brainstorming, refer back to my posts featuring 31 days of social media ideas, part 1 and part 2.

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Content Marketing Uncategorized

Lessons in Self-Promotion From Gabrielle Bernstein

When you’re building a brand, one of your first orders of business is getting your message in front of the right audience. From social media to word of mouth, you have so many tools at your disposal to accomplish this task, so where do you begin?

To answer this question, I wanted to share some insights from life coach, speaker and author Gabrielle Bernstein, who has built her business around sharing authentic messages. In following Bernstein’s work, I’ve learned that she focuses on serving her audience from a place of sharing, not pushing, a philosophy that every business would do well to adopt while creating a publicity plan. Here are five lessons you can learn from her.

Lesson #1: You Don’t Need to Be a PR Expert

Before creating her coaching business, Bernstein owned a public relations firm. If you’re thinking to yourself, “Well, of course she’s great at getting publicity then,” consider this: She was completely self-taught. Bernstein didn’t get a degree in public relations; she trained herself. She then leveraged the PR skills she learned to build the business she has today.

So if you’re feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of publicizing your business, take a deep breath. Start writing down the reasons you got started and the mission you have in sharing your products or services. Come from a place of helping others rather than serving yourself. What problem does your product or service solve? Start there.

This process will help you to clarify the message you want to share with your audience. Once you connect with the big-picture intention behind your brand, it’ll become easier to be your own publicist. Your message will be authentic, clear and well-received because it’ll come from your heart. You are the best one to share this message because you deeply care about it!

[bctt tweet=”#smm tip: Come from a place of helping others rather than serving yourself. #socialmediatips” username=”rallioHQ”]

Lesson #2: You Have a Message, So Share It

Bernstein frequently talks about being “unapologetic” about your message and putting your work out into the world. Remember, you are coming from a placing of sharing something exciting, not a place of selling or manipulating. The people who need to hear your message will be excited to hear it, so don’t keep it to yourself!

As she imagined her business, Bernstein thought about (actually, she meditated about) what her typical audience member looked like. She determined this person is a young woman living in the city with a salaried job who likely struggles with relationships and self-image. (It gets even more granular than that, but we’ll stop there to keep things simple.)

Once she had that person in mind, Bernstein was able to identify how her work could help this person and start sharing her message freely and unapologetically. Instead of trying to push her message or manipulate her audience into feeling a certain way, she could simply share the intention behind the work she was doing. She believed so powerfully in her message that she was able to share it without feeling salesy.

Lesson #3: Look for Your Audience in Unexpected Places

Having that clear picture of your audience like Bernstein did helps you discover where those people are spending their time. And she didn’t limit herself to thinking her audience only would be looking to health- and wellness-related resources.

In truth, Bernstein conceded, they were probably reading glossy fashion magazines and blogs about cutting their hair. Through the course of her group coaching sessions and social situations, she shared her desire to reach that audience. And within a month of beginning that conversation, she received an email from a client who, to her surprise, worked at Elle magazine. The client had pitched Bernstein to her team, and the magazine wanted to do a six-page feature on her.

Because she was willing to think “without a box,” as she puts it, Bernstein was able to take her message to those places where her audience was actually consuming media, even if glossy fashion magazines weren’t her initial target. As a result, Bernstein achieved some her greatest media placements early on, including regular spots on the Today show and sitting alongside Oprah.

[bctt tweet=”If you have a powerful message, you must become unapologetic about sharing it with the world. – @GabbyBernstein” username=”rallioHQ”]

Lesson #4: You Don’t Have to Master Every Form of Social Media

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat … so many social media platforms, so little time, right?

I would say it’s important to have some kind of presence on the major platforms, because you don’t want people to see a ghost town when they happen upon your social pages. However, you’ll want to spend the most time on the couple of platforms that a) you love and b) your audience consumes regularly.

Bernstein, for one, loves providing videos, and her audience loves to watch them. Essentially, she created the space where her audience loves to congregate. For years, Bernstein would put out a video blog every Monday morning. The vlogs were free for her audience, easy to create and something she loved to do. Over time, Bernstein grew her newsletter audience because people watching her videos opted in. (Side note: Don’t be afraid to put out free content. It will help your overall marketing efforts as you build trust and confidence with your audience members.)

Instead of trying to be everywhere all of the time, focus your efforts in those areas that energize you and allow you to feel as though you’re genuinely serving your audience. From there, you’ll find that you’re thrilled to put out your work because it feels authentic, empowering and helpful (again, not salesy).

As Seth Godin puts it, “Ideas that spread win.” What are your ideas? And in what manner would you love to spread them?

[bctt tweet=”As @ThisIsSethsBlog puts it, ideas that spread win. What are your ideas? #smm” username=”rallioHQ”]

Lesson #5: Be Your Own Voice on Social Media

Bernstein has said that every post she creates comes from her, not from a third party posting in her name. You can decide how strict you want to be with this lesson, but the intention behind it is clear: to allow you to speak authentically and put a personality behind your brand. That way, people will trust you, and even your promotional posts won’t feel like sales pitches.

Consider this carefully crafted post from Bernstein where she subtly promotes her course via the hashtag #SpiritJunkieMasterclass while providing a thoughtful image quote to inspire her audience:

Key takeaway: The message you’re sharing is always going to be the most well-received when it’s genuine, not canned. The second your audience senses you’re not being real with them, they’ll unfollow and move along to someone who is.

And that’s no way to promote yourself and build your brand, now is it?

For all the social media strategy and advice that exists out there, make sure you’re getting back to the basics and speaking from the heart. The more you share content that’s meaningful to your audience, the more your message will resonate and the larger your following will become.

 

 

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How to Run an Instagram Contest and Boost Your Fan Base

Instagram has become a popular way for brands to connect with their target audiences and build a fan base using visually engaging content. If you’re looking for ways to boost your Instagram following organically, running a contest can be a quick, fun means to building brand awareness.

Unlike many other platforms, Instagram’s promotion guidelines are fairly loose, meaning you have the freedom to create a variety of different contests without a lot of red tape. Today, we’ll walk through the steps to create a contest that boosts your fan base.

Step #1: Choose a Prize.

What do you want to promote? Do you want to offer a freebie, a vacation, a consultation? Think about what’s appropriate for your brand and the best ways to spread the word.

Ideally, the prize allows people to remember you and associate the prize with your brand. For example, giving away a Nintendo Switch is great if you’re a video game company, but not so great if you’re a beauty brand. That is, you want to build an audience of users who are interested in your core brand offerings and not just the prize you’re giving away.

[bctt tweet=”#Instagram contest tip: Give away a prize that’s related to your brand. #giveaways” username=”rallioHQ”]

Step #2: Build Your Contest

There are many different types of Instagram contests, and you can combine elements of each to boost your potential engagement even more. Here’s a quick breakdown of a few of them to help you decide on a contest type.

  • Like contests. These are quick and simple: Just ask users to like your photo to be entered for a chance to win. You can also ask for a “follow” on your account for an extra chance to win. As more and more people like your photo, you’ll increase your reach, possibly even show up on the Explore page where new followers will find you.
  • Comment contests. Ask users to comment on your photo. Comment contests are great when you’re seeking customer input and feedback. You can pair this type of contest with a like contest and, again, offer users an extra entry when they not only like and follow, but also comment. Furthermore, you can invite users to tag friends in comments for extra entries.
  • Loop giveaways. This type of contest incorporates several brands all at once, anywhere from five to 30-plus brands that collaborate to host the contest. The organizer creates a graphic that instructs users how to like and follow their way through a “loop” of brands for a chance to win a prize. Organizing a loop is more time-intensive than the contest types above, but you can also simply participate as a brand for the sake of gaining new followers. Here’s a good walk-through of the process if you’re unfamiliar with loops.
  • Photo challenges. Ask users to post a photo on their own pages using a specific hashtag you provide. Make sure the hashtag is unique and brand-specific so as not to overlap with any other users’ pages and so you can easily find and record the entries. (For more on choosing hashtags, see this post.) You can alternatively ask users to repost a photo from your page using a repost app and tagged with your brand-specific hashtag. Other hashtags to include could be: #Instagramgiveaway, #contest, #giveaway, and #(your brand name).

Here’s how yoga brand CorePower Yoga handled an Instagram challenge asking its audience to post photos of themselves in tree pose tagged with #yogisplantingtrees. For every post, CorePower Yoga agreed to donate $1 to the Canopy Project, which in turn would plant one tree for every dollar. The result? A thousand extra trees in the world, thanks to this effort.

Step #3: Spell Out the Rules

As you’ll see in Instagram’s promotion guidelines, the rules are fairly simple. Be sure to acknowledge that the contest is not affiliated with Instagram in any way, and do not inaccurately tag content or encourage users to do so (for example, don’t tell people to tag themselves in photos if they aren’t in the photo).

Provided your rules are not overly complicated, you can include the rules and disclaimers in the caption of your post. Here’s how one Instagram account handled a dress giveaway, combining elements of a like, follow and comment contest:

 

 

The disclaimer is included in the body of the caption.

 

If your rules get too long and complicated for a caption, you can instead create a landing page on your website with the rules and, if necessary, an entry form. Just tell users to click the link in your bio to enter to win, and update your bio with the correct URL.

Should you decide to host your contest as a campaign with a landing page, you’ll have the added benefit of collecting user data such as email addresses. That way, you can connect with entrants and continue to build customer relationships long after the contest ends.

Step #4: Follow Up

Once your contest is over, use any data you’ve collected to follow up with your new followers. And then keep the momentum going by trying out different contest types. Above all, keep engaging with your audience so they continue to follow you. New followers aren’t worth much if you ignore them and they end up unfollowing you later.

Have you run successful Instagram contests? What other tips can you share?

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Social Media Terms Your Company Should Know

Social media has a language of its own, and being able to speak it fluently is critical to any business’s success today. From basic terms such as “comment” and “like” to the more complex “handle,” there is an endless number of terms to know.

Today, I’ll go over some of the top terms you should know as a business owner or a social media marketer. I can’t cover all of them, because by the time I’m done writing this, no doubt there will be new terms to know, while others inch toward being obsolete. Your best bet is to be a regular consumer of all things social, so you’ll always know what’s trending and what’s on its way out.

I’ve included the major platforms, all of which can be connected and managed within the Rallio app (our Instagram functionality is in its final development stages as of this writing). Watch for my next post where I’ll cover some of the other platforms, such as Pinterest, Snapchat and Tumblr.

Common General Terms Across Platforms

  • Comment: A response to your post from a reader. In most cases, comments appear below a post. On Twitter, however, comments appear in the form of a “reply” or a “retweet” and don’t all appear together as they would on Facebook or Instagram.
  • Follow/Followers: Click the “follow” button, and you’ll receive regular updates on that user or business in your feed. Once you subscribe to someone, that makes you that person’s follower! The more followers you have, of course, the better.
  • Handle: Your username, preceded by “@” and used on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. You can also type it on Facebook to tag a friend or a page in a post. Keep it consistent across platforms so people can find you easily.
  • Hashtag: A word or a phrase preceded by “#” with no spaces or unique characters. As I note in this post, you can use hashtags as conversation starters or search terms around topics of relevance to your brand. They’re primarily used on Twitter and Instagram.
  • Like: This feature appears differently depending on the platform. It’s simply a way for users to indicate they like your post. On Facebook, in addition to the “like” button, there’s a range of options on how users may choose to react to your post, including buttons for “love,” “haha” and “angry.” On Twitter and Instagram, there’s just a heart.
  • Mention/Tag: On Twitter, you can “mention” another user by placing an “@” before the username. Same thing on Instagram, though it’s commonly referred to as a “tag” rather than a mention. On Facebook, you would simply type the person’s name to tag that person. Whatever you call it, it’s a great way to thank your followers, call their attention to content of interest and attract new followers, too.
  • Newsfeed: The homepage of a platform where you’ll see a stream of updates from anyone you follow.
  • Post: Content that’s created by an account, including status updates, photos, videos and links. At the end of this section, you’ll see an example of a @rallioHQ Twitter post where we repurposed content from a previous blog post.
  • Profile: A user’s “homepage,” including descriptive information such as name, username, bio, occupation and any blogs or other websites, plus a photo of the user. It’s also a “command central” of sorts where users control privacy settings, account information and other details visible only to the user.

Facebook Terms

  • Business Page: Separate from your personal Facebook profile, a business page is where you post photos, videos, links and events related to your brand. You will need a personal Facebook profile to have and operate a business page. It’s important to claim and create your business page so people have a place to engage with you and, if you have a physical location, to “check in” at your place of business (see “Check in” below). Go here for help creating your Facebook page, or drop us a line with any questions at hello@www.rallio.com.
  • Check in: When posting, users can “check in” to a physical location using this button. It’s great for your business when users check in, because it alerts their friends about your business. Hello, free advertising!
  • Facebook Ads: Facebook allows business users to create ads promoting their pages, events, products and so forth. These ads are a cost-effective way to get your brand in front of more people and potentially increase sales. Here’s some help from Facebook in that department, and again, ask us at Rallio if you have any questions. We regularly help our clients set up and manage ad campaigns for their business pages.
  • Facebook Event: From your business page, you can create in-person and virtual “events” for your brand. They’re essentially like digital invitations. Say, for instance, you’re a yoga studio hosting a special prenatal yoga class. You can create an event from your page with the date, time and place, and then invite your followers and friends to the event/class.

[bctt tweet=”#Facebook Events are essentially like digital invitations.” username=”rallioHQ”]

  • Facebook Live: If you’re hosting an event or just have an important update or message for your followers, you can broadcast live and connect with your followers in real time.
  • Facebook Stories: Accessible within the Facebook app, this new feature from Facebook allows users to share real-time updates within the span of 24 hours, featuring short video clips and photos. Unlike a typical Facebook post, stories disappear after 24 hours.
  • Share: This button appears beneath a post and allows users to share the content on their own pages for their followers to see. For example, clicking the “Share” button below provides users with the option to share the post in various places, such as on their own timeline or on a page they manage.

https://www.facebook.com/rallio/photos/a.213849565434890.1073741826.207889606030886/792734854213022/?type=3&theater

Instagram Terms

  • Caption: A short description or comment about a photo or a video you’re posting. It includes hashtags and, in some cases, you may choose to tag other users’ handles.
  • Direct Message/DM: A private message between users that only those users can see. It goes into an inbox, accessible from your homepage in the app.
  • Filter: When creating posts, you can access various filters that allow you to change the appearance of photos, such as the lighting or coloring.
  • Live: Similar to Facebook Live, the Live feature on Instagram lets you broadcast real-time updates to your followers. Instagram will send out a notification to your followers that you’ve started a live video so they can log in and view it before it ends, making it a great way to capture your audience’s attention.

[bctt tweet=”Go Live on #Instagram to capture your audience’s attention in real time. #socialmedia” username=”rallioHQ”]

  • Public/Private Account: Users may choose to make their profiles private or public. With a public account, anyone can follow the profile and view its photos and videos. If an account is private, users must request permission to follow the account before they can view any content.
  • Repost: A repost of someone else’s post on your Instagram page. You can use an app like Repost, or request permission to repost a user’s photo and then tag the user. See the example at the end of this section.
  • Boomerang: A video app to turn regular videos into gif-like looping videos, capturing a moment in time and then playing it over and over again. The feature is built in as an option within Instagram’s Stories feature, described below. It works great for action shots. Here’s more on Boomerang, but give it a try yourself. You have to see it to understand how fun it is!
  • Sponsored Content: Content with paid advertising dollars behind it. Again, a great way to extend your reach.
  • Stories: As with Facebook Stories, Instagram Stories let you build a “story” over 24 hours with photos and videos.

LinkedIn Terms

  • Company Page: Here’s where you create an overview of your business and share articles, photos and updates. Your updates show up in followers’ news feeds.
  • Showcase Page: An extension of your Company Page where you can spotlight your brand, a business unit or an initiative. You can then share the Showcase Page content with a targeted audience and build engagement with like-minded LinkedIn members.
  • Connections: The people with whom you are connected on LinkedIn. Connections are like your “friends” on Facebook, and you have to request to be connected with a user (known as an “invitation,” below).
  • Groups: Groups are created either by a person or by a company around a specific topic or industry. Once you’ve created a company page, you can join various groups and interact with other users to build more connections.
  • Invitation: An invitation is simply a request to connect with someone on LinkedIn.
  • My Network: Click this tab at the top of your LinkedIn homepage to view your connections, invitations and people you may know. You can also have your email address book imported to see additional suggested users with whom to connect.

Twitter Terms

  • Tweet: The 140-characters-or-less post you create on Twitter. It’s also used as a verb, as in, “I like to tweet out a new promotion every couple of weeks.”
  • Character Count: Twitter is known for limiting its posts to 140 characters. That means whatever you have to say needs to be short and sweet.
  • Direct Message/DM: Messages communicated between users directly within the app. Users can set up their privacy controls either to receive direct messages from anyone, or only from those they follow.
  • Moments: Curated stories that showcase the best, most relevant posts around a trending topic. Click the Moments tab to discover what’s happening on Twitter or to create a Moment of your own.
  • Retweet/RT: Clicking this button allows users to share another user’s post with their own followers. The more people retweet your content, the greater your reach and potential for new followers. In addition to retweeting other users’ content, you can ask for retweets on your content, too. Pair it with a contest or a giveaway as an added incentive. See the example at the end of this section.
  • Trends: From the homepage on Twitter, look in the lefthand column, and you’ll see a list of trending hashtags and topics. Click on any of them to say what people are saying, and then jump in and like, retweet, or create tweets of your own where you include the trend. Be sure you understand the context of the trend so you can be on point with your tweets.

Phew, that was a lot of terminology to get through, and I have only just scratched the surface here. What are some of your other favorite social media terms that are important to know? Comment below!

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Social Uncategorized

How (and Why) to Choose a Hashtag for Your Brand

As you may already know, hashtags are conversation starters. You can use them on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest (less so on Facebook) to connect with your target audience around topics of relevance to your brand.

You can also create brand-specific hashtags for various purposes. For example, as Becca Edwards notes in this post, Rita’s Italian Ice offers free Italian ice on the first day of spring and uses the hashtag #ritasfirstdayofspring to promote the offer.

In that post, you learned all about how to be a hashtag expert, and you’ll want to read that post first before reading mine. Today, I’ll share with you some specifics on creating a hashtag just for your brand.

When to create a brand-specific hashtag? Wait until you’ve used other hashtags to connect with members of your target audience. That way, you’ll have a following that’ll connect with the brand-specific hashtag and it won’t drift off into the great online abyss, never to be seen again.

Brand-specific hashtags work well when you want to promote a specific offer, event or trending topic. Now for some basics on creating one.

Keep It Short, Unique and Memorable

Although there are always exceptions, shorter hashtags are easier to remember and retype. It can be a single word or a phrase, just as long as it isn’t currently in use.

That is, always conduct a search to see that any hashtag you wish to use isn’t already in circulation with a different meaning. Not only would that make it not unique, but it also could spell disaster if you take the current hashtag out of context and try to apply it to your brand. (We discussed this matter in How to Be a Hashtag Expert; see the DiGiorno Pizza #WhyIStayed section as an example.)

Having a memorable hashtag helps keep the conversation about you and your brand. That way, as people use the hashtag, all roads will lead back to you, and you’ll leave people with a positive impression of your brand.

Tug at Their Heart Strings

When Make a Wish Foundation used the hashtag #SFBatKid, they were promoting a documentary about a boy whose wish was to dress up as Batman and save the day. The hashtag was well-received, with even President Obama getting in on the trend. His message to #SFBatKid via Vine? “Way to go, Miles. Way to save Gotham!”

https://twitter.com/416webs/status/813421908934922240

Look for Those Double Meanings

When you jam a bunch of words together, you have to be sure the words don’t also spell something else. One misused capital letter, and your hashtag could become a different animal altogether.

Consider the trending hashtag of a few years ago #NowThatchersDead in response to Margaret Thatcher’s passing. Guess what it turned into? #NowThatChersDead, followed quickly by a hailstorm of rumors that the singer had died when, in fact, she was very much alive.

Proofread, and proofread some more. Look for any possible misspellings that could ensue. And change the hashtag if there’s even a remote possibility of it getting morphed into something different and unintended.

Stay Brand-Consistent

Hashtags offer an opportunity to show your brand’s personality. Make sure your hashtags stay consistent with the kind of personality and social-media tone your brand already has.

Consider Red Bull’s #PutACanOnIt hashtag, inspired by a photo posted on Twitter in which the photographer positioned a can above a Mini Cooper in such a way that it looked like a branded Red Bull car.

People around the world began creating their own #PutACanOnIt images with Red Bull cans positioned uniquely. Moreover, the hashtag earned the company a “Best Use of A Hashtag” Shorty Award. And best of all, the hashtag aligned perfectly with Red Bull’s playful, high-energy personality on social media.

https://twitter.com/staceywolfe_fl/status/694568119516422144

Create Hashtags for Promotions (or Let Your Audience Do It!)

Don’t forget to use branded hashtags for your events and promotions! The rules above apply of course. You can create a hashtag inviting users to tweet about their experiences, post photos and more.

One of the most successful campaigns of all time is Audi’s #WantAnR8 campaign. The tweet originated with a user who tweeted out the hashtag to express a desire to own an Audi R8. Audi then created a contest inviting users to tweet using the hashtag for a chance to win an R8 for a day:

https://twitter.com/anandthepatsfan/status/834042347952410624

As you can see, there are many ways to create a branded hashtag once you have a solid follower base. Your followers will become instant brand champions who not only cast your company in a good light, but also provide the social proof needed to attract new fans.

What are some other great examples of branded hashtags you’ve seen? How about the fails?

[bctt tweet=”Hashtags offer an opportunity to show your brand’s personality. #howtohashtag” username=”rallioHQ”]

 

 

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7 Ways to Boost Your Twitter Following Organically

When you’re looking to boost your Twitter following, it’s tempting to want to make it happen overnight. Nobody wants to have 43 followers when you could buy thousands all at once, right?

However, buying followers or resorting to other black-hat tactics simply won’t get you the kind of long-term engagement you need to maintain a consistently strong Twitter profile. In fact, as this article notes, black-hat social media can do serious damage to your brand.

That’s why when I recently set out to boost our own following on Rallio, I started by focusing on quality over quantity. (There’s a place, of sorts, for quantity as well, but more on that in tip #3.)

Today, I’ll share with you a few things I’ve learned about boosting your Twitter following organically. I welcome additional insight from those of you who have gone through this process, too.

#1: Like and Retweet

The simplest way to begin attracting new followers is by liking and retweeting posts. The more engaged you are with other profiles, the more you’ll be seen, and the more you’ll gain new followers yourself. As a general rule of thumb, aim to retweet at least one or two new people daily.

When retweeting, make an effort to add insight of your own or call out what you like about the post or article you’re retweeting. You can, of course, simply retweet without commentary, but also add your own 2 cents from time to time. This makes it clear you put thought into the retweet and didn’t simply click a button.

[bctt tweet=”The simplest way to begin attracting new followers is by liking and retweeting posts. #findfollowers” username=”rallioHQ”]

#2: Fit It In When You Can

You don’t have to overwhelm yourself spending time on Twitter. Some people like to carve out a chunk of time every day or so, and others will hop on there throughout the day. Or maybe you alternate between these approaches like I do.

Sometimes I’ll devote focused time, and other times I might just need a break from what I’m doing, or might be waiting at the doctor’s office, or … you get the idea. I like this strategy because it allows me to get on Twitter at different points in the day rather than one specific time when I won’t necessarily find anything or anyone worth tweeting about. Also, it prevents me from exhausting myself thinking I have to get on Twitter at 11 a.m. each day.

Try out both strategies and see what works for you. The point is to make it work!

#3: About That Quantity …

Although it’s imperative to have quality followers with whom you engage regularly, sometimes you have to cast a wide net to find those quality people. Some Twitter users will follow several people initially and then later weed out and unfollow accounts that don’t prove to be worth their time.

Note that once you follow an account, or when someone follows you, you’ll want to make an effort to engage with the account and gauge its value.

[bctt tweet=”Sometimes you have to cast a wide net to find quality #followers.” username=”rallioHQ”]

#4 Thank People … Sparingly

Do not do not thank every single person who likes and retweets your tweets or follows you. That practice will get old fast, and you risk flooding other people’s timelines with your thank-yous.

Instead, thank people for specific reasons. For example, if you found a post to be insightful, mention it along with the user and say why you found it valuable. You’ll show you’re actually reading people’s tweets and you’re willing to recommend those you think are worth a follow. Eventually, others will do the same for you.

Here’s a good list of other ways to thank your followers, say, by visiting their website or commenting on a blog post. I like the following approach as well from @twitrartexhibit thanking an artist for her submission to #TwitterArtExhibit. It’s specific and creatively worded:

#5 Locate Influencers

Who are the thought leaders, the movers and shakers in your industry? Find five or 10 of them, and start engaging with them across multiple platforms. That is, don’t stop at Twitter, but rather engage with them wherever they roam (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. … check out this article for more tips on engaging with influencers).

Once you have a fairly established relationship with influencers, reach out directly. You can start simply by asking if they’d be willing to answer a burning question related to your product or service, and then featuring their responses on your blog.

You can then tweet out your new post and mention your influencers, too, so they’ll (hopefully) share your content with their readers. In time, you’ll gain valuable partnerships through which you share each other’s content, create special offers and always have a rich source of content.

#6 Share More Than Once

By some estimates, the life of a tweet is something like 18 minutes. However, you can extend its lifespan simply by sharing the tweet multiple times.

Here at Rallio, we use Coschedule to manage our blog post creation coupled with social media posts that we schedule out over several days’ time. For example, this blog post will get a lot of mileage once I create social media posts about it for Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

You can word your social posts differently each time for the same piece of content, whether it’s a blog post, a press release, a video or an image. It’ll read like a brand-new post, you save yourself some time, and you get the most out of every piece of content.

[bctt tweet=”Extend the life of a tweet by sharing the tweet multiple times. #socialmediatips #twittertips” username=”rallioHQ”]

#7 Use Hashtags

My colleague Becca Edwards wrote an extensive piece, How to Be a Hashtag Expert, that will help you master the hashtag game. She breaks down what a hashtag is, what it can do and how to use hashtags effectively. I recommend giving it a read, as it’s an important part of growing your following.

In addition to using hashtags in your own content, you can search hashtags related to your product or service. When you do, you’ll be able to find and join conversations around pertinent topics.

What other ideas do you have for gaining Twitter followers organically? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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The Importance of Online Reviews for Reputation and Brand Marketing

If you have a love-hate relationship with online reviews, that’s completely understandable. On the one hand, you have loyal fans who rave about your business, and on the other, you have disgruntled customers who have a bone to pick.

Either way, online reviews are an essential component of every brand today, one that (like it or not) you cannot ignore. Today, we’ll take a quick look at why that is so, specifically why reviews matter in relation to buying decisions.

Negative Versus Positive Reviews

Of course there are angry people out there leaving angry reviews. But don’t forget about all the people with positive things to say!

Both types of reviews are important because they influence the buying behavior of future customers. They have the ability to either erode trust and confidence in your brand, or to provide the social proof needed to complete a buying transaction. As Brian Smith of Search Engine Land writes, “When it comes to purchase decisions, we never make them alone.”

Obviously, the more positive reviews you have, the better your brand appears in the eyes of consumers. That’s why it’s so important to follow up with every customer after a sale. Smith adds: “The truth is, customers are far more likely to leave a negative review than a positive one. Therefore, it’s critical that after a customer completes a transaction, you ask them how satisfied they were with the experience and the product.”

via GIPHY

Speaking of Buying Decisions …

The latest Local Consumer Review Survey by BrightLocal reveals important information about how consumers read and use online reviews. Among the most noteworthy findings:

  • 84% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation
  • 7 out of 10 consumers will leave a review for a business if they’re asked to
  • 54% of people will visit the website after reading positive reviews
  • 74% of consumers say that positive reviews make them trust a local business more

[bctt tweet=”84% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation, says @bright_local” username=”rallioHQ”]

You can read the full findings here, but let’s pause for a moment to consider their relevance to buying decisions. Fully 84 percent of people are willing to trust the opinions of total strangers when deciding whether to make a purchase. So whether you like online reviews or not, it’s imperative that you pay attention to them as a reputation marketing opportunity.

“A positive reputation is one of the most powerful marketing assets a business has to convince new customers to contact them,” writes BrightLocal. “The social proof contained within reviews and star ratings helps consumers short cut their research and make decisions faster and with greater confidence than ever before.”

About That Social Proof

There are different types of social proof, ranging from expert opinions, to celebrity and influencer endorsements, to success stories of everyday users just like you and me. Focus on the latter when first formulating a reputation marketing strategy, because that’s where you’ll find the richest sources of customer testimonials and online reviews.

  • Testimonials: With testimonials, you seek out customer success stories and promote them on your website, your social media pages and in other marketing materials. A well-placed testimonial, say, alongside a product you’re selling, can be the tipping point needed to persuade a user to buy. Whenever possible, include real photos and videos of your customers with these testimonials for even more convincing social proof.
  • Reviews: It’s very simple: Provide a way for customers to leave feedback about your product or service, and then ask for a review after the sale. This can be a basic five-star scoring system with some ability to type out a review. Think about the last time you made an online purchase. Did the website include user reviews and recommendations? I’d bet you read them and made a decision based on that information, whether you did so consciously or not.

[bctt tweet=”Provide a way for customers to leave feedback, and then ask for a review after the sale. #onlinereviews” username=”rallioHQ”]

Once you provide that social proof, it becomes much easier to drown out or manage any negative reviews that trickle in. From there, you can begin to engage with potential experts and influencers who can promote your brand even further.

And if you’re looking for a way to manage, respond to and solicit testimonials and online reviews, leave a comment below or email us at hello@www.rallio.com. That happens to be one of our specialties!

 

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Top 5 Social Media Trends to Expect in 2017

It’s no secret that social media trends shift quickly, sometimes before you even realize they’ve come and gone. So I can’t promise you that all of the following trends will stay relevant. However, I can say with confidence that this is where you can expect to see social trends going for the foreseeable future as we head into 2017.

1. Social Media Use Continues to Rise

According to the Pew Research Center, the share of Americans who use Facebook is on the rise, with eight in 10 online Americans (79 percent) using the social platform. Of those, 76 percent are logging in daily to do everything from catching up on the latest news to searching for employment. Instagram and Twitter trail behind at 32 percent and 24 percent respectively, with younger generations tending to use these platforms more than older Americans.

With such strong statistical support for the use of Facebook among online Americans, it’s clear that brands cannot afford to ignore the platform as a means of reaching customers. In addition to using other marketing mediums such as email, consider implementing a Facebook strategy that includes both engaging content and advertising to get in front of more eyeballs.

[bctt tweet=”Brands cannot afford to ignore #Facebook as a means of reaching customers.” username=”rallioHQ”]

2. Customers Want Real-Time Responses

When customers speak on social media, they expect brands to be listening … immediately. Search Engine Watch reports that more than 70 percent of Twitter users who interact with brands expect responses, and 53 percent want to hear back within the hour. “That percentage goes up when someone is issuing a complaint to a brand, with 72 percent saying within an hour is a reasonable time to hear back from them on the issue,” the author writes.

With complaints in particular, customers who don’t get timely responses are likely to tell friends and family and even escalate their concerns to other mediums. So while Twitter might not be your primary method of reaching customers, you need to have an ear open and a presence there, as well as a means of managing customer inquiries that originate on social media.

Bottom line: Implement both the human power and the software tools needed to track customer engagement so you’ll always be ready to respond to both positive and negative customer inquiries and comments. If you need help identifying the best software to get the job done, go to www.rallio.com or email us at hello@www.rallio.com so we can walk through the options together.

[bctt tweet=”When customers speak on #socialmedia, they expect brands to be listening … immediately.” username=”rallioHQ”]

3. Social Commerce Shows Promise

According to research by Statista, 93 percent of millennials pass their time on social networks. Combine that data with the above stats on Facebook usage, and you can see why brands want to know how to monetize all that traffic.

It remains to be seen whether social commerce will take off as a solid means of revenue for companies. However, if there’s one thing we know about innovation, it’s that people will continue testing and researching ways to do just that.

Pinterest shows particular promise in the social commerce space. Although social media still only accounts for a small percentage of traffic to commerce sites, reports Business Insider, “there are signs that Pinterest could help drive up social commerce as the platform gains momentum.” Be on the watch for shifts toward social commerce across other platforms throughout 2017 and beyond.

4. Video Content Is Still Big (and Getting Bigger)

Did you know that Snapchat has over 10 billion views daily? That’s billion, with a B, and that’s no joke. It’s a huge opportunity for brands to step up their brand marketing strategies, not only on Snapchat, but on other mediums as well.

As more brands use video marketing, it will be increasingly important to get creative with your approach. Rather than just post your thoughts about an event, let users live vicariously through you! Show them what it’s like to be there so they actually feel like they’re part of the event. Think live videos, virtual reality experiences and real-time posting that gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the real-life experience. The sky is the limit!

[bctt tweet=”Rather than just post your thoughts about an event, let users live vicariously through you! #VideoContent” username=”rallioHQ”]

5. Employees Are Brand Ambassadors

All of those people on social media aren’t just your customers or prospects. They’re your employees, too! Anytime your employees post something related to your brand, they’re serving as brand ambassadors, spreading the word among their friends and followers.

A great example is Adobe. In her article “How Adobe Empowers Its Employees to be Brand Ambassadors,” Lydia Abbot, a blog editor and content marketer at LinkedIn, writes about a fascinating discovery made by Adobe’s Head of Social Business Center of Excellence, Cory Edwards.

“Cory was struck one day when he saw the results that one employee’s social media efforts were driving,” she writes. “That month, this particular evangelist had driven more revenue for the company than its branded social networking properties, like @Adobe on Twitter.” That discovery led to the development of the company’s Social Shift Program, which educates employees about social media guidelines and best practices and empowers them to be brand ambassadors.

Likewise, you can develop your own social advocacy program to encourage employees to generate exposure for your brand via social media. As customers get to know the people behind the brand, they’ll gain trust in your company, engage with you and share content with their networks. Over time, you’ll have a team of brand ambassadors not only in your employees, but in their respective social networks, too.

Of course, these are just a few of the trends you can expect to see developing in the coming months. No doubt there will be others that take even greater precedence. I’d like to hear from you: What other trends do you foresee gaining momentum? Which trends do you think won’t last?

Most of all, I’d like to thank you for being a part of the Rallio community. We’re looking at big growth in 2017, and I can’t wait to share more news with you going forward.

 

 

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How to Diffuse Customer Complaints on Social Media

Recently, I was scrolling through my Facebook feed when I came across a post by an acquaintance of mine who is a business owner. He was expressing disdain at a Yelp review left by a customer, and rather defensively, I might add. This post was on his private Facebook page.

At the risk of outing anyone, I won’t go into details about the nature of the business or the review. However, I can say that this is a service business where customers show up at specific times to receive a service.

Out of curiosity, I visited the business’s Yelp page to read said review. In a nutshell, the customer said she showed up at the right time and what she thought was the right place, only to find a locked door. And now the post is living there on the Yelp page, unaddressed.

Now, obviously, I don’t know if this customer’s complaint is legitimate or not. It doesn’t even matter. All that matters is that a customer took the time to write a less-than-glowing review. What happened next was an opportunity to diffuse the situation in a very public way, or to pretend like it never happened. In this case, the review is out there for the public to see, with no response from the business owner. And worst of all, the business owner took to his own Facebook page to complain about the review, to the support and cheers of his friends.

You’re Only Hurting Yourself

You might get temporary relief from venting to friends when a customer complains about you. By all means, chat with them privately about how much you can’t stand when customers do XYZ. But for the love of everything holy, keep it off your social media pages, even those you think are private. And for sure don’t get unruly when you respond to a customer directly.

It just doesn’t make you look professional when you come across as defensive, even in a so-called “private” environment such as your personal Facebook page. You never know who is reading your posts. I mean honestly, I read the post myself and am pretty disappointed at the lack of professionalism. It’s not likely I would frequent this business knowing that I could become the target of the owner’s rants in the event I have a complaint.

If you’re going to own a business, know that at some point, you will need to deal with customer complaints. The way you handle them can either help or harm you. If you handle them promptly, courteously and kindly with the goal of bettering your business, everyone wins. If you have an attitude that your customer is foolish for even having a concern, eventually people are going to catch on that you can’t take criticism, and they’ll go elsewhere, to your competitors that keep a cool head in customer service situations.

[bctt tweet=”If you’re going to own a business, at some point, you will need to deal with customer complaints.” username=”rallioHQ”]

About That Cool Head …

Customer complaints and negative online reviews can come up unexpectedly anytime. It’s critical that you have a way of handling them before they blow up into major reputation-management nightmares. This article from The Atlantic has some good tips about handling Yelp reviews specifically, and in general, follow these tips to get complaints addressed efficiently:

Tip #1: Act Fast.

Aim to respond to customer complaints within an hour. Even if you don’t have all the answers yet, you at least want to acknowledge that you are listening and happy to help. If it’s a situation that you can clear up quickly without a lot of interaction, post something right away so both your customer and anyone reading the post can see your response. If the situation requires further discussion, ask the customer to message you offline with contact information.

And then approach the next interaction with the goal of resolving the complaint to the customer’s satisfaction. Acknowledge and apologize for any mistakes on your part, and promise to do better next time. Empathize with the customer and take defensiveness out of the equation (remember, it just makes you look bad).

Note: If you need a quicker way to see that you’ve got a negative online review, get in touch with us at sales@www.rallio.com. We have a couple of different technologies that can alert you when these reviews land.

Tip #2: Be Genuine.

Canned responses have no place on social media (or anywhere, in my opinion). Take the time to address the concern authentically, personalizing it to the situation. It’s like when you’re on hold and a voice comes on to say “Your call is important to us. Please continue to hold and we’ll be with you shortly.” Does it make you want to throw the phone across the room? Thought so.

Now how about when a real human gets on the phone and talks to you kindly and courteously? Do you feel validated, maybe even breathe a sigh of relief?

Yeah. It’s like that on social media, too. Be real.

Tip #3: Create a System.

If you don’t have a system in place for handling complaints, it’s easy to have knee-jerk reactions or for your employees to do so. To avoid such situations, create a document that details what to do when the squeaky wheels start spinning.

This document should list all of the people authorized to handle customer complaints along with their contact information. Organize it in “chain of command” fashion so that employees know the correct point of contact for different types of complaints, from the tame to the more irate. That way, responses will always be timely and handled by the appropriate person.

Tip #4: Be Amazing.

Don’t stop at handling the complaint. Go above and beyond to not only resolve the complaint, but also to make the customer feel significant and appreciated. Your customer might just end up loving you and telling everyone about your stellar service. Remember, a freebie such as a free cup of coffee goes a long way toward generating good will and a loyal customer!

[bctt tweet=”Don’t stop at handling the complaint. Go above and beyond. #CustomerService” username=”rallioHQ”]

Tip #5: Follow Up.

Don’t assume an issue is resolved once you’ve handled a customer’s complaint. Wait a few days, and follow up to be sure the matter has been adequately addressed. Not only will you ensure complete customer satisfaction, but you’ll also get a chance to gather feedback that you can apply to future customer service situations.

What’s one customer complaint you’ve handled effectively? How about one you’d like a do-over on?

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5 Tips for Improving Your Writing on Social Media

Those who know me know that I’m quite fond of the proper use of the English language. Yes, I am that person who notices typos, errant apostrophes, commas where there should be periods, and incorrect word usage such as “there” when it should be “they’re” or “their.” Shudder.

I also am quick to notice really great writing, and not just correct grammar, but also creative, inspiring words strung together into meaningful sentences. And because much of my life takes place in the world of social media, I am always on the lookout for well-written social media posts.

You know the ones: the posts that cause you to smile, laugh, like and share. These posts not only pass the grammar test, but they also work hard to convey messages that connect with the intended audience. Those are the kinds of posts you want for your brand. Toward that end, let’s dive into five ways you can take your posts from “meh” to great, starting today.

Tip #1: Find Your Voice

Specifically, find a voice that exudes casual friendliness. Social media is not the place for business speak, stodgy words and sales pitches. People will scroll past you quicker than you can say “corporate-ese.” The very term “social media” gives you a clue as to what kind of voice you need to have here. You’re just a bunch of friends chatting it up (and using words like “I,” “me” and “your,” by the way).

Of course, use your best judgment and keep it professional. You don’t want to be remembered for offending anyone or coming across as less than the expert you are.

[bctt tweet=”#SocialMedia is not the place for business speak, stodgy words and sales pitches.” username=”rallioHQ”]

Tip #2: Know the Rules, and Break Them

While I’m all for sticking to good grammar on social media, I recognize there are times when you might want to break a rule or two. For instance, you can play around with emphasizing a word in all caps, writing in fragments and throwing in an extra exclamation point (or three) when it’s warranted. You’re not writing an essay for English class, right? So don’t be too formal. Typo-free? Yes. Stuffy and pedantic? Oh my, no.

Tip #3: Keep It Short and Sweet

Master the art of short-form writing, and not just on Twitter. Imagine you are writing a poem, not a novel.

A caveat: I will say that I follow a few individuals who tend to write longer posts on Facebook, the kind that require you to click a link to read the full post. It works for them, at least in my eyes, because they generally have something life-changing or inspiring to communicate. Say you’re a life coach or a fitness trainer, for example. Maybe you can’t convey your message in a sentence or two.

This is tricky territory, however. If you aren’t sure whether to go short or long, you are safer keeping your posts simple and concise. You can always blog about a topic and then link to the blog from your post. With the sheer number of posts getting flung out to the world every day, you want to make sure yours get read. And readers are more likely to notice your posts if they don’t have to linger too long to read them. Grab their attention, but don’t try to hold them hostage reading your post, yes?

Tip #4: Use Action Verbs

What action do you want readers to take after reading your post? Use strong action verbs to tell them what to do next! Take a look at this post, for instance, from Fantastic Sams seeking support for female veterans. The call to action is clear: “Like and share this post to let women veterans know about available workshops.” The stronger your call to action and the perceived payoff — maybe you hold a contest or a giveaway? — the greater your post is likely to perform.

Tip #5: Proofread, and Proofread Some More

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve let the occasional typo slip past me when posting to social media. Hey, I’m human! And sometimes I’m busy and stressed and scattered, just like you. So don’t beat yourself up if mistakes happen. Just work on slowing down, reading every word (aloud even) and staying focused as you proofread posts.

If you have the luxury of getting a second pair of eyes on your posts before they go out, even better. If not, be extra diligent and constructively critical of your own writing. Is your post clear, correct and concise? Great, publish away. If not, take a few extra minutes to edit your work.

[bctt tweet=”Before you publish, ask yourself: Is your post clear, correct and concise? #SocialMediaTips” username=”rallioHQ”]

With a little extra effort, you can start crafting posts that increase your audience base and solidify relationships with your followers. Who knows? You might start noticing those errant apostrophes, too.

What do you find most challenging about writing on social media? Let’s hear your thoughts below.

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