Social Media Marketing – How to Turbocharge your Startup’s Campaign?

Social Media Marketing – How to Turbocharge your Startup’s Campaign?

How a start up can leverage a social media marketing campaign

When it comes to social media marketing, startups, especially those that are operating on a limited budget, can use all the help they can get. A well run social media campaign can help a new business drum up interest, generate customers, and make sales.
Social media offers an avenue for startups to capture some space in the minds of their audiences and from there make their way to their wallets. Startups have an important advantage. They are run by people like you and me. Fundraising sites for startups work because people like new ideas, and if a good concept deserves encouragement, people don’t hold back. It’s like rooting for the underdog.
This is something that should be take advantage of. If your startup is based on a concept that will help society or maybe even take civilization forward, social profiles that engages your audience at a human level can deliver huge benefits.
On any social media platform, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Tumblr, your profile should accurately reflect your startup’s philosophy. Here, you can also add relevant photos to position your brand, location, and website URL.
This done, you’re ready to build a following. Have a content marketing plan ready. But if you’re pressed for time, you can develop one on the go.
Share updates about your startup’s progress. Share relevant content from your industry. Keep an eye out for content that highlights the need and benefits of a service and product like the one you’re planning to debut.
Launch contests and conduct quizzes. These are great rapport-building and information-generating tools. Stoke interest and encourage sales by offering early bird prizes to those that register for the launch.
Build the nucleus of your social network by inviting your email contacts to connect on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Instagram and Skype prompt you to invite your Facebook contacts. These contacts can then open the doors for you to reach out to many others. Many of your immediate contacts may be powerful influencers on social media and can effortlessly market your startup much more effectively that what paid ads may achieve.
Use the search features on social media to find out those that fit the profile you’re targeting. Connect with them. Each social media platform has its own unique features. Twitter leads the rest when it comes to real-time engagement and harnessing the communicative powers of the hashtag. Facebook has the most number of users, and Facebook pages are powerful communication mediums in their own right.
Let people know that you have a presence on social media. Direct them to your social media pages via icons on your website and email link signature. If you’re doing some offline promotions, use the opportunity to tell people about your social media pages. LinkedIn groups are forums for exchanging ideas and the members are subject matter experts and opinion influencers.
Remember, these are things to do before your business goes live. Such social media marketing can generate funds and buyers for you. Plan it well and execute it diligently. The benefits will keep accruing even after your business has taken off and settled nicely.

AdCityMarketing Online Work Advice&Opportunities: What is Google Posts & What Can It Do for You?

AdCityMarketing Online Work Advice&Opportunities: What is Google Posts & What Can It Do for You?: Google posts makes it quick and easy to display custom text, video, images and events next to your Google business listing.  The feature...

What is Google Posts & What Can It Do for You?

Google posts makes it quick and easy to display custom text, video, images and events next to your Google business listing.  The feature is exclusive for businesses with a local listing on Google maps/places.

Where does a Google post appear?

Your post is shown with your business information when someone searches your business name, and beneath your listing people select your business from Google maps.
Sure people are only going to see your post if they explicitly search or click on your business from a list of others, but having some sort of special offer, event or call to action can significantly increase the likelihood of closing a sale.

You are in control of your content!

Almost any business can benefit from using Google posts in one way or another.  The best thing about it is that you are completely in control.  Before Google posts came along, you were slightly limited as to what you could include on your Google my Business listing:

• Phone number
• Address
• Some images
• Opening hours
• Not much more…

Engage with your customers direct from the search results

With Google posts, you can send a message to your customers, engage with them and bring across a little personality.  It can be hard to achieve that with some basic information about your business.
You can say or promote almost anything you want! Then direct them to a page or opt-in of your choosing (should you wish).
It is important to note that there is no option for people to comment on your posts.

How can I create a Google post?

If you are eligible you can create a Google post from within your Google My Business account.

1. Visit: http://www.google.com/business
2. Select your business
3. Select “posts” from the menu

You can add an image, video, up to 300 words of text and your choice of button, including: Reserve, sign up, buy and get offer buttons.

Examples of Google posts

• Promote special offer
• Inform customers about special hours
• Introduce new product range
• Link customers to a specific product or service you want to promote
• Direct customers to your e-mail signup form.
• Tell people about an event

Let us know what you think of Google posts in the comments below. Why not give it a try for yourself?

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AdCityMarketing Online Work Advice&Opportunities: Six SEO Mistakes to Avoid When Launching a New Sit...

AdCityMarketing Online Work Advice&Opportunities: Six SEO Mistakes to Avoid When Launching a New Sit...: ...

Six SEO Mistakes to Avoid When Launching a New Site!

The process of optimizing a website for the search engines begins with the first letters of code that get written for the site. SEO (search engine optimization) is not an afterthought. It has to be planned for and implemented from the very beginning. While many webmasters and ecommerce store owners know this, they still make mistakes. Or worse still, they ignore it.
Mistakes made in implementing search engine optimization in the early days of a website’s life can have a poisonous effect on your business for a long time. Robust SEO implemented from the very beginning gives you a cushion against ever-changing updates and algorithms, and also a launching pad to put in place search engine optimization practices that search updates may begin to value.

1. Not using the tools Google provides

   Not leveraging SEO tools provided by Google is a big mistake. By not installing Google Analytics and not linking it to their Google Webmaster Tools account, owners of new sites deprive themselves of valuable information on where the initial traffic is coming from. Search engine optimization is based on insight and early insight is crucial.

2. Not giving the search engine optimization process enough time

   Very often a small business will ditch an search engine optimization effort midway because of a perceived lack of results. It is worth remembering that results can take time. A new website has absolutely no history that search engines can use to gauge performance. Also, by targeting competitive keywords for SEO content, many site owners jump into the SEO deep end and begin to flounder. Go for easy pickings first. Check out the long tail keywords and rank for them.

3. Embracing blackhat SEO

   Using blackhat SEO techniques to gain traction early on. That’s wrong. It’s the surest way to slide out of contention and not appear even on the 20^th page of the SERPs. Avoid keyword stuffing, hiding text, and buying links online. Avoid buying followers to boost your social media profile. If you’re hiring an SEO agency, ask for the strategies they will employ to help you rank for keywords. There is no substitute for organic search engine optimization.

4. Forgetting about Meta Tags

   A new website that does not implement search engine optimization best practices in the code is missing vital SEO benefits. A landing page that does not contain HTML title tags and meta description tags will fare poorly against a page that does have these attributes. Keywords in the URL and an XML sitemap are search engine optimization must haves for a new website. Placing content in H1, H2, H3 tags and having redirects in place will boost your search engine optimization efforts.

5. Failing to establish an off-site SEO strategy

   Websites that do not have an offsite search engine optimization program in place lose an opportunity to announce their presence. Imagine, having a website ready and functioning before the holiday shopping season begins and not informing people about it. Social media and press releases are great tools for SEO that generate organic traffic. Use them.

6. Failing to budget for search engine optimization

   Not setting aside some money for search engine optimization can put the brakes on search engine marketing. New sites should always budget for search engine optimization so that the effort continues unhindered. Hiring an SEO agency, getting content written, and executing a social media strategy require funds. Ensure that these are available. Figure to spend $250.00/month at a minimum. A good SEO agency will look at your site, your competition and your geographic universe before making a quote.

AdCityMarketing Online Work Advice&Opportunities: How To Find SEO Consultants That Get Results!

AdCityMarketing Online Work Advice&Opportunities: How To Find SEO Consultants That Get Results!: If your web site is a major source or revenue, or could be, then you should have a formal search engine optimization program that monitor...

How To Find SEO Consultants That Get Results!

If your web site is a major source or revenue, or could be, then you should have a formal search engine optimization program that monitors and improves rankings on a daily basis. Now you might be thinking that you don’t have the resources necessary to implement a productive SEO program, but the costs of not doing so are significant.
Starting an SEO program for your business is easier than you think. There are numerous SEO consultants and experts that can show you how to radically improve your rankings for much less than you might think. In fact, many search engine optimization consultants can save you significant dollars if managed properly.
Getting the most from your SEO consultant requires a number of considerations. I have found that the most productive engagements around optimization and SEO all have these same factors in common. By adhering to these principals, mutual expectations are set and each party has a clear understanding of what is being delivered by whom.
The first step is finding a credible source. There are many people out there who claim to be search engine optimization experts but have nothing to show for it. Find a legitimate company, ask for references, or find someone who has a proven track record and is an authority on the topic. A good bet is to find someone who has achieved number one rankings for their website or the web sites of their clients.
The second step is to mutually agree upon what’s being delivered. Most clients feel that by paying a search engine optimization consultant a sum of money that their site is going to instantly rank number one on Google, Yahoo!, and Bing. I can tell you first hand that‘s not the case. The purpose of an seo consultant is to help you construct an effective strategy for the long term optimization of your web site.
The third and final step is to assemble a team to work with the consultant and implement his findings. Seventy percent or so of the companies I’ve worked with were very interested in learning how to optimize their websites but couldn’t or weren’t willing to follow through on what it takes to succeed. Commit time and resources dedicated to implementing the consultant’s finding and you will see the true value of your investment.
Whether you’re launching new website or trying to improve the rankings of an existing site, it’s important that you find a reliable resource that can help you succeed. Define what success looks like for both you and the consultant you will be working with. By doing so, you’re creating a mutual understanding of the work that’s being done and clearly understand what it means to your business.