This month I've been running a little experiment with Facebook Ads for a local client. It's their first foray into Facebook Ads, so we always like to experiment with a few things to see what works best.
We ran two ads to the same market, with the same text. We wanted to know if an ad with their logo would perform better or worse than an ad with a pretty picture of their product.
Here are the two ads:
As you can see, the top one is definitely prettier. Yet which do you think performed better?
Believe it or not, it was the ad with the logo - almost 2:1.
So what was going on here?
First, what's cool about Facebook ads is the ability for small businesses to actually compare what advertising is most effective, head to head -- without having to double their budget.
Second, we think the reason for the effectiveness was the strenghth of their existing brand -- people know and love the company, and would recognize the logo from their trucks and other advertising. The photo, while attractive, perhaps gets lost in the other Facebook page clutter since it's not special enough.
For a company without a well-established brand, ah ad with a compelling photo may very well outperform a logo-based ad.
Have you tried out your own Facebook Ads experiment yet? What have YOU discovered?
We recently had a conversation with a new nonprofit marketing client who was about three months into a big marketing push. They were worn out and overwhelmed with all the decisions that had to be made with website design, social media, direct mail, and posters that they wanted for their campaign.
We also often hear from clients that "people get too much email already" and "what more do I have to say on my blog/Facebook page/twitter feed?"
With all the options we have for marketing these days, and the sheer effort it takes to consistently reach out to people and make your message heard, it's no wonder marketing fatigue can set in. You may start to think that you've already done so much...do you really have to keep pushing your message out there?
The short answer is yes. Marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. But we've come up with a few suggestions to hopefully keep you in shape and pace yourself on the way to a successful campaign.
1. Remember, you will get bored with your message LONG before your customers do. Keep on message, keep a handful of talking points on hand, and get creative with how you share it. The rule of thumb with advertising is that it can take 17-20 repetitions before a potential customer will pay attention to your ad.
2. Formulate a plan. If you have a blog, an email campaign, a Facebook page and print advertising, setting specific goals for each medium on a weekly or montly basis can keep it fresh and manageable. Say one blog post per week, three Facebook posts, and a monthly email. Plan your messages in advance so they can all complement each other.
3. Measurement. Sometimes, fatigue can set in if you can't see results from your efforts. Use Google Analytics, Facebook insights, or the comprehensive reporting tools in Hubspot to see the fruits of your labors. Twitter followers, social media interactions and website visitors can all let you know what's working.
4. Get help. With everything marketing managers have on their plates, outsourcing elements of your marketing program can help you leverage your effectiveness.
5. Focus on the big picture. We love great design, but don't let tiny design details distract you from the big picture, which is sharing your message as often as possible with as many people as you can.
Christy Lui is chief word nerd and marketing strategist at MOD Internet Marketing, an inbound marketing agency and web design firm serving metro Milwaukee, Waukesha and Madison, WI and Grand Rapids, MI
Your website needs to be optimized for search engines so people can find your business or service. Did you know that social media sites are also indexed and ranked by the search engines?
You can improve your search results by optimizing your business Facebook page. If you’ve done some keyword research, or worked on basic SEO for your website, you can use the same information to easily optimize your business Facebook page.
Here’s a few basic tips:
1. Start with keyword research:
There are paid tools that we use at MOD Internet Marketing, such as WordTracker and SEO Moz, that help us discover what people are searching for when looking for our client's product, brand or service.
If you are a do-it-yourselfer, try using the free Google Keyword research to develop a list of key words. Your Google Analytics reports will also help uncover those key words. Obvious keyword choices are your company name, location, nearby geographic areas (cities, towns, neighborhoods), and related terms.
For example, if you have a wood floor refinishing company in Milwaukee, you may want to include terms like “hardwood floors, hardwood floor refinishing, Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, Shorewood, oak floors, wood finishing, floor installation, wood flooring,” and other searchable terms on your Facebook page.
2. Add image descriptions:
Make sure to add keyword-rich descriptions to photos, images and logos posted on Facebook. Images can be searchable and indexed by Google.
3. Create a strong Facebook URL and Page Title:
You have two options for SEO in the Facebook URL:
1.) Use your brand name – If you have a recognizable brand name, use that to keep your branding consistent. Example: www.facebook.com/SuzysCupcakes
2) Use a service description, or, rich keywords as part of your page URL. Example: www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeCupcakes
The name of your page (different from the URL, you can edit this in the Basic Information section) correlates to an H1 tag and will be indexed by Google. Example: "Suzy's Cupcake Confectionary."
4. Complete the full Facebook profile:
Try to fill out as much information as possible on your page! It’s especially important to optimize the “About” description tab of your page. Post a detailed description (with those keywords) of your business in this section. Search engines utilize this page as part of your Meta description when pulling search results.
To edit your About information, go to your page and Edit Page > Basic Information (top right-hand corner of your Facebook Fan page, when you are logged in as Admin on your Facebook page), and fill in the About field with a 140 character description, like any website meta description.
5. Post new content often, and include links:
Regularly updating your Fan Page status with keyword-rich information about your brand will give the search engines new “food” to crawl and index your page for. Try to put the most important keywords first in the posts, because search engines look for the first 18 characters to create titles for that individual post.
Think of each new post as a new page - imagine that each new post is creating a mini “web page” on your Facebook page. And don’t forget about links – sharing links on your page can also improve the chances of the links showing up in search engine results.
Good luck and keep on learning. Visit www.searchenginewatch.com or www.searchengineland.com for more about SEO ideas for your Facebook page. - Kate
Twitter is now rolling out some changes to it's look and functionality. (Free Iphone and Android apps are available for download now, and you will get a Direct Message from Twitter when the rollout is ready for your desktop account.)
Twitter says the goal of the redesign was to make the user experience richer, while still keeping things simple. Read through all the new features on Twitter's website here. For more indepth analysis, check out MediaBistro's take on the new Twitter here.
There's definitely a new look and feel to the Twitter layout. The four icons above now represent:
Home - reminds you of the Twitter we are used to, plus a simpler way to embed content like videos and photos.
Connect -Shows your interactions - displays @replies, mentions, retweets and favorites. There's not a lot new here.
Discover - This is the newest feature The search functions are amped up. It's a place to look for trending topics and hashtags, as well as cue up stories and results based on your interests.
Me - This is an expanded version of the Profile, where you can embellish your profile with photos and information about you, your cause or your business. My guess is that businesses will be tweaking the "Me" section to add their brand flair.
Embedded Tweets - Mashable has a good overview about this new feature, which is important for SEO value, because it brings more inbound links to your site and keeps peeople on your page longer. You can now embed individual tweets on a page, similarily to Storify, but just one tweet at a time. From the embed, you can retweet, reply or favorite the tweet, and you can follow the user as well — all without leaving your web page. Links and other dynamic content are still active.
Brand Pages - Are now new and improved, Facebook style brand pages. Many companies already had their own Twitter accounts, but now they will be able to be customized with bigger logos and longer taglines. See Disney Pixar's page for a good example.
Many of these design edits attempt to keep people on the Twitter page, rather than encouraging the use of 3rd party apps. They have also introducted better interactions with various other apps and platforms, such as WordPress. Once my account gets the new version, I need to spend a little more quality time with new Twitter, to make sure I'm getting the most out of the new stuff.
What do you think about the new and improved Twitter? Tell us in the comments below.
~Kate
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It's that time of the year, when appeal letters are flying through the mail like snowflakes. If you're writing a letter this year for your non-profit or charity, here's a 6 ways to help your marketing letter make the most impact.
1. Use "I"and "You," but mostly "You" in writing
How you would write a letter to another individual? Using I and You provides human interest and is a powerful way to engage your readers.
2. Base your appeal on benefits, not needs
Donors give in order to get something in return, either good feelings or a tangible gift. The intangible benefits are children educated or lives saved. Tangibles could be a set of cards made by children your agency serves or admission to a special performance of your ballet company.
3. Ask for money, not for support
Be explicit when asking for money. Example: Send a special gift today of $25 or more. Be clear and repeat some variation of the message throughout the letter.
4. Put together the total package
The letter is the most important piece of your package. You should also think about the outer envelope, the reply envelope, and the reply device such as a tear-off or reply card. Think carefully about how each of these will persuade donors to take action now. Use a consistent logo, colors and tagline.
5. Format your letter so it is easy to read
The eye needs to rest, so leave plenty of white space around your copy by:
- Indenting each paragraph.
- Avoiding paragraphs that are more than seven lines long.
- Using bullets rather than listing items within sentences.
- Using subheads. If the letter is long, try centering and underlining the subheads.
6. Give readers a reason to send money now
Create a sense of urgency by presenting a deadline. Repeat your argument for urgency both in the text of the letter and also in a P.S. and on your reply device. Be careful about using actual dates if you are using bulk mail because the letter might arrive after the date.
I've found a lot of great information on this site, including sample letters and marketing tips. I hope you find it useful, too: Marketing Your Non-Profit.
Kate
@KateWinckler
Did you know that 80% of consumer transactions take place within 15 miles of home? 49% of social network searchers are using a mobile device to find address, phone number, driving directions and hours on your website or social media profiles. About one-third of Facebook subscribers use mobile devices for local search.
The most important local search listing to complete is your Google Places listings. Go to Google Places here to make sure yours is up to date and accurate. Other free local search sites include Google Local, Yelp!, Yahoo! Local Listings, CitySearch, Merchant Circle and Insider Pages. Check all of these sites to make sure your listings are very consistent for the best ranking results.
Don't forget about social media. Consumers are looking for your business information in variety of places, and expect the info to be easily available and accurate. Your business listings and contact information should be the same on your Facebook and LinkedIn pages as it is on Google Places and the other local search websites.
How will I know this is working? Track "likes" and views on Facebook, and track web activity with Google Analytics. Consider a phone call or visit to your business a conversion. The best practices for a top-notch local search profile are:
- Business name: Include your marketing tag line
- Business location: Have precise, accurate directions, not "at the corner of..."
- Website address: with local phone number and hours
- Categories: name what your business does in at least one category, preferably more
- Custom keywords and description
The great thing about internet marketing and social media marketing is that you can try new things to test what works, with low risk and a low cost to entry. Facebook ads are the perfect example. You can set a modest budget and change your campaign on the fly to see what customers respond to the best.
Make it easy for your customers to find you online, and share what they've found easily, through their social networks. Read our post about Stampt to learn more about online loyalty programs.
Kate
@KateWinckler
Last week's SES Chicago (Search Engine Strategies) conference was chock full of good information for marketers. Here's Part 2 of our report for small businesses:
(Click here to read Part 1 of What small businesses must know about SEO)
...continued!
5. Social Media and Web 3.0
If your business is not participating in social media now, it will affect your SEO rankings. Google looks for reviews, comments, interactions on blogs, social shares and all the tools that make the web 3.0. It's not just about your business, it's about what others are saying about your business.
Make sure your business Facebook page, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles are optimized with the keywords people are searching for. Use your brand or company name in tweets and Facebook posts.
If you're putting time and money into creating great content, make it easy for people to share it on their social networks. "ASK" readers for Likes, Re-Tweets, Recommendations and Shares by embedding this code on every page of your site. Pages that have Tweet This buttons embedded into them are seven times more likely to be shared, and pages with Facebook like buttons are three times more likely to be shared than pages with no sharing options.
6. Use infographics to encourage social media sharing
Infographics help communicate concepts, ideas and data in easy to understand ways. There's nothing really new about infographics - they're the result of what good designers do every day. The modern twist on infographics is that they are easy to share on social networks. If you have some good data that would be easier to understand and share in a graphic format, test one out. Push an infographic out to your social media channels, ask for the share, and measure the results. These visual tools are only becoming more and more popular in the web 3.0 world.
7. Create complete Google Places profiles for your business
Local search sites include Google Local, Yelp!, Yahoo! Local Listings, CitySearch, Merchant Circle and Insider Pages, so check all of these to make sure your listings are very consistent among all the sites for the best ranking results. Consumers are looking for your business information in variety of places, and expect the info to be easily available and accurate.
Did you know that 80% of consumer transactions take place within 15 miles of home? 49% of social network searchers are using a mobile device to find address, phone number, driving directions and hours on your website or social media profiles. About one-third of Facebook subscribers use mobile devices for local search.
Consider a phone call or visit to your business a conversion. Best practices for a top-notch local search profile are:
- Business name: Include marketing tag line
- Business location: have precise, accurate directions, not "at the corner of..."
- Website address, local phone number and hours
- Categories: name what your business does in at least one category, preferably more
- Custom keywords and description
The great thing about internet marketing and social media marketing is that you can try new things and test to see what works with low risk and a low cost to entry. Facebook ads are the perfect example. You can set a modest budget and change your campaign on the fly to see what customers respond to the best.
I hope you'll share what you read here, and stop back to our blog to keep learning about social media for your business.
- Kate
@KateWinckler
When we checked into the Expo Hall this week at SES Chicago (Search Engine Strategies conference), we were handed these clever QR code cookies. I don't know if the organizers intended the double meaning of "cookies," (like the tracking cookies browsers leave when you visit a web page), but they were a cute way to encourage people to download the conference app and enjoy a treat at the same time.
QR codes were just one of many tools marketers were talking about at SES. As we listened to workshops and speakers, Traci and I were pleasantly surprised at how "old-school" marketing techniques were still so important amidst the sea of web analytics, algorithms, SEO tricks and measurement software.
Here's what we learned:
1. Content is still king
More than ever, Google ranks web site authority based on useful content. The Panda update affected many sites with duplicate content and bumped them down in rankings. Quality, fresh, optimized content is a major key to improving your site's authority ranking. Some ideas for content are:
- video
- glossary of terms
- top 10 lists
- graphics and photos
- whitepapers
- infographics
- links
2. Update your home page often
Google looks for new content when it indexes sites and in particular, Google searches for new content on your home page first and ranks that highest. The Google Caffeine web indexing system is quicker and more efficient than past versions. As a result, fresh content rises much faster to the top of SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). Google quickly scans for news, video, trusted sources, social media mentions and images when keywords are searched. Think about how to encourage other sites to want to link back to you within a meaningful context based on the search results.
3. Links continue to be vital for SEO rankings
Good sites link to other good sites, bad sites link to everyone or to link farms. Strive to get high quality back links to your site. One expert recommended the best way to do this is simply to get on the phone and call bloggers or webmasters of the sites you want links from - good old-fashioned research and PR practices.
4. Know your audience
Knowing your audience's demographics, preferences and interests will help with developing the right types of content. Does your target audience learn best from videos? Or do they prefer to download whitepapers or receive an enewsletter? Taking the time to develop audience personas will help your key audiences navigate through the information on your site and lead them through the sales funnel. Have clear calls to actions so people know what to do when they get to your site.
... to be continued!
Keep reading for Part II !
I like a good deal, so whenever a retailer offers me a loyalty card, I'll take it! They clutter up my wallet, but it's worth it to save a few bucks, right?
Haircuts, pet food, coffee, bagels - these are all businesses that can keep customers coming back with a loyalty card that gets punched or stamped. A tried and true retailer marketing tactic, but one that is probably difficult to track and measure reach and effectiveness.
Enter Stampt - a new way to deliver loyalty rewards to customers that takes advantage of the viral nature of social media by letting others know what your customers are purchasing.
The old "punch card" is replaced with a digital version. At the point of purchase, customers use their smart phone to scan the Stampt quick card QR code to get their "punch." They could also download the app to their phone. The coolest part? With one click, customers can share your store's info on their social networks, so you get more visibility. The retailer can send special offers and announcements to Stampt users any time, plus get usage reports that monitors activity.
I heard about Stampt from my friend Terri Wonn. She launched a cake ball business this year,
Mrs. Wonnderful's Cake Ball Company, using a blog site, Facebook and word of mouth. It's going gangbusters, so she decided to add a loyalty program using Stampt. If you buy 7 dozen delectable cake balls, you get 1 dozen free. Stampt fits perfectly with her viral, social media approach to marketing her business.
Stampt works because it's easy, fast and makes sharing on social media simple. This is one mobile app I'm going to keep an eye. Any online tool that helps keep my wallet clutter-free is good deal!
What new online tools have you impressed you lately? Share your comments below, or on our MOD Internet Marketing Facebook page.
@KateWinckler
There's another great article out this week from our friends at HubSpot: 5 Simple Steps to an Awesome LinkedIn Company Page.
Most people have a personal LinkedIn page set up - after Facebook, it's the second most popular social media platform among U.S. adults (according to Forrester Research).
Did you know you can also have a Linkedin Company Page set up for your business? It's a powerful tool for expanding your influence among peers, prospects and professionals in your field. Even if you already have a personal LinkedIn page, you can post status updates on the company page. Set up Admins by designating any employees of the company with a valid email registered to the company domain email address to be able to post and share.
Optimize the content on your Company page with the keywords and phrases that are highly relevant to your unique products and services. Then take advantage of LinkedIn Groups, Answers, Jobs, People and even paid Ads to attract visitors to your page.
I have my LinkedIn page linked to my Twitter account, so that whatever I post on Twitter automatically shows up in my LinkedIn status throughout the day. It's a real time-saver.
Hubspot has a free PDF download about How to Used LinkedIn for Business. It's a good beginner's guide and will get you up and running quickly.
If you need more in-depth advice about social media or SEO, give us a call at 262-567-5662 or email us. With years of marketing experience behind us, we can help guide you to success with social media for your business.
~Kate
Let's connect on Twitter, @KateWinckler