Social Media

The Importance of Social Media Share Buttons – Even If You Don’t Do Social Media

August 14, 2018 By John

You may have noticed the increasing use of Social Media share buttons on the top or sides (eyes right) of website pages and blogs. Sharing is a big deal in the Social Media world; so big, it is often called the currency of Social Media. You can use Social Media sharing to your advantage even if you “Don’t Do Social Media.”

If Social Media is not part of your marketing strategy, you may think share buttons can’t be on your website. Actually, social sharing buttons can help create a presence on social media platforms as well as providing other benefits for your brand. Remember, email was the original social media, so you should always include a share via email button. Here are four reasons why you should include social media share buttons on your website.

Improve Customer Experience

Part of having an effective website is providing a good experience for your visitors. This includes actions that you may not typically take part in, such as sharing content to social media. If your readers want to share your pages or blog posts, making it quick and easy for them to share on multiple platforms will increase the likelihood that they will do so. A share is tantamount to an endorsement, so make sure your content is worthy.

Increase Brand Exposure

When your website visitor shares your content with their social network, the likelihood that each of that visitor’s followers has visited your website before is very slim, so that content is getting introduced to an entirely new group of people. While not every one of those followers may be interested in the content that user shared, they may use this opportunity to explore your website and find something that appeals to them. That’s why adding share buttons to your website will typically result in new visitors to your website and, hopefully, new customer prospects for your business.

Improve Reach To Your Target Market

You’ve worked hard to get informative and interesting content on your website or blog for your visitors to explore, but that’s only half the battle. Getting this content in front of the right audience is an entirely different story. Utilizing your customers as a way to target and reach out to new prospective customers is a quick and cost effective way to do this. When customers stumble upon something interesting, but feel it is not relevant to share on their social network, they might send it directly to a family member, co-worker, or a few friends. Research shows that direct messaging is the only thing that people do online more than social networking, so providing sharing buttons creates a great opportunity to gain new customers.

Influence SEO Benefits

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one of the most crucial elements of your website when it comes to organic (not-paid) traffic. Adding share buttons to your page can increase organic traffic. Google determines search results listings by using many ranking signals, among them are the number of times that content is shared, tweeted, liked, or posted to social media. While Google has long admitted to correlation but not necessarily causation, there is anecdotal evidence that social shares are helpful.

Social Media Share Buttons are important — Even if you Don’t Do Social Media!

Google Has Made Twitter More Important To Your Search Strategy

May 28, 2015 By John

As some of you know, Twitter plays an important part of many Social Media marketing strategies. With a Google announcement on May 19, 2015, Twitter gained importance in search strategy and SEO, especially for businesses with audiences that are primarily mobile users.

“Starting today, we’re bringing Tweets to Google Search on mobile devices. So now when you’re searching on the Google app or any browser on your phone or tablet, you can find real-time content from Twitter right in the search results.” — Google

The most important part of this is that your Tweets (with a link to your website) potentially reach Google search users, not just your Twitter followers. When you think about it, this is much bigger than it seems. Now, it is possible Google search results could include a normal listing for one of your pages AND a Tweet that links to a landing page on your website as well.

Please remember, this is Google, so your Tweet still has to earn its way into the Google’s search results page listings. It is too early to know just how that happens, but it is a given your Tweet, the link in it, and the link’s landing page will have to be relevant to the searcher’s intent. Of course having a Twitter account with active followers who retweet your Tweets, is certainly a good thing. As this new Google-Twitter deal starts to take effect, real-time trending Tweets are what is showing most frequently.

For those of you yet to embrace the fact that your website visitors are just as or more likely viewing your website on a mobile device, here are a couple of blog posts to read.

In April, 2015, comScore reported, the “Number of Mobile-Only Internet Users Now Exceeds Desktop-Only in the U.S.”

With phones the “central devices,” the number of “connected devices” is changing and growing rapidly.

Make no mistake, the Google-Twitter deal will beneficially impact many businesses that are using Twitter regularly and well.

If you are looking for more mobile visitors to your website, you should consider ramping up your Twitter presence and campaign. Of course, your website has to be Google mobile-friendly as well.

We can help! Contact or Call us Today at 1-800-281-9993 or 608-822-3750

A Baker’s Dozen Twitter Tips That Pay Dividends

December 16, 2014 By John

Twitter is so easy to use, and will pay dividends when used properly, that it belongs in the marketing plan for nearly every business. Here are some tips that will help you use Twitter effectively.

Retweet: It is simple. Share what you learn.
Use Hashtags: Maximize your audience. Use hashtags, e.g. #Twitter #Twittertips #SocialMedia
Tweet at regular intervals (start with a couple) and at the same time of day
Follow those who follow you (though check out their tweets to be sure they are a good fit)
Reply to mentions to build engagement
Do NOT retweet an URL without following it first to see if it is appropriate
Follow or favorite people who retweet your Tweets to increase followers
Tweet about your own blog posts (with a link to the post)
Tweet about your new or updated products or services (with a link to the page on your website)
Tweet discount codes or coupons
Don’t tweet all about you. Tweet about others as well.
It is fine to tweet the same thing more than once, though do it at a different time of day.
Use Hootsuite.com or a similar tool for scheduling and monitoring your Tweets

Bonus Tip:

Leave enough character spaces for your handle to display if you are retweeted, e.g., @webwisedesign and one space takes up 14 characters, so we have fewer than 126 characters available for our tweet content.

Here are a couple of good resources for you:

Twitter’s Beginner’s Guide

The Art of Writing Great Twitter Headlines

If you need help getting started with Twitter, or want to get better at using Twitter as part of your Social Media marketing strategy, give us a call.

Call Today! 1-800-281-9993 or 608-822-3750

Three Important SEO Facts to Remember for 2014!

January 9, 2014 By John

1. The Google Search you remember from 2 years ago doesn’t exist!

Google Most likely, what you thought you knew about getting ranked in Google SERPS (Search Engine Results Page) rankings, matters very little anymore. Think semantic and entity search with keywords as the tertiary element.

2. Just having a website is not enough!

Social Media needs to be included as well. Blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook – know the social media platform used by your target audience and connect with them frequently.

3. You can’t ignore Google+ anymore! Especially, those of you with local businesses.

I know. I know. I don’t like it either. When someone searches locally for your business or the products or services you offer, you simply have to control the narrative.

Quick-Start Social Media Plan for Small Businesses

October 16, 2013 By John

Social Media - Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc. If you run a small business, you are already more than busy. If you are not using Social Media for your business, you have likely considered it. Feeling there is not enough time nor extra money for expensive projects are generally two reasons Social Media gets shoved to the back burner for many small businesses.

Don’t wait! The benefits of a planned and well executed Social Media strategy are many. The good news is, you can get started with relatively small budgets of time and money.

How? First, don’t be afraid.

You have been using Social Media (Email) for years. Social Media is all about engagement, and that is what you have been doing when corresponding with clients, prospects and co-workers. How you do it with the different Social Media platforms and services varies, but it is basically communication between you and your customers. Really successful Social Media campaigns consist of two-way communication, not just pushing out information.

Second, don’t try to do too much.

We recommend you start with a monthly Newsletter and one other Social Media platform/service. Using one Social Media platform or service regularly and doing it well is far better than using two infrequently and poorly.

Here is a start up plan that will work for many of you.

The Social Media service(s) you choose may vary depending on your customers and prospects, but if you follow this relatively closely, you will be off to a good start. Before you start, read our blog post Five Keys to Using Social Media Successfully for Your Small Business.

Start with an email Newsletter using Constant Contact or similar service.

Many of you already send out monthly or quarterly newsletters or sales flyers. If you do, use Constant Contact or a similar service that has easy-to-use contact management tools and great reporting.

Twitter (unequivocally, the lowest barrier in cost/time effectiveness)

Start slowly.
Lurk at first – start following Twitter users in your line of business, your customers, your vendors
Read posts/tweets a couple of times a day, and reply or comment promptly
Tweet regularly and as often as possible.
- There are tools to help with this. Our favorite is Hootsuite, which lets you post to multiple Social Media accounts, and schedule Tweets and posts. Try it. You will find it invaluable.

Then…

Blog – If you have a blog (and you should), post at least once a month, and more frequently if you can. Strive to post weekly.

If you are able to manage those effectively, then explore and think about:

LinkedIn (for some of you, but not all)
Facebook* (for some of you, but not all)
Google+ (for some of you, but not all)
YouTube Videos (for some of you, but not most)
Pinterest (for some of you, but not most)

That’s the Quick-Start Social Media Plan for Small Businesses. Do yourself a favor. Start today!

* Some, businesses can get by just using Facebook for their only Social Media presence if they have a decent following by actual paying customers, and time to communicate at least twice (more is better) a day. That said, you would be limiting the growth of your business.

Five Keys to Using Social Media Successfully for Your Small Business

August 30, 2013 By John

test 1. Have clearly defined goals

Establish your reasons for using Social Media and focus your efforts toward those goals.

2. Understand which Social Media platforms your customers and prospects use

Learn about your target audience and where they are online so you can reach them.

3. Establish a plan to measure success – What is your expected ROI?

Understand how your money and time is spent for the best investment possible. Implement a plan to measure your effectiveness so you can make improvements.

4. Learn the best practices and etiquette of Social Media platforms

Marketing your business effectively through social media is different than using Facebook or Twitter for personal interests.

5. Allocate enough resources – Money, people, time

To use Social Media effectively for your business, invest in the personnel and time to do it right. Only going halfway won’t be adequate. Do it right or don’t do it at all.

If you are going to use Social Media for your business or organization, develop a Social Media strategy and implementation plan. Ineffective use of Social Media could do you more harm than good.

We at WebWise Design & Marketing are happy to help you sort out the Social Media platforms that are right for your business or organization, and how to use each in a manner that will produce results.

Give us a call today at 1-800-281-9993 or 608-822-3750. If you prefer, email us at contact@webwisedesign.com.

Quick Twitter Tips for New (and seasoned) Twitter Users

July 18, 2011 By John

Despite all the blog posts listing right and wrong ways to use Twitter, the reality is you should use Twitter in the manner that works best for you, and that can vary greatly from business to business. Of course, there are some basic Do’s and Don’ts, but you can find those nearly anywhere (including a link later in this post). Here are a few simple things to think about before sending the next tweet.

Proof before you tweet
Don’t retweet an url without clicking on and reading the landing page. It may not be what you think.
Don’t use all 140 characters. Leave room so you get credit when retweeted.
Spread your tweets out over time. Don’t flood your followers with ten tweets at a time.
Don’t forget, you are not tweeting to @justsomeoneyouknow. Potentially, millions can see your tweet
Help others. Retweet what is interesting to you and hopefully your followers.
If you want to get tweeted, retweet others.
If you want to get retweeted for specific topics, use hashtags (“#” Symbols)

For those of you who want more Twitter information, the excellent “The Ultimate Guide to Twitter Marketing” by @Copyblogger is a great resource.

And, of course, we always appreciate follows: Follow @webwisedesign

Should You Consider Advertising on Facebook?

April 20, 2011 By John

Facebook Distribution from www.checkfacebook.com

It may be time for you to seriously consider advertising on Facebook. Now, I know many of you will say, “I don’t use Facebook,” or, “I don’t like Facebook.” You certainly have the right to feel that way. There are many things I don’t like about Facebook, but it is undeniable that many, many people do use and like it. Many of them are, or could be, your customers or prospects. According to CheckFacebook.com, as of April 16, 2011 there are 653,150,280 Facebook users globally. The number of users where it could impact most of our readers, here in the United States, is a healthy 154,869,960. Yes, you read it correctly. There are nearly 155 million Facebook users in the U.S. Now, not all of those users are active, but it is simply a market that should not be ignored.

Aside from the sheer number of people, what makes Facebook so attractive to advertisers? Facebook has a near plethora of statistics related to users, including demographics some marketers salivate over. They include age groups, birthdays, likes, interests, relationship, sex, education, occupation, connections (even friends of those connected with your page), and many more.

Ad targeting can be as simple or detailed as you want it. For example you could create an ad offering a 50% discount for anyone with a May birthday, and display that ad to any Facebook user that is female, between 18 – 35, and lives within 30 miles of your business. You may choose the days and times your ads display.

So, what does it cost? Well, that is entirely up to you. Facebook charges per click in a manner similar to Google AdWords and Microsoft adCenter. You may set a daily budget, and maximum cost per click. Our experience is that they noticeably try to get you to increase that budget, with increasingly higher suggested bids. Accordingly it takes some monitoring and tweaking to get the most clicks for your money. That seems to be especially true with small budgets. The bottom line on cost is that you can control it. You won’t spend more than you decide to budget.

I feel compelled to say, it is extremely important that you not only look at the reports Facebook Advertising provides, but you look closely at your website analytics. You will want to check the reports for “referring sites,” “bounce rate,” “navigation path,” and “time on site” results. If you are not seeing results there, or getting phone calls about your Facebook ad, you need to review why you are not reaching the goals you set for the ad campaign.

Creating the ads is relatively simple, but a bit challenging as you try to write an ad that conveys your message. You have some restrictions. The “Title” will be bold and blue, and can contain no more than 25 characters. Your ad must also include a working destination URL to a website (e.g.,www.examplewebsite.com) or a destination on Facebook like a Page or an Application. Your ad can have maximum size of 110 x 80 pixels. If you upload one larger, it will be automatically resized, but if it is not the same ratio as 110 x 80 it will be distorted. The body text may contain a maximum of 135 characters. You will find yourself rewriting several times to squeeze in what you want to convey. Facebook recommends you create multiple ads (that will not affect your cost) to find the one that works best.

So let’s recap to see if you should try Facebook Advertising.

Do you want your advertising in front of large numbers of self-qualified, very targeted, visitors to a specific page on your website?
Do you want to be able to control your monthly budget?
Do you want to choose which days and hours your ads display?
Do you want to quantify the amount you spend by seeing detailed reports?

My guess is the answer is yes to those questions.

The only caveat I’ll offer is that, as in all good things, it takes an investment of your time or that of a professional with experience. If you or your marketing professional, has experience, a proven track record using Google AdWords and other Pay-Per-Click platforms, and understand analytics, you will likely reach the goals you set for your Facebook advertising campaign. Of course, if you have time to learn, and put in the effort you may be successful as well.

Is Facebook Advertising a good fit for you?

Only you can make that decision. Of course, we are always happy to help. Call us! 1-800-281-9993

Is a Facebook Page necessary, or appropriate, for your business?

October 19, 2010 By John

Facebook, Facebook, Facebook! It seems everywhere you turn, you hear, read, or watch (TV & now a movie) about Facebook. Let’s talk a little about how and when a Facebook page can help a business.

Just as a website, a blog, or a Twitter account does, a Facebook Page requires effort to be successful. The social media world, in which Facebook is arguably the leader, requires regular attention. Your “Fans” will expect regular interaction. Giving them less than that is no different than one of your sales people totally ignoring a customer that is visiting your brick and mortar store.

Keeping your Facebook Page current doesn’t have to be an onerous chore. With the correct tools, your website, blog, or Twitter account can help generate fresh content to you Facebook Page. As is the case with all social media, providing consistently fresh content and interaction are the secrets to a successful Facebook Page.

Here are few reasons why you should consider having a Facebook Page:

It is another place people can find what you offer. In fact, Facebook has over 500 million users.
Allows you to engage with your community easily at a cost only of time (of course, that is not to be dismissed)
Drive traffic to your website
Customer Service – Allows direct interaction with your customers, members, or prospects.
Fans turn into customers, and attract more of the same
Have an event coming up? Facebook is a great place to promote events
It is a great place for event photos (with easy to use upload/editing tools)
Offer fans discounts or specials
Your Facebook Page can be customized with your logo and colors the same as your website
For some people, Facebook is the web. They rarely go anywhere else.

Okay! Now, why should you not have a Facebook Page for your business?

If you don’t have (or take) the time to regularly update your website or blog.
If you have a Twitter account and rarely “tweet.”
Your customer demographic doesn’t include many Facebook users (You don’t want to have 6 “Fans” when your competitor has 250.)
You or your customers are not comfortable with Facebook privacy controls.
You don’t feel the effort to get people to simply “Like” your business is of great value.

So, should you or shouldn’t you have a Facebook Page? It truly depends on your type of business and your circumstances. There are pros and cons to everything, including Facebook Pages. We would be happy to help you sort through them.

Feel free to give us a call at 1-800-281-9993 or contact us about helping you make the right decision, when it comes to having or not having a Facebook page.

How can Twitter help your business?

August 30, 2010 By John

Increasingly, we are asked, “should we be using Twitter and/or Facebook for our business?” Today we are going to talk only about Twitter. Obviously, not every business should be using Twitter, though for the most part, if you have or intend to have a successful web presence, the answer is yes. If you already have a Facebook page, the answer is definitely yes, you should be using Twitter too.

One of the first responses we get when discussing Twitter with our clients is that they don’t know what Twitter is, or they don’t know very many people who actually use Twitter. That doesn’t mean there aren’t prospective “followers” and customers-to-be out there using Twitter, and in numbers that will likely surprise you. Will it take some time to build a followers list of any size? Yes. But, like the miners of the gold rush days, savvy Twitter users have learned that it pays to pan for those flecks of gold in those streams.

Before you start, it is important to remember this. First and foremost: DO NOT use Twitter only for pushing your products or services. Your tweets should add value to the conversations, needs, and lives of your followers and potential (those whom receive retweets, among others) followers. If all you do is promote your products or services, you will only realize a small part of what Twitter can do for you.

Each tweet can be no more than 140 characters. You don’t have to spend an inordinate amount of time writing them, but you should pay careful attention to what you write. As with anything, there can be unintended consequences if you write in haste or a poor state of mind. While forms of shorthand work for kids and others that live nearly exclusively in the texting world, I strongly believe, for business purposes, that you practice writing succinctly (admittedly, hard for me to do at times) so your message is clear. I am not saying to use abbreviations at all, just keep them, well, short.

One of the reasons I believe Twitter should be an integral part of any business’s online strategy, is that Twitter is viral. Tweet something worth retweeting (similar to email forwarding), and all of a sudden you have some potential new followers, as some of your followers retweet to their followers. Oh, and Google indexes “tweets,” so your well-written tweets can be found when people do a Google search for keywords you may have tweeted. Also, if any of your followers display their Twitter stream on their Facebook page, your tweets will show for all of their Facebook friends to see. Think branding, branding, branding. Are you feeling it?

So, how can Twitter help your business? In no particular order, consider the following.

Customer Service
Branding, branding, branding
Answer common questions (even though the answers are on your website) about your products or services
Build transparency and trust
Announcements of specials or events
Reward loyalty – send a coupon code that your followers can redeem in your store.
Build credability – share tips and useful links to your website and other websites
Your Twitter conversations add value to your brand, product, or service
Adding a Voice to your business – people like to know there are actual people with whom to communicate

Are you struggling to keep fresh content on your website’s home page? Displaying your Tweets on your home page can help you with that!

So, how do you start? Create a pesonal Twitter account and follow some of the social media experts so you know what is going on in social media. After you gotten your feet wet with your personal Twitter account, jump in and create a Twitter account for your business, and tweet, tweet.

By the way, you may reach us on Twitter @webwisedesign. We would love to hear from you, and of course, we appreciate any followers at www.twitter.com/webwisedesign.

Need more convincing? Here are a couple of resources with a lot of good information for you. The first from Lisa Barone who does a really great job of listing ways to market and build your business. The second is from Twitter itself, and will help you get started. 80 Ways To Use Twitter As A SMB Owner and Twitter 101 for Business – A Special Guide

As always, we are happy to answer your questions. Leave a comment, or give us a call at 1-800-281-9993.