Panacea - Social Media Management Blog

Reasons Your Business Should Be Using YouTube

Posted on: March 27th, 2016 by admin No Comments

As a business, you should always plan how to get your products seen by as many people as possible. That is only possible through strategic marketing. Having a cost effective way of displaying products to the public is an idea many companies would want to embrace. One of the ways a company can have effective but cost effective marketing is by using YouTube. Here are the benefits.

Tap into YouTube Traffic
YouTube is the second largest search engine. It is also the third most visited website across the world, ranking behind Google and Facebook respectively. If you choose YouTube for your business, you can easily reach millions of potential buyers. There is a large audience on YouTube and you do not have to spend a lot to reach many people.

Appear on Google
Due to the Google Universal Search feature, which includes videos, images, books and shopping in the search results, your video is likely to make it to the top of the list if the queries submitted are related with the content you have uploaded on YouTube. Videos are now appearing more often and are regarded as a better source of information online.

Make money from videos
Apart from marketing your business using YouTube, you can also make money from Google AdSense. Google AdSense allows marketers to place Ads on popular videos and this is something you are paid for if your channel offers useful information and has many followers.

Embedding
Another fact about YouTube videos you will love is the ability to embed the videos on any website you like. This feature makes sharing easier and therefore you are able to reach more people. This is an easy process that can also be used on your blog and social media accounts.

Better interaction with buyers
Video makes the interaction between the seller and buyers real. Buyers can ask questions and you can also schedule a webinar for questions and opinions from different people in the audience.

Easy to make
YouTube videos do not need special equipment or skills. All you need is to make sure the vocals are clear. You can even use your Smartphone to make the video before getting special equipment. You do not necessarily need to edit the initial copy as long as you have offered useful information. Uploading is also a matter of minutes and you are through. You can then share the link on other social sites and your blog for more views.

How to Use Twitter to Grow Your Business

Posted on: March 23rd, 2016 by admin No Comments

Tweet Board

A strong online influence can aid in growing your business across different divides. Social networks continue to dominate online presence, and you can use that to promote business in a more effective way. Twitter is one social network you can utilise to showcase your business and what it has to offer.

Why Twitter

Currently, Twitter boasts over 200 million users. In this audience, there is a fraction that is ripe for your marketing and just needs a little push. Marketers can do so much with the potential that Twitter offers. The simplicity of Twitter is one of the reasons that online users love it and so should marketers. There is nothing fancy about it, and users don’t have to struggle to get the message. Tweets have become some of the most efficient ways to communicate online.

Keeping Up with Conversations

Twitter gives users a chance to post updates, called tweets, as many times as they want. The constant flow of tweets provides threads of conversations that can be very influential in your business. Some high profile individuals and corporations are on Twitter and participate in these conversations. You can improve your business by keeping up with what people are saying. Following different conversations will give you a better understanding of your target audience, which makes it less taxing to come up with effective advertising.

Targeting Ideal Audiences

Targeting the right people on Twitter will help to improve business significantly. Knowing which people to follow will give you valuable information. Strategic follows will go a long way when structuring your marketing campaign. Look for influencers in the business you are in and follow their accounts. Interacting with followers and people you follow will help to forge relationships that you can use to promote your business.

Creating Relationships

Twitter helps to create personal relationships before doing business. When you have customers following your account, you can respond to their questions or address any concerns about your products. Twitter makes a very efficient tool for customer service. Engaging potential clients, suppliers and clients will make them feel important.

Increasing Leads

A company can use Twitter to generate sales leads. There is a way to structure tweets to get Twitter users to pay attention to your business. First, know the audience you are trying to reach. Then come up with ways to get them to your company website. The use of GIFs, images and videos has become very popular in reaching different audiences. Posting the right links with your tweets will also aid in getting people to your landing pages.

A company that is not on Twitter yet can start using the site to market to online users, thereby, bringing in more business.

How to Improve your LinkedIn Company Profile

Posted on: March 16th, 2016 by admin No Comments

LinkedIn is developing into one of the most effective social networks for businesses with over four million Company Pages. Developing your LinkedIn Company Profile has many advantages, including engaging your audience and enhancing SEO, since LinkedIn Company Pages rank high with the top search engines. You company profile needs to stand out from the crowd and here are some tips for improvement:

Make sure your profile’s complete, including your website, geographical location, company size and industry sector.
Use the Home tab to showcase your brand, describing who you are and what you do along with your expertise in terms of your products and services.
Tailor your page content to be SEO-friendly. Google will select about 150 characters of your content for the search results, so make sure that your information is concise, precise and has the right number of keywords.
Devote a tab to products and services and link to your website or landing page.
Consider a Careers tab to advertise vacancies and attract interest in your company.
Don’t forget to feature your logo on your page and use an attractive, eye-catching banner image. You can change this periodically to keep interest alive.
Add a LinkedIn ‘Follow’ button on your website and invite your contacts to follow your company page.
Have a showcase tab for specialist content such as a sub-brands, campaigns or new products.
Develop a LinkedIn strategy and set your goals, e.g. driving traffic to your site or promoting audience engagement.
Use visual and video content for variety and to bring your page to life.
Keep updates short, simple and catchy to encourage clickthroughs, comments and likes. Don’t forget to reply to all comments on your updates!
Use LinkedIn’s targeted updates to send marketing messages to specific audiences. This is more effective than a general broadcast. Consider the LinkedIn Sponsored Updates to amplify the your reach with the aim of lead generation.
Use LinkedIn on a regular basis, sharing your own content along with other interesting third-party news or articles.
Share you page with your employees and encourage them to comment, like and engage with the company’s activity.
Track your performance with LinkedIn analytics. The data shows trends and highlights audience engagement, so you can adapt, evolve and refine your strategy as you go.

Increasing the overall presence of your LinkedIn company profile can be great for your reputation and provide a positive element to your business.

Do you have a LinkedIn company profile? Please leave your comments below…

Tags: LinkedIn, linkedin company profile, social media, Social Media Tips

Using Google Plus for Internal Communication

Posted on: March 2nd, 2016 by admin No Comments

Before I even begin to describe how Google Plus can help entrepreneurs on a professional level, it seems fitting to explain just what Google Plus is in the first place. We’re all familiar with Facebook and Twitter, but not a whole lot of folks don’t really know what Google Plus is other than “The thing I have to log into to watch Youtube.”

A Brief Overview of Google+

Situated among the ranks of Facebook and Twitter in vague classification, Google+, while technically a social media platform, focuses less on pictures of who we hung out with last night in favour of bringing a wide variety of practical features to the table. While it may be used for the simple, recreational use that is the sharing of websites and talking among friends, its user base is given a wide variety of other features to select from which, as we’ll cover in a moment, can be used successfully in business.

A Workplace-Exclusive Sharing Platform

If you’ve ever written or have come in contact with a workplace memo before, you’ve been a part of a workplace-exclusive sharing platform. The boss is able to reach everyone’s ears with one foul swoop in a convenient and efficient manner, though those on the receiving end aren’t typically granted the same access. Through the use of Google Plus; however, everyone in the workplace now has their own memo platform of sorts and can even carry on one-on-one conversations from the comfort of their own desk.

Tweaking Google Plus to Your Liking

As great as the above Google Plus benefit sounds, you likely can’t just jump right in and take full access of it. For the professional, Google+ may as well be cast aside with the other platforms in the realm of social media unless one makes the choice to go premium. By going premium, you’re able to turn the entire social media platform into your work’s social media platform, reaping all of the previously discussed benefits.

The Steps to Take

Get Google Plus Premium. As said, this allows access to the features we truly want.
Use your control panel to choose who can and can’t access your work’s network.
Lastly, set up different groups. Whether the IT crew needs their own group or the high-level managers are in need of a place to communicate in private, giving everyone their own group is sure to help things run smoothly and step up your work’s level of communication and overall productivity.

Do you use Google Plus in your business? Please leave your comments below…

Tags: Google Plus, Google Plus tips, internal communication

Why Should You Optimise Your Youtube Videos?

Posted on: February 29th, 2016 by admin No Comments

YouTube is one of the largest media sharing platforms on the internet and with over 100 minutes of content uploaded to the website per minute, it’s easy for your video to get lost in the mix. To make sure your video reaches the audience you are targeting, it is essential to optimise it to the best of its potential. So how do you optimise your video and help it reach the search results you seek?

Create Strong Content

Of course the first thing you need to make sure of is that your content is worth seeing and sharing. Users return to content that is engaging and useful and the more returning viewers you get, the more likely it is for your videos to show up as useful results. Keep your channel focused and make sure each video has a distinct purpose it is serving. It is also a good idea to try to keep videos relevant so that they show up in popular or trending searches.

Use Tagging and Annotations

The single most important aspect of optimising YouTube videos is including the right tags and annotations. Tags are the identification tool YouTube uses to generate search results for viewers. The more relevant your tags are, the more likely you are to reach your audience. It is important to add the right number of tags so that a wide base of potential searches is covered but it is also important not to add irrelevant tags. Irrelevant tags are considered misleading and viewers will hit your video only to leave – this increases what YouTube calls the Bounce Rate and actually decreases your potential as a valuable result.

Engage The Viewer

Annotations are also important to include as they help direct viewers to other relevant content in your channel. Like tags, however, they must be used with discretion. Annotations that obstruct the video or cause too much distraction can actually be detrimental to the viewing experience and will hurt rather than help your audience.

To make sure your content reaches the right source, it is important that you optimise your videos and ensure they show up in relevant searches. While it is a slow process to have your channel grow and expand, it is an easily accomplished one if the right steps and tools are followed.

Do you use YouTube as part of your marketing strategy? Please leave your comments below…

Using LinkedIn for Recruitment Purposes

Posted on: February 23rd, 2016 by admin No Comments

LinkedIn is a site for professional networking that is changing how companies and headhunters find qualified candidates. Currently, the site has over 300 million professionals with online profiles. All these present a unique potential for companies to recruit. Recruitment is a cumbersome process that businesses have to go through. Using an online social site is one of the ways to facilitate that process.

Access to all Kinds of Professionals

The site has no restrictions when it comes to professionals that can post their profiles, which translates to millions of users from varying industries and regions. It doesn’t matter what type of business a company is in; they can find someone that has the right expertise or get recommendations. A point to note is that not all individuals who post their profiles are seeking jobs. These are ‘passive’ candidates also present on this platform. However, there is a possibility that these persons may consider other offers, and that is one advantage that recruiters appreciate.

Maintaining Quality Company Profiles

Companies too have profiles on LinkedIn since it is one of the ways of marketing themselves. An enterprise can use the site to put its brand online and showcase it to potential hires. Some candidates use the site to learn more about particular companies before they can apply for jobs there. It is, therefore, paramount for a business to manage its profile in a professional manner and know how to make the most out of it.

Sifting Through Forums

Forums and discussions are a big part of LinkedIn. Industry experts post various topics and start fundamental discussions. A company or recruiter that wants to keep up with quality candidates can take a look at these forums. They can take note of the people who participate and what they have to say because such information offers valuable insight.

Engaging in Groups

There are groups on the site where people share various interests. These present excellent platforms that recruiters can capitalise on. A recruiter or company can get recommendations of good candidates from these groups. They can also post jobs on the groups, and members can share with people they think qualify.

Searching

LinkedIn offers a tool for advanced searches of professionals. A recruiter looking for specific skill sets can search the site for them. Individuals also get endorsements on skills they are good at from their peers and colleagues. A recruiter can look at such data to learn more about various professionals.

When companies or recruiters identify candidates that they wish to test out, they can use the Inmail service of the site to contact them. Professionals also post their contact information on profiles, which potential employers can use. Whether dealing with active or passive candidates, LindkedIn proves to be an effective way of finding talent to grow your company.

Do you use LinkedIn for recruitment purposes? Please leave your comments below…

Tags: LinkedIn, linkedin for recruitment, social media, Social Media Tips

Improving your Reach using Pinterest

Posted on: January 25th, 2016 by admin No Comments

Did you know that Pinterest pins are 100 times more visible than tweets and Facebook posts? Since the introduction of Instagram, Pinterest has become the hottest online marketing for businesses. To learn how to improve your reach using Pinterest, make sure you read this guide now.

Start by building a board
When you sign up on Pinterest, you will want to fill new boards with quality pins. Once you have launched your new boards, you can pin your content daily. A constantly updated board is more than likely to succeed, especially if your prospects are already on Pinterest.

Use the available tools
If you need to find quality content for pinning on Pinterest, you need to follow interests. This strategy will improve your visibility and engagement. Pinterest has come up with new tools that are exclusively designed for business accounts. Look for Pin It Button, Widget Builder, and Promoted Pins.

Make it simple to pin content from your websites
You can add a Pin It button to an image on your website or through your phone app. If you use WordPress, take advantage of Pin It Hover plugin. This simple-to-use button directs your website visitors to check out your Pinterest account, so if you don’t have this button, your site’s chances of getting interaction with your Pinterest account will be zero.

Use your other social media platforms to gain followers
If you have just joined Pinterest, the last thing you want to do is to start looking for new followers. The easiest way is to connect your Facebook account to your Pinterest business account in order to tap into the people who already follow you on other platforms. To do this, sign in to your Facebook account, go to settings, go to social networks sections, and then connect your account to Pinterest.

Engage with your followers and gain new ones
After you have reviewed other Pinterest pins and found out which ones are the most popular, you need to get your pins seen. This is where you must build relationships with your followers and find out what they want and look for. By engaging with your existing followers, you will be able to gain new ones through common interests.

Pinterest analytics
This new and awesome feature is highly useful for business accounts. Once you have verified your account, you will get access to tracking information. Pinterest analytics lets you see what type of content or strategy works best so you can improve your marketing campaign.

Tags: Pinterest, social media, social media for business, Social Media Tips

Promoting a New Business using Social Media

Posted on: January 15th, 2016 by admin No Comments

The rise of social media has given organisations a valuable tool to market their products. However; all too often those looking to market a new business fall into the trap of seeing social media for what they want it to be, rather than what it actually is.

Social media is a way to engage with people rather than sell at them, and it is certainly not an electronic billboard. After years of being shouted at to buy one product or another, people have finally become tired of the hard sell and this is reflected very well on social media.

Organisations using platforms such as Facebook just for advertising their product often find that the comments section is used by customers to explain what they really think of the organisation or its product.

This can be a problem or an opportunity for a new business: it might be afraid of receiving negative feedback about its product or services, but that’s all part of the learning curve. As such, this feedback is an invaluable tool to help shape the product and the way it is offered to customers.

Social media is open to two-way traffic: smart marketers don’t simply look to sell their product to others; instead they create a feedback loop that takes customer’s opinions to heart.

This helps to build trust, as it breaks down the formal relationship between the vendor and the customer and shows that the company really does have the interests of others at heart. For a new business, building this trust early is vital as it will help to create loyalty.

The key to marketing a brand is less about being a business and more about being a person. Concentrating on creating thought-provoking and powerful content will get people’s attention, and this can be aligned with the product to increase brand awareness.

However; care should be taken: trying too hard to promote the brand rather than content will be spotted immediately, and using serious or controversial subject matter to market a product can look contrived and cynical.

New businesses should work on the ‘less is more’ strategy. Only one post in seven should be marketing the business and the product, and the rest should be geared towards engaging with followers using great content. Marketing a business on social media takes time, but it’s the process not the result that counts.

Tags: social media, Social Media Tips, Social Media Trends

The Benefits of Blogging for Business

Posted on: January 5th, 2016 by admin No Comments

Writing a blog is a fantastic Marketing tool which is becoming increasingly popular and should be implemented by businesses everywhere, regardless of the products or services they provide. Research shows 60% of businesses who blog on a regular basis acquire more customers than those who don’t.

Blogging is an effective and inexpensive way to reach a large audience and allows you to get your voice heard, which is a particularly useful tactic for businesses looking to boost their visibility.

Some great benefits of blogging include:

Increased website traffic

Blogging is a great way to increase website traffic, as it allows businesses to provide their audience with useful and relevant information, thus hopefully leading to more customers.

Publishing blogs on a consistent basis is very important and can help to increase the number of indexed pages on a website, this will in turn help to boost the website’s visibility.

Improves your SEO

Another way to boost your website’s visibility is to increase its SEO, which can also be achieved via blogging. Using relevant keywords in your blog posts in crucial as this can help with search engine rankings.

Blogging regularly about your business, services or industry will also naturally increase your search keywords, meaning your website will reach a larger audience and receive a greater amount of views.

Establishes authority

A well written blog can help a business establish itself as an industry leader, as it allows the business to show off its sound knowledge and experience.

A business blog should contain informative content which answers common questions of their leads and customers – this can help to build the trust of consumers as it demonstrates the business’s knowledge of its industry.

Builds strong customer relationships

Blogs are generally written in a friendly and relatable tone which is a great way for businesses to build strong customer relationships.

Publishing regular blogs allows customers to get to know your business or the products or services that you provide, it also gives them a chance to leave comments which you can reply to, leading to customer interaction.

Tags: blogging, blogs, business

Why You Should Be Using Google Plus For Your Business?

Posted on: December 21st, 2015 by admin No Comments

Why you should be using Google plus for your business

Google Plus (Google+) has been operating in its current form since June 2011 and has been constantly evolving with new features and applications. Initially launched as a social networking platform, Google+ has grown into a useful business tool with a variety of applications to help you advertise and build your company; so here are some reasons why you should be using it.• It is estimated that there are currently over 500,000 regular users on Google and a good percentage of this is business traffic. The numbers alone allow you to reach out to a broad range of potential customers who would otherwise, be unable to see your company profile.• Over half of all searches carried out are passed through the google search engine and this links with Google+. A properly managed page will ensure your company is seen by a vast audience, therefore increasing your potential market.• It is often the case that you create a video presentation for your product range and this needs to be viewed by an audience. Google own YouTube which ranks as the second biggest search engine in the world. By linking your Google+ account to YouTube it enhances the chances of it getting exposure on a search engine that produces over 3 billion results per month.

• Everything you post on Google+ is prioritised by Google. This is a huge boost to a company as its profile is promoted within the search engine results. The result is a higher chance of your post being clicked, again, increasing exposure.

• There is a host of useful applications within Google+ which allow you to showcase your product range such as Google Maps, Communities and Hangouts. The main advantage here is that you can use these features through one system, allowing you to integrate and control your marketing strategy without switching between platforms.

In all, the suite offered by Google+ can be seen as a one-stop shop. With Audio and video facilities, Image adjustment applications, and the ability to show off your business to an unprecedented audience it combines all the features of other social networking platforms with an array of business tools that are second to none. With the potential market so big and the competition for people’s attention so fierce, Google+ can offer your business a firm foothold on the increasingly complex internet. If you are not utilising this marketing tool, you should be.

Tags: buisness, Google Plus, social media

How to Use Twitter to Grow Your Business

The Benefits of Blogging for Business

Increased website traffic

Improves your SEO

Establishes authority

Builds strong customer relationships

Recent Posts

Archives

Categories