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Does your LinkedIn company page resemble a ghost town when it comes to engagement?  Do you often feel like your business just isn’t getting a good return on investment when it comes to posting on this social network?  Well, don’t think about dumping LinkedIn from your social media strategy just yet.  We’re going share a few straightforward tips to get your LinkedIn company page status updates up to snuff.

Clocking In

While LinkedIn may be adding two new users every second, the social network’s users are not checking company status updates every second.  Unlike your Facebook for business page where your posting frequency should probably be high, LinkedIn company updates should be less frequent.  Try posting once or twice a day at times that professionals would not be in meetings, conferences or tied up at work (think early morning, lunch or end of workday).

Group Mentality

Are you an active member in any LinkedIn Groups?  To extend the reach of your status updates which should also deliver more user engagement with those posts, share your company status updates with groups also.  If you are going to do this and not seem to be self-promoting, make sure you are a group member who has actively helped others and answered others questions.

Ask for the Sale

If you are in sales, you know all about asking for the sale.  Well, guess what?  If you want your LinkedIn company page followers to engage with your comment, sometimes you just have to ask.  Seriously, just ask people to comment, like or share your posts with their social media networks.

Newsworthy

Looking for good content without creating content?  Pay attention to what’s happening in the news – particularly in your industry.  By sharing valuable, newsworthy content with your followers, you’ll gain their trust.  When you gain their trust, you’re more likely to gain a social network community that is willing to introduce you to their networks by engaging with your status updates.

Target Practice

Were you aware that you could target LinkedIn status updates?  In our cluttered social marketing lives, it is nice to not have our social networks clogged up with information that has nothing to do with us.  LinkedIn understood this and gives you the opportunity to target your company posts based on criteria like occupation, company size, job function, etc.  Use this feature. Your followers will appreciate it.

Does your LInkedIn company page receive massive engagement from its followers?  Our readers would love it if you would tell us how in the comments below.

Socialface is a social media agency based in Sydney, Australia.  Every day we post, tweet, blog and pin for businesses around the world, if you’d like to work with send us a note on what you need help with by clicking here. 

We know social, we stay on top of the fast paced changes and we make our clients look great online.

The post Are Your LinkedIn Company Page Status Updates Up to Snuff? appeared first on socialface-blog.

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Ignoring social search in your business’s social media strategy means you are missing out on a huge opportunity to connect with your prospects and customers.  With social networks including internal search functions and with consumers spending more time on social media, taking the time to optimise your social networks for search is a no-brainer.  We’re going to help you get started by sharing some basic social search steps for your business.

Over One Billion Reasons

We can think of over one billion reasons (think the social network’s users) to optimise your Facebook for business page and Facebook Graph Search adds another reason to that long list.  Start your social search optimisation by filling out your basic information (About, Mission, Company Overview, etc.) completely and use keywords relevant to your business in this content.  If you have a physical location, make sure to add your address and claim your Facebook Places Page.  Finally, make sure your profile picture is recognisable (logo, signage, etc.) as profile pictures show up in social search results.

#SearchThisSocialNetwork

Twitter’s search function helps its users find exactly the type of content they are looking for, and your business does not want to miss out on taking advantage of this robust social search tool.  Hashtags get all the press, but adding relevant keywords in your content is just as important as the search tool provides results for both.  Whenever possible, utilise links to drive users to your website/blog/etc. and to add to your seo backlink juice.  Lastly, piggyback your posts on trending topics and current events as this is what many users will be searching for on Twitter.

Highly Photogenic

Pinterest is quickly becoming an important part of social media marketing for businesses.  Start your social search optimisation for Pinterest by including relative and important keywords – including product pricing – in your Pin descriptions.  Moving up to the Board level, make sure every Pin is related to the overall theme of the board and add important keywords in the Board description.  Finally, focus on pinning high-quality images to your boards as users will be more inclined to re-pin these photos to their own boards.

Every social media strategy should include a social search plan.  Not only are users searching within the social networks to find businesses and content, but the search engines are indexing social marketing content to present along with other organic search engine results.

What types of things is your business doing to capture virtual social search real estate online?  We’d love to read your success stories in the comments below.

Socialface is the original exclusively social media focused agency in Australia.  Every day we post, tweet, blog and pin for businesses around the world, if you’d like to work with send us a note on what you need help with by clicking here. 

We know social, we stay on top of the fast paced changes and we make our clients look great online.

The post Important Social Search Steps to Optimise Three Social Networks for Search appeared first on socialface-blog.

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Ready to get serious about your business’s social media strategy?  Did your boss assign you the task of posting to their Facebook for business page and taking over the management of all social networks?  Before you go and blow your opportunity to introduce your brand to the social universe, make sure to read this post and avoid these social marketing mistakes.

The Me Generation

Have you ever met someone new at a networking event and they can’t stop talking about themselves?  If you are like me, you probably tune them out and begin thinking about how you can manage to make come up with an excuse and make your way back over to the bar – fast.  Your social media community will do the same thing if spend all your time posting about your business and nothing else.

Nothing to See Here

Looking for another sure-fire way to bore your Facebook for business fans to death?  Make sure all your posts are very long with no visual content – only text.  A recent study showed that, “Photos on Facebook Pages received 53% more Likes than the average post.”  So, skip the visual content and enjoy the sound of silence on your brand’s Facebook account.

Miss the Mark

Want to have a little fun?  Gather your mates around a dartboard, put on a blindfold, and start throwing darts at your target.  Might be fun for you, but probably not for them.  Don’t blindly create your social media marketing strategy by guessing where your target audience is online.  Take off your blindfold and take the time to know which social networks they use before dedicating time and energy talking to the wrong crowd.

Guessing Game

How many Twitter tweets or Facebook posts are you going to share each day?  Post too frequently and you’ll drive fans away.  Don’t post often enough on your social networks, and your social media community will forget you exist.  Your posting strategy shouldn’t be a guessing game.  Study your social analytics to discover the posting sweet spot.

Flying Solo

Is your business going to hand the reigns to its social marketing strategy over to an intern?  Maybe your social media plan is to just let someone in your office who enjoys “messing around on Facebook” make a go of it with your brand’s social network management.  The best bit of advice I could share in this blog post is to talk to a qualified social media manager first.  Flying solo could be risky business – especially when you don’t even have a pilot’s license.

How did your brand launch its Facebook for business plan or avoid costly mistakes with its social media marketing strategy?  We’d love to hear from you.  Please share in our comments.

Socialface is a social media agency based in Sydney, Australia.  Every day we post, tweet, blog and pin for businesses around the world, if you’d like to work with send us a note on what you need help with by clicking here. 

We know social, we stay on top of the fast paced changes and we make our clients look great online.

The post New to Social Media? 5 things not to do if you want to succeed! appeared first on socialface-blog.

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Everyone has words they live by and here’s a collection of words that inspire and motivate us at Socialface to get out there and be the best people we can be, do the best work we can do and make the best difference we can make…

1. Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
   It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.’
   We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
   Actually, who are you not to be?
   You are a child of God.
   Your playing small does not serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do.
   We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
   It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.
   And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
   As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
   – Marianne Williamson, Nelson Mandela Speech
2. People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway.
   If you do good, people may accuse you of selfish motives. Do good anyway.
   If you are successful, you may win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.
   The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
   Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway.
   What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.
   People who really want help may attack you if you help them. Help them anyway.
   Give the world the best you have and you may get hurt. Give the world your best anyway.
   – Mother Teresa
3. Success -
   To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
   To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
   To appreciate beauty; To find the best in others;
   To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
   To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived;
   This is to have succeeded.
   – Ralph Waldo Emmerson

4. It will be alright in the end and if it’s not alright it’s not the end!

5. I don’t know what the secret to success is, but the secret to failure is trying to please everybody. –Unknown
6. I used to think that running an organization was equivalent to conducting a symphony orchestra. But I don’t think that’s quite it; it’s more like jazz. There is more improvisation. ~ Warren Bennis
7. In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing. – Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919)
8. Someone’s got to go out there and love people.– Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997)
9. A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts. – Richard Branson

10. A calm sea does not make a skilled sailor. – Unknown

11. A good hand and a good heart are always a formidable combination. Nelson Mandela
12. A man should never neglect his family for business. – Walt Disney
13. A meeting is an event at which the minutes are kept and the hours are lost. – Unknown
14. A real decision is measured by the fact that you’ve taken a new action. If there’s no action, you haven’t truly decided. – Tony Robbins
15. A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him. – David Brinkley
16. Always forgive your enemies. Nothing annoys them more. – Oscar Wilde
17. Are you a serial idea–starting person? The goal is to be an idea–shipping person. – Seth Godin
18. Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath.- Michael Caine
19. Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent. – Marilyn vos Savant

20. Business is more exciting than any game – Lord Beaverbrook

21. Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming. – Richard Branson
22. Change is not a threat, it’s an opportunity. Survival is not the goal, transformative success is. – Seth Godin
23. Do or do not. There is no try. – Yoda
24. Do what you can with what you’ve got wherever you are. – Theodore Roosevelt
25. Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today – Will Rogers
26. Even if you are on the right track, You’ll get run over if you just sit there. – Will Rogers
27. Every accomplishment starts with a decision to try. – Unknown
28. Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing it is stupid – Einstein

29. Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. – Albert Einstein

30. Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. – Theodore Roosevelt
31. Far better it is to dare mighty things than to take rank with those poor timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. — Theodore Roosevelt
32. Fire the committee. No great website in history has been conceived of by more than three people. Not one. This is a deal breaker. – Seth Godin
33. For maximum attention, nothing beats a good mistake. – Unknown
34. Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety–nine percent perspiration. – Thomas A. Edison
35. Get bitter or get busy – Bill O’ Reilly, about capitalism
36. Hire character.  Train skill – Peter Schutz

37. I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying. — Michael Jordan

38. I don’t pay good wages because I have a lot of money; I have a lot of money because I pay good wages – Robert Bosch
39. I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity. – Oprah Winfrey
40. I had to make my own living and my own opportunity! But I made it! Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them! – C.J. Walke
41. I like thinking big. If you’re going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big. – Donald Trump
42. Ideas in secret die. They need light and air or they starve to death. – Seth Godin
43. If you did not look after today’s business then you might as well forget about tomorrow – Isaac Mophatlane

44. If you see a bandwagon, it’s too late. – James Goldsmith

45. If you work just for money, you’ll never make it, but if you love what you’re doing and you always put the customer first, success will be yours. – Ray Kroc
46. If you would like to know the value of money, try to borrow some. – Benjamin Franklin
47. Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions. – Albert Einstein
48. In the business world, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience. Take the experience first; the cash will come later. – Harold Geneen
49. Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, you ought to set up a life you don’t need to escape from. – Seth Godin
50. It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change – Charles Darwin
51. It’s not the employer who pays the wages. Employers only handle the money. It’s the customer who pays the wages.” – Henry Ford
52. It’s not the load that breaks you down; it’s the way you carry it.- Lena Horne
53. Leadership is doing what is right when no one is watching. – George Van Valkenburg
54. Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. – Dwight Eisenhower

55. Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. – Albert Einstein

56. Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. – John Maxwell
57. Live daringly, boldly, fearlessly. Taste the relish to be found in competition – in having put forth the best within you. – Henry J. Kaiser
58. Long–range planning works best in the short term. – Doug Evelyn
59. Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. –Thomas Edison
60. Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake. – Napoleon Bonaparte
61. Never put off until tomorrow what you can avoid altogether. – Unknown
62. Nothing is worth more than this day. – Goethe
63. Once you free yourself from the need for perfect acceptance, it’s a lot easier to launch work that matters. – Seth Godin
64. One finds limits by pushing them. – Herbert Simon
65. One who asks questions is a fool for 5 minutes, one who does not ask questions remains a fool forever. – Chinese Proverb
66. Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked. – Warren Buffett
67. Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. – Thomas Edison
68. Out there in some garage is an entrepreneur who’s forging a bullet with your company’s name on it. – unknown

69. People are best convinced by things they themselves discover. – Ben Franklin

70. People are definitely a company’s greatest asset. It doesn’t make any difference whether the product is cars or cosmetics. A company is only as good as the people it keeps – Mary Kay Ash
71. People rarely buy what they need. They buy what they want. – Seth Godin
72. Please think about your legacy, because you’re writing it every day. – Gary Vaynerchuck
73. Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly and get on with improving your other innovations. – Steve Jobs

74. Strangers are just friends waiting to happen.- Author Unknown

75. Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get. – Dale Carnegie
76. Success is often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable. – Coco Chanel
77. Successful people are the ones who are breaking the rules. – Seth Godin
78. Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live. – Jim Rohn
79. The absolute fundamental aim is to make money out of satisfying customers – John Egan

80. The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time. – Abraham Lincoln

81. The first one gets the oyster the second gets the shell. – Andrew Carnegie
82. The golden rule for every business man is this: Put yourself in your customer’s place. – Orison Swett Marden
83. The great accomplishments of man have resulted from the transmission of ideas of enthusiasm. – Thomas J. Watson
84. The important thing is to not stop questioning. – Albert Einstein
85. The key to success is to focus our conscious mind on things we desire not things we fear. -Brian Tracy
86. The man who will use his skill and constructive imagination to see how much he can give for a dollar, instead of how little he can give for a dollar, is bound to succeed. – Henry Ford

87. The new source of power is not money in the hands of a few, but information in the hands of many. – John Naisbitt

88. The number of times I succeed is in direct proportion to the number of times I can fail and keep on trying. – Tom Hopkins
89. The problem with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat. – Lilly Tomlin
90. The successful man is the one who finds out what is the matter with his business before his competitors do. – Roy L. Smith
91. The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same – Carlos Castaneda
92. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer. – Unknown
93. The worst part of success is to try to find someone who is happy for you. – Bette Midler
94. There is no security on the earth, there is only opportunity. – General Douglas MacArthur
95. There’s no shortage of remarkable ideas, what’s missing is the will to execute them. – Seth Godin

96. Those who say it can not be done, should not interrupt those doing it. – Chinese Proverb

97. To be successful, you have to have your heart in your business, and your business in your heart –Thomas Watson, Sr.
98. To get something you never had, you have to do something you’ve never done – Unknown
99. To succeed in business, to reach the top, an individual must know all it is possible to know about that business. – J. Paul Getty
100. To succeed… You need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you. – Tony Dorsett
101. To think creatively, we must be able to look afresh at what we normally take for granted. – George Kneller
102. To think is easy. To act is difficult. To act as one thinks is the most difficult. – Johann Wolfgang Von Goeth
103. To win without risk is to triumph without glory. – Pierre Corneille

104. We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. – Author Unknown

105. We generate fears while we sit. We over come them by action. Fear is natures way of warning us to get busy. – Dr. Henry Link
106. Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. Thoughts are things! And powerful things at that, when mixed with definiteness of purpose, and burning desire, can be translated into riches. – Napoleon Hill
107. Winners take time to relish their work, knowing that scaling the mountain is what makes the view from the top so exhilarating. – Denis Waitley
108. Worry is as useless as a handle on a snowball.- Mitzi Chandler

109. Yesterday’s home runs don’t win today’s games. – Babe Ruth

110. You are not your resume, you are your work. – Seth Godin
111. You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want. – Zig Ziglar
112. You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose. – Dr. Seuss
113. You have everything you need to build something far bigger than yourself. – Seth Godin
114. You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take – Wayne Gretzky
115. You must be the change you wish to see in the world. – Mahatma Gandhi
116. You must either modify your dreams or magnify your skills. – Jim Rohn
117. You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don’t do too many things wrong. – Warren Buffett
118. You’re most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning – Bill Gates
119. Your income is directly related to your philosophy, NOT the economy. – Jim Rohn
120. Your time is precious, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. – Steve Jobs

Got another one…. Share it in the comments below

Socialface is a social media agency based in Sydney, Australia.  Every day we post, tweet, blog and pin for businesses around the world, if you’d like to work with send us a note on what you need help with by clicking here. 

 We know social, we stay on top of the fast paced changes and we make our clients look great online.

The post 120 Inspirational and Motivational Quotes we love at Socialface appeared first on socialface-blog.

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Need a little help getting your business’s social media marketing off the ground?  Well, get ready to accelerate your social network strategy.  We’re going to share six tips to send your brand into the social media stratosphere.

Here, There, Everywhere

Take a look around.  Do you promote your social networks in every nook and cranny of your online and offline business territory.  If not, begin promoting your social media channels on your blog, website, email newsletter, email signature, business cards, offline and online advertising, promotional products and…well, you get the picture by now.

Hit Your Target

One sure-fire way to not build an active, engaged community is to waste time spreading your brand’s messages on the wrong social networks.  First, take the time to discover if your target market hangs out and uses Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc. on a regular basis.  Then, focus your social marketing efforts on the social channels where you will have an audience interested in your message, services or products.

Listen and Observe

Your business doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to your social media marketing strategy.  Instead, listen to your fans when they comment on your posts.  Observe other businesses that have a large, active, engaged community and take note of what they are doing.  When you take the time to listen and observe, you will discover ideas and strategies that you can duplicate on your social networks.

Open Your Wallet

You may not want to hear this, but one of the fastest ways to grow your social media presence is to use paid products like Facebook ads and Twitter promoted posts.  Before you do this, take the time to learn the best practices for using social media advertising.  Make it easier on yourself by setting aside a monthly budget and always review results to ensure you are spending that budget wisely.

Share and Care

Your Facebook for business page, Twitter account, Pinterest Boards and other social networks shouldn’t exist in a fishbowl.  Share content (posts on Facebook, retweets, etc.) from other non-competing businesses – content that your target audience will find valuable and helpful.  Doing this shows you care about your fans and followers.  It also helps grow your social communities’ numbers quickly.

The Right Stuff

Just like you need to focus your time and energy on the the right social networks – the ones where your target audience spends time – you also must share the right content.  For example, Facebook posts with photos deliver up to 53% more engagement than those without photos.  Make sure your content isn’t overtly promotional, is valuable and helpful to your audience and falls in line with each social network’s posting etiquette.

When you follow the tips above, you’ll notice your social media ROI will increase by leaps and bounds.

What other tips can you think of to help blast your social marketing into the stratosphere?  Feel free to share in the comments below.

Socialface is a social media agency based in Sydney, Australia.  Every day we post, tweet, blog and pin for businesses around the world, if you’d like to work with send us a note on what you need help with by clicking here. 

 We know social, we stay on top of the fast paced changes and we make our clients look great online.

The post How to Blast Your Social Network Strategy into the Social Media Stratosphere appeared first on socialface-blog.

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Is your business considering Facebook mobile advertising to increase brand awareness and sales?  Setting aside part of your social media marketing budget for Facebook mobile ads is a smart decision.  Here’s a few tips to ensure your choice to advertise on this social network delivers a good ROI and meets your company’s benchmarks.

Going Mobile

Why should your Facebook for business strategy include a heavy dose of mobile advertising?  Well, according to a January 2013 report by CNN, “For the first time, the number of active daily visitors checking Facebook on mobile devices is higher than the number of people checking the social network on the Web.”  Another report – this one from CNET.com shared that, “Mobile users are 15 times more likely to click on an ad than desktop users.”  Believe us, there are many more reasons to add to this list.

Choice is Yours

Having choices is always a good thing.  And with Facebook mobile ads, your business has the ability to pick from a few options to find the perfect type of mobile advertising to fit your social media strategy.  Presently, your choices include: Sponsored Stories, Page Post Ads, Promoted Posts and Mobile App-Install Ads.  Taking the time to understand each option is the first step towards a successful Facebook for business mobile ad strategy.

Smoke and Mirrors

When it comes to your actually advertising content, now is not the time for smoke and mirrors.  Your marketing message should be simple and relevant to your promotion and your target audience.  Like your Facebook for business page content, your target audience will respond best to attention-grabbing images.  But remember, this is not a desktop environment.  So, make sure those images translate well in the mobile environment.

End in Mind

Before brainstorming creative ideas for your Facebook mobile ads, start thinking about the end result of your ad campaign.  Do you want prospects to end up on your mobile website page?  Are you trying to get your target audience to “Like” your Facebook for business page?  Do you have a mobile app that you want to sell?  Beginning with the end in mind will help you create a simple road-map to lead prospects to that destination.

Only a Test

Lastly, remember to test a number of ads and ad strategies.  After a set amount of time, check your statistical data, weed out what isn’t working, and amplify what is working.  You probably will not hit the bullseye on your first round of mobile ads.  But when you do hit that sweet spot, you will be glad you decided to use Facebook mobile ads as part of your social media marketing strategy.

Have any other tips you would like to ad?  Please share yours in the comments below

Socialface is a social media agency based in Sydney, Australia.  Every day we post, tweet, blog and pin for businesses around the world, if you’d like to work with send us a note on what you need help with by clicking here. 

We know social, we stay on top of the fast paced changes and we make our clients look great online.

The post How to Increase Your Facebook Mobile Advertising Success appeared first on socialface-blog.

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What’s new on the Facebook for business front?  That’s a good – and relevant – question as our favorite social network has been tossing us lots of goodies lately.  So, let’s not waste time, and let’s take a look at some of our favorite new additions and changes Facebook recently introduced and how they will affect your business.

Keep the Conversation Going

With Facebook’s new Reply feature, it’s not only polite to talk back – it’s easy and expected.  This new feature is a big winner for businesses.  You now have the ability to reply directly to your fans’ comments, questions or complaints.  Here’s the kicker – you better have a social media marketing strategy in place that includes Facebook for business page monitoring and a plan for handling replies.

Searching High and Low

Been wondering how Facebook’s Graph Search might help improve traffic to your business’s website.  Well, there’s no need to scratch your head and put on your thinking cap any more.  Facebook will actually tell you.  With a little digging, business’s can discover which Graph Search queries are sending Facebook folks to their websites.

Hit Your Target

Just recently the social network began rolling out a new type of targeted posts.  These posts allow businesses to send out status updates that do not appear on their Facebook for business pages – only in the targeted fans’ News Feeds.  Imagine if you are a retail store and Valentine’s day is approaching: You could target men with posts suggesting gifts for the lady in their life, and women with statuses suggesting what to add to their wish-lists.  Your Facebook for business page may not have access to these new targeted posts yet, but you likely will in the near future.

Covering the Bases

This new blog post wouldn’t be complete without including a mention of the once-again changing Cover Photo rules in Facebook’s Terms of Use policy.  Yes, the 20% content rule is still in effect.  But remember those rules barring you from using  calls-to-action or contact information on your Facebook Cover Photos?  Well, those rules have been rescinded.  But before you get all content-happy and plaster your brand’s Cover Photo with sales pitches, just remember that your fans probably will be turned of, and you’ll probably be in violation of the 20% rule.

So there you have it.  Some of the latest changes to the social network known as Facebook.  By the time you read this, there will likely be quite a few more notable ones to add to the list.  If you have any you would like to share, please do so in the comments below.

Socialface is a social media agency based in Sydney, Australia.  Every day we post, tweet, blog and pin for businesses around the world, if you’d like to work with send us a note on what you need help with by clicking here. 

We know social, we stay on top of the fast paced changes and we make our clients look great online.

The post Facebook for Business Changed Again While You Were Sleeping. Here’s What You Missed. appeared first on socialface-blog.

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Have you taken the time to stop the social media posts, take a deep breath and review your Facebook for business page recently?  Many of us get so caught up sharing engaging content, reviewing our Facebook Insights and counting our social network fans, that we ignore the little things on our business’s Timeline page that need our attention.  Here’s five steps you can take to fine tune your page in just a matter of minutes.

Don’t Make it Official

Go into your “Basic Information” settings right now and make sure the “Official Page” field is empty.  Many businesses are confused by this field and enter their company name into this space.  When you do that, you are telling Facebook that your business page is NOT the official page for your business.

Address the Issue

Are you using up all the social media real estate that is available to you in the “About” section of your Facebook for business page?  If – after you have entered important, keyword-focused content related to your business – there is still space available, don’t waste that space.  Go ahead and add in your website address to create a live link to your business website so fans can click directly over to your official website without having to take any extra steps..

Under the Covers

Does your Facebook cover photo comply with the social network’s latest guidelines?  You don’t have any calls to action, contact information or requests for visitors to “like” or “share” your page.  So, you should be good right?  Well, in case you haven’t heard, Facebook changed the cover photo rules again.  To comply with the latest terms of use, your Facebook for business cover photo must not include more than 20% text.

Not Just Appetizers

While we’re talking cover photos, glance just below yours and check out the boxes with thumbnail images.  Are you wasting this space by not displaying your most important apps?  Maximise the opportunity to showcase your most important apps (i.e. lead-capturing contact form, business blog, promotions, etc.) directly under your cover photo.  The majority of fans do not return to your page – they get your posts in the news feed – so your first chance to get their attention may be the only chance.

You are Here

The growth of social media users using mobile devices is staggering.  If your business has a physical location, then you need to make sure your address details are updated in your basic information.  You also need to claim your Facebook Place so your fans and potential fans can find you.  This also gives you the ability to let people check-in at your business and appear in Facebook Nearby results.

Want to share any other tips for fine-tuning a Facebook for business page?  Please leave yours in the comments below.

Socialface is a social media agency based in Sydney, Australia.  Every day we post, tweet, blog and pin for businesses around the world, if you’d like to work with send us a note on what you need help with by clicking here. 

We know social, we stay on top of the fast paced changes and we make our clients look great online.

The post Fine Tune Your Facebook for Business Page in Five Steps appeared first on socialface-blog.

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Social marketing without photos is not the smartest way to build your brand on social media.  You must have a business strategy that leans heavily on images and uses those photos creatively across all your social networks.  An Instagram for business account is a good place to start.

The Facebook Factor

Facebook for business pages rely heavily on images.  This reliance is going to be even more noticeable with the redesigned Facebook news feed.  And because Instagram is owned by the world’s largest social network, it is the perfect platform to begin taking advantage of an engaging social media photo strategy.

Knowledge is Power

As with all of your business’s social network strategies, an understanding of your target audience is the key to unlocking the power of Instagram.  Once you know your audience, you can build off of that foundation and create content that resonates with and engages your social community.  Pay attention to how your audience interacts with your photos to determine how often you should post and what kind of content gets people interested in your brand.

Take a Tip from Twitter

Hashtags are an integral part of Twitter and might also soon be found on Facebook.  Instagram also uses hashtags to help its users discover and share content.  Your Instagram hashtag strategy needs to include relevant and specific (i.e. #beachfronthouses and not #houses) terms in order to be successful.  You can also get creative with hashtags and use them to create photo posting and sharing contests to help promote your business.

Weave Your Web

Instagram is widely-known as a smartphone photo sharing app and many businesses forget that they can now have a Instagram web profile also.  Use your Instagram profile on the web to provide a one-stop shop for all of your creative photo content as well as another way to control your branding message.  If it’s one thing we’ve learned from Pinterest, people love to spend hours on end looking at photos on the web.  Take advantage of this with a branded online location for Instagram content.

Stop the Sales Pitch

If you sell products – especially ones that are visually appealing (i.e. clothes, shoes, housewares) – then you might find yourself posting nothing but product photos.  This is a bad idea.  Yes, your followers do turn to your Instagram content to see what’s new and what they might want to purchase.  Your job is to find a fine balance between product placement and other relevant, interesting content.  If you sell 24/7, then your followers will soon be used-to-be followers.

Start using Instagram for business today.  And if you already use the social media photo sharing platform, take the time today to review your strategy.  Do you have any Instagram tips to share?  Our readers would love to read them.  Please share in the comments section below.

Socialface is a social media agency based in Sydney, Australia.  Every day we post, tweet, blog and pin for businesses around the world, if you’d like to work with send us a note on what you need help with by clicking here. 

We know social, we stay on top of the fast paced changes and we make our clients look great online.

The post Instantly Upgrade Your Instagram for Business Strategy with Today’s Tips appeared first on socialface-blog.

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LinkedIn Groups can be a vital piece of your social media strategy.  They can be an excellent social network tool to establish you and your business as the goto expert in the field.  LinkedIn Groups have also provided many brands an excellent online location for prospecting and networking.  But like any social marketing activity, professional groups on LinkedIn can also be a big waste of time.  Here’s our advice for how to not waste your time, energy and money and to turn your LinkedIn Group into a supercharged lead and sales machine.

Narrow Your Focus

Don’t try to cover all the bases with your group.  Narrow your focus and find a niche in your market that is underserved.  If your business provides a service to a wide-range professionals, target a specific group of those professionals (i.e. upper-level human resource managers for financial organisations instead of just human resource professionals) and focus your energy growing a vibrant group that is different from any other group on LinkedIn in its offerings.

Connect Your Connections

This is jumping a little ahead of the game if we were showing you sequential steps for starting your group.  But we’re not.  And this tip is very important.  Your LinkedIn Group is the perfect place to connect your LinkedIn contacts with each other to grow your group, increase your influence and grow your network.  Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started.

Attract and Promote

Use keywords specific to the targeted niche your group will serve to create your group’s title and description in order to attract the right audience.  But don’t just sit back and wait for the social media crowds to knock down your virtual front door.  Promote your group by sending invitations to your connections, connect your group to your LinkedIn Company Page, send out tweets on Twitter, post on your Facebook for business page, include a link in your blog and monthly newsletter – just promote it every chance you get.

Show Up and Lead with Authority

Your LinkedIn Group has your business’s name on it.  Are you going to sit back and let someone else be the star of the show?  Make sure to monitor, manage and lead your group on a regular basis.  If your group is going to position you as a thought leader in your industry and delivers sales leads, then you better start showing up and leading with authority.

Last But Not Least

Using the previous tips will give you a strong foundation to grow your group and allow you to see a nice ROI from the work you put in using this social media marketing tool.  However, if you are totally unfamiliar with groups, we would recommend that you first join a few groups on LinkedIn to familiarise yourself with how they work and to learn how to build influential connections with them.  Now that we think about it, maybe we should have made that the first tip in this list!

Are you a LinkedIn Group superstar?  Share your tips for how you grew your business’s group in the comments below.

Socialface is a social media agency based in Sydney, Australia.  Every day we post, tweet, blog and pin for businesses around the world, if you’d like to work with send us a note on what you need help with by clicking here. 

We know social, we stay on top of the fast paced changes and we make our clients look great online.

The post Stop Using LinkedIn Groups Today Unless You Follow This Advice appeared first on socialface-blog.