Choose Your Platform(s) Wisely

It is best to get your content in front of your ideal audience so choose the platforms they are present on. Facebook is always the safest pick, with over 2 billion active users, though you may get more attention with slightly more niche platforms like Twitter, or Instagram. Here are some of the things that help stand out.

• Facebook – Facebook is always a safe bet and is becoming more popular among generation x.
• Twitter – Is your content news-based? Twitter is a great method for integrating your content with trending news to maximize impressions.
• LinkedIn – Professional (primarily B2B) content is ideal for LinkedIn, as you’ll be dealing with industry-related trends and people looking for jobs.
• Instagram – Showcase your brand with visuals to maximize impressions and overall engagement. Instagram is great for establish awareness and getting people involved in your brands messaging, rather than driving high volumes of traffic to your website.
• Pinterest – Niche products and crafts (mainly tailored for women) are exceptionally popular on Pinterest. This is a great platform for driving traffic to a blog or ecommerce site.
• Snapchat – Great for local campaigns and for reaching millennials and generation z.
• Quora – This is a great forum-based platform where questions from various topics can be asked and answered. Answering questions that pertain to your content can be a great way to gain influence and increase your following.
  Supply Enough Content

You have to keep your audience interested enough to come back and consume more of your content. Keeping your audience waiting can lead to them losing interest in what you have to say. People are very impatient online (especially on social media) so you have to keep their interests in mind at all times.

Integrating blog posts, videos, infographics, polls, and other pieces of entertainment will not only help keep your audience coming back, but encourage more viewers over time. To ensure any possibility for success, the content has to be there. You have to be in it to win it!

Plan Ahead

Last-minute planning is not the way to execute your social media strategies. You should create a content calendar to help you see your plan visually, while keeping you organized. We already know to produce enough content, but you should also be sure to keep your content balanced and diverse to make sure your audience stays interested.

Manage Your Time

You only have so many hours to plan and execute your social media strategy, so you have to make each one count. Budget your time the same way you would an advertising budget, prioritizing for more important matters. What’s important to someone else’s campaign, might not be as important to your campaign, so take some time to really think about what’s best for your success.

Think from the User’s Perspective

Always think about what your ideal customer would want, or find interesting. For all content you post, consider if and why they would click and what the incentive would be. Becoming too occupied with your own preference can cloud your judgment and cause you to lose sight of your main goals with social media.

Curate News and Ideas

It’s best to add content from influencers in your industry to help diversify your posts, establish your credibility and help your strategy look less self-serving. Posting an array of different types of content (so long as it pertains to your industry) is important for keeping your audience interested and more alert for when they see your posts appearing in their news feeds. Always stick to the 80/20rule – meaning that 80% of your content should pertain to helpful/interesting tips for your audience, while the remaining 20% can work to further your brand.

Advertise!

Relying exclusively on news feeds can lead to overall disappointing results. News feed algorithms are constantly changing, leaving organic marketers with inconsistent results. Experimenting with advertising is a great way to generate leads, extend your reach and boost sales!

Use Public Relations

Public Relations practices are great methods for raising awareness for your cause! Popular sites like HARO connect journalists that need sources with experts, so you can pitch them to get mentioned in the news! This can help drive traffic to your website or social profiles, while providing additional content for your organic strategy. Be sure to collaborate with team members and other brands to maximize your reach and get the most out of your efforts.

Be Patient

Success doesn’t happen overnight, especially for social media marketing! It will take time to slowly grow your audience, which might be deterring, but should not be. Building a small (but quality) audience overtime should always be preferred to generating random followers. Quality followers are potential customers and people who will engage with your post to increase your news feed rankings.

It never looks right when you find a page with a lot of followers, who gets little to no engagement. This is a great way to appear more genuine for new users who are finding your page for the first time. The more authentic your brand and content appears, the more likely someone will be to follow you and want to learn more.

Watch Your Data

Your past social posts are only as valuable as what you can learn from them. Analyze KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to identify what parts of your posts need the most improvements. For example, getting enough clicks with a high bounce rate might indicate a discrepancy between your post and landing page, or simply poor page loading time. Not getting enough clicks at all might mean you have to have to adjust your copy because the message isn’t enticing users to click.

Wrap Up

Social Media Marketing isn’t fast or easy. Though you can certainly improve your performance by implementing the tips above to ensure you’re getting the results you want! So get out there and crush those goals!

The post 10 Tips for Social Media Marketing appeared first on Koshka.

Social Media Advertising

Facebook on the other hand runs ads within it’s news feeds and on the side panels. This gives users the option to see them (creative ads that stand out are more likely to catch user’s attention), but doesn’t force them to. This way, if the ads are irrelevant they can be ignored, but if they are relevant, the user is a click away from the advertiser’s desired landing page!

Instagram

Owned by Facebook, Instagram follows a relatively similar ad format, but is often used for slightly different purposes. Advertisers often utilize Instagram for earlier stages of their advertising campaigns. This is because Instagram is more segmented than Facebook already, so impressions are considered to be more valuable. For purchasing, users tend not to convert as often on Instagram unless it’s from a brand or influencer that they’re already familiar with.

Twitter

Twitter advertising is similar to Instagram in the sense that it is more segmented than Facebook and that it is used for awareness stages. It helps to integrate the product/brand you are promoting with trending topics that are circulating because ads perform better when the messaging aligns with the content they are searching for. Just like search advertising!

LinkedIn

Predominately used for B2B or recruiting, LinkedIn advertising about reaching professional networks. You can assume that people viewing your ads are in an appropriate mindset, but not if they’re you’re ideal prospect. This is why it’s important to segment audiences by role and industry, as well as showing ads during business hours so users are more active.

Pinterest

People use Pinterest because they want to be inspired to try things. This could mean crafting a project, or trying a product. Either way, advertisers want their promotions to appear at the right times to maximize click-throughs. The situations are everything, once you have the right audience!

Snapchat

Local campaigns have a lot to gain from Snapchat, especially for younger audiences. Similar to AdWords campaigns that use location extensions, Snapchat campaigns are often used to generate foot traffic into brick-and-mortar stores. The audiences might be less specific than a search query, but can generate cheaper impressions, which can balance the scales.

Search Network Advertising

Search Network Advertising works to utilize the platforms provided by popular search engines such as Google and Bing, as well as their affiliate partners, such as YouTube, Microsoft, Yahoo, and much more.

There are plenty of ways to utilize search networks for advertising purposes.

Search Engine Marketing utilizes many practices and approaches for digital advertising including search text ads, display, shopping, and more. Extensions help engage users by location or intention, based on what they search.

Google and Bing’s partnering networks also show display and video ads to users based on interests and demographics. These are more comparable to social networks in the sense that the right message could be sent to the right audience, just not necessarily at the right time. While the placement might not be as high of a quality, it’s cheaper, allowing advertisements to determine the relationship between cost and quality with on-site conversion rates.

The Analysis

When it comes down to the raw analysis, it boils down to search vs display advertising. Since search networks bid on heavily researched and analyzed sets of keywords, the quality of the traffic tends to be higher, yet more costly. This is because (when done properly), ads are meant to accompany websites that rank highly for very specific demands.

A good running sneaker ad would appear when someone searches for terms like “best running shoes”. That keyword implies a possible intent to sell, which means the placement for the ad could lead to an easy sale.

Social networks (in addition to partnering networks of search and social networks) might not be as relevant at times because viewers aren’t necessarily looking for the items being advertised. This doesn’t mean the ads won’t convert, it just means they might not present the best timing. This includes display networks as well!

The Verdict

It comes down to targeting. Both options can be highly beneficial!

You always have to consider the customer’s journey and experience when advertising. What stage are they in via the buying process? How aware are they of your brand? Have they done any research? Are they currently looking to purchase or just learn more about a product or service? All of these things need to be factored into a potential customer’s purchasing decision or you will have more trouble hitting your mark.

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What exactly changed other than mobile devices? Are people engaging in different activities? Are their interests changing? No, the only thing that has changed has been the platform and the accessibility. 11 Eleven years ago before smartphones went mainstream, people were more inclined to divide up their attention. This would span across books, television, computers, and other sources of media. In the present day, we have phones that integrate all of these things into one, making our experiences more personal and our preferences more defined. The introduction to Artificial Intelligence is enabling more machine learning so our devices can learn from us, while we learn from then.

This all happened in such a short span of time. Where did it begin? How fast were people to adopt these technologies and how long did it take for brands to feel confident enough to invest large sums of money in mobile marketing?

Read on to find out!

2003 Short Message Service (Texting) Becomes Worldwide

Can we even remember life before texting? What is seen as such an essential technology today has not even been widely used for 20 years yet we think of it like oxygen or water. This gave rise to the significance that mobile played in everyone’s daily lives, slowly integrating it with everyone’s life.

According to Pew Research Center, there was a 63% increase in cell phone ownership among teens ages 12-17, which set up the next stage of mobile adoption. Smart phones!

2007 – The First iPhone is Released

On June 29th, 2007 the world of technology would change forever. The release of the iPhone gave a whole new meaning to the use of cell phones. Devices that were once used to simply communicate via phone calls, text messages, and an occasional email (typically if you had a blackberry for work) was going to be put on digital (and financial) steroids. As you can see, things didn’t work out for blackberry.

2008 – The First Android is Released

Not crazy about Apple products and didn’t want to by buy into the hype of the new release? Many fell into this category and were more likely to be interested in the HTC Dream, Google’s first Android phone. This offered many of the same capabilities as Apple’s first smartphone.

The introduction of smartphones (Apple and Android) changed the way people did things. From the way they navigate, to the methods of communication, and even the methods of entertainment, people saw potential in smartphones, where marketers found opportunity.

2008 – The App Store Goes Live

2008 changed everything for mobile use, and eventually mobile marketing. Apple’s App Store enabled users to download and install thousands of apps (most of which were free) that would add more uses for their mobile devices. This meant users can integrate apps like their work emails and social media platforms in with their calendars, and capitalize on services that were never before viable on a mobile device, such as paying taxes, editing videos, reviewing restaurants, and much more.

The App Store changed cell phones from a simple communication device, to a hub that enabled users to do just about whatever they wanted from the palms of their hands. How did this affect the future for mobile marketing? It ensured marketers that there would be an open platform with millions of users in which they could invest in. Having more reasons to be on one’s phone provides more opportunities for marketers to reach their audience, which increased the needs for marketers to be able to integrate their practices in with what users were doing via their mobile devices.

2013 – Mobile Payments Goes Mainstream

While it may have taken time for users to adopt, mobile payments have become huge in the world of digital marketing. 2013 was when this became more prevalent and as more people turned to mobile devices for their payment methods, e-commerce companies made the adjustment.

Fast forward to 2018 and everyone is a few taps away from buying whatever they need from their phones. This has given rise to the digital advertising industry, which has heavily impacted the success of major companies like Google and Facebook.

2016 – Mobile Marketing Spending Catapults

This was when brands really started to direct their marketing budgets towards digital (mobile, in particular). The mobile marketing industry has more than tripled over the course of the past three years, and that is not by coincidence. By 2016, more websites were designed for mobile devices, more companies had their own apps, and the average time spent on a mobile device skyrocketed!

Mobile marketing wasn’t only a success for large brands, but for small businesses as well. For example, instead of relying on the yellow pages, a local coffee shop can optimize their website to rank for search phrases like “great coffee shops near me”.

2018 – The Culture of Mobile Today

The way people use their mobile devices is constantly changing because new apps are constantly being integrated into the daily lives of their users. Say you’re a beer connoisseur and are searching for a great Long Island IPA. You can rate your favorite beers on an app, which suggests other beers, based on your ratings.

What’s Next

As we have seen over the course of the last 15 years, technology will evolve, therefore giving rise to innovation, which increases the capabilities of the very same technology. As people adapt to their mobile devices, they become more reliant on them, which gives marketing an opportunity to reach them in ways unlike ever before.

Will the cycle continue? Of course.

Smartphones now have fingerprint, facial, and retina scanning technologies that make mobile devices more personal than ever. The more personal the devices get, the more people will use them, which opens up even more opportunities for brands to capitalize.

The post The Evolution of Mobile Marketing appeared first on Koshka.

There are quite a few questions surrounding the future of Facebook as an elite advertising platform. With all of these new features, creatives are finding new possibilities to turn the millions of Facebook users into potential customers. Find your golden opportunity below!

Video Advertising

Video is growing from all parts of the digital marketing world, though video advertisements are beginning to stand out. In an act to increase engagement, video has become the dominant method for creating and distributing sharable content.

Videos work best for keeping viewer’s attention, much more than written content. For this reason, video ads have been proven to be effective for all stages of the advertising process, at all stages of the marketing funnel.

Videos are best utilized for selling experiences. Showing the fun nightlife of your long island tiki bar is much better than promoting a simple banner.

Content for Traffic

While this might not be exclusive to 2018, the idea of content being king is showing itself to be as true as ever. Using graphics alongside videos are great methods for driving website traffic. Facebook ads offer the option to optimize your audiences and positions for maximizing traffic, which is ideal for people in the middle of a sales funnel.

Facebook Messenger Ads

Facebook Messenger Ads are relatively new, and have somewhat of a connection to email marketing. These are perfect for a pearly white strategy. There are three main messenger ad types:

• Destination Ads
• Sponsored Messages
• Home Selection Ads

Destination ads are typically used to start conversations. You can position these on a newsfeed, just like most traffic-based ads, but can also reroute your call-to-action to send your page a message. These are very helpful for standing out from competing advertisers.

Sponsored messages are what people often think of when they hear “Facebook Messenger Ads”. These are sent straight to a user’s inbox, just like “InMail” from LinkedIn. These tend to be really successful for businesses looking to push a promotion that doesn’t require a lot of commitment. Users can stay on the messenger platform, rather than be taken to a third-party site, which reduces the risks of users bouncing from desired landing pages.

Home selection ads are also used through Facebook Messenger but appear on the dashboard of the app, rather than a tailored message in the inbox. These are great for grabbing users attention during early stages of ad campaigns. With less competition than other formats, like say, a newsfeed, people are more likely to notice ads on the app’s dashboard.

Carousel Ads

Carousel ads are giving Facebook ads a makeover in the eyes of retailers all over the world. These ads use multiple images and offers to provide a richer experience for potential buyers, These are excellent for the later stages of a campaign because they tend to have calls-to-action with more purpose.

Collection Ads

Collection ads are similar to carousel ads, but have a little twist at the end. They allow users to browse through various products and/or deep in-app pages. This is ideal for furthering awareness initiatives while increasing awareness due to higher engagements and no bounces since most of the process is done on Facebook’s platform.

Canvas

Canvas ads take up entire mobile screens, all on Facebook’s ad formats to transform ads from a single video or image into a full screen, scrolling experience. These are best used for high-quality images and is used mostly for selling art and other image-based products.

SlideShow

These take a new position on approaching Facebook users. Slideshow ads use lightweight video at faster loading times, which not only keeps user attention for longer sessions but also does less to interrupt the user’s browsing experience. Think of slideshow ads as a transition, or introduction to video ads, since they are a smaller investment and is used more like image-based marketing.

Lead Generation

One of the biggest obstacles Facebook marketers find are low conversion rates due to faulty landing pages. Facebook’s lead generation ads take this out of the equation by loading forms on their platform. This makes the process faster and easier and prevents any potential obstacles that might users might face on a landing page, such as slow loading times, on-page errors, as well as the general inconvenience of being taken to a third-party page. These ads make the experience so much easier because it is known to drastically increase conversion rates for lead generation campaigns.

A perfect example? Something that requires the attention of a potential client or customer. Say you’re promoting an auto insurance“>auto insurance company and you want to attract people’s interest. Lead Generation campaigns are the way to go, as far as Facebook ads are concerned.

Conversion Ads

As effective as Facebook’s lead generation platform is, there are still many reasons to prefer inbound (third-party) traffic. This is done largely because companies want to encourage more website visitors that can pay closer attention to their content, with less competition. It appears to be more of an “all or nothing” approach because it either leads to a bounce or a higher quality visit. This works well when advertisers manage their audiences effectively and are properly utilizing Facebook’s audience pixel. This pixel keeps track of people who visit your site from Facebook during a certain period of time and can be used to store data and eventually reach them in a less effective manner.

Remarketing

Remarketing is the final stretch of a successful advertising campaign. Also known as the backbone and “money maker”, the remarketing stage is the process of targeting past website visitors, usually as a reminder of a particular promotion.

Remarketing is also becoming a strong method for app engagement. Look for more long-term campaigns from brands that rely more on remarketing for further brand engagement and conversions.

Bringing it All Together

These are the trends that will dominate Facebook Advertising for at least the coming months. Let us know if you have had success with any of these methods, or if you think we missed another good one.

Good luck!

The post 10 Facebook Advertising Trends to Heat Up 2018 appeared first on Koshka.