When Periscope launched at the end of March, it was pitched as an improvement over the static YouTube commenting feature. Instead of a passive experience where audiences posted comments and video creators checked and responded to feedback at their leisure, Periscope was a dynamic environment, allowing live broadcasts where viewers could comment, ask questions and join in the dialogue in real-time. Viewers send hearts as a form of “virtual applause” and creators receive “push notifications” as new viewers join, which is the equivalent of watching more people walk into the room and sit down for a presentation. The big question, of course, is: SO WHAT? After all, live streaming is nothing new; it’s been around for the better part of a decade. However, as Northern Lights PR from the UK points out, the audience for live streaming is suddenly much larger due to widespread adoption of smartphones, social media is part […]
Marketing automation is a crucial need. Business owners understand that marketing automation is the key to improving lead management and company growth. They know that software will help with email marketing, lead tracking, drip campaigns and sales follow-up. Yet, where to get started and how to ameliorate the dreaded learning curve is something that many smart executives struggle with. A recent survey by Gartner’s Software Advice found that nearly half of small businesses still rely on manual data entry for their online marketing, but 98% are now shopping for marketing automation software. Many of the large, competitive businesses Mod Girl Marketing works with are already using marketing automation software by top firms like SaS, HubSpot, InfusionSoft, Salesforce, Marketo and Act-On, but are still learning how to get the most from these programs, particularly when it comes to lead generation. As you well know, modern marketing has evolved and targeted traffic is the key […]
Last year, we discussed the merits of HootSuite for social media marketers. While we do still use HootSuite and find value in their social media tools, we prefer to use Sprout Social for most of our needs. Here are eight reasons why Sprout Social is a MUST-HAVE for anyone looking to save time, collect more data, and market more efficiently. Our Sprout Social Review for 2015 1. Control functions through an even more user-friendly dash! HootSuite organizes functions through a fairly user-friendly spreadsheet format, but we prefer the cleaner, more streamlined look of Sprout Social’s tabbed dashboard. It’s easy to click and manage the main categories: Messages, Tasks, Feeds, Publishing, Discovery, and Reports. Instead of looking at a lot of little columns, you work in a larger window that is easier on the eyes. 2. Get all your messages in a single stream. Connect your Google+, Twitter and Facebook posts […]
Twitter has 288 million active monthly users. Over a third of these users never post anything themselves, but use the social media site to consume content — mostly on a mobile device. More than half of Twitter users retweet interesting posts. Twitter is secondary to Facebook for most businesses, but 34 percent of marketers have generated leads on Twitter and 20 percent have closed sales. We feel this number could be much better if marketers follow these 8 quick tips for Twitter lead generation. 8 Quick Tips For Twitter Lead Generation 1. Search for popular and trending hashtags. Tools like Hashtagify.me, Topsy and Hashtags.org make it easy to keep a pulse on what people are talking about. This can help you find blog topics that will convert and join conversations that are relevant to your business. Look for people asking industry-related questions and be there to give a helpful answer. […]
Many of the people we have helped in the past had the same situation: they had great marketing campaigns, but ailing social media sites. Businesses often view social media as a necessary evil. They know they need to at least create a page to have “a presence” and compete with other brands in the marketplace. They understand that social media users can find their brand in the site’s search engine and “friend” them, and that they can use the site as a place to dump links to their blogs. However, they fail to capitalize on all the innovative ways one can integrate these new social media sites with existing marketing campaigns to maximize value. Here are 8 ways to connect your marketing and social networking efforts… 1. Re-purpose Old Content. You are probably using Facebook, Twitter and Google+ as a place to push all your latest blog entries, and rightfully so. […]
The dream of every writer is to get as many eyes on a piece of written content as possible. Nothing is better than a blog that has “gone viral.” After a small amount of effort, fan sharing and buzz is the gift that keeps on giving long after the pen has been put down. So how does one encourage friends to become content-sharing fans? The answers are surprisingly simple. Check out this great infographic by Mari Smith on ways to boost Facebook shares: Here are #8ways to get more social media shares: 1. Do your homework. Nothing beats ORIGINAL, INTERESTING, INFORMATIVE content. Naturally, people want to share something they like. One of our writers helped a client bring in over 5,000 visitors literally overnight by writing a well-researched piece about Zumba Dance injuries that was picked up by Zumba instructors on Facebook and shared to the masses. The post really […]
Recently Facebook revealed a month-long error in their reach and engagement metrics. Our team at Mod Girl Marketing noticed this a few weeks back as several of our clients’ Facebook posts revealed a very low reach but high number of likes. We assumed something was off with the FB system and we were right. Given this recent finding and the buzz around Facebook Pages and the lack of reach without investing advertising dollars, we decided to put together the top 8 ways Facebook Pages can improve their engagement without spending money. Social Media Speaker Michael Leander defines positive Facebook engagement as anything “above 1%.” Average engagement ranges from 0.5 to 0.99% and anything below 0.5% requires intervention. To calculate your engagement rate, you’ll want to consider: Of course, each industry differs in the level of engagement attainable. People are much more likely to interact with posts about vacationing at […]
Marketing is a daunting task when you’re on a shoestring budget. According to Entrepreneur, you can calculate a reasonable advertising budget by taking 10-12% of your projected annual gross sales markup… and deduct your rent. One benchmark study found marketing expenditures as high as 25% among startups. The bulk of a startup’s marketing is spent on advertising, followed by press releases, trade shows and loyalty programs. Offline advertising is good at drumming up leads, but poor at converting sales. The landscape is very different online, which provides better bang for your buck. Here are 8 recommended marketing strategies for startups… 1. Business Branding Consultant Packages A package is one quick, easy way to get the marketing end of your news business going, while you focus on building your core company and clinching sales. We can set you up with a website, blog, social media sites and PPC ads. We can also help […]
It’s easy to feel like you’re running around in circles when trying to market your small or medium-sized business. Having a comprehensive strategy that includes several different tasks can lead to the dramatic results you’ve been seeking. We’ve compiled 8 marketing ideas to help you get started on a bigger and bolder 2013… 1. Create A Video. Have a professional shoot a video for you — perhaps a company commercial, a behind-the-scenes shoot, or a mini-documentary. Optimize it for search engines to improve your visibility and appeal to people who may be looking up keywords related to your business on YouTube, Google Video, or Vimeo. Tip: Want to DIY? Animoto.com allows anyone to create professional slideshow videos free. 2. Start Blogging. Blogging is a great way to let the world know about your business and share your expertise with prospective customers. Incorporating Search Engine Optimization techniques into your posts will act as […]
The Super Bowl is the most highly anticipated advertising event of the year. Even if you don’t have the budget for a multi-million-dollar TV spot, your business can still learn a lot from what advertisers are doing during this high-profile event. Lesson 1: Exposure Is Expensive! Super Bowl 2012 attracted a whopping 111.3 million viewers, making it the “most-watched telecast of all time.” WOW! To have your product and your brand in front of that many people is going to cost you, though. Nielsen reports that the cost for a 30-second TV spot is creeping up toward $3.5 million. Lesson 2: Sometimes It’s Worth The Splurge. It’s not practical for small companies to take out a loan just to run a Super Bowl ad. However, for companies that gross millions or billions a year, the splurge on a well-thought ad could be worthwhile. Nielsen data suggests that ads running during last […]