Three Easy Tips to Increase Your Social Media Interaction

When were are “away from work” and simply surfing the social media channels, everything seems pretty straight forward.  Why it's there.  What it does.  How you use it.

But it when it comes to using social media for business, all of the sudden, it tends to become this big mystical creature that appears to have a hidden agenda… like… defeating you.

All of the sudden there is a purpose behind your posts.  An outcome that you would like to see happen.

We’ve all thrown a few posts out there thinking it sounds good and clever, and surely at least a few people will be “interested” and either contact us or click through to our information landing page… right?  Or maybe that’s just me.  wink… wink.

So let’s de-mystify the creature, shall we?

First, when you are on your own and not in business mode, why do you get on social media?

To catch up with friends, find out the latest gossip, see what people are up to, and maybe see what fun or informative things people are sharing.

It all comes down to entertainment and information.  That’s it.

So when we step back into our business suit, we must keep in mind that social media is for entertainment and information.  That’s it.

It’s not a place for business pitches, it’s not a place to throw an obvious hook.  There was a brief period of time where some of that worked, but definitely not anymore.

So now what?

It’s actually quite simple.  Social media is just that… social.  So this is a place to be sociable and informative.  Nothing else.  It is about building relationships and establishing your credibility in your field with the masses.

So here are 3 things to get you started with your social media posts.

*** Let’s start with the obvious…  DON’T BE A SALESPERSON!  People will tune you out, un-follow and even block you if you go down that road.  So with that in mind…

First, provide value.

Remember what we said, entertainment and information, if you can provide either or both of those you will being to attract attention.

I’m talking about real, relevant value.  A great mix is about 50/50.

Put out some inspirational posts like meme’s with inspirational quotes.  Remember, things that inspire you will inspire others as well.

Then put out some quality information.  It doesn’t matter if you have your own business or if you are an agent for something like insurance.  There is some information you just can’t or don’t want to put out there.  Sometimes it is proprietary and sometimes it is because the parent company dictates, but don’t let that stop you.

There is a lot of valuable information that you can put out there that will help people out.

As specialists in your field you know there are questions that people should be asking that they don’t even know to ask.  Put those out there.  For example:

“If you’re looking for X-type of insurance, be sure to look at Y-part of the policy, you don’t want to pay for more than you will need.”

It’s truly that simple.  People see little tips like that and they appreciate that you are looking out for them.  It may not be conscious, but they recognize it and soon they begin to remember you and your generosity.

Eventually, they will start seeking you out to answer more questions and next thing you know, you have a quality lead.

Second, us a social media multi-platform dashboard.

Using something like Buffer or Hootsuite will make it MUCH easier to manage your social media posting.

It can be frustrating when you start out to come up with enough quality content every day to put on your social media pages, but remembering all of them and then going in to do the posts can be even more frustrating.

Platforms like Buffer enable you to have one central location where you can enter or upload all of your social media posts and have them automatically scheduled and then dripped out over a period of time to your followers.

Many of these platforms use algorithms to determine the most beneficial times to post on each of your platforms and will do so at the appropriate times so you get the best possible reach with each of your posts.

I personally use Buffer because it allows me to post to Google +, Facebook (personal profile as well as business pages) Twitter, LinkedIn (personal and business), and now they have a feature for Instagram as well.  They have been the most reliable platform I’ve used yet.

I usually go in a plan enough posts for a few days at a time or up to 2 weeks at a time.

Third, use quality blogs.

If you don’t use blogs, I strongly recommend looking into it.  Often, while there is information you don’t  want to share on social media or are prohibited from using on social media, you CAN go into more about it on a blog.  Again… perhaps a little vaguer, but still in more depth than a simple social media post.

There are a lot of reasons to have a website with a blog on it, including the personal branding and SEO benefits.

Basically, there are a LOT of ways to get traffic and leads and being able to tie the all into one central location… like your company website is the most efficient and effective way to do it.  Starting with the fact that you can actually put forms on your site to capture the leads and begin to contact them.

Back to the blog posts…  doing a 500 to 1000 word blog post that contains relevant information that will genuinely benefit your readers is a huge way gain respect, build your credibility, build relationships, and ultimately cultivate new clients.

Basically, you just write the post, then post the link in your Buffer account with a friendly invitation os “How to choose the best insurance policy” or “10 things to remember when looking for a new house” or “How to tell when you salesperson is lying.”

Bonus tip...  try to put out about 2-3 social media posts per day. 

It will be enough to establish that you're active and involved without coming across either pushy or desperate with too many posts.

Using theses tips will help you to generate quality targeted leads that are already looking for what you have to offer, and you will have already begun to establish credibility and relationship.

If this article has been at all helpful to you, please share it and spread the word.  There is more than enough to go around so let’s help others succeed too!

Thank you!

Get a F!*king Life or Close Your Eyes and Hope For the Best

***NOTE: The insinuated profanity in the title was only used to capture your attention.  Now that we have it, please consider that you took the bait because you are looking for something… “out of the ordinary” that speaks to you.  Read on!

There are two kinds of people in the world. 

There are those who make their dreams come true no matter what they have to go through, sacrifice, or learn to do it.  Then there are those who simply choose to close their eyes and hope for the best.

Not all of us are born with our eyes wide open.

Frequently we go through life with our eyes closed because we have bought into the lies of society that tell us what is or isn’t possible, what is or isn’t safe, and what is or isn’t acceptable.  So we simply hope for the best knowing that there are a lot of boundaries that seem to be constantly changing and we’re not sure if what we do next will actually help or not.

Yet, in each of us, there is a voice deep inside.  One that is crying out to challenge the boundaries, to believe that there is more, that whispers to you that the reality of your desires CAN be real.

Only those who choose to listen… even for a moment… will find the open door to the awakening they are looking for.

It can happen at any age, in any demographic, in any situation.

All of the sudden, you decide to linger ever so briefly just to see if you really are hearing voices, usually because you fear that you may be finally going over the edge.

In that split second, you recognized something that seemed familiar, comforting, exciting, and real.  Maybe you didn’t hear the words, but somehow the sound of the voice struck a cord so deep you must stop to listen just one more time.

Wait!  There it is…

Can it be true?

All of the sudden something you haven’t felt in far too long grasps hold of your very being so intensely that you feel like you are going to choke.

Yep.  That’s it.  Hope.

And what’s crazier… the voice of hope is YOURS.

It’s YOUR voice that you hear.  Your own voice telling you that you really CAN achieve your dreams.  You really CAN be confident in who you are.  You really DO have what it takes.  You really ARE that talented… intelligent… clever… beautiful… funny… creative… resourceful…

Why do you think it hit you so hard?

There is no voice we listen to more than our own.  There is no voice that we believe more than our own.  There is no voice that we listen for more than our own.

There is no voice that will tell us more truth about who we are and what we’re capable of than our own!

This is where the rubber meets the road.  The moment of decision.

Do you take a chance and listen to the voice or do you move on by closing your eyes again and hoping for the best?

Perhaps the better question is:  knowing what you now know, is it even possible to turn back or are you more afraid of coming to the end of your life and wondering “what if?”

Consider this your warning, if you’ve heard the voice, you will only face regret if you turn back.

The road to your dreams isn’t always easy.  Becoming who you are deep within can be painful because you must first shed who you’ve become as a result of the mold you were forced into.  Then the real you is free to emerge and thrive.

The outcome of the time and effort put into embracing that little voice and discovering all it has to tell you is worth more than you will ever be able to describe. That much is certain.

Never has anyone who embarked on this journey regretted it at the end of their life.  They have only felt bad for those who would not take it themselves.

With that in mind… know that the learning curve can be reduced if you are willing to seek assistance from those who have gone before you.

We all take our own path and have our own dreams, but there are certain universal truths that apply to the process for all of us that when you understand them can take much of the frustration out of the experience.

Somehow when there is an explanation for things it makes them easier to embrace and get through without fighting to get out and thus getting stuck.  Wouldn’t you agree?

One of the single greatest resources is a trainer and one of the best trainers out there on this particular topic is Bob Proctor.

Bob has trained with or studied most of “the Greats” for over 55 years and his ability to translate that knowledge into easy to understand and implement strategies is simply amazing.

If you are ready to embark on this journey and want a HUGE leg up on everyone else trying to figure this all out, you MUST do yourself a huge favor and check out this link… CLICK HERE

Bob has wanted to teach this specific training for years, but it is only now that the timing has been perfect and all of the factors in place for him to teach it.  It is the foundation skill necessary to ensure your success in this journey and your dreams.  You really don’t want to miss out on this opportunity.

If you want to know how to shift your paradigm quickly and effectively, then you won’t miss this.

Check it out by clicking HERE

PS  At Smart Exposure Marketing, we believe that while digital marketing is enormously important, it is the people behind the businesses, in the businesses, and utilizing the businesses that make the world turn. In other words, mankind.  And without the continued expansion of human potential and investment in mankind, our world will become a very dismal place indeed.  We truly believe that people are awesome!

We believe that YOU are awesome!

How Relevance and Continuity Maximize SEO Results

The constant progression of search engine algorithms tends to make SEO seem like a constant marketing battle.  In truth, it is not, at least when it is done correctly in the first place.

It can actually create a very stable foundation for scalable digital marketing growth with a high return on investment.  A true technical SEO company can establish this for you.

Industry standards aren’t really “standards”

One of the most common issues with a large portion of the SEO industry is that it tends to focus on the technical aspects that “speak” to the search engines and miss the fact that websites ultimately are for people.

Yes, the websites generally have information for the consumer, but what isn’t seen is all of the stuff that is added or left out in an effort to gain a favorable review from the search engines. Those efforts that ultimately result in a diminished user experience.   Many times the user is left feeling like something is missing or that the site is too complicated to fully gain the information they are looking for.

Occasionally it is simply poor web design unless SEO is involved, then it tends to be the result of the SEO influence.

Fortunately, over time the algorithms continue to evolve in with the consumer in mind.

Despite the conspiracy theories and the nay-sayers, this evolution truly does benefit the end consumer and with the right perspective should make the vendor ecstatic.

As the evolution continues, it does become imperative that there become a synergistic fusion between the technical aspect of SEO and the importance of relevance and continuity.

Google and the other search engines continue to push forward to a rating system that is able to analyze the relevance and continuity of not only a website but also the sites linking to it and out from it.

In recent months we have watched as websites showing more continuity and relevance in their content and backlinks have become significantly stronger in the rankings.

At this point in the game, it does not mean that sites with less relevant continuity are in complete danger, it just means that it is time to ensure that your SEO marketing begins to align with not only what is currently happening but also the direction that SEO and the search engine algorithms are going.

Now is the time to take a look at the complete picture of your website, SEO, and marketing in general.

Anyone who has a quality understanding of Google AdWords knows that ad placement is partially influenced by a rating that Google places on the website associated with those ads.  The better the rating, the easier it is to attain better ad placement and frequently at better ad rates.

That rating is based on the websites relevance and continuity to the ads placed.  Usually it is primarily based on the landing page, however, the relevance of the entire site is beginning to be of increasing importance.

The Google/AdWords connection is no longer the only place where these types of ratings are taken into consideration.

Right now and as things progress it will be increasingly important that the foundation of a company’s digital footprint be established from the perspective of both relevance and continuity, as a side note, that includes ease of navigation.

Now armed with this knowledge, you have the opportunity to re-structure your digital marketing profile to maximize your opportunity, traffic and ROI long before the “general masses” begin to implement it.

If you would like assistance in creating or revamping your digital marketing portfolio to conform to the relevance/continuity issue, please contact us and we will be glad to help you.