Best times to post to social media

There are many social media sites available to “build relationships” with. Here is a link to a social media cheat sheet. Each is uniquely geared toward its own specific target market demographic and as such, has a very specific purpose when it comes to marketing. More importantly, each has a specific technique used to develop solid customer relationships.

Often marketers will connect each social network to each other via Twitter, Hootsuite, or a WordPress.com blog. Even though it is possible to send a post to multiple networks simultaneously, each social network must be nurtured and grown individually.

In an excellent article by Social Media Today, they recap the best and worst times to post to social media:

            Facebook: Post 10am – 4pm M – Th

            Twitter: Post 1pm – 3pm M – Th, Avoid posting weekends

            LinkedIn: Post 7am – 9am or 5pm – 6pm, Avoid posting after 3pm Fridays

            Google Plus: Post 9am – 11am M – F, Avoid posting Monday or Friday

If a single post blast is made, some traffic may be lost depending on the social network and when the post was made. Based on when traffic peaks and when it fades, a common target time to make a post to all 4 social networks simultaneously could arguably be Wednesdays at about 9am. Of course you can also set up an experiment whereby you can post on a different day / at a different time each week to see which post gets the most visibility based on your specific target market. On a side note, the same can be true for any classified ads placed online.

The idea is to use social media not to make a hard sell as this will only push potential customers away. Rather, use these powerful tools to showcase your expertise and sell your relevant unique value in a way that does not come across as otherwise pushy. Simply put, if you were a potential customer, what would you want to see on your personal social media feed and how would you want to be treated.

Info graphic courtesy of Social Media Today.

If you would like assistance in building your integrated social media network, do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to connecting the pieces of your online presence.

Rob Shurtleff – Integrated eMarketing Solutions

An online presence – more than just website design

For the small business owner, a website is an electronic pamphlet that is available 24 / 7 / 365 to communicate your core message to your target market. Hopefully this will include, who you are, what you do, why you should be considered valuable to your target customer. As a page that is visually appealing, easy to navigate, and structurally sound, it should do well to sell your value. It is the cornerstone of an online presence. However, let me emphasize that it is only a cornerstone. The site must also be effectively promoted.

Local Search Engine Marketing is the set of techniques to ensure the website has a local presence online. Such techniques include submitting the site to local directories such as Google Maps, Bing Maps and Yahoo Local as well as other community directories such as Merchant Circle and Manta. There are also various industry specific directories to consider. Most of these resources are free yet time-consuming to research and build.

Social Media Marketing is the set of techniques to effectively engage customers and build trusted relationships by efficiently posting relevant news updates that elicit a following and a response. There are many free social media sites available. Even though there are tools available to post to many sites simultaneously (such as a free WordPress.com blog), each social network must be maintained and nurtured individually to effectively respond to customers.

The last technique that could be employed to complete your integrated marketing mix, would be pay-per-click whereby one employs an SEO rich text ad and bids for top placement in search engines. Of course the message here should be the same as what was placed in each of the above named marketing opportunities. Doing so is the essence of an integrated marketing communications program.

The above off-page SEO & link-building techniques are free for the do-it-yourselfer yet time-consuming to research and build. However, it is not the purpose of an integrated marketing mix to rank better in search engines (although if done responsibly, it is a bi-product). The purpose of an integrated marketing communications mix is to ensure the core message of the brand shines through consistently regardless of medium or channel used. Build more than just a website, build an integrated and comprehensive online presence.

Robert Shurtleff

Integrated eMarketing Solutions – connecting the pieces of your online presence

Website content – balancing too much against not enough

By now, it should be common knowledge that content is king as search engines love good naturally written dynamic content that is relevant to the purpose of the website. Of course the “content” itself must also be relevant to the target reader, clear yet concise, and most importantly adequate (300 words minimum for SEO purposes some say) yet not overwhelming.

In today’s age of not enough time to read all of the valuable website content thoroughly, it has become habit by some to simply skim the text in an effort to quickly find what they deem as important. On one hand, if the visitor cannot find the information they are looking for (because it doesn’t exist), they will move onto the next site that does. On the other hand, if the visitor is overwhelmed with too much content, more than likely they won’t even stay to skim and search for this valuable information. So what can be done to find this balance between adequate content and yet not overwhelm the site visitor?

Various techniques include the following:

• Legible fonts

• Bold keyword paragraph titles

• Short paragraphs no more than 3 – 4 lines

• Sparsely bold text to draw attention

• Bullet points

Quick side note – various on-page SEO techniques include the following:

• Website page title meta tag – no more than 65 characters (include top relevant 2 keywords)

• Description meta tag – no more than 125 characters (include top relevant 2 – 5 keywords)

• Keyword meta tag – no more than 15 (include a handful of relevant 2-3 word phrases)

• H1 Meta Tags – page subtitles (include top relevant keyword)

• Avoid “keyword stuffing” – overly repeating a keyword in an unnatural way.

• Anchor text – link each keyword to its relevant content.

Again, content must be written for the reader, not just for the search engine. Balancing adequate content with relevent content is key. Of course the design of the text (layout, font, color / contrast) must also coincide with the overall design of the site to ensure the message is delivered effectively and efficiently. It’s not just what is said, how it’s said matters also.

Robert Shurtleff – Integrated eMarketing Solutions

“No” v “Yes-And”

 In today’s business, the old adage “the customer is always right” has never been more true. An aspiring entrepreneur wanting to offer a service, let along a product, needs to understand the importance of long-term relationships with their customers as the secret to sustainable success. However, does this mean we are obligated to simply deliver what the customer wants or are we allowed to exceed their expectations?

What about the situations where we want to meet and exceed expectations but cannot (due to lack of ability? What if there is an opportunity to suggest an alternative that is “better” than what the customer asked for? Are we obligated to simply tell the client “no we can’t” and risk the relationship or do we have the option to tell the client “yes and” offer an alternative that fulfills the root purpose even better? The later runs the risk of irritating the client because what was asked for on the surface (even though the deeper purpose is fulfilled with the alternative) is not being delivered.

I for one hate being told “no” and therefore hates to tell my clients no. However, I also know the limitations of my abilities (as it relates to what I find ethical to charge). If I cannot deliver exactly what was asked for or if I do not feel that what was asked for is in the best interest of the client, I don’t want to say “no”, I’d rather offer that alternative in an attempt to fulfill expectations.

Rob Shurtleff – Integrated eMarketing Solutions

Which site builder is best?

So you’re looking to build a website? Which builder do you choose? There are a plethora of builders available, from hosted website builders, to all-encompassing web-based content management systems, to powerful desktop publisher / html editors / html generators.

Based on personal experience, below is a list of pros and cons of each.

Hosted web-based website builders:

Examples: GoDaddy’s Website Tonight, Network Solutions Works XL, and Intuit’s Homestead site builder as well as free options such as Weebly, Wix, Jimdo, etc.

Pros:

• Template based (easy to set up – assuming minimal customization of layout)

• “No HTML / CSS experience required”

Cons:

• Template based (can be difficult to customize layout and graphics to make it truly unique and reflective of you)

• Tied to the host (a site that must be moved must be reconstructed from scratch)

• Customer service is not consistent (won’t get same person each time you call)

Recommendations: Do your homework to ensure ease of use, quality software (browser compatibility), quality customer service (help with questions), quality hosting (site uptime). Stay tune for host specific website builder reviews.

CMS (content management systems)

Examples: WordPress.org, Joomla, Drupal

Pros:

• Not tied to host – if site needs to be moved, it can be downloaded and re-uploaded to another host that supports same CMS program.

• Templates – many are available to choose from (free and paid). This also makes it easy to add and delete pages as “blog posts”.

Cons:

• Installation support – hosted site builder agents often know their own product better than a 3^rd party CMS like WordPress.org and therefore support may be limited. Even though the site can be moved, should the need arise, this can be an arduous process and must be done carefully.

• Templates – again, customization of the template may or may not require knowledge of HTML / CSS to accomplish. However, HTML / CSS experience is a plus.

Recommendations: It will probably be much easier to choose a template and install it “as is” as opposed to attempting any significant changes to the color scheme, layout, fonts, etc. However, like any hosted website, once established, it should be fairly simple to maintain.

Desktop publishers (WYSIWYG – what-you-see-is-what-you-get)

Examples: Dreamweaver, Microsoft Frontpage, Coffee Cup, & many other WYSIWYG html editors / generators

Pros:

• Power – many have the latest gadgets and widgets (such as slide shows) to add flare to your website layout.

• Flexibility of layout – many have a drag and drop system, but allow you to place anything, anywhere on the page. They do not force you to stay inside the predetermined grid layout.

• HTML / CSS knowledge – not required but can be a plus to maximize tools capabilities.

• Not tied to a host – unlike a CMS, a backup of the site is already available on the desktop. Simply re-upload the site to the new host.

• Backup – the software can publish the site to the desktop as a backup as well as via FTP to the host’s server.

Cons:

• Learning curve – many have a steep learning curve to maximize the software’s capabilities.    

• Expense – many are quite expensive however there are others more affordable (however, the learning curve remains).

• Tied to desktop – maintenance of the site is tied to the desktop – other users cannot log into the web and maintain the site.

All three of the options require content (pics / text) to be provided by the builder. However, building a site is more than taking a template and swapping out canned text and pictures. The current relevant content must speak to the target audience, the template as a whole must be visually appealing, the behind-the-scenes code used must ensure cross-browser consistency, and most importantly – it must be search engine friendly. This is something that is not learned overnight and something not all hosts provide intuitively (other than expensive search engine optimization or pay-per-click campaigns). In the end, the small business owner must balance marketing tasks with that of finance and operations.

We understand that the small business owner (on a small business budget of time and money) may not be inclined to take on this expensive and time-consuming task. That is why we are here – to provide quality, affordable, comprehensive online presence solutions (website design, local search engine marketing, social media marketing, online marketing) for those that do not have the time, want or know-how to do themselves.

Rob Shurtleff – Integrated eMarketing Solutions

Catching more bees with honey than vinegar

As a business owner, how you conduct yourself personally reflects who you are professionally, and vice versa, especially in terms of feedback. Communication should be honest, yet tactful. Feedback should be constructive, not destructive. Even though negative feedback can be just as effective, it comes at what cost? Lost opportunity. More often than they should, product / service feedback posts simply include “I will never do business with this company again”. Such post leads me to two conclusions: 1 – what on earth did this company do to deserve such a lashing?, and 2 –  this person cannot be in their right mind to give such negative feedback without the hope and option of how to fix the issue, thus leaving the real issue unresolved for another customer to suffer through. On the opposite side of the coin, when we are giving feedback to our peers (the competition), I believe it to be professionally ethical to do nothing less than to give honest feedback with tact and courtesy. Again, the option to right a wrong must be made available. Doing so will allow you, as the professional, to look like someone others would want to do business with. Burning of such potential relationships is needless and furthermore, senseless. Be careful with what opportunities you let go for they may come back to haunt you.

Rob Shurtleff – Integrated eMarketing Solutions

When in Rome…

Rumor has it that Rome was not built in a day. The reason I believe this to be true is that they did not settle for mediocrity. They were constantly improving their image and perfecting their product. Just as the Romans did, a business owner must be aware of consumer reaction, and constantly perfect their image and their product accordingly. A website, as the cornerstone tool to effectively and efficiently project a business image and promote its products and services, must be constantly be perfected as trends in consumer behavior is observed.  We are here to help.

Rob Shurtleff – Integrated eMarketing Solutions