We manage social media for restaurants, bars, and retail shops all over the country and as COVID-19 has continued to impact operations, the number one question we receive from owners and managers is: What should we post on our social media pages if we’re temporarily closed?
Answer: Lots of things! As much as you can. DON’T GO DARK!
Right now, as coronavirus is impacting everyone everywhere, we’re getting two questions.
- Should I be posting on social media as my business?
- What should I be posting?
Should you be posting on social media as your business?
The answer to this first question is absolutely YES! You should be posting on social media. If you’ve modified your operations to delivery or take-out only, or changed your hours of operation, you need to be sharing that with your customers. This situation is evolving hour-by-hour and it’s important to keep them constantly updated on what’s happening at your restaurant. Keep posting your sales, specials, and community involvement. There is more traffic on social channels right than ever before. Your customers are starved for interaction and will be more likely to engage with your content.
What should you be posting, especially if you’re temporarily closing your doors?
In that case, really stay connected. Your customers are on social media right now more than ever before. They are at home, they don’t have much to do, and their eyes are on Facebook, Tik Tok, and Instagram. And right now is an opportunity for you to connect with them, show your humanity, offer advice, and offer your expertise in a way that can help them at home:
- Cooking advice
- Shopping deals
- Recipes
- Even just checking in with a casual “hello”
People are thirsty for normalcy right now and they want to feel connected to their community. This is a time for you to really strengthen those relationships, foster loyalty, and get them excited to come blasting through your doors once you open again. Because it is temporary; you will reopen, and people will be wanting to support you.
So definitely stay in touch with your customers regularly, two to three times per week, no matter what right now. If you have questions – even if you’re not one of our clients – but you’re a business owner or manager, and you would like some guidance, reach out to us. Contact us here on our website, reach out on Facebook or Instagram, and we’d love to help you in any way we can.
We’ll get through this together.
As the new coronavirus pandemic sweeps the globe and people take to their homes to avoid getting and spreading the contagion, it makes sense that much of the conversation is taking place online. People are using the internet to share information, air their anxieties, and bide time while in quarantine. With ever-changing news of the Coronavirus pandemic, internet usage is at an all time high. Advertising inventory across our ad exchanges has surged and this provides an opportunity for businesses to stay in front of their consumers at a critical time.
Media companies are experiencing big traffic bumps as people flock to coronavirus coverage.
Up to 15% of daily web traffic is going to content about coronavirus, per traffic analytics firm Parse.ly. That increase is led by stories about travel restrictions, social distancing, and #FlattenTheCurve. And last week, coronavirus coverage beat election coverage by 15x.
Consumers are also spending ~30% more time with that content over last year, per Chartbeat.
Now is a great time to get in front
•Streaming/Video: More eyeballs are on streaming and video because of political coverage, bans on attending sporting events, local shutdowns and more Americans staying home.
•Device ID: No one leaves home without their mobile device. Advertisers can show relevant messages to consumers based on their visits as recent as 5 days ago and as far back as 6 months. Then, we can track foot traffic throughout the campaign, and as long as it runs.
•Search: Anyone searching for your product or service is a highly desirable customer. Make sure that your business shows up in front of those interested in buying or visiting today.
•Social: Social media usage is at an all-time high. From local news updates to memes, it’s important to make yourself relevant during this time. Join the conversation. Post often with branded content. Continue to engage with your customers and potential customers.
With access to a real-time ad exchange with insight into buyer ‘intent,’ we can offer smart ways for ANY advertiser to reach someone who is in the market for their product or service. Below are a few we have seen this week.
•Real estate: Interest rates are at a 7-year low. We’ve seen campaigns coming in from banks, credit unions, mortgage companies and realtors.
•Home Improvement: Spring and summer are coming and with many people avoiding travel, they will invest in their nest. Advertising landscapers, remodeling companies and hardware stores will be key.
•Auto Dealerships: Spring is typically high season for automotive. Auto dealers have an opportunity to find ‘auto intenders’ who are ready to buy now with more road trips expected this spring and summer, and lower rates to borrow for those auto loans.
•Retail: More and more retailers are moving to a delivery or drive-up option to pick up everything from groceries to clothing and shoes. Whether a hardware store or high-end boutique, delivery or drive-up is a great option to advertise.
•Healthcare: More doctor offices, clinics and hospitals are using digital ads to get the word out on how patients can interact with their offices, when to call, when to come in and why they should feel safe about visiting if needed.
•Restaurants: Delivery or delivery services are already available for most restaurants. This should be promoted, along with what steps the restaurant might be taking to ensure the safety of its patrons. Once it warms up, do they have a large open patio to promote, or a private room for business or family gatherings? We can target ‘restaurant goers’ and ‘foodies’ for any restaurant.
Utilizing Google’s post feature on Google My Business page. If you are a business owner, you should utilize this new feature. First it’s FREE and second, it has proven to be very successful among small businesses.
Here are ideas that Google gave on what to post:
- Share daily specials or current promotions that encourage new and existing customers to take advantage of your offers.
- Promote events and tell customers about upcoming happenings at your location.
- Showcase your top products and highlight new arrivals.
- Choose one of the available options to connect with your customers directly from your Google listing: give them a one-click path to make a reservation, sign up for a newsletter, learn more about latest offers, or even buy a specific product from your website.
Posts will show up in both Google search and Maps results. Here are examples of how Google Posts appear in search result:
What are Google My Business Q&A’s ?
Google My Business Questions & Answers are crowdsourced questions and answers for a local business. These questions are asked and answered through a business’s Knowledge Panel.
Google is taking crowdsourcing to the next level in many ways with online reviews, user-generated attributes and now they’re adding Google My Business Q&As.
Here are some pro points for Q&As:
– Questions can be up voted, making popular ones more visible and most likely to be answered. Helpful answers can also be up voted, so others can find them easily.
– As a busy business owner you’ll be happy to know that other people on Google Maps can answer your questions. One of these being Google Local Guides. They must be levels 2 and up and the Q&A feature is available to them on both Google Maps for Android and Google Search on any mobile device.
– You’ll be happy to hear that your users get notified through Google Maps when their answer has received a reply. You’ll also receive notifications when a new question is asked.
– Similar to positive reviews, Google Q&A has the potential to increase conversions to your website. For example, if a user with celiac disease sees that your restaurant offers a gluten free menu, something they weren’t previously aware of, they might be inclined to book a table.
– You’ll be happy to know that Google moderates some things automatically (bad words, gibberish) and users have to ability to flag anything inappropriate. This is a similar process to photo/review flagging.
Let us know if we can start doing this on your Google My Business Page.
“These app developers have risen to the top of our research rankings due to their phenomenal dedication to their clients and their mobile app development prowess,” Clutch Business Analyst Sara Philibotte said. “We are excited to give them the recognition they deserve and to see how they continue to flourish on our platform.”
Speaking Socially Media has been proudly recognized by Clutch as one of the top premier App Development companies in the United States. Clutch’s research team review was based on on the quality of their client feedback, service offerings, portfolio of past and current clientele, and market presence. Their research on leading mobile app development companies is ongoing, and rankings are dynamic. To view our Clutch page, make sure to visit: https://clutch.co/profile/speaking-socially-media
Speaking Socially – A Top App Development Firm
Clients have always come first to our team. We knew going into our business that our company’s success would not only land in the people we’d hire, but also in who we’d provide our services to. Not too long ago, we started working with a research company called Clutch that also understood the importance of the client experience.
Clutch runs a data-driven, ratings and reviews platform solely focused on the B2B market. Its overarching goal is to provide detailed insight into a company’s performance from the client perspective, all to help new business buyers find their perfect vendor. Their team of business analysts evaluate the thousands of vendors on their site, taking elements such portfolio of work, presence in the industry, and most importantly, client satisfaction into account. To gather their data, analysts conduct one-on-one interviews with clients, asking questions about the challenge each business was facing, the services that were provided, the impact our services had on their company, and how we performed as a team overall.
Through this thorough analysis of our company, Clutch identified us not only as a 5 out of 5-star company, but as one of the best-performing mobile app development companies on their platform. Below you’ll see us specifically representing Montana as the #1 app development firm.
And here are just a few of the remarkable comments our clients gave about our work:
“There has definitely been an increase in member usage and engagement. We’ve seen a nice impact from both the website and the push notifications on the app. Our Facebook page has experienced growth as well.” – General Manager, Meadow Lark Country Club
“From personal experience, I can say more people are learning about us and we’re making great process in getting the message out. The app they created is gorgeous. It’s easy to navigate and has a great look and feel.” – Program Manager, Alliance for Youth
“Their creativity is impressive. I’ve worked with a lot of vendors, but Speaking Socially has a real ability to think outside the box, suggesting solutions we would never have considered.” – Executive Director, Great Falls Montana Tourism
“They are always very understanding, and their work ethic is excellent. I’ve seen applications they’ve created for other companies in our area, and they’re beautiful.” – AVP, Financial Institution
With our great success on Clutch, we’re equally as thrilled to have been one of the first app developers featured on their new affiliate website, Visual Objects. This portfolio-based platform will further showcase our team’s products, set of skills, and high quality of work. The recognition our team has earned continues to motivate us into the new year, where we fully expect to prosper in new projects. If there’s an idea you have in mind, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’d love to hear it.
If you have any questions regarding mobile application development, make sure to call or email our team today!
Want to know what Facebook has on you? Download the data. Just go to the Settings section of Facebook (the arrow next to the question mark, top right) and click on “download my data” at the bottom of the page called “General Account Settings.” Then you’ll make your request and await Facebook’s compiling of your data, which is delivered via an email link. If you’ve been on Facebook for many years, expect the link to take a while.
There’s a nice honeymoon period of social media advertising where the clicks are many and the costs are low. But every campaign is bound to fatigue, and in this blog, we’ll explain how you can rise above the adversity.
When fatigue sets in, costs rise
The more users see your social ads, the less effective they become. Even if they do click them, you’ll have to pay more in the end. A tell-tale sign of social media advertising fatigue is a sharp rise in the cost-per-click metric.
Change your creative once a month
There’s no real way to avoid social media advertising fatigue altogether. If you run ads, users will eventually see them more than once before you change your creative.
The real question is how often you should change your creative to keep the fatigue to a minimum. This Marketing Land article suggests sticking to a one month schedule:
“So how often should creative be changed? The marketing analytics department at Merkle carried out some analysis on ad fatigue for one of our large clients. The graph below shows the performance of each creative over time, compared to its respective performance in its first week of running. They found that after 35 days, CPC (cost per click) began to be seriously negatively impacted by ad fatigue.”
Changing your creative quicker than this will likely be too expensive. Waiting any longer will make your campaign more susceptible to fatigue.
Change the format
In addition to changing your creative, you can also change the format of the ad. Platforms like Facebook give you multiple options in this regard so you’ll never really run out of ideas.
Changing a few elements of your ads can help you squeeze a little more value out of your creative. This should help you save money in the long-run since you won’t need to create as much new creative.
To talk more about social media advertising, or anything else, contact us today.
There’s nothing that sends a spike of oxytocin through your bloodstream like getting likes on your latest social media post. And if your goal is to go viral (and really, who doesn’t have that goal?), then there’s no such thing as too many likes and shares. However, if you’re really concerned about your post’s reach, then it’s important for you to get the right kind of likes and shares, too.
Not All Likes Are Created Equal
So, your latest post got 100 likes in the first day! You also got 50 shares! While those numbers sound impressive, it’s important to stop, and examine where those likes and shares are coming from. Because not all likes are created equal.
Let’s say you wrote a new horror novel, and you were posting about it. You want to get the message to as many people as possible that your content is out there, and they should check it out. The problem is that of those 100 likes, 75 of them are from friends or family members. People who want to support you, but who aren’t really part of the niche you’re aiming for. And 40 of your shares are also from personal acquaintances who just want to do their part to help spread the word.
Now, that isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination. However, if your friends and family don’t have people on their lists who are horror fans, then your message can be falling on deaf ears. Your post is getting seen, but it isn’t being interacted with.
What about the rest of the numbers? Well, the other 25 likes and 10 shares on your post came from book critics, other writers, and reviewers; people who have audiences of their own who are actively interested in the sort of content you’re promoting. While only a small fraction of the total numbers you achieved, those likes and shares are worth more in terms of reach, because they’re introducing your post to just the right audience. People who will see your post, click-through, and who are more likely to tell their friends about this great new horror novel they just found out about.
So, there’s no such thing as bad likes… but while some of them might have the impact of spitballs, others can go off like a grenade.
For more information on spreading your message through social media, simply contact us today!
Why is it so important to get more likes and shares on social media? Of course, the more likes and followers you have, the greater your reach is (which is why it’s important that your followers are targeted and relevant). However, it’s much more than that. It’s where the law of social proof, commonly used in marketing, comes into play.
You’ll Get Even More Likes
The more followers you have, the easier it will be to get even more followers. It’s also known as the snowball effect – the larger the snowball gets, the quicker it rolls down the hill and attracts even more snow. People will be more likely to follow you or like your page and posts when they already has thousands of likes. The more shares a post has, the more likely people will be to share it themselves.
Increase Your Clout
People will look at you differently when you have a large social media following. They’ll view you with more respect and will consider you more of an authority. They’ll be more likely to pay attention to what you have to say on your blog posts, subscribe to your mailing list, and even purchase your product.
The Law of Social Proof and Google
The law of social proof even works with Google. Websites that have many social signals usually see a boost in their organic search engine rankings. Social signals include followers, shares of blog posts and social media posts, social media comments, and likes. They serve to tell Google that your content is popular.
For help with boosting your social media campaigns, contact us today!
Finding new employees is never easy. Not only do you need someone who is responsible and will actually be on time every day, but they also need to fit into the environment you have created for your business. Putting ads in the local paper or job search websites will work to a point, but you will have a difficult time weeding through all the potential candidates to find the exact type of person your company needs. Instead of the traditional approach to hiring, consider turning to social media for recruitment. Here are five helpful ways that hiring through social media can improve your business.
You Can Relate
There are not too many people who are going to search through the classified section in their local paper anymore. With modern technology and devices, people can connect to businesses in a fraction of the time. By utilizing your company’s social media accounts to raise interest, you are showing that you are a modern and relatable company. This will not only get people interested in employment, but in your brand as well.
Lower Costs
While hiring through employment agencies and posting ads have their perks, they also have a price tag. All forms of social media that are worth using are completely free. With all the other expenses that come along with running a business, it is always a good idea to save money when you can. With popular social media sites, you can get in touch with prospective employees and keep a few dollars all at the same time.
Targeted Interests
Because of the extensive use of social media sites, both large and small businesses should have pages to promote their brand. By using your Facebook or Twitter account to put the word out that you are hiring, you will get an abundance of responses from people who are already familiar with your company. This in itself will make the whole hiring process run smoothly.
Getting to Know You
Through the use of messaging and chat features, you can get to know interested candidates a little better before you ask them to come in for an interview. Having a quick exchange with a possible employee will give you a better feel for the candidate and cut down on interviews that will not lead anywhere. This will save both their time and yours.
Spread the Word
Current employees who are happy with their jobs are more likely to share a new employment opportunity with their friends through their personal accounts. It is simple to link the offer back to the company page so interested parties can research the opportunity. The word that you are hiring will spread fast through social media, so get ready for a surge of responses.
To keep the public’s interest in your company, make sure you stay modern. There are many different avenues that you can take while looking for new employees, all of which have their own pros and cons. Take some time to look into resources associated with social media. You will be able to get the best employees with more ease than you ever thought possible.
You put your life into building your business. You worked hard to build your stellar reputation! One bad review, and you see your profits drop. You can’t satisfy everyone, but one person can make it seem like you satisfy no one!
Don’t ignore the complaint: address it.
Ignoring the complaint, and hoping it will go away, will not do any thing to fix the issue. If the customer has a legitimate complaint, do your best to make it right. If it’s a broken product, apologize, and offer an exchange. If it was bad service by an employee, apologize and offer a discount, or free product, depending on the circumstances. This shows other customers that you care about the person’s concerns, and you take your business seriously. This makes you look good to prospective new customers.
Ensure that the issue is legitimate:
Some people can never be satisfied. Some might not have a legitimate complaint, but that doesn’t mean they have a right to ruin your reputation. So, ask probing questions in a polite way. If you feel someone is making up the bad review. Ask pointed questions to the reviewer, that they would only know if the event had actually happened. Explain that you are trying to make this right, but you need additional information in order to do so. If the reviewer is making up a bad review, that will become obvious quite quickly when they have no answers. This is a great way to keep your good name!
Keeping your reputation stellar takes a lot of work! Especially with the number of review sites that exist! Speaking Socially Media offers review monitoring and generation starting at only $150! Contact us today! We help boost your business to the top of the best review sites. Our goal is to help you grow!
