With the amount of time and effort we pour into marketing our businesses, you would think that we'd be more interested in keeping and reaching the people that are interested in our services/products vs those that aren't.  However, it seems like a lot of businesses are looking for big numbers.  More followers, more likes, and more sign ups.  Sure, there's power in numbers, but what if you're wasting valuable marketing dollars on people who don't care what you're selling?

Still giving Facebook hashtags a go?  Great! Assuming you're using them correctly... If you're using hashtags on Facebook, you have to remember that it's not the same platform as Twitter.  There are different rules that apply.  The same basic structure is set up though.  You type in a "#" symbol and then whatever single word or phrase without spaces that you want to use (sans symbols).  What else do you need to remember though?

At this point, many businesses have taken the initiative to put themselves out there.  Businesses are reaching their customers like never before through websites, blogs, newsletters, and social media.  With what seems like 30 new social media platforms a minute, it can be difficult to decide which network is worth putting a big chunk of your time into and which might not need as close of an eye on it.

A large majority of social media networks are following the trend and becoming publishing platforms. Users are taking advantage of the opportunity to publish their original content to propel readers back to their own sites, businesses, products, etc. Social media marketing and content marketing are very much merged at this point. Platforms, like LinkedIn, who are encouraging content marketing with features like LinkedIn Pulse are also adding better analytics for publishers to able to better target readers and to have the ability to adapt their content to the preference of those readers. 

Hootsuite recently launched a new feature they are referring to as "Suggestions".   This new feature gives users the ability to get a weeks worth of content suggestions tailored to each specific social media account that users have tied in to their Hootsuite account.  It was advertised within Hootsuite as a new feature designed to save time and to find the best articles possible to share at the best times possible.  Those of us who have been poking around with it here or there over the past few weeks have learned that the Suggestions' beta period is now closing.  The new rules following that beta period are that users can share 10 articles per week or upgrade their accounts for unlimited shares.  So, is it worth upgrading to unlimited?  And, what has my experience with Suggestions been?

Say it isn’t so! You’re talking to a dedicated “googler” over here. I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz lately about Pinterest being the new Google and at first I rolled my eyes and said a sarcastic OKAY, but now that I’ve sat back and thought about it a bit … I’m guilty of searching on Pinterest too. This can be a pretty positive shift for those who are marketing (or should be marketing) on Pinterest. With its power in search growing, this can translate into serious dollars for Pinterest marketers.

We've all seen them -cringeworthy posts on social media that we wish we could take back for the other person.  I've had severe secondhand embarrassment for someone who posted a questionable status or photo on social media.  Selfie on a toilet anyone?  A completely insensitive joke with a hashtag #toosoon?  Now let's translate that to brands on social media.  Brands are not immune to social media faux pas.  There are a few safe bets when it comes to social media don'ts.

Do you have a social media presence? Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.? Do you also have a blog, newsletter, or email campaign of some sort? These should all tie in to each other! When you are promoting you, you need to be thorough. Make yourself overly available to your customers and clients. Do you want to lose business because someone couldn’t figure out how to connect with you on Facebook or how to get discounts that you might only give out with a newsletter subscription? I don’t think so. It’s incredibly important that you are accessible to your clients and customers and that you make being able to connect with you a no brainer to accomplish.

The first step in having a successful social media marketing campaign is having great content to share with the masses. But, what comes next? Distributing your content! I’ve been using and doing research on some sponsored options and most recently have been looking into LinkedIn’s Sponsored Updates. LinkedIn Sponsored Updates are a paid media option for sharing your messages with the right people. Is it something worth looking into? In my opinion, if you’re considering a business to business paid campaign option, I think it is. 

Let me start by saying –not every business needs to be on Instagram. I think we have a tendency nowadays, with all of these different social networks, to try to be everywhere, everyone, and everything. Instagram is slightly different than your average social media platform and, when used for marketing, it’s really used to show your business’ creativeness, humor, passion, etc. If you’re considering an Instagram account as a marketing tool for your business, ask yourself if your target audience is active on Instagram and, if so, have any of your competitors been successful with it? If so, then you should definitely jump in. There are a few basics that you should be sure to check on your list. Like any social platform used for marketing –you’ll have to take a step back and work out a plan, understand there is going to be some sort of testing and tracking phase, and expect a few kinks as you’re learning your way.