A Few Facebook Insights Defined

Have you ever looked at the Insights for your Facebook Fan Page and wondered how to use the metrics that you are given to better market through Facebook? Do you know what the metrics mean? Following are the definitions of two very important metrics when it comes to marketing your business on Facebook:

People Talking About This

• The only Facebook metric that is visible to the public
• Represents the total number of people who have engaged in your page in any way. over the past 7 days, (i.e. liking, commenting, sharing, answering questions, responding, etc.)

Track “engaged” users

• Engaged users are unique people who have clicked any where on a post (during a 28 day time period)
• You can click on the number to see a pie chart of how your audience interacted with a particular post 
• The pie chart will also tell you if there has been "negative feedback" to a certain post. This usually means that someone has hidden your update

A screen shot of the engaged users box that shows how your fans have interacted with a specific post.

These are only a few of the important metrics that you should keep track of for your Facebook page. So, if you have 30 likes or more, head over to your Facebook page and start sorting out your insights!

Source: “FB Marketing All-In-One for Dummies” by Amy Porterfield

Are You LinkedIn?

Why Every Business Professional Should be LinkedIn: Be found • Find others • Demonstrate your expertise • Give a professional first impression • Join industry specific groups • Keep up with competitors • Research potential customers before your first meeting

What is LinkedIn? LinkedIn is a professional networking site where you can build your resume, add connections, join groups and contribute to conversations. According to their website the network currently has 135 million members. This includes approximately 43% of business people. 

A LinkedIn profile is something that everyone should have. Your profile will help you to connect with other professionals in your area or specialty. Having a presence on LinkedIn will help you network with these professionals by exchanging knowledge, ideas and opportunities. Similar to Twitter and Facebook, LinkedIn allows users the capability to follow status updates of professionals in their network.

HERE’S YOUR CHALLENGE: I challenge each and every one of you to visit the LinkedIn Learning Center (learn.linkedin.com) to find out how LinkedIn can help you grow professionally and help your businesses grow. When you are done “learning,” create a profile and start networking!  

When you are finished creating your profile on Linked In, if you are serious about learning more about LinkedIn, the first person I suggest that you follow is Wayne Breitbarth, a Social Media Trainer, Speaker and Consultant. I first attended one of Wayne’s seminars when I was a member of SMPS (Society of Marketing Professionals) in Wisconsin. He opened my eyes to features of LinkedIn that I had not utilized and he can help you do the same. Wayne posts on his profile daily with useful articles and information on how to effectively use LinkedIn. If you would ever have the opportunity to attend one of his seminars, I would highly recommend it!

PINTEREST “Just a Fad or the Next Big Social Networking Site?”

Have you heard the buzz about the latest social networking application, Pinterest? Do you know what Pinterest is? Pinterest is a tool for people to organize and share images online. It is basically an online scrapbook of all of your favorite things on the internet, these images are then known as Pins.  Users can place their Pins on their own boards and they can label boards with specific themes if desired, such as: wish list, wedding, home decorating, recipes, etc.

Why is the buzz of Pinterest spreading so fast? Pinterest connects users based on shared tastes and interest. Users can browse pinboards created by others, which provides a means for connecting and sharing. This is word of mouth marketing at its best.

Currently Pinterest is still an invite only site (let me know if you would like an invite, melissa@bigredprinting.net). While you are not allowed to blatantly promote your business, many businesses are finding creative ways to promote their businesses though the use of Pinterest. Check out Whole Foods and Nordstrom’s pin boards for real world examples of businesses effectively using Pinterest to market their business.

We recently started using Pinterest for one of our customers. Check it out! www.pinterest.com/thebridesstore.

Social Media IS The New Word of Mouth Marketing

Word of mouth marketing has always been the most effective form of marketing because, naturally, we trust our friends opinions about products and services that they have used. Social Media has changed word of mouth marketing because now you are able to get opinions from more people than just your social circle. Did you know that product reviews posted by strangers are among the most trusted sources of information?

According to DP Dialogue, “14% of people trust ads, while 78% of people trust consumer recommendations. This means that 2/3 of the economy is influenced by personal recommendations.”  

Before today’s consumer visits a store, they grab their laptop, Ipad, tablet, smartphone, or any other wired device and visit social media sites, company websites, reviews sites,  and etc. to learn about a product or service. The following are some social actions that consumers take:

• Getting an online referral from a friend

• Becoming a friend or follower of a brand

• Reading blogs where products and services are discussed

• Writing reviews about products and services they have purchased

• Seeing a brand mentioned on a social networking site such as Facebook, Twitter, 

   or Google+

So, keep in mind that customers are talking about your brand right now, both online and offline. Word of mouth marketing is FREE, but it is your job to get out there and be responsive and interact with your customers. 

Marketing in a Social World

“A fundamental shift in the way we communicate.”

Social media has evolved what used to be a message to consumers to conversations between consumers and marketers. Consumers no longer want to be told what product or service is good for them and their families. Therefore, today’s consumers are heading to the internet to figure out what products and services they should purchase. The Internet allows consumers to find incredible detail about products and services from every possible source, such as: blogs, search engines, social networks, review sites, etc.

Social networks provide marketers a platform to hold conversations and interact with their customers. Social media allows far more options than just loyalty cards for keeping in touch with consumers and driving them to make repeat purchases. Social networks allow marketers to develop awareness for their business, establish expertise, build relationships with customers, and improve customer service by being able to give immediate feedback. 

Having a social media presence is so important to marketers because today’s consumers are taking “social actions.” Consumers are getting online referrals from friends, becoming a friend or follower of a brand, reading blogs where products and services are discussed and seeing the brand mentioned on social networking sites. Consumers are spending more time online than ever before and to reach them and stay competitive, marketing online is not an option anymore, it is a requirement!

Your customers are already there, are you ready to go social?

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Sorry! We got busy and took a small hiatus from our blog :( Sorry to our followers, but we're going to kick it back into high gear and provide you with the same great information that we promised when we started our blog!