Social Media Marketing Archives

What to post on social media

Running out of ideas what to post on social media?

Is your small business too busy to think about content marketing?

High Key Impact Digital Marketing Consulting has you covered with this list of 36 ideas inspiring you what to post on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, & Twitter.

Here’s the list.

Client Testimonials using video or photos. Have your clients share their story of how they used your products or services and benefited from them.
Quote of the Day. What inspires you to get through the day or what business quote is your daily mantra? Share it on your social channels.
Customer Story. How did your customer find you and benefit from your product or service. Share their story from your business perspective. (with their permission of course)
Team Member Profile. What is the history behind this employee’s tenure at the business and what are their hobbies and likes/dislikes? You can have a lot of fun with this if it’s brand appropriate.
Team Member Quote. What is his/her favorite quote or saying?
Insider Info. What is it like behind the scenes working at your company? Take us for a video tour in the warehouse or office.
Tip of the Day. From your product or service perspective.
Something Funny. Lighten up your followers with a joke, funny story, or funny Gif.
Client Post with a Tag. If your customer posts about your business, ask them to tag your brand so you can share it as a post and/or story.
Blog Post. Write a blog on your website to showcase more in depth information you can share in a social post.
Article. Industry news articles related to your product or service are helpful sales tools when used correctly in posts.
Statistic. Industry statistics increase your credibility and show expertise in a subject area. Share your industry stats which are in your favor.
Before/After Photos. Take before/after using your product or service OR show photos of the team as babies and how they look now. Make it a game for your followers to match up baby photos with team members.
Screenshot to Share. Take a screenshot of a funny post from Twitter and share it to your Facebook feed when you are looking for ideas of what to post on social media.
Team Family Photos. Which of your employees wants to share their family photos on your small business social media feed? It’s very personal and your customers will love to see the people behind the scenes and their family members.
FAQ Answer. What question gets asked the most of your customer service department? Answer the question in a social media post.
Winning An Award. Did you win a Best of 2022 award in your town? Share the accolades!
Infographic. Use Canva.com to create infographics which relay information about your industry or brand.
Time Saving Tip. How will one save time by using your product or service?
Money Saving Tip. How will one save money by using your product or service?
Fill in the Blank Request. Ask your customers what if scenarios. For example, If you have a branding business, what are their favorite corporate brands they aspire to. OR Ask them to finish a sentence. “My favorite experience with XYZ Brand is __________________.”
Pet Photo Request. Everyone loves to see photos of animals. Asking your followers to share their pet photos is probably one of the highest viewed posts you’ll have!
Town/City Sights to See. Share your local hot spots from a new perspective. What makes your town important or famous?
National Day/Holiday. Use the national day calendar to find out what is relevant to your business. For example, a bakery can celebrate National Pie Day. See more here. And celebrate holidays with posts which resonate with your customers.
Video Diary of our Business. Capture a ‘day in the life’ of working at ABC company or a video of how your product is made or manufactured.
History of Business. Tell the story about how your business was started and what is your mission.
Industry News Article. What’s new in your industry that your followers want to hear about?
Discounts or Sales. Offer a percentage off sales, or a flash sale for a couple of hours. Referral discounts are another way to motivate followers to share your brand with others.
Contest or Giveaway. Try to get to a certain number of followers with a contest or use an app to track a contest or giveaway. Read more from Hubspot about how to do a contest correctly.
Social Media Takeover. Allow your Intern, Sales Rep, or Mother take over your social media for several days up to a week.
Team up with a Neighborhood or Partner Business. Show your support of other area businesses by teaming up and promoting each other’s brand.
‘How To’ Product Video. Also called an ‘explainer video.’ Show your customers/clients how it’s done with your product or service.
‘Caption This’ Request. Show a photo and ask your followers to caption it or describe it with a phrase, saying, or using hashtags.
Community Service. What are you doing to support the community. Share your community service or donation support to a local organization. Your followers love hearing how you help others.
Use Polls. Facebook offers a tool to take a poll and find out if your followers like A or B the most. Ask about ice cream flavors OR a Yes or No question related to your business.
Ask a Question. Want to find out what your customers think about a particular topic related to your business? Ask them to respond in the comments under your post.

Get more ideas and inspiration for your small business social media posts from Cheryl Friedenberg at High Key Impact, a digital marketing consulting firm in Blue Bell, Montgomery County, PA.

Holiday Marketing during Covid 2020

What holiday promotional opportunities are awaiting B2C and B2B business owners and marketing managers?

Covid-19 has brought a change into the typical holiday season marketing. Holiday Marketing during Covid 2020 is going to be tricky. The same-old may not work for your small business. Find out what adjustments you should make with your small business plans here.

From October through January, every small business owner should be anticipating what’s to come. Obviously holiday sales are on the horizon for retailers, however, many newcomer ecommerce shops and those planning virtual events offer more avenues to spread their holiday cheer.

Read the Facebook Holiday Marketing Guide here. With insight and inspiration, find out how to get your business page more visitors for this upcoming Holiday season.

Get Started Now!

Don’t forget about email marketing when Holiday Marketing during Covid 2020. Update your email marketing list to send out digital holiday messages to customers & clients, reps and vendors/suppliers. Schedule your drip campaign messages accordingly.

This is also the time to dive into your holiday ordering and shipping processes. Anticipate volume increasing and hire more staff accordingly. Investigate your sales numbers from previous seasons to give you a sense of expectations.

Many supply chains are running low during the pandemic. They key here is to plan, plan, plan, and be ready to change course if your suppliers don’t have inventory.

Do you also need to deliver holiday baskets or gifts to loyal customers? Add this into your frenzied upcoming schedule. Schedule shipments way in advance so they arrive on time.

November 26th-Thanksgiving

The obvious turkey and ‘give thanks’ posts are very common. Shake it up a bit and add unique flair. Since Thanksgiving will not be celebrated with extended family members in the colder climates (unless they snagged some outdoor heaters), think about how to reach those nuclear families with your brand and service offerings. Ramp up to Thanksgiving and Black Friday with these email marketing suggestions from Constant Contact.

November 27th-Black Friday

Get Ready, Set and Go! This is the big day. But it’s just been given a tailspin from Coronavirus. What’s a small business owner to do besides encourage mask-wearing and social distancing?

Crazy enough, think outside of what big box retailers are doing. How about creating your own Black Friday on a different date. That way you aren’t in direct competition with the big box retailers.
See more suggestions about how to gain momentum for Black Friday shopping blitzes in this Bloomsberg article.

November 28th, 30th, and December 1st
-Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and #GivingTuesday

American Express created small Business Saturday to help the local retailers who were getting overlooked on Black Friday. This year, the resources for Shop Small® include a workshop on October 20th for business owners, resources for black-owned businesses, a shop small® map of participating businesses and more. Click here.

Cyber Monday is November 30th. Most consumers have adjusted over the past several months to buying almost everything and anything (raise your hand if you bought a Peloton!) online. Cyber Monday celebrates that. Perhaps stockpiling toilet paper can take a back seat while you gear up your small business to an online Ecommerce presence, ready to take on Cyber Monday. Need more ideas for Cyber Monday? Read this !

On Giving Tuesday, because of Covid-19, most donors plan to maintain or increase the amount they give to charities. This is terrific news for non-profits. But it also brings the bad news of less volunteering during the pandemic. Small businesses can join in on Giving Tuesday by highlighting all of the community support they have given to local non-profits over the past year. Consumers love businesses that give back and help others.

Thursday, December 10-Friday, December 18

Hanukkah

Try to get on “Top 10 lists of what to buy for Hanukkah” to sell your product or service. You can do this by signing up for HARO, Help a Reporter Out, and answer queries related to your product/service.
Post a menorah with lit candles to commemorate Hanukkah with your customers who celebrate. Encourage your customers to share their Hanukkah celebrations with your brand.

Create a ‘Hanukkah or Holiday Gift Guide’ for your customers. Suggest gift ideas, cross promote other businesses within the guide and read this article for more creative ideas.

December 25th Christmas

Christmas this year is unlike any other. Making the shopping experience as safe as possible for consumers with options like curbsite, contactless pickup, and less face-to-face interaction, will be the key to driving sales for small businesses.
Business2Community, in a recent article about Holiday marketing in 2020, came up with some clever ideas and adjustments because of Covid-19:

For example:

An entrepreneur in the hospitality industry could offer an “experience in a box” for customers who can’t travel right now.
A clothing retailer could focus more on casually chic clothing people can wear in or out of the home, rather than on high heels and festive dresses.
A sporting goods retailer could highlight solo sports like skiing and swimming in newsletter campaigns, to encourage socially distancing folks to get out into nature.”

January 1st-New Year

For many health-related businesses, this is the perfect opportunity for potential customers to hear your message of fitness, wellness and good nutrition.
Give prospects an idea of what their new year’s resolutions may look like. For example, post the following on social media “This new year, 2020, I resolve to …..” (fill in the blank with how they may use your product or service).

The best gift you may give to your customers is holiday cheer, so no matter what you decide to do for your holiday promotional messages, thank your supporters and uplift them with your holiday spirit. This year is especially challenging to everyone, mentally and financially. Stay positive and upbeat with your messaging. Add humor to your social media posts and emails. Create new opportunities to your product/service offerings. And don’t forget to spread joy!

Do you have any more unique marketing suggestions for the 2020 holiday season? Email us at info@highkeyimpact.com.

Cheryl Friedenberg, President
High Key Impact, LLC
Digital Marketing Consulting for Small Business Owners
www.highkeyimpact.com
cheryl@highkeyimpact.com

Small Business Social Media Tips during Covid-19

Everything just changed.

The way you do business is different. Your customers are homebound. Shopping in a retail store is non-existent. B2B business meetings are now on video conferencing sites. Service-based businesses are struggling to figure this out.

A new normal has emerged, at least for the next several weeks, if not, months.

You’re thinking “What’s next? What should I do for my small business?”

What’s Next?

As a social media marketing consultant, High Key Impact has been on the front lines of small business marketing since Coronavirus and social distancing was uttered out of our mouths. We’re learning as we go along, and we see many instances where business success is about taking the right approach.

Our clients are living proof of some of our favorite real world examples, including:

-small retailers who have to close up shop, but then build up their website’s online store virtually, or through Facebook & Instagram shopping

-the dance studio offering video classes with a paid subscription

-a niche marketing company providing new messaging for their clients who have no idea what to say in their posts or emails to their customers

-the lawyer and real estate agent who are both staying connecting with clients electronically and are continuing to drive revenue, albeit at a fraction of what it was

Social Media Marketing Tips: Covid-19 Era

SO, What Can You Do as a small business owner to continue on, whether you are closed, open or operating in a limited capacity?

Update your Google My Business listing-Google gives you the opportunity to change your hours and your status through GMB. All you need to do is login to your GMB account and go to the info tab. Your hours will be listed there. You can also set your business as ‘temporarily closed’ so that customers don’t come to your location. This will not change your SEO standing on Google.
Add a note on your website-Is your current business status portrayed on your website? Many sites are using pop-ups or banners to discuss Covid-19 specific plans and best practices for their industry. For example, service-based businesses list their disinfection & sanitation practices when delivering product, and B2B businesses are stating they are available to meet clients virtually with video conferencing. They are also referring to CDC links.
What do you want to communicate to your customers on your website?
Keep your social media channels active-Continue to post on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Your posts are still relevant to your customers as they want to know you’re doing ok. Fill them in on your business status from week to week. Tell them about your employees and how they are coping. Communicate about any new operational plans you have or are implementing….You get the idea; stay in front of them as much as possible.
Stay positive-While everything on social media sounds doom and gloom, try to be a voice of positivity. If you are a real estate agent, talk about how to use this extra time at home to organize and de-clutter your home. If you are a retail clothing store, offer dress down tips to be comfortable working from home. Use video, Facebook Live, and uplifting posts to show your commitment to your local community, followers, and fans. Share inspirational quotes or uplifting news.

What does your marketing communications look like during our new normal? Are you in need of new ideas, social media support or help?

Contact cheryl@highkeyimpact.com from High Key Impact to schedule a Zoom call today.

Attention Grabbers: 5 Unique Content Marketing Ideas

5 Unique Content Marketing Ideas

One of the biggest ways to make an impact with Digital Marketing posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and other social media sites is with attention grabbing small business posts. You’ve probably posted handfuls of articles and blogs about the same old topics. These topics can only get recycled a few times until your followers get bored with the same-old, same-old.

What should you do if you’re on the hunt for new, refreshing content which will revitalize your social media feeds? Where should you turn?

I’ve compiled a list of 5 ways to jumpstart your small business social media posts:

Using animals will help you sell. Posts with dog pix get a wide range of viewers and likes as compared with posts including people pix. People love cute dog photos.Here’s an example of a recent Instagram post I created for my Realtor® client. The bottom line: Animal photos sell services and product best!

Quippy quotes will capture more views.
Posting a well-known, overused quote such as “Do one thing every day that scares you.” anonymous
VERSUS
Posting a quote with a little more humor and imagery such as the Thrifting quote shown here.
“I don’t need therapy, I just need to go thrifting.”
What’s the difference? One is more serious and is seen day in and day out on many social media sites. The other is refreshing, new and niche specific. It will get the attention of those who are passionate about thrifting.

What’s the lesson learned?
Stand out from the pack with unique, fun & humorous sayings and quotes. Have fun with your marketing images.

Moving images are gaining traction. We know that video is king when it comes to social media posting. There are several image-based apps out there which utilize moving images with unique features. By utilizing these quick, hit apps, you’ll take a huge creative leap and save time with video editing.
Boomerang-Create captivating mini videos that loop back and forth, then share them with your friends.
Legend-Turn text into stunning animations!
Waterlogue-See the world like an artist.

Feature your team members in video. Showcase a day in the life at xyz company through the eyes of your team or interview a team member about a customer service experience where they went out of their way to help. Allowing customers or clients to see what goes on behind the scenes is alluring and will get your business noticed.

Customer Testimonial Images. Recommendations and 5-star reviews are key to getting your small business noticed on social media. When you receive a 5-star review, create an image to post with the review to showcase it even further to your followers. It will increase reach and keep more eyes peeled to your post. Take a look at this example:

Do you have other unique attention-grabbing tools or ideas for social media marketing posts? If so, email me at cheryl@highkeyimpact.com

Cheryl Friedenberg, www.highkeyimpact.com

Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses to do’s

How does a small business owner begin a social media marketing campaign? What does it take to do it correctly?

I’ve narrowed this process down to several small steps so that your business can see growth and results within only a few months. Why not make 2017 the year your business reaches new heights?

Start by doing this…

Hire a Professional. Freelancer or Part-Time Employee. Or perhaps a current employee can build their resume by learning social media marketing from an expert and taking on this project within your organization.

Optimize your Website. Make sure it is mobile-friendly and has all of the back-end SEO set up correctly. Your hire from above will help you with this.

Define your Audience. Based upon your audience demographics, you can easily decide (along with your marketing expert) which social media platforms would be the best fit. For example, a senior citizen audience —and utilizing Snapchat as a tool to reach them— would not be a good fit—Facebook is the ideal choice here.

Start Small. If you delve into too many social media accounts and do not maintain them properly, your brand may take a hit. Take your time with it. Build a Facebook page, create content, develop your Likes and build a solid Facebook presence… Once it’s a well-oiled machine, branch out from there.

Send out Email Newsletters. Whether it’s weekly, bi-weekly or monthly, sending a company email to your customers on a consistent basis is crucial to keeping your name in front of them. If you miss out on a buying opportunity versus a competitor, most likely your email campaign is not engaging or content-rich. Make your newsletters worthwhile; say something important and provocative to grab their attention.

Become a Blogger. You know your products/services inside and out and, most likely, are an expert in your field. Why not write about it? If you are not a terrific writer, you have many options for a ghost writer… including your administrator, marketing team or a team member with a writing passion. Add the blog to your website, and voila!, you have automatic content for social media posts.

Images and Video Rock Social Media. Online content telling your product’s story through video or photos will receive the widest reach of viewership versus just posting text and words. Even better, a happy customer’s photo using your product or service is one of the most powerful content tools available to reach your prospects.

Paid Ads Blow Away Organic Search. In order to get the most bang for your buck, start with paid ads via Google AdWords Express, Facebooks post Boosts or Facebook local awareness campaigns. Organic (or unpaid search) is becoming more difficult to obtain since search algorithms seem to change on a daily or weekly basis. If your organic results are nil, a paid campaign of only $5/day could do the trick.

Check out the Results. Social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest and others have analytics to show you how your page is performing. Let the numbers speak for themselves and compare your business to online profiles of your competitors. This will help you seek out where you need to grow your presence online.

Feel free to comment below with your small business social media marketing experiences.

Cheryl Friedenberg

Marketing Consultant

High Key Impact, LLC

Highkeyimpact.com

Cheryl@highkeyimpact.com

Small Business Talk: Taking Baby Steps

A new client I’ve recently acquired is a self-proclaimed ‘old-fashioned’ marketer. His small business promotes itself via print ads, he never really did much email marketing and the idea of a Facebook page is foreign. This has become a tremendous challenge for me as a social media marketer and I’m embracing this by taking slow simple steps, knowing his business is on-board with the plan.

Here is my timeline for easing his business into social media marketing:

(Month 1)
Create and establish a Facebook page.
The best way for a non-Facebook user to gain a following on Facebook (besides suggesting the page to his email address book) is to Boost his page for likes. Additionally, I know he doesn’t mind giving out handouts at his point of sale retail location, so I will create a flyer with his Facebook page URL and reasons why customers should like the business page.
In order to get a sense of what types of posts work best on the Facebook page, I’ll test various offers, product information and industry-related news article posts.
(Month 2)
Work on the website’s SEO.
Several suppliers to this business operate their own websites with the opportunity to link back to my client’s website. By digging deeper into the suppliers’ websites, I will confirm his website is linked on their ‘find a location’ pages. Check Google, Bing and other search engines to optimize each of their free search tools for businesses.
Build an email list.
This client used an email marketing tool very sparingly over the past couple of years and ceased to continue utilizing it. My goal is to convince the business owner that with the right email message, he will generate more awareness of his business and bring in more clientele to shop.
Boost a popular Facebook post.
Facebook page insights are helpful to see which posts are reaching the most users. By boosting this post, the business will reach a wider and targeted audience for more exposure.
(Month 3)
Begin an email marketing campaign sparingly.
By using analytics and proving the emails are converting customers, we can catapult into a full-scale email schedule with content including staff profiles, promotions, testimonials and product information.
(Month 4)
Continue to show results.
Insights, Analytics and in-store statistics are the best tools for showing a retail business owner how social media marketing is growing his sales numbers.
Introduce the concept of Blogging, Video Live-streaming and an additional Social Media Platform.
Choose one of the above with the client’s input and test it out.By taking small, incremental baby steps with this particular client (or any others with the same hesitations), a marketing consultant can showcase their business into a modern, cool, hip and trendy place to buy their products!

Small Business Tips and Tricks When Posting Online

To the small business owner, the social media world may seem like a simple undertaking. Post on our Business Facebook page here and there, update my LinkedIn profile and try my hand at Instagram. Do this and that, read an article here and there and BOOM!—-my business will take off… all because I started a social media presence.

You probably realize my point already. Social Media Marketing is not as easy as it may seem.

In order to have your posts seen and heard, first you need a following. Then your posts need to be engaging. And finally, a call-to-action is the glue that binds it all together.

When jumping onto social media platforms, here are some tips and tricks to make your time more effective:

Decide Which Platform Will Give You the Biggest Push

Is your business B2C or B2B? What are you selling; a service or product? Who is your audience and what is your message? Just because you use Facebook for your personal posts does not necessarily translate into the same for your business posts. Research each social media platform, see where your competitors have a strong presence and adjust your game accordingly.

2. Add Links, Photos and Videos

If you post a sentence about your product, service or industry, back up your statement with a link. Standalone text posts sitting out on the social media world tend to get lost. Add a link to your website or contact page. Or link to an article you found on the web.

Photos are even more powerful than links when it comes to social media. A picture may tell a story about your customers benefiting from your services, feature a staff member profile or simply showcase what your business is all about.

Finally, the icing on the cake is video. Videos are the most likely post to be liked, shared and viewed. Use video to showcase your product or service, feature a client testimonial or talk about your business and what makes it unique. There are several high-quality video apps available on your cellphone. Shop around to see what works best.

3. Timing is Everything

Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat all have specified times of day and days of week when your post will reach the most views. Research your social media platforms to find out the ultimate publishing schedule for your business.

4. Seduce Your Followers
Think about what posts on social media platforms you would personally click before you post about your own business. When you publish on your own business pages, try not to give the entire point of your post away in your text. Build anticipation of what may be in the actual post so that users will click on your link or video. Ask a question, give a hint and keep them guessing. Generate suspense so that your followers will keep coming back to your posts for more!

5. Need Help?
Professional Marketers are tuned-in to what it takes to succeed in digital marketing. Hiring an expert consultant or an in-house staffer is the most effective path in creating a influential online presence. Contact cheryl@highkeyimpact.com for a free 1-hour consultation. www.highkeyimpact.com

10 Marketing Pet Peeves

It’s allergy season and you know what that means.
The itching, sneezing and wheezing associated with little annoyances in the air. The beauty of spring flowers blooming and green plants budding has an ugly side too. Do you suffer too?
Let me tell you something.
There are many other frustrations in this world which have the same effect on me as allergies—I’m sure the same for you. Let’s focus on digital marketing for small business.

I’ve conjured up 10 Marketing-Related Annoyances. Tell me what you think?

Infographics with small print, too much information on one sheet and no clear-cut format.
I’m not going to show examples of bad infographics as I’m not a hater. So instead, I’ve found a couple of examples with infographics done right.

The text size and font is easy-to-read, there is a clear message for the readers and the information is simply presented.

Overposting about Me, My Business, Call me, and I can help you.
A general rule of thumb is 80% sharing content about your industry and 20% self-promotion.

Misspelled words
Use spellcheck, please.

Mixing politics or religion with business.
It’s a clear way to turn off clients. Don’t even get pulled into the conversation on your personal Facebook page. You never know who it may offend.

Not answering negative comments or reviews.
Allowing negative reviews to fester or bring down your ratings without a response is likened to watching someone get badly hurt and not helping.
All you need to do when negative post appears is to post a response from the management regarding a bad review and say you are sorry for their experience and your business does not take these mistakes lightly. Offer a freebie to this particular customer as an incentive to come back.

Giving your brand an uneducated ‘voice’.
I have seen many small business Facebook pages where the business owner posts about their work. Some of these are true epic fails with misspelled words, improper grammar and no punctuation.
If you have any doubts about how your ‘voice’ sounds, it’s best to hire a professional for the job.

Fuzzy or smashed photos.
Only use high-quality, correctly sized images or your brand will suffer.

A Google search which misses the mark.
Sign up for Google My Business so that you always appear on searches.
Additionally, ensure the competition is below you on Google and other rankings.

A website not optimized for Mobile.
Ever read an article on your device which has margins wide enough for 3 words. Mobile-Friendly websites are a necessity in this day and age.

Lack of posting or over posting on social media.
Do you hear crickets on a social media platform or is someone tagging everyone like mad for their 20-second interval posts? Keep it consistently active within preferred norms.

I’d love to hear your pet peeves too! Comment below.

Cheryl Friedenberg
President, High Key Impact LLC
cheryl@highkeyimpact.com
Highkeyimpact.com