How the internet is handling Trump’s covfefe

We again have President Donald Trump to thank/blame for our latest, greatest meme. Thanks to him, the internet spent a day losing its collective mind over covfefe. In case you’ve been in a coma, this all started because Trump tweeted something in the wee morning hours that appeared to be a typo: Despite the constant negative press covfefe Everyone waited for him to delete the tweet and finish his thought. And waited. And checked their watches. It's been five minutes. What if this is it. That is his final tweet & the rest of history stops. — emily nussbaum (@emilynussbaum)…

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#SproutChat Recap: Incorporating Snark Into Your Social Strategy

In a social-first era, more and more brands are coming out of their shell and becoming a little more brazen in their activity. This brazen behavior often comes with snark and a sense of humor is often referred to as “savage”.

In this week’s #SproutChat, Sprout Social’s Social Media Manager, Darryl Villacorta, shared his thoughts on how brands should converse with their audience and where the future of social media engagement is headed.

Remain Professional & Genuine

Maintaining professionalism on social doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your brand voice. Being funny or entertaining  doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be mean. A good social marketer knows their audience and should be able to connect on social while being genuine.

A1: Keep it professional. That doesn't mean you can't have fun, but you need to be sure posts reflect your brand positively. #SproutChat

— Express Writers (@ExpWriters) May 24, 2017

A1. I'm a firm believer that honesty never goes out of style. #sproutchat

— Darryl Villacorta (@TheMiddle) May 24, 2017

@SproutSocial A1) They should just be themselves. Don't think to much about best PR practices. #SproutChat

— Jake Yeaton (@jakeyeaton) May 24, 2017

A1: This all starts with your brand voice BUT also your strategy in case that voice gets just a little too loud #SproutChat

— Jeff Higgins (@ItsJeffHiggins) May 24, 2017

A1.

Brands
should be

transparent
engaging
conversational
empathetic
listeners
proactive
professional
intentional

on social#sproutchat

— Gabriela Cardoza (@CardozaGab) May 24, 2017

@SproutSocial Al) human human human. And a bit of humour in there for good measure #SproutChat

— Queenstownlife (@Queenstownlife) May 24, 2017

A1 helpful, humble and most of all – personable and detailed. A cheeky sense of humor is a great bonus too 😉 #sproutchat

— Jennifer L Kirk ✈️🍴 (@The_Jenius) May 24, 2017

Consider Your Audience

As n you’re crafting your brand voice, keep your audience front and center. Humor isn’t always universal but friendliness can go a long way. Before you launch into a snarky response, first think about who you’re talking to. Listen to how your audience perceives messages and understand why they’re interacting with your brand.

A2. If you're going to talk to someone, listen first. It'll give you a better sense of tone. #sproutchat

— Darryl Villacorta (@TheMiddle) May 24, 2017

A2.

Consider
your
BRAND WHY.

What
do you wish
to do?

What value
do you wish
to add and to whom?#sproutchat

— Gabriela Cardoza (@CardozaGab) May 24, 2017

A2:
Identify message points
Identify spokespeople and
Figure out how to make it social!#sproutchat

— Deserae_Dorton (@Deserae_Dorton) May 24, 2017

A2: You need to know who your target audience is. Your voice should align with the vision for your brand, but also attract them. #SproutChat

— Express Writers (@ExpWriters) May 24, 2017

@SproutSocial A2: Brand voice should be in line with your product/service. Consumers trust a goofy candy company but maybe not goofy CPAs. #SproutChat

— Katie Lewis (@kathryndlewis) May 24, 2017

@SproutSocial A2: Determine the tone, how you want consumers to feel about your brand, and your overall goals–to be funny, educational, etc. #SproutChat

— Sortis Marketing (@SortisMarketing) May 24, 2017

Always Remain Authentic

Brands that remain authentic and true to their audience are the brands that. Stand out by adding humor and wit without sounding condescending or mean. If your audience is coming to your brand looking for support or help stand out by giving outstanding customer service.

@SproutSocial A1: whatever the real one is. People ain't dumb! #sproutchat 😅

— Abby Lee Hood (@AbigailLeeHood) May 24, 2017

@SproutSocial Entertaining. Most people don't follow brands to be advertised to. #sproutchat

— Probably Geoff (@mynameisGEOFF) May 24, 2017

A3 those that are helpful, engaged and reliable! Those that are perceived as just like "me" #SproutChat https://t.co/3vnFBMk7pl

— LUCYrk (@LUCYrk78) May 24, 2017

@SproutSocial A3. Some personalities that stand out are humorous and witty, "meme funny", and friendly – of course. #sproutchat

— Social or Nothing (@socialornothing) May 24, 2017

A3) People who are naturally curious, enjoy conversation, & know how to keep things moving #sproutchat http://pic.twitter.com/mU34OzxK7g

— Gordon D (@gordondym) May 24, 2017

@SproutSocial A3. Funny, hip, helpful, creative, inspiring, engaging #Sproutchat

— Tobi (@TobiGbemisola) May 24, 2017

Don’t Feed the Trolls

It’s inevitable that your brand is going to experience a handful of trolls on social. Don’t get caught up in the heat of the moment. Take a step back and weigh the pros and cons of engaging with a troll before you respond.

A4: Do the best to resolve legitimate complaints, but my banhammer is always ready. #sproutchat

— Brad Lovett (@Brad_Lovett) May 24, 2017

A4) Cut them off & drop the mic. Trolls waste time; customers express legitimate concerns #sproutchat

— Gordon D (@gordondym) May 24, 2017

@SproutSocial Don't pay the toll (i.e., don't take the bait). #SproutChat [AR] http://pic.twitter.com/SsN3Y7GWAD

— ModSquad (@modsquad) May 24, 2017

@SproutSocial A4: With that said, if someone is being negative 👹without reason . . . that's why we have a "block" button. #SproutChat

— Jasmine Glasheen (@GlasheenJasmin1) May 24, 2017

@SproutSocial A4: Keep it professional and block if totally necessary. #Sproutchat

— Stephanie Zatyko (@ExperianDQSteph) May 24, 2017

Everyone in Your Community Is a Potential Customer

Think of any social response as a customer interaction. Publicly shaming your audience should be avoided.

@SproutSocial No, never. Take the higher road and stay professional. http://pic.twitter.com/JEqqCaBiKn

— Erin Van Horn (@VanHornSMC) May 24, 2017

A5: That's a brand decision that needs a full team monitoring sentiment and a major plan in place to take left turns if needed #SproutChat

— Jeff Higgins (@ItsJeffHiggins) May 24, 2017

A5.

Some
brands do
this intentionally to
be funny &/or clever

Wendy's
for ex

Not my ish.
Not appropriate
for all brands.#sproutchat

— Gabriela Cardoza (@CardozaGab) May 24, 2017

A5: I wouldn't. I can't think of a circumstance where that would go well. Call me unhip I guess. #sproutchat

— Brad Lovett (@Brad_Lovett) May 24, 2017

A5: It is always bad PR to escalate arguments. Think of the brand image! #sproutchat

— Alvomedia (@Alvomedia1) May 24, 2017

A5) Always treat your audience with more respect then you would receive. Take the higher road #sproutchat #sproutchat

— Gordon D (@gordondym) May 24, 2017

The Future of Social Engagement is Evolving

Marketers know that their industry is always changing and social engagement no different. As our industry evolves, response times may be even faster with the efforts of bots and live-streaming. But one thing that won’t change? Brand consistency.

A6: Sadly prob more selling, lead gen, and news coverage. WE'D LIKE TO SEE IT REVERT TO MORE COMMUNITY/SOCIAL ASPECT #sproutchat

— Conversion 💸 Corner (@ConvertCorner) May 24, 2017

@SproutSocial A6: Hopefully in the opp way of bots but with AI and VR it's exciting to see! Keep talking to people #SproutChat

— Queenstownlife (@Queenstownlife) May 24, 2017

A6" More AI and bots, which while convenient, won't be as personal. #sproutchat

— Brad Lovett (@Brad_Lovett) May 24, 2017

@SproutSocial A6) I think it's going to increase as social media platforms are slowly taking over old media. i.e Live Streaming #SproutChat

— Jake Yeaton (@jakeyeaton) May 24, 2017

@SproutSocial A6) Much higher rates for customer support teams as more people are running away from email. #SproutChat

— Pinely (@Pinely_io) May 24, 2017

@SproutSocial A6: Video is the new photo. #SproutChat http://pic.twitter.com/1kxFhACNML

— Jasmine Glasheen (@GlasheenJasmin1) May 24, 2017

Join us next Wednesday, May 31 at 2pm CDT for #SproutChat to discuss geolocation on Facebook with Sprout All Star, Jeff Higgins. In the meantime, check out our Facebook community to connect with bright folks in the industry.

This post #SproutChat Recap: Incorporating Snark Into Your Social Strategy originally appeared on Sprout Social.

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The social media wrap up of TNW Conference 2017

Last Friday (19th May), another unforgettable chapter of TNW Conference 2017 came to a close in Amsterdam. With the likes of Imran Khan (Chief Strategist, @Snapchat), David Karp (CEO, @Tumblr) and Ray Chan (cofounder and CEO, @9GAG) joining the stage as speakers, the event turned out to be nothing less than the perfect nerd date. We also learned what really goes on when TNW staffers dismantle the event… What REALLY went on after #TNW2017 closed… 😆 http://pic.twitter.com/BEoO0afbMe — Matt Navarra ⭐️ (@MattNavarra) May 20, 2017 The TNW Conference social setup This year, our conference attracted over 25,000 attendees to Amsterdam. This physical…

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How to Drive Website Traffic and Convert Visitors into Subscribers

Get your exclusive bonus content up front by downloading this Sign Up Form Checklist + 25 Content Upgrade Ideas bundle now! What’s the point of a website if no one sees it? And why write emails if no one receives them? It’s not enough to just create a website. You need to drive traffic to that content to connect with a larger audience. Why? Because more people visiting your website means more potential email subscribers. And when you have more people on your website and signing up to your valuable email list, it becomes easier to sell your product or service. To help you identify ways to drive website traffic, there are three easy steps every business owner should keep in mind:

1. Get visitors to your website 2. Keep them there 3. Optimize the sign up experience

Let’s get started!

1. Get visitors to your website

There are a lot of ways to drive people to your website. The three I'm going to focus on are social media, partnerships and increased company visibility.

Use social media

Social media helps you reach new audiences in unique ways. By posting articles and supporting media on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and StumbleUpon, you can increase traffic to your website. But which platform is best? Social media is changing every day. Data from Pew Research Center shows that Facebook remains the most popular social media site, with “nearly eight-in-ten online Americans (79 percent) now using Facebook, more than double the share that uses Twitter (24 percent), Pinterest (31 percent), Instagram (32 percent) or LinkedIn (29 percent).” Overall though, the best platform to be on is the one that your target audience is already on. Each of these platforms will capture a different audience, so it’s important to identify where your target audience likes to spend their time so you can follow suit. Use Google Analytics and/or the analytics provided by Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to track engagement and see where your audience is most engaged. Or, check out the social profiles for brands that have similar audiences to you. Where are they most active? Those platforms are probably ones you should have a presence on, too. How are you getting your share of attention there? You could include links to your company’s social media pages on your website. Also, include links so that people can share your content on their personal social media pages. Noah Kagan includes a side panel to the left of all of his blog posts so that viewers can share the posts to their personal social media accounts directly: Try this: Move your social media links out of the header where they may blend in and use contrasting colors and large icons to draw the eye. This makes it easier for people to connect with you on various social platforms and spread awareness of your content and brand.

Timing is important

Social media posts tend to get buzz when they're first published. However, the lifespan of these posts is relatively short; according to Wisemetrics, Facebook posts get 50 percent of their global reach in just 30 minutes. This means that the timing of your posts is essential. Track your posts to see how they perform in terms of views and engagement, and determine which time is optimal to get the most interactions. Try this: Post at different times of the day to test engagement. Create a series of posts that are similar in content, and try posting Monday morning, Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday evening. While engagement based on the day of the week may vary a bit, this will give you a good idea of the optimal time to post.

Find people to share your content

Partnerships are key. Whether it be through social media or email marketing, find customers and people in your field to work with you and share your content. By doing this, you will reach a brand new audience to connect with. Here at AWeber, for example, we often include quotes in our blog posts from important leaders in the digital marketing industry: And to encourage sharing, we include an option for readers to tweet the quote directly from the post. The hope is that whoever shares your content is connected with others who will also be interested in your content and can continue the sharing… a wonderful, dead-end-proof cycle. This sharing can lead people to want to learn more about your brand and ultimately, visit your website. Remember, your goal is to increase traffic to help grow your email list, so the more audiences you can meet, the better.

Reply to questions on other websites

People have a lot of questions… so why not answer them? Put your company’s name and voice out there by engaging in conversations happening in the comments of blogs and on Facebook groups. As you develop brand awareness for your company, you also connect with like-minded people who might be interested in your content – which you can share to send them back to your site. This will ultimately allow you to connect with a larger base of customers and increase your email list too! You can post in places like Reddit, Facebook groups and Quora. In this Quora example below, an Instagram marketer helps troubleshoot a common account problem:

By answering this question, Matt presents himself as a knowledgeable and helpful source of information related to Instagram. To drive more traffic back to your site, however, be sure to include links to relevant pieces of content you have on your website. Try this: Not sure where to start? Type into Google “How to…” and fill in the blank with a problem that your company solves with a product or service that you provide. For example, if you are a music producer, type in “How to begin making music” or “How to find a music producer.” Then, visit the forums that Google retrieves, and answer the questions!

2. Once you’ve got them on your site, keep them there

You did it! You’ve driven people back to your website! But now what? Keep them there with great content. This will ensure that new visitors to your site hang around so you get a chance to educate them on your product/service, and they can sign up for your email list.

Present amazing content

Take time developing your website content. How do you want to portray your company? Who is your target audience? How will you connect with the right audience? Have you included valuable resources that viewers and customers are interested in? Have you met the customers’ demands? Emphasize the benefits of your product or service, and include relevant articles that help solve issues common in your industry. Additionally, create educational, evergreen content that's relevant to your audience. Evergreen content helps you connect with a larger audience, since the content is applicable at any time.  Creating great, valuable content shows visitors that you’re a reliable and helpful source. It’s also what’s going to convince them that your email list is worth signing up for.

Make it visually appealing

It doesn’t matter if you have the best content in the world… if your content is unpleasant to look at, people won’t stay on the website long enough to view it. According to research from Stanford, 75 percent of users admit to making judgments about a company’s credibility based on their website’s design. You don’t want to lose a potential email subscriber or customer based on lousy website design. Vary your font sizes and colors to draw the eye around the page. Keep the colors and elements on your site aligned with your brand. Add pictures to intrigue the viewer. Check out some more design tips/tools. In the example below, notice how Kind keeps the font and color palette consistent with the brand. The pictures also draw the eye around the page and add to the overall message. Try this: Don’t know how to write code? No problem! Check out these three website platforms that help you build a beautiful website without writing code.

Engage with visitors in comments

Make a space on your website for visitors to leave feedback, comments and ask questions. Interacting with these comments will create a service that is personalized and genuine, making the individual feel valued. For example, at AWeber, there is a “Chat” section in the bottom right corner for users to communicate with the Customer Solutions Team on demand. Making each and every visitor feel great about your product or service improves satisfaction. The better the experience, the more likely they'll be to sign up for your product or service and recommend it to others. And the more recommendations they make, the more people you can get in front of to sign up for your list and product! Plus, it also gives you an opportunity to share valuable resources that will give them the information they need to find a solution to their problem. If you have a relevant course or ebook, for example, you can send it along and encourage them to sign up.

3. Optimize the sign up experience

Once you have people on your site, it’s time to present your email list in a way that highlights its value and convinces them to sign up. Make sure your sign up form stands out on the page and communicates the value to subscribers. In this example, Toms states exactly what you will get in exchange for your email address. They also use a creative call-to-action button: To help sweeten the deal for on-the-fence subscribers, offer an incentive in return for their email address, such as a free ebook or course. Bonus Content: Want to increase conversions on your sign up form? Download this bonus content package to get A Sign Up Form Checklist + 25 Content Upgrade Ideas!

Now it’s your turn!

By driving more traffic to your website, you can also increase the amount of people who sign up to your emails. You have all the tools you need to succeed. Now go, drive that traffic! If you are ready to optimize your sign up form with a FREE checklist + 25 Creative Content Upgrade Ideas, download your bonus content here!

The post How to Drive Website Traffic and Convert Visitors into Subscribers appeared first on Email Marketing Tips.

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Using the Customer Journey to Guide Your Campaigns

7 Legitimate Benefits of Using Facebook Live for Business

Snapchat launches custom Stories you can create with your friends

Snapchat’s latest feature lets users create custom Stories with their friends, making a communal Story based on a shared event or location. When you create a custom Story, you can add your friends as contributors. When they create a new Snap, they have the option to add it to your communal story. You can also “Geofence” the Story to a particular location, which I assume means you can only see it if you’re in a the right place. Snap says, “It’s perfect for a trip, a birthday party, or a new baby story just for the family.” Communal Stories disappear if…

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How to Craft the Best Instagram Bios for Businesses

Twitter has an interesting new strategy to get you DMing with brands

Promoted Tweets are an inevitable part of using Twitter. They’re an effective way to get people to engage with brands, either by following them, or getting them to tweet out stuff for the chance to win something. But now, Twitter is going a step further with Direct Message Cards, and wants you to slide into the DMs of your favorite corporate twitter account. It sounds awful, but it’s not. With a Direct Message Card, brands can create visually eye-popping tweets that have a direct message call-to-action feature. Click it, and you can enter a one-on-one conversation with that company. Direct…

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Reddit’s new beta profiles are open to everyone now

Reddit has expanded the beta test on its Profile feature, meaning just about anyone can build their own mirror-Twitter page. When I logged into one of my accounts this morning, I noticed a button on my page which said, “Need to post something that doesn’t quite fit in a specific community? Sign up to test out our new profile experience.” I immediately hit the button and built my own profile. If mine is anything to go by, profiles function very much like subreddits. You make a post — and you’re the only one who can — with a link or…

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Facebook brings out a new ‘Order Food’ option

Facebook is rolling out a new food ordering option on its app and desktop site. If you go to the desktop “Explore” section, or the app menu, and click on the hamburger icon, you’ll be redirected to a page full of nearby restaurants that deliver through Facebook. From the restaurant list, you can either go to each place’s Facebook page and order there, or select Start Order. You select the items you want to order on the restaurant’s menu, then you select a tip, and pay for it within the app. That said, it doesn’t work for everybody yet. Some,…

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A Day in the #AWeberLife: Celebrating STEM for Kids

Here at AWeber, we dedicate ourselves to ensuring small businesses owners and entrepreneurs like you have everything you need to be successful with email marketing. As part of this mission, we feel just as strongly about empowering future generations to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math – this way, they can continue to do amazing things for people launching their own businesses, too. That's why we led a program to help educate kids in the local community about the real-life application of these skills, as well as what it's like to work within a tech company. Ready to get a behind-the-scenes look into how we made this possible? Read on!

Empowering kids to pursue STEM

A few months ago, one of our AWeber team members, Jason D., had a simple idea: to create a learning opportunity for students that would inspire them to work with technology and/or pursue a career in STEM. We immediately turned to our friends at one of our local school districts in Souderton, PA to see if they were interested in partnering together. Luckily, they were ecstatic! “I'm a parent of students in the Souderton Elementary schools… Souderton High School has some very passionate people who share a similar vision for all of their students,” said Jason. “After the details of this event were worked out, it was easy to find other AWeber team members who were interested in participating.” Within no time, we were brainstorming ideas to bring it to life. As we thought about ways to educate students and introduce them to the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, we realized we also wanted a program that could be repeated and shared with even more kids again and again. That’s when we landed on a Tech Girlz curriculum, “Developing a Mobile App.” Through this program, students would learn how to brainstorm an idea for an app, identify personas, create a prototype and present it to others. “We specifically chose the TechGirlz course for “Developing a Mobile App” because it allowed us to demonstrate the broad range of expertise that goes into building a type of 'tech' that is very familiar with today's students, “ Jason said. “Students benefit because they get to see that developing a mobile app isn't all about 'coding'. The ability to brainstorm, to think about how your decisions impact your users and to pitch ideas is applicable to a broad range of fields.” And since building apps and other software is a normal AWeber day for us, we decided to add our own spin to it by incorporating things like user experience and sprint planning. “Having AWeber team members involved who are experts in the different submodules of the program ensures that students are learning the latest and greatest proven techniques and skills that are directly applicable in the real world today,” Jason added.

Students leading students

After determining that this program would be best for students in fifth through ninth grade, we were on the hunt for co-facilitators. How could we get older students involved and excited about tech, too? That’s when our friends at Souderton School District recommended we team up with five high school students to help facilitate. Sure enough, we had five eager and passionate volunteers sign up! “Partnering with the high school students was a great way for us to take our efforts and have them multiplied, since these students will be facilitating this program in the next school year for the Souderton middle school students,” said Jason. Plus, it gave these high school students an opportunity to lead and mentor others. Over the course of two months, we coached and mentored these students on the mobile app program. We met weekly to review each module, brainstorm team exercises and provide individual coaching so they were knowledgeable and comfortable developing mobile apps. We were proud to see these five students grow more confident and go outside of their comfort zones. On top of that, we found ourselves growing as well! It was inspiring to work with students who were so open to learning new things and making a difference.

The big day: Developing mobile apps

On April 28, the five high school students (along with a handful of AWeber team members) led a group of 52 children (50 of which were female) from fifth through ninth grade. Within four hours, the students brainstormed prototypes for eight mobile apps and learned about agile and sprint planning. After choosing an idea, they brought it to life with sketches and the mobile prototyping app, Marvel. They then presented each app to one another and had a chance to get a real-life understanding of the different roles within a tech company. Best of all? The kids were able to see that a future career in tech is more within reach than they had imagined. “Students learned that designing mobile apps is fun! And it’s also not outside the realm of possibility with their current knowledge and a little coaching,” Jason said. “I think this was evidenced by how many students went home on Friday and spent the weekend designing their own mobile app using Marvel.”

Igniting interest in STEM

Everyone had a blast that day, and it was inspiring to see the excitement in our high school students. They can’t wait to implement the program in their middle schools – and we can’t wait to see them spread the STEM love!   Wanna work with a team that not only supports small businesses around the world, but the local community as well? Learn more about career opportunities at AWeber today!

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Study: Snapchat and Instagram are the worst for young people

A new study lends credence to what you’ve probably always suspected: social media is having a pretty negative effect on teenagers — Instagram and Snapchat being the worst culprits. The study, published today and called “Status of Mind,” was conducted by researchers for the Royal Society for Public Health in the UK. The researchers surveyed 1,479 British youths ages 14-24, asking them how they felt the different social media networks effected their mental health. They took in several factors such as body image, sleep deprivation, bullying, and self-identity. The results suggest the two worst social media networks for kids are…

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#SproutChat Recap: Engaging & Growing an Audience With Hashtags

Hashtags are a powerful way to engage your audience and tap into relevant conversations. However, it can be difficult to determine the type of hashtag to use and how many hashtags are too many. In this week’s #SproutChat we discussed best practices for hashtag usage, particularly when engaging and growing a new audience.

Hashtags Have Different Purposes

Best practices on one social platform don’t apply to all platforms. Your hashtag strategy should reflect this and vary across platforms.

@SproutSocial #SproutChat W/ T and IG, they act as a form of filtering and as a search tool. W/FB, it is better to use them as a form of branding http://pic.twitter.com/3c88RPbrlr

— Mary Karcher (@KarcherMaryM) May 17, 2017

@SproutSocial A1: Twitter & Instagram – helpful. FB – eh. If you have a branded #, could be worth using everywhere (strategically, of course). #sproutchat

— Shannon O'Connor (@shanoconnor_) May 17, 2017

@SproutSocial A1: such a big difference. IG using 10+ & Twitter only max 2. Also both differ on popular #s to use too. Like #tbt or #ThursdayThoughts

— Kelsey Glynn (@KelsHiggins) May 17, 2017

@SproutSocial A1: We use both trending hashtags and branded hashtags on Twitter and Instagram and just branded hashtags on Facebook #SproutChat

— Taylor J. Hall (@taylorjhall) May 17, 2017

@SproutSocial A1: Hashtags act as filters on Twitter and Instagram. Not many brands have tapped into their use on Facebook so far. #SproutChat

— Sortis Marketing (@SortisMarketing) May 17, 2017

@SproutSocial A1: Instagram has specialized hashtags (if that makes sense, like #mytinyatlas) to use to engage w/fans. Not the same elsewhere. #sproutchat

— MyCorporation (@MyCorporation) May 17, 2017

There Are Two Major Types of Hashtags

Brand and community hashtags can help you achieve your goal of growing your audience. But each serves a distinct purpose. Branded hashtags are always specific to a brand and typically contain a business name. Whereas community hashtags are broader and are created and used to allow your content to be easily discoverable. As brands try to strengthen their social communities, both hashtag types can often start to be used more interchangeably.

A2: Branded hashtag will tie-in with product/brand/event where as your community tags cover feelings/places/discussions #sproutchat

— Jeff Higgins (@ItsJeffHiggins) May 17, 2017

A2: It depends. Some agencies prefer to use their hashtag as a key to their products, while others stimulate a community #SproutChat

— Venture Icon Media (@VentureIcon) May 17, 2017

A2 A branded hashtag is created by a company hoping to attract followers. Community hashtags spring from the grassroots. #SproutChat

— Jim Katzaman (@JKatzaman) May 17, 2017

@SproutSocial A2 some people use hashtags outside of campaigns to #makeapoint #SproutChat

— David Pepper (@thedavepepper) May 17, 2017

A2) You could of course build a community within your brand, using say a hashtag like #SproutChat 🙂 https://t.co/3ifkwzR2Fi

— Jim Carter (@MSLJim) May 17, 2017

A2: The key to marketing branded hashtags is to get community buy-in #Sproutchat @SproutSocial

— Max Bailey (@maxthemarketer) May 17, 2017

@SproutSocial A2: Branded hashtags are tied directly to a brand & community hashtags aren't #SproutChat

— Taylor J. Hall (@taylorjhall) May 17, 2017

Grow Your Community & Broaden Your Reach

Hashtags are searchable and allow your brand to reach a wider audience. That’s one of the reasons why unique hashtags are the cornerstones of Twitter chats and Instagram communities. In addition to unique hashtags, create a genuine community by sticking with industry-adjacent hashtags and phrases.

A3 Twitter chats are good examples of growing communities through hashtags. You can measure growth through analytics, engagement #SproutChat

— Jim Katzaman (@JKatzaman) May 17, 2017

A3: Absolutely! Create a hashtag and share it with your audience. Invite them to use it as well. This is especially great on IG. #SproutChat

— Express Writers (@ExpWriters) May 17, 2017

A3: Absolutely! Communities grow from outreach and organic searches/followings. Analytics can be seen using @BuzzSumo & @RivalIQ #SproutChat

— Venture Icon Media (@VentureIcon) May 17, 2017

@SproutSocial A3 part 2. And growth = more followers while *sustaining* engagement because no, bots don't count as "community." #SproutChat

— Meg Hogan (@meghogan0) May 17, 2017

@SproutSocial A3 part 2: An easy way to measure growth (or at least success) is to track your hashtag & trends around it. #sproutchat

— Shannon O'Connor (@shanoconnor_) May 17, 2017

Use Relevant Hashtags & Limit the Amount Used

Try to be strategic about your hashtag usage. Remember that you can get more out of less. Think of hashtags that your audience might be searching for and meet them where they’re at. Another way to find relevant hashtags is to research and benchmark against what your competitors are using.

I would claim that less than 11 hashtags on #instagram would work better though, may be 5 to 7 ! #sproutchat https://t.co/0WCvYFWIPR

— Fady Ramzy (@CyberZizo) May 17, 2017

@SproutSocial A4 one awesome # can be enough Use more to reach multiple demographics #SproutChat

— David Pepper (@thedavepepper) May 17, 2017

A4: I'm not big into hashtagging in large quantities. 2-3 is where I draw the line #Sproutchat @SproutSocial

— Max Bailey (@maxthemarketer) May 17, 2017

A4 Branded account: I say 5(ish) to not look tacky/desperate. Personal: depending on content, max it out in ONE comment (20) #SproutChat

— Jennifer L Kirk ✈️🍴 (@The_Jenius) May 17, 2017

@SproutSocial A4: I think 3, or 4 tops, is good enough. A hashtag must reflect a topic or issue relevant to our client base. #SproutChat

— Javier Sanabria (@SanabriaJav) May 17, 2017

A4: Less is more applies here too. @instagram only allows up to 30 hashtags, but if you can, go under 10, relevant ones. #sproutchat

— Val Vesa (@adspedia) May 17, 2017

We’ll be back next week Wednesday, May 24 at 2PM CDT to chat about social media savagery with Sprout Social’s very own Social Media Manager, Darryl Villacorta. In the meantime, network with bright folks within the industry in our #SproutChat Facebook group.

This post #SproutChat Recap: Engaging & Growing an Audience With Hashtags originally appeared on Sprout Social.

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The Landing Page Optimization Secrets You Need to Amplify Subscriber Growth

This is a contributor post written by Brandon Weaver, Director of Content at Instapage, the world's most customizable and designer-friendly landing page platform. He writes about landing pages and marketing, and has a healthy obsession with the Golden State Warriors. Say “hey” on twitter: @bkweav. In 2015, MarketingSherpa published a survey revealing that 72 percent of US adults prefer to communicate with companies through email. Many industry experts believe this is the result of targeted email marketing, which helps brands provide customers with even more relevant information.  In order to capture email addresses from customers and prospects who want to hear from you, however, it's important to leverage dedicated landing pages to convince them to sign up. Since landing pages use persuasive elements like compelling headlines, benefit-oriented copy and testimonials, people are more motivated to take action. Plus, they can go a long way in helping you make a lasting first impression. However, simply creating landing pages isn’t enough to convince people to redeem offers. The best conversion results are achieved through landing page optimization techniques. Before we get into the specific elements, let’s cover a few basic principles.

Providing a strong user experience

When it comes to creating a high-converting landing page, a consistent experience is key.  To provide a great landing page experience, it’s important to embrace: a distraction-free zone, white space, readable copy and message-matching. Let’s look at how companies are using these tactics to enhance their user experience for visitors.

A distraction-free zone

Optimized landing pages focus on persuading visitors to take action on a specific offer. If your landing page is focused on a newsletter offer, for example, don’t include links to your homepage, pricing or blog. This way, you keep your visitor’s focus entirely on the page’s goal. Take a look at this page from Zendesk in which they use Google AdWords to push prospects here: The navigation menu in the header and the links in the footer distract from what could be an otherwise solid landing page, focused on scheduling a demo. Eliminating those links would keep prospects focused on the offer. Try this: As you look for opportunities to improve conversion rates on your landing pages, try keeping it simple. Test a version that only has one link: your primary call-to-action.

Message-matching

Message-matching is when an ad and its corresponding landing page share specific elements. This consistency can be done through matching images, text or color schemes. Here’s a Tableau ad that was served on Facebook: When someone clicks it, the user then goes to the landing page below: Both the ad and the landing page use the same headline: “4 Charts Every Social Media Manager Needs.” Consistency in the headline increases the prospect’s level of comfort and the odds of conversion.

Readable copy

If your prospects can’t read your copy, they won’t be able to redeem your offer. Resist the urge to use fancy fonts. Instead, use simple, bold fonts that are easily readable. Also embrace contrasting colors to ensure optimum clarity. Here’s an example from ConnectWise: As you can see, the font is clear and legible, which allows prospects to quickly read and understand what’s being offered.

White space

White space is defined as empty space between text, images, forms, videos and other design elements. When your landing page elements seem cluttered and busy, your visitors might have a difficult time focusing on the offer. Optimized landing pages make good use of white space to make the relationships between elements clear. White space helps the page flow and defines each element. Five9 uses white space on their "Get a Quote" landing page to isolate their video and CTA button: By doing so, they’re able to draw more attention to the action they want visitors to take.

Optimizing your landing pages with the right elements

With those principles as a foundation, we can now discuss which elements are best at persuading visitors to take action.

Headline

The headline is the first thing that visitors see, so it needs to capture their attention immediately and convey your unique value proposition. If it’s vague or doesn’t convey a benefit, users won’t stick around long enough to convert. This EiQ landing page pulls visitors in by immediately conveying the benefit being offered:

Image

Humanizing your offer can make it more relatable. One of the easiest ways to do this is using a relevant image. PostcardMania demonstrates the human element as soon as visitors arrive on their page: Try this: Need a reliable source that provides compelling stock-free images that aren’t cheesy? Check out some of our favorite galleries like Pexels and Unsplash. Test photos of people with different expressions and gazes, such as someone who’s looking directly into the camera versus someone who’s looking off to the side.

Copy

Let’s face it: the average attention span is shorter than ever – eight seconds, to be exact. So when you craft large blocks of text, you risk lower engagement and fewer conversions. As a result, you want to create copy that’s easily scannable and highlights the most important elements. This way, visitors can quickly determine whether your solution is right for their needs. One way to highlight critical information is to use bullet points whenever possible. Bullet points allow you to use minimal text and draw attention because of the way they’re styled (see Five9 and EiQ examples above). And when you combine bullet points with white space, for example, you increase their effectiveness even more. For more examples, see how these 20 companies use persuasive copy and bullet points to convince users to act.

Form & CTA

The golden rules of form optimization are to keep it concise and feature a compelling, unique call-to-action. If your form is too long, you may scare visitors away because you’re requesting too much information. And if your CTA isn’t personalized or it’s difficult to find, you jeopardize the chances of turning your visitor into a subscriber. Try this: Treat your sign up form copy the same way you treat your landing page copy. Highlight the main benefits of your emails and address what they could miss out on by not subscribing.

Trust badges

Trust badges include customer logos and security seals, both of which prove the company is a trusted brand. Customer logos help communicate that you can be trusted since other brands trust you as well. Security seals help prove to visitors that their personal data will be protected. These are often displayed near forms and typically include privacy protection like Norton or TRUSTe and payment services like PayPal. As an example, see how NewsCred uses customer logos to showcase which brands are using their service:

Social Proof

Think of social proof as recommendations from other organizations and how a company’s product or service has benefitted real people. It often comes in the form of testimonials and case study videos. FreshBooks does a great job with social proof in their testimonials because they show a headshot, the quote, name and title:   Try this: If you don’t currently have customer testimonials, send out a survey asking for feedback! If there are any you’d like to feature on your landing page, reach out to them for approval.

Keeping your prospects engaged once they subscribe to your list

As you optimize your landing page, be sure to reflect on what’s working and what isn’t. Then test new ideas and tactics to continue improving your conversion rates. And remember – once your prospects sign up for your product, service, or email list, the work isn’t over yet. It’s time to keep them engaged by sending related content offers, freebies and more through email. What persuasive elements will you use on your landing pages? Let us know in the comment section!

The post The Landing Page Optimization Secrets You Need to Amplify Subscriber Growth appeared first on Email Marketing Tips.

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