This week's In the Know we will look at:
- Need A Digital Marketing Consultant? 3 Important Questions to Ask
- Meet Talkshow, the latest viral app the Internet is freaking out about.
- How to Create a Facebook Business Video in 6 Easy Steps
- The Definitive SEO Checklist for Your Business [infographic]
- The Top 9 Tactics for Finding New Customers Online [Infographic]
Need A Digital Marketing Consultant? 3 Important Questions To Ask
April 26, 2016 - by Brad Friedman
A major component of a small business’s online success lies in their ability to implement an effective digital marketing strategy, which takes on even more significance when you consider the fast evolving pace of the digital marketing landscape.
SAVE MARKETING TEAM COSTS
While some digital marketing consultants come with a hefty price tag, they're generally much more affordable than the alternative - hiring your own digital marketing team. As a rough example of what a digital marketing team would cost, here’s the average salary for mid-career professionals in the digital marketing field.
- Digital Marketing Manager - $73,000
- Social Media Manager - $49,000
- SEO Marketing Expert - $60,000
- Web Designer - $47,000
- Graphic Designer - $53,000
- Copywriter - $55,000
So if you went out and hired a team of experienced freelance professionals similar to the group above, you’d be looking at a pretty steep bill running into the tens of thousands a month. And that doesn’t include the benefits package you would provide.
A digital marketing consultant or agency would cost much less and provide the same marketing value with a twist.
SCALED MARKETING EFFORTS
Through the traditional in-house marketing hiring method, the only way you would be able to increase your marketing output to see better results would be to hire more employees.
Consulting agencies have access to teams of skilled individuals able implement changes in a digital marketing strategy at a moments notice.
KEEPING UP WITH DIGITAL MARKETING TRENDS
A team of in-house marketers usually don’t have much time to read up on the latest graphic design, SEO, or social media marketing trends - and they definitely don’t have time to tell you all about them. The same applies to an outsourced team online.
With a digital marketing consultant, you gain access to the latest internet marketing trends from an educated individual whose job is knowing what changes might be lurking around the corner. This means staying up to date with the latest Google algorithm changes and knowing which marketing channels are best suited to your business’ niche.
So now that you understand some of the major benefits that come with hiring a digital marketing consultant, let’s talk about 3 key questions you should ask potential consultant’s or agencies before signing on the dotted line.
1.WHAT HAVE YOU DONE IN THE PAST?
You need to get a rough idea of what your prospective consultant has done for customers in the past, both online and off.
If you want to be really thorough, contact a few former clients and ask about their experiences - this way you get a good idea of how the consultant communicates, as well as what their areas of expertise. It’s also wise to favor candidates who’ve worked in your industry or a similar industry before.
2. WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME NOW?
After you’ve got an outline of a consultants track record, you need to find out exactly what it is they can do for your business.
Does their skill set complement your business niche? Have they published any related articles in major magazines or authoritative websites? What can the consultant offer their competitors can not?
3. WHAT ABOUT OUR CURRENT MARKETING PLAN?
It’s vital to have a prospective consultant give you their honest input on your current digital marketing plan. When giving them your plan, it’s also important to provide them with context on your current situation.
If they give you a semi-automated reply that gives you no indication they payed attention to your current unique situation, then you might be better off seeking a consultant whose willing to pay attention to the small details. On the flip-side, if you received a detailed response outlining an honest assessment of your marketing efforts, including your plan’s strengths and weaknesses, then you may have a winner.
There's an endless number of ways from which you can gauge the efficacy of a digital marketing consultant, but knowing what you want in a consultant - as well as what to ask - is the first step toward realizing a more effective digital marketing strategy for your business.
Meet Talkshow, the latest viral app the Internet is freaking out about.
April 27 - by Samantha Murphy Kelly
A new text messaging app called Talkshow became the buzzy new social platform on Tuesday for its quirky concept: it’s like “texting in public.”
The iOS-only app lets users host message-based “Talkshows” about various topics, from sports and politics to TV and music. People notify followers when a Talkshow is live, encouraging anyone who’s watching to send messages, post reactions and GIFs or even join in as a co-host. It’s like Periscope for texting.
People can view the public text messaging conversations in real time or after a Talkshow has wrapped; it can also be shared outside the app and embedded on other sites.
After downloading the app, you can find friends on the app via Twitter, Facebook or your email contacts. To kick off a show, you pick your host (or host alone), select a title and an alert will be pushed out to followers. It’s also possible to discover live Talkshows from the app’s homescreen and chime in. And if you feel compelled to jump in as a co-host, you can send a request to do so.
See More at:
http://mashable.com/2016/04/26/talkshow-app/#ZLdtJAhUHOqy
How to Create a Facebook Business Video in 6 Easy Steps
April 29, 2016 - by Stephen Baldwin
Facebook has a tool called “Your Business Story” that lets SMBs create videos highlighting their unique selling propositions in a simple and effective way. The tool's easy to use, and the results - while hardly Hollywood-grade - are attractive enough to convey an effective message.
Fifteen minutes after we started, the video was on our Page, performing as well - in fact better -– than much of the other content there.
Interested in doing the same? Just perform the following 6 steps:
STEP 1: VISIT YOURBUSINESSSTORY.FB.COM
Facebook will prompt you to log on if you’re not logged on already. You need to be an authorized Administrator for a Facebook page in order to proceed further. If you’re an Admin for more than one page, choose the page you want to create this business video for.
STEP 2: UPLOAD AND/OR CHOOSE YOUR PHOTOS
Facebook “Business Story” videos are simple sequences that dissolve between images you upload. The tool lets you easily select and sequence your photos so that they provide the movement required to tell a story. If you haven’t yet uploaded 8 photos, Facebook will prompt you to do so.
Confirm your photo selections and proceed to the next page.
STEP 3: BRIEFLY TELL YOUR STORY
Facebook only gives you 90 characters to express your business saga, so you’ll need to think carefully about a short statement that describes your business. Your 90 character statement will appear after Facebook’s canned text (“We’re in the business of…”), so choose a statement that makes sense in this context. Once you’re happy with this text, choose “Confirm Your Story.”
STEP 4: CHOOSE YOUR MUSIC
You’re not going to find a lot of musical choices here, nor do you have any options to upload your own sound track. Your selections are limited to “rock”, “synth”, “electronica”, and “percussion", and all of the offered tracks sound pretty innocuous (which was probably Facebook’s intent). Still, they’re pretty adequate, especially for SMBs who don’t want to make profound statements.
STEP 5: AGREE WITH FACEBOOK’S TERMS
Facebook wants you to agree to some additional, boilerplate language beyond its standard TOS. These added terms grant it a worldwide, non-exclusive right to display your video around the world. Unless you have an objection to these terms, click “I Agree” and you’re done.
Step 6: Wait about 10 minutes
Facebook processes these videos very quickly: our test video was live on the intended page within about 10 minutes. The video, when it appears, will be formatted in a square (1:1) aspect ratio – which is quickly becoming the standard aspect ratio for social video. You’ll also notice that Facebook has added a gentle, Ken Burns-like “zoom out” effect to your image sequence.
WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE?
Facebook’s Business video tool won’t please you if your business requires sophisticated video effects or custom audio. But for many SMBs – especially those who want to cultivate a homegrown, “authentic” feel, the attractive, albeit low-tech results are probably more than adequate. And equally important, you can be up and running in less than a quarter of an hour.
The Definitive SEO Checklist for Your Business
April 30, 2016 - Nirav Dave
The Top 9 Tactics for Finding New Customers Online
April 30, 2016 - Irfan Ahmad
