Tag Archive for digital marketing

22 Nov 2012
facebook • facebook pages • social media

Facebook Page Setup in 5 Simple Steps

Your Facebook Business Page

Facebook

I’ve written previously about the importance of a Facebook Page for your business, and setting up a page is something most of my training clients ask about.  Today I’m going to go through the initial setup process. Just like this image,  your Facebook Page does act as your “shop window” so it’s worth taking time to get it looking great!

 

 

1. Choose your Category

Facebook Page

click for larger image

Go to Page Setup on Facebook.

Available options are:

Local business or place

Company, organisation or institution

Brand or product

Artist, band or public figure

Entertainment

Cause or community

It’s worth taking a while to browse through all these options –  it can sometimes be a little tricky deciding which one best fits your business. The good news is that you can change your Facebook page category at any time, so if you’re not quite sure that your initial choice is right, it’s not a problem.  For the purpose of this article, we’ll assume you are a “Local Business”, so you’ll need to select that option.

Facebook Page categories

click for larger image

Next, you need to select a category from the drop-down list. Let’s say you run a restaurant.

Now. add your details –  business name,  address (including postcode), telephone number.  Also, Facebook asks that you agree to their terms and they offer a link to read them.  It’s well worth doing this before going ahead.  If you’re happy, click “Get Started”.

 

 

2. Add your business information

The next thing Facebook asks for is a profile picture, but you’ll probably want to skip this step (and a few more) until you’re sure you have suitable images etc., as there are optimum sizes. (NB my fictional restaurant is called Apples!)

Facebook page setup

click for larger image

 

Next step is to add some basic information about your business – this should be a short paragraph summarising what you offer. It’s important to include relevant keywords in this section, as Google will find them! Again, the information can be edited / updated at any time and indeed it’s a good thing to change it from time to time (to keep Google happy).  Don’t forget to tick the box to confirm that your business is real!   You also have a section here for your website URL.  In fact you can add several URLs, (see the “add another site” link) so you could include your Twitter page and any other relevant sites.

Facebook page setup

click for larger image

 

3.  Complete your Page Setup

Surprise surprise, at the next stage you’re asked if you want to advertise (well, Facebook does have to earn money!) You might want to jump in straightaway, but I’d recommend waiting until you get a feel for your Facebook Page and the way people interact with it.

Facebook page setup

click for larger image

4. Like your Page

Then, you’re asked to “Like” your Page – and why wouldn’t you want to do that? So go on, click that Like button!   The next 2 steps are “Invite your Friends” (meaning your Facebook friends, on your personal profile) and “Invite your Email Contacts” –  I usually suggest skipping both of these because as before, you can do it later if you decide it’s worthwhile.

Facebook page setup

5. Your Page is ready to roll!

Having gone through the above steps, your brand new Facebook Page is ready and waiting for your first update.  The image above shows what a “skeleton” page (prior to any content being posted) looks like.  Your first aim should be to get at least 30 people liking the page, because that will give you access to Insights.  Facebook Page Insights are powerful analytics (broadly similar to Google Analytics), enabling you to track the performance of your Page and optimise your posting and content schedules.  In a subsequent article,  I’ll go into more detail of how to optimise your Page and show you a few tips and tricks to get it working as a marketing tool for your business.

Facebook page

Need help getting started with a Facebook Page for your business? I’d love to work with you, so go ahead, take the first step! Contact me on 01777 249075 or by email at info@naomijohnsonsocialmedia.co.uk

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15 Sep 2012
facebook • google plus • linkedin • pinterest • social media • social networking • twitter

Social Media and SMBs – a study

SMBs and Social Media

Here’s a very informative study recently published by Vocus in conjunction with Duct Tape Marketing, showing how small and medium businesses (SMBs) are currently using social media. You can read the original article here.  View the SlideShare presentation below.

Did any of the information surprise you?  Do share your views in the comments :)

Need help implementing social media for your business? I’d love to work with you, so go ahead, take the first step! Contact me on 01777 249075 or by email at info@naomijohnsonsocialmedia.co.uk

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16 Mar 2012
business growth • pinterest • SEO • small business • social media • social networking

Why you should use Pinterest for business

Pinterest

 

Naomi's Pinterest

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 3 months, you will be aware that Pinterest has been making headline news, and not just in the blogosphere (although I have to say I have never seen such a slew of blog posts on any topic in such a short space of time!).  The BBC, as well as several national newspapers, have run articles on Pinterest recently. A high percentage of Pinterest users are women, and you know how good we are at spreading the word about anything!  Pinterest recently became the fastest ever site to reach 10 million unique (US) monthly visitors

 

What is Pinterest?

Simply put, it’s an online pinboard (actually, a group of pinboards).  You set up a number of boards based around particular niches or concepts, and then “pin” images (or videos) of your products/services.  These are then “repinned” by other members. All images/videos link back to their site of origin. It’s especially good for creative businesses (web/graphic designers, photographers, interior designers, crafters, catering/restaurants etc).  Images of clothes, shoes, food, hairstyles, exotic locations, beautiful interiors, handcrafted items abound.  However, virtually any business can build a presence on Pinterest – if you use images in your blog posts (as you should) then these can be pinned and of course they link back to your site…….get the idea?

The compelling fact about using Pinterest for business is that it drives massive amounts of traffic – latest statistics place it above Twitter in the “traffic league table”.  So, as a business, you really do need to take advantage of this and get pinning! I’ve only been on Pinterest since January and already (via Google Analytics) I’m seeing traffic referred from there.

“But”, I hear you cry, “I just don’t have the time to manage yet another social media account”…….  Well, the good news is you don’t have to! Read on to find out how I can help you set up and manage your Pinterest account – all you’ll have to do is watch as traffic starts flowing to your website!  Oh and please follow me on Pinterest too –  link is on the right hand side of this page :)

The Pinterest Management Package – £60

 

  • Setup of Pinterest for your business
  • Creation of 10 boards related to your niche
  • Pinning your content/products/services on a regular basis
  • Repinning by me of the above
  • Promotion of your boards via other social media channels

As stated, the initial cost is £60 – I suggest we give it 6 weeks, by which time you should see some effect on your website traffic.  If not, and you don’t want to continue, that’s absolutely fine – you still have the account to carry on yourself if you wish.  If you do see an increase in traffic, and would like me to carry on managing your account,  the monthly fee will be £75 or just £50 if I’m already managing other accounts for you..

Want to get started with Pinterest? Take the first step! Contact me on 01777 249075
or by email at info@naomijohnsonsocialmedia.co.uk

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13 Feb 2012
business growth • digital marketing • google plus • marketing • SEO • social media

How To Set Up Your Google Plus Business Page

Get Started with G+

In my last post, I discussed some of the reasons why businesses need to establish a presence on G+ as soon as possible.  This time we’re going to go through the process of setting up your profile and Google Plus business page.   If you don’t already have a personal G+ profile, you will need to set one up.  If you already have a Google account (gmail, YouTube etc) then it’s easy – otherwise just go to http://plus.google.com

google plus setup

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like more detailed instructions, below is one of the best G+ profile setup videos I’ve come across – the process is explained slowly and clearly. It will be easy to go ahead and setup your own profile while watching/pausing the video.

Did you get your profile set up OK?  Now for the next step!

Set Up Your G+ Business Page

In your personal profile,  look on the right hand side of the page and you will find a button to “create a google+ page”.

google+ page setup

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After clicking this, you are taken to the next screen where you need to choose the appropriate category for your page:

Create a Google+ Page

Choose a category for your page

 

As you can see, there are 5 categories:

  1.  Local Business or Place – includes any local business, e.g. restaurant, dentist, accountant, solicitor, hair salon etc.  If your business already has a Google Places listing, the details from that will be used, otherwise you’ll need to enter the business phone number and address.
  2.  Product or Brand – according to Google, this would include cars, financial services, clothing, electronics – food and drink brands would also come under this category.
  3.  Company, Institution or Organisation – also including charities and non-profit organisations
  4.  Arts, Entertainment or Sports –  pretty self-explanatory (books, films, musicians, bands, athletes etc)
  5.  Other – to be used when your business doesn’t fit into any of the above categories.

For all categories,  users will need to choose age ranges for which their page content will be appropriate, and there is a specific choice of “alcohol related” too.  Finally, you’ll need to tick the box agreeing to the G+ Page terms, before clicking the “Create” button Make sure you read these terms before creating your page – there are similar guidelines regarding competitions and promotions as there are with Facebook, so don’t fall foul of these!

Personalise Your Page

Congratulations, you have set up your Google Plus business page!  Now it’s time to personalise and customise the settings for your  page.  Firstly, you can give yourself a tagline (“10 words that describe your page best”, according to Google), and upload a profile photo. This would ideally be your business logo, but you can of course use any photo that represents your business.  Once you’ve created your tagline and uploaded a photo, click “Continue”.

You are then asked if you want to share this Google Plus business page with your G+ circles –  you probably won’t want to do this yet, as there’s no information on your page, so click “Finish”  (you can go back later and share your page)

Edit Your Profile

Click the profile icon (top of page to the left of the google search box)

g+ profile button

On the next screen, click the blue “Edit Profile” button and fill in as much information as you can –  remember to use the “Recommended Links” section to put in details of your social media profiles, and other websites/blogs you own or are associated with.  Don’t forget to use keywords throughout your profile!

Customise your Photostrip

You will see on the profile editing screen, below your page title, the words “add some photos here”.   You can add up to 5 photos and they do not change  on each page load as with Facebook.  You could even get creative and split one photo into 5……   Just to get you thinking, here are a few examples.

Start Posting!

Woohoo – your Google Plus business page is ready to share with the world!  Once you’ve posted a few updates,  use “Spread the Word” (in the right sidebar of your page) to share your page with your contacts.

Just as with your personal G+ profile, you are able to add contacts to “Circles” – the default Circles for a Google Plus business page are Following, VIPs, Customers and Team Members, but you can of course create new circles at any time. On G+ (unlike Facebook), you are able to follow your fans back, and add them to your page’s Circles.  It’s a powerful way of connecting with current and potential customers!  Your followers can +1 your posts and you can  do the same for their comments –  all of this adds to your visibility in Google search.

So what are you waiting for? I hope this has inspired you to get your business   established on Google Plus –  please share in the comments how you’re getting on, or if you’ve encountered any issues.

Need help setting up your G+ page? Take the first step! Contact me on 01777 249075
or by email at info@naomijohnsonsocialmedia.co.uk

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30 Dec 2011
blogging • business growth • digital marketing • facebook • facebook pages • small business • social media • twitter

Ready for 2012?

New Year Initiatives For Your Business

 

New Year 2012 I have spent the last few days going over my successes and failures of the last year, and deciding what direction I will take with my business in 2012.

My achievements so far are modest, but I’m confident that I am heading in the right direction. I’m not foolish enough to expect instant results – to establish a well respected and trusted business takes years.

What I’ve achieved in 2011:

  1.  I made the decision in April to set up a business as a social media consultant.
  2.  I launched this website having had little experience of WordPress, and have learnt so much more about the software during the year.
  3.  I took advantage of free resources – Business Link, ebusiness club, Angle, and HMRC workshops, thus educating myself on many aspects of business and marketing
  4.  I attended a number of paid seminars and workshops
  5.  I have realised that social media is just one marketing technique and it must combined with a range of tools for an integrated approach - hence I have educated myself on various other marketing techniques.
  6.  I set up a Twitter account and a Facebook Page and worked very hard to build up an engaged community of followers.  This has begun to generate interest and enquiries.
  7.  I have added training/coaching to my range of social media services
  8. I have joined a business mentoring group which I feel sure will add value to my future development.
  9. I’ve taken on the role of Operations Assistant at my local 4Networking group. This will consolidate my networking activities and help me to become better known in the area.
  10.  I’ve established closer relations with a few business colleagues and have scheduled collaborative projects for next year.

My Plans for 2012:

  1.  Consolidate my networking activities and concentrate on building trust with a range of local businesses.
  2.  Continue and develop an initiative (in collaboration with others) to help business mums with young children who want to network but are hindered by lack of childcare / inconvenient timing of meetings.
  3.  Deliver social/digital media training workshops at venues in the local area.
  4.  Gain experience in public speaking (hopefully no. 3 will help with this)
  5.  Target specific business niches to market my social/digital media services.
  6.  Establish a client base for social media management programmes.
  7.  Get involved with live-tweeting/blogging events
  8.  Further develop my WordPress skills so that I can offer website/blog setup as an additional service.
  9.  Establish additional collaborative partners in order to broaden my range of services.
  10.  Last but not least – I will not allow those who have set themselves up as my enemies (in my personal life) to get in the way of my business aspirations!
I’d love to hear your plans for 2012 and what you’ve learned from this year – please share in the comments :) And a VERY Happy New Year to my readers!

Need digital media marketing advice? Take action now – contact me on 01777 249075
or by email at info@naomijohnsonsocialmedia.co.uk

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01 Dec 2011
digital marketing • facebook • google • google plus • linkedin • marketing • mobile marketing • social media • twitter • youtube

Digital Marketing – An Integrated Approach

Wordle: Digital Marketing

Digital Marketing – Why You Need An Integrated Approach

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the need for an integrated approach to the whole digital marketing thing.  Social media is of course a vital component in any business marketing toolkit,  but it can’t stand on its own.  Traditional marketing also plays an important part,  as do the newer innovations as described below.

We already know that tweets, Facebook updates and Google Plus posts are indexed by google, (are you using keywords in your social media updates?)  and of course YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine.  So you should be establishing a presence on all of these networks and building your communities.

But how many businesses (thinking particularly of the UK here) are aware of the huge growth in mobile technology?  I’ve talked about this issue in a previous post on Mobile Marketing, and another where I discuss an infographic on Mobile Marketing Statistics.   I also suggested actions that business owners could take immediately to respond to this new revolution in digital marketing.  There’s no doubt that a high percentage of web browsing, search, and online shopping will take place via mobile devices in the very near future and businesses need to be ready.

Meanwhile, I would like to share this presentation.  It shows how to take an integrated approach to your social media activities.  Feel free to download if it will be helpful :)

Are you finding it easy to integrate traditional and newer marketing strategies?  Is your website optimised for mobile devices?   Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Need help with digital marketing? Take the first step! Contact me on 01777 249075
or by email at info@naomijohnsonsocialmedia.co.uk

you can also TEXT

INF SOCIALMEDIA or INF SOCIALMEDIA + your email address  to 60777

to receive your free copy of my booklet “10 Reasons Why You Need to Get Up To Speed With Social Media”.

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05 Nov 2011
business growth • marketing • mobile marketing • SEO • SMS marketing • social media • Text message advertising

Mobile Marketing – 7 Things You Should Do Right Now

More on Mobile Marketing

QR code

A QR Code

 

Yesterday I attended one of the free Action Planning Workshops for East Midlands  organised by Transformational ICT and E-business Club.  Once again I learned a huge amount and left feeling inspired –  I couldn’t get to sleep with all the ideas buzzing around in my head!

The Workshop was entitled “Developing a Mobile Marketing Strategy“.  This is something that every business needs to look at and take very seriously.  In fact,  I’d recommend you take action within the next 6 months if you want to stay ahead of the game in mobile marketing.  It’s expanding at the speed of light right now.

Here are just 7 points you can and should take action on before the end of 2011:

1. Make sure your website is optimised for mobile devices. One-third of UK adults now use a smartphone (Ofcom, August 2011), and 45% of UK internet users connect via a smartphone (Office for National Statistics, August 2011). Many leading UK businesses have not yet optimised for mobile…..

2. Once you have a mobile-friendly version of your site, make sure it is optimised for search – Google displays different results for mobile sites than for their static equivalent. People search for different things while out and about using a mobile device.

3. Consider having an App developed for your business. This can be even more powerful than a mobile-optimised website, as it sits on the “home” screen of the device. The user does not have to open a browser to view it, ensuring easy access and keeping your business in your client’s view.

4. Make use of QR codes in your mobile marketing. These are 2-dimensional barcodes that can contain virtually any information. A link to your website, details of your special offers, directions to your shop/bar/restaurant – what else can you think of? QR codes are free and simple to create. Scan the one above and see what happens!

5. When you create your App, integrate and use Push Messaging to keep in contact with those who download it. It’s a modern and permission based version of email marketing, but far better targeted because you’re only contacting people who have already expressed interest by downloading your App.

6. Use geo-location. Again, this can be built into your Apps. Ideal for “find your nearest” type of searches. Twitter and Google already use this.

7. SMS mobile marketing has been around for a while – have  you tried it? S ee my
previous post on this. You could also consider MMS advertising – fairly unique at the moment. Pictures always carry more impact than plain text!

I hope this has given you a few ideas. As with any new project, take some time to sit and plan your strategy. Start with research (maybe run a customer survey?) – what information or services do your potential clients want at the moment? What services or information could you provide via mobile devices in future? How often will people access the information and on what specific devices? What tools are relevant to users in your field of business? Check your Google Analytics to find out what percentage of website visitors are already accessing via a mobile device. And finally – don’t forget that social media and mobile marketing can and should be totally integrated. Both are necessary and vital components of your marketing strategy.

Need help with social media or mobile marketing? Start by contacting me on 01777 249075
or by email at info@naomijohnsonsocialmedia.co.uk

you can also TEXT

INF SOCIALMEDIA or INF SOCIALMEDIA + your email address to 60777

to receive your free copy of my booklet “10 Reasons Why You Need to Get Up To Speed With Social Media”.

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