Tuesday 8 December 2015

The Best Tools for Understanding Your Social-Media Accounts

So much data. Over the past few years there have been analytics tools popping up all over the place, and frankly, it can be incredibly overwhelming for marketers. social media marketing course Over the years I’ve grown to leverage a number of them on a daily or weekly basis to keep an eye on how different campaigns and channels are performing.Google Analytics. While other analytics tools and apps have come and gone, I still use Google Analytics at the core of my reporting. They announced a week ago that Universal Analytics, or Google Analytcs for all devices, is out of beta, and I think this is a huge step in the right direction. They have been moving toward user-centric reporting and visualizations, which is where marketers need to be putting their efforts. It’s a match made in heaven.If you are looking to learn about the latest ways to leverage Google Analytics, check out Justin Cutroni’s blog. He is an analytics advocate for Google and is honestly pushing analytics in the right direction. I’m a big fan of what this inbound-marketing software company has done to show visibility at the top of the funnel for marketers. The app is amazing, and it allows me to keep a pulse on things over the weekend and out of the office as well. HubSpot does full funnel reporting amazingly well, so their data has become integral to how we report on the state of marketing and sales. They are also building out fast. It will be exciting to see what other views and reports they introduce in the year to come.Getting the data is only half the battle. Once you have it, it needs to tell a story. social marketing media Tableau helps you visualize the data effectively. It makes the analytics approachable. First of all, the content you create must provide your customers with some real tangible value. Entertainment (a good cry or a hearty laugh), new information (an “aha” moment, if you will), or a different perspective ("never thought about it that way") whatever the value, your content must do something.
marketing using social media

Native social-platform analytics

It’s worth mentioning that the social platforms themselves are working and improving their analytics. social media marketing pdf While their paid advertising options tend to offer the best insights, I often leverage the native analytics for Twitter, Facebook (insights) and LinkedIn. I am hoping they continue to invest there.To hit maximum productivity during the day you need to be getting good sleep. That means something different to everyone. SleepCycle has helped me assure that I am getting “good”sleep so I am ready to tackle the day. Basically if there is an app out there that helps me track my health I have it on my phone and use it. It’s really easy to neglect that part of our life, but just like I optimize my marketing campaigns I want to be optimizing my health and energy levels. These apps have analytics to keep me eating healthy, staying hydrated and getting those endorphins. Your content should also be in a format that’s easy to pass along. If it’s too unwieldy or cumbersome to forward, then it won’t be shared. Make it a piece of cake to share, and your customers will bite.Finally, when people share, they also like to include their personal opinions. So when creating content, make sure your customers can add their own slant to your point of view as well. If your content makes them cry or educates them, they will want to share that experience!Look at what Pantene has done lately. The brand has made a habit out of being a social-media fixture during big pop-culture moments on television, The Golden Globes and The Academy Awards are two examples. Pantene has been actively commenting on celebrity hairstyles and providing content on how to copy the look. social media marketing new york The content is valuable, shareable and commentable via the IWantThatHair hashtag making it all a perfect part of the brand’s integrated marketing plan, in synch with what’s going on in pop culture and with women’s emotions about beauty and fashion.Sure, Pantene is a huge brand with more resources than most small businesses. But you can still take a page from the Pantene content-marketing playbook, and get inspired to create content that is equally as valuable and commentable.

Don’t use social media to just talk about your business or product

provide useful information and news related to your specific audience’s needs and interests. Also, share related content from other sources, not just from you.Plan your messaging strategy. Make sure your branding strategy and story brings your company to life. social media marketing trends That said, keep in mind, it's not about you or your brand, it’s about what your customer likes and wants. Connect your customer's interests and challenges to your content and how your products or services can help them.Keep your website as your home base. While social media is imperative, make sure your website remains your anchor. (Also, don’t neglect building your own opt-in email list.) Post original content on your site along with guest articles in places your customers and influencers visit. Then use social media to share the content and drive traffic to your website and sales or lead pages.Social Media Examiner, HubSpot and Buffer each use an outstanding blog with expert content that is so helpful people want to share it with their connections, resulting in widespread exposure. Their creative social-media posts drive traffic to their blogs and more importantly, attract and engage customers.Listen first. Before engaging, make sure you understand the feel and tone of the social media platforms you’re interested in using. Think about the kinds of customer-service issues or pitfalls that might arise. For example, anywhere your business has a presence like on Twitter or Facebook, customers will expect you to answer any inquiries or complaints quickly. Also, think before you post, as even if you delete it, how to do social media marketing once it’s public, it’s hard to take it back and messages can go viral quickly.Social media isn’t a megaphone, it’s a conversation. It’s a great opportunity to connect with customers and influencers from bloggers to media people. Seek out related tweetchats, LinkedIn or Facebook groups or Google+ communities. Pose thoughtful questions and respond to people’s queries with helpful information that isn’t just pitching your business.

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