Archives for July 2014
How Social Media Marketing Can Get You In Trouble
At this point, it's a pretty widely accepted fact that if you're not using social media in your marketing efforts, you're well behind in the world of advertising. Creating a community through these social networks is one of the best ways to get people engaged with your brand and to get the word out about what's happening within your company. However, it's a double-edged sword; as easy as it is to better connect with your customers through social media, it's just as easy to have a colossal screw up.
With this in mind, we've compiled a list of some of the ways that social media marketing can get you in trouble if you're not careful. Be sure to avoid these practices!
- Never take on controversial topics. There's a time and place to discuss politics, religion or other majorly divisive issues. Here's a hint: that time and place is never on your company's Facebook or Twitter page. There is absolutely no good that can come of it. This ranges from posting content with directly political overtones, or simply making an offhand remark with a political edge.
- Never insult followers. This might seem obvious, but you'd be surprised at how common this issue is; companies get frustrated when followers complain or submit bad reviews, and rather than apologizing or responding kindly and professionally, they go on the defensive, or even attack the follower. Doing this will instantly create a public relations nightmare that will be extremely difficult to overcome.
- Never give away important company information. You wouldn't give away important information to a competitor in a face-to-face meeting, so doing it over social networks is just as bad of an idea. It might even be illegal to do, if your company is publicly owned.
- Never use inappropriate language. There are some types of businesses that can get away with using a little edgier or more colorful language, but in an overwhelming majority of cases you need to be professional with the type of language you choose. That's not to say you have to act like a buttoned-up stiff in the way you interact with people, just that you shouldn't use any type of language that you think could be embarrassing to your company.
- Never assume a private message is private. You may be asked to answer a question privately or respond to a direct message. Maintain complete professionalism and understand that what you write here may not stay private. Not unlike passing love notes in grade school, your note can spread through sharing too.
Most people will probably read these tips and think of them as being common sense, but they bear worth repeating. We've all seen examples of companies making gigantic mistakes over social media and the inevitable backlash that they face as a result. Avoid that type of backlash by following these rules in all situations.
The Most Common Reasons that Investors Say "No"
The success of many small business start-ups hinges on their ability to successfully obtain capital from investors. Capital that is seed money to accelerate growth. As you prepare to make a pitch to potential investors, there are certain areas to which you should pay greater attention to maximize your chances of a successful bid for money.
Here are some of the most common reasons that investors say “no” to start-ups looking for some cash to get off the ground:
1) Poor product quality
Be very honest with yourself when you're evaluating your start-up before you approach investors. Would you pay money for your product rather than going to an established competitor? Is your product different enough from similar items to be able to carve out a niche in the marketplace? Would your product offerings be well received without you in the company? If the answer to either of these questions is “no,” then chances are strong that investors will feel the same way.
2) A lack of a well thought-out business plan
If you have any plans of surviving as a business, you need to make it clear that you have put together a detailed strategic plan that will guide your company toward success. You should be able to demonstrate how you will penetrate the market, how you will get the attention of the public, how you will market your product and how you will convince people that your product is worthwhile.
3) A lack of a demonstrated history of growth
You should already have some growth momentum before you approach investors. They want to see that you've been able to achieve a certain level of success so far before they put their money in your brand. You should also have a clear plan for scalable growth so that in case your product does take off, you'll be able to effectively manage that growth.
4) A product that will be in an already saturated market
You could have a high-quality product, but there might just be no room for it in the current marketplace in the eyes of investors. The more competition there is within an industry, the harder it'll be to convince investors that you have a product worth placing their faith in.
5) A lack of adaptability
You should be able to demonstrate to investors that you will be able to recognize market changes as they arise, and be able to adapt to them as well as or better than the competition. Therefore, it's important to make sure you have a place in your budget reserved for research and development.
Want more tips on how to impress investors and improve your chances of successfully getting capital support? Contact Viral Solutions today!
The Most Common Reasons that Investors Say "No"
The success of many small business start-ups hinges on their ability to successfully obtain capital from investors. Capital that is seed money to accelerate growth. As you prepare to make a pitch to potential investors, there are certain areas to which you should pay greater attention to maximize your chances of a successful bid for money.
Here are some of the most common reasons that investors say “no” to start-ups looking for some cash to get off the ground:
1) Poor product quality
Be very honest with yourself when you're evaluating your start-up before you approach investors. Would you pay money for your product rather than going to an established competitor? Is your product different enough from similar items to be able to carve out a niche in the marketplace? Would your product offerings be well received without you in the company? If the answer to either of these questions is “no,” then chances are strong that investors will feel the same way.
2) A lack of a well thought-out business plan
If you have any plans of surviving as a business, you need to make it clear that you have put together a detailed strategic plan that will guide your company toward success. You should be able to demonstrate how you will penetrate the market, how you will get the attention of the public, how you will market your product and how you will convince people that your product is worthwhile.
3) A lack of a demonstrated history of growth
You should already have some growth momentum before you approach investors. They want to see that you've been able to achieve a certain level of success so far before they put their money in your brand. You should also have a clear plan for scalable growth so that in case your product does take off, you'll be able to effectively manage that growth.
4) A product that will be in an already saturated market
You could have a high-quality product, but there might just be no room for it in the current marketplace in the eyes of investors. The more competition there is within an industry, the harder it'll be to convince investors that you have a product worth placing their faith in.
5) A lack of adaptability
You should be able to demonstrate to investors that you will be able to recognize market changes as they arise, and be able to adapt to them as well as or better than the competition. Therefore, it's important to make sure you have a place in your budget reserved for research and development.
Want more tips on how to impress investors and improve your chances of successfully getting capital support? Contact Viral Solutions today!
4 Tips for Making Your Online Content Go Viral
Everyone who posts content online does so with the hope that it will “go viral;” that is, get picked up and shared by people across the internet. However, you'll need to temper your expectations in this regard. There's always an element of luck involved in terms of which pieces of content go viral and which never make it big.
Of course, there are definitely some strategies you can use to improve your chances of a piece of content taking off online. Here are some tips for making your online content go viral:
1) It should evoke some sort of emotional response.
People are much more likely to connect with and share a piece of content if it yields some sort of deep emotional response, such as awe, anger, humor or hope. While it's important that you provide some amount of information about your brand, you won't have much luck getting tons of views on a strictly informative piece of content. Remember: most of the people you're trying to reach are browsing the internet in their free time, which means they are searching for fun or interesting content, not content that feels like work to read or watch. Relax and cut loose the tight rope around your brand to increase your odds.
2) You have to be original.
People will know if you're attempting to imitate other brands. Your content will simply feel much more genuine if it is an original piece of work with a strong connection to your brand. Copying others will just make you look bad. Think outside your own box and beyond your brand. Originality shall be determined by the viewer, not the creator.
3) A well-established online community will make your job easier.
It's much easier to make a piece of content go viral if you already have a community online that is well-engaged with your brand. Build up followers on your blog, on social media and other platforms, and any content you share will be instantly delivered to that community for them to share with others. But remember: the whole purpose of a community is to let everyone give their input. People who follow you shouldn't feel like you're only interested in pushing content at them.
4) Promote it! Boost it!
Never forget that those you are relying on to carry your content are mostly public companies trying to turn a profit from your viral content. Most have tight algorithms to limit viewership. You will have to spend some money to promote your content and boost any social media post tied to this content you hope to have go viral. Promotion money won't get you anything close to a guarantee but the lack of a promotional expenditure reduces your odds into the lottery circles.
As with any other marketing effort, it's important to keep your goals in mind throughout the entire process. How much will having a piece of content go viral help your endeavors? Will it strengthen your brand, or simply provide you with a cheap gimmick? The best viral content will be the content that improves your brand in the long run. Lastly, going viral can be gauged from within your circles. Having a goal of a piece of content going viral may be doubling views or have a higher number of shares than ever before.
For more information about creating content that is more likely to go viral, contact us today at Viral Solutions!
How to Write a Social Media Bio
Setting up a social media profile is relatively easy, and itâs free. However, one pesky detail often stands in the way: writing an effective social media bio. First, the desire for perfection often results in inaction or procrastination. Second, you may feel unqualified to write your companyâs bio because youâre not a business writer. Thus, your social media profile pages may have pretty pictures and a link to your website but little else. This is a missed opportunity to relate to your customer base! Donât let perfection or procrastination get the better of you. Use these tips to write a social media bio today.
- Realize that your bio doesnât need to be long. If the thought of writing a full page is intimidating, relax. Letâs take Facebook as an example. Facebookâs short description field is just that: short. Start there. Once thatâs done, move on to the company overview section followed by the mission section. All of these fields are accessible via Edit Page > Page Info. After you have the basics in place, you can add other details if desired including founders, products, awards, and a long description. Once you have a basic bio in place, you can tackle the other sections in stages.
- Think of three key points you want to stress. For example, do you want to stress family values and your companyâs history? What about innovation, safety, training, product knowledge, or service? Pick your top three points and you should have more than enough inspiration to build a compelling bio.
- Write a short, stock bio. Youâd be surprised how often you need a short bio for your company. For example, if you submit an article to an article directory or a trade publication, youâll need a short bio. Likewise, if you decide to set up profiles on other sites such as Yelp or Manta, youâll need to start somewhere. This short bio can also be used as a summary or teaser such as in Facebookâs short description field. Two or three sentences should suffice. If you use a text expander application, create a shortcut for your short bio so that you can quickly insert it anytime you need it.
- Keep it simple. This isnât the time for flowery language, complicated words, or industry jargon. This is the time to quickly communicate who you are and what your company is all about.
- Draw the reader in. Though bios and about us pages are meant to contain information about the company, think of how this information relates back to readers. What do they get out of it? Think of ways your bio can reinforce benefits. For example, the sentence âWe are committed to your 100 percent satisfactionâ highlights the companyâs commitment and reassures customers that they will be taken care of.
- Tell a story. For longer bios, consider telling a story. Why was the founder motivated to start the business? What problems did he have that the business solved? What problems does the business solve that people have today? Storytelling is a powerful choice; itâs highly engaging and memorable.
Writing a social media bio may seem intimidating at first. The key is to get started as it wonât write itself. Once you start, you can fine-tune it as needed.