The One with LinkedIn, Flickr, and Periscope

Hey y'all! It is time to conclude our social media marketing journey! Today, we're going to explore the worlds of LinkedIn, Flickr, and Periscope. Let's do this!

LinkedIn with LinkedIn

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Hahahaha! Melody, you made a typo! WRONG. If you ask me, who better to teach you about LinkedIn then LinkedIn themselves? So, without further ado, let's go over the three steps that LinkedIn tells us will help you start showing off your business on LinkedIn.

The first step is to "establish your brand presence" (LinkedIn). Show us who you are, and make it stick! Make followers know that you're a legit company. Here's a personal suggestion, have a sort of "signature" that makes people remember who you are. It could be a catchphrase kind of like Barney's "suit up" from How I Met Your Mother, or it could be an object like the pineapple that's in every episode of Psych. Whatever signature method you use, put your company out there and make it remembered for being "awesome", as Barney would say.

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The second step from LinkedIn is to "connect with your audience". Go find your peeps and get connected! Figure out the kind of people that you want to reach, and get them to follow you.

The third and final step for LinkedIn success is to "engage them [your followers] with content" (LinkedIn). Share useful tips, photos, and information that will keep your followers following you.

The great thing about this post from LinkedIn is that there are more resources and tips for you to look at if you still need help launching your LinkedIn page. Go visit it for more information!

Flickr with Mentzer

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If you don't know (because I didn't at first), Flickr is a social media site where you can share visual content with others online, and it can be very useful for promoting your company. Linda Mentzer is going to share with us today some pieces of advice on how to make your company successful on Flickr. I'm going to highlight on only three of them for right now.

The first piece of advice that I want to share is to "upload photos of your products and services" (Mentzer). Show people what it is that you do! After all, this is a visual social media site, so what better way to promote yourself?

The second piece of advice that I want to share with you is to "describe your photo and tag it wisely" (Mentzer). Make it easy for people to find your posts by connecting it to the appropriate interest subject. Also make sure to accurately report what it is your picture is showing.

The third and final piece of advice that I would like to share is to "join and contribute to groups" (Mentzer). Have fun and connect with others! Actually get involved with other people so that they'll know who you are.

To learn more about how to use Flickr for you company, I recommend reading the rest of her advice, as well as the other resources on that site. It's a great way to learn about Flickr!

Periscope with Edwards

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If you're like me and have never heard of Periscope before this post, Periscope is a site for sharing live video footage in real-time. This is a great way for companies to have followers get the "inside scoop" and connect on a personal level. According to Samuel Edwards of Entrepreneur, here are some different types of videos that you can make to attract followers.

One type is what Edwards calls "new product releases". This is where you're going to showcase whatever new items that your company is making. You could show how to use it, showcase it, or any other way that you can imagine. The more creative, the better!

Another type is a "celebrity takeover" (Edwards). It's kind of like having a guest star on your live TV show. Have someone famous that you think your followers would be interested in to promote your products. Personally, I would like someone to actually make a new relatable commercial where Lisa Kudrow sings "Smelly Cat." For any of my favorite companies that might be paying attention to my interests, there's one way to get me engaged on your Periscope page!

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The final type of Periscope video that I would like to share with you today is a "behind the scenes" video (Edwards). We've talked about this in past posts, but, again, let me tell you how "legen...(wait for it)...dary" these things are (I couldn't resist another Barney quote). Followers love seeing exclusive content that pertains to their interests. For example, if I was one of the first ones to find out that Netflix was reviving Friends, I would love that company with all of my heart (fingers crossed!). Give your followers that same experience!

This article has great info and even more tips on how to use Periscope successfully, and it shows you companies who implement them successfully. Check it out!

Unfortunately, this is the last post that I will be publishing for now *sniffle*. But who knows? Maybe I'll revive it in the near future like Netflix does with TV shows. Now, normally, I would send you off with some encouraging little phrase, but I think that I should send you off with one of the best TV show endings of all time, considering that that is the theme of this post. So, in the words of Truman Burbank, "in case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!"

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Pictures and GIFs found through Google Images. I do not own these pictures and GIFs, nor The Truman Show, How I Met Your Mother, Psych, Friends, LinkedIn, Flickr, and Periscope trademarks and quotes. This is being used for educational purposes.

The Eclipse of Our Social Media Saga

Third time's the charm! As we continue our social media journey, let's look at some more ways to promote your company on different social media sites. Today, we're going to explore the realms of Reddit, Pinterest, and Tumblr.

Reddit with Pointon

Before this post, I had no idea what Reddit was, so I'll give you a brief explanation for those of you out there in the same boat as me. Reddit is a social media site that is, basically, a pool of information and commentaries. People go on there and share different kinds of information and opinions. It's not as big of a social media site as, say, Facebook, but it still has an audience that you can reach as a company.

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James Pointon shared his advice on using Reddit for your business in his article on Smart Insights' website. In this, he gives you ten different pieces of advice, and we're going to highlight a few of them.

The first thing that I want to share with you is to "avoid getting banned" from the site (Pointon). Apparently, it can happen pretty easily on Reddit, so here are couple of things that you can do, according to Pointon, to keep that from happening:

"Don't submit the same comment many times to different subreddits [a.k.a: interest groups]."

"Don't submit links only to your website."

"Never ask for upvotes [an upvote further promotes your post and is decided on by users]."

"Avoid sharing anyone's private information."

"Don't even think about creating bots that request information from the site."

"Steer clear of illegal content."

Suffice it to say, with Reddit, tread carefully. It can be a handy tool, but make sure you don't get knocked out before you get started.

The second thing is to "avoid being too self-promotional" (Pointon). This crowd tends to be picky and is able to sense when an outsider is in their midst. You would basically be the Bella Swan among the Volturi: they would be able to tell instantly that there is something different about you by your online "smell." Again, be cautious.

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The third and final thing that I want to share is a solution to the top two problems: "create a genuine profile" (Pointon). If you don't want the Volturi to know that you're a Bella, then make it look like you're a vampire too. Your page should basically "feel like a real person" (Pointon).

If you're still confused about how to use Reddit, read the full article by James Pointon. Be aware that there is some language, but it still has some good advice on how to navigate through the crazy world of Reddit. As always, you should be honest as a company. However, if you're determined to use Reddit, still be honest, but be careful as to how you present yourself on there.

Pinterest with Rampton

Speaking as a girl, Pinterest is the place to go to look for cute items and ideas. Granted, I don't use it all that much myself, but I have seen a few friends looking at their secret wedding boards on Pinterest for when they get married someday (although they don't want anyone to really know about it). Even if they don't have a boyfriend, they have a compilation of the kind of stuff they want for        Photo Source

when it does happen. Sounds kind of crazy, 

right? However, a lot of people have boards just like this. Pinterest is a site where creative people post their ideas and knowledge for others to use, and a lot of people do.

John Rampton has an article on Entrepreneur that talks about how you can use this for your own business. This is a great market to reach with creative ideas and news.

One tip that I want to share with you is to "know your brand" (Rampton). How can you get people to follow you if you don't know what your selling? Love your product, show it, and others will soon follow.

Another tip that Rampton gives is to "stay relevant with the times". This, especially, is important for Pinterest. People log on to find the latest trends, and the best ideas on how to follow those trends. Be like a 90s teenager and know what the latest bling-bling is out there! Got it down, homeslice? Wassup? Peace out.

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The final tip that I want to share is to "create boards about a specific topic" (Rampton). When people get on Pinterest, a lot of them are looking for something specific. Set up pages that cover different interests, but still relate to your company. Make them associate their interests with your company!

The great thing about this article is that Rampton gives examples of companies who pull off each of these tips on Pinterest really well. I recommend reading the whole thing to get inspired. For more 90s terms, yo, here is where I got mine (warning: there is some language). Hey, I only lived in the 90s for four years, okay? Don't go all wack on me, dude.

Tumblr with Helmrich

I'll just go ahead and throw this out there: Tumblr is a very different kind of world with a very different kind of crowd. It takes a special kind of person to use Tumblr to its full extent, but it can be useful when it comes to marketing purposes. For tips on how to use and navigate the strange world of  Tumblr, keep reading for some things to know about Tumblr from an article on Business              Photo Source

News Daily by Brittany Helmrich.

One thing to know is the kind of people that you are interacting with on Tumblr. According to Helmrich, "most Tumblr users are young", so be aware that this generation is your audience, and plan accordingly.

Another good thing to know about Tumblr is that there are "fandoms everywhere" (Helmrich). This, I know for certain. From TV show fans to music fans to fans that you didn't even know existed, Tumblr has it all. If you can somehow incorporate some of these specific interests into your company's posts, you'll be able to engage more followers. For example, you could make a Doctor Who reference by saying something like, "Don't blink! This sale will be gone before you know it" (also make sure to include a picture of a Weeping Angel when you do it, or the joke will be moot)! You'll then have the Whovian clan in the palm of your hand.

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The final thing that I want to share is the knowledge that "Tumblr fame is important" (Helmrich). There are a LOT of people on Tumblr that companies tend to forget about a lot. Be the company to get your name out there and make Tumblr your home. Once you're "in" with Tumblr, you're "in" for the long haul.

Considering that Tumblr is pretty much a foreign language to new users, this article is really good on showing you the basics and how to make your posts noticed. Good luck with your social media experience!

The final chapter of the social media saga will commence on January 13th, 2017. Be prepared...

Pictures found through Google Images. I do not own these pictures, nor the Twilight, Doctor Who, Napoleon Dynamite, Reddit, Pinterest, and Tumblr trademarks and quotes. This is being used for educational purposes.

Social Media Tips Continued...

Don't tell me. We're about to go over more social media tips? Yup. Bring it on! You can never have too many ways to reach people through social media, so don't limit yourself or your company to just one account! Today, we're going to look at three more major social media companies: YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat.

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YouTube with Wedmore

What better way to learn about YouTube then through a YouTube video? In his short video, James Wedmore takes you through five different kinds of videos that you should have for your company on your YouTube channel. So, briefly, let's go over each kind that he discusses.                                               

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The first kind is the "YouTube trailer video" (Wedmore). This tends to be the first video that people see on your YouTube page. This is where you explain and show who you are as a company to potential followers.

The second kind is "the stats video" (Wedmore). This is the video where you prove your company as a credible source of information and blow people away with your smarts. Wedmore recommends finding a good song on PremiumBeat.com, which is a royalty free music site, and to then start creating informational video magic.

The third kind that Wedmore discusses is a "customer success story". People like seeing other people that are actually being real people (that's a lot of people). Make your company's page personal by creating a video that shares consumer testimonials.

The fourth kind is "the Q & A video" (Wedmore). This is where you answer questions as a company for your consumers. This will reduce multiple questions elsewhere, and it will save you time because you'll just be able to send a link to the questioning consumer. It will also be a better answer coming for you then from somewhere else.

The fifth and final kind of YouTube video that you should have is the "tutorial video" (Wedmore). I personally love this kind the most! I pretty much learned to play guitar via YouTube instructional videos. You can learn how to do pretty much anything on YouTube just by the click of a button. Consumers appreciate businesses that provide these videos on how to implement their own products. Again, this will save you time and frustration with questioning consumers, because you can just redirect them to your YouTube page.

Wedmore's video embedded below is really funny and has great information to learn! Despite having some language at the beginning, it is a very useful, short video that you should watch to learn more about YouTube.

Instagram with Ayres

Scott Ayers' blog on Post Planner has a post/infographic on Instagram advice. There are ten tips in total, but I'll go ahead and highlight only a few of them.

One tip that Ayers gives is to "maintain consistent themes" on your company's Instagram account. Create a certain imaging method for your company                       Photo Source

and stick with it, so that consumers know 

exactly who you are when they see your Instagram post.

Another tip that Ayers gives is to "reward the loyalty of your followers", and this can go for any social media site, really. Make them feel like they're getting the most "exclusive deals" and like they're benefiting from following your company (Ayers).

The final tip that I want to share with you is to "post regrams" (Ayers). If a consumer is talking positively about you, then, again, "reward" them for it by giving their post(s) more attention (Ayers)! It will make the consumer feel like they're being noticed, and you'll gain more attention as a company.

To read more Instagram tips, I fully encourage to read Ayers full post. He has a great infographic and information if your company is first starting out on Instagram.

Snapchat with Ross

I think that one major social media outlet gets overlooked sometimes, and that is Snapchat. Snapchat has an awesome way of creating personal connections through the sharing of short videos around the world. Companies could definitely use Snapchat to their advantage, and here are a few of Kelly Ross' tips on how to do so from her 

social media blog post.

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The first tip that she presents from an infographic created by Red Website Design is to, firstly, introduce yourself. Let people on Snapchat know who you are and "say hello" (qtd. in Ross).

The second tip given by the infographic is to get your followers involved by creating "speedy Snap responses" (qtd. in Ross). The quickest people to reply to your Snap can be rewarded! This will help to build follower loyalty and to draw more followers in.

The third and final tip that I want to share with you is one in which your company can "release behind-the-scenes footage" (qtd. in Ross). If you follow any musicians on Snapchat, you'll see that they do this a lot while they're on tour. It makes the follower feel like they're getting up-close and personal information even if they're miles away. With Snapchat, it's all about experiencing what the other person has to share, so make sure to do this with your company as well.

Overall, this post has great information and a cute infographic to look at. To read more Snapchat tips, I recommend taking some extra time to read through the rest of Ross' post. Happy social media-ing!

Pictures found through Google Images, and the first few sentences of this post are based off of quotes from The Emperor's New Groove. I do not own these pictures, nor The Emperor's New Groove, YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat trademarks and quotes. This is being used for educational purposes.

Caterpillars, Gilmores, and Social Media Tips! Oh My!

Story time, boys and girls! Once upon a time, there was this caterpillar. His name was Mr. Business. Mr. Business was a businessman who ran a successful business (duh!). One day, Mr. Business realized that all of his other business friends were slowly turning from Normal Caterpillars into Social Butterflies! Because of this new development, Mr. Business was losing business and realized that he needed to make a change: he needed to become a Social Butterfly. So, after the normal cocooning process where he learned how to be social like the other butterflies, he became a Social Butterfly and soared with the other Social Butterflies into the business success world! The End!

Today, my goal is to make you all into Social Butterflies (as cheesy as that may sound). We're going to take a look into how to use some of the big kahunas of social media, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, successfully with your business. If you don't want to be left behind with the Normal Caterpillars, then keep reading to become a Social Butterfly business success!

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Facebook with Carter

Brian Carter of the Brian Carter Group shares some insights on using Facebook with your business in his article, "35 Facebook Profit Tips for 2016". I won't go into every single tip, like I usually do, but I will quickly highlight some of the best tips that Carter shares in this article.

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One tip that Carter gives for using Facebook with your business in general is to "be brief, simple and clear." I think that a lot of businesses first starting out in social media tend to make their posts too complex and overcomplicate things. People don't usually try to analyze a post to death on social media. Normally, they'll just glance at it as they scroll down their newsfeed. Remember our Dwight Schrute quote from one of my previous articles, "Never Go Out of Style: Current Website Trends"? Burn it into your brain. Simple is ALWAYS better with social media.

Another tip that Carter gives in relation to "posting" to Facebook is to  "track which Facebook posts work and don’t work". This way, you know what your consumers pay attention to and what they clearly don't. Don't waste your time creating content that won't grab attention, and go for the methods that work.

The final tip from Carter that I will highlight on is for "advertising" on Facebook: "modify your targeting with behaviors like people who use Facebook payments". This is really good if you're trying to promote something like an app where you can make purchases within the app. Don't put all of your resources into trying to reach people who won't pay on Facebook. Go more for the ones that do!

To read more tips from Brian Carter on how to use Facebook, check out his article. It is very enlightening and definitely worth a marketer's time.

Twitter with Patel

Neil Patel of the Social Media Examiner has some great advice for you today about revamping your Twitter account for your business! Again, I'm going to highlight a few of the pieces of advice that he gives, but I fully encourage you to read the whole article if you want to learn more.

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The first piece of advice that Patel gives is to "unfollow inactive accounts". There's no point following an account that is not in use. Another piece of advice Patel gives is to also "unfollow irrelevant accounts". These two go hand-in-hand. There is also no point in following a company or person that will have no effect on your business. Use Twitter wisely.             

The second piece of advice that I want to share with you is to "spruce up your profile" (Patel). I cannot tell you how many profiles that I've seen on social media of businesses that have not updated their information in years. Be up-to-date on your information so that consumers know how to interact with your business! On another note, don't stop posting. Don't EVER stop posting. Never, ever, EVER stop posting! Otherwise, you'll lose yourself as a business in the shuffle. 

You know how I always seem to include a pop culture reference in every single one of my posts? Well, it's probably because I'm a HUGE Gilmore Girls fan, and those girls do it all the time. So, here's my pop culture reference for you today. If you've ever seen Gilmore Girls, you know that those girls NEVER stop talking. Make your social media a Gilmore and never let it shut up! Keep your social media talking, even if you have to fuel it up with a good cup of coffee from Luke's.

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The third piece of advice that I want to share is to "delete off-topic Tweets" (Patel). Sometimes, our social media accounts can get cluttered, especially on Twitter. Keep your Twitter feed straight to the point so that consumers can find information easily. You can do this by getting rid of the less important Tweets on your Twitter account.

As always, you should read the full article if you want to learn more about revamping your Twitter account. It's got great information!

Google+ with Radice

Google+ definitely is a great social media outlet to use for your business! Rebekah Radice, a digital marketing blogger, shares some great insight on how use your Google+ account successfully for your business. Here are some of the tips from her blog post about how to make your business boom through Google+.

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The first tip that I'm going to share with you is to "join niche specific communities" on Google+ (Radice). This is a great way to reach people of a certain interest or attribute that would support your business. You can reach people in a more personalized way through this method.

The second tip of Radice's is to "get visual". By this, she means that using pictures can be more effective then just words. People tend to be more willing to look at a pretty picture then to stop and read some plain old words. Make yourself interesting on Google+!

The final tip that I will share is to "use Google+ Hangouts" (Radice). This method involves talking to your followers in real-time in order to create discussion. This part of Google+ can be really useful in making personal connections with your followers, and can help them to get more insight on your company.

I truly encourage you to read Radice's full post in order to gain more wisdom on Google+. I also encourage you to research more on social media in order to learn more about it, and practice! Good luck becoming a Social Butterfly guru!

Pictures found through Google Images. Post title is based off of a quote from The Wizard of Oz. I do not own these pictures, nor The Wizard of Oz, Gilmore Girls, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ trademarks and quotes. This is being used for educational purposes.

Get Smart with Social Media Videos

Ever felt like you had "missed it by that much" when it comes to your social media tactics? Here's a new strategy for you: videos! Videos through social media have the potential to become viral and remembered for months. Today, I'm going to show you how to "get smart" with social media videos by just using your smartphone! We'll also put the Spotlight on Apple, who helps us with accomplishing this seemingly-daunting task.

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6 Steps with Mike Bal

Mike Bal of the Social Examiner is going to be our resource of the day! In his article, he gives you great tips and tutorials on how to use your smartphone to create high-quality videos for your social media accounts. Here are six steps/tips for accomplishing that goal according to Bal:

"Choose Your Channel"

By this, Bal means picking your social media outlet for showing your videos. His top three recommendations are YouTube, Instagram, and Vine. However, Facebook and Twitter are also good options, especially with the new "Live" feature that Facebook has implemented recently. Snapchat is another really cool way to reach followers through shorter videos. Vine is also leaving us soon, but we'll talk more about that later.

"Choose a Video Style"

How are you going to shoot your video? Is it going to be a more casual or professional shooting? Will you use multiple takes, or just one? There are many different options here, but I would recommend using the method that best promotes your product/service and stays consistent with your company's image.

"Shoot a Stop Motion Video with Vine"

So, here's the rub. If you haven't heard, Vine is ending its services in the next couple of weeks. This particular tip takes a step-by-step approach on using Vine, since Bal wrote this in 2015. However, it can still be applicable to making a great video, and I still recommend taking a look at it. Vine will have an app, even after it leaves, that still lets you create Vine-like videos and gives you the ability to post them to Twitter. To read more about this recent development, you can read it on Vine's website. Even though Vine is leaving soon, its viral video style is still something to aspire to.

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"Shoot a Time-Lapse Video With Hyperlapse"

This is another step-by-step guide that Bal gives us on how to use Hyperlapse, which is an app created by Instagram. This app gives you the quality of Instagram, but allows you to change "your video's speed" (Bal). The ability to make a short video on Instagram faster or slower could be beneficial to your company, depending on what you're going for here.

"Shoot a Regular Video"

Sometimes, just having normal footage taken can make video magic happen. For example, if you're using Snapchat as a company, taking a normal approach can make your company seem more down to earth and personal. Make sure, however, that your video is still of good quality, even it may be more low key.

"Edit Your Video"

This is where your beautiful smartphone does its magic! If you have an iPhone in particular, you can use iMovie for editing purposes, which Bal recommends as well as I. This is where you put together your video if you have multiple takes, add effects, and put the finishing touches on your masterpiece. If you don't know how to use iMovie, Bal guides you through it in this article.

I think that this article has great info and step-by-step guides, especially for people who are not tech savvy. However, given that Vine is dissolving presently, I would say that he probably could've covered more social media outlets, such as Snapchat, in addition to the ones that he covered in this article. That way, he would've had more options to present in case such a thing did happen. Overall, though, it has good advice and guides that are still definitely worth looking at!

Spotlight

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Apple is one of the biggest companies of the present day world! They have created amazing technologies that only Trekkies dreamed about 50 years ago. Without them, the ability to do a lot of the things that we can do with social media would be impossible and probably wouldn't even exist.

If you've seen an Apple commercial on TV recently, you'll see that they use iPhone-created videos to promote their products. They show off their product by actually using their product in everyday situations! They also display these brilliant commercials on their YouTube channel, which is one of their bigger social media outlets that they post videos to. If you're looking for a great example of video for social media, Apple is the company to look to! Live long and prosper with your video-making!

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Pictures found through Google Images. I do not own these pictures, nor the Get Smart, Apple, and Star Trek trademarks and quotes. This is being used for educational purposes.

Baby, Visual Storytelling's So Classic!

Visual storytelling basically defines itself: it's telling a story with visuals! We're about to dive into the deep blue of visual storytelling and give you some tips to help you use it. Speaking of "classic", a great company that we're going to Spotlight on today is the online vintage-style clothing site that is the lovely ModCloth.

Visual Storytelling with Moritz

Donna Moritz, the founder of Socially Sorted, is going to give us some advice on implementing visual storytelling through her article and infographic. There is also a more detailed version of the article, if you would like to know more about this topic. For now, let's look at the basics:

The first piece of advice that Moritz gives is to show visuals, if at all possible, when posting to social media. For one thing, why do you think I choose a lot of infographics as resources for my posts? I like looking at the pretty pictures, and it engages me as a reader. They're also easier to read and maneuver through. I also like using pictures in my posts to keep YOU interested as a reader. It's nicer to look at something that's pretty then to read a boring article in plain old Times New Roman. To keep people interested, make your post interesting. You can quote me on that.

The second piece of advice given is to make sure that whatever you put on your social media is your own. Meaning, don't be like me and just use images that you pulled from Google. Come up with your own "graphic design" items and make it signature to your company (Moritz)!

The third piece of advice, as Moritz puts it, is to "SHOWcase your story". This is basically reinforcing the principle of using visuals in your storytelling. According to Moritz's infographic, "images = emotion and connection." This is a clever thing to remember because, if you don't implement this equation to your posts, you're going to end up being like the teacher from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. If you've ever seen that movie, you know that that man has absolutely no emotion. DO NOT be like him. Be a HUMAN and use VISUALS in your VISUAL storytelling!

 

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The fourth piece of advice is to put your followers to use. Get them involved in your posts! Have them battle it out to have the best idea out there for your company, and reward them for it. Remember, people use social media for personal connections. So be personal and have them help you out!

The fifth piece of advice that Moritz gives us is, after implementing your visuals, to then go ahead and "add back the words". Meaning, use "captions", "hashtags", and other similar forms for people to find it online and make it trend (Moritz). Make whatever you use relate back to your business, and make it memorable.

The sixth and final piece of advice is to "mix it up" (Moritz). Intertwine your social media accounts to make sure that everyone sees what you're posting no matter the social media method (meaning, share your Twitter posts on Facebook, your YouTube video on Instagram, etc.). Also, feel free to change up your methods every now and then. If you keep doing the same thing over and over again, people will eventually get tired of it and move on. Keep it fresh, homeslice!

I would definitely recommend seeing this awesome article/infographic for yourself! It's got awesome stats and visuals that you can aspire to to implement in your own storytelling!

Spotlight

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If you're like me and love vintage-style clothing, then you've probably stumbled upon ModCloth while searching for such items. ModCloth is a great place to find cute clothes, and they also have great visuals on their site!

According to a blog post by Nichole Elizabeth DeMeré on HotSpot, it is a great place to look at for visual storytelling! If you look at their website now, you'll see that they have high quality, bright pictures for their spring line. They have pictures all over their site in a very aesthetically pleasing manner of people displaying their clothes. If you want a successful visual storytelling implementation, ModCloth is a great place to look at and to get ideas from! Good luck with your visual storytelling!

Pictures found through Google Images, and lyrics in the title are based off of those by MKTO's "Classic". I do not own these pictures, nor the Ferris Bueller's Day Off, ModCloth, and MKTO trademarks, quotes, and lyrics. This is being used for educational purposes.

Here, On Social Media!

If you don't know by now about social media, I would be very concerned for your well-being. Social media is great for connecting with people across the globe, especially by marketing and advertising standards. Consumers can now have a personal connection with their favorite companies, so it's very important to have a really good social media presence online. Today we are going to explore the "12-Step Guide for Social Media Marketing Success (Infographic)" given by Kimberlee Morrison of Social Times. We'll also Spotlight a successful company on social media: NBC.

12 Steps with Morrison & Social Media Marketo

With a beautiful infographic presented in this post by Kimberlee
Morrison and originally created by Social Media Marketo, you can easily create an effective social media strategy. Remember how we discussed in my first post how you should always have a plan for blogging like how Dora the Explorer always needs the Map? Well, get ready to "Vamanos!" You're going to need a plan for your social media campaign as well. Here are the 12 steps that Morrison presents and Social Media Marketo shows us for getting there:

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"Define Target Audience"

The #1 rule that all marketers should follow: KNOW WHO YOU'RE CONSUMERS ARE. Don't try to promote yourself as something that won't attract your consumer, and don't try to promote yourself to every single type of consumer at once. Start with one type, and then later you can branch out depending on the success of your campaign.

"Research Buyer Persona"

Learn what your consumers want and need. This is where you would figure out what interests your consumers.

"Research Influencers"

See what and who has sway over your consumers. What are their favorite companies? What are their interests? Do their demographics have an effect on their purchasing behaviors?

"Identify Social Media Platforms Used by Buyer Persona"

Know where your consumers are interacting with one another. Don't stop at just the bigger ones that pop into your head, such as Facebook and Twitter. There are also people on Snapchat, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Pinterest, etc.

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"Look at Competitor's Preferred Social Platforms"

Where do your business rivals participate the most in the social media world? Evaluate what they do, and try to go one step further with your campaign methods.

"Produce Content That Addresses Buyer Persona Pain Points"

By "pain points", we mean your consumer's issues (qtd. in Morrison). With your social media campaign, how are you going to fulfill your consumers' needs? Once you figure out what they need, find a way to use your social media accounts to promote how to satisfy those needs with your company.

"Create a Content Bank"

In case you don't know, a "content bank", in this instance, refers to a bunch of different types of information that you can use at your convenience for posting to social media (qtd. in Morrison). Think of it as a piggy bank for all of the information related to your company that you can use for your social media campaign. Creating one will help you in the future if you ever get stuck on coming up with something to post about. A good place for this would be Pinterest, where you can pin all of the relevant things that you find for your company to a board for future use.

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"Engage and Build Relationships"

FYI, this is not referring to a "ring by spring", people. This is about drawing in your consumers with your social media. Like I said before, social media is all about personal connections. Create that connection with your consumers and keep them coming back.

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"Maintain a Consistent Content Publishing Cycle"

No matter what, KEEP POSTING. Do not create social media accounts and then just leave them there to rot. If you do that, you're business will soon follow, and it'll kind of be like The Walking Dead, where one person becomes a zombie, and then the next person and the person after that until everyone's just a Walking Nightmare. Do NOT let your business fall like zombie dominoes. KEEP POSTING on a regular basis!

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"Invest on Getting More Social Followers; Share Expert's Content"

Gaining followers should be a priority. The whole point of using social media for marketing purposes is to gain more awareness, right? How can you do that for your company if no one is following you? Spend a good amount of time and resources to get people connected to your social media. Also, be sure that if you're trying to prove something with your posts, back it up with some sort of credibility so that you can show that you know what you're talking about.

"Automate Social Sharing with Tools Like Buffer and Hootsuite"

Buffer and Hootsuite are companies that help you keep tabs on all of your social media accounts. Using sites like these will help you keep track of what your posting and to where. For big companies, especially, this would be super helpful to invest in.

"Evaluate Your Results and Improve Your Strategy"

After going through all of that hullabaloo, back up and see how well you're implementing your social media campaign. How can you gain more followers? What are you missing? Where are you weak and where are you strong with your social media? Using numerical data will help you with this step, especially when it comes to the amount of followers that you've gained or lost.

The great thing about Morrison's post is that she briefly explains the infographic and then gives you its original source if you want more detail about it. The infographic has great stats and resources that you can use to help implement your social media campaign. Go check it out!

Spotlight

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Most Americans know of the major television conglomerate that is NBC (National Broadcasting Company). If you follow any of their TV shows on social media, or NBC themselves, you know that they have a very personal connection with their followers. For example, while NBC's show Parenthood was premiering their last season on television, I was following their account on Twitter. If I tweeted about something happening in an episode while it was premiering, I had a good chance of my Tweet getting liked, retweeted, or commented on by the NBC Parenthood account. A few times, this did happen to me, and, at one point, their account even followed me!

Besides just have a personal connection with their followers, such as myself, they also are continuing to grow in their social media reach. For the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, NBC wanted to expand its viewers to youth via social media. They used Logan Paul, a popular Vine user, to provide insights on the Games on NBC's Snapchat account. NBC also extended their social media reach to other places, such as BuzzFeed. To read more about how NBC awesomely implemented this campaign, read this article on Mediakix. A long-time successful company, such as NBC, is a great place to look to for social media inspiration. Enjoy reaching your #socialmediagoals!

Pictures found through Google Images. I do not own these pictures, nor The Walking Dead, NBC, Dora the Explorer, and social media companies mentioned or shown (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) trademarks and quotes. This is being used for educational purposes.