You know your customers are online, but how do you reach them? Online advertising is a fantastic way to reach many people quickly, but where should you advertise online? And which is better: Google or Facebook? What are the Differences Between Google Ads and Facebook Ads? The main difference between Google AdWords and Facebook Ads is how ads are
How to Use Facebook Ads with Inbound Marketing
Facebook, I'd like you to meet inbound. I think you two will really hit it off. Facebook ads are a great way to quickly get your business in front of many new people, but if you aren't strategic, you might as well just kiss all your money goodbye. Integrating your Facebook ads with an inbound marketing strategy is an easy way to see better
Social Media: The Good, The Bad and the WTF
Ah social media...it's a great way to procrastinate, catch up with old friends and watch companies self-destruct. As long as social media has been around there have been people doing it right...and doing it wrong. When businesses get caught up in drama online, it can get ugly, fast. Follow these tips and catch our Social Media Screwups Webinar on
How to Write Content (When You Hate Writing)
I'll let you in on a little industry secret: even writers don't like writing. Writing can be invigorating, watching the pieces fall into place...but more often than not, it's a deadline breathing down your neck and a creative well run dry. Like many things in life, you have to fake it till you make it. If you're not a writer by nature, that's ok.
The Best Times to Post on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Google+ [Infographic]
Social media is one of the most cost-effective - and just plain effective - ways to reach your audience. But between all the various platforms and demographics, it's hard to know when exactly to post. The ideal time for you to post will depend on your audience and what your analytics show you. However, there are tried-and-true posting times that
Facebook is Changing Their Algorithm (Again): What You Need to Know
If you haven't heard the news yet, Facebook is making major changes to their algorithm. Again. These changes will directly impact all business pages. You can read the full statement on Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook page, but here are the highlights: The first changes you'll see will be in News Feed, where you can expect to see more from your
Where to Find Free Images For Blogs and Social Media
You've just finished crafting the perfect blog post, but you know that images are key to making your content pop. No problem: just run to Google and find a picture, right? Wrong. Repeat after me: Google images are not free to use. Google images are not free to use. Many business owners fall into this trap and find themselves at the end of a
The Facebook Mom Problem
If you spend a lot of time on Facebook, you've probably noticed how it feels smaller and smaller. Are you seeing the same 10 posts multiple times a day, and only seeing a few people on your feed? It's not just you: a side effect of Facebook's targeted algorithm is that it narrows your view. This is particularly frustrating for business owners,
10 Social Media Fails (And What You Can Learn From Them)
We all enjoy a good online train wreck. That is - as long as you aren't the one at its center. Learn by example - these brands paid for their social goofs, so you can avoid them in the future. Pssst: Want to increase your social media results from marketing? Click here! Rhode Iceland Tourism When you think glaciers and volcanoes, does "Rhode
How to Take Photos for Social Media
Say Cheese! It's true: a picture is worth a thousand words. According to Brainrules.net, a person who hears a piece of information will remember just 10% of it three days later, while someone who sees that same information in a picture will recall 65% of it. Taking a good photo is key on social media. Luckily, all you need is your smartphone and
How Do I Know if My Social Media is “Worth It”?
Social media. You know you should be using it but you may be wondering: what's the point? Many business owners struggle to see the ROI of Social Media, especially when you're not selling a tangible product. Sprout Social has some actionable tips for calcuating social media ROI. Read the full post on their site, or get the highlights
How NOT to Respond to Negative Reviews
It's no secret how important online reviews are to businesses - 88% of customers rely on them to decide whether or not to do business with a local company. But many business owners are so laser-focused on getting reviews that they don't consider responding to reviews. It's inevitable - if you're actively soliciting reviews, you're going to get a
How Much Time Do People Spend on Social Media? [Infographic]
We all do it: in line at the grocery store, lying in bed at night, during your lunch break, on the toilet - you might even be doing it now. Mindlessly checking your social media networks has become an ingrained habit for most of us. Whether your poison is Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or something else, if you're like most people you spend
Why You’re Reaching Fewer People on Facebook
Facebook check. 1-2-1-2. Is this thing even on? Don't worry, you're plugged in - it's Facebook, not you. If you've spent any time on your Facebook Business page, you've shared the frustration of feeling like no one can hear you. Unfortunately, it's true - your posts aren't reaching your entire audience. Why Aren't I Reaching People on
The Anatomy of a Successful Social Media Post
Did you bring your scalpel? We're starting something new here at BizzyWeb. For the next few weeks, I'll be taking a look at successful social media posts, emails, blog posts and websites to narrow in on what makes them work. Today we're slicing open some successful social media posts to see how they're built. For our purposes today, I'm defining
How You’re Annoying Your Customers (Without Realizing It)
For the first 16 years of his life, my younger brother's name was "STOPJON!." STOPJON! blew raspberries, jumped on the couch, yanked ponytails, trudged mud through the house and threw water balloons. STOPJON! never heard his name unless it was shouted in annoyance. Eventually, STOPJON! matured and graduated to "Jon," but not before leaving a legacy
2017 Social Media Image Size Guide [Infographic]
New year, new selfies. 2017 is here and social media isn't going anywhere. Considering that 90% of the information transmitted to the brain is visual, social media is more important than ever. Start this year off right by making sure all your social media images are primed to pop. Below is our 2017 social media size guide. Remember to save this
The Trends to Pay Attention to in 2017
2016 is finally over. It's time to brush off the dust of last year and step forward into 2017. A lot changed in the digital marketing landscape over the last 12 months. Here are the top digital marketing trends in 2017 that you need to know to keep your business competitive. Digital Marketing - You Have to Be There It may seem obvious, but
How to Get Reviews
You can't afford to ignore online reviews - your customers sure don't. 88% of consumers read reviews to determine the quality of a local business. Before ever picking up the phone, your customers will be searching for your online reviews. If you don't have any, they may not buy. But getting online reviews is a struggle many business owners face.
How to Write Epic Content
Between TV, email and social media, we're all bombarded with so many words a day that they all blur together into a shapeless mush. It takes some truly special content to stand out from the rest. How can you make your online marketing efforts reach the most people? Make it epic. Stories unite us. They define us. There's a reason why stories like
10 Worst Social Media Fails of 2016
Schadenfreude is the German word for "pleasure derived by someone from another person's misfortune." There are few situations more ripe for Schadenfreude than social media fails. Tweets can be deleted, but screencaps are forever. We're looking back at the worst social media fails of 2016, with tips on where they went wrong. We don't want any of you
How to Create Gorgeous Social Media Pictures in Seconds
We've said it before and we'll say it again: images are the bread and butter of social media. On Facebook, posts with pictures on average see 37% more engagement than text posts alone. Instagram and Pinterest are almost exclusively photo content, with very little text. To compete with the big boys, your social profiles need high-quality images. But
Which Social Network Is Right For My Business? [Quiz]
Are you ready to take your business social? With all the choices out there, it's hard to know which social media network to start with. Cut through the chatter with the quiz below and find which network you should start with. Don't see the quiz? Click here. The Top 5 Social Networks:Facebook is the largest social network for a good reason. This
5 Social Media Tips for the Trades
Show of hands: who set up their social media, posted a couple of times and then never returned?Don't worry - we get it. You're trying to run your business. And you may be thinking: "What do I even talk about?" It's easy to look to big brands with their flashy videos and professional photos and get discouraged. But here's the thing: you
6 Dos and Don’ts of Marketing to Generation X
Poor Generation X. Wedged between the Baby Boomers and Millennials, Generation X frequently gets swept to the side. Which is a shame, because Gen Xers are the managers and entrepreneurs. In other words? They're the decision-makers.These folks, aged 35-51, have a monumental influence on the market that isn't being tapped into. Millennials are the
The Ultimate Social Media Image Size Guide [Infographic]
A picture is worth a thousand retweets. When Facebook and Twitter first launched, they were text-only and word-heavy. Now, virtually every social network has become more and more streamlined and picture-friendly. Pictures dominate social networks and consistently see more engagement.We’ll say it straight out: if your images aren’t optimized for
The Top 3 Takeaways From Facebook’s New Friends>Business Algorithm
They're at it again. Just when you think you've started to understand how the Facebook algorithm works, they go and change it. This Wednesday Facebook announced that they were shaking up the News Feed once again – and this time, business pages are taking a hit.The new algorithm will be prioritizing users friends' content above any business, news or
4 Strategies for Facebook Live
Only one month after launching, Facebook Live has already cemented itself as more than just "the next big thing." It's clear that video streaming is here to stay, and is only going to continue to furiously grow in the months moving forward. Why do you need to take note? Facebook Live is a powerful way to share your brand's personality and story.
4 Facebook Tips for Nonprofits
You know your cause. You know your supporters. But how to reach them? Facebook is an authentic and simple way to connect directly with your audience. This February, Facebook launched a brand-new site aimed at nonprofits. We've rounded up the top 4 tips from Facebook to take your nonprofit's page to the next level.1. Optimize Your PageIf your
What and How Often Should You Post on Social Media? [Infographic]
by Azure Collier, Constant ContactWhen I’m hosting Constant Contact’s social media webinars, I get a lot of questions from small businesses and nonprofits on social media best practices.One of the things I hear most often is “What should I post on social media and when should I post it?”That’s why we created this cheat sheet.In this cheat sheet,
Five Facebook Advertising Features You Haven’t Tried Yet
As 2016 marches on, now is the perfect time to re-strategize your social media campaigns. You've probably tried Facebook advertising already, but have you tried video ads? Did you know you can pinpoint-target a specific market (say, women in their 40s who drive a Prius and watch detective shows)? Mike Bird and Webbiquity highlight five Facebook
Dive Into Facebook With These 4 Videos
Facebook has been online for over a decade, but it remains the go-to social media platform. Facebook business pages let you target your specific markets with targeted content that they care about. We frequently talk about Facebook and social media marketing in our weekly BizzyWebinars. Below, we've rounded up 4 videos to show you how to generate
5 Ideas to Make This Your Most Profitable Holiday Season Yet
Ryan Pinkham, Constant ContactIf the holidays are a busy time for your small business, you know how important the next few months will be.Consumers are expected to spend big this holiday season. If you want them to shop small, you need to plan ahead.Luckily, there are simple steps you can take to set your business up for success.Here are five
The Best Time to Send Black Friday Special Offers
Black Friday is one of the most profitable shopping holidays, and retailers are busy planning their social media and email strategy. To help retailers make informed decisions about last-minute social media and email campaigns, Yesmail analyzed the performance of 50 top retailers’ email and social promotions in the week leading up to Black
4 Videos That Will Amp Up Your Online Marketing
Online marketing is a strange new beast. Customers expect their online advertising to behave a certain way, and become frustrated and unresponsive when it doesn't. It isn't as simple as transferring your print marketing into an email newsletter – you need to build your online marketing strategy from the ground up.We've rounded up 4 videos from our
Facebook Announces ‘Dislike’ Button In Development
Over the years, Facebook has proven its ability to really understand its audience. While we appreciate Facebook's commitment to our wants and needs, there's one thing that's always been missing: the Dislike button. Because really, we can't like everything all the time, right?After years of refusal, Facebook recently announced that the