Social Joey’s team of social media experts is weighing in on what the future holds for social media. From content to strategy to advertising, here are their predictions: **“Video content will dominate.” ** We’ve seen a huge surge in video content during 2016. Platforms and users alike are placing an increasing value on this dynamic type of content. Companies that successfully include video into their content strategies will see increased audience engagement and improved metrics across the board. Read on →

LinkedIn, following suite with other major social media platforms, is redesigning and revamping its features to promote great usability, especially within the realm of B2B. One important update is LinkedIn’s newly updated Groups feature: All Groups – now called “Conversations”– are private. Group members are vetted. Spam is monitored and reduced. Consolidated e-mail digests will replace individual emails every time someone in the Conversation comments. And more! Additionally, the updated Groups app will create a smoother user experience from both laptop and smart device. Read on →

Heart content–or the posts that help your business connect in truly personal ways with your online audience–can include photos, videos, links, and more. But what strategies should you use when posting heart content to make sure it catches people’s attention when they’re scrolling through their social feeds? Here are four tips for making your heart content truly engaging: 1. Craft a compelling intro. Every post made will need a short introduction– one or two sentences max– that introduces the picture or video, as well as the customers or employees in the picture or video. Read on →

What is Heart Content? Heart content brings your business to life for customers, and is a vital part of putting the social to your business or franchise’s social media presence. It consists of content that shares the “personal side” of your business. This can include posts about your employees (activities or events that they are involved in, employee of the month, etc.); posts about sponsorships or community organizations that your business is involved in; posts about service work or donations; or posts about your customers and how they do business with you. Read on →

Although advertising is becoming more mainstream on social media, the vast majority of users still eschew businesses with in-your-face sales tactics. Also, the platforms themselves punish brands with overly aggressive self- promotion by limiting their reach. So does this mean your business shouldn’t directly advertise on Facebook, Twitter, or your other social media pages? Of course not! In fact, achieving the right balance between general content and self-promotional content (including paid ads) actually brings the best results. Read on →

As the weather begins to cool, the opportunity to reach your customers on social media is heating up. Don’t wait until December to begin planning your holiday sales strategies. Begin now by making sure these three items are on your social media marketing check list: Get Connected: Want to increase sales this coming holiday season? Then build your customer base today! Target potential customers during the fall in order to make connections now that can turn into sales later. Read on →

When it comes to organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO), many factors determine where a particular business ends up in search results. And while it would be nice to be able to master every facet that influences placement, the time required to do so may not be feasible for many small businesses and franchises. However, there’s a low-cost, high-impact solution to enhance organic SEO that your business can begin using today. One of the key influencers on SEO is creating and sharing unique, valuable content. Read on →

Studies show that more than 70% of organic Google searches result in a first- page click, with almost 68% of clicks in the first five results. What does this mean? Simply put, _t_o be competitive in online searches, your business must maximize its organic SEO. But how? When determining search engine rankings, Google continues to put high value on unique content. “Unique content” includes social media posts, blogs, videos, etc. that are not copied from other sources and that provide specific value to potential searchers. Read on →

Your business is already benefiting from the increased exposure and bolstered brand awareness and loyalty that comes with a robust social media presence. Now that you have your customers’ attention, how can you leverage that into more sales? One highly effective option is Facebook Offers. In a nutshell, Facebook Offers are digital coupons that are delivered and redeemed via social media. But are digital coupons effective? Absolutely! After all, with more and more people accessing social media from their smartphones, it just makes sense to deliver special offers right to their pockets or purses. Read on →

Through education and experience, entrepreneurs and business leaders have been taught to appreciate the difference between formal business writing and more casual, personal communications. And in many professional interactions, this differentiation is still important. However, on social media, it’s time for corporate-speak to be replaced by language that sounds authentic, trustworthy, and real. Because social media is built on a foundation of personal engagement, businesses and franchises entering this space must play by those rules in order to succeed. Read on →