Brand building Archives | Page 3 of 3

Using Social Media to Empower a Business Brand

If you look at the average Spartanburg social media account for local businesses, you’ll likely see some basic contact information, links to recent promotions, and maybe a photo or two. Other than that, it’s simply a sad, boring page without too much going on.

And when you really think about it, that’s not being very social at all. In fact, most of us would consider that anti-social.

Now, as a small business owner or entrepreneur, it may not make a whole lot of sense for you to place countless hours in building up a great social media profile and embracing residents in Spartanburg and Greenville, but that’s because you really don’t understand how social media works in the first place. After reading this article though, I might be able to change your mind.

Everyone is Looking at Social Media

The next time you head over to downtown Spartanburg or the WestGate Mall, take a few minutes to really look around and see what shoppers are doing. They’re shopping, sure, but I’m talking about what they’re doing in-between their travels from store to store. Look around the food court or check out the moms that are watching their kids on those neat slingshot trampoline contraptions…what are they doing?

They’re staring at their smartphones.

And as you know, one of the big favorites of any smartphone user is their social feed. That’s literally how they keep up with the world around them. Cousin Bobby got married. Michelle took the kids to Myrtle Beach this week. We love this senseless kind of banter because it’s easy to keep up relationships without putting forth any type of real effort. With just one tap of the “like button”, everyone knows that we’re on board.

Social Media Delivers Massive Traffic

As a business owner here in Spartanburg, those social media feeds can become especially important to you since they represent 100% free advertising with Upstate locals who already know and love your brand.

Think about it for a moment. You hit the “like” button over cousin Bobby getting married, and instantly 300-500 people know that you approve of the event. And some of them had no idea that Bobby was tying the knot, so they chime in the conversation as well…and that invites all of their friends into the conversation as well. So just one photograph at the altar ends up reaching tens or even hundreds of thousands of people, and they all end up happy for Bobby (even though most of them don’t know him) because somebody they know supports him.

Customers Love Social Media Recommendations

Now, if we apply this same type of social media campaign to your business, a single post can get your brand in front of thousands of potential customers across the upstate. And since it’s your best customers who are initially hitting those like buttons and leaving comments, they are actually serving as brand ambassadors on your behalf to get the word out about your company. And the snowball effect can literally become massive if you’re publishing content that’s social by nature.

What do I mean by that?

Well, everyone “liked” Bobby’s wedding because it was the polite thing to do., whether they were actually interested in it or not. People also like videos, funny stories, contests and dozens of other types of media because they feel personally connected to it in one way or another, and their friends pay attention because they value each other’s opinion. If you’re only posting sales material though, then there’s really no reason for someone to like it…even if they end up making a purchase.

Using Social Media to Build a Brand

So if you want your social media accounts to explode in popularity, the number one rule is to stop trying to sell. Focus on engaging people instead. After all, you have a website that should be fully optimized to showcase your products and educate consumers about your business, so you don’t need to try to do that all over again on Facebook, Google+ or Twitter…especially since every post you make on these social media sites will link back to your homepage anyway.

Instead, your one and only focus on social media should be about getting likes, comments and other types of interactions. And the real beauty of it is that it doesn’t matter what you do to get that positive feedback- it doesn’t have to have anything to do with your brand at all. Because as people find enjoyable content on your social media pages and begin to share it with others, you’re creating the opportunity to talk to thousands of new Spartanburg customers on a daily basis just by showing off your personality…and the sales part can definitely come later through other channels.

Where to Start with Social Media

Suddenly we’re back where we began; at your dreary Facebook page with 47 likes and nothing but boring promotional material. And you’re probably thinking, “All of this sounds great…but how do I start connecting with customers on social media and make them appreciate my brand?”

It’s actually pretty simple to do…just contact Upstate Synergy and we’ll handle everything.

Seriously though, it really is not that difficult to start building your brand on social media. Start with some type of promotion- a giveaway, a contest or almost anything that you can display in your storefront that would grab your customer’s attention. Consider it a bribe of sorts; if they follow you on social media, then you’ll reward them with a little extra something.

For example, if you own a restaurant here in Spartanburg, then offer a free soft drink with any purchase in exchange for a like on Facebook. Then set the offer on your counter, let people complete the action as they’re waiting in line, and they’ll have a confirmation page to show your waitress/cashier that grants them an inexpensive freebie. It’s that simple.

For other types of businesses, I suggest going with an iPad giveaway. Because even though that tech toy will cost you $500+, you can give one away every few months and gain tens of thousands of subscribers for that minimal investment. Another good method is to give away an industry guide in exchange for a social media like and an email address, because you’re educating your customers and building initial trust at the same time.

Keeping the Conversations Going on Social Media

Whatever you choose to do, getting that initial like is simply a stepping-stone towards building an actual relationship with your customers and their friends. So once they start looking around at your social media wall, they should see all kinds of great photos, videos, local news, testimonials, fun stories and other things to make them appreciate you. And once again, this doesn’t have to be solely about your business or what you have for sale…it just has to be engaging and there should be lots of it.

Before you start a campaign to gain new followers, I’d recommend having at least ten posts on your account for people to look at.

And once you start getting new fans on social media, just give them a few additional content pieces per week so you stay sharp in their minds. Even something as simple as “What do you like most about <your business name>?” or “What’s one feature you’d love to see added to <business name>” can get conversations started and get you in front of new customers within the community.

That’s the only real goal here…posting content that makes others appreciate you and eager to join in on the conversation. Just make sure you add attention-grabbing photographs or the occasional video since it makes your posts stand out a whole lot more.

For more information on building a killer social media account, feel free to contact us via email for a complimentary needs evaluation. We are always happy to help out.

Why Does My Website Get So Little Natural Traffic?

Just the other day, I was called to a local used car dealership to help them understand why their site wasn’t receiving nearly as much natural traffic as it did a few years ago. And before I even arrived there, the problem was evident…the website was being completely neglected.

Now, don’t think I’m speaking poorly of this client because it really wasn’t his fault. He did what most Upstate businesses do when it comes to maintaining their websites- absolutely nothing. He simply assumed that everything would run on autopilot and customers would continue to show up at his doorstep. Only that’s not how it works.

For example, let’s talk about web design in Spartanburg. For as long as I can remember, a company called Upstate Web help the top ranking because the owner was actively updating his site, guiding customers there and making his domain more visible. Just a few years ago, however, that business closed due to the owner’s health and his website has been in a steady free fall in popularity ever since.

Websites are Just Like Businesses

Why?

Because Google and the other search engines look at your website exactly that same way that you and I look at brick and mortar businesses. If we see a store with lots of people coming and going, for example, then we assume that they must have great prices or awesome service. When we see an empty parking lot in front of a business, however, then we assume that times are not good for that company.

To make your website more popular, it is 100% essential to-

Add new content frequently
Providing great information about your business
Have a steady stream of new and returning visitors
Create reasons for other websites to talk about you
Have visitors leaving comments and clicking on links
Offering a good blend of writing, photos and videos

And if you think about it, you ask your employees to do the exact same kinds of things inside your business. They learn about your products, explain things to customers and happily show people around if they need help. If you’re reputable, then other businesses are likely sending you foot traffic as well…and the search engines work exactly the same way.

How to Boost Your Web Traffic

If you want a natural boost in the search engines, then the easiest way to accomplish that goal is to update your website. Anything from blogs to product pages to a good old FAQ will help potential customers better understand how you conduct business, and it also signals to the search engines that you’re serious about achieving success online.

So every time you post something new that consumers seem to enjoy, it gives a little boost in the rankings for the topic that is discussed. Over time, this has a big cumulative effect that launches you straight to the top of the search engines. And once ideal customers begin to find you and appreciate your efforts, it separates you from the competition and everything changes.

If you need help making your web content stand out or you’d simply like an explanation about why you’re not receiving as much web traffic as in the past, please feel free to contact me for a site evaluation. In the meantime, just start thinking about what kinds of content that your customers would appreciate knowing before they contact you in person…and that will grant you a big head-start towards fixing the problem.

Why is Reputation Management Essential for Business?

Not too long ago, we were doing a routine internet search to learn about a potential client, and we stumbled onto something pretty surprising regarding his online reputation. On YellowPages.com, this company had only one review and it was set to the lowest possible rating. More importantly, it accused the one of the business’s employees of selling drugs to another customer, along with several other slanderous accusations that almost couldn’t be true. In fact, it was easily one of the harshest, most damaging comments that we’ve ever seen…and we’ve been doing this for quite some time.

While we’d love to let you read this particular review, it is no longer anywhere on the Internet thanks to the Yellow Page’s staff. Since it grossly violated their Terms of Service, they agreed to remove the comment immediately and it is no longer an issue for that business owner. Or is it? Let’s find out below-

How an Unfair Reputation Can Quickly Build

After doing a little bit more research, we learned that the particular review was posted in 2012 and that page had been visited well over 1,500 times since it was posted. So it’s entirely possible to assume that over 1,500 local Upstate residents believed that the business in question sold drugs, and this was further proven once we checked the backlinks feeding into that page. There were three social media posts with over 60 total comments bad-mouthing that business on Facebook and Twitter, with every one of the responses revolved around illegal drugs.

So here’s what we did, just to show the math for future clients-

Of those 48+ social media comments that various people shared about this Yellow Pages listing, it was viewable by over 14,000 people on friends’ lists.

Of the 12 Twitter comments, there were an additional 3,400 that could have seen this messaging.

Since the comments were frequently talked about, “liked” and shared, it is more likely than not that these pages were ranking towards the top of Facebook’s news stream. This conversation lasted for over a week as well on two different occasions.

In total, over 21,000 potential customers to this business were exposed to these comments, and there is absolutely no telling how many others heard about it secondhand.

The Biggest Mistake in Reputation Monitoring

For the sake of argument, let’s say that this particular business owner happened to see this comment within 24 hours of it being posted. He probably would have contacted the website where it was posted on, and a few minutes later this nightmare would have ended. Even if the site wouldn’t take it down though, there were still a number of options available-

The business owner could have replied to the comment.

The business owner could have contacted the site and asked for the poster’s contact information.

The business owner could have started a campaign to get additional reviews on that site, which would limit the damage of the particularly bad review.

The problem here is that the business owner did nothing at all, because he didn’t know that a problem existed in the first place. Remember, online reviews rank for your business name just like your website does, so they are extremely visible over time.

How to Monitor Online Reputation

There are actually several ways to check up on your reputation online, and the easiest way is to perform a Google search for “<business name> review”. While it may not return every single mention that’s ever been made about a particular business, it will show the ones that potential customers would likely find…and those are the ones that are the most important. Additionally, there are several reputation monitoring tools available online that can meet any sized business’s needs, and they range from completely free to thousands of dollars for enterprise solutions.

Upstate Synergy is the only Spartanburg web design firm that has helped out clients keep up with their online reputation for a number of years now, and we know every trick in the book when it comes to defending your good name. If you’d like to learn more about reputation management, feel free to contact us for a more thorough explanation. We will happily train one of your staff members to do this on your company’s behalf, or we can completely monitor your reputation for you.

Next Entries »