Monthly Archives: May 2024

Advanced Account Management – Optimizing Posting Times

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How can a business optimize its posting timing?

Test test test.  That is the answer.  At the end of the day (proverbially speaking) there is no magic formula for determining the best time to capture your audience’s attention without some trial and error testing. 

Nonetheless, there are some notable patterns. Determining the best time of day to post on social media leverages a combination of understanding your target audience’s behavior and taking advantage of platform-specific insights.

This article provides a starting point for this analysis, and highlights key tactics to optimize your posting times. 

Optimizing posting time for audience engagement

Know Your Audience – Start with demographics, habits, and time zones. Who is your customer and what is their profile?  Other factors include age, profession, and typical lifestyle to estimate when they’re most likely to be active on social media.

Analyze Audience Insights – Leverage your data from past postings.  Keeping a close track of platform analytics will help to gather data on when your audience is most active. Most social media platforms provide insights into your followers’ online behavior.

Experiment and Track – Begin by posting at different times of the day and track the engagement metrics for each post. Over time, patterns will emerge, and you’ll be able to identify the times that consistently yield the best results.  This analysis, in particular, will help you find peak hours.  Generally, posting during peak hours (when users are most active) can maximize visibility. These hours can vary depending on the platform and your audience’s location.

Third-Party Tools – As always, there are several applications that can support this process, but which will take some time to learn.  While the best foundational knowledge is gained through sifting through the user data (did we mention above, know your customer?), there are various tools and services that can analyze your audience’s behavior and suggest optimal posting times based on the data you input into the application. 

Understand the Platform – A growing body of research in recent years has shown patterns of engagement in common social media platform.  Some platforms will prioritize content when it’s initially posted, while others might distribute it over a longer period, to enable a pattern of likes and shares to develop.

Key variables in optimizing posting time

For many social media marketers, there are some specific variables to assess in determining most favorable posting times:  

  • Commute Schedule:  When there’s nothing else to do on the morning public transport commute, many users engage with social media.
  • Competitor Behavior:  Observe when your competitors post and when they seem to receive the most engagement.
  • Audience Profile: Younger audiences are more likely to turn to social media after dinner, versus older audiences who are still attached to network broadcasting for entertainment.
  • Platform Usage Patterns: Different platforms have different peak usage times. For example, LinkedIn daytime is relatively busier than evening Instagram.

A more sophisticated analysis will track engagement statistics not just for volume, but also for quality.  Analyze when your posts receive the highest engagement (likes, comments, shares), which can indicate when your audience is most active and most open to new offers. 

As always, continuously analyze your data and adjust your posting schedule based on what works best for your specific audience and goals.  The best posting times can evolve over time as your audience changes and social media trends shift.  Regularly review your analytics and be willing to adjust your strategy to maximize engagement and reach.

Advanced Account Management – Optimizing Hashtags

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Here is a quick reference article on the use of hashtags.  Using hashtags can significantly improve your content’s visibility, reach, and engagement on social media platforms.  

Choose Relevant Hashtags – just get started by researching possible tags, see which ones reflect your messaging themes, and also note which additional hashtags are most often connected to the ones you think would be most relevant.  Here is where you will find new possibilities that you can use as the basis for testing different tags.  Research hashtags that your competitors and industry leaders are using. This can give you insights into what’s popular and effective within your niche.

Use a combination of broad, niche, and specific hashtags. Broad hashtags might have high competition, while niche and specific ones can help you reach a more targeted audience.

Create branded hashtags.  Develop a unique hashtag for your brand or campaign.  Take inspiration from competitors and successful brand promotions from leading companies.  Branded hashtags can help build a community and encourage user-generated content.  At the same time, these are best used at a more mature stage in audience development.  A silent, unused hashtag would show your customers that you have not yet reached a broad appeal in the market.  If your followers have a very niche or distinguished identity, a branded hashtag can help build a sense of community identity.

Hashtags are best when the are short.  Avoid long and complicated hashtags. Keep them memorable, and easy to spell to encourage more users to engage with them.

Use location-based hashtags to show your unique presence in the community.

Check hashtag popularity.  Use tools like Instagram’s search bar or third-party platforms to check the popularity of hashtags. Balancing between popular and less competitive hashtags can improve your post’s visibility.

While one hashtag is not enough, 4 or 5 are too many.  Avoid overloading hashtags.  While platforms like Instagram allow many hashtags, avoid overloading.  Aim for quality.

Test and track hashtag performance.  This can be done by experimenting with different combinations of hashtags and track which ones perform best.  Analyze engagement and reach to refine your strategy.

Weave hashtags into Stories.  Add relevant hashtags to your Stories. They can help them appear in hashtag-related searches and increase discoverability. 

As with many things in life, the more you give the more you get.  The same is true of hashtags.  engage with hashtag communities.  Like, comment, and interact with other posters using the same hashtags. Positive engagement increases your content’s exposure and builds connections.

Hashtags effectiveness is driven by your audience and your content.  Regularly review your analytics to understand which hashtags are driving the most engagement and refine your strategy accordingly.

Social media marketing execution plan – pet boarding case study

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Social media is a powerful tool for local businesses to connect with potential customers, and is an essential part of the marketing strategy for any small retail business.

This case study will explore specific steps a local pet boarding business can take to leverage social media marketing and achieve success.

Meet Happy Paws Pet Boarding

Happy Paws is a cozy, family-run pet boarding facility known for its loving care and personalized attention. However, they faced the challenge of reaching a wider audience and attracting new clients.

The Social Media Strategy

Happy Paws identified their target audience – pet owners who prioritize their furry friends’ well-being. They focused on platforms popular with this demographic, like Instagram and Facebook.

Content is King

Visual Appeal: High-quality photos and videos showcasing happy pets playing, napping, and enjoying the facilities are key. Behind the Scenes: Introduce the staff, their experience, and daily routines to build trust.

Testimonials: Share positive reviews and heartwarming stories from satisfied customers.

Educational Content: Offer pet care tips, highlight boarding benefits (stress-free travel!), and address common concerns.

Interactive Engagement: Respond promptly to comments and messages, fostering a sense of community.

Run contests and giveaways: Encourage pet photos, adoption stories, or boarding questions. Offer free consultations or discounts as prizes.

Host live Q&A sessions: Address pet boarding anxieties and showcase your expertise.

Leverage pet holidays: Create fun content around National Dog Day or National Cat Day.

Paid Advertising: Utilize targeted social media ads to reach pet owners in your local area. Highlight special offers or promote specific services like puppy playtime or senior pet care.

Track and Analyze: Monitor post performance and audience engagement. Identify what resonates with your followers and adapt your strategy accordingly.

The Results

By consistently implementing these steps, pet boarding social media marketers can see a significant increase in social media followers through a continually growing community of engaged pet owners. Furthermore, more potential customers will explore your services, which leads to greater interest in booking inquiries

Conclusion

Happy Paws’ case study demonstrates the power of social media marketing for local pet boarding businesses. By focusing on high-quality content, audience engagement, and targeted advertising, you can build trust, attract new clients, and establish your business as a trusted pet care provider in your community.

Amping up your game with online referrals

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How do I get online referrals?

Getting online referrals involves encouraging your current customers, followers, and contacts to recommend your products or services to their networks.  Referrals can be a powerful way to expand your customer base and build trust with new prospects.  Many of the strategies for successful rules are the same strategies you would apply for any robust marketing plan. 

Are you effectively engaging your audience to encourage their referrals?   Put yourself at the top of your game in each of the following areas:

  • Deliver Exceptional Customer Service – No need to elaborate in detail.  Happy customers are more likely to refer you.  Enough said. 
  • Ask for Referrals – While this recommendation would fit very high on the “Obvious Scale”, it all-too-often sits very low on the “Did You Do It Scale”.  Ask your satisfied customers to refer your business to their friends, family, or colleagues.  You can include a request for referrals in your follow-up emails or order confirmations. 
  • Create a Referral Program – You can entice them for successful referrals through discounts or freebies.  Design a referral program that rewards customers for referring others.
  • Leverage Social Media – As always, encourage your social media followers to share their positive experiences with your products or services.  Share user-generated content and testimonials to showcase real experiences by satisfied customers.
  • Highlight Referral Stories – Share success stories of customers who were referred by others and had positive experiences. This can inspire others to refer and attract new customers.
  • Incorporate Referral Links – Include unique referral links to facilitate sharing.  These links can be tracked to identify successful referrals.
  • Send Personalized Invitations – Reach out to your most loyal customers with personalized invitations to join your referral program. Make them feel special and appreciated.
  • Use Referral Software – Invest in referral software that can automate the tracking of referrals and rewards. Referral Factory, Refersion and CrewFire are leading examples of referral tracking software that can be integrated into the marketing campaign to track characteristics of successful referral efforts. 
  • Run Contests and Giveaways – Host referral-based contests or giveaways where participants earn entries by referring others. This can generate excitement and encourage referrals.
  • Collaborate with Influencers – Partner with influencers or individuals who have a strong online presence. Their recommendations can carry weight and introduce your business to a new audience.
  • Show Appreciation – Recognize and thank customers who refer others. Publicly acknowledge their efforts on social media or through your marketing channels.
  • And finally, if something negative happens, immediate put out fires as fast as you can.  More effort is required to develop positive brand perceptions than negative ones. 

Building a strong referral program takes time and consistent effort. Make it easy for customers to refer others, and always focus on providing value and exceptional experiences. As you create a network of satisfied customers who are willing to refer, your business can grow through the power of word-of-mouth.