Business Improvement and Social media

I selected this article from Curatti written by Michael Brenner because it provides insights on the affect of digital marketing on consumers.

Understand digital marketing and avoid common mistakes

Dispelling Digital Marketing Myths

Effective marketing is not difficult -- it just takes a specific strategy. I agree that in order to best reach your audience you need to know what works and what does not.

Brenner explains what digital marketing means to your business and how to make it successful.

Here's what caught my attention:

• It's good practice to consistently produce great content. Articles need to be quality, and grab the reader's attention.

• A negative reaction online isn't always a bad thing to happen. Avoid trolls, but engage with those who are your loyal audience.

• Digital marketing encompasses many different mediums from blogs to email, and more. Be sure your content in these places is relevant to your target market.

Selected by Jan Gordon for Curatti covering Curation, Social Business and Beyond

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Read full article here: http://ow.ly/Szpe30cB7pe

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I selected this article from Curatti written by Shane Barker because it provides information on how to increase engagement on social media.

It's important to have a community that is interested in your brand content.

Drive Up Your Social Media Conversations

As you grow your audience online you will want to build lasting relationships with them. I agree that in order to encourage engagement you need to review your current strategy and make adjustments.

Barker explains how to post content that people will want to respond to.

Here's what caught my attention:

• Include humor in your tweets and posts. People want to be entertained, not just informed. Include images and relatable captions.

• You will improve your chances of being seen if you include great images. There are free online programs that can help you achieve this.

• Publish more video content -- these tend to get more reactions and feedback. Do this in between your images in a balanced way.

Selected by Jan Gordon for Curatti covering Curation, Social Business and Beyond

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Read full article here: http://ow.ly/EH1X30bMJkz

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I selected this article from Curatti written by Susan Gilbert because it shows you great tools to help improve your blog, Instagram strategy, and business sales.

Reach more customers and readers online with these great resources for business.

12 Marketing, Blog, and Business Tools for More Sales

With the right tools you can help your bottom line and reach grow. I agree that in order to build a business online it's important to take advantage of what's available.

Gilbert provides the best tools to help make your brand stand out on Instagram and your blog.

Here's what caught my attention:

• Pinterest is one of the best social networks to attract buyers and website subscribers. The jQuery Pin It Button highlights your blog images for easy pinning.

• You no longer have to just use a mobile device to manage your Instagram account(s). Grum helps you to schedule your images and posts ahead of time with related hashtags and emojis.

• There are a lot of CRM products out there -- one of the best to check out is from Hubspot. Their free tool helps you to gain valuable insights on your leads and monitor your community.

Selected by Jan Gordon for Curatti covering Curation, Social Business and Beyond

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Susan Gilbert writes about tools for better blogging, content marketing, CRM, Instagram and Pinterest tips.

My bloggin should excell from this article . These helpful tools will cause the time spent to be well worth it and not wasted.

I selected this article from Curatti written by Raymond Morin because it explains the latest results by Nielsen on the habits of social media users.

The biggest audience on social media is not millennials after all.

The Changing Landscape in Marketing Online

People between the ages of 35 and 50 spend the most amount of time on social networks. I agree that this reveals the younger generation prefer to spend their time on mobile devices.

Morin explains the details of the study and explains how brands need to respect the values of their community with genuine interactions on social media.

Here's what caught my attention:

• The use of social media differs according to the type of platform that is used. For example, on Facebook 178.8 million users log on with their smart phone in the U.S.

• Depending on the nature of the social network, the nature of the users also changes. They will interact in different ways with brands.

• Generations also have differences. Millenials are most likely to follow a business to gather information about them and to be entertained. Gen X'rs tend to follow for promotions, and Baby Boomers follow for promotions and information.

Selected by Jan Gordon for Curatti covering Curation, Social Business and Beyond

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I selected this article from Curatti written by Jenn Herman because it provides insights into how to better grow your Instagram community with the right hashtags.

It's important to use the right keywords for your niche to grow your reach on Instagram.

Improve Your Following on Instagram With Hashtags

Mobile audiences use specific topics to find a post or user. I agree that you can improve your marketing strategy by using these hashtags to draw the audience to you.

Herman explains how your posts can attract the right followers for your brand.

Here's what caught my attention:

• You need to know specifically what sets your posts apart rather than using generic terms. This will improve your chances of getting found in the 'top spots' on Instagram.

• The best method is to use 15-20 hashtags per post and then focus on the 4-5 popular ones. These need to be related to your posts, and have a high number of usage.

• The higher the engagement the more views your posts will get. Sometimes these can show up the the hashtag hubs for days or even weeks.

Selected by Jan Gordon for Curatti covering Curation, Social Business and Beyond

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As a non-user of Instagram, I understand the attraction of the application and the use of hashtags to gather as many like as possible. However, I fail to understand the prevalence of such a technology in our world today. An article on how to use hashtags as effectively as possible? When did it become a necessity for us to write about getting as many likes and affirmation as possible? If I were to use Instagram, I would treat hashtags as a way to simply and deconstruct the message that my photo was trying to convey. For example, if I were to post a photo of an art piece, instead of writing a detailed explanation of the piece which most would not want to read about, I would use hashtags to highlight whatever it is I wish to express to my followers. While I understand that Instagram may be attractive because it lets us in on our friends’ lives and serves as a platform for us to receive affirmation from our peers, I do not think we should rely on Instagram so heavily to the extent that we write articles on how to make our posts more popular and well received. We should make use of this application to share our photos and activities with our friends, as well as show appreciation to others through this platform.

I selected this article from Curatti written by Paolo Fabrizio because it explains how to use social customer service to better connect with your customers.

Integrating digital channels can help you improve your sales and customer relations.

Make Better Connections Through Social Customer Service

You can nurture your customers each and every day. I agree that you can reach them through specific platforms and technology.

Fabrizio shows you several ways to improve your social customer service with mobile and other social channels.

Here's what caught my attention:

• The use of smart phones has changed the way buyers interact with businesses. Mobile makes it faster and more comfortable to get the answers we need.

• Your brand can't afford to to waste time and money on the wrong digital platforms. It's important to carefully choose the best one for your business before taking on too much.

• Leverage live video events to answer your customers' pressing questions. This increases brand awareness and spreads the word about your business.

Selected by Jan Gordon for Curatti covering Curation, Social Business and Beyond

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Read full article here: http://ow.ly/O1E0309EFxJ

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I selected this article from Curatti written by Jenn Herman because it provides a close look at the types of social media followers your business needs to have.

It's important to have a community that is invested in your brand.

The Importance of Quality Social Media Followers

While you can grow a large audience quickly this may not necessarily be a benefit to your influence online. I agree that is it better to focus on the quality of the follower and not the big numbers.

Herman explains how to attract authentic followers who are interested in what your business has to offer.

Here's what caught my attention:

• The number of followers still matters if you want your content to be shared. They key is to have a targeted audience who will spread the word.

• Instead of focusing on higher numbers produce quality content instead. Along with this provide great social customer service.

• Set realistic goals on your social platform growth. For example, a ten percent increase each month. This is subject to fluctuations and changes as you monitor your accounts.

Selected by Jan Gordon for Curatti covering Curation, Social Business and Beyond

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I selected this article from Curatti written by Paolo Fabrizio because it explains how to choose the right platform to handle customer service through social media.

Interacting with your customers takes attention to all digital channels where they are active.

Establish a Successful Social Customer Service System

Being attentive and involved with your customers is the key to growth and trust in your business. I agree that you can better provide for them by choosing the right management system.

Fabrizio shows you several ways to improve your customer service on social media with the right platform.

Here's what caught my attention:

• Create a plan of action before choosing a platform. This enables your business to make the right decisions at the right time -- especially when a team is involved.

• When looking at various services you will want to take a look at their capabilities. This includes omni-channel support, in-depth analytics, and whether is it fully scalable.

• There are a few things that are essential when choosing a social customer service platform. Things such as CRM integration, tasks allocation, sentiment interactions tracking, and more.

Selected by Jan Gordon for Curatti covering Curation, Social Business and Beyond

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I selected this article from Curatti written by Susan Gilbert because it shows you great tools to help create a successful marketing strategy.

Create more growth for your business with the right marketing tools.

12 Top Performing Marketing Resources

In order to improve your ROI and sales you need to have the right tools in place. I agree that in order to attract a larger audience it's important to take advantage of what's available.

Gilbert provides the best tools to help make your content go a lot farther with more conversions.

Here's what caught my attention:

• Get your important projects done quickly and efficiently with Producteev. There is easy access to your customers' projects that can be shared with your team members.

• Find the right content to share with your target market with SparksFly. This app helps you to follow the right people and topics that can be shared via email and on social media.

• Monitor your brand as conversations and shares take place with Mention. Generate statistics and alerts in order to stay on track with your marketing performance.

Selected by Jan Gordon for Curatti covering Curation, Social Business and Beyond

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I selected this article from Curatti written by Timothy (Tim) Hughes because it provides new insights into how to better connect with your social media community.

It's important to connect with your fans and followers instead of just advertising to them.

Understand the Right Way to Interact as a Brand

Social media users are looking for authenticity, not sales. I agree that you can appeal to their needs by letting go of traditional sales and advertising methods.

Hughes shows how to get to know your audience better in order to provide value and increase sales.

Here's what caught my attention:

• "Social now reaches across the whole organisation, not just sales and marketing but human resources, finance, purchasing, research and development, returns, after market, supply chain, etc."

• "Your organisation needs a “top down and bottom up” social strategy that reaches across all departments. Where everybody know what the strategy is, how to interact with customers, the tone of voice and brand message."

• "People are more likely to buy from friends, from people they have a relationship with, people they feel have something in common with, and people they have been recommended. Build relationships on Social and those people are more likely to buy from you."

Selected by Jan Gordon for Curatti covering Curation, Social Business and Beyond

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I selected this article from Curatti written by Jenn Herman because it provides new insights into how to better connect with your Instagram community.

It's important to know who your followers are more than how many.

Improve Your Communication on Instagram

Mobile audiences are looking for authenticity. I agree that you can appeal to your prospects with benefits and rewards that show them you care.

Herman shows how to get to know your Instagram followers better in order to provide value.

Here's what caught my attention:

• The best type of follower can mean several things. It includes those who engage with your posts, how influential they are, and how likely they are to make a purchase from you.

• If you have been using Instagram for a while take a look at the activity that has already taken place to discover who your followers are. Make sure they are intersted in what you have to offer.

• Attract better followers through creative posts. Engage with your community and ask them questions. Tag specific people in your posts when mentioning something about them.

Selected by Jan Gordon for Curatti covering Curation, Social Business and Beyond

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Read full article here: http://ow.ly/idA33078zgu

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I selected this article from Curatti written by Susan Gilbert because it provides information on how to increase engagement on social media.

In order to stay ahead of the competition it's important to effectively reach your target market.

Drive Up Your Social Media Sales

As you grow your audience on social media you will want to build trusted relationships with them. I agree that in order to attract new customers you need to focus on approaching your audience in an authentic way.

Gilbert explains how to best approach your social media marketing in a non-sales way.

Here's what caught my attention:

• Engage on Facebook -- especially in groups. This is still one the top places to build your brand and a community. Once you establish relationships there you can lead them to your Page.

• On Twitter take advantage of trending hashtags and engage in live chats and contests. There is still a viable audience who is interested in what your brand has to offer there.

• Get active with mobile marketing and start posting and engaging. Include SMS text messaging or push notifications as a part of this strategy.

Selected by Jan Gordon for Curatti covering Curation, Social Business and Beyond

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I selected this article from Curatti written by Jenn Herman because it provides insights into how to better grow your Instagram community with the right followers.

It's important to attract the right followers for your target market to authentically grow your reach on Instagram.

How to Have a Quality Following on Instagram

It's tempting to look more at the number of followers rather than how they are actually benefitting your brand. I agree that you can improve your mobile strategy by attracting the right people.

Herman explains how to best grow your profile with the right connections.

Here's what caught my attention:

• Use specific hashtags for events and conferences in your niche. Go through these posts and 'like' them throughout the day.

• Check out the competition and influencers to see who they are following. If the accounts relate to your business then follow these and engage on their posts.

• Ask your community to tag their friends in your posts. Don't do this all of the time, but rather mix it into your mobile marketing strategy.

Selected by Jan Gordon for Curatti covering Curation, Social Business and Beyond

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Read full article here: http://ow.ly/Kx1930bhhCU

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I selected this article from Curatti written by Keri Jaehnig because it provides insight on how to effectively use Facebook Stories for your business.

How to build more trust and increase awareness for your brand.

Use Facebook Stories to Improve Your Reach

Stories are not just about fun and games. I agree that businesses can leverage these in order to reach their audiences in a more personalized way.

Jaehnig provides insights into how to best use Facebook Stories to reach your followers and beyond.

Here's what caught my attention:

• It's important to do a test drive of this new feature. Stories is similar to Snapchat and Instagram Stories -- but there are a few differences unique to Facebook.

• Make your updates quick and frequent for your audience to enjoy. For some businesses posting a few times a day can work well while others can stick to once a day or every other day.

• Show your audience a "slice of life." Your Fans want to see your company as real and authentic to them. Include selfies and video showcasing parts of your day with a specific theme.

Selected by Jan Gordon for Curatti covering Curation, Social Business and Beyond

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Here's some tips on how to use Facebook Stories to market your business.

In our latest Curatti interview, Greg Cooper talks about the benefits of LinkedIn for business.

"This video is based on my original Curatti article titled “8 Reasons Why You Are Not Getting More Business from LinkedIn”.

LinkedIn is most widely used and credible online venue for businesses of all sizes. No other platform provides both the depth of information about your target audience and the ability to quickly find, connect and engage with that audience. Yet many businesses are failing to take full advantage of this opportunity.

Some of the areas covered in this approximately 20-minute interview include:

• The importance of creating a complete and compelling profile
• Why you need an All-Star profile
• How to build a relevant and opportunity rich network
• What is the right size for a LinkedIn network?
• Which types of content work best?
• How to use LinkedIn search to quickly find your ideal prospects
• Building a virtual team to support and share your content
• How much time to spend on LinkedIn
• Why little and often is the most practical strategy for most people

I also share several real-life examples of businesses who have enjoyed great success with LinkedIn, including one business which has turned LinkedIn into a lead generation conveyor belt.

The Curatti On Air LinkedIn Interview

In this interview, I discuss some of the reasons why so many businesses fail to take advantage of the benefits of LinkedIn.  It was a vibrant and enjoyable conversation with Curatti’s Andy Capaloff and host, Cheryl Tan."

Watch the full video here.

I selected this article from Curatti written by Ian Naylor because it explains how to develop a strong social media strategy that works for your business.

It's important to build solid objectives in order to be successful in social media marketing.

Common Social Media Mistakes

While you can create a social media account and begin tweeting or posting this will not guarantee solid growth. I agree that it takes focus and dedication to get real results.

Naylor explains what to avoid and how to properly grow your social brand.

Here's what caught my attention:

• Avoid spreading yourself too thin on too many networks. Focus on one and then move up from there. It takes time and dedication to develop your community.

• Include the human touch in your accounts rather than just relying on automation or standard content. When people see the same messages they become bored quickly and move on.

• It's important to include video as a part of your marketing strategy. People are especially drawn to this medium -- especially live stream broadcasts.

Selected by Jan Gordon for Curatti covering Curation, Social Business and Beyond

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I selected this article from Curatti written by Nazareth Qarbozian because it provides insights on the future of social media marketing.

The world of technology is changing the way we strategize our marketing

How Social Media Will Change This Year and Beyond

Mobile technology and social media have both transformed the way we do business online. In this exclusive interview I cover what's in store for marketers.

Qarbozian asks about how companies will handle these new changes and what automation looks like today.

Here's what caught my attention:

• While video is growing in importance content is still a vital component to building trust. It's best to focus on the pressing needs of your customers.

• The days of automation and impersonal communication have now passed. Messages are now more tailored and customized for the audience.

• As you stay on top of the latest trends and technology add influencers to that list. For example, Gen Z is a demographic growing in importance.

Selected by Jan Gordon for Curatti covering Curation, Social Business and Beyond

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Read full article here: http://ow.ly/VXnZ309c8L1

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Bookmark and keep handy. Some of the best new tools.

I selected this article from Curatti written by Susan Gilbert because it shows you great tools to help create a successful digital content strategy.

Help create a more efficient WordPress website and content reach for your blog posts.

12 Great Digital Content Marketing Tools

With the right plugins and tools you can help your brand stand out. I agree that in order to attract more a larger audience it's important to take advantage of what's available.

Gilbert provides the best tools to help make your content reach a more successful one.

Here's what caught my attention:

• Find out what your website visitors are looking for through heatmaps, statistics, and behavior. Hotjar will help you understand these things and more.

• Handle multiple types of content from one place. Zerys allows you to use their dedicated project management to produce the best article for your target market.

• Simplify Facebook Messenger and stay in touch with your Fans and followers. Goofy helps you manage this mobile app right from your Apple computer without having to use a smart device.

Selected by Jan Gordon for Curatti covering Curation, Social Business and Beyond

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I selected this article from Curatti written by Martin Shervington because it explains how to successfully connect with your customers.

True marketing today is based on customer service online

Bring More to Your Clients

Being active and involved with your customers is the key to growth in sales. I agree that your business can better provide for them by staying on top of questions and feedback.

Shervington shows you several ways to improve your customer service strategy through relationship building.

Here's what caught my attention:

• When using social listening your business will need to pay attention to both the facts and the emotions of your community in order to be effective in meeting their needs.

• Evaluate your current sales process and how you are following up with your customers. Find out what results this is producing -- more than likely this can be improved upon.

• If your company includes a team or employees make use of their knowledge and expertise. This provides a friendly atmosphere for your clients.

Selected by Jan Gordon for Curatti covering Curation, Social Business and Beyond

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I selected this article from Curatti written by Daniel Newman because it provides insights on the state of marketing in 2017.

Visibility is still an important factor in developing a marketing strategy.

Understanding The New Marketing Trends

How customers see your business impacts your visibility online. I agree that in order to garner their attention in this next year you need find out what they are looking for in a brand, and why.

Newman shows the latest changes in marketing and the impact that digital technology has played.

Here's what caught my attention:

• In the age of digital transformation it will be even more important to be focused on your customers. The most successful will be able to understand their target market.

• Executives must be data-driven in order to effectively engage and measure their campaigns. Technology will continue to be a necessary component.

• While content is still king it is video that continues to climb to the top in preference for audiences. Augmented reality will also play a large part in online engagement.

Selected by Jan Gordon for Curatti covering Curation, Social Business and Beyond

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Read full article here: http://ow.ly/lER0307urTw

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I selected this article from Curatti written by Michael Brenner because it shows you how to create a successful content strategy from ten top resources.

Gain more social engagement and shares for your articles.

Top Content Marketing Tools

In order to take your content strategy to the next level you need to have the right resources. I agree that in order to be effective it's important to leverage what's available.

Brenner provides 10 tools you can use to make your content strategy reach a larger audience.

Here's what caught my attention:

• Knowing when to post on social media can be tricky. Social Flow will help you find the best times for your target market and location.

• Find the best content by analyzing topics with BuzzSumo. This smart tool will also help you connect with influencers in your industry.

• Gain more targeted followers on Twitter with Tweepi. This resource reviews the topics you care most about then matches followers with your brand.

Selected by Jan Gordon for Curatti covering Curation, Social Business and Beyond

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I selected this article from Curatti written by Shelly Kramer because it explains how to best measure your social network ROI.

B2B marketers need to show the value of their social media strategy.

Is Your Marketing Strategy Generating New Business?

It's important to get an accurate assessment of your social media marketing. I agree that B2B's need to back up their claims with hard data in order to win over their clients.

Kramer shows how to effectively gather the right information and metrics in order to build a solid marketing profile.

Here's what caught my attention:

• Your conversions are an important element into showing how well your social networks are attracting new leads. Take a look at the qualified leads these channels are delivering as well as the closed deals because of these.

• It's more important to have social shares than engagement. That is because people don't often engage with content -- but sharing displays its relevancy.

• Two way communication or feedback is a good sign that your community is interested in your content. You need to be building the right kind of audience who will want to buy your product or service.

Selected by Jan Gordon for Curatti covering Curation, Social Business and Beyond

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