Brian Meert's Blog, page 59

iOS14’s App Tracking Transparency Feature to Arrive Early Spring

JAN. 28, 2021

Apple’s iOS14 App Tracking Transparency feature is expected to be the default setting for all users come early spring, reports TechCrunch.

The iOS14 feature requires users to opt-in to data tracking, preventing Facebook advertisers (among other digital online advertisers) from adequately gathering data on their target audiences. This update will affect data collection, and it has, in fact, led Facebook to create changes to ads. Recently, for example, Facebook has been rolling out the new Attribution Settings, which no longer includes the 28-day click window.

Changes to ads have resulted in glitches. Last week, an account manager from AdvertiseMint saw that data for an account disappeared, only to return after a two-hour period. Glitches like this should be anticipated while Facebook continues to roll out changes to the ad system.

The iOS14 update has rattled Facebook advertisers, afraid that Facebook’s data-tracking powers and precision-point targeting — capabilities the social media company has been known for — will no longer be as it was. Many question whether Facebook advertising will be as effective, and they can only wait until spring to see the full effects of Apple’s new software update.

By Anne Felicitas

8 B2B Instagram Marketing Strategies

JAN. 27, 2021

B2B companies require a creative and well-formulated marketing plan. When most businesses think about B2B marketing strategies, they tend to focus on outbound and direct techniques such as sending messages to prospective clients. As the world has switched to social media, it is vital to utilize its potential. One of the biggest social media platforms you can use to grow your B2B Company is Instagram.

 Successful companies know just how important Instagram is to boost their brand reach and find opportunities. The best thing about the social media giant is that it allows you to attract more customers and monitor competitor activity easily. If you are interested in Instagram marketing, the following strategies will help you take your business to the next level.

1. Focus on Quality  

When it comes to Instagram marketing or digital marketing in general, quality is everything. The fact is that the number of your followers and engagement is just as important as the influence you have over them. Now, it might be possible to build a following on Instagram quickly. However, it will not help you meet marketing objectives unless those followers are genuine and value what you have to offer. This is why you have to consider every post before uploading it. 

Make sure that whatever you post is of high-quality so that it helps boost your ROI. The goal should always be quality and not quantity. Having five quality images is a lot better than posting ten low-quality pictures.  For example, if you visit Tiffany & Co’s Instagram page, you will be drawn to their content. Similarly, you should also strive to develop informative content that is visually appealing as well.

2. Create Unique Content

To stand out in the world of today, you need to create unique content. Think about the type of content you want to post and try to make it unique so that it has a higher chance of going viral. 

High-quality content can only go a long way if it is also unique. People like to look at authentic content. Turn heads by trying something different from your competition. Take a leaf from Madewell’s account.

The company has been constantly praised for its unique content. Just before product launch, Madewell’s account provides unique information to get users hooked. You will notice how the brand does not use stock photography but, instead, posts authentic content.

3. Use Focused and Specific Hashtags

Another B2B Instagram marketing strategy that you can try is using focused and specific hashtags. Start by doing some hashtag research. Now, your audience is there somewhere. You only need to know where to find them.

To boost your chances of your audience finding you, you can create a hashtag for your business. It will help bring relevant users to your profile. 

Creating branded hashtags is also very effective. It allows users to participate in the conversation. You can learn a lot about branded strategies from these campaigns. 

4. Optimize Profile and Posts for Users to Search on Instagram

A great strategy that you need to try is optimizing your profile and posts so that users have an easier time searching for your brand on Instagram. 

Instagram has its own search function that works just like Google. It means that users will have an easier time finding your content if you optimize your profile and posts for search. Follow SEO techniques for your Instagram posts. The following tips will prove useful:

Add your brand name in the bio.Use keywords in your hashtags.Include secondary keywords in the image captions.5. Opt for User-Generated Content

Some of the biggest brands have embraced user-generated content, and so should you. The perfect example of a platform that does a great job posting user-generated content is Etsy. Its profile consists of beautiful works of art. 

By posting user-generated content, you get to attract both B2B and B2C customers. It offers the best of both worlds. Besides, it requires minimal effort as you can ask users to post content and tag you. Then, you can repost the content that you find interesting.

6. Engage with Followers

To keep things exciting, you need to introduce a strategy that engages with followers. No amount of ads will keep users hooked to your profile and encourage them to buy from you better than engaging content.  

The secret of mastering brand engagement is active and transparent. Allow potential customers to interact with the business easily. It will help create a loyal community of followers. 

Since Instagram is filled with fake comments, your business might not appear in the best light. The only way to counter this is by engaging with followers and showing potential customers that the brand is worth the hype.

7. Showcase Physical Products

To attract people to your brand, you need to showcase your physical products on Instagram. Display your products in their full glory. 

Boeing is the ideal example of how you can show off what you have to offer. A look at their Instagram profile will open your eyes to the potential of showcasing your products. 

8. Video Marketing

Finally, you need to invest in video marketing. Since humans are visual creatures, they are more likely to be drawn to videos. Images might work well with B2C customers, but B2B customers need more information. This is where videos come in handy.

A close look at Shopify’s Instagram account will make you see how you can post videos. The brand offers great ideas, such as posting tips about getting the most of the site and appearing in a positive light. Take advantage of video marketing to boost your Instagram presence.

B2B Instagram Marketing Strategies

Since Instagram is continuously evolving, you need to stay ahead of the pack by trying out new things. Never stick to the same thing. 

B2B Instagram marketing strategies allow you to expand your reach, boost engagement, and increase conversions. From focusing on quality to investing in video marketing, all of the strategies mentioned can help you reach new heights. 

Why Did My Analytics Data for Facebook Ads Disappear?

FEB. 25, 2021

If you logged into Ads Manager, clicked on analytics for your Facebook ads, and found that — alas! — all of your data somehow disappeared, don’t panic too much. The data will return within a matter of hours, and in fact, one of AdvertiseMint’s account managers experienced the same problem.

Here is what our account manager found upon logging  in to his account:

Kenny Khu / AdvertiseMint

The data for delivery, reach, frequency, and impressions has completely — poof! — disappeared. If you’re wondering why this glitch is happening, our team at AdvertiseMint has one suspicion: The changes Facebook is making in response to iOS14 is causing problems.

The same day the glitch occurred (last week) was the same day Facebook’s changes rolled out. In fact, our team at AdvertiseMint caught the changes that were created for iOS14.

 

Doug Sirkoch / AdvertiseMint

If you’re unaware, Facebook announced last week that the social media company is making changes to its attribution window, in response to the upcoming Apple iOS14 update that will make it harder for Facebook to track users’ online behavior. This change has already rolled out to some accounts (including AdvertiseMint’s) and will likely continue to roll out till the end of January. We suspect this roll out will come with glitches, as well as other future roll outs for iOS14. So, keep a look out for anything strange happening to your accounts.

If you noticed your data for Facebook ads disappeared out of nowhere, don’t panic too much, as it will return within two hours at the earliest. Keep an eye out, and if changes persist for too long, contact your Facebook marketing partner.

4 Social Media Marketing Tips to Earn More Traffic for Your Local Business

Jan. 18, 2021

Polina Tankilevitch / Pexels

Social media marketing is vital to engaging with your target audience and reaching out to your prospects.

As per 2019 stats, social media has 3.5 billion global active users. And 97% of customers between 18 to 34 years read online reviews to evaluate a local business.

Also, if you look at the Local Consumer Review Survey 2020, 34% of consumers said that they used the internet to find local business information in 2020.

So, you might want to use social media to reach your target audience. In this article, we will be looking at four social media marketing tips to earn more traffic for your local business.

Choose the Right Social Media Platform

Different social media platforms have different types of audiences. Depending on your target audience, you should choose the right social media platform.

Here’s some information on the type of audience on two popular social channels and what they are best for:

Facebook

The majority of Facebook users are usually 25 years or older. You can use Facebook to share different types of content. Videos, milestones, infographics, behind-the-scenes snippets, and competitions are content that works best on Facebook.

Also, a great way to reach more people is by using Facebook’s local business promotion. Local business promotions will let you reach as many people as possible.

If there are people who don’t respond to your posts, you can run local business promotion ads. You can either set up the ad using Ads Manager or set it up directly from your page. 

There is an advantage to setting it up from your page, as you can select from several call-to-action buttons to help you drive sales and inquiries.

Instagram

Instagram is another great platform to earn more traffic for your local businesses, especially if your business is more visually appealing. 

To use Instagram for your local business, first, set up a business profile. It will give you access to your analytics, the Ads dashboard, and allow you to add users that can manage your account.

Consider using a free service like LinkTree to add several links in your bio and direct your clients to the right place. Since Instagram is driven by visuals, your posts will not get enough traction unless your images are engaging. 

It is best to select a theme and stick with it. It will create consistency. Also, conduct a little research on which hashtags to use.  Studying your competitors, using location-specific hashtags, and using relevant hashtags that suit your brand and content are some great tips.

While creating stories, if possible, add text overlay that includes talking.

Also, by going Live, you can share events and in-the-moment announcements. Live videos are interactive, and it makes it possible to answer questions in the moment, thus giving you an effective way to engage with your audience. 

Run Contests and Offer Special Discounts 

Many people follow your brands on social media in hopes of getting special offers. So, a great way to gain followers and drive sales is to offer discounts to your social media followers.

Here’s an example of how Yo Yogurt in Marlboro, NJ ran their “Let’s YO! Name Fame” on their Facebook page and offers a 50% discount for a name every day.

Lets Yo! / Facebook 

You can also engage your prospects in a contest by having fun and strengthening your relationship with them.

Instagram is another social media platform to win over more customers for your local business. 

The use of Instagram has been increasing rapidly, reaching over 1.5 billion users internationally as of December 2019. Thus, it is a great idea to add this social media channel to your marketing campaign.

Take this example of an Instagram contest by Cellucor, an American sports nutrition brand: 

It’s a mix of a hashtag contest and a giveaway contest. The entrants were asked to follow the brand’s Instagram page, tag three friends, and like the photo.

A contest like this is bound to get a lot of traction to your local business’ page and eventually, many of those visitors will even visit your store to check out more products. 

Apart from this, here are some more types of Instagram contests that you can run to engage your audience.

Instagram hashtag contestsPhoto contest of selfiesPhoto contest with your productIn-store photo contests‘Like’ and ‘follow’ to win Instagram contestsHarness the Power of User-Generated Content

User-generated content can make your audience feel engaged, and it saves you from having to create content. Statistics suggest that user-generated content on social media channels gets 28% higher engagement  as opposed to standard company posts.

Also, people trust user-generated content over a generic marketing copy. As per other stats, 92% of consumers trust UGC and brands saw a 50% conversion rate for visitors to pages featuring UGC.

Source: Tintup.com

Some ways to get UGC to use on social media include:

Contests: Run a contest and ask your followers to send in their video testimonials of your product or photos of them using it. The UGC you gather will most probably be more valuable than whatever you pick as your prize.Reviews: Apart from the UGC that you gather on your social media platforms, you can also visit third-party websites, like TrustPilot or TripAdvisor.Q&A sessions: Q&A sessions become especially useful if you are able to offer a range of products with different solutions. The insights can then be used to craft your campaigns and products. You can also consider posting about them.Blog posts: You can collaborate with bloggers but ensure that you’re partnering with someone who shares the same brand values and audience.

Also, have a look at the digital adoption solution by Whatfix, which promises increased application adoption rates and decreased content creation time, among other benefits. You can leverage such tools to put out content more quickly to engage your target audience. 

Use Social Listening

Social listening is the process of tracking your social media platforms for mentions and conversations about your brand. You can then analyze them to gain insights and discover chances to act.

Social listening is a two-step process. You can either monitor social media networks for mentions of your brand, competitors, products, and keywords associated with your business. Or analyze the information and find opportunities to put what you have learned into action. It could be anything from responding to a happy client or shifting the position of your entire brand.

Note that social media monitoring is different from social listening. While social media monitoring looks at metrics like engagement rate and the number of mentions, social listening looks at the mood behind the data.

It will let you understand how people feel about your brand and your competitors. In turn, you will be able to use this knowledge to improve your marketing and product development efforts. Plus, you will be able to respond right away to positive or negative posts.

Some of the most significant benefits of social listening include gaining the opportunity to engage with your clients about your brand, tracking competitors, discovering new sales leads, and the chance to identify influencers and advocates.

Wrapping-Up

By connecting with your potential customers on a social media channel, you can generate leads and build real engagement. More and more people are searching for information about local businesses online. You will be missing out on a lot if you don’t leverage the opportunity and take your business online. Follow the four social media marketing tips mentioned in this article to earn more footfalls for your local business.

By Hazel Raoult

Here Are All of the Updates About iOS14

Jan. 20, 2021

Mateusz Dach / Pexels

The changes that come with the Apple iOS update has caused quite a stir among Facebook advertisers, who worry that their ad performance will become negatively affected — and their concerns are valid. According to Facebook, Apple’s new AppTracking Transparency (ATT) prompt will limit its data-gathering capabilities.

Since the announcement of iOS14, Facebook has been planning to make changes to the ad system, and some of those changes have already rolled out. If you want to track the changes Facebook has been making or has planned to make in anticipation of the Apple update, you can refer to this resource.

Facebook Is Changing Attribution Settings

Facebook is making changes to its attribution window as a result of the upcoming Apple iOS14 update that will limit Facebook’s ability to track users’ online behavior. Specifically, once the update rolls out (called the AppTracking Transparency prompt) Facebook advertisers will have a harder time optimizing, targeting, and reporting on web events due to the impact on data sharing. Read more.

Apple’s iOS 14 Update Will Affect Facebook Ad Targeting: Here’s What to Do

Back in June, Apple announced a slew of updates with the roll out of iOS 14. Among the changes include stronger privacy settings, which require apps to ask permission before collecting and sharing data. This update will affect Facebook advertisers’ ad campaigns, in particular, ads placed on the Audience Network. According to an announcement by Facebook, iOS 14 will impact advertisers’ ability to accurately target and measure Audience Network ads, which will result in decreased monetization. Read more.

Facebook Is Changing Attribution Settings As a Result of the iOS14 Update

Jan. 1, 2021

Jess Bailey Designs / PexelsFacebook is making changes to its attribution window, as a result of the upcoming Apple iOS14 update that will limit Facebook’s ability to track users’ online behavior.Specifically, once the update rolls out (called the AppTracking Transparency prompt) Facebook advertisers will have a harder time optimizing, targeting, and reporting on web events due to the impact on data sharing. According to Facebook, the account-level attribution window will be replaced by a new attribution setting at the ad set level. (This is accessible under the “Optimization and Delivery” tab.) This change has already rolled out to some accounts and will likely continue to roll out till the end of January.

Doug Sirkoch / AdvertiseMint

This is what the new attribution setting will include:

one-day clickseven-day click (default after prompt enforcement)one-day click and one-day viewseven-day click and one-day view (initial default)

As you can see, the 28-day window is no longer included, and the new windows are more short-term than long-term.

For some ad accounts, the default  seven-day click and one-day view attribution setting has already rolled out to both active campaigns and future campaigns. If you’re currently running ads, expect their attribution settings to change during the roll out. When this happens, you’ll see your delivery remaining the same but your conversion decreasing. If your campaigns are currently running with a 28-day click and one-day view setting, expect your conversions to be even more affected.Doug Sirkoch /AdvertiseMint

To access the new attribution setting, got to the ad-set level then go to the “Optimization and Delivery” section. This will replace the conversion window selection.

Although the new attribution settings have already rolled out to several ad accounts, you can still access data for all attribution windows, even the ones that have been phased out, like the 28-day window. This will continue until Apple has rolled out the iOS14 update.

Facebook has been preparing for the Apple iOS14 update since August when the software company announced changes that come with the update. To track more Facebook ad changes to come because of iOS14, follow the iOS14 updates sheet.

How to Go Viral on TikTok: From 0-100K Followers Fast

Jan. 20, 2021

cottonbro / Pexels

Social media is a powerful branding tool for small businesses and start-ups. When interviewing business owners for the UpFlip blog, the majority cite social media platforms as their most productive marketing channel.

For some, like Mile High Productions, social media is the only marketing they do—and they’ve used it to grow a $35,000-per-month photography business. That’s how powerful social media can be for a small business.

Today, marketing on social media means more than the occasional tweet or asking customers to check in on Facebook. With over 800 million active users, TikTok is the 4th largest social media platform, and it’s especially popular with Millennials and Gen Z users.

Adding TikTok to your social media marketing is a smart move, but the platform does require a different approach than even other video-based channels like YouTube. What’s the secret to going viral on TikTok? Here are some tips that will get you started.

1. Keep your videos short.

One crucial aspect of going viral on TikTok is understanding how the platform determines video success. How many people click the video is less important than how much of it they watch.

Ideally, you want people to view your entire video. Creating engaging content is one way to do this, but there’s an even easier way to improve your success: keep your videos short.

TikTok’s maximum video length is 60 seconds, but most viral videos are less than half that. According to social medial experts, 16 seconds is the optimal length.

2. Choose the right song.

When you upload your video, you’ll have the option to add a song. This is an important aspect of the platform. Users can search for videos based on which song they use, so picking a popular or trending song can help your video go viral.

There are a couple of ways to see which songs are trending on TikTok. The easiest is to log in through a desktop and go to the “Discover” section of the “Watch Now” page. There will be a list of popular sounds and songs down the right side of the screen.

Even if your video has other audio, you can add a song and adjust the volume so it’s in the background. Having said that, you don’t want the song to feel like an afterthought. The most successful videos integrate or reference the song in some way.

Be creative in how you play with the songs in your videos. Making a pun on the title or lyrics can be a fun, clever way to incorporate the music (and tends to attract viewers, too).

3. Create worthwhile content.

Many viral TikTok videos are just for fun and entertainment, and that’s one kind of value you can offer. Just as popular, though, are videos that tell a story, demonstrate a tip, or share useful knowledge.

Knowledge-based videos have the benefit of establishing you as an expert in your field while they build the visibility of your brand. Use text and bullet points to clarify your message and guide the viewer through the video.

Recent statistics show that 55% of buyers research products on social media, and TikTok is increasingly where they go to do so. Product reviews are some of the most popular videos on the platform, and can be an excellent way to bring in new viewers.

4. End with a strong call to action.

Going viral isn’t your end goal. It’s great to get a lot of eyes on your video, but to really be successful, you need to get those viewers to follow you or go to your site—and that’s where the call to action comes in.

A good call to action can also help your video become viral. The more engagement your video gets, the more people will see it. Comments are weighted heavily by TikTok’s engagement algorithm, though lots of likes and shares can also push you up the rankings.

The call to action shouldn’t feel like it’s just tagged on to the end. The more naturally you integrate it into the video, the more successful it will be.

5. Engage with the community.

This starts with the people who view your videos. Replying to comments can start a conversation, and that’s a great way to get the attention of TikTok’s algorithm.

You can also increase your visibility on the platform by following other creators and engaging with their content. Just like Instagram and YouTube, TikTok has influencers whose videos get millions of views a day.

If you identify and follow the top creators in your niche, you can keep up with current trends and interact with potential viewers for your content. Regularly like, share, and comment on videos from these users as part of your TikTok marketing plan.

The duet tool is a unique feature of TikTok that can be particularly helpful for engaging with other creators. With it, you create your own video that plays alongside the original. This can be used to answer a question, show your reaction, or interact with the original in a host of creative ways.

Making a duet is more labor-intensive than other forms of engagement, but it can also be a great way to piggyback off of the popularity of a trending video and bring in a slew of new followers and viewers.

The Bottom Line

TikTok is at its core another platform for content marketing, and for the most part all of those same rules apply. The best videos are both entertaining and provide value to the viewer. Do that, and you’ll build a base of loyal followers.

One unique thing about TikTok compared to other platforms is that it’s a true meritocracy. Whether you have one follower or one million, your video will get the same shot to grab the audience’s attention. It’s all about engagement. The more people click on your video, the larger its potential audience will be.

If you’re still not sure what kind of content is best for TikTok, spend some time on the platform and check out the trending videos. The better you’re able to catch and hold viewers’ attention, the more successful your TikTok marketing will be.  

How to Integrate Email Marketing with Your Social Media Efforts

Feb. 18, 2021

Torsten Dettlaff / Pexels

If you’re thinking of two of the most effective and widely used digital channels in the customer acquisition realm, social media along with email marketing will top the list. Rather than arguing between the two, try integrating the them for a better experience.  

Image source: einsteinmarketer.com

These two channels consist of very different natures but when it comes to forming successful strategies, they can work really well together. Social media is an effective platform in building trust, creating traffic, and expanding reach.

This makes social media fit for building a strong brand image while email can be seen in a more private light, making it efficient for personalizing direct communication and sales.

The Benefits of Social Media & Email Marketing Integration

Here are four reasons why integrating email marketing with social media is beneficial for your brand:

1. Enhances the Marketing Metrics  

When the same social media marketing principle is applied to your emails, it allows readers to easily share emails and improves the chances of getting much better opens and click-throughs. This further increases the rate of conversion.

2. Increases Subscribers

If people are posting and talking about your emails on social media, it helps enhance publicity for your brand. Hence, more people get to learn and know about your emails. This provides a better chance of email subscription growth. 

3. Recognizes & Distinguishes the Influencers

Using the information received from email service providers, one can determine and pinpoint the consistent email openers as well as conversions. By using this data, you can send exclusive emails specifically targeted at the influencers. 

4. Acts As a New Platform for Subscriber Engagement

By using various platforms, it opens up fresh opportunities to reach out and engage with your customers and prospects. Let subscribers know you have an active social media following to keep them updated on product launches, discount offers, and more.

6 Methods to Integrating Email Marketing with Social Media Efforts

Are you willing to extend your email reach and grow your sign-up list at a much quicker pace? Of course, the answer would be yes because everyone wants that. But let’s keep in mind that email continues to convert better compared to social media.

Images source: optinmonster.com

But what becomes of the younger generation that only hang around on social media? You’ll want to engage with them too, so, let’s have a look at the methods on how to integrate this holistic approach of email-social media marketing to help your brand grow. 

1. Display Social Profiles in Emails

Once your social media and email marketing teams round up on the same lane, you can begin to discover and adopt new ways for them to support each team. Email marketing is something that can help increase social media engagement by reminding subscribers of your active social community. 

The brand Fruit of the Loom is a great example of encouraging subscriber engagement in a playful and interactive way via email. 

Image source: emailaudience.com

The brand further explains the contribution of social media and the kind of benefit you’ll receive from two of their main media channels. They also host a contest where subscribers can win a product of their choice when they follow them on Facebook. 

This is a great strategy that helps increase social media engagement while providing subscriber value and helps them remain connected with your brand. By promoting one network instead of three or four, it allows subscribers to make their decisions easily. 

2. Stay in Sync

Chances are, you may already have a calendar for your email marketing. But does it consistently loop in with your social media team? Or are they using a calendar you may not have access to? 

This isn’t some farfetched idea, as teams often end up repeating their work simply because the teams are not looped in with each other. For instance, the social media team may have created a holiday calendar to help with email efforts and vice versa.

Integrated calendars are great to ensure everyone stays on the same lane and is aware of when campaigns start and end. This makes it easier for teams to work and promote initiatives and carry out schedules without conflict.

3. Allow Subscriber Engagement and Following on Social Media

Most of the time, many subscribers are not aware of a brand’s social media profile, so ask them to engage and follow your profile to remain in contact. Start by including social media buttons for directing subscribers to your accounts. You can also add some interesting pointers to make it worth joining.

Image source: sendpulse.com

Focus on creating a relationship by making it easier for subscribers to stay in contact with your brand. Prepare a contact list at the base of newsletters that link to your brand’s social media sites and profile. This is how subscribers will forward social media messages or DMs directly from the email they received from you. 

It’s important to portray a positive image of your brand, so when your published videos or photos receive great responses on social media, be sure to showcase those comments and likes on your newsletter as well. 

Finally, place sharing buttons and allow subscribers to pass your email content. For example, you can place a retweet tag to cross-promote various brand offers on both email and Twitter.

4. Build Exclusive Social Communities for Special Subscribers

This is a great strategy used by Noah Kagan to create a Facebook group with over 5000+ members for his email listing course. This was a free course with materials from experts such as Brian Dean, Andrew Chen, and more that had grown an email list of over 10 million subscribers. 

So, the only question left standing is, how does one access these private groups on Facebook? These are groups offered only to privileged subscribers, hence it’ll be an invite-only group. One example is from UniversityParent.com, where Sarah created an invite-only private group, which now has over 800 members and attracts effective engagement.

Image source: groupleads.net

Your email subscribers would normally be the most loyal crowd, so the need for them to join special VIP groups like those mentioned above is very high. But, be sure to keep the group moderate and ensure it’s free from spam (yes, this includes self-promotion too, if possible). The key to maintaining engaged and active audiences is creating and putting out useful content.

Apart from Facebook, you can also create LinkedIn groups to invite from your email list. Entrepreneur Lewis Howes states groups as a very powerful LinkedIn feature to help build and grow businesses. Howes himself has a group with over 20,000 members. Now, that’s the kind of exposure you would want! 

5. Upload Subscriber List on Social Media Platforms

Uploading subscriber lists on social media networks like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and more is perhaps one of the most efficient ways of integrating social media and email marketing strategies. 

You can utilize the uploaded subscriber list and follow those subscribers on social media, run media campaigns to subscribers already interested and invested in your brand, or maybe even create a customer listing.

 

Image source: einsteinmarketer.com

The Custom Audience Feature on Facebook is specifically good for initiating this method, and it can be utilized as a tool for increasing your success through paid reach. Uploading a subscriber list will not only help put an identity over your email subscribers but assist in listening to them.

What are they interested in? What are their conversations about? What are they sharing? Knowing more about what your subscribers are on will definitely help craft better emails and posts.

6. Include Live Social Networking Feeds in Emails

Another effective way of integrating emails and social media is adding into your email a live social media feed. Now, if you’re wondering how this is done, check out Zapier,  a third-party software tool that allows users to include live Instagram or Twitter feeds into your emails.

It works because it allows you to find some of the recent tweets from a particular Twitter handle with ease. When the tweets are posted, the feed automatically gets updated.

Image source: sendible.com

For instance, if an email is delivered on a Friday afternoon, the live Twitter/Instagram will retrieve the latest tweet/post of that time. In this way, when a subscriber clicks through the email on Sunday, they will see the latest tweet/post of that particular day in their email. 

Thus, clicking on that feed will take the subscribers to its respective media accounts, be it Instagram or Twitter. This is a clever and efficient way of gaining much more organic engagement and followers on your social media profile.

Final Thoughts

According to Marketing Charts Survey, many businesses continue to spend a large portion of marketing cash on email and social media marketing. Integrating social media and email marketing does help your customer relationship reach the next level.

Social media is great for crafting an approachable and friendly brand image to enable quick audience interaction while email marketing remains the top profitable channels for different industries. This makes the email-social media hybrid a very effective strategy.

If you start on this, begin by adopting a few methods and build an integrated email/social network campaign that suits your brand identity. It will definitely open doors and increase engagement and sales.

Snapchat Lowers Daily Minimum Spend to $5

Jan. 14, 2021

Snapchat is making advertising more accessible to businesses. Now, you can advertise on the social media app at just $5 per day, the platform’s new spending minimum.

Since Snapchat advertising is an auction, your daily spend may fluctuate depending on your objective, budget, campaign duration, bid goal, and bid amount.

Of course, note that $5 is the daily spending limit, and daily spend is different from your lifetime budget. Your daily budget is the amount you’re willing to spend per day and your lifetime budget is the amount you’re willing to spend throughout the life of your campaign. So, although $5 may be the minimum for each day, Snapchat will not spend more than your lifetime budget.

If you want to get the most out of your budget, as always, remember to strategize and optimize your campaigns. Specifically, make sure your bidding strategy is optimized for your goals. That is, optimizing for the action your target audience is most likely to make; for example, downloading your app or visiting your website.

And when you do bid, keep in mind Snapchat’s three bidding strategies:

Auto-bidding: Gets the most goal actions given the budget, target audience, and ad set duration.Max Bid: Bids at the maximum amount while we trying to achieve the most efficient CPA (cost per action) possible.Target Cost: Bids on your behalf makes the best effort of keeping your average CPA at or below the amount set by the ad set end date.

Facebook Now Limits the Number of Ads You Can Run Per Page

Jan. 14, 2021

Facebook is now limiting the number of ads you can run per business page, a change that will take effect on February 16. 

The number of ads you can run depends on the size of your business. So, if you have a bigger business with a higher ad spend, your cap is also higher, but if your ad spend is on the lower side, your cap will be a little more restrictive. 

Here’s a chart from Facebook, which outlines the ad limit.

Source: Facebook Business

If you reached your ad limit, you will be unable to run more ads or publish edits to ads. Ads running or in review count toward the limit. Scheduled ads do not.

Although multiple ad accounts can advertise for one business page, since ad limits are implemented per page, an attempt to exceed the limit by producing more ads from different ad accounts will not succeed. An attempt to skirt the new rule by simply creating more pages will hurt campaign performance for the following reasons:

The pages will compete against each other in the auction, resulting in higher costsBy creating more pages, you are splitting learnings results, which may lead to decreased conversion rates

Facebook points to performance as the reason behind the change. According to the social media company, running too many ads concurrently negatively affects the learning phase. Namely, fewer ads exit the learning phase resulting in too much money spent before the campaign has been fully optimized.

Ad limits will start in February, so to prepare for this change and benefit from the results, make sure you are abiding by the limit per page (not per ad account). This will avoid any delays in your campaigns.