Brian Meert's Blog, page 99

Facebook’s New Technology, a Solution to the Retail Apocalypse

December 12, 2018
Anne Felicitas, editor at AdvertiseMint, Facebook ad agency
Heidi Sandstrom / Unsplash

The words “retail apocalypse” makes even millionaire business owners tremble in fear. No one is safe, not even household names that have captured the hearts of customers for generations. More than 3,800 US stores closed in 2018 alone, among those stores includes Toys R Us and Sears.

Many cite e-commerce as the cause of the retail apocalypse. Noah Smith in this Bloomberg opinion piece points out that the convenience of online shopping has lured consumers away from physical stores.

“Going shopping takes a lot more time than clicking some Amazon buttons. As people’s time becomes more valuable — hopefully because of rising incomes, but also because of consumer technology that makes our leisure time more fun — it seems like they’ll increasingly value that convenience [saving time].”

Thanks to e-commerce, consumers can purchase items online from the comfort of their couches, avoiding the hassles of long checkout lines, dawdling crowds, and busy parking lots. While retailers may blame the internet for store closures, although seeming like the villain to retail stores, the internet may be the savior after all. As reported by Buzzfeed News, Facebook is patenting technology that will increase foot traffic to brick-and-mortar stores.

Every Move You Make…

According to Buzzfeed News, Facebook submitted several patent applications for technology that will predict users’ offline destinations. Using location data, the technology will predict where users will go next.

This is how the technology would work. Facebook sees user A at an office building. Based on previously logged locations of the user and behaviors of users similar to user A, Facebook then predicts User A to visit LA Fitness from a block away.

Location tracking is not a novel invention. In fact, if you have location turned on in your settings, Facebook is tracking you right now through the app. Specific actions, such as tagging a location in your post or checking in also shows Facebook your precise location. Predicting where you will go next, however, is a capability Facebook does not yet possess unless the company develops the technology in the patent applications.

A Solution to Fewer Store Visits

According to Buzzfeed News, Facebook will use the new technology to pre-load content to users predicted to be in an area with no internet connectivity. That way, users can view content no matter where they are, dead zones be damned. This is good news to users with terrible data services and to users who live in countries with weak internet connectivity. But this is especially good news to retailers who need more foot traffic to their physical stores.

If Facebook can predict where users will go next, it can send relevant Store Vists ads from the establishments Facebook predicts that person will visit. For example, if user A often visits Whole Foods after leaving work, Facebook can send Whole Foods ads to user A to encourage a visit to the physical store.

To Be or Not to Be?

As thrilling as the new development sounds, excitements should be curbed. Although Facebook is submitting the patent applications, it is still uncertain whether the social media company will create the technology.

“We often Seek Patents for technology we never implement, and patent applications—such as this one—should not be taken as an indication of future plans,” said Facebook spokesperson Anthony Harrison in the Buzzfeed News article.

Of course, Harrison may be saying that to evade the press’ probings.

Written by Anne Felicitas, editor at AdvertiseMint, Facebook ad agency

The post Facebook’s New Technology, a Solution to the Retail Apocalypse appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

These Types of Content Garner Engagement, According to Facebook

December 11, 2018
Anna Hubbel, writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising agency
Rawpixel / Unsplash

Knowing the kind of content to post is particularly challenging in Facebook’s competitive platform. What type of content should you post that will engage your audience? Fortunately, Facebook recognizes the struggle and offers tips on how to create engaging content. If you’re struggling in this area, read on for insider advice from Facebook.

Call to Action

Encourage users to engage with your content by including a call-to-action button. CTAs, which appear at the bottom right of your ad, direct users to a destination or window when clicked. For example, a “Send Message” CTA opens a Facebook Messenger chat with your business. Similarly, a “Learn More” CTA directs users to your website.

Align your call to actions with your campaign’s objective. Otherwise, users won’t take the action that delivers the results you want. For example, if you want to drive foot traffic to your brick-and-mortar store, you should use the “Get Directions” call to action. The language in your ad should also match your call to action. For example, if the post text in your ad promotes an online sale, your call to action should be “Shop Now,” and it should direct users to your online store.

Effective call to actions make it easy for users to complete an action, helping you reach your campaign goals.

Visual Elements

Your post must capture users’ attention as they scroll through their feeds, so standing out in the crowd is a must. Although persuasive text is important, visuals are more engaging. Photos and videos are the key to receiving engagement. Facebook recommends taking high-quality photos or videos on your mobile device.

For photos, experiment with unique angles, colors, or lighting that pop. The subject matter should be simple and should support the purpose of your ad. For example, if you’re highlighting your business’s customer service, use a photo of a satisfied customer.

For video, your main message must be clear within the first few seconds. The perfect length for a promotional Facebook video is 15 seconds. Facebook says you should film your video in portrait (vertical) mode because most users watch content on their cell phones. To enhance your creativity, consider video editing apps like Legend (for text animations), Boomerang (short looping videos), and Videoshop (stop-motion video).

Facebook also recommends using the Stories format, which is geared for visual content. You can use Stories to reach more than one billion users across Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp Status. When used authentically, Stories make it easier and more fun for users to engage with your content.

Page Insights

Creating content that engages your audience gets easier as you get to know them better. Specifically, you want to learn what type of content they enjoy most. Page Insights shows you which of your posts are getting the most likes, shares, and comments. This information will tell you what’s working and what’s not, allowing you to adjust your strategy accordingly. With Page Insights, you can put out only the most engaging posts that deliver optimal results for your business.

Need help writing engaging social media copy? Try these eight services to improve your copywriting skills.

Written by Anna Hubbel, writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising agency

The post These Types of Content Garner Engagement, According to Facebook appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

Instagram Rolls Out Audio Recording Feature

December 10, 2018
Anne Felicitas, editor at AdvertiseMint, company for Facebook ads
Biruk Masresha

Although a dangerous and illegal habit, many drivers text while driving. However, audio features, which allow you to message a recipient with the power of your voice, curbs illegal texting and vehicle accidents.

Instagram Direct is offering an alternative to texting by rolling out Voice Messages, a feature that lets you record your voice as an audio message. Instagram announced the rollout in a Story today.

Voice Messages appears as a microphone icon on the right side of the text box, adjacent to the image button for uploading photos and video from your gallery. Once clicked, Voice Messages will record your voice and send it to your recipient. The recipient can listen to your audio, which will remain in the conversation permanently. You can record audios up to a minute long.

Although a popular tool for messaging, Direct is Instagram’s least exciting product, paling in comparison to the addicting Stories feature and the classic profile-feed feature. This addition will certainly make Instagram not only driving-friendly, but also more fun.

Anne Felicitas , editor at AdvertiseMint, company for Facebook ads

The post Instagram Rolls Out Audio Recording Feature appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

Tackle the Holiday Rush with These Amazon Seller Tips

December 7, 2018
Anna Hubbel, writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising agency
Pexels

We’re already well into December and the Amazon orders are piling up. You’re thrilled to have all the business, but there’s so much to keep track of and you’re starting to feel overwhelmed. What should you do? Take a deep breath and read on because this article gives you the guidance you need to conquer the holiday season as an Amazon seller.

Inventory and Order Management

Orders can pile up quickly if you don’t proactively manage orders and inventory. If you don’t keep them organized, you risk giving buyers poor customer experiences. Prevent disasters by doing the following:

Keep your popular products well-stocked.
Check Seller Central daily and keep quantities up-to-date.
Set realistic handling times.
Avoid mismatched listings. (The product you deliver must correctly match the detail page.)
Create captivating detail pages that are accurate and concise. (Use Amazon’s category specific templates for reference.)
Respond to new orders daily.
Confirm shipments in a timely fashion.
Provide tracking numbers, carrier information, shipping method, and service level in your order confirmation.
Promptly ship orders.

Amazon notifies you if a large number of shoppers are searching for a product you sold that’s out of stock. You should take advantage of the opportunity and relist the item to generate optimal revenue during the holidays.

Excellent Customer Service
Unsplash / Rawpixel

Buyer reviews can make or break your Amazon reputation. To counter bad reviews, provide exceptional customer service throughout the shopper journey. The holidays present a perfect opportunity to show shoppers your great customer service skills so that they keep coming back. Some best customer service practices for the holidays include

Responding to all inquiries within 24 hours
Adding a personal touch, such as a “thank you” note, to all orders
Addressing all problems promptly and professionally
Offering special holiday promotions
Offering free or expedited shipping
Providing a gift-wrap option

Customers also like it when they don’t have to dig around in search results to find products. Consider using Amazon’s Sponsored Products ad option to display your product on the first page of search results.

Metrics and Feedback

Even when you follow all the best customer service practices, you will every now and then receive negative feedback. Amazon says you should aim for a zero to two percent negative feedback rate. Anything higher is a cause for concern and indicates that you need to review your business standards and operations.

If you do receive negative feedback, you should contact the buyer and attempt to professionally resolve the issue right away. This approach could make the customer consider removing their negative review.

You may also run into return, refund, and A-to-z Guarantee claim scenarios. Stay on top of your A-to-z Guarantee claim pages daily and quickly address any issues that arise. If a customer wants a refund due to an issue with an order, consider offering compensation in addition to the original cost.

Amazon says you should frequently check your customer metrics through your Account Health Dashboard. You want to make sure your performance as an Amazon seller is positive to avoid account suspension or even account closure. If you notice poor customer metrics, you should identify and address all related issues.

Up-to-Date Account and Security Info

By having outdated account information, you risk acquiring negative customer feedback or even losing a sale. Make sure the following information on your account is up-to-date:

Email contact information
Credit card and bank account information
Customer service phone number (if you have one)
All store settings

As busy as the holidays get, you should never forget to practice safety and security. Ways to stay safe and secure amidst the holiday buz include:

Not sharing your account password or email with anyone who is unauthorized.
Setting up a Two-Step Verification.
Only accepting Marketplace Payments through Amazon’s system for all orders.
Not shipping to addresses other than ones provided by Amazon.

These precautionary measures keep both you and your customers safe from hacking and other unethical online behaviors.

Bring It On!

When you are a successful Amazon seller, a busy holiday season comes with the territory. But it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Tackle it head-on with these Amazon seller tips and you will cruise through the holidays.

Anna Hubbel , writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising agency

The post Tackle the Holiday Rush with These Amazon Seller Tips appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

Prepare for the 2020 Election with These Facebook Tips

December 6, 2018
Anna Hubbel, writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising company
Element5 Digital / Unsplash

Another election has come and gone, but there’s no time like the present to prepare for the next one. Facebook is still somewhat foreign territory for many politicians who are unfamiliar with how the platform works and what is allowed. However, it’s a very useful tool for reaching a lot of voters in creative ways.

The Government and Politics on Facebook group shared a series of live videos that offered useful advice to candidates on how to run successful Facebook campaigns for the midterm elections. This article shares the tips that the Facebook team shared in the last video of the series so you can jumpstart your campaign for the 2020 US election.

Use Candidate Videos

For midterm elections, Facebook released a new feature that helps you reach your constituents. You can create 20-second candidate videos that share your message and explain your political views. Anyone from governor to city council candidates, excluding assessor and judicial races, can upload candidate videos. Facebook provides appropriate, election-relevant questions you should answer.

To upload a candidate video, simply navigate to your Facebook page and go to Publishing Tools. Select Political Content, then upload your video. When you publish a candidate video, you can view it under the “Broadcasts” tab if you’re a page admin. Your audience will see the video in their News Feeds.

Candidates can create and upload videos in the days leading up to the election. If both candidates in a race upload videos, users will see them side by side.

If you’re unsure how to make a candidate video, you can find the Video Creation Tool Kit in Ads Manager. You need a few different images, either of yourself or your cause. You can then add text overlay. The tool kit allows you to create a video using one of three template options for mobile-optimized videos.

Optimize Your Video for Mobile
Photo courtesy of Snapchat

You want to optimize your video for mobile because most users look at their social media content on mobile devices. Video that is appropriately optimized for mobile screens has the following characteristics:

Square or vertical format. This ensures that the video takes up as much space as possible in someone’s mobile News Feed. It helps to film content vertically before uploading it.
Text overlay. Make sure the video still makes sense if someone watches it without sound.
Front-loaded content. The main point or message of your video should be clear within the first few seconds.
15 seconds in length. Videos that are 15 seconds or less are ideal for users’ mobile lifestyles.

Optimize Your Ad Delivery

Because Facebook and Instagram are competitive spaces for advertising, getting your political ads out there can be challenging. There are three key ways to optimize your ad delivery:

Broaden your audience. Make your audience as large as possible to reach more people.
Look at your bid cap. Having a high bid cap helps with delivery, so consider increasing it. Facebook uses an auction-based system for buying ads. A cap tells the system the highest amount you’re willing to pay for your campaign’s objective. For political and issue ads leading up to an election, it is better to manually, rather than automatically, set a bid cap because it tells Facebook’s system exactly how important it is to get your ads out there.
Open up your placements. Use ad placements for Facebook News Feed, Instagram feed, and Instagram Stories to reach more users.

You can pay for ads either through bidding, as previously mentioned, or reach and frequency. Reach and frequency is an option if you have at least 200,000 people in your audience. It allows you to lock in the price you pay. In contrast, with bidding, you don’t know exactly how much you will end up paying. You are bidding on the action you’re optimizing for, such as video views.

Post Often as Election Day Approaches
Photo Reutuers/Danny Moloshok

Normally, Facebook recommends posting three to four times a day. However, in the days leading up to an election, Facebook says that you should share organic posts as many times as you want to reach more constituents.

For political and issue ads, keep in mind that they can take up to 72 hours to be approved. You don’t want to wait too long to submit your ads to publish them before election day.

Schedule Organic Content Cautiously

Although you want to schedule ads well in advance, you need to be more cautious about scheduling organic content. If you schedule a political or issue post, breaking news could make the information in your scheduled post irrelevant or even insensitive.

For candidate videos, since the feature is still relatively new, you should publish them right away after upload.

Submit Ads in Advance

Facebook requires authorization for political or issue content. Disclaimers also require approval. It takes up to 24 hours to get disclaimers approved, so you should submit or update your disclaimers a few days in advance. Disclaimers should comply with Facebook’s Community Standards. URLs, phone numbers, and acronyms are not allowed in disclaimers, so keep those out to make the approval process go quicker. You do not need authorization to publish candidate videos.

Use the Reach Objective

To reach as many constituents as possible before election day, use Facebook’s reach objective. This objective tells Facebook that reach is the most important goal to you and will keep this in mind when delivering your ad.

Once you launch a reach campaign, you can’t go back and adjust your frequency. Make sure your frequency (i.e. how many times you want your ad to appear to members of your audience) is set before launching. In the days leading up to an election, Facebook recommends setting a high frequency cap.

Use the Issues Tab

The Issues tab is a space on Facebook where you can spend more time in a written format telling constituents about your platform and stance on certain issues. If you want to elaborate on a message from your candidate video, you can do so in the Issues tab. Use it to clearly communicate to voters what you believe in.

Go Live

Facebook Live allows you to communicate with constituents in real time. Live video should be varied, relevant, timely, and authentic.

To generate hype for your live broadcast, post about your plans to go live the day before or send an email blast to get the word out. You should also start the live stream at the exact time you say you will; otherwise you risk losing your audience’s interest.

Opt into All Available Placements

The more ad placements you have, the more people you will reach. Available placements include Facebook and Instagram feeds, Facebook in-stream, and Instagram Stories. When setting up your ad, specify that you want it delivered for each placement.

Vary the Type of Organic Content You Post

To keep your constituents interested, offer a variety of content in your organic posts. Mix it up between video, links, photos, and live video. The diversity will add value to the content you share.

The Time Is Now

Social media is a major player in politics these days. The more prepared you are for the next election, the better your chances at delivering valuable, high-quality content that will get voters’ attention. Start brainstorming your creative and logistical Facebook strategies now. When 2020 comes around, you’ll be happy you did.

Written by Anna Hubbel, writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising company

The post Prepare for the 2020 Election with These Facebook Tips appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

How Does Facebook’s Search Work?

December 5, 2018
Anne Felicitas, editor at AdvertiseMint, Facebook ads agency
Pexels

Most people don’t understand Facebook’s Search feature. Turn to the person next to you and ask that individual how Facebook Search works. That person, confused, will likely stare blankly at you.

Like the algorithm, Facebook’s Search is an enigma to many. People know they exist, but they don’t know how it functions. They don’t know, for example, what influences search results and what type of content are available to be discovered.

Facebook Search is nowhere near as sophisticated as Google. While Google retrieves information from the entire world wide web, Facebook Search retrieves only content within its platform, content shared and posted on Facebook.

Facebook Search, Demystified

Like all search engines, Facebook Search retrieves results based on the keywords you use. Type in “Mark Zuckerberg,” and results bearing those keywords will appear. Similarly, type in “pizza,” and content with that keyword will appear in results.

As mentioned earlier, Facebook Search can only retrieve content posted on Facebook. The following are the types of content you will receive:

For-sale posts on Marketplace
People
Photos posted by Facebook friends and public accounts
Videos posted by Facebook friends and public accounts
Posts to timelines by Facebook friends and public accounts
Facebook pages
Places
Groups
Apps
Events
Links posted by Facebook friends and public accounts

The results from those categories will appear in one long string of content, similar to how posts appear on News Feed. You can click the 11 categories above the feed to narrow your results to a specific category. You can also filter your results.

Search results have three influences: your activity on Facebook, people’s activity on Facebook, and your search history.

To illustrate how my Facebook activity affects search results, let’s return to the pizza example. In 2016, I posted a video to someone’s timeline containing the keywords “pizza.” This Facebook activity appeared on my search results because the keyword “pizza” matches the word “pizza” from my post’s copy.

As seen in the results, my post isn’t the only one that appears. Search also retrieved posts by my Facebook friends. As I scroll further down, posts by public pages also appear.

If I searched for a specific keyword in the past, and if I clicked on a specific type of content from the search results, that content will appear once again. For example, the business 1-800 Flowers, which I previously searched for, appeared on my results after typing in the keywords “flowers.” Facebook notes my previous search activity as interest on the business. Thus, it includes 1-800 Flowers to the results, ensuring I get the information I want.

Facebook Search Limitations

Facebook search exists to help you find content on the platform, whether a person, a post, or a Facebook group. Because the results are limited to Facebook content, your online activity outside of Facebook will not influence the results. When you use Facebook Search, don’t expect the type of results Google will retrieve. And don’t worry, Facebook won’t track your online activity for Search. Facebook will, however, track your online activity for ad targeting.

Written by Anne Felicitas, editor at AdvertiseMint, Facebook ads agency

The post How Does Facebook’s Search Work? appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

Facebook Exempts News Organizations from Political Ad Labels

December 4, 2018
Anne Felicitas, editor at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising agency
Rawpixel / Unsplash

Facebook is exempting reputable news organizations from the transparency and authorization rules it implemented back in May.

Reputable news organizations, which writes bylined stories with accurate dates and cites sources, which have never been historically flagged as false on Facebook’s platform, will no longer have to abide by Facebook’s political ad rules.

The exemption means news organizations are not required to include a “paid for by” label alongside their ads that mention political figures, elections, or national issues. According to Tech Crunch, the exemption also means their ads will not be listed under their page’s Info and Ads tab and they can run “dark post” ads to prevent competitors from stealing their advertising strategies.

Facebook is using an indexing process to determine which news organization will be exempted from the rules.

Back in May, Facebook launched its ad transparency and authorization measures to prevent foreign interference during an election. This launch came after the proliferation of politically divisive ads and fake news on its platform before, during, and after the 2016 US presidential election.

Initially, the measures included not only political advertisers but also news organizations. According to Tech Crunch, Facebook changed the inclusion of news organizations after the News Media Alliance wrote to Mark Zuckerberg, protesting the rules.

The exemptions are rolling out to the UK now. It will fully roll out to the United States next year.

Written by Anne Felicitas, editor at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising agency

The post Facebook Exempts News Organizations from Political Ad Labels appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

10 Ways to Turn Abandoned Carts into Sales This Holiday Season

December 4, 2018
Anna Hubbel, writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook ad agency
Matthias Kinsella / Unsplash

Sales are the ultimate stocking stuffers for businesses during the holiday season. Sales determine the overall success of holiday advertising campaigns. Every time online shoppers abandon their carts, it’s like watching a present turn to lumps of coal. According to Emarketer, the rate of cart abandonment worldwide has held steady at 75 percent since 2015. Additionally, about 34 percent of US digital shoppers abandon their carts regularly, with only 22 percent completing their purchases.

Fortunately, there are ways to give customers the little nudge they need to return to their abandoned carts, resulting in the coveted sale.

Offer Discounts

Discounts are a surefire first line of defense every advertiser should be ready to pull from their marketing tool belt. Fifty-eight percent of shoppers in a SAP study converted when they were offered a discount. When shoppers abandon their carts before completing their purchases, consider sending them discount offers to entice them to return. Price is always a major influence in buying decisions, so this approach is a great way to persuade shoppers who are cost-conscious.

Offer Low Shipping Costs

Emarketer found that the primary reason online shoppers abandon their carts is higher-than-expected shipping costs. Shoppers may be confident in their purchases until they see how much they have to pay for shipping, which can be a major deal-breaker. To combat this reason for abandonment, offer low-cost or free shipping.

Provide Quick Customer Service

The SAP study also found that 21 percent of cart abandoners are convinced to return when businesses respond to queries with quick customer service. Prompt and efficient customer service improves the shopping experience, and it can be what a business needs to convince shoppers to complete their path to purchase.

Provide Countdown for Buying Window

Create a sense of urgency by displaying a countdown clock while shoppers are browsing the online store. The countdown tells shoppers they have a brief window to complete their purchases before the cost goes up or the items disappear from their carts. Shoppers have less time to overthink their decision, and they are more likely to follow through with the purchase.

Show the Competition

Similar to the countdown, showing cart abandoners the number of people looking at the same items creates urgency. It also communicates product popularity, making shoppers want the items even more.

Eliminate Website Errors

According to a 2017 Namogoo survey, 60.9 percent of US digital shoppers abandoned their cart due to website errors. It’s important to make the online buying experience as seamless as possible by eliminating all errors that could annoy shoppers or cause the website to crash.

Provide a Quick-Loading Website

The slightest delay could be the primary reason shoppers abandon their carts. Websites that load slowly give shoppers time to either question their purchase decisions or become frustrated and impatient. That’s why it’s important to provide a website that loads quickly across all navigation pages.

Avoid Sign-Up Requirements

According to the Namogoo survey, 60.3 percent of shoppers abandon their carts because the site required them to sign up for an account. Instead, offer a “purchase as guest” option as an alternative so shoppers can easily complete their purchase without creating an account.

Send Email Reminders

Email reminders are a great way to reach cart abandoners after they’re no longer browsing online. Sometimes shoppers leave their carts with every intention of returning to make the purchase, but they simply get distracted by other events. An email reminding them that they left items in their carts may be all that’s needed to prompt their return. Send more than one email message, depending on how long it takes to get the shopper to come back.

Use Remarketing Ads

Last but not least, deliver remarketing ads to cart abandoners to revive the interest they originally had in your products. For example, when shoppers abandon their carts on a clothing retail website, the retailer could use remarketing ads on Facebook to reach those shoppers, promoting items similar to those left in the cart.

‘Tis the Season for Sales
Claudio Schwarz/ Unsplash

The holiday season is the biggest time of the year for advertisers. It is only successful if they can acquire a significant number of sales. Cart abandonment is a major hindrance to that goal. Following these simple tips will guarantee there won’t be coal under the tree this year.

Written by Anna Hubbel, writer at  AdvertiseMint, Facebook ad agency

The post 10 Ways to Turn Abandoned Carts into Sales This Holiday Season appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

8 Writing Services That Boost Social Media Engagement

December 3, 2018
Josh Carlyle, Guest Writer

Social media engagement is highly desired among businesses. It’s important for building the relationship between a brand and customers. It can strengthen brand loyalty among consumers and increase word of mouth advocacy, the least expensive and most effective form of marketing.

As of late, content engagement has declined by 50 percent. Even if social media hasn’t gone anywhere, social sharing has become much less popular than what it was in 2015. The decline of content sharing on social networks is a result of increased competition. Yet, the volume of content continues to increase.

What does this mean for content marketing? Well, it means that it’s time to update your approach to content production. First of all, the volume of published content continues to increase. Given that, the websites that find success on these platforms are the ones that have built a strong reputation for unique and reliable content. Viral posts and clickbait articles are less effective now than what they used to be. While the majority of content gets no backlinks, reliable evergreen content seems to obtain links and shares.

To boost your social media engagement, you need to then write long, unique articles that catch the attention of your audience. If you need help with producing such content, there are many writing services that can make the job easier for you.

Here is a list of 8 writing services that can help you optimize and polish your content:

1. Grammarly

Grammarly is an editing application that you can use for proofreading and detecting plagiarism. You’re able to enhance your content by letting the application identify mistakes in spelling, punctuation, grammar, style, and word choice. After you copy and paste your content, the app will start the editing process. The editing suggestions are also explained, which is good if you want to avoid the same mistakes in the future.

2. Handmade Writing

A website that has a wide range of writing and editing services for different purposes, Handmade Writing’s essay writing services will make your content smooth, clear, and engaging. The service doesn’t only focus on students but also serve business people who need some professional writing or editing help for their content.

To use the service, fill in the details of your writing or editing project then Handmade Writing will assign a writer who is experienced in the topic. You can download the completed text or edited version of your text from the site.

3. Hemingway App

Hemingway App is an online editor that analyzes your text and provides suggestions for making it easier to read. Since people appreciate brevity, especially in business, this app is good if you’re looking for a concise version of your text. To make your text concise, it identifies parts that could be expressed in a more succinct way.

The app also detects passive voice and other difficult sentence structures that can reduce readability. You will get a readability score after the analysis.

4.Keyword Density Analyzer

Keyword Density Analyzer is a helpful SEO tool on the SEObook website that allows you to check the keyword density of your content. You can copy and paste your text or enter the URL of your website, and the results showcase your most frequently used words and phrases. You want your main keyword to appear on top of the search results. Keep in mind, however, that your keyword density shouldn’t exceed 2.5 percent.

5. ProWritingAid

A writing software that consists of a grammar checker, style editor, and writing mentor, ProWritingAid can help you produce and edit content. The app includes a thesaurus and word explorer, which are good for finding the right words. As an extra feature, you can visualize your sentence length and variation. Variation in sentence length is important for maintaining the interest of your audience.

6. Readable

A readability application that is focused on text analysis services, Readable includes a copy-and-paste text analysis, website scanning, URL analysis, and email scoring services. After scanning your text, the app will provide a readability score, keyword density analysis, and other statistics that can improve your content.

7. Slick Write

A web-based editing software that analyzes your content for mistakes in spelling, punctuation, grammar, style, and structure, Slick Write helps you improve your text without downloading or installing any software. Its interface is user-friendly, and the layout has only the necessary: editing, writing, analytics, thesaurus, and settings. You can customize the settings for parts you don’t want to be edited.

8. WriteMyEssayToday

WriteMyEssayToday is a writing service that offers polished content for any topic. If you’re thinking, “Can anyone write my essay online,” this is a good choice. The services are always tailored to your specific needs, and they don’t only cater to students. In fact, the company’s business writing service is for professionals who need help with their content.

Using the service is easy. You fill in an order form on the website and provide your guidelines. Next, you choose an expert to discuss your project, whether it’s an article for your company blog or a post for social media. After you reach an agreement, the writer or editor will produce the requested content for you. The only thing left for you is to download the final product from the website.

These writing services can help you improve your social media engagement and increase your brand loyalty as a consequence. Building a reputation as a reliable publisher of unique and polished high-volume content pays off in the long term.

The social media landscape is constantly evolving, which means that you need to stay up to date to remain relevant to your audience. Keep in mind that it’s about relationships, and building relationships takes time. In the process, you will learn to understand your customer base better, helping you improve your products or services.

Josh Carlyle is  a business developer and writing expert  experienced in content management and copywriting.  Aware of the latest trends in the digital marketing industry and online business, Josh always shares his knowledge and ideas with entrepreneurs, writing blogs from the insights of a professional business person. 

The post 8 Writing Services That Boost Social Media Engagement appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

Pestered by Instagram Bots? Here’s What You Can Do

November 30, 2018
Anne Felicitas, editor at AdvertiseMint, company for Facebook ads
Phil Desforges

If you use your Instagram account for marketing purposes, you must avoid bots like the plague.

Although bots boost follower count, artificially giving you clout, they will bring more problems than it’s worth. Not only do they cheapen your brand, but they also signal to prospective partners that you are not trustworthy.

A bad image isn’t the only problem bots bring. Bots also inflate marketing costs. If you’re running an Instagram ad that targets your followers, most of which are bots, you are paying for ads shown to accounts that will never convert because they’re not real people.

Of course, you likely aren’t paying for a third-party to provide you with fake bot followers. Maybe, instead, you receive unwanted followers from bots. If that’s the case, here’s what you can do.

First, Identify the Bot Account
Agence Olloweb

Before you begin your crusade against bots, you must first learn how to identify them rather than blindly taking action against innocent accounts—this isn’t the Salem witch hunt. Search for the biggest red flag, the post to followers ratio. An account that has no posts but has thousands of followers, is a bot. Why would thousands of users follow an account that doesn’t produce content? Very suspect indeed.

Example of a bot with no posts.

Beware, however, because some bots do post content to their feeds, but there’s a way to differentiate them from real accounts. Bot accounts post random, low-quality images while still having thousands of followers. If you see that, steer clear.

Remove the Account

If you don’t want bots in your follower list (trust me, you don’t), remove them from your account. Find the bot from your list of followers. If the bot is a recent follower, it should appear first in the list. Click the three dots next to the bot’s profile then click “Remove” to expel it from your list of followers. Doing so, however, won’t stop the bot from finding your profile and following you again. If you want to prevent that, you must block the account.

Block the Account

To block a bot account, visit the bot’s profile then click the three dots on the upper-right corner of the screen. Click “block.” This will block the account and consequently remove it from your followers list. When you block the account, it can’t find your profile, posts, or Stories, and it can’t follow you again. The account won’t be notified that you blocked it.

Report the Account

If you want to take an action that punishes the bot account, the prevents it from scamming other users like you, then you can take a more drastic action by reporting the account to Instagram. Instagram’s team will investigate, and if they determine the account to be a spam bot that violates its community guidelines, then they will take action and notify you. Instagram won’t notify the bot account that you reported it.

To report an account, click the three dots on the upper-right corner of its profile then choose “spam.” Reporting the account won’t remove it from your followers list and won’t stop it from visiting your profile. If you want to sever all ties, you must either remove the bot or block it.

Commence the Great Bot Purge

Bot accounts have pestered users for years, creating such an annoyance that Instagram is finally removing fake likes and follows generate by bots. But that great bot purge doesn’t occur overnight. If you want to take matters into your own hands, remember what I taught you: remove, block, or report.

Anne Felicitas, editor at AdvertiseMint, company for Facebook ads

The post Pestered by Instagram Bots? Here’s What You Can Do appeared first on AdvertiseMint.