Social Media – White Shark Media

Your Business on Social Media in 2024: Trends to Watch & Tips For the Win

Emily Aguilar — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 20:53:06 +0000

We are a few months into 2024, so if you are reading this, there is a high chance that you're fine-tuning your social media strategy for the year and searching for the latest trends. But there’s more to just incorporating trends; you need to ensure your content engages and caters to your audiences.

Luckily, we have you in mind and are here to guide you in the right direction!

Here’s Everything You Need to Know

Long Form Content Is Back! But It’s Different From What You Think

Short videos still rule the engagement roost, capturing fleeting attention spans with lightning speed. But here's the twist: those same platforms are pushing longer videos.

Why this shift is happening:

TikTok's Influence: The rise of platforms like TikTok has conditioned audiences to crave engaging, visually-driven experiences. Even longer videos on TikTok, from one minute to 30 minutes, show the appetite for deeper dives within a shorter format.
Attention Spans: Yes, they might be shorter, but that doesn't mean people don't want to learn or be immersed in a topic. They want it delivered in a way that's digestible and engaging.
SEO Benefits: Long-form content, even in video format, still holds SEO advantages. It allows you to cover a topic comprehensively, include relevant keywords, and attract backlinks, contributing to better search engine rankings.

VR/AR is Reshaping Brand Connections

While virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have existed for some time, their applications in social media marketing are steadily growing. In fact, according to a Statista report, the global market for augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality reached 28 billion USD in 2021 and is projected to surpass 250 billion USD by 2028.

These technologies offer unique ways for users to interact with the virtual world, and businesses can leverage this potential to boost their social media in 2024 presence through:

Enhanced Product Visualization: Try on clothes, explore spaces, or experience services virtually, leading to better understanding, recall, and purchases.
Storytelling and Brand Experiences: Create immersive narratives, showcase values, and offer exclusive glimpses, fostering emotional connections and building loyalty.
Community Building and User-Generated Content: Encourage participation with interactive filters and AR challenges, building a community and amplifying brand reach and engagement.

Did someone accidentally write the script for 2024 based on a "Black Mirror" episode?

@barstoolsports Apple Vison Pro on the subway @Barstool Gametime ♬ original sound - Barstool Sports

How Voice Search is Transforming Social Media in 2024

More and more businesses are using voice search on social media platforms to connect with customers and expand their reach.This trend aligns with the broader rise of voice assistants and conversational interfaces, where users can search for information and interact with brands using natural language. Social media platforms adapt to this shift by integrating voice search functionalities, allowing users to find relevant content, brands, and products through spoken commands.

Extra Tips on Leveraging Voice Search for Social Media

Use natural language and long-tail keywords that mimic spoken questions. Think "how to..." and "what is..." phrases.
Include location-specific keywords if relevant to your business or target audience.
Answer questions directly and concisely in captions, descriptions, and video transcripts.
Consider translating key content and captions to reach a wider audience.

Are you curious about voice search and its benefits beyond social media territories? Tune in to our YouTube video.

Embracing Social Commerce as a Core Part of Your Digital Strategy

Remember the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt trend? Social media platforms are increasingly becoming hubs for product discovery.

With billions of users spending hours daily on platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram, businesses have a captive audience ready to be converted.

Social platforms have a wealth of user data, allowing businesses to target ads and product recommendations precisely. This personalized approach increases the chances of resonating with customers and driving conversions.

Don’t Get Left Behind, Update Your Social Media Strategy!

We hope this overview has shed light on some key trends to consider as you craft your social media strategy. From the impactful influence of long-form content to the immersive potential of VR and the rising prominence of voice search, these trends open exciting avenues for engagement and brand building.

However, navigating trends and applying updates to your strategy can be challenging. That's where our social media advertising services come in. We partner with you to develop a data-driven, multi-faceted approach that aligns with your brand goals and leverages the latest digital marketing trends. Together, we can turn your social media strategy into a success story. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

5 Easy Ways to Build a Loyal Instagram Community

Alejandra Mondragon — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 16:58:21 +0000

Have you ever wondered how some brands seem to have effortlessly built a loyal and engaged community while others struggle to connect with their followers? The secret is understanding that building a loyal Instagram community goes beyond just posting aesthetic photos. It’s about creating a space for followers who resonate with your message to interact with your content and become brand advocates.

In this blog, we share some top strategies for creating a growing and highly engaged community on Instagram, one of the most trending social media platforms, according to Statista.

Before we get into detail, let us ask: Are you getting started with Instagram, or do you need to refresh your profile? Check out our YouTube video:

Why Building an Instagram Community Is Important

Establishing a community on any social media platform, especially Instagram, is crucial to cultivating engagement and loyalty among followers, fostering a deeper connection to the brand. Having a closer relationship with your followers also enhances credibility, and more importantly, you gain valuable feedback from them to improve content strategies, understand audience preferences, and provide valuable insights into other areas of your business.

A strong Instagram community is a cornerstone for organic growth, market insights, and sustained brand success. According to a 2023 HubSpot Survey, which interviewed over 1,200 marketers, 90% of respondents emphasized the critical role of building an active online community in achieving success this year.

How to Build a Loyal Instagram Community Online

Now that we have covered why building an Instagram community is important, it’s time for some practical strategies to help create one. Here are our 5 top picks:

Instagram Community Strategy #1: Define Your Purpose

Have you ever found an Instagram account that speaks to you?

That’s the magic of a well-defined community purpose. Before directly creating an account, posting content, and sharing pictures and videos, it’s crucial to establish a clear intent that resonates with your ideal audience. Whether your brand focuses on selling products, offering services, or something unique, knowing your purpose will attract individuals who find value in your community.

To get started, begin by asking yourself:

What does your brand represent?
Who is your ideal audience?
How does your brand make a difference?
How can your audience benefit from engaging with your online community?

You’ll shape a solid strategy that attracts like-minded individuals and fosters meaningful interactions.

Instagram Community Strategy #2: Share Valuable Content

Once you set a business purpose, the next step is to craft content that speaks directly to your audience’s desires and needs. Valuable and relevant content is the glue that keeps your community engaged and eager to participate. To achieve this, take an audience-centric approach by understanding their pain points, interests, and aspirations. Tailor your content to provide solutions, insights, or entertainment that directly correlates to their preferences.

Pro-tip: We recommend a blend of educational and engaging content—a combination of educational content such as “how-to” guides, infographics, and industry insights.

And remember, don’t underestimate the power of entertaining content, like captivating stories, relatable anecdotes, and motivational quotes, which foster emotional connections.

Consistency is essential, so keep a regular posting schedule.

Instagram Community Strategy #3: Be Active on Social Media Platforms

It’s all about being SOCIAL. Your social interactions play a big role in cultivating an online community. Just as you expect reciprocity from your audiences, your brand should do the same by actively interacting with them to form genuine and deeper connections. Elevate engagement to create an environment where your followers participate and feel genuinely heard.

Here are some strategies we like to follow:

Initiate conversations through stories, DMs, and comments.
Respond promptly to messages and comments, showcasing your dedication to engagement.
Experiment with diverse interactive features such as polls, quizzes, and others.
Share the content of others by reposting and engaging with their stories.
Express your appreciation by liking and commenting on your followers’ posts.
Host interactive Q&A and Live Sessions that offer direct and real-time connections.

You’re building a space where engagement is a two-way street by elevating interaction.

Instagram Community Strategy #4: Show Your Human Side

Instagram is full of curated content and designed feeds, showing authenticity truly stands out! So, let the humanity and individuals behind your brand shine through to build a connection that relates to your community.

Look at how to infuse authenticity into your community-building efforts:

Share authentic stories, challenges, and wins.
Offer behind-the-scenes peeks of your creative process, workspaces, and more.
Respond to comments and messages with empathy.
Maintain a consistent tone and voice in your content and interactions.
Highlight the relationships you’ve built within your community.
Share stories to captivate your audience’s attention.

The people behind your brand have an impact on building trustworthy relationships that extend beyond the screen.

Instagram Community Strategy #5: Listen to Your Audience

Lastly, one of the most crucial aspects of community-building on social media is listening. Paying close attention to your audience’s feedback, preferences, and needs will show your business’s sense of inclusion and demonstrate that you value their input.

Ways you can actively listen to your community:

Monitor comments and messages.
Analyze behavior data to understand better what your audience connects to.
Utilize polls and surveys to ask directly your audience’s opinions.
Join trending conversations to gain deeper insights.
Address transparently and promptly any concerns or negative feedback.

When your business listens on social media platforms, it lets your audience know they are valued and acknowledged.

Community-Building on Social Media

Nowadays, building a vibrant and engaged social media community isn’t just an option – it’s a commodity your business needs. It goes beyond maintaining an online presence on social media platforms such as Instagram; it creates a space where people connect, engage, and find pleasure in doing so.

Expand your business through social media; consider us to help you build a loyal Instagram community. We are a digital marketing agency specializing in PPC, SEO, social media, and video marketing.

To stay informed with more tips on Social Media Marketing, subscribe to our blog.

Top 7 Social Media Trends To Continue Crushing It This 2023

Alejandra Mondragon — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 14:26:32 +0000

If there is one thing we can be certain about, it is that social media is always changing. We constantly see new trends emerging and old trends falling behind quickly, while others are here to stay for longer. So, even though we are in the middle of the year, it is time to go through some of the social media trends that are on top right now and will help you strengthen your social media strategy.

Whether a big or small business owner, a brand, an influencer, or just a social media aficionado, these trends are your secret weapon for building a loyal following, driving engagement, and creating content that stands out in a sea of content. Keep reading!

1. Videos Are Not Going Anywhere

We’ve seen a huge rise in video content last year. Well, I’m here to tell you that they are here to stay because they continue to be loved by everyone. In fact, according to a study conducted by Wyzowl, in 2023, people, on average, watch 17 hours of online video content per week. That’s a lot of time spent watching videos, so keep that in mind next time you create content ideas for your accounts.

2. Shorter Attention Spans, Shorter Videos

You may have already heard this, but our attention span has never been lower. A Microsoft study concluded that the average attention span for someone in 2021 was 8 seconds, compared to 12 seconds in 2000.

Nowadays, most users prefer short and concise videos for the same reason explained before. The trick here is to cater to those short attention spans. But how do we create eye-catching, want-to-continue-watching videos? Let me share a few words of wisdom.

Here are a few tips to make your content stand out:

Create high-value content for your ideal users
Start with a hook line
Go straight to the point
Add a catchy title and copy

3. Carousels Are Having a Comeback

Just because videos are in doesn’t mean you should stop trying other types of formats. Quite the contrary! So, let’s talk about Carousels. It’s like we are traveling back in time with some photos, carousels, and “photo dumps” everywhere in our feeds. According to a Later Blog post, Instagram is currently in its “comeback season,” pushing more static and carousel content than video content like Reels.

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A post shared by Lucas O’Keefe | Social Media Marketing (@thelucasokeefe)

We have also seen other platforms, like TikTok (previously a video-only platform), incorporate this new format into their app and see how many brands and content creators make creative, fun, and educational posts with it. So don’t get left behind and start creating content with this format and check out for yourself how it goes.

4. Let the Inner Human Shine

Transparency is key and highly valued by everyone, which affects how we use the internet. People like to know they are not talking to a robot, they love to see who is behind the camera. For the past years, we have seen more levels of human transparency on social media, with brands actively trying to have a more personal connection with their audience.

In this day and age, people expect a reachable sense of connection in every aspect of their online experiences, even when it comes to engaging with businesses. Therefore, humanizing your social media presence is no longer an option, it’s a necessity!

So, how can you make your social media accounts more human? Here are some tips:

Show your face or your team in your content
Take your audience behind the scenes
Add personality to your posts and interactions
Actively engage with your audience

5. Connect With Your Audience Through Ads

Social media ads have really taken off in the last few years, becoming one of the most popular and effective ways for brands to reach their ideal audience.

Did you know that, according to a recent survey, 75% of Gen Zers and 48% of millennials are influenced by social media ads when making purchasing decisions? In 2020, the US spent $40.3 billion on social media advertising. That shows just how effective it can be.

Social media ads have great features that allow for personalization. You can craft tailored messages that resonate with your audience, and it guarantees that they will be seen and heard by the right people.

Here are a few tips to consider to get you started if you haven’t already:

Define your goals. Which social platforms is your ideal audience present on?
Create a clear plan. How will you achieve your goals?
Choose the right platforms. In what social media is your ideal audience present?
Don’t be afraid to experiment. What formats, visuals, text, campaigns, etc., work best?

Recommended Article: How To Create Successful Social Media Ads

6. Let Influencers Take the Wheel

Influencer marketing continues to boom after a couple of years of starting to greatly impact marketing strategies. A benchmark report by Influencer Marketing Hub stated that in 2022, influencer marketing reached an estimated market size of $16.4 billion. In 2023, it is expected to grow by 29% to an estimated $21.1 billion. We can see its clear and continuous growth that we simply can’t ignore.

Influencer marketing has become a popular solution for brands looking to leverage the power of social media and connect with audiences more credibly and engagingly.

Consider the following tips for effective influencer marketing:

Utilize short-form videos to quickly engage with your audience
Promote more content that feels like you are talking to a friend
Choose influencers with a highly engaged audience
Build long-term influencer relationships

7. Edutainment: Where Learning Meets Fun

People don’t turn to social media just to get information about products or services; they also look for accounts that provide educational content like tips, insights, and entertainment, which can simultaneously attract, educate, and entertain your audience.

Nowadays, we see so many brands and industries tapping into the value of creating entertaining, informative content, and we can expect to see more of it in the coming years.

To strike the right balance between creating original content that is both educational and entertaining, here are a few tips you can apply:

Understand your audience’s behavior and preferences.
Use humor and create posts that are relatable to your audience
Incorporate interactive elements such as polls, stickers, quizzes, etc.
Encourage engagement and interaction
Jump into trends that align with your brand’s message and values

Let’s Wrap This Up!

Staying on top of the latest trends in social media is crucial for brands that want to stand out from the competition. By incorporating these trends into your marketing strategies early on, you can gain a competitive edge and captivate your target audience.

Make sure to always watch for rising trends, as well as those that may be losing relevance. Remember, social media is ALWAYS changing, and adapting to these changes is essential.

If you’re interested in learning more about social media marketing or digital marketing as a whole, subscribe to our blog to keep posted.

Also, if you are looking for professional assistance in enhancing your online presence and creating effective digital marketing strategies to achieve your goals, don’t hesitate to contact us. We offer a complimentary consultation to help you get started.

Top 5 Reasons Why Facebook and Instagram Ads Are the Perfect Combo

Alejandra Mondragon — Fri, 13 Jan 2023 22:52:15 +0000

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Facebook and Instagram are two of the world’s greatest and most popular platforms amongst all generations. And although you might be trying to decide if one is more suitable than the other for your advertising needs, I’m here to tell you that going for both can do wonders for your business.

But first, let’s talk numbers. According to The Global State of Digital 2022, a research by Hootsuite, Facebook has over 2.93 billion active users. Not far behind, Instagram has more than 1.37 billion monthly active users as of October 2022. This large user base makes them a powerful option for businesses seeking to reach a wide audience. Just imagine how many people you can connect with through these platforms.

In this blog, I will share the top five reasons why Facebook and Instagram Ads together are a powerhouse and some tips that will help you make the most out of your ads when integrating both platforms.

Greater Reach

Let’s start with the obvious but one of the most powerful: A large user base. Advertising on these platforms that, combined, have over four billion active users gives businesses the opportunity to reach a massive audience. This is especially valuable for companies that offer products and services that appeal to a diverse range of people.

More Targeting Options

Facebook Ads allows targeting users based on demographics, including age, gender, location, and interests. However, they also offer more advanced options like targeting based on behaviors, such as recent purchases or online activity. And one of the most interesting options available is the retargeting option, which allows businesses to show ads to users who have previously interacted with their companies.

Instagram also offers targeting options based on demographics and interests and also users who follow specific accounts or use specific hashtags. Another very effective target setting is based on their activity on the platform, such as users who frequently comment on posts or engage with specific types of content.

Both platforms offer a wide range of targeting settings to help businesses reach the right audience at the right time and place.

Different Content Types

Instagram is a visual-oriented platform ideal for showcasing products and services through beautiful and eye-catching formats. These ad formats are:

Image
Carousels
Videos
Stories
Reels
Shopping

Facebook is also a visual-oriented platform. Yet, it also gives room for more text-based content. It is perfect for businesses that display their products and services through catchy visuals and share more about their products through engaging copies. This platform has different ad formats, including:

Images
Videos
Carousels
Collections
Instant Experiences
Stories

The combination of Facebook and Instagram allows businesses to create a well-rounded advertising campaign that showcases their products and services in a visually appealing way while also displaying text that helps complement the visuals.

Integrated Ad Management

Let’s remember that Facebook owns Instagram, which only allows us to manage all ads in one simple platform called Ads Manager.

It makes it easy and extremely convenient since you can optimize campaigns, collect data, track performance, create new ads, make changes, and much more in one place rather than moving from platform to platform. You are saving time by simplifying the process. And let’s be real; time is money.

Campaigns Under One Roof

You can easily have the same campaigns with all settings, creatives, and ad copies under one roof. What I mean is that you don’t have to do the work twice.

You don’t have to create separate campaigns, visuals, ad copies, or settings for every platform. By having Facebook and Instagram ads in one place, there is no need to create multiple campaigns; you can use the same assets by just selecting to advertise the same ad on both platforms. No added effort for you or your team.

Best Practices

Here are a couple of tips you should consider when having a digital marketing campaign that integrates both Facebook and Instagram ads:

Define clear goals for your campaigns before jumping in to select the best approach, campaigns, formats, and settings to use.
Don’t be afraid to test different formats and content to evaluate which is doing the best and continue doing it and which isn’t performing well to discover how to improve.
Explore and use both platforms’ different targeting options to make the most out of your ads and reach your ideal audience.
Always keep track of your ads performance and analyze data regularly to know your progress and determine how to continue improving.

Let’s Wrap This Up!

If you want to give your business the best shot at success, you should definitely consider having Instagram and Facebook advertising together in your marketing strategy this year!

These platforms offer a ton of creative options, from ad formats and targeting options to management tools, that will help you reach and engage with your audience more effectively. It’s not just about getting results; it’s about how convenient and time-saving this duo can be. So don’t wait any longer: get started with Instagram and Facebook advertising and watch your business grow!

Keep your business on the cutting edge with our blogs. You will stay informed on the latest digital marketing trends and updates and discover the best platforms to use for your business. Sign up now!

The Four Social Media Advertising Platforms That Are Worth Considering in 2023

Miguel Saballos — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 22:34:33 +0000

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According to Hootsuite, social media acquires 13 new users every second, which explains why in this day and age, more than 53% of the world’s population is active on social media.

This is also why this channel has been proven to be one of the most effective when it comes to digital advertising. As we know, some social media advertising advantages are extensive reach, granular segmentation, and advanced algorithms, which are great for different purposes such as lead generation, community building, brand awareness, online sales, brand loyalty, and more.

So there is no room for skepticism when it comes to social media advertising. However, you need to be careful when it comes to deciding which is the right platform for your business.

In this article, we will go over the top 4 most converting social media advertising platforms.

The Advertising Value Behind TikTok

TikTok is a social media platform that allows users to create and share short-form videos, typically ranging from 15 seconds to one minute. TikTok ads are a way for businesses to reach and engage with users on the platform through sponsored content.

Source: eMarketer (please remove the OB)

Advantages of Using TikTok Ads

Reach a younger, highly engaged audience: TikTok has a large and growing user base, especially among younger generations. By advertising on the platform, businesses can reach a demographic that is known for being active and engaged with the content.
Drive brand awareness and consideration: TikTok ads can help businesses get their products or services in front of a large number of potential customers, increasing brand awareness and consideration.
Encourage user-generated content: TikTok’s hashtag challenges and other interactive ad formats can encourage users to create and share content related to a brand or product, which can help to build a sense of community and further drive awareness and consideration.
Flexible targeting options: TikTok offers a range of targeting options, including demographic, behavioral, and interest-based targeting, which can help businesses reach the most relevant and interested audiences.
Measure results: TikTok provides detailed analytics and performance metrics for ads, including reach, impressions, views, and conversions, which can help businesses understand the effectiveness of their campaigns and optimize for better results.

Overall, TikTok ads can be an effective way for businesses to reach a younger, highly engaged audience and drive brand awareness, consideration, and conversions.

Facebook Ads Continues to Be an Infallible Option

Facebook Ads is a form of online advertising that allows businesses and organizations to promote their products, services, and content on the Facebook platform. Facebook Ads can be an effective way for businesses to reach and engage with potential customers, increase website traffic and sales, and build brand awareness.

One of the main advantages of advertising on Facebook is its extensive reach, but that’s not it. Reaching your potential clients is just as important as guaranteeing a return on investment. Otherwise, you are just wasting your money.

This is why Facebook Ads has so much potential; leveraging its targeting options will give you the opportunity to get granular and tap into the audience with the highest search intent and purchasing power.

Additional Facebook Ads Advantages

Multiple advertising options allow you to share content through different formats like photos, videos, and creative graphics.
This platform is visually-oriented, dynamic, and easy to use.
Facebook Ads targeting options include various characteristics, such as interests, events, behaviors, and hobbies.
With this platform, you can track performance and get insights in real-time so you can optimize your campaigns on the spot.

Instagram Advertising Has Grown Exponentially

Instagram is the second most downloaded free app globally, with more than 500 million daily users and an estimated advertising reach of 1.22 billion users.

You can be sure that your competitors already use a robust strategy to their advantage; what about you? Instagram has the potential to maximize your business’s marketing efforts.

No matter age, gender, or culture, everyone is on Instagram, and the main reason is that this platform has been designed to help people connect in a fun, dynamic, and easy way. Its vast reach and well-designed interface make it ideal for social purposes and businesses to interact in communities to relate to their everyday needs.

Instagram enables you to create a business account to advertise your products or services through multiple formats, including text, images, videos, and more. All these unique features make this platform ideal for digital advertising.

Do You Have a B2B Focus? LinkedIn Ads Is Your Best Ally

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform that is widely used by people around the world for job search, connecting with other professionals in the same industry, and building professional relationships.

It has a large reach and offers a range of functionality and design features that make it an attractive platform for business-to-business advertising.

In 2019, LinkedIn’s advertising revenue was approximately 920 million US dollars, making up about two-thirds of Microsoft’s total advertising revenue.

Most relevant LinkedIn Ads Advantages

Lead-capture forms usually refer to gathering information from your potential customers when they are trying to access a piece of your content which is perfect for getting valuable information regarding your target audience while they get value from you through the content or offer you provide in exchange. LinkedIn allows you to utilize lead-capture forms without the prospects having to fill out these forms since the information will be auto-filled.
LinkedIn is the only advertising platform that allows you to target by industry, job title, experience, and aspects related to the users’ professions. Likewise, you can exclude some of those parameters to get highly targeted ads.
This platform is way superior in data management since this platform does not rely on third-party data collected from across the internet; instead, LinkedIn leans on data that has been provided by the users, which is way more reliable and safe.
LinkedIn ads offer a wide variety of ad formats to choose from, including single-image ads, carousels, text ads, video ads, and more. Selecting the right ad format ensures that your ad is compelling and attractive to your target audience.

Let’s Sum Up!

When choosing a social media advertising platform for your business, there are several factors to consider. Check some of them below!

Target audience: It’s important to choose a platform that your target audience is using. Different platforms have different user demographics, so be sure to do your research to find out where your ideal customers are spending their time online.
Ad format and targeting options: Different platforms offer different ad formats and targeting options, so consider which ones align best with your business goals and target audience.
Platform features: Think about the features and tools that each platform offers and how they can support your business goals.
Cost: Different platforms have different advertising cost structures, so be sure to consider your budget and how it aligns with the cost of advertising on each platform.

It’s important to weigh the pros and cons of each option and choose the one that best fits your business. If you are still not sure which is the best option for your business, do not hesitate to reach out for a consultation!

Instagram Ads: The Boost You’re Looking For in Real Estate Marketing

Miguel Saballos — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 22:34:04 +0000

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If you think about social media advertising, the first platform that comes to mind is probably Facebook. And you’re not wrong since it has great potential for digital advertising, especially when it comes to real estate marketing.

But,

Did you know that Instagram users spend as much time on its platform as Facebook users?

In fact, Instagram is the second most downloaded free app globally, with more than 500 million daily users and an estimated advertising reach of 1.22 billion users.

You can be sure that your competitors already use a robust strategy to their advantage; how about you? Instagram has the potential to maximize your business’s marketing efforts, but you could wonder if it’s optimal for real estate marketing. Let’s clear up that doubt!

Why Should Realtors Care About Instagram?

Instagram enables you to create a business account to advertise your products or services through multiple formats, including text, images, videos, and more. Reach and unique features make this platform ideal for digital advertising, but what else does it offer for real estate marketing?

Instagrammers Have More Purchasing Power

Did you know that 60% of internet users with an annual income of $100,000 or more use Instagram?

By comparing Instagram users with Facebook and Twitter users, we could see that Instagrammers have a higher income, making them more qualified buyers.

Advertising on Instagram means massively expanding your reach but also tapping into the right audiences that are most suitable for your business, which is the one actually able to buy from you.

The Best Visual Features

Instagram is a highly dynamic visual platform; reels and stories are a strong asset, ideal for real estate marketing.

Aren’t we all mesmerized by what we see?! It translates to a purchase if we can visualize something we need or want. The visual content you share is a determinant factor of success online. Picture real estate tours online shown on reels filmed by drones, iPhones, and more. The sky is the limit when it comes to real estate on Instagram.

You can share high-quality visuals to engage your audience and increase your chances of closing deals. Content formats to choose from include:

Image Collections
Single Image
Single Video
Carousel
Stories
Lives
Reels
Slideshows

Once consumers fixate on what you transmit through your content, you are one step away from converting that into a sale.

Brush Up On Your Insta Skills

No experience managing an Instagram business account? There are experts to learn from who can help you manage a business strategy. The interface is straightforward, making it easy to manage whether you use it for social or business purposes. You can access it from any device, any place, just by internet access.

Creating and managing a business profile consists of adding quality content, including a well-structured and informative bio, appealing posts, and attractive images/videos. You can do this like a pro without investing too much time or other resources.

The best part is that Instagram integrations and features enable you to edit your posts on the go without having to use additional tools.

How to Get the Most Out of Instagram for Your Real Estate Business

Attract Through Your Bio

First impressions stick! Your business bio is one of the first things that users will see, so guarantee engagement with your page by including what you do, what makes your services different, contact information and relevant links.

Pro-tip: A professional profile picture adds value to your page by creating confidence to do business with you.

Delimit Your Audience

The more specific your target is, the better. By defining your target audience based on their location, demographics, and interests, you can take your efforts in the right direction.

Additionally, if you get to know your audience well, it will be a lot easier for you to customize your posts and create an effective real estate marketing strategy.

Optimize Your Business Page

Two hundred million users check out at least one business profile each day. If you want to advertise your services on Instagram, you need to create a professional business profile. In other words, do not use your personal account.

Once you create a business profile with relevant information about your services, you can access valuable information like insights and key traffic indicators. By knowing which posts drive more traffic, you’ll know what’s the most engaging content to your audience and leverage these insights for future actions.

Insta Tips

Visual content is your greatest asset for engagement, so your images and videos must be high-quality.
Use trending hashtags to help you rank higher in Instagram searches related to your business.
Select the most relevant content categories related to your business and use them to create a content calendar to program regular posts with these categories in mind.
17.3% of all main feed posts are carousels, so frequently use this format in your posts.

Ready for Your Real Estate Marketing to Go Viral?

Putting your business information out there, accessible to millions of people at no cost, is a no-brainer, especially if it implies making your business boom. By creating a business profile on Instagram, you can achieve multiple goals for your real estate marketing campaigns, including:

Interacting with relevant audiences
Increasing brand awareness
Reaching those who want to sell or buy a home
Obtaining referrals to your business
Driving more qualified leads

Whether you believe it or not, Instagram is a goldmine for real estate advertisers. Want to see case studies of how it’s helped businesses like yours grow? Learn more about real estate marketing and competitive strategies. Subscribe to our blog to keep updated on more about real estate marketing.

Become an Expert at Cross-Selling Social Media to Your Clients

Tania Quijano — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 23:39:59 +0000

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Optimizing a client’s marketing strategy requires rethinking which additional channels can target audiences and cater to online behavior by creating and promoting the right content at the right time while growing businesses.

If you haven’t added marketing strategy expansion through cross-selling social media to the agenda for your next call with your client, it’s time to start.

Existing Clients Are Your Best Bet

Did you know?

The probability of:

Selling to an existing client is between 60% and 70%
While
Selling a new customer is only between 5% to 20%.

You can forget past clients: the best opportunities are the leads you’ve created. Investing time in cross-selling will let you increase your customer’s lifetime value and, most importantly, revenue.

The Concept of Cross-Selling

When you cross-sell, you sell an additional product or service online related to what’s being bought already by an existing customer.

We’ll share techniques and best practices you can use to entice customers to make additional decisions by including social media advertising in their digital marketing efforts.

Why Social Media Is the Perfect Match

Think about a client with Google Ads and SEO; the next step is placing social media ads into the mix. While overwhelming, thinking about how to expand the services you offer is essential!

Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other social networks already present value through various campaign types. Social Media Ads play an essential role in your clients’ advertising plan because they give an extra avenue to promote their business and help them increase brand awareness around different online sources to reach an additional stream of potential clients.

Cross-Selling Strategies

Your cross-selling strategy will be successful if you structure your offer based on the buyer’s journey. It must be consistent with what the customer is looking for:

Are they planning to expand?
Do they count on the budget to try social media ads?
Are they willing to expand to other online sources?

Understanding your customer is critical; not only does it make it easier to sell an additional service than make the first sale, but it also helps you grow faster.

Get To Know Your Customers

Important towards building stronger rapport. Knowing your customers and their needs means you’ll be able to offer the service they need. In this case, you can talk about the numerous benefits they could receive when implementing a social media strategy and the different campaign objectives that will help them achieve their goals.

Something to keep in mind is to analyze the audience you’ll be targeting and understand their goal in marketing expansion. This will help you know what type of campaign could work for them.

Identify Happy Customers

Ensure your customers are satisfied with the service they currently have. NEVER try to upsell or cross-sell strategies to dissatisfied, or frustrated customers. The easiest way to identify them is simply by talking to them, and ask them about how they feel about your service and how they see their partnership with you in the future; in other words, make them feel you’re part of their team and that you care about their business too.

To help you with this, let’s think about some questions:

Has the client been with you for over 6 months, perhaps a year?
Are you engaging your clients with a monthly report?
Have you built rapport when communicating with the client?
Does the client trust your strategies, ideas, and decisions?

If the answer is “yes, ” you have a great candidate to cross-sell social media advertising to.

Focus on the Benefits the Customer Will Receive

Here you can always highlight the fact of how much impact social media has nowadays.

Larger audiences: Reach larger audiences through Facebook and Instagram. Every business owner has an opportunity to reach a variety of audiences that could be interested in their producats or services.
Increase visibility: Engaging content gets shared if they have a social media profile that shares content, and the more they share, the more people will engage.
Ad formats: Options available to present products or services such as carousels, single images, videos, catalogs, and collections. Based on the strategy testing them all and finding which one performs better for them is a good way to to go.
Engage brand awareness, traffic, or sales: Depending on their goal, different types of campaigns that will help them increase followers and brand awareness, can drive new users to their website, and complete a purchases or sign-ups.

Identify Trends and Add Them to Your Sales Pitch

Experience applied to strategies from proper research, and trend analysis is key to performance with clients. Once you have successfully sold several customers, you’ll get a clear idea of which types of customers benefit most from social media services to complement their strategies. Thus it will be easier for you to offer it.

No Need to Be Pushy

Don’t be. Even if you’re desperate to sell, don’t act like it. If the client doesn’t want to take on an additional service, let it go and give them time to digest your recent cross-sell proposal. If they didn’t see the value in the first pitch, it could be because they simply are not ready!

The Art of Cross-Selling

Social media advertising creates many opportunities for every business to reach new leads. It’s a great way to connect with new audiences and help them get familiar with your company.

Cross-selling involves identifying related services and creating relevant offers while applying efficient approaches. The goal is to make revenue for the company while creating satisfied customers. With these tips, you should be able to convert many one-time buyers into lifelong customers. Make sure you subscribe to our blog to keep on trend with the latest digital marketing efforts.

How Much Should You Spend on Facebook Ads?

Tania Moreno — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 21:58:47 +0000

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We all like being told the rules before straying, but in PPC, there isn’t one for how much you should spend when it comes to Facebook ads. How much you invest depends on different factors, from geo-targeting location, campaign objectives to detailed targeting.

The budget that you will select for your Facebook ads will always vary depending on your objective since there are some campaigns that tackle the first part of the marketing funnel (such as Brand Awareness and Reach), where you are more likely to spend less than with campaigns in the deepest part of the funnel such as Conversions and Catalog Sales, which are more expensive.

That said, we are happy to help with some direction for you to begin. The steps below are based on our team’s experience. Following them can help you define a budget and determine how it can be useful.

Throughout your campaigns, you will learn to tweak your budget to find your sweet spot considering the factors mentioned above.

Define Your Marketing Budget

The first step is often the most practical. You need to assign your marketing budget. Whether it’s for conventional marketing or investing in PPC agency services, you need to find a number that works.

As a rule, a marketing budget for any business is around 5% – 12% of revenue. If your business is in its infancy, you should consider a more aggressive marketing approach.

The Importance of Investing in Facebook Ads

Why should you be spending money on Facebook anyway? It’s important to understand the benefits before moving forward.

Allocating a budget to Facebook Ads can cultivate brand awareness and test audiences.

Brand Awareness: a key consideration for consumer behavior, this means potential clients are able to recall or recognize a brand under different conditions
Testing Audiences: this helps you identify which audience converts better for your business. Thus, you will have to consider that when allocating your budget.

Develop a Strategy to Avoid Pitfalls

When determining a budget, a common mistake is allocating funds without a specific purpose or goal. Many business owners create or boost posts or a single ad once in a blue moon. In our saturated market, this usually causes little to no impact. Moreover, because it lacks a strategy, it’s usually not as targeted as one would think.

So, the question is, what do you want to achieve with your PPC marketing services? This question applies both to Google and Facebook.

With Facebook Ads, you can set your campaign’s objective from the get-go:

You’ll note that the image above separates objectives into three different columns. Each column represents different levels of the marketing funnel. Thus the cost per result per each of the campaign objectives will vary depending on the end goal.

What part of the funnel are you focused on?

Awareness

Do you want to start to build your community on Facebook?

Are you hoping to increase your brand awareness and reach?

Drive new users to your website?

If that’s the case, then you are focused on the top of the funnel: Awareness. You can start with a smaller budget than a Lead Generation, Conversions, Catalog Sales, or App Installs campaign.

Suppose you’re going to have a local target audience, such as some states, counties, or cities. In that case, you can spend between $200 – $800. You can allocate the budget either to one campaign or have different campaigns to have joint efforts.

For example, you can assign $200 for Engagement and $500 for Traffic in a local target audience such as Florida.

These parameters change if you aim for national scope. If that’s the case, we recommend a minimum of $1000 for Brand Awareness. Segment your ad sets per region or group of states. You can then identify which part of your campaign performs best and optimize based on the performing metrics.

Your cost per result will vary depending on optimization delivery. If you choose the “Link Clicks” result, your cost per result will always be lower since a “Link Click” is counted when someone opens your ad image or just clicks on any part of it. However, we need to take into consideration that link clicks won’t guarantee website traffic or conversions.

As a best practice, we always recommend for Traffic Campaigns, select “Landing Page Views” as your optimization delivery, since the “Landing Page Views” are people who actually visited your website and not only clicked on any side of your ad. With this optimization delivery that is more oriented to a Consideration part of the funnel, the Facebook algorithm will target people with the behavior of visiting similar websites, in contrast to Link Clicks, which is an optimization delivery associated with the first part of the marketing funnel.

You can select the configuration mentioned above at the ad set level.

Consideration

Moving to a deeper part of the funnel, we have the Consideration. These campaign’s objectives are different.

The main focus of this campaign is leading to a specific action such as downloading an app, filling out an instant form, or calling from the ad.

Naturally, these campaign types have a higher cost per result. In this section will be the Lead Generation and App Installs campaigns.

To target a local audience, start with $800 for Lead Generation, depending on the industry. Based on the accrue results, either increase your budget or test a different campaign that will complement your Facebook Ads strategy. When creating Lead Generation campaigns, you will have to consider if your potential customers are likely to either fill out a form on Facebook, for example, for a medical appointment or if it is more likely to call for it.

If you want to have a national scope, consider a budget of at least $1400. You can allocate this across ad sets, segmenting them by locations or A/B testing with diverse audiences based on interests, lookalikes based on people who have filled the form, or Facebook Engagement or page followers.

Conduct a thorough investigation of what’s the cost-per-result benchmark for your industry. Check if running Facebook ads will be profitable for your business or not. Click here to learn more about Facebook Ads benchmarks.

Conversion

Continuing down the funnel, we have Conversions.

These campaign types have a higher cost than the previous objectives since this leads to completing an action on the website. This type of conversation usually includes money, so the stakes are higher.

If you’re selling a low-dollar product or service, you will have to identify what’s the most you can spend while keeping your business profitable.

If your product is a high-dollar item, you have more wiggle room.

Keep this in mind when you create Conversions or Catalog Sales campaigns.

For a Conversions campaign, start with a minimum of $1000. Of course, this number varies depending on your product, industry, and scope (national vs. local).

Conclusion

The information above will help you determine a Facebook Ads budget for your business.

The first step is in understanding your numbers and goals. These elements will be influenced by industry and your business conversion value. The second thing to consider is the marketing funnel. Determine your objectives and purpose before assigning your budget.

Are you still struggling with the right budget for your Facebook Ads? Book a free consultation with one of our specialists!

White Label PPC Experts Recommend 15 Second Reel Ads

Ruben Medrano — Fri, 30 Jul 2021 22:03:46 +0000

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You’re probably wondering: How is it possible to engage with your audience in such a short time?

For sure, this wouldn’t have been possible just a few years ago, but the ever-changing landscape of social media is creating room for countless new ways to reach audiences. As a white label PPC company, our team provides the best PPC marketing solutions to businesses across industries and platforms, enabling our clients’ and partners’ success through tailored advertising solutions.

Today, we will explore the increasingly popular ad medium that’s helping companies succeed, no matter their size.

The Rise of Short-Form Content

It’s pretty typical in the tech industry to see a burst of startup apps rapidly entering the market. When they surface with new and exciting things, they shake the established tech companies with their novel ideas.

In 2013, Vine created a sense of FOMO for many. The revolutionary app is considered the father of short-form video content, giving more established social media companies like Facebook, Twitter, and others a run for their money. Many of which attempted to launch their own alternatives.

As a PPC agency, it’s interesting to follow the progress of these platforms as they unfold and disrupt traditional media. In Vine’s case, although its time in the limelight was short, its impact was marked by a shift in content consumption. It certainly left behind a new standard for user engagement: 6-second gaffes. TikTok currently holds this crown.

Literal 15-ish seconds of fame

Fast forward to 2020: those 6-seconds videos are now 15 and over. These short, shareable videos have become a ubiquitous part of mainstream culture, from dance challenges to funny blunders.

Many experts have pointed out this surge of short-form videos is cultivating shorter attention spans, securing this content’s format mainstay.

A new player with a familiar face

Although Instagram is known as a photo-sharing social media platform, video content is slowly gaining traction on it.

Instagram didn’t want to rest on the success of others, so it took its time to develop its latest feature, Reels. Reels were Instagram’s response to Tiktok without compromising the essence of the platform.

Instagram finally launched its Reels in August 2020, joining the party and proving a moderate success–they must.

Are Reels any good for my business?

The rise of short-form video content consumption is having an impact throughout many industries. Whether or not brands want to participate is irrelevant

Since it is part of Instagram’s platform, Reels had an advantage over its competitors: a base of more than 1 billion active monthly users.

This instant reach and popularity offers businesses a ton of mileage out of any piece of video content published on the platform. Meaning that short-form videos are perfect for brands looking to modernize their digital marketing efforts and reach audiences like never before.

Viewers will get to know your brand and products in mere seconds!

Reels aren’t one size fits all

Though these short videos are helpful and well-positioned, shooting out hundreds of short videos is not enough to have a successful marketing strategy.

The message you want to put out there must resonate with your audience. You need to develop a clear understanding of your brand’s voice and message to build a solid content strategy. If you want to learn how we did it, watch this video!

Once you have your content strategy nailed down and decided that Reels would be an excellent fit for your company: we have some big news to share.

The next big (short) thing in advertising

If you’ve reached this point, you now know about the potential impact short-form content has on brands, and you’re eager to get in on it.

The good news is that Instagram recently introduced Reels Ads, which combines the popularity of these short videos and the effectiveness of Facebook’s ad platform targeting.

Reels Ads will show in between other Reels your target audience is watching. As with regular Reels content, these ads will loop and can run up to 30 seconds. People can comment, like, view, save and share, which adds to their value in PPC marketing.

How to produce effective Reels (and ads in the process)

Engaging content will lose its force without consistency. That’s why it’s vital to have a solid content strategy. Once you have that, apply these three simple rules to make your short-form content stand out:

Tease:

The art of mystery. Give your customers a glimpse of what you have in store for them and create hype around your product’s value. Short-form videos are perfect for new product launches because it will pique your audience’s interest.

Amplify:

Enough bite-size pieces can become a full meal. Break down the longer content you have in your strategy into short videos that will help you tell the same story while keeping your audience engaged.

It works great if you target specific audiences because it will ensure your message will get to your target demographic.

Echo:

Think about how you can make your brand’s message resonate with your audience. Make it catchy and relatable. Don’t think about what you want to say but how they will want to hear it. Make sure to invite viewers to take one action before moving on.

Make them believe it’s not an ad

Nowadays, consumers are looking for “organic” content. What we mean by organic is a more genuine approach to selling. Product demos, Q&As, how-to tutorials, and behind the scenes are just a few ideas of helpful content people like to see from their favourite brands.

Consider how shareable your content can be. Useful, shareable information has the potential to reach more people than you initially planned when your PPC marketing plan feels authentic and relatable.

Conclusion

We can’t overstate the impact that social media has on the marketing landscape, and how quickly it can change. Today it’s short videos, tomorrow, who knows? Everyday is an adventure in technology, but that’s what we are here for.

If you want to stay up to date with the latest developments in digital marketing, our PPC agency provides plenty of insider information in our blog. Also, check out our guides, blogs, PPC tools, and content that will give you the best tips and insights to build a great PPC marketing strategy for your business.

Boost Your Business with Facebook Ads

Tania Quijano — Mon, 10 May 2021 21:09:41 +0000

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Facebook Ads for Your Business

Have you tried “boosting posts” on Facebook to increase engagement, sales, or traffic without achieving results? You’re not alone.

On the other hand, have you seen the benefits of Facebook Ads? If not, now may be the right time to check them out.

Read on to discover how Business Manager works and how to leverage its features to reach your goals.

What Are Facebook Ads?

Every day, billions of people are active on Facebook, spending an average of 50 minutes on the social media platform.

Social networks drive more than 30% of website visits, which means there is an opportunity here that businesses can’t miss.

Facebook Ads allow you to target people based on their interests, locations, age, genders, job titles, behavior, and more. In other cases, Facebook can create lookalike audience lists that are based on an existing customer base, or users who engage with your Facebook page, or profiles who visit your website.

Can you imagine how many people you can reach using these settings?

A targeted ad on Facebook increases your chances of reaching an even larger audience. You simply have to create your campaigns and tailor them to meet specific objectives or goals:

Awareness: Awareness focuses on the consumer’s ability to recognize your product and generates intrigue and interest in your brand and offering. It is the beginning of a conversation where brands communicate their value and benefits.

Consideration: At this point, consumers movetoward taking action as you encourage them to seek more information about the opportunity. Invite users to visit your website to learn more about a specific product. These “nudges” can increase your traffic coming from social media or help you get more followers or leads.

Conversions: This objective is all about guiding people interested in your business to the next step: to buy or use your product or service. Select the type of conversion to track the purchases, activity on contact forms, or registrations.

Begin by focusing on building awareness and community. This will help you begin to acquire new customers and start conversations. Your campaign goals will change as your business grows of course, and later you can encourage actions that strengthen your rapport or lead to a sale.

Placements for Your Ads

Ads Manager allocates ad placements depending on how users experience them across platforms. Ads can run on Facebook, Instagram, Audience Network, and Messenger.

Where ads are displayed depends on your objective:

Feeds: Ads appear in a user’s inbox, desktop, and mobile feed
Stories: This full-screen vertical ad is featured in a user’s Facebook Stories
In-Stream: Ads appear before, during, or after videos
Search: Ads are shown next to relevant Facebook and Marketplace search results
Messages: Ads are displayed as messages to people who have an existing conversation with you in Messenger
In-Article: Ads appear in Instant Articles within the Facebook mobile app
Apps: Ads are displayed in external apps

There are two types of placements. The first is “automatic placements,” the default recommendation. These placements allow Facebook’s delivery system to make the most of your budget.

The second option is “manual placements.” Choose a particular placement or different creatives (images or videos) to be featured on the platform.

Are you starting a new campaign? Select “automatic placements” to compare and evaluate performance across ads. Once you have gathered data, switch to manual placements based on those performance metrics.

A/B Testing and Creatives

Testing creatives is extremely important to improve the quality of your ads. The Facebook Manager allows you to compare two or more different ads to qualify ad copy or creatives performance (images, format).

It’s critical to take advantage of all available formats to determine which ones effectively engage your audience. Varying formats can be carousels, instant experience, or collections with different products.

For videos, if people watch more than 6 seconds, it will register as a “video view.” If viewers watch 15 seconds or above, you are on a different level of Facebook video marketing.

It’s essential to regularly perform A/B tests on your ads to make sure you’re getting the best results possible. These evaluations will provide valuable data about what creatives work best for each of your target demographics.

Reach a Wide Target Audience

Facebook is the biggest social media platform in terms of active users. Every business with an online presence needs to be active on this platform, too, and must have a strategy that fits your goals.

Again, brand awareness means people remember your brand when they need the product or service you offer. Elements that contribute to brand awareness are:

Memorable visuals
Sharing content quickly
Cheaper ads (Facebook & Instagram)
Connecting with people in real-time

Social media advertising is an effective way to reach consumers based on interests, job titles, ages, locations, and user behavior on social networks. That’s why you need to find and connect with an audience based on the data you’re getting.

Improving and optimizing your Facebook advertising strategy should always be a part of your plan to engage and quickly discover new leads.

Conclusion

Are you considering Facebook Ads for your business? Leverage all the formats and features available for your business by speaking to our experts.