The Daily Carnage

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How to Get People to Engage With You and Your Blog

APRIL 5, 2020

Ahh, engagement. We fight so hard for this metric and it’s like attempting to give a cat a bath. Here’s the thing tho, an engaged audience leads to some serious buyer loyalty.

ProBlogger is giving us tips to up our engagement game. Let’s dig in!

Be the community you want to create. Believe it or not, this takes practice. You can’t expect people to engage with you if you aren’t returning the favor. Digital convos are a two-way street too. It is quite a commitment tho so set time aside every day to manage engagement.

Insider Tip: Answering questions, no problem. But, what about an emoji comment? Focus on the emotion or reaction that’s given off by the emoji. See this – “😍💪”? Respond with “Sending that love right back at ya, friend.”

Set up an autoresponder. What happens after a newbie signs up for your newsletter? You probably send a thank you email, amirite? Take that thank you email to the next level with engaging questions. Encourage an engaging relationship from the start.
- Email 1 should look something like: A “thank you for subscribing” + delivery frequency + future expectation + Invite readers to reply (and offer template questions).
Create engaging content. Whether it’s a blog, social post, podcast, video or whatever content your heart desires, end each piece with a question. Now, don’t ask deep, personal questions. Make it as easy to answer as possible.
- For example, a How-To blog could ask – “Did any step in this How-to guide trip you up?” Then if you want to make it even easier for people to respond, offer the question like it’s multiple choice.

Insider Tip: For goodness sake, make sure you respond to every comment.

ProBlogger continues with advice on live streaming and creating content events. Smash the button and become an engaging wizard!

6 ways you’re tanking your content marketing strategy

APRIL 1, 2020

Folks, we’re getting spoiled. Back in the day, when you had a Q, you hit the library or grabbed a thesaurus/dictionary. Today, digital resources like Alexa have 3 seconds to give us a direct answer. We’re conditioned to the ease of having answers at our fingertips.

As marketers, it’s our goal to educate the buyer and answer their questions. This is where optimizing your content is extremely important, but many marketers get it wrong.

The crew at Impact highlighted the six biggest problems and what to take away from them.

You’re writing it and forgetting it. The “write it & forget it” mentality is just bad business. Instead pair relevant, high-quality content with a routine of regular updates to get on your customer’s radar.
You’re writing just about fluffy things. Your content marketing strategy is not your editorial calendar. Focus on clearly answering questions your target audience is most likely asking. Provide your reader something of value, not fluff.
You’re outsourcing your content. No one tells your story better than you. Invest in your own team to create your content and be mindful of what can be done in house.
You’re writing in a vacuum. Involve all departments in your content development. The key is to consult with other points of view. Sales are on the front lines while leadership has a firm grasp of the industry. Make sure you take it all into consideration.
You’re not using video. Consumers are demanding more and more videos. Give them what they want. Video builds trust faster than text alone, and using it will shorten your sales cycle.
You’re forgetting analytics. Determine what’s working and what’s not. Maybe you need to include more links. Perhaps visual content needs revisiting. Figure out what works best and create more content like it.

Head over to Impact and dive into greater detail on each tip!

5 Ways to Use Social Media for SEO Keyword Research

MARCH 31, 2020

Okay, we’ll say it. Keyword research kinda stinks. Luckily, we’re learning a few tricks today with help from Search Engine Journal. Here’s how social media can inform keyword research.

Use Facebook Ad Targeting Options for a Glimpse into Audiences. There’s an abundance of data floating around Facebook because of how the majority interact with the social platform.

Action: Targeting options like geography, interests, education, or relationship status to pinpoint similar audiences or even dig deeper into the demographics of your existing audience to truly understand their lives.

Dig Into Trending Topics on Twitter. Conversations within trending topics are a major strength. We have the ability to use the exact language that potential searchers use.

Action: Actively engage with your target audience on Twitter. Take advantage of social media monitoring tools to help you stay on top of it all.

Discover What Shows Up When You Search Instagram Hashtags. IG is becoming a real search engine wanna be. Get keyword inspiration by searching for hashtags related to your business or target audience. Check out IG’s automatic suggestions or analyze the most popular posts.

Action: SEJ recommends asking yourself –

- - What does the Instagram caption say for the most popular posts?
  - Does it include key pain points or language that you’re not including in your copy?
Analyze Content on Pinterest. This creative-focused platform is truly the underdog of the search engine world. Longer phrases or one-word queries, Pinterest offers specific and unique resources.

Action: Search specific key phrases and look to autofill, the top pins, or the suggestion search options.

Find Out What Influencers Are Saying on LinkedIn. Like Twitter, you can get a better understanding of exactly how people are communicating and apply it to your keyword research.

Action: Assess which influencers or topics might resonate with your audience most then scan through post comments.

Crank Up Your Click-Through Rate By Learning From These 6 Email CTA Examples

MARCH 30, 2020

Let’s talk about click-through-rate. It’s your opportunity to be clear with how viewers, subscribers, or followers should take action.

Sleeknote compiled a brilliant list of brands who are killing it with email CTAs and how you can walk away will tangible ideas. Here we go!

Pulp & Press Juice Co. sent out an email promoting “The Green Cleanse.” The CTA simply reads, Order the Green Cleanse. The key here is its positioning. The email is laid out with a title at the top, then features an image, followed by concise product copy that includes how it works and benefits, and finally the CTA.

Tactic: The position flow is logical and helpful. Plus, the CTA is abundantly clear and focused on action.

Hawthorne’s email campaign has a very minimalist approach while featuring two travel-sized bottles of cologne, for work and for play. The CTA? Get Yours – $45. #tranparencyforthewin

Tactic: Hawthorne is hyper-specific by calling out the exact price. This isn’t a common practice but works like a charm if you’re focus is one or two products. Plus, the CTA pops like crazy as a white button on a black background.

The Hill-Side is a men’s clothing and accessories company that put a creative spin on their CTA to promote three scarves. The email has images of the products acting as the CTA. Hill-Side includes an arrow instructing subscribers to click.

Tactic: The innovation here sets this email apart. It might not be drastic or out-of-this-world new. But it allows them to differentiate their email experience from the countless flood of emails that consumers deal with.

Check out the full article by Sleeknote for further detail and visual examples to amp up your CTA game.

Understand the Most Recent IG and FB Updates

MARCH 29, 2020

When it comes to keeping up with the Kardashians.. oh wait, no, we mean keeping up with Facebook and Instagram updates, our friends at AdEspresso has it covered!

Top Instagram Updates

Support Requests – gives the current status of submitted reports. If you reported any post as against IG’s guidelines, you’ll find it here along with actions that may have been taken.
Request a Review – you now have the ability to appeal decisions made on content you’ve reported.
IGTV monetization – aka ads are coming to IGTV. This feature is still in the testing phase but is beginning to roll out to a selective group.
Share to IGTV – your opportunity to share Live streams directly to IGTV at a click of a button. This feature is also still in the testing phase.
Latest Post – It will be a pop-up displayed over a user’s main feed ensuring you never miss a post. This feature is still in the baby development stages.

Top Facebook Updates

Facebook announced possible delays and errors in ad reviews. Be prepared for delay by creating ads and submitting them for approval long before you actually need them in case you need to adjust.
Facebook banned any ads and commerce listings that seek to capitalize on fears related to the virus. This is really about preventing exploitation.
Facebook is currently testing new features to reduce misinformation about the virus on both WhatsApp and Messenger.
“Mood” mode for FB Stories – users can create a GIF-centric frame for their Stories. Brands use them to explain their feelings or excitement about an announcement of a new product or a share of a customer review.
New design for Messenger – this update gets rid of the in-app Discover section leaving behind “Chats” and “People” as the main navigation options.
3D photos feature – This is straight-up cool. FB will have a feature that’s turn static, 2D pics into superior 3D photos making them more attention-grabbing in the feed

Transitioning To Remote Work: A Practical Guide

MARCH 25, 2020

How’s our fam doing? We get this working from home thing isn’t a walk in the park. We’re checking in to make sure y’all are armed with the best to get you through this temporary, new norm.

How do you plan & succeed as a remote worker? Woven has an extensive guide to make sure that your team is set up to plan and schedule remote meetings effectively. Let’s begin.

Take control of your time. Become the time master – what you do with it, where you spend it, and how you schedule it. Because if you don’t schedule your time intentionally – someone else will do it for you and it might not lead to a day, week, or life that you like.
- Recurring events – are time goals being optimized here?
- Impromptu meetings – Use time blocks or scheduling links to protect your time
- Morning time is no-meeting, focus time.
Over-communicate everything. No office means, zero chance of casually passing along info from desk to desk. Be intentional about what and how you communicate.
Use the Remote Work Trinity. These three tools make it easier than ever to work independent of your location.
- Slack for asynchronous communication
- Zoom for video conferencing
- Woven for team scheduling
Upgrade your workstation. Treat yo-self fam, and make sure your home setup rivals the one you had at work. If you’re starting from scratch, here are a few things to get you going:
- External Monitor
- Upgraded Webcam
- Elgato Key Light
- Audiotechnica ATR 2100x

Click through to get the remaining 3 tips and resources from Woven to maintain a rock-solid work from home schedule plus 2 bonus helpful guides to upgrade your desk setup.

How Coronavirus is Impacting Facebook Ads

MARCH 24, 2020

To run ads, or not to run ads. That is the question.

Like most things, there isn’t really a straight answer. We’re going to take a deeper look into this Q, but first, shout out to our friends at Matchnode for the killer article on how COVID affects Facebook and Instagram advertising.

Ask yourself, can your brand offer relevant support for your target audience? If the answer is no, it’s best to lay low and focus on organic marketing. If the answer is yes, and you have the budget to do so, go for a higher reach.

Here’s what you might expect from FB and IG ads in the coming weeks.

Lower CPMs + Increase screen time. Right now Facebook is experiencing a spike in usage. More folks on FB & IG with less active spending means a lower cost per thousand Impressions. Matchnode did an internal study showing a 16% decrease in CPM compared to the previous seven days.
Impacts Vary by Industry. Many canceled events or closed brick and mortar locations rightfully have pause ads. But there are creative measures to consider when calling for crowds is a bad idea.

For example: a hometown bar might go live on social media with a mixology class. Doing this would add value by educating people without risk of breaking social distancing, plus when the doors open again, you’ll have a retargeting audience all built up.

Adjusting your Product Catalog. Pay attention to what is and is not relevant within your product catalog and adjust messaging accordingly in Facebook Dynamic ads.
Facebook’s SMB Grant. Facebook announced $100 million in support of 30,000 small- and medium-Sized Businesses via cash grants and ad credits. Take advantage of this!

Listen, folks, weigh your options. What works for another may not work for you. But the opportunity is there. Read the full article by Matchnode.

9 Expert Tips For Managing a Remote Team

MARCH 23, 2020

Since the current demand for remote work is so high right now, here are some tips from Acadium for best practices when it comes to managing your team.

Respect office hours. Lines can get blurred when working from home. Make sure your team knows that work hours still apply so they can easily unplug when the workday is over.
Meet face-to-face. Nothing beats talking face-to-face. Use your preferred video-calling tool instead of phone calls to keep everyone connected.
Give them room to breathe. Don’t micromanage. You hired your team to get the job done, so let them do just that. If something isn’t working, then address it. But trust them to do what they’re there to do.
Don’t overlook onboarding. If you have new hires starting remote for now or if it’s how your business has always been set up, have an onboarding plan. Company culture is easier to maintain in-person, be diligent about preserving company culture and expectations digitally.
Invest in the right tools. Find out what your needs will be and utilize tools that will meet those needs. It might be a project management system or a video calling platform. Good tools will help your team and make your clients happy.
Build relationships. It’s all too easy to just talk business with your team. It’s just as important to get to know them better for who they are. Find commonalities you might have; you don’t need to become best friends, but it will help you to understand each other.
Acknowledge accomplishment. Give praise to team members who have gone above and beyond. It’s a great morale-boost and encourages others to strive toward these wins.

Get more insightful tips to rally the troops while working with a remote team!

What to do right now: How to navigate through a global crisis on social media

MARCH 22, 2020

How should your marketing strategy change when there’s a global pandemic?

That’s the question of the year for us. There’s no rule book. No guidelines. Nada. The disruption is real. Luckily for us, this fam is good at thinking on our toes. So is Sprout Social and they have an answer for ya.

Data incoming! Did you realize….

91% of people believe in social’s power to connect people.
78% of consumers want brands to use social to help people connect with each other.

When you start creating connections through relevancy then you officially cracked the code. Here’s how you can get going:

Get a pulse on the conversation. Take advantage of social listening tools! And if you’re unsure about your content strategy, use the sandwich method. *COVID update* + *Insert Your Content Here* + *COVID update* – Is your content helpful or mindful in this test?
Understand if there is a place for you. Once you grasp how your target audience is conversing, figure out how your brand can deliver on wants and needs. Be helpful.
Don’t turn a global emergency into a platform to promote. Consumers can smell sneaky sales from a mile away. Whether you create a full social media campaign or a one-off message from the owner, make sure it aligns with your brand and resonates with your people.
Lead with empathy, not fear. The entire world is in this experience right now. It’s not something to capitalize on, but to empathize with. Think about Clorox. Its products are flying off shelves. But you don’t see a Clorox social campaign saying “get it before it’s too late.” Instead, Clorox remains educational, sensitive, and calm.
Turn to your community. Use this opportunity to put your brand’s raw personality on center stage. Take this time to nurture your fans.

Get all the details and examples from Sprout Social!