How Does Influencer Marketing Benefit Your Business

Influencer endorsements are marketing for the new millennium. It is when an influencer, a person on a social media platform with a high number of followers, creates content recommending or reviewing your product. It is already a booming business, with ad spending estimated to reach between $5 and $10 billion by 2022, yet there are businesses, particularly smaller companies that still seem hesitant to enter the new field. But with 72 percent of major brands dedicating some of their marketing budget to influencers, rest assured that savvy influencer marketing can be just as lucrative as traditional marketing.

Social media grows every year, nearing 3.5 billion social media users in 2019. Platforms make influencer marketing distinctive in that influencers have already created a niche and a customer base. Marketers need only to find a way to organically advertise on platforms consumer already use. Even micro-influencers can have a following of 1,000 to 100,000 people—potential consumers that are not limited by location.

This creates not only an opportunity for sales, but an invaluable abundance of information. Marketers are able to track current trends as well as customer reactions to their product. Platforms are a place where influencers and consumers alike can engage in a more organic way, which is the reason influencers garner such positive results. As many as forty-nine percent of consumers trust the recommendations from influencers and thirty-seven percent of consumers find inspiration through social networks. In that way, a good post can serve as a global storefront for millions of users.

It's not empty marketing. About seventy-five percent of marketers have said that social media has increased traffic to their business, and those who have been using social media marketing for two years have reported an increase in sales. When adding influencer marketing into the equation, the average value is about $5.20 per every dollar spent.

Influencer marketing is a powerful tool that is only slated to grow alongside social media. It seems that above all, consumers value the authenticity of influencers because they see influencers not as celebrities, but as peers. Marketers can use the trust influencers have built in their base to promote their product in a more efficient way than traditional marketing.

3 Ways to Maximize Your Business’s Social Media Potential

In this day and age of social media, the new generation of consumer craves a real connection with the companies they are potentially looking to give their business too. They do not want automated cookie cutter responses. In a world of riddled with monotony, we as businesses must make it a point to craft these genuine relationships with our customers. In this article we will be going over three ways in which we able to create this in our own company.

1.      Using Humor on Your Social Media Accounts

a.      Many businesses have begun to use humor in their discussions with customers, they will make jokes on their twitter about people who may be bad mouthing the company, they will make jokes about current events that may be happening, poke fun at competitors. It’s a simple way to gain popularity and increase your following on social media.

2.      Making It a Point to Provide Customer Service Above Their Expectations

a.      Give your customer that moment of magic, that moment they will tell all their friends and family about, the moment that your company went above and beyond for them. The way we can do this through our social media channels is by replying to complaints, in a timely manner, and ensuring that our customers problems are completely resolved, do something out of the ordinary for them, at companies like Zappos, they are allowed to send customers flowers at any time, on the company’s payroll. Actions like this create memorable experiences for consumers and develop long lasting relationships, that will be heard about through word of mouth.

3.      Support Causes and Movements That Your Company Believes In

a.      This new generation of consumers wants to see the brands they purchase from take a stance on issues, whether that be in politics, sports, or music. They want the companies they buy from to have a strong moral compass, they want them to be ethical, and help to fight against the things which they believe are unjust. Your company could also support a cause such as Breast Cancer Awareness, or Mental Health Awareness, celebrating months such Black History Month, or LGBTQ. This will make customers feel proud to buy from a company that does more than just sell to people, they want a company that helps to uplift communities, and create awareness on the social issues that plague our present-day society.

3 Questions to Ask Yourself When Working with an Influencer

Given the reach of the internet, many people who previously didn't have an audience have now found one. There are well-known bloggers, people who post on social media and those who create YouTube videos, to name just a few. In the marketing field, these people are referred to as influencers.

They're not your traditional kind of celeb; they may not be beautiful or fit. They don't have an army of makeup artists at their command. But they do have something to say, and people want to hear what they have to say. If you're looking to work with an influencer, here are a few questions to ask yourself:

1. Are they working in your field? If you're selling, beauty products, then look for an influencer who tests and reviews beauty products. If you're selling baby products, look for influencers working in the parenting field. Remember that this is going to take some work because there are many influencers out there. And even within each field, there are divisions and subdivisions. For example, if a blogger always recommends organic products but yours are not organic, then don't approach that blogger.

2. Are they focused? How many followers do they have? Many people are looking to become influencers. They start blogs and leave them halfway. They keep changing their focus because they're not sure of what they're doing. Instead of working with people like this, make sure you find someone who has a focus and a good following.

3. Are they impartial? You want to work with someone who has a definite point of view and not someone who will recommend you just to get free products or other perks. In the long run, these are the kinds of influencers who people tend to listen to. So if you can find someone who comes across as impartial in their blog or social media feed but also seems to love your products, then you can be sure they're a good person to work with.

Contact us

for more great tips to work with an influencer to promote your product or service.

Social Media Posts Your Business Should Avoid

Are you struggling to give your social media marketing a boost? One big mistake businesses make is posting content that sometimes initially attracts a lot of attention, but ultimately causes a large number of people to unfollow. In order to optimize your social media marketing's performance, the goal is to attract new followers without losing old ones. So, to accomplish this goal, you will want to avoid social posts that anger or disturb your audience, prompting them to unfollow.

Social Media Posts to Avoid

1. Negative Posts Targeting Followers or Customers - It is very tempting to respond in kind to a negative or angry post or review, the better option is to use it as an opportunity to show off your customer services skills. While you may not be able to convert a dissatisfied customer into a happy one, potential customers will see and appreciate your efforts.

2. Inappropriate Viral Content - Social media posts that are funny or interesting, shared with the intent of going viral, are great so long as it is appropriate for your audience. Moreover, these types of posts can become seriously overdone. The best option is to share funny content limited to and scheduled on a designated day of the week.

3. Religious or Political Posts - Especially in today's environment, every business needs to carefully consider the benefits of weighing in on religious or political issues. In most instances, it is best to avoid these types of social media posts altogether. The backlash can seriously damage your brand, especially if you don't have a firm understanding of your audience or core customers.

4. Posts that Are Not Proofread - The core idea behind marketing on social media is being social. This does lead to more casual conversations and language. Regardless, you still want your business to come across as professional. Just a few small spelling or grammatical errors can make your company look amateurish. 

What haven't we covered yet that is important to you? If you would like more social media posts your business should avoid, or would like to discuss a related topic, please contact us.

The "Sales Funnel" Seems Almost Created for Digital Strategies

A tried and true conceptual framework for marketing, the "sales funnel" or "purchase funnel," has enjoyed a kind of renaissance. Not surprising. Although articulated more than a century ago, the "sales funnel" feels as though it were invented to illuminate e-commerce.

The online store potentially exercises control over the "buyer's journey"—another reborn concept—that no brick-and-mortar store ever achieved. The "funnel," of course, is a metaphor for the guided steps ("journey") by which a potential buyer becomes aware of a product or service, becomes attentive to it, appreciates its value, seeks out additional information, chooses a place that sells it, and buys it.

(We pause here, but that is not the end of the funnel in "holistic" or "end-to-end" marketing, which goes on to ensure customer satisfaction, foster customer loyalty, and nurture an enduring relationship with the brand.)

The "take away" for marketers is that this entire journey through the funnel can occur online. That means: Potentially within the circumference of influence of the marketer.

A Trip through the Online Purchase Funnel

Some brief comments on the architecture of the online purchase funnel:

1.    "Inbound" marketing, which tends to characterize the Web, means drawing potential buyers into the funnel by offering information, ideas, a trustworthy source of advice. The potential buyer is not driven into the online store of a forceful sales pitch, but drawn into a relationship. Social media, skillful SEO, a well-designed "landing page" on a website: All mediate this process.

2.    The process continues by holding the visitor's attention with genuinely informative information, credibly researched and presented, with the use of visuals (today, especially, video) to make the information highly palatable.

3.    Introduction to the brand and the online shopping experience are carefully handled at every step. For example, the homepage of Netflix is not about films, per se, but how the reader faces no risk in trying the service. Clearly, Netflix is convinced that one step through the tunnel involves strong reassurance that you won't be trapped in it by renewable monthly fees.

4.    Even the online visitor to a website has a choice where to buy the product. Thus, there is an art to making the act of buying online easy, attractive, and reassuring. One sales funnel expert, for example, says: Keep the "buying" page—checkout, the "buy button"—looking like the rest of the website. Visitors become uneasy if they feel they have been sent somewhere else to make the purchase when it is the website that has gained their trust.

5.    The online art of converting a sale into customer loyalty deserves a separate article, but, again, the online store has a built-in advantage. When the buyer has traversed the tunnel—from interest to attention to trust to a decision to buy—that trust also wins the seller the buyer's email address—still by far the single most valuable item in the cyber shopping world.

An impressive arsenal of data-backed insights, useful tools, design principles, and techniques have evolved to realize the full potential of the online sales funnel.

Since 2009, Real-Time Outsource has been "showing the love" for helping brands, businesses, agencies, destinations, and non-profit associations maximize every part of their social communities.

What you Should be Posting on Your Social Media to Engage Your Audience

Learning to Level the Social Media Playing Field

Are you an entrepreneur or small business owner diligently working social media to increase your sales but still aren't reaching the numbers you'd like? Do you find yourself growing frustrated when you run across another business your size or smaller who seem to be thriving on social media while you're elated anytime a like appears on your posts? In times like these it can be tempting to shutter your digital windows and stick to the real world for your business. However, not only can social media save you money in advertising but can bring far more customers to your door, online and off, than its physical equivalent. Recent statistics find that eighty two percent of small businesses are using social media to promote themselves.

This means that more than likely your competitors are already online and drawing your potential customers away with their advertising. The unfortunate truth is social media isn't a level playing field. However, having a basic understanding of what to post can greatly aid in driving engagement, increase the likelihood of promotion of your posts through social media algorithms, and ultimately elevate your business and profits to the next level. Getting started and growing your reach on social media is easier than it seems at first. Below, we'll take a look at a few different strategies and tactics on what to post so that you can level the social media playing field!

Educational, Entertaining, and Inspirational Posts make Social Media Algorithms Work for You

Believe it or not, not every post you make online should be an advertisement for your business. In fact, constantly promoting what you are offering customers can not only lower their interest but inhibit how many of your posts are seen. Posting entertaining, inspirational, or educational content provides people the opportunity to engage with your business online without feeling the pressures of being sold to.

Many social media outlets run algorithms that promote posts people seem to enjoy. By posting content to connect with your potential customers without pitching them your product or opportunity, you not only develop relationships that can aid your business in the future but are more likely to acquire engagement. This engagement translates to further shares of future content including advertisements.

Photos and Videos Enhance Your Posts and Drive Their Promotion on Social Media

Scrolling your social media of choice, you begin to understand how boring text only posts can be. On various platforms text only posts are hidden under those with photos or video and may be a detractor to potential customers. Posting a photo or video, alone or with further content, is not only a unique opportunity to engage clients on a sensory level, but maximizes your reach, and ultimately your profits as well.

Including Links Can Actually Decrease Your Reach and Lower Your Visibility

Understanding the way certain algorithms function within social media is the beginning of understanding what to post. Though it may seem contradictory at first, posting direct links to your business page actually lowers your visibility. This is due to those pesky algorithms. Social media sites, just like any other online business want their users to stay on their sites for as long as possible, meaning anything that may take users away will be more obscurely promoted.

So how do you get people to visit your page from social media? A more beneficial way may be asking those engaging with your posts to comment or message you for the link. This not only encourages post interaction, resulting in further promotion, but also allows for a one on one interaction between you and your potential customer.

Posts That Encourage Curiosity Are a Way of Increasing Interest and Engagement

When people go to search engines like YouTube or Google, the sense of curiosity is already there. However, when offering social media users our opportunities or products, it comes down to us to develop that curiosity. By developing this sense of curiosity we lead potential customers to our business or brand and what we are providing.

How is this curiosity developed in the first place? A good starting point comes in playing your cards close to your chest instead of giving away all the answers right away. By posting about the benefits or advantages that you are offering instead of the overall way of achieving them, people are more likely to develop interest and engage your posts.

How Your Business Can Reap the Social Media Benefits Today!

Dealing with the day to day necessities of your business, you may not have the time to incorporate a social media presence for your brand. At Real Time Outsource, we can help you plan and strategize the best approach to your social media and help you implement these tactics successfully to boost engagement and strength your bottom line. Contact us today to learn a multitude of ways to boost and drive sales from your digital presence or social profiles!

Five Profitable Social Media Strategies Revealed

Entrepreneurs, CEO's, and site marketers all have one thing in common: the need for social media advertising. The responsibility of successfully managing and promoting your company's website can be a confusing, overwhelming task. Not only are you running a business, but, you're researching the best options to find cost-effective solutions for growth. The good news is social media advertising works. Everything you want in an advertising campaign is possible, leaving you free to organize and operate your business without distraction.

Once you've decided to develop an active social media strategy, comparing options can be a time-consuming ordeal. There are numerous choices, costs, and benefits available for every purpose and venue--all you have to do is choose. The following information comprises the top social media ad advantages and how to put them to work for you.

Choosing the Right Social Media Channels

The features and benefits you seek should lead to customer loyalty, more conversions, and increased profits. The dilemma lies in choosing and, choosing requires education. Working social media advertising to your benefit begins with a basic understanding of the terms used to decipher your data.

Some clients may opt for traditional customer interaction metrics such as clickthrough rates, page duration, sharing frequency, and comments. Other marketers find search-based applications and text analytics helpful in tracking positive and negative opinion mining. In any case, there are many terms to know about metrics so that you can accurately assess whether or not your ad campaign is working.

Relationships Built on Trust

Stable, long-lasting customer relationships rely on trust. When planning your social media advertising campaign, remember your initial goal is to establish and nurture communication between your customer and you. Pitching a big sale may come in the future, but for now, you want to create an environment of interest, knowledge, and trust.

Customers who are in search of products or services spend only seconds on a webpage. Time and concentration in formulating your campaign are essential as this is how you are to be perceived by the public. The structuring of your ad is crucial to your success. Brand loyalty is the result of excellent products and customer satisfaction — now is your opportunity to assure them of both, creating a positive first impression.

Putting Your Ad "Out-There"

Though you know what you want to say, you may not be sure how best to say it. The way search engines operate, marketers must have some knowledge of getting traffic to their site using Search Engine Optimization (SEO). If you're not able to stay apprised of the constant changes and SEO requirements, an advertising agency can help.

Blogs are useful, but today, you also need title optimization, Meta tags with descriptions, and links which point to your specific site. Search engines such as Chrome, Google, or Firefox may use your participation in social media advertising in their calculations. Your presence on social media notifies various search engines of your credibility and trustworthiness. 

Experience, Expertise, and Trust

According to Forbes, "Social media can be overwhelming if you don't have the proper knowledge or tools. Whether it's to create or repurpose content, to find the best way to engage with your online community or to create a complete posting schedule, having the right social media management tools is crucial to your success." 

Every post you place on social media is an opportunity to convert customers for a lifetime. Creating a large customer base creates more prospects for the future.

High Conversion Rates

Social media advertising has influenced the world in such a way that while it is useful, it also demands marketing expertise, savvy public relations, and hours of education.

Real-Time Outsource lives and operates in the world of social media. We know how to best serve you by orchestrating the details of your campaign for maximum results. 

We're here to help you personalize your brand, which is the secret behind the success of many social media ads. We have the experience and track-record it takes to help you benefit from interacting on a personal level with your online clientele. Please contact us to speak with one of our advertising experts today. 

Source:  https://searchcontentmanagement.techtarget.com/definition/social-media-metrics

Source:  https://www.techtarget.com/

Source:  https://www.socialmediamagazine.org/8-business-practices-from-entrepreneurs/

Source:  https://www.jeffbullas.com/17-best-social-media-management-tools/

Source:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2017/05/15/15-social-media-management-tools-that-can-help-your-business-thrive/#5952baf72b13

Your New Customer-Segmentation Challenge Is Gen Z

Digital strategies are many and diverse, but fundamentals remain fundamentals. Few fundamentals are most perennially relevant than audience. Who is the audience, what appeals to them, what motivates them?

These are questions that market researchers have been posing about Gen Z, those individuals born after 1996 and now some 25-30 percent of the U.S. (and international) population. In America, by 2020, Gen Z is expected to be 40 percent of consumers.

Significant surveys have been done, such as A Generation without Borders, by OC&C Consultants, which analyzes responses of some 15,500 respondents in nine countries. Other surveys confirm their chief findings.

For digital marketing, a prime consideration is how Gen Z connects to the internet. There is a one-word answer, "mobile." Indeed, an alternate moniker for Gen Z is "iGen." It is called the first generation overwhelmingly connecting on mobile devices.

Not only that, they grew up "online" and have been described as "born cyber" and "born in the [cyber] cloud."

They know and expect a sophisticated online experience. That means websites adapted to respond to different types of user devices by rapidly and fully adjusting photo size, scrolling, text size, video. The right software can do that. It isn't rocket science, but you need it.

Some things are well known about sites that attract Gen Z (apart from strictly content). They want text brief and to the point. They want high-impact visuals. They were born and bred on videos--action. As native citizens of the web, they have developed immunity to hype, regimentation, and fluff.

The survey and analysis mentioned above were detailed, but a few things stand out (and tend to be confirmed elsewhere):

·  Gen Zers are heavily influenced by celebrities and social media peers. They seem to want to hear directly from someone, a "tip-off," not the sales pitch. "Peer-to-peer, social selling models are more powerful for this digital generation and are an increasingly important component of a brand's business model."

·  A top finding, rather specific, was that Gen Z demands that clothing be stylish and unique. They are allergic to standardization and yearn to feel individual, unique. "Technology should allow the consumer maximum product personalization and customization, to facilitate engagement with major brands while still expressing individuality."

·  They have a take on "social justice" tied up with their view of corporations, corporate ethics, and products. More than previous generations, they reportedly have taken seriously the endless rhetoric about corporate citizenship. "Businesses should take note of their increased consciousness and ethical standards, both when supplying products and services…"

There is much more, and these are by way of illustration, but they are points made repeatedly about Gen Z and exerting a strong influence on digital marketing.         

          Of course, few companies and brands can afford to target a single generation, so decisions remain: Where to direct marketing efforts specifically at Gen Z? For example, they certainly do not dominate Facebook but are heavily into Instagram. And a relatively very small percentage of Gen Z discovers brands while out shopping. It is all about digital and social media.

At Real-Time Outsource, we are driven to understand and optimize how social networking must continue to transform advertising, marketing, customer relations, and much more. It is a focus relevant for all segments of customers, but almost a definition of Gen Z's style of engagement with brands.

Ask us how we can increase your brand's engagement, likability, and fan base.

Social Media News: Is MeWe Poised To Be The Next Big Arena?

There has been a lot of upheaval in the world of social media over the past handful of months. First Google Plus announced they were officially ending support for the platform, then Tumblr tried to one-up them by saying they were going to crack down on explicit content. Facebook is, as always, mired in controversy over mining user data, and allowing toxic groups to flourish on their platform.

With all of this going on, lots of people are looking for other ways to get their social media fix. And one website that's drawn a lot of folks is the relative newcomer MeWe.

What Is MeWe?

The short version is that MeWe is a platform whose look and function is similar to Facebook, in as much as it allows you to make a profile, find friends, put stuff on your wall, message people, and join interest groups. However, while the interface might look messier and less polished than what folks are used to seeing on Facebook, there is something notable by its absence; ads.

MeWe's major selling point, as a platform, is that it allows users to do all the things they're used to on a platform like Facebook, but it doesn't try to mine their information, or upsell them with random ads. While it isn't as popular or established as some sites, it is gaining steam and picking up a lot of users... especially users who found their platform of choice was no longer available when Google Plus went the way of the dodo.

A New Frontier?

While MeWe is not as open to businesses as Facebook is in terms of advertising, it is a fresh ground for those looking for a place to put their content marketing skills to use. And with a steadily growing population of users, the site is only drawing more attention. Whether it will ever be as big and successful as Facebook and Twitter remains to be seen, but it certainly represents a market that a lot of businesses would do well to start tapping.

For more on the latest in social media news and changes, simply contact us  today!

Let a Social Media Management Firm Boost Your Company's Online Presence

Lets get REAL about your social!

Let's face it. As an entrepreneur, you're pulled in numerous directions, and it is not always easy to manage your company's social media presence. It is for this reason that you should hire a qualified social media manager to fulfill those duties for you. Social media managers are responsible for setting up your social media accounts, responding to comments, posting announcements of your company's latest happenings, and hosting giveaways. Here is more information on hiring a social media manager.

Don't Expect Immediate Results

You should keep in mind that when you hire a social media manager, don't expect quick results. Your social media manager will create a feasible plan but it takes time to improve your company's presence on social media. You can talk with the manager to suggest specific strategies for targeting your customers better, but trust that he knows what he's doing.

Ask How The Process Works

It is also okay to ask the social media manager about how the process works for managing your accounts and analytics to track your campaign's success. A good manager will be transparent about the strategy he will use, and he will periodically check in with you to give updates on the campaign. Make sure the manager understands your brand's mission and target customer base before you hire him.

Key Benefits of Hiring a Social Media Manager

One benefit of hiring a social media manager is that you'll always have someone who can monitor your website's metrics and other tracking tools to figure out what works and what doesn't work for your company. It also saves you time and money. You'll be able to find an affordable social media manager who might even offer discounts for their services. It also puts you at an advantage over other businesses without a strong social media strategy.

Your Website Traffic Gets a Boost

Another good thing about hiring a social media manager is that it increases traffic to your website. For example, if you host giveaways on your Facebook page, the winners would be directed to your website and they might become subscribers to your email list. If your manager utilizes automation tools for your blog posts, this ensures a steady following on your social media accounts.

In conclusion, you can have a stronger social media presence by hiring a social media manager.

If you need excellent social media marketing for your business, contact us

.  Our team of experts is here to assist you with your advertising needs.