When discussing marketing with a client, one of the first questions I ask is “How’s your social media going?” This is usually met with a long awkward pause. Most know that they should be on social media, but are unsure of how to utilize social to get leads or just don’t have the time to dedicate to it.
We think it should be easy. Aren’t we all on social media every day? But unfortunately, social media marketing for small businesses and the scrolling through photos we do while watching TV are two very different things.
Social media is a powerful tool when used correctly. It will keep you top of mind with customers, gain new leads, and communicate with your regular community. If you aren’t getting leads from social, most likely you are not using it correctly. Here’s a few reasons why you need a social media manager to handle your business’s social media marketing.
Consistent Posting Schedule and a Full Content Calendar
A common mistake I see small businesses make on social media is inconsistent posting. You get fired up and post off a bunch of posts in one day and then…nothing for weeks. Keeping the content flowing is no easy task, but it is an important part of working the algorithm so your posts are visible and have good reach.
Professional Graphics
Another common mistake I see on social media is posting low quality graphics on a business account. Nothing stops the scroll like a pretty photo, especially on photo-centric platforms like Instagram. Posting low quality photos, grainy graphics or just photos that miss the message will cause your images to be ignored, and cause you to be ignored by the algorithm.
Secondly, your graphics should be consistently branded. They should have your logo, your colors and your fonts. While all graphics should be unique, they should have a consistent feel so they look like your branding. Not only will this reinforce your message, but professional branding presents the message of quality and stability which are key elements in any business.
Timely responses to communications.
Because users spend so much time on social, they tend to have very short attention spans and therefore expect quick answers. Even waiting a few hours can result in a missed sale. A social media manager will act as your voice, answering questions they are able to, commenting on posts and forwarding over anything they think only you can answer. This will untether you from the social media accounts and allow you to get back to doing what you love to do.
Keep up with Trends
Changes to the algorithm, emerging hashtags, viral memes – the landscape of social media is never stationary. Whether you are capitalizing on a trending topic, or adjusting to a new rule – you need to be agile. A social media manager will stay on top of the trends and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Save time to run your business.
Keeping up with all the different social media platforms can feel like a full-time job. From developing a content calendar, creating the graphics, to analyzing the best times to post and executing, a lot of time and effort goes into executing a successful social media marketing plan. And don’t forget about the social engagement. To be successful, you must be social yourself. You must be be commenting on other followers, responding to comments and finding new followers. If your time is better spent doing the parts of the business you are good at, a social media manager is a great addition to your team.
What We Can Do for You.
If you have come to the realization that your social media marketing plan might need more than you can offer, look no further. Here’s what we can do for you.
First, we will optimize your profiles for the best presentation and ROI, checking each account for accuracy. If necessary, we will create custom header graphics to fit each social media platform.
Secondly, we will create content for you each week, with custom branded graphics. We will analyze the reports to discover the best times of day and days of week to post. We will schedule your content to be posted at the appropriate times.
Lastly, we will log in each day and participate in social engagement. We will seek out new followers, answer messages or comments, and socialize with the community around us. We will be your voice, your presence on these platforms.
Here at Tandem, we believe that quality is evident in the finer details. We sweat the small stuff. And choosing a font for your website, while it may seem minor, is an important part of branding. Every font has a personality and you need to find the right font for your message.
When choosing a font, it’s important to understand how fonts differ and what messages the different types generally portray. To start, there are two broad categories that encompass all fonts: serif fonts and sans-serif fonts. All fonts are divided by the presence or lack-there-of of a serif, the small flag or lines that cap a larger line on a letter. See the graphic to the right to get an idea.
Fonts with a serif tend to be perceived as more formal, traditional or elegant. They can also be perceived as more stable and long-lasting.
Sans-serif fonts, or fonts without serifs, are perceived as friendly, modern, and easy-going. They can have open, rounded letters or be narrow and thin, but in general they are much more approachable. They can also represent clarity, simplicity and a cutting away of all the fluff.
Within these two categories, there are a few notable subcategories.
Slab Serif
Slab serif fonts are a modern take on the traditional serif font. It includes rounded modern lettering, with straight, no-flair, serifs. These are quite popular these days, so you are likely to recognize them. They are modern and fun, without being overly casual.
Script or Handwriting Font
Script fonts, or fonts made to look like handwriting, are also quite popular. They are ultra casual and chock full of personality. In general, they should be used sparingly, as they can overpower a more subtle brand and be difficult to read.
Block Caps
Some fonts have only capital letters. This can send a bold, and firm message, so should also be used as accents only. Body text in app caps is generally perceived as overly forceful or the digital version of yelling.
Decorative
Decorative fonts are fonts that have artistic flourish. They may have shadows, be large and blocky, be a calligraphy style, or contain extra small elements like snowflakes, stars etc. The possibilities are endless. Because of their artistic nature, decorative fonts display creativity, uniqueness and fun. In general, they work well for word marks, logos or a short title. They should not be used for long strings of text.
Within all these categories, there are many variances, or areas to infuse your message. Your lettering can be short or tall. It can be thick stroked, or thin and light. It can be round, square or narrow. All of these styles give subtle messages.
Website Security. If you haven’t thought of this, you need to. For most websites, it isn’t a matter of IF you get hacked, but WHEN you get hacked. Most websites will degrade and eventually be susceptible to hacking. We’ve compiled a list of things you can do to keep your website secure and spam-free.
1. SECURE PASSWORD.
Change your password on the regular. Make sure your password is unique to this site only, and not used anywhere else. Avoid the usual pet names, year you were born, or first born child’s name. Lastly, use a diverse combination of upper and lower case, numbers and special characters.
To help you save and remember passwords, I highly suggest using software like 1Password or LastPass. These are password vaults that will save all your passwords and serve them up on a silver platter just when you need them.
2. SECURITY PLUGIN.
A good security plugin will monitor your traffic and block traffic that has the common telltale signs of hackers. Our favorites for WordPress are iThemes Security and WordFence. Make sure your settings are tight and monitor the logs regularly.
3. KEEP YOUR SOFTWARE UP TO DATE.
When your WordPress website is out of date, you are missing out on security patches that come out on the regular. Without these patches, your website is likely to have holes. Make sure you have your software updated at least once a year.
4. SSL.
An SSL is a layer of encryption on your site, that changes your website from http to https. Not only will this help your google ranking, it will help secure your website as well.
5. BACKUP, BACKUP and BACKUP.
Make sure your host has regularly scheduled backups. If you are managing your own backups, save them somewhere safe and forget about them. Make sure you have a 3-6 months at a time.
If you are unsure about your website’s security, let us take a look for you. We can review you security and suggest the necessary upgrades to keep your website on the up and up.
Working from home can be rewarding. You avoid traffic and save commuting time, and can have lunch with your family. Your day pajamas can be considered “business casual”. But it also comes with its own set of challenges. Many of these challenges can be surmounted, with a few solid habits. Here’s a few tips and tricks to successfully working from home.
Set Hours
When working from home, you have a lot of flexibility. But, it is easy to take advantage of that flexibility and develop some poor time management habits. It usually means you will get into a pattern of either working too much, or working too little.
I have found that having a schedule when you work from home is crucial. Not only will a start time help you motivate to get going each morning, but it will tell you when to stop at the end of the day. When you are working from home, the lines between work and play can easily become blurry. If you are like me, that means working all the time, and feeling guilty when you are not working, no matter how many hours you put in. Having a set starting time, and a set end time will help you know when to get going and when to close that computer.
If your job allows flexibility, don’t feel like you need to stick to the traditional 9-5, but choose the hours you are most productive and that work with the people around you. Some prefer to start work early, other prefer to work late. Splitting your day can even work, and give you time during the day for leisure activities.
Designate a Working Space
It can be tempting to work straight from bed. (I used to joke that my morning commute was the time it took to stretch out and wake up the computer.) But working from bed is a bad habit to get into. Not only is it rough on your body, it can be difficult to separate work from your home life. Find a good spot in your house that can be set aside as your workspace. Make sure it is comfortable, free of distractions and has a supportive chair.
If you are struggling to remain focused, consider creating physical reminders that indicate your work space. If you do not have a separate room that can be your office, a movable privacy screen can help cut out distractions. Add a small rug to your workspace, allowing your brain to associate this space with work. Avoid using this space for non-work related activities, and train your brain to focus when you are in your work space.
Use Technology to Stay Connected
Just because you are working remotely doesn’t mean you have to be work independently. If you haven’t already, set up Slack to chat with coworkers. Use video conferencing for regular meetings. Having designated work and play means of communication will help you shut off when during your off hours. A slack channel can also provide a historical record of your chat, for other members of your team to stay in-the-know.
Don’t Multitask
It can be tempting to see working from home as an opportunity to catch up on laundry, cooking or other at home tasks. Don’t. These will become distractions that eat away at your day and your productivity. Plan chores and other activities for outside your set work schedule, or adjust your work schedule for that day.
Schedule Breaks
It can be easy to get caught up in your tasks that you avoid breaks altogether. But taking a break helps you stay focused and be more productive when you are at the computer. Many find it helpful to get away from the computer for your breaks. Get a coffee. Get 5 minutes of fresh air. Go chat with your family. When you return to your computer, you will be more refreshed and focused.
Communicate Expectations to Family
You are likely to have other people in the house while you are working. For those not experienced with working from home, they will equate working from home as “available”. You’ll want to set the expectations that when you are working, you are not available. If you have set hours, or a designated workspace, you will have a better chance of setting boundaries with your family.
Get Fresh Air at Least Once a Day
Fresh air does wonders for mental health. Don’t forget to get outside, change your view and get some fresh air every day.
Working remotely is definitely a skill that you learn, not something you have or don’t have. We hope these tips will help you be more successful. Drop us a line and let us know your best tips and tricks for successfully working from home.
Practical ways to support and grow your business throughout this period of social distancing.
I’d like to talk about some practical ways you can support and grow your business throughout this period of social distancing and business closures. We all know that this has been devastating for many business owners, and you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone who isn’t affected by it somehow. In moments like this, I believe that we have two choices: fight or flight. How we handle these outside forces is what will make the biggest difference in what shape we are in when we come out the other side.
So fight or flight. What does that mean? When faced with challenges, we can freeze up and shut down, or we can find a way to keep moving forward despite the adversity. Our forward motion may be slow, it may seem like we are standing still, but we can still generate motion that will have positive effects on our future sales as well as our current sales. I liken this to a plant. When you root a baby plant, for the first few months, you see almost no new growth. But, the plant is growing and expanding its root system first, preparing itself for better upwards and outwards growth.
In short, I believe we can use this time to grow ourselves and our businesses.
Here’s some ways that you can pivot or grow throughout these strange times.
1. Online Meetings
This is the simplest way to adjust to the current restrictions and most of you should be versed in the general concept by now. But, the transition to online meetings has not been smooth for many businesses and there are a few things you should be aware of.
First, you’ll want to take a steps to make sure your video conferencing is secure. In the last week or so, a new trend has popped up called Zoom Bombing. Spammers will search for open Zoom meetings and interrupt the meetings by yelling profanities, screen sharing pornography or other profane and disruptive content. There are a few things you can do to limit this and lock down your zoom meetings.
You can mute any new attendees on entrance.
You can disable screen sharing for users, other than the admin.
Lastly, you can have a virtual waiting room, where any new users have to be admitted. This will allow you to screen users and only allow the users you recognize.
Secondly, if your business requires you to sell a service, you may have learned early on that in-person meetings are more effective than phone. Every sales pitch is different, but I have found video to be almost as effective as in-person meetings. Unlike phone, you can communicate via body language along with your speech. Potential clients can see your face, read the fine movements, and learn about who you are. It is also easier to stay focused on the conversation when video is involved (for you AND your client). When making a sales pitch, try to get users onto a video call instead of just resorting to the phone.
You’ll want to make sure your video conferencing is as easy-to-use as possible. For me, I set up a scheduling platform, where users can schedule their own meetings. Once they do, they immediately receive a link to a Zoom meeting that is already set up for us. This takes out a lot of the planning and guesswork that can be involved when a client is unfamiliar with the platform. You can also offer other platforms, such as Go-To-Meeting or FaceTime, so the client can choose whatever platform they are most comfortable with.
2. Ecommerce
An online store can be a great way to increase your sales, and carry you through when your brick and mortar is closed. This is something that I see put on the back burner a lot, especially in our area where sales are driven by street traffic and tourism. You may not have had the time to build an online store, or saw the importance of it. Or perhaps you have an online store, but it has not the success you hoped it would have.
And with the brick and mortar closed, now is the time to catalog your inventory and build out an online store. If you are looking for an option with low startup costs, Shopify is a great place to start. With a low monthly fee, and a repository of stable themes, you can get started with a little bit of brain power and effort. Feel free to start small with a number of your best sellers and build out as you go.
I’ve seen some local businesses doing COVID-19 coupon codes, a flat percentage off all sales, or offering free shipping and delivery. All of these are great incentives to get people shopping.
I also have a few clients who are offering discounts on gift cards, as a way to bring in cash. 20% off all gift cards over $100, or whatever works for your business. Many locals would like to support their favorite businesses, and this is an easy way to allow them to do so.
Keep in mind that it is unlikely that your e-commerce store will be found accidentally. Just like your website, this is not a “Build it and They will Come” scenario. You have to market your online store! But now is a great time to do so, as potential clients have more time than ever on social media.
3. Social Media
During this period of social distancing, social media has been a vital platform for communication amongst friends and family. Users who are furloughed, out of work, or even working from home are clocking in more hours on social media than ever. And they are shopping! We don’t have a lot of accurate statistics yet, but the numbers we have seen are showing a sharp uptick in online shopping and social media time.
This makes it a great way to maintain connected to your user base, who suddenly might have a lot of time on their hands. Even when you are closed, you can remain top of mind, and push out any online specials or deals you might have.
If you are struggling on WHAT to post, I have a few guidelines to get you started. To create a consistent and quality driven social media marketing plan, you’ll want to schedule your content ahead of time. Scheduling is key. There are many online platforms that will help you do that, such as Buffer, Later or Hootsuite. Several have free plans to get you started as well.
Secondly, find a number for weekly posts that you think you can sustain. Consistency is better than a quantity or a specific number, and is better than perfect. Social media is fast and short lived, so don’t worry about your content being perfect and 100% polished.
In general, 30%-40% of your posts should be sales focused such as product you want to feature, a sale you are having or your business’ driving purpose. These are called “Selling Posts”. The second 30% should be industry focused, or less direct sales pitches. For example, if you are in real estate, you can talk about recent stats, featured neighborhoods, a new house that came on the market, or other topics that while are relevant to your industry, are not a direct path back to a sales pitch. You can even link to relevant content that is not your own. This is okay!
The final third should be local content or fun content, that has very little to no sales pitch. Good ideas for local posts are photos of events, holidays, humorous memes, any sort of interesting content that your audience will appreciate.
I’m sure you are wondering why we even bother with social media that doesn’t sell your product and service. And that is the biggest mistake that I see business owners make when starting with social media. They sell too much, and turn off their users quickly. Only selling on social media is like only talking about yourself at a dinner party. People can see right through and are often turned off. Most of the time, people are on social media to be SOCIAL. They want to talk to their friends, see pictures of cute babies and pets, read funny memes and decompress after a day of work. But, we can capitalize on their attention by offering a good mix of fun and interesting posts, with the occasionally selling post. Social media should be more about communication, telling your story, brand awareness and less about selling your product or service.
Keep in mind that these numbers are not hard and fast. If you have an industry that is very visually appealing, such as shopping or restaurants, you can have more “sales-focused” posts than an industry that has a drier content, such as financial planning, real estate or even web design.
These are just a few guidelines to get you started, and the best way to learn is by doing it.
4. Revamp your Website
Many clients know that they need a website, but they think of their website as static. You build it, and then you forget about it. It just lives out there in cyberspace, doing something you don’t quite understand. Unfortunately, this “built it and forget it” method will not harness the full potential of your website. Your website should be a powerful tool, driving in leads and selling for you at all hours of the day and night.
Now is a good time to go over your website and see if you can make it work a bit harder. Here are a few places to start.
Your web copy. I suggest going over every page and read every word. If the copy is over a year old, I suggest you reread it entirely. Copy and paste it into Word documents, that you can easily edit it for grammar, flow and clarity. Does it make sense? Does it read smoothly? Does the message shine through?
Imagery. Check every image and make sure it’s still relevant. Do the images look small? Do they look outdated? Are they fuzzy or out of focus? Consider replacing any images that aren’t telling your story well. Styles and trends on the internet move fast, and your imagery can become outdated very very quickly.
Traffic. Check your Google Analytics. How is your traffic moving on your site? Google Analytics can be a little difficult to understand when you are first looking at it, but there are four main stats you’ll want to pay attention to: your overall traffic, your bounce rate, and your entry and exit pages. These will tell you whether or not people are looking past the first page, and how they are moving around the website. Look for any holes or points where you might lose people, and brainstorm ideas for how you can improve the site.
Check your SEO. How is your website ranking for your top keywords? Do you know what your keywords are? You might think that you don’t have any keywords. Keywords are like a personal style. Everyone has one, but if you haven’t put any thought into it or don’t know what yours is, you aren’t doing it right. It is unlikely that you will rank well without some targeted SEO here.
There are a few basic tools which can help you know where you are ranking. SEO Edge is an iOS app that allows you to check the rankings of 5 keywords for free. If you do Google yourself, make sure that you are signed out of Google, or in Incognito Mode because your own history can skew the results.
5. Write future blog posts.
This is something that even the most marketing focused clients struggle with. There just never seems to be enough time for writing. Now is a good time to build out a few posts that you can publish over the next few weeks. If you are struggling with WHAT to write about, here’s a few ideas to get you started.
What questions do you get regularly? Consider writing a blog post answering that question. Most likely if people are calling to ask the question, they are searching for it online as well.
Do you have any new products or brands? Write about them and why they are unique. If the brand has a specific purpose, write about that.
Write a post about WHY you do what you do?
If you are really averse to writing, you can start by writing a list of topics. For each topic, write out some bullet points or notes about what you’d like to say in this post. You can hire out the actual writing part, but the bullet points will be the knowledge and experience behind the post.
That about wraps up our 5 tasks you can work on to improve your business during the COVID-19 closures.
This was a presentation done in conjunction with Breckenridge based “Virtual Business Coffee”, during the COVID-19 Corona Virus business closures.
The CV Closures have been rough on small businesses, that’s no secret. But there are many who are still hustling and have made some amazing pivots to keep in business. I am so impressed with their resilience and commitment to the community and their staff!
To inspire us as well as feature a few of them, we’ve created a list of businesses in Summit and Lake counties that are still out there working hard. This list is far from conclusive, and please let me know if you’d like to have your business featured!
Local Restaurants
Many restaurants have shifted to curbside pickup and delivery, which is great. Ordering for pickup can be a great way to help out our local small business. Here’s a few great options for you:
In Breck, Aurum is offering 20% off curbside pickup AND $100 gift cards. Breck Distillery is offering BOGO 50% bottles, a great way to stock up!
In Frisco, Bread + Salt has a great breakfast and is offering take out. Bagalis offers wine, pizza and classic Italian for pickup as well.
Kelsey Booth Photography
Kelsey specializes in photography, specifically weddings. As most weddings are canceled, Kelsey has graciously offered to help businesses create some content, via photography. She even created a dropbox near her house, where you can drop off your product for her to photograph! Find out more info here: kelseybooth.com/
The Spa at Breck
While the spa is closed, they are still offering gift cards online. This is a great way to support your locally owned and run companies, to help them ride out the shutdowns. You can purchase from their website.
Treeline
Curbside Margaritas! Eggs, flour, toilet paper and discounted bottles of wine! Do you need any more reasons to take advantage of Treeline’s full menu via delivery and pickup? Based out of Main Street Leadville, Treeline is offering a full menu, complete with cocktails and dessert. As a service to their community, they are also selling various staples so yo don’t have to go to the grocery store. Check it out here: treelinekitchen.com
Sunny Side Up/Groovy Moose
The Sunny Side Up has really done a great job of pivoting and supporting our community at the same time. They are offering daily illustrations, where you can learn how to draw. Secondly, she has a “Honesty Store” where she is selling art supplies, projects and clothing – all right from her porch in Breckenridge! (Payments are on the honor system, so social distancing won’t be problem.) These activities are geared towards keeping kids active and learning while they are out of school. Learn more about it on her facebook and website.
Studio B
Studio B has been live-streaming free workouts and the like. Check out their facebook page or website to find the class schedule.
Olive Fusion
Olive Fusion is offering a $15 credit to cover shipping on orders over $75. Find more here.
Magical Scraps
Magical Scraps has always had a thriving Etsy store. But now they are creating and selling masks for those who can’t find them in the stores!
In the style of true pivot, TLC has opened up an online store to sell supplements and launched it in the last week! Check it out here: tlcacu.com/
Grateful Paws
While Grateful Paws is operating at limited hours at the moment, they are really working on keeping the store clean and corona-free. They are also offering FREE delivery and curbside pickup. As always, you and your fur babies will be well cared for at Grateful Paws. Call 719-486-7375 to schedule or check out the website.
Colisco and Flying Crane
Both shops, located in Frisco, are offering 35% off their online stores. Find out more at theflyingcrane.com and colisco.com
Has your business made a substantial pivot to remain relevant? Let us know!
Running a small business can be overwhelming. That’s no secret. The “To Do” list only grows and never seems to shrink.
But why not take this downtime caused by the CV closures to work on your business and improve your structure and marketing platforms? Why not use this time to do the things that we think about, but never get around to?
Here are a couple suggestions to improve your business knowledge or grow your business even during these tumultuous times.
1. Get your books in order.
Like sparkling clean. Use this opportunity to reorganize your books and improve your system.
2. Revamp your website.
Read over all your content. Check all your photos. Check your analytics to see where your traffic is going, or leaving. Check your competitor’s sites, to see what they are doing. Start making a list of whatever you’d like to update or change, and work on it item by item.
3. Create an online shop.
An online shop can create passive income, or supplemental income during the business closures, and for years to come. This is a perfect opportunity to set yourself up for a better future.
4. Ramp up your social media game.
Are you slacking on any accounts? Build out your profiles. Engage with your followers. Build a schedule for the upcoming weeks and create a plan going forward. With so many working from home, or out of work, clients are on social media all hours of the day, more than ever. You can take advantage of that!
5. Research your competitors.
Market research is always relevant. Check out their websites, inventory and anything that makes them unique.
6. Write blog posts to roll out over the next few weeks.
Blog posts are something we always need…but rarely get time to write. Create a topic list, and write 1 a day. Get them scheduled to roll out once a week, or once a month.
7. Deep clean your space.
This one is self-explanatory. Use this opportunity to review how your shop or office is organized. Can the space be reorganized for better efficiency? Do you need to downsize, or add better organization structures?
8. Paint, fix maintenance issues or renovate your shop.
9. Rest.
It’s called the grind for a reason, and we all could use a break. Take it.
We hope you all are well stocked up, and happily hiding out from the craziness going on around us.
Just wanted to give you all an update on how things are over here. At Tandem, all of our team members work from home, so not much has changed on that front. Life will be business as usual, here at the Tandem virtual offices and we will be keeping our standard business hours. We will continue to work on any existing projects and happy to take on new projects as the schedule allows.
The only major change will be that we are temporarily suspending in-person meetings. Any existing meetings will be changed to FaceTime, Zoom or a similar video conferencing platform.
We know that many of your businesses will have different operating hours, services that you offer during this time or messaging that you’ll need to get out to your clients. To support your businesses and help educate our local community, we will be offering free website updates regarding the quarantine restrictions, or other changes due to the Corona Virus for the next few weeks.
If you have any changes to your website, please send it over to kl@tandemdevlab.com and we will get it posted asap. Please include the text you’d like to add, any hours changes, and where you’d like it posted on the website.
Hashtags! The ever mysterious hashtags. I get questions from clients about hashtags more than any other topic regarding social media marketing. So few know how to use them to their full potential. They can be quite powerful, and can generate a lot of extra traffic for your posts, so you don’t want to forget about them or use them improperly.
To get you on the right track, I’ve compiled a crash course of some things you must know about hashtags if you are doing social media marketing.
What are Hashtags?
In 2007, Twitter introduced hashtags as a way to index keywords, and help users search a particular topic. They can be a very useful for finding relevant content for yourself, and helping others find YOUR content and increasing your exposure. Not long after, other platforms adopted hashtags and they have become commonplace.
In short, hashtags sort and organize the wealth of content on social media sites. This will help interested users find your content, whether they follow you or not, and widen your circle of exposure.
How to Choose Your Hashtags
This is a common question, a relevant one. There are limits on how many hashtags you can use, so you don’t want to get carried away. It’s important that you choose wisely. Here’s a guideline to get you started.
Local Hashtags
If your business has local clientele, you’ll want to start with local hashtags. Research the surrounding towns and counties and figure out which hashtags are the most popular in your area. Use 2-5 of these in each post. This is a great way to get in front of your local community, and start building some brand awareness.
Genre specific
Pick out 2-5 hashtags that reference what your post is about. For example, I might use the following for this post: #seo #socialmediamarketing #socialmediatips. These hashtags are clear and specific to what this post is about, and will attract users who are interested in these topics.
Company-specific
Lastly, add a few hashtags that are specific to your business or industry. This just helps users find you specifically, if they want to. For example, I usually tag my posts with #webdesignagency #coloradowebdesign #tandemdesignlab.
Lastly, use a tool like hashtagify.me to find the hashtags with the most traffic, and that are the most relevant. You’ll want to use a few broad hashtags (think #marketing #parenting or #construction), but don’t limit yourself to only the high traffic hashtags. If your hashtag has too much traffic, it’s possible your post will get lost. So balance it out with a few high volume hashtags, and more focused, lower volume hashtags (think #twinparent, #parentingtweens or #marketingforsmallbusinesses).
Where to Put Hashtags?
When hashtags were new, it was common to see hashtags right in the body of the content. For example, you’d see posts like this:
Wow! Look at this #superawesome #blogpost I just wrote about #seo and #hashtags!
This method misses the spirit of hashtags, and ignores the end user. Hashtags are for the bots to find your content, not for the users to READ. Putting them right in the body of the text decreasing the legibility of your post, and can cause users to lose interest faster.
Put your hashtags at the end of the post, or in the first comment. Either way works, just keep them separated from your content.
How Many Hashtags to Use
Choose the right amount of hashtags. Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags, and they are often minimized and hidden from view. This makes them less intrusive. Twitter and Facebook’s hashtags are more obvious, and therefore should be used more sparingly. I’d suggest less hashtags for Twitter and Facebook.
Follow Relevant Hashtags
Lastly, follow hashtags yourself. On Instagram, search for a particular hashtags, and you’ll see a blue “FOLLOW” button at the top. By following a hashtag, you’ll see other posts with this hashtag. This will help you understand the content on each tag and how others are using them. You will learn more about your audience, have opportunities to engage with them, whether you follow them or not.
Now that you’ve learned a few things, hopefully you are ready to get started doing some social media marketing for your small business. If not, we can help with that! Consider letting us coach you, leave the heavy lifting up to us, and let us manage the social media for your Summit County business. Click here to learn more about social media marketing in Summit County Colorado.
For this week’s Tip Tuesday: SEO Series, I’d like to talk about Title and Description tags. These tags are arguable the most important bit of code on your website, for SEO purposes. Yet they are often forgotten or ignored because they are not visible on the front-facing aspect of the website. They DO appear in Google results, on the browser tab, and in the HTML code of the website, however.
What are Title and Description tags?
Title tags are a short phrase that explains what this page is about. It should be no more than 60 characters.
The Description tag is one or two sentences (not phrases) about your page. It should be no more than 180 characters and should read like an intro paragraph.
Why are SEO Tags Important?
These tags show up at the very top of the HTML code and tell Google what your page and website is about. Think of it as your first introduction to Google. While heading tags, body content and other indicators are relevant, these two tags are weighted higher in Google’s eyes.
How to Write your SEO Tags
Both tags should be written with care and follow these specific rules. Title and Description tags should be:
Unique
Each page should have its own hand written tags. They should not be repeated on any page. Unless it is an autogenerated page, such as search or a shopping cart page, the tags should not be auto-generated. Although many DIY website builders offer the ability to auto-generate your tags, resist the temptation to rely on this.
Keyword-rich
Incorporate your keywords into the tags. (Check out this article about choosing keywords.) The keywords should be in the specific chosen order in the title tags, but can be more flexible in the description tags.
Most DIY website builders, as well as WordPress sites (and every site we build here at Tandem) will have the capability to edit your title and description tags. If your site is Tandem built, you most likely have WordPress with the All in One SEO plugin. This lightweight plugin allows you to specific tags for each page, as well as backup autogenerated tags (because something is better than nothing).
For the next few weeks, we are going to do a series of SEO tips, designed for the small business owner to improve their own SEO. Check in each week for your Tuesday Tip: SEO SERIES.
For this week’s #tiptuesday, I’d like to discuss keywords. Keywords are the building blocks of your online marketing plan. The right keywords will send your digital marketing down the path of success, or cause it to veer wildly off course, so it’s important to choose wisely. They are incorporated into every page of website, your social media, your branding and inform you about your clientele.
Here are three guidelines for choosing the best keywords for your marketing.
1. Avoid industry jargon.
You know the technical terms for your business. Do your clientele? Probably not. Not only are clients unlikely to use technical terms, making them less relevant, it could even alienate your target market. Bring the cookies down to the lower shelf, and choose keywords in common language, even when they may not be as accurate or inclusive as you’d like.
2. Research your keywords.
Google releases specific metrics about search volume and competition there are crucial for choosing the best keywords. Search volume is the nation-wide, monthly count of how many users are searching for a keyword. Competition, or IAAT as its called, counts how many websites are attempting to rank for that term. The goal is to find keywords that have high search volume and low competition.
Don’t rely on your own knowledge or intuition here. Research the keywords and KNOW what terms your users are using to search for you or competitors.
3. Add geographical targets.
Location is relevant! Once you’ve chosen your keywords, append each one with a specific location or geographical area. For example, if you were using the keyword “Web Designer”, change it to “Web Designer in Frisco CO” or “Web Designer in Summit County CO” to add your location. This insures that your website won’t get lost in the abyss of the 1 billion plus websites out there.
Remember to start small and work in larger and larger geographical areas as your website and rankings improve. Don’t reach so high, that you don’t rank anywhere. If your business would like to rank nation-wide, you may need to find a niche via the keywords instead of the location.
Stay tuned for next week’s #TipTuesday: SEO Series about Title and Description tags, only the most important bits of hidden code on any web page (according to Google, that is).
The pros and cons of social media have been a topic of discussion for years. There’s no doubt that counting and comparing likes can become a self-esteem boost … or deflation, depending on how your social media is received. Too much focus on how content is received also tends to skew the content that is posted. Content gets reposted, and stall. Users tend not to push the envelope. These are a few of the known ‘cons’ of social media.
Instagram is trying to do something about it.
For the past few weeks, Instagram has started to hide the like count on a post, in select markets. They started in Canada and Japan, and are now rolling out to their biggest market, the USA. The intent is to make content more appealing, by shifting the focus from that little number next to the heart.
You will still be able to see your own metrics, but you don’t be able to see like counts of other users. Instagram hopes this will make posting less of a popularity contest and allow users to be more ‘real’ in their content.
There is a lot of debate back and forth about how this will effect businesses marketing on instagram. Personally, I think it will be a positive change. You will still be able to track your own growth, but without worrying about others. And if it helps us interact with social media in a more positive manner, I am all for it.
When choosing a font, it’s important to understand how fonts differ and what messages the different types generally portray. To start, there are two broad categories that encompass all fonts: serif fonts and sans-serif fonts. All fonts are divided by the presence or lack-there-of of a serif, the small flag or lines that cap a larger line on a letter. See the graphic to the right to get an idea.
Lastly, use a tool like 
Most DIY website builders, as well as WordPress sites (and every site we build here at Tandem) will have the capability to edit your title and description tags. If your site is Tandem built, you most likely have WordPress with the All in One SEO plugin. This lightweight plugin allows you to specific tags for each page, as well as backup autogenerated tags (because something is better than nothing). 
For the past few weeks, Instagram has started to hide the like count on a post, in select markets. They started in Canada and Japan, and are now rolling out to their biggest market, the USA. The intent is to make content more appealing, by shifting the focus from that little number next to the heart.