By Jaci Schreckengost

Influencer marketing is a great way to showcase your product and market to a large number of potential customers.

Influencers are popular on all social media platforms, from YouTube to Instagram to TikTok. 

What is influencer marketing? 

Influencer marketing is when an influencer promotes a product or service to their followers. Often, this happens in the form of Instagram posts or stories, Pinterest pins, YouTube videos, or other social media posts. It can also occur within blog posts. 

An example of this is Courtney Swan’s work with Autumn Brands. In her posts, she keeps her branding while integrating Autumn Brands’ products, which also go along with her brand and what she supports.  

It allows followers to relate to someone who they can trust. 

Why is influencer marketing so popular? 

Influencers are critical for today’s digital marketing. Like stated earlier, they are everywhere. There are influencers on every social media platform with followings of all sizes. 

Followers look to influencers for advice on products, brands, services, entertainment, recipes, and so much more. No matter what your company does, there is an influencer who would be able to perfectly market your product to their audience. 

Read also: Increasing Your Following and Views on YouTube

What makes influencer marketing work well? 

Authenticity is one of the most important components of influencer marketing. If followers know they can trust and believe what the influencer is telling them, they’re more likely to engage with the influencer and your brand. 

A continuity of the influencer’s brand is also important, however this is a component of authenticity. If an influencer is supporting something that goes against their brand, this can be problematic. The followers will likely know that this is not genuinely something that the influencer supports. 

How do I start using influencers in my marketing? 

You’ll want influencers who fit in with your brand, and vice versa. As influencers are their brand, you’ll be able to tell pretty quickly who will and will not be a good fit for your company.

A great way to get started with influencer marketing is by using an agency. Agencies, like 270M, have existing relationships with influencers, know their brand, and will get to know your brand. We’ll be able to quickly figure out which influencers would be best for your brand and your budget. 

270M provides many services for influencer marketing, including loyalty programming, wrangling and identification, product seeding, and more. 

Influencer marketing is a great way to market your brand and products to a new following of current and potential customers.

See all of 270M’s services here, including blogging, social media, and organic multimedia. 

By Jaci Schreckengost

Getting to know your audience is important for every aspect of your company. From marketing to product design, your understanding of your audience can help you better optimize your brand. 

Why do I need to know my audience?

It’s easier to reach them. When you know your audience, you can cater things directly to them. 

When you know the people who are most interested in your brand, you can find them and then other people like them. This can help you engage with the right people on social media, find other people who like similar things, and compare yourself to other brands in the market. 

Read also: How to Increase Engagement with Newsletters

Don’t I want everyone to be in my audience?

Of course we want our brands to reach as many people as possible, but when we optimize who we’re trying to reach, we’re more likely to reach them. Sending out broad messages without an intent to reach a specific audience can leave the messages floating in the digital market. 

Your intended audience is important, because once you know who you want to reach, you can take the proper steps to reach them. 

If you’re not sure how to best engage with your audience on social media, 270M is here to help. 

How do I get to know my audience? 

It’s important to know a lot about your audience, which can make it difficult to get to know them well. 

If you don’t yet have a following, you’re essentially starting with a blank slate. This is great — but can be overwhelming. 

This is an opportunity to take a look at who can use your brand. Here are some questions to ask yourself to get started: What is my product? Who is likely to enjoy my product? Who uses products similar to mine? What are those people interested in? Do they live in a certain geographic area? Are they generally a certain age?

 If you already have a following, review who follows and engages with your company’s social media platforms. What are their age groups? What do they enjoy doing? What do they have in common? 

Do you have your followers signed up for email marketing from you? If so, you could send out a survey to get to know your audience better. 

Will my audience change? 

Absolutely. Your audience, the people in your audience, and the world around us changes every single day. 

You know your brand best, so keep an eye out. If you think your audience is changing and you’re not reaching as many people as normal, it’s likely time to reevaluate your intended audience. 

Knowing your audience gives you the opportunity to engage and create relationships with them. 

See all the ways 270M can help optimize your brand. 

 

By Jaci Schreckengost

Multimedia is an important part of your business’ appearance in the digital world. Photos and videos can show what your brand is talking about before anything has been said. 

Multimedia is important to branding and relationships with your customers. Below are some of the reasons why viewers prefer to see organic multimedia rather than stock footage. 

Brand identity

Having organic multimedia represents your brand the best. Sure, you can use stock photos that come close, but they don’t represent your brand directly. Organic photos, however, are spot-on, because they capture your brand perfectly. 

Branding can help your customers know they’re engaging with your content, even before they see your company’s name. This is a huge benefit no matter what your company does or what social platforms you use. You want your brand to be identifiable. 

Organic content can help make sure your viewers know your content across platforms. If a follower only watches your YouTube videos, but happens to stumble across your Instagram, you want them to be able to know it’s your content immediately.

Authenticity 

Your consumers want to get to know you. They don’t want a stock photo of a random person with your information next to it — they want to see you. 

They want to see who you are, what you’re doing, and what you care about. 

Customers are incredibly conscious with where they’re spending their money. Organic multimedia can help create a one-on-one relationship with your customers that can help increase the level of trust they have toward your brand. 

How do I get organic multimedia? 

Organic multimedia can be difficult to create on your own, but that’s why agencies are here to help. 

At 270M, we provide photo and video services to help show off your brand in the best light. Your clients will have a great idea of your company across LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and anywhere else they may encounter your brand. 

We use our industry connections to create branded multimedia that is ideal for your brand’s needs across the digital sphere. 

Organic photos and videos make sure your company stands out against the competition. Check out all of 270M’s services to see what we can do for your brand. 

 

By Jaci Schreckengost

While we may not want to respond to those negative comments, it’s sometimes even more important than responding to the positive comments.  

Why do I need to respond? 

First, it’s important to know this rule does not apply to comments that are clearly spam. Those can be easily deleted and ignored. 

When it’s an issue with your product, a complaint, or a way someone thinks your company can improve, it’s important to respond well and in a timely manner. Whether the situation is a misunderstanding or a genuine issue, your company can grow from it. 

Ultimately, you have the possibility to turn around the way your brand looks to someone. 

Read also: How to Increase Engagement with Newsletters

Why does community management matter? 

Community management is how you build relationships with your customers and potential customers. 

By responding to that negative feedback, that person knows that you care about your brand, how that person feels about your brand, and, most importantly, that person overall. 

How do I make the best out of a bad situation? 

Often, negative comments are issues that can be resolved. This helps turn these people into customers once again. A great customer service experience can change a person’s mindset about a company entirely. 

This can also be said for a bad customer service experience, which is why getting it right is so important. 

Read also: Why Do I Need a Website? 

How do I respond correctly?

Of course, each situation is different, and you know your company best. Not every company will want to respond to these situations in the same way. 

It’s important for each company to have a protocol in place for responding to negative comments. Will you handle the situation entirely in social media direct messaging? Or, will you have the customer email their issue to a designated customer service inbox? 

Either way, you should respond to the person in the comment thread in addition to however else you reach out to them. If this person feels like they were ignored, they will likely remember that about your brand in the future.

It can also affect potential future purchases by other people who discover your brand on social media. Potential customers may see another person’s ignored question, comment, or complaint and steer away from your company. Customers are very selective about where they spend their money. They don’t want to purchase from a brand that will ignore their questions and feedback. 

What are the benefits of using an agency for community management? 

Using an agency to handle your community management is a great way to not only take items off your to-do list, but also to make sure these issues are handled correctly. 

Agencies, including 270M, utilize the talent of people with extensive customer experience to help resolve these situations. They also ensure that relationships are built between your brand and your individual customers. 

While it may not always be easy, responding to negative comments can improve your customers’ experiences and your company overall — and 270M is always here to help. 

See all the ways 270M can help improve your brand’s social media presence. 

By Jaci Schreckengost

If you don’t feel your videos are getting enough traction with your followers, we have some ideas on how to increase your YouTube subscribers. 

YouTube is a great way to reach your customers. Even if you’re not a video-based company, or don’t feel that videos could be relevant, there’s always something you can share. 

Know your audience

In order to get your followers to watch your content on YouTube, you have to know your current and intended audience.

 It’s important to know as much as you can about your intended audience. What are they interested in? What do they do? What do they like? 

It’s also important to see if your current audience is the same demographic as your intended audience. If not, you will want to reexamine who you think your audience should be. It’s important to regularly check your audience and social media engagement. 

Once you know your audience, you can give them content on YouTube they actually want to watch. 

Entertain and inform

Make sure your videos are engaging to your audience. 

Give them content that you know will entertain and inform them. This will ensure that they watch and share your videos and subscribe to your channel. 

Always make sure to include at least one call to action that’s available for your viewers. Even if it’s just subscribing to your channel, a call to action reminds your viewers to interact with your brand. 

Advertise

Advertising on YouTube is a great way to grow your following. 

Ads are shown to viewers based on their viewing preferences. Your ads will be shown to people who are interested in your content. 

When setting up an ad the advertiser is able to choose where the ad appears. YouTube currently has 6 different types of ads, each which can be placed to suit the viewer. Ads are also placed within the platform based on the device the viewer is using to watch videos. 

YouTube ads are crafted to the viewer, which increases the likelihood they will watch and interact with the content. 

Share 

Share your YouTube videos across your other social media channels. Scheduling a Tweet or Facebook post with a link to your video can help you reach more of your audience. If one of your followers shares it, you might even be able to reach a new group of people.

If you send out a newsletter, be sure to include it.  

Read also: How to Increase Engagement with Newsletters

Use Keywords 

Research what keywords are used in videos and on YouTube channels similar to yours. What are the words that can help you reach your intended audience? 

In your video’s title and description, make sure you’re using keywords that provide viewers and users with an accurate and enticing description. You want your content to be 

If your YouTube content is about a workout that you’re hosting at your gym, maybe think about using words such as “wellness,” “health,” and “fitness.” These are all terms that will drive the right people to your videos — and your company. 

Read also: What is SEO? An Agency’s Guide to Search Engine Optimization

YouTube is a great way to engage with your audience and provide them with content in a new format. 

Visit our website for more information on 270M’s social media services. 

By Jaci Schreckengost

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is a term we all hear often. But, what exactly is it and how do you effectively use it to increase traffic to your business? 

SEO is the process of growing your audience by getting visitors to your website through specific terms on search engines. It’s exactly what it sounds like — optimizing key terms relevant to your business so you show up more frequently on search engines. 

The goal is not only to grow your audience, but to grow your audience with people who are genuinely interested in your business. 

Who is your audience?

First, it’s important to know your audience. It’s important to know who they are and what they’re looking for when they’re using the internet. 

It’s important to know what age group they’re a part of, what they like to do, what they are typically shopping for, and more. Essentially, you want to learn as much about your audience as you can. 

These key points of information are important to know about your audience. Once you know these, you can begin to target your content and make it relevant to them. 

Read also: Should My Business be on Pinterest? Social Media Agency Services for Pinterest

What search terms are they using? 

What are they looking for when they use search engines? What terms are they using to find the content they want? 

It’s important to research this and to know how to include it in your content. Keywords in your title and throughout your content can help improve your SEO. 

Research the keywords that companies comparable to yours are using. What words are they using to reach their audience? 

It’s important to make sure you don’t want to fall into a void of using the exact same terms that a large number of businesses are using. This is why doing research is so imporSimilar keywords will help you hone in on your audience. 

Should I use multimedia? 

Absolutely. Multimedia, like GIFs, photos, and videos help drive more traffic to your content. 

This content should be relevant to your company and branding. Organic multimedia can help drive even more traffic — and show more about your business. 

SEO can help drive the people to your business to help increase relevant views and, of course, revenue. 

See how 270M can help with your brand’s SEO or listing your business on Google My Business. 

 

By Jaci Schreckengost

Business etiquette in 2020, especially during the pandemic, looks different than it ever has before. 

As the world, businesses, and people change, so do the expectations of business etiquette. 

Here are some ways to make sure you’re meeting the 2020 expectations. 

Be authentic

Your company’s brand identity is often one of the first ways a client sees what your company does and cares about. 

It’s important that when they see this, they know you care about them. Customers want to feel valued and treated with respect and honesty. 

Right now, most people understand the issues that you or your company are going through. 

Read also: Connecting with Customers During COVID

Be respectful

There are a number of vital conversations happening in 2020. You may encounter a situation where you feel uncomfortable or uneducated about something. 

It’s really important to listen and give everyone the same respect you expect to receive. If you don’t know something that you would like to know, it’s okay to say so, and learn more about the topic on your own or from the other person, but only if they offer. 

Whether you’re the CEO or the intern, you should feel you receive the same amount of respect from those around you. Respect is key to a healthy environment between coworkers and between the client and company. 

Communicate clearly (and frequently) 

Another way customers, coworkers, and other people know you care is through effective communication. 

Since most people are working away from each other and have extra duties to manage right now, it’s important to communicate with intention. 

Whether on social media, through a messaging system your team uses, or via email it’s important to communicate well. Make sure you’re making clear points, asking any follow-up questions you may have, and providing feedback that is motivating and respectful. 

See how 270M can help you improve your social media presence. 

Relax

Of course, you know your team and clients better than anyone, but in many cases it’s safe to be a little more laidback than before. 

For most companies, you probably shouldn’t be throwing curse words around like they’re commas, but in terms of communication and attire, it’s okay to relax a bit. 

It’s okay to throw in an emoji or a GIF in an email, when appropriate. If you’re heading out for Friday afternoon or sending a happy birthday email, don’t be afraid to include the party horn emoji. 

Check out 270M’s digital media services here. 

Business etiquette is changing and will continue to — but we can always do our best to learn and adapt. 

 

By Jaci Schreckengost

Pinterest is a great way to reach customers who are researching products and planning events. 

Maybe you’ve seen the Pinterest logo on other websites and wondered if your business should be on Pinterest, too. 

There are lots of reasons why Pinterest could be a great addition to your social media plan, but first, we’ll cover the basics. 

What is Pinterest? 

Pinterest is a social media platform that allows you to create or share pins, which are pictures, graphics, or videos with captions and usually a link. These pins can be saved to boards, which are typically organized and named by what you save in them. 

On our Pinterest, you can see that we have a board for each of our brand’s three keywords: live, work, and create. 

This, of course, leads me into the first reason why Pinterest can be beneficial for your business. 

Branding

Pinterest is another great place to show off the branding for your business. Whether you use your own content to create pins, or share pins that match your brand, it’s a great way to show customers your brand. 

Like 270M’s Pinterest boards, you can create boards with keywords or other topics relevant to your business. 

Read also: Who Needs Social Media Agencies? Every Business Does. 

Show off your products 

A great way to use Pinterest is to show off your products. Good questions to ask yourself are: What products could I show on Pinterest? How could I successfully show these products to potential customers? 

According to Pinterest, “90% of weekly Pinners make purchase decisions on Pinterest.” By putting your products on the site, you’re increasing the chance that your products will be considered by these consumers. 

You can also add tags to your posts to make sure they get into the feed of people who are interested in your products. 

Reach a new audience 

According to Pinterest, “more than 367 million people use Pinterest every month.” This platform will allow you to reach hundreds of millions of people across age groups, around the world. 

People use Pinterest when planning for events, shopping, dreaming, building a house, starting a DIY project — and a million other reasons. Including your products on the social media platform could get your product into the hands of new customers. 

There’s something on Pinterest for everyone, so why not give it a try? 

270M’s social media services, including Pinterest, are available here. 

By Jaci Schreckengost

Newsletters are a great way to reach your customers and give them information they need to know. 

Maybe your business has been sending out eblasts, but getting little to no engagement on them. Or, maybe, you’re wondering why you should send out email marketing in the first place. 

Either way, there are a few important things we think you should know about making one that customers will want to engage with. 

Know your audience

It’s important to make sure you know who is going to be interacting with your newsletter. For example, if your customers are interested in skincare, providing them with links and information about skiing probably won’t drive the best engagement. 

While it’s great to add in information you think they’d like, you need to know where to draw the line. It’s important to include things your customers care about. 

Low engagement could be due to outdated or irrelevant information that your customers feel like doesn’t apply to them. 

Read also: Why Do I Need a Website? 

Engagement

It’s important to create visible opportunities for your customers to engage with your email marketing. This, of course, will look different in every eblast. 

You can include links to relevant information, press mentions of your brand, blog posts from your brand’s blog, and more. If you have a sale going on, include a bit about it. 

Make sure your call-to-action, or CTA, is clear. It’s important to ask yourself what you want your audience to get from the newsletter. Do you want them to shop? Read articles? Learn new information that just came out about your products? Watch a video? Like your Instagram page? 

It’s okay if you answered yes to more than one of these, or have others that aren’t listed. These are just examples. The important part is to make sure each CTA is clear and easy for your readers to access. 

Engage by Giving Back 

Giving back to the community is a great way to get your customers to engage. If your brand itself needs help and is closed or limited due to COVID, you could give your customers the option to purchase gift cards. This allows them to support your business now and purchase the things they want later. 

The newsletter could also have links to nonprofit organizations that are helping better the world around us. These could be directly linked to their website, or you could advertise that your business is donating a portion of profits to nonprofits. 

Read also: Connecting with Customers During COVID

Be willing to revise 

Sometimes, even with changes, you may not see the engagement you want. If this happens, it’s important to take a look, again, at your audience and your content and try something new. 

Your audience changes all the time, along with the world around us. Make sure you’re keeping up with new trends, new information, and trying new things in your newsletter. 

Email marketing is a great way to get information out to your clients — but it’s important that the information is relevant, helpful, and interesting. 

You can find out about all of 270M’s digital marketing services here. 

 

By Jaci Schreckengost

As TikTok continues to gain popularity as a new social media platform, many businesses and agencies are learning how to maneuver it. 

What is TikTok?

For those unfamiliar with the platform, TikTok is a video-sharing platform where users can post dances, lip syncs, speeches, jokes, their plant inventories, rants, their pets, and just about anything else you can think of — and even more that people haven’t thought of yet. 

One popular way brands are engaging with their audiences is through hashtag challenges. In these, the brands provide a hashtag, and usually an example, and then the audience can create their own videos in response to the hashtag. 

According to AppTrace, TikTok is the 12th most popular app globally, putting it in the top one percent of apps in the world. As it increases in popularity, of course, people are curious about advertising opportunities. 

Can I advertise on TikTok?

As of June 19, 2020, individuals and businesses in the United States are not eligible to create self-service ads yet. If your business is located elsewhere, you can find out if TikTok ads are available in your country by choosing it from the drop down menu on the TikTok Ads website. 

If ads are not yet available in your area, you have the option to enter your contact information to receive updates when more information is available. 

Read also: Who Needs Social Media Agencies? Every Business Does.

How to advertise on TikTok

On TikTok, ads are placed throughout content and in the Discover tab. Currently, there is a scrolling bar at the top of the Discover tab with various advertisements, including hashtags, brands, live events, and more. When creating an ad, the advertiser has a say in where the ad is placed. 

Many of the current campaigns on TikTok seem to include a hashtag for users to interact with. For example, Universal used #FindYourMagic to gain views. Users were able to show how they interpreted the hashtag, which resulted in the brand’s hashtag trending on the platform. 

Many are also using influencers to advertise on TikTok. While this may not be directly through the platform, influencers, of course, are incredibly important to advertising. 

Check out 270M’s influencer marketing services. 

Success stories

TikTok sites Universal Studios as one of its advertising success stories so far. TikTok reported that Universal gained over 11,000 followers in just six days on the platform. 

So far, there are few companies advertising on TikTok. Those that are advertising, however, are large businesses, such as Guess, Colgate, and Kia. 

Clearly, there is an opportunity for advertising success on this platform. 

As the TikTok ad market continues to grow, smaller businesses in more regions will have the ability to share their business on the platform. 

Check out all of 270M’s social media marketing services.