Interview with Owner Kelly Jones
March 18, 2015
We've got a special blog for you guys today – an interview with the founder and owner of Social Marketing Solutions, Kelly Jones! Here you'll learn about Kelly's history in social marketing, find out what makes her tick and so much more. Let's get started!
1. What led you into social marketing? One of my previous employers had the idea to manage business's social media for those who didn't have the time and expertise to do so. He was looking for a college aged student with social media knowledge who had interest in working and growing with a variety of companies. At the time it was a great opportunity for me to learn how to work with various businesses, understand their needs and expectations, and then deliver while doing something I loved. After working with the company, Working Your Network, for almost two years I decided to venture off and go on my own.
2. Why did you decide to start your own company? I started my own company after realizing how much I grew Working York Network on my own. I wanted to expand and grow, and I felt like owning my own company gave me the ability to do so. I was still young and in school, but I had the knowledge and background of the industry and I knew with hard work and dedication the business would thrive.
3. Since you were so young when you started Social Marketing Solutions (SMS), how do you think being younger worked to your advantage in this field? Being young was an advantage in this field as I grew up on social media. I personally have used, purchased, researched, and reviewed a company based on their social media pages. I know what others are searching for and this knowledge has helped me understand how businesses target audiences in order to achieve success through social media. It is important to know what the consumer is looking for and growing up in the generation of social networking definitely gave me a better understanding of what works and what doesn't.
4. And on the flip side, what have you learned through the years and from people who are older and wiser? Throughout the years I have learned A TON from working with over 100 different clients and 10+ different employees. I have learned that every company is different – including their target audience, goals and expectations. I have learned it's important to be in constant communication with your clients, in addition to addressing client concerns on what works and what doesn't. I have gained an appreciation for every business with which I have worked. As we are all trying to grow and develop and every company is dealing with different scenarios, I also have learned to listen and value my clients and employees because they're the reason why we are successful. As the owner I have become more humble and grateful for my staff as I couldn't do what I do without them.
5. What's your favorite aspect of social media marketing? My favorite aspect of social media marketing is seeing and hearing about the success stories. Hearing that clients are getting attention or that their pages are getting noticed is the most rewarding part of our job. It's so tough to judge ROI in our industry, so hearing positive feedback from my clients is the most rewarding.
6. How have you seen trends change and grow? There have been so many changes in the trends of social media worlds. I learned quickly social media marketing is ever changing, and it is up to us to stay ahead of the curb. I learned that some sites are better than others for our clients, and not everything works for everyone. It is important to learn about the company we are working with and find what is going to be best for that specific organization.
7. If companies are going to have only ONE thing they do online, what should it be? If a company is going to do one thing online, it should be to have a powerful and well maintained website that you can direct people to through your other marketing channels.
8. What else should people know about you? What do you like to do? Where did you go to school? Anything else like that you'd like to share? I graduated from High Point University with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Communications with a specific focus in social media. I also work full time for College Hunks Hauling Junk and Moving, one of our first clients when the business started in 2011. I enjoy staying busy through work and traveling, and in my "free time" I enjoy heading to the Jersey Shore where I have a summer beach house in Long Beach Island.
Check out the video below to find out who inspires Kelly and more!
Interview by Misty Layne
Instagram – It’s a Snap!
February 14, 2015
It's a whole new world out there in social media, and believe it or not Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn aren't the only main players anymore. From Snapchat to Google+, there are a host of social media platforms that your company should be taking advantage of this year. Recently, we've been discussing Instagram on social media, so we decided to delve in a little further.
What exactly is Instagram? Instagram is a mobile photo-sharing and video-sharing social network. It enables its users to take pictures and videos and share them, not just on Instagram itself, but also on a variety of other platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. One distinctive feature is that it confines photos to a square shape, similar to a Polaroid image. Users can also apply digital filters to their images. As for videos, the main feature is that the maximum duration is only 15 seconds. Similar to other social networks, users on Instagram can follow other users as well as leave comments on photos and videos.
How can Instagram be used for marketing? Audiences today prefer to be reached via visuals and short messages. They also want personal experiences with brands – experiences that are both engaging and accessible. Instagram allows brands to do this in real time while giving users a different experience than customers using other platforms. Also consider that much like Twitter, Instagram relies upon hashtags as a way for users to find the things they love. Tagging your brand's photos with the right categories will have you reaching a wider audience than you could just via Facebook and your website. And if you're interested in the numbers behind Instagram, take a look at this:
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE
Welcome to Snapchat
January 10, 2015
It's a whole new world out there in social media, and believe it or not Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn aren't the only main players anymore. From Pinterest to Google+, there are a host of social media platforms that your company should be taking advantage of this year. This week, we're going to highlight the mobile app, Snapchat.
What exactly is Snapchat? If you're not already familiar with it, Snapchat is a photo messaging app. How does it work? With the application, users can take photos, record videos, add text and drawings, and send them to a controlled list of recipients. These sent photographs and videos are known as "Snaps". Users set a time limit for how long recipients can view their Snaps, up to 10 seconds, and after they will be hidden from the recipient's device and deleted from Snapchat's servers forever. Doesn't exactly sound mobile marketing friendly though, does it?
Surprisingly, however, it is marketing friendly. As long as you can be creative you can send Snaps directly to the group of people you want. Plus, Snapchat now has new features such as, chat and advertisements, and considering it's estimated 10 billion dollar value, it's not going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, it has quickly become one of the most popular social media apps among young adults, even beating out Facebook!
Social media reaches far and wide and comes in all different shapes and sizes. Make sure your online marketing plan isn't stagnant with just the use of the "Top 3" – branch out to target different demographics, and if you need help maintaining your online presence, we're just a call away! We're skilled in using a variety of social media sites and can help make your company's presence pop. Till next time!
Social Marketing Solutions Podcasts with Fractal Recording!
December 31, 2014
The day after Christmas, Social Marketing Solutions, LLC founder and owner, Kelly Jones, had the pleasure of sitting down and recording her first podcast with Chris Curran of Fractal Recording, located in Parsippany, New Jersey! Chris and Kelly had an awesome time discussing social media trends and focuses for the new year. This experience allowed SMS employees to understand the importance of podcasts and the benefit of podcasts in regard to online marketing efforts. We are so pleased to share the end result with you all, so take a look by clicking the links below.
You can listen to the podcast at FractalRecording.com, also available on ITunes and Stitcher! Or just click the player below! Feel free to let us know what you think by commenting below. Thanks again for your constant support and interest in Social Marketing Solutions. As we enter into the new year we are so appreciative of you all, and we wish you all the absolute best in 2015!
Wrapping up 2014 and Preparing Your Social Media for the New Year!
December 24, 2014
How influential was your online presence in 2014? As the year comes to a close, it is a good time to reflect on and review your social media presence, evaluate what has and hasn’t worked, and begin planning your social networking strategies for 2015. Here are a few tips to remember while planning your social media marketing efforts for the new year:
- Remember the importance of visuals- The importance of visual content is on the rise, as photos and video clips become increasingly popular online. Studies have shown that postings on social media that include a visual get many, many more views than postings that consist of only text. As you plan out your 2015 online marketing, find where visuals can factor into your postings. You can do such things as posting photos of your employees, to making short videos that highlight your services. Also consider using such social media platforms as Pinterest and Instagram to highlight products and broaden your online presence. The possibilities are endless!
- Communication goes both ways- This has been stressed many times, but people aren't online just to see you consistently throw traditional marketing (such as constant talk of how wonderful your company is, advertising and business statistics) in their faces. People want to relate to businesses, and bringing personalization and conversation to the table is key to social media success. Ask your customers what they want and need from you. Respond to any criticisms with offers to fix the problem. It is crucial to think like the consumer and respond while remembering the consumers position. You want your audience to engage in conversation with you.
- What to expect in the New Year- The “larger” social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter will remain important to connect with others, but there will continue to be new sites, and edits to our current social media sites that expand our social media reach. There will be new apps, tools, and updates that increase the social networking possibilities. There will be an increase in the demand of mobile platforms as more people continue to rely on smartphones. The importance of staying ahead of the curve in regards to mobile marking will be important for success in 2015.
Reviewing and revising your current marketing plan for the new year is a must. You can only achieve success if you consistently monitor and evaluate your current and future strategies, as social media is constantly evolving . Make sure you're getting the most out of your social media efforts. If you need help evaluating your current efforts or putting them into place for the New Year don’t hesitate to give us a call! Social Marketing Solutions is happy to help enhance your online identity, and get you seen throughout the new year.
‘Tis the Season! Holiday Website Promotions
December 13, 2014
As a business, you know there are many ways to promote yourself during the holidays. These range from email blasts to circulars to television ads to social media and more. But what are you doing with your website to promote your business during holiday season? By now you also know the importance of keeping your website constantly updated with fresh and relevant information, both to entice fans and to keep yourself high in the SEO rankings. That means that updating your website during this season is one of the most important things you can do! Here are some great things to remember during this busy time.
Timing is everything. It's not just Christmas that's currently going on – there's Hanukkah and other holidays too. And each holiday starts on a different date. Make sure that any sales or promotions you might be offering for a particular holiday are timed to coincide at least a couple of weeks in advance of said holiday (if not earlier, depending on how early you like to spread your holiday cheer!). Make people aware in advance that a particular item is going to be discounted on a particular day, on your website, by sending out email blasts and sharing the news on social media.
Keep your customers up to date. Keep your customers up to date on your website by creating new web pages specifically for certain sales and promotions. For example, if you're a toy store that will be hugely discounting Barbies on December 20th, why not make a new web page listing all the Barbie deals so people don't have to search through your site to find them? This makes things easier on your customers, which could result in more sales for you!
Consider video. Nothing says “holiday” like nostalgia. If you have a restaurant, for example, capitalize on guests’ holiday memories at your restaurant through videos on your web site. Encourage guests to submit their own videos to your Facebook or YouTube page, then post them to your site. Also think about doing a holiday video card – you can do anything from filming a simple holiday greeting from your team members to something more elaborate like a holiday sketch and post it to the front page of your website.
Give thanks. 'Tis the season to be grateful, so thank your clients for their years of loyalty! This can be anything from a simple and elegant "Thank you" message on your front page to a page dedicated to listing your most loyal clients' names and/or businesses. Not only will you make people feel appreciated but this makes your brand more approachable, more open and more down to earth.
Do a giveaway to gather more clients. Want a way to reach more clientele? Run a giveaway on your website that has the option for people to opt-in to your newsletters. This promotion is one of the most simple and effective!
There are so many wonderful ways to use your website to promote your business this holiday and these ways can often be overlooked in favor of ways like social media. Don't get us wrong, social media is essential! But your website is your home, your storefront. It's where people get to really know you. So don't forget about it this holiday season! And while we've got you here, sign up over there on the right for our mailing list that's full of the latest social media and online marketing tips and news!
Why You Should Send Newsletters and Tips to Get You Started
December 3, 2014
Newsletters are a very cost effective way to market your business. Sending out a newsletter creates awareness of your business and all that you offer. It also keeps you in the mind of your current clientele.
Newsletters give you the opportunity to promote products as well as your business. If you are introducing a great new product, it is important that you also send out a newsletter about it for people who may not regularly check your website or other social media forums. Make sure that your newsletter is worth reading by adding in special deals or discounts for loyal clients. When you add value to your newsletter it makes people want to keep reading it!
More content ideas for newsletters include:
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A message from the CEO or President of the Business (Owner)
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Human interest stories (ex. a feature on a special client of yours)
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New products
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Employees (employee of the month and a little about them or achievements )
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News relating to your business (local and National)
Make sure you pick a timeline and stick to it. Whether you choose to do weekly, monthly or bi monthly newsletters make sure you stay with your schedule. Your customers will be expecting an update, so make sure you are prompt and on time with it.
These are just a few reasons why email marketing is definitely one of the best ways to market! Need more help? Call or email us today! We can help you get started with your newsletter campaign or if you find email marketing is taking up too much of your time, we can do the hard work for you while you sit back and reap the benefits!
Why Blog?
November 27, 2014
Blogging is a great way to direct people to your website, gain their trust and attention, problem solve any client complaints and so much more! How so? Think about it this way – you cannot explain your self fully or always post everything you want on sites like Twitter, Instagram or Facebook all the time, but by blogging you can connect with your audience on a deeper and more personal level.
Blogging is a way for you to explain a certain topic, specifically one related to your industry. This enables you to be viewed as an expert in your field. And people trust the companies they believe are knowledgeable. Another great reason to start blogging is SEO (or search engine optimization). By blogging, you are regularly updating your website which makes you more relevant to searches. Adding in important key words will also have the effect of your blog and site coming up closer to first place when it comes to Google searches and the such. And the higher up you are, the closer you are to expanding your business and clientele. Finally, blogging can be very cost effective. These days it's easy to start a blog – everyone and their grandma has one! There are a variety of blogging platforms (which we will discuss at a later date) available at your disposal with prices starting at FREE. You can't beat that!
Blogging can be a great tool for any company to use and doesn’t take too much work! Make sure you are keeping up with your blogs and if you don't already have one, set one up today. And if you need help setting up your blog, reach out to us as we are always happy to help and have expertise in the blogging field. Happy blogging!
Learning about your Competitor
October 31, 2014
We want to talk about something we find very important here at SMS. Sometimes it is hard to keep track of all the things you need to do to keep up your social media marketing, but one thing you cannot forget is to research your competitors. You need to see what they are doing for holiday specials and what they are offering as incentives to customers. You need to see what you are up against. How can you compete if you don't know what they are doing? Make sure you are also learning about they're mission statements are and why they appeal to customers . You can use the knowledge of what is drawing in their customers to help you because if you can offer something better or similar you will have more of a chance to bring in new customers.
See what your competitors are doing on their different social media sites. Are they posting pictures? Are they having special discounts and sales? If they have great ideas don't be afraid to borrow and tweak them to fit you and your business. Reach out and let us know what you want to read about next month!
Fall Social Marketing Tips for any Business
October 29, 2014
As we head into the last couple of months of the year, it's easy to get caught up in the craziness of the holiday season. An important thing to remember during this time, when it comes to your social media platforms, is to make sure that each post you make is relevant to your brand and message. People want to read informative pieces, such as news articles about what's currently happening in your industry, and keep up to date with your company – your latest news, sales and events. Sometimes it seems as if no one is "listening" online but trust us, someone is always viewing your company's messages, so make sure you're doing proper posts.
Also, make sure you are keeping all of your sites up to date, not just some of them. If you post about a great sale you are having for fall, make sure you post it on all of your platforms so you can reach a larger audience . This also enables your brand to have a consistent voice in the online community.
Take note of holidays or important dates in fall and acknowledge them on your sites, if doing so fits in with your brand and message. Coming up, we've got Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and many more.
These are just a few ways to keep fall fresh and fun for your audience and to have your voice heard loud and clear! If you'd like more ideas for fall or the upcoming holiday season, or are looking for help planning your next marketing campaign, give us a call today!
Author
- Kelly Jones
Social Media Manager
