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Artificial Intelligence Is Going To Destroy Social Media

April 17, 2023 No Comments

Remember the date of March 3, 2023.

It might be just another Friday on the calendar, but it’s actually the day a well-known social media company announced their own demise. It’s also the beginning of the end for all social media.

That’s right, March 3 is when LinkedIn announced a new “collaborative article” concept, which (if you follow AI trends and know how these things usually pan out) seems harmless enough at first. Prior to this, it was — a voicebot will always be available in your home or a robotic car will drive you to work. In the announcement, LinkedIn mentioned this innocuous phrase: “These articles begin as AI-powered conversation starters, developed with our editorial team.”

What’s really happening here? My guess is that LinkedIn is using AI to scan their own platform (what they claim is “10 billion years of professional experience”) to generate AI-created content. As humans, we’ll respond to these posts because they will be tailor-made to encourage a response and debate. How these posts will be labelled is still unknown. What’s clear is that there will be a plethora of AI-enabled content meant to encourage more engagement.

One report called this semi-automated social media. I tend to take a darker view. I recently wrote about how an AI chatbot is posting on Twitter, and that the commenters are often a bit confused about whether the account is powered by a real human or not. It’s a curious development. I’m in favour of AI helping us do our work. I’m not in favour of people thinking content created by a human is actually something cooked up by an AI, mostly because it means the entire experience will degrade, one post at a time. I’ve already experienced way more LinkedIn spam messaging of late, to the point where I now barely read any direct messages at all. The last thing I need is AI spam.

The question is where this all will lead. Once AI starts controlling the algorithm and posting content to lure us into more discussions, it’s just a matter of time before more and more accounts that appear to be human (with an AI-generated face and a fake location) start invading these networks, ruining the experience for all of us.

Imagine how this might work.

On a typical day, you might login to LinkedIn or Facebook, scrolling through your feed. You see plenty of comments and lively discussion. But it’s all a ruse. The social media platform has allowed and even enabled the AI accounts to create the discussions (and the comments), and they are geared for you — your interests and proclivities. The chats will always look appealing because the social media networks know what you like and what you usually follow.

On Instagram and TikTok, bots will know which photos and videos you like the best, but without the human element, it will all become nothing more than a way to grab your attention even more and keep you hooked longer on the apps, showing you ads that are also fine-tuned to your interest. Not to make it all sound too dire, but think of The Matrix and the moment Neo realized he was (spoiler alert for the five people who don’t know this) nothing more than a battery in a tube.

When we are all surrounded by AI bots acting like humans, looking at content that was not generated by humans and looking at ads powered by algorithms, it will feel about the same as The Matrix. None of it will seem real. And then one of it will have value.

With apologies to Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, this might be when we reach behind our neck and pull the cord out. It might be when social media finally loses its grip on us and we realize it was all designed to keep us hooked to their advertising formulas after all. I hope we do wake up before that nightmare occurs.

Feature Image Credit: getty

By John Brandon

John Brandon is a well-known journalist who has published over 15,000 articles on social media, technology, leadership, mentoring, and many other topics. Before starting his writing career in 2001, he worked as an Information Design Director at Best Buy Corporation. Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnbrandonmn. @johnbrandonmn

Sourced from Forbes

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How to target ultra-high net worth individuals on social media

March 30, 2023 No Comments

By Lily Power

Ultra-high net worth individuals (UHNWIs) use social media differently compared with the rest of us. Here, Relevance’s Lily Power reveals how to entice the 1%.

Social media is a powerful marketing tool for reaching ultra-high net worth individuals (UHNWIs), but it requires a tailored approach and a thorough understanding of this exclusive audience.

This group represents less than 1% of the world’s population and has specific expectations regarding digital marketing.

UHNW consumers frequently use social media platforms, with 99% using social media and spending close to 90 minutes per day browsing them. Brands can use these platforms to engage and build meaningful relationships with this audience.

What social media platforms do UHNWIs use?

Each social platform serves a unique purpose and typically attracts different users – including several social platforms used exclusively by the world’s wealthiest.

For example, Best of All Worlds is an invite-only app designed to ensure that members don’t find themselves ‘overwhelmed with irrelevant connections’. Rich Kids is a quasi-Instagram, with membership costing US$1,000 per month.

Yacht broker Northrop & Johnson’s UHNW clients are highly active on LinkedIn, Instagram, and niche investment communities such as Wealthfront and AngelList. Nearly seven in 10 of them use social media regularly, with LinkedIn (36%), YouTube (35%), and Facebook (34%) each cited by about one-third of respondents.

Here are five tips for reaching this powerful audience on social.

1. Create a targeted strategy

It takes more than just creating a social media profile and posting content; you must understand the individual and their goals to target UHNWIs effectively.

UHNWIs are often highly sceptical of marketing messages and will not respond to traditional marketing tactics. When targeting them through social media, focus your efforts on the correct channels. It’s imperative to understand their lifestyle, interests, and values to develop content and messaging that resonates with them.

Once you have identified the right platforms, create a targeted strategy focused on UHNWIs’ unique needs and interests. They are accustomed to being presented with tailored offers, so your message must stand out.

2. Find out what content resonates with your target audience

UHNWIs are seeking content that fulfils their needs beyond purchasing a product or service. For the world’s wealthiest, luxury is a baseline, and nothing is a ‘dream purchase’. Brands can engage them with crafted, strikingly beautiful content and by creating events or experiences tailored to their interests.

This higher-quality and bespoke content develops trust and helps build ongoing relationships while increasing loyalty and adding value to engagement. Create a sense of exclusivity through your brand messaging and content to ensure success.

This group is protective, valuing privacy and security. Instead of being sales-led, you should focus on sharing aspirational content. UHNWIs are a common target for various online crimes and intrusions due to their lifestyle. Privacy and security should be at the forefront of your strategy.

3. ‘Genuinfluencer’ marketing

There is a fine line between promotion and saturation, especially for ultra-luxury brands. Many luxury brands are using ‘genuinfluencers’ due to their high-quality and authentic content, engaged communities of followers, and actionable insights. This makes genuinfluencers valuable partners for luxury brands seeking to reach and engage with UHNWIs.

Genuinfluencers work on establishing trustworthy relationships, making them a highly effective brand partnership. UHNWIs relate to people who are similar to them, so they will be influenced by genuinfluencers only if they are carefully selected. Self-made UHNWIs might relate to self-made genuinfluencers, whereas heirs and heiresses might be influenced by people of similar background.

Executing campaigns over a social platform where your target audience is most active is essential. The right geninfluencer can help you reach UHNWIs and drive engagement, if they’re similar to your target demographic.

4. Targeted ads on social media

Luxury brands can use social media ads to target UHNWIs based on their interests, demographics, and other factors, as well as targeting custom audiences and lookalike audiences.

Paid ads on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have layered and targeted options, which brands can use to target UHNWIs based on their demographic information like industry sector, interests, high-powered job roles or even income level. There is ample opportunity to connect and build relationships with this exclusive audience by sharing content on existing social media groups and pages.

Start by researching UHNW profiles and identifying their interests, hobbies, and lifestyle. This will help you create ads that are tailored specifically to them. Use language that resonates with their demographic and include a strong call to action.

Leverage retargeting; it allows you to advertise to users who have already interacted or had some level of engagement with your brand, ensuring higher conversion rates.

These highly educated individuals embrace emotional intelligence principles such as trustworthiness and empathy, which is why some platforms may perform better than others. For example, LinkedIn is an excellent platform to share thought leadership and research pieces.

5. Track campaign success

Keeping track of your efforts will enable you to understand what is and isn’t working and adjust your strategy accordingly. The best way to know if you are reaching and resonating with your audience is to track business metrics such as leads generated, quality of leads, cost per lead, conversion to sale and overall revenue.

Feature Image Credit: Laila Gebhard

By Lily Power

Sourced from The Drum

In News

Facebook Is Building a Twitter Rival. Here’s What Marketers Need to Know

March 22, 2023 No Comments

By Dom Nicastro

Facebook’s mulling a decentralized platform that rivals Twitter and Mastodon, but can it be a marketing goldmine?

The Gist

Step aside, Twitter and Mastodon? Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, is planning to build a standalone text-based app that integrates with ActivityPub, an open, decentralized social networking protocol that controls notifications and content. This could potentially rival Twitter and Mastodon.
Marketing goldmine, or landmine? Smaller social media apps like Mastodon and Post.news, which foster a decentralized, ad-free platform, could pose challenges for marketers since they don’t allow personalized content or ads.
Meet P92, eventually. Meta’s new social media app is still in the development stage and has been codenamed P92.

Remember that whole social media thing? You know, before generative artificial intelligence took over our brains last fall?

Well, the big social media platforms are still out there. Really out there, in some cases. Smaller ones have emerged, and emerged again. And the bigger ones are contemplating creating smaller spinoffs.

The latest: Meta, owners of Facebook and Instagram, wants to build a standalone, text-based app that integrates with ActivityPub, the open, decentralized social networking protocol that delivers APIs for content management and federated server-to-server content management that controls notifications and content. Moneycontrol first reported this news March 10.

Twitter rival? Mastodon rival? Maybe so.

This development means more questions for marketers and customer experience professionals. Particularly, this: will we be able to build true marketing content real estate and valuable customer experiences on these new rising social media apps?

The news comes as Facebook March 14 announced another round of layoffs — 10,000 employees.

Marketer- and Customer Experience-Friendly Social Media Apps?

Here’s the biggest problem with some of these new apps. They’re not exactly marketer-friendly. The point of Mastodon, for instance, is to foster a decentralized, open-source social media platform that has no ads and presents posts in chronological order rather than using an algorithm to predict best-matched content. The site describes itself as a federated network.

Wait, no ads? No personalized content? What is a marketer — and a brand — to do?

Meanwhile, the vision for another new social media app, Post.news, is to be a “virtual watercooler for journalists.” The model: access premium news content without subscriptions or ads where writers share their articles on the site under a paywall. Marketers, advertisers and brands will be limited to posting relevant, informative or entertaining content, rather than running advertisements or posting promotional material.

So that’s good, but not quite marketing nirvana, right?

What We Know About Meta’s Potential Social Media App

Will marketers and customer experience professionals be able to get more pieces of the Meta social media innovation pie? Outside of, of course, the tried and true Facebook and Instagram?

It’s early to tell. News of the possible new social media app from Meta — said to be a Twitter rival — came out just over the past few days. Here’s what we do know so far:

Meta’s confirmed the development. “We’re exploring a standalone decentralized social network for sharing text updates. We believe there’s an opportunity for a separate space where creators and public figures can share timely updates about their interests,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement.
It has a name. The project for this new social media app is codenamed P92, though sources told Moneycontrol it’s still in the idea stage and a work in progress. So it’s entirely unclear how far along it is on the development trail.
It may give users ability to share across servers. A source told Moneycontrol the Meta new social app would give users the ability to post to other servers. With Mastodon, you have to pick a server. What are servers related to decentralized social platforms? Mastodon servers, also called “instances,” are individual communities, each with its own rules and culture. A server can be owned by a person, a group or a professional organization, and the server owner is the one who dictates the community’s guidelines. (Imagine trying to crack some marketing eggs over that).
Preview, followers and likes. Sound familiar? This new app would have features like tappable links in posts with previews, user bio, username and verification badges, according to Moneycontrol. Comments and messages? Not clear yet. A source did tell Moneycontrol, “The team is also discussing whether to have the ability to reshare content like Twitter apart from business and creator accounts. A rights manager will be integrated from the beginning for first party content, but probably not for third party content from other apps and servers,” said another source.

With No Hard Plans for Meta, Focus on Content

The ultimate message with this latest social media development out of Meta for marketers and customer experience professionals? It’s hard to take any action on Meta’s plans since, for now, they are just that: plans. Nothing concrete.

Social media marketing will always be about what your customers and prospects think it is, and where they are, not you or your brand.

“Plan for more exploration of how to repurpose content, as no single format or platform will serve every moment or need,” CMSWire author Pierre DeBois wrote in an article on his social media vision for 2023: “Marketers should also plan campaign labels to compare channel lift and ROI. Doing so will deepen understanding what intent data streams are created from the video campaigns and events.”

By Dom Nicastro

Dom Nicastro is managing editor of CMSWire and an award-winning journalist with a passion for technology, customer experience and marketing. With more than 20 years of experience, he has written for various publications, like the Gloucester Daily Times and Boston Magazine. He has a proven track record of delivering high-quality, informative, and engaging content to his readers. Dom works tirelessly to stay up-to-date with the latest trends in the industry to provide readers with accurate, trustworthy information to help them make informed decisions.

Sourced from CMSWIRE

In News

How to Make the Most of Your Public Relations

March 20, 2023 No Comments

By Jessica Wong

By combining PR with branding, content creation, advertising campaigns and social media outreach, companies can generate marketing results and boost their business growth.

Public relations (PR) is essential to any successful strategic marketing plan, but is your business making the most of its PR efforts? An effective PR campaign not only delivers media coverage in your target publications. In addition, optimized PR feeds into all other analog and digital marketing efforts to help your business connect with its audiences, wherever they are.

Why PR is so powerful

Even in the age of digital marketing, public relations campaigns are based on pitching to the media. When just a few years ago, PR professionals focused on print and broadcast media only; they are now extending their efforts to include online-only publications and leading bloggers.

The goal is simple: PR professionals are working with journalists and other content creators to add credibility to the brand they are representing. Media coverage not only creates exposure for the brand. It also adds a layer of credibility and trust that exceeds what other elements of a brand’s marketing strategy can provide.

According to the Institute for PR, audiences consider so-called earned media to be more credible than other sources of information. This credibility is critical to brand development, whether you want to build brand awareness or establish thought leadership in your field. Earned media is the result of effective PR.

The importance of PR is reflected in the industry’s continued growth. PR revenue is expected to grow worldwide from $88 billion in 2020 to $129 billion in 2025. PR agencies in the United States generated $14.5 billion in revenue in 2020. PR grew during the pandemic when advertising and the marketing industry as a whole contracted.

How to optimize the outcome of PR campaigns

To optimize the results of PR campaigns and maximize the benefits of public relations for a brand, marketing and PR professionals need to recognize the strengths of PR. Although online and offline news coverage can support a brand in the short and the long term, PR thrives over time. In addition, PR campaigns have more impact when connected to other elements of a company’s marketing strategy.

Focusing on the long term

Establishing successful media relationships takes time. PR experts understand which publications are interested in covering which brands and consistently pitch relevant stories to their media contacts. They understand that not every journalist will pick up every press release or feature suggestion. Rather than blanket-emailing press releases, PR pros get to know the interests of the most relevant journalist and pitch stories that are likely to make the cut.

The effort of relationship-building and consistency pays off when a brand receives attention in local and regional media outlets, eventually even getting the attention of national media. Industry-specific publications can also offer a great starting point for PR campaigns.

PR is best used as a mid to long term component of a brand’s marketing strategy. Allowing time to establish and nurture media relationships plays to the strengths of PR. Of course, there may be situations when immediate crisis communications are critical to protecting a brand’s reputation. But in most cases, PR excels as part of a long-term strategy.

Combining the strengths of PR with other marketing activities

Despite its undoubted strengths, PR alone is not enough to achieve all of a company’s business goals. Expecting a single PR campaign to increase credibility, drive web traffic, establish thought leadership within an industry and drive foot traffic to local branches is unrealistic.

Saying that, once marketing teams combine PR efforts with other strategic marketing activities, they will soon see the desired results. Combined with consistent brand messaging, for example, PR can improve brand perception among audiences.

While public relations does not necessarily result in immediate sales, stories pitched to the media can effectively educate the public about specific products and services. Many online publications are happy to link to a company’s website, thus helping search engine optimization (SEO) and local search rankings.

How PR, paid advertising and social media work together

Where PR is ideal for improving a brand’s image in the long term and connecting with audiences through a third party, paid advertising offers short-term, data-driven opportunities.

A strategically planned program of paid adverts can immediately increase brand or product exposure. Since the advent of digital marketing channels, it has become easier to reach highly targeted audiences, increasing the effectiveness of campaigns. Real-time campaign performance data allows marketers to iterate messaging and campaign design on the spot, further improving the effectiveness of their approach.

High-quality visual content, including images and videos, can be compelling in local newspapers, broadcast outlets and online channels. By streamlining advertising and PR messages, paid and earned media start working hand in hand to reach users of publications they already enjoy and, more importantly, trust.

Social media has been another fairly recent addition to a marketing team’s choice of channels where they connect with their audiences. Like traditional media, social media offers a range of opportunities, including paid, earned and owned coverage.

While earned coverage continues to come with the highest level of credibility even on social media, a company’s owned media channels offer another opportunity to share the results of PR efforts. By sharing stories that have been published about the brand, marketers are allowing the third-party credibility of those stories to reflect on the brand.

Existing followers will feel reassured in their choice of brand followership, and sharing stories from credible sources may catch the interest of new potential audiences.

Bringing it all together

Successful marketing relies on a solid strategy that joins the strengths of PR and other marketing activities. Combining PR with the power of branding, content creation, advertising campaigns, and social media outreach allows companies to generate the marketing results and overall business growth they are looking for. On its own, PR is powerful, but in combination with other marketing activities, public relations become unbeatable.

By Jessica Wong

Entrepreneur Leadership Network Contributor

Founder & CEO of both Valux Digital and uPro Digital. Jessica Wong is the Founder and CEO of both Valux Digital and uPro Digital. She is a digital marketing and PR expert with more than 20 years of success driving bottom-line results for clients through innovative marketing programs aligned with emerging strategies.

Sourced from Entrepreneur

In News

Five Tips To Make Your Business Stand Out

March 8, 2023 No Comments

By Brittany Bettini

Building a successful business requires a lot of hard work, dedication and strategic planning. One of the most important aspects to focus on is marketing and branding your business so it stands out in the marketplace. Creating an effective brand strategy is essential for building long-term relationships with customers, increasing customer loyalty and ensuring your business’ longevity.

1. Create an effective branding strategy.

The first step to creating a successful brand strategy is to develop a unique and recognizable brand identity. Make sure your brand identity conveys the values and mission of your company in a memorable way. This will help to differentiate you from competitors and create a lasting impression on potential customers.

The more memorable and identifiable your brand identity is, the more likely customers will be able to recall it easily when they need a product or service. You can achieve this by creating a logo, color scheme and slogan that are unique to your business and will help you stand out from the crowd.

2. Develop relationships with reporters.

The second step is to build relationships with reporters so that you have more of an opportunity for them to cover your business in the media. Reach out to local reporters, editors and media outlets to establish these relationships.

This step could also be done through networking, attending press events and conferences, or even offering interviews to reporters. When you have established relationships with media outlets, you may have a better chance to generate more attention for your brand.

3. Utilize social media platforms.

Social media can be used as a powerful tool when it comes to promoting your business. Use social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to make announcements about your new products or services, provide updates on special offers, discuss customer feedback and more. This can help you to reach a larger audience quickly and engage with potential customers in a meaningful way.

4. Leverage influencers.

Leveraging influencers is another great way to spread the word about your brand and help you reach new audiences. This can be done through collaborations, content sharing or sponsored posts that feature your products and services. When working with influencers, keep these tips in mind.

• Research: It’s important to research the influencers you are thinking of working with in order to determine if they would be a good fit for your brand. Look at their followers, content and engagement rate to make sure that their audience is relevant to your target market.

• Establish a relationship: Don’t just jump into a working relationship with an influencer without establishing a good rapport. Connect with them on social media and build relationships so that you can get to know each other before deciding to partner up.

• Set clear expectations: Make sure that both parties are on the same page regarding expectations and rules. This includes payment terms, deadlines, content requirements, etc.

• Offer incentives: Influencers want to work with brands that value their time and offer proper compensation for their services. Consider offering incentives such as discounts or exclusive offers to entice influencers to collaborate with you.

5. Participate in local events.

Finally, participating in local events is another great way to market and promote your business. You can also attend events such as trade shows and conferences to showcase your brand and services. Additionally, hosting your own events in your local area can also help to build relationships with customers and give them a chance to interact with your brand in a positive way.

In conclusion, creating an effective brand strategy is crucial for the success of any business. By developing a unique and recognizable brand identity, building relationships with reporters, using social media to promote your business, leveraging influencers and participating in local events, you can ensure that your brand stands out from the competition and is remembered by customers. With a comprehensive strategy in place, you will be well on your way to growing a successful business and long-term customer loyalty.

Feature Image Credit: Getty

By Brittany Bettini

Brittany Bettini is the Founder of Bettini Enterprises Inc. Read Brittany Bettini’s full executive profile here.

Sourced from Forbes

In News

Here’s how two Colorado social media influencers are making a living and changing the game

March 1, 2023 No Comments

By Kati Weis

Whether we realize it or not, influencers are shaping our understanding of the world around us. They teach us new recipes, show us new looks and introduce us to new places.

In Colorado, there are some influencers who are shattering stereotypes and changing the game of influence.

“When I first got to Colorado and heard about hiking, I really didn’t know anything about it, and I just went out, because I wanted to try something new… and eventually I noticed that there weren’t too many people that looked like me out there,” recalls Nelson Holland, a Colorado transport from New York and outdoors influencer. “When I started hearing from people that they needed representation, they needed to know, they had no idea, and I found out that I could be the source for that, I mean, I just felt like I had to.”

He added, “somebody’s got to let these people know that the outdoors is for everyone, and it can completely change your whole perspective on life.”

Holland’s handle on TikTok and Instagram says it all: @fatblackandgettinit. He says his TikTok videos about hiking in Colorado’s beautiful Rocky Mountains first took off about a year and a half ago and suddenly he went from driving food deliveries to a full-time career on social media.

“I guess North Face was the first brand to kind of reach out to me, saying they wanted to work with me, and yeah, that kind of opened the doors for other companies to see me,” Holland recalled. “I had the opportunity to work with Merril, and Colorado Tourism, and UCHealth last year, it was just an amazing year. Blessed.”

He says influencing wasn’t even something he ever imagined doing.

“I’m one of those early 90s babies that didn’t completely transition into social media,” Holland said. “I had no idea what an influencer was. I never saw myself as a leader or anything like that. So yeah, I never expected anything like this. I’m kind of an introvert, so really, I get starstruck by myself a lot.”

Katrina Nichole Tijerina, who moved to Colorado Springs from Ohio in 2019, also never imagined social media influencing in her future.

She used to work in higher education, and what was once a hobby for her on social media catapulted her into a full-time career as an influencer after someone else in the industry noticed her work online and gave her advice to move forward in a big way.

“I started this whole entire career because someone DMed me on Instagram and told me, ‘hey, I like your content, I’m looking for a plus size person to add to my content that I’m creating, would you be interested?'” Tijerina recalled. “So, I was not doing this as a career, wasn’t something that I was intentionally going after, at the time. In April of 2019, I met with her, and she kind of took me under her wing, and taught me everything, introduced me to people in the industry, and then we started sailing from there.”

Katrina Nichole Tijerina The Katrina Nichole

She says what keeps her motivated are the comments and messages complimenting her work she gets from people around the world.

“What keeps me going is the contacts that I get from people who are just like, ‘thank you so much for that, I’ve never seen someone like you talk so openly or be so confident in themselves,’ and I really, really just feel so privileged and honoured to be able to be a voice for people who don’t necessarily feel like they are represented in the media,” Tijerina said.

She added, “I think so many women and men oftentimes say, ‘I’m going to wait until I’m a certain size, or I’m going to wait till I look X, Y, or Z until I’m going to fully live my life,’ and we’re not promised tomorrow. So, I just highly encourage you to start living your life for yourself and just start doing it now.”

Tijerina hopes her work can continue to inspire others for years to come.

Katrina Nichole Tijerina Instagram: @thekatrinanichole

“I think just as in education, representation, and diversity matters, the same is true in content creation, in the fashion industry, in the creator and influencer space as well,” Tijerina said. “I think it’s so important to see someone that looks like you in the media, and represents who you are, who you aspire to be in your life. So, for me, I think it’s so empowering that I’m inspiring women of all ages, of all backgrounds, of all different races, to just live their life most authentically to who they are.”

Now, Tijerina has her own company called “The Katrina Nichole,” complete with deals and discounts on athletic gear and fashion and beauty advice.

“I would say that a lot of people think that being a social media influencer means that you’re just taking one quick picture of yourself, and that’s it, all you have to do is post a picture and you’re done, and truly, that’s not accurate. You are a full business owner. You have to file taxes for people that work for you. You have to negotiate deals and work with a legal team, and there’s so much that goes into creating that one post that you might see,” Tijerina said. “It can be really, really taxing… but I would not change it for the whole world. I absolutely love what I do.”

Marketing experts say mid-tier and micro-influencers, like Tijerina and Holland, are the most sought-after right now by major companies for advertising.

“Trust is really what it’s all about,” said Maia Brusseau, an account director with Left Hand, a media advertising agency. “The main reason that brands will want to work with influencers is because of the trust that influencers can bring to their brands, they have this following that they’ve built through native content, organic content, and then that gives them that sort of right to offer up something that they’re getting paid to do.”

Brusseau says 60% of people decide what to buy based on recommendations from influencers.

“The influencers that I grew up with were mostly celebrities,” Brusseau said. “Today, it’s really amazing to see that there are influencers of all different walks of life.”

She says of Instagram’s two billion users, 30 million of them are influencers, and the global influencing industry has an estimated value of about $15 billion.

Brusseau says marketing campaigns have an average engagement rate of 6.7%, compared to 1.5% for traditional forms of digital marketing and influencer marketing has an average return on investment of $5.20 for every $1 spent.

“If you ask children today what they want to be when they grow up, one of the top answers is that they want to be a social media influencer, because that’s who they see, there’s children that are influencers even online right now,” Brusseau said.

She says influencers tend to make about $100 per 10,000 followers for each ad post they create for a company. She says they also make money through affiliate links with companies, so when people buy something through their link, the influencer earns a percentage of the commission.

“I think it’s really great that we are able to see and hear from more people through these influencers,” Brusseau said. “It’s really cool to see just how many different people are out there and having the opportunity.”

So, how do you break through as an influencer on social media? Tijerina and Holland offer their advice:

“I would say whatever it is that you choose to share on social media, make sure that it’s something that you actually care about, because the more you’re passionate about something, the more that someone can see that this is something that you really believe in, the more successful that you’re going to be, because it’s going to be easier for you to want to talk about it and want to share that component of your life,” Tijerina said. “So, whether it’s cooking, or your life with your dog, or fashion, it can be anything, but find that thing that you’re passionate about and share it with the world.”

“You got to put in the time, it definitely takes longer than people make it look,” Holland said. “You have to be consistent. Make sure you don’t burn out, and go for it. So many people want to do it, but they take forever to get out there and post, and they’re second guessing themselves. You just got to get out there and do it.”

When asked what a day in life is like, Holland said, “there’s always nature involved, lately I’ve been trying to start my day with a sunrise, whether I hike or just go watch it from a spot. I’ll go back home, go through these social media comments and the emails and the messages.”

He added, “I’m tired of being on my phone, so it’s about time to get outside. If it’s a little too cold, maybe I’ll just hit the gym, but… at least once a week I’ll go find someplace new to go check out. It’s pretty much random, except for the fact that nature is going to be involved in some way every day.”

Holland says for him, putting in the time has been worth every minute.

“Means the world to me,” Holland said. “The outdoors is for everyone, and nature is everywhere.”

By Kati Weis

Kati Weis is a Murrow Award-winning investigative reporter and multi-media journalist for CBS News Colorado. Read her latest reports or check out her bio and send her an email.

Sourced from CBS Colorado

In News

5 Reasons Why Your Brand Needs a Strong Social Media Presence

February 23, 2023 No Comments

By Ksana Liapkova

Social media has replaced traditional media, so it’s time to funnel your marketing budget into a better, more reliable strategy

Recent projections show that social media networks are expected to have more than 327 million regular users in the U.S. alone by 2027. In the global community, there are currently over 4.2 billion active users.

Consumer shopping habits are shifting more toward the online space, and traditional media is rapidly losing any meaningful effect on driving traffic, generating leads or encouraging customer loyalty.

Because of this, it’s no longer optional for brands to invest the time and resources needed to develop and maintain an engaging, active social media presence across all relevant platforms. Here are five ways the ConvertSocial team suggests to bring a solid social media presence that can work for your brand.

1. It is cost-effective marketing

Social media is free advertising for your brand. Even if you pay for boosted posts on Facebook or Instagram, it still typically costs less than a full-fledged digital marketing campaign.

In addition, it can often be more effective to have an active social media account because it allows people to share your posts with others, boosting your reach and engagement even further in an organic way. Brands like Moon Pie and Duolingo are great examples of this strategy. Duolingo’s TikTok presence earned them a clickthrough rate 9% higher than the market average and rocketed them to the top of the charts in the Apple and Google Play stores.

2. It boosts search engine visibility

Establishing active social media accounts increases user engagement and site traffic, but it also helps to boost your search results placement organically. It isn’t a direct factor in SEO strategy, but it does prove to Google that your brand has value and trust, which is critical for better search results.

It’s important to remember that social media sites have strong search engine capabilities in their own right because they know that users tend to search for what they want on their platform first. This means that including a little bit of strategic SEO when creating engaging social channel content can help more people connect with your brand’s profiles, increasing likes, shares, comments and backlinks.

All of this helps generate “social signals” that show Google people are interested in your content. In turn, this pushes it higher in search results.

3. It gives your brand a human touch

A recent survey found that 78% of users are more willing to buy from a company once they’ve had a positive social media interaction. This could be a customer support chat or a positive comment exchange on social media content.

Over half of the survey respondents feel great about a brand simply when they feel the company’s content is creative and relevant to them as customers, so creating these positive feelings is not difficult. In fact, a Sprout Social survey noted that 61% of consumers think that audience engagement is the most important part of a brand’s social media presence. These positive interactions show your audience that your company is made up of real people who are just like them, strengthening your “human connection” and customer loyalty.

4. It creates a community within your target audience

Every successful brand has a brand community. This is the core group of people who identify with your brand’s persona and share many important traits with each other. Brands that can create a strong community within their niche are able to transform themselves from a storefront to a lifestyle, which goes a long way toward solidifying customer loyalty.

Communities are where you convert potential customers and deepen the emotional ties with existing customers. When people feel like they belong to something greater than themselves, they’re more eager to become further enmeshed in the lifestyle and share it with friends and family.

The important thing here is to create a genuine sense of connection. For example, Friendster’s community failed in the early 00s because it didn’t link people together in a truly meaningful way. Conversely, Red Bull has created a close-knit global community thanks to word-of-mouth and a dynamic social network.

5. It keeps your name at the forefront of customers’ minds

Statistics show that 55% of consumers learn about new-to-them businesses through social media. On top of this, at least 90% of shoppers buy from brands they follow on social media channels, and 40% actively seek out recommendations for products and services through social media platforms.

This means that an active social media presence is a simple way to keep eyes on your brand. In an era where commercials often result in a negative ROI, this is a meaningful way to generate interest in your brand.

Social media has an advantage over traditional media because it provides a two-way street for communication. Now, instead of brands simply talking to their audience, customers can talk back and engage in a dialogue. When people feel seen and heard by a brand, they are more likely to think of that brand first when making a purchase or recommendation.

Your business needs social media, so don’t wait for another second

It’s not too late to establish an active social media presence, but it’s essential to do it sooner rather than later. Customers want the experience of interacting with a like-minded community of other brand lovers and the brand itself. They need to see the human side of your company, and you need advertising channels that are proven effective.

By Ksana Liapkova

Entrepreneur Leadership Network Contributor. Head of Admitad ConvertSocial. Ksana has been a speaker at world-class conferences on affiliate marketing and is in contact with more than 35,000 clients of Admitad ConvertSocial, involved in the blogging industry, which allows her to always be aware of the latest trends in the world of influencers.

Sourced from Entrepreneur

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Making Social Media Management Simpler With Five Free Basic Tools

January 31, 2023 No Comments

Sourced from readwrite

Companies are constantly evolving, looking for new ways to diversify their marketing strategies to attract new customers while managing effective engagement with their existing followers.

The rise of social media, more than its traditional scope of practice, has meant that businesses and companies can increase their communication and marketing efforts towards previously under-recognized consumer markets.

As the internet spawned to become a platform through which several million companies now operate, managing direct social interactions on social media channels can be an arduous task if companies and marketing teams are properly equipped.

There are copious reasons why it’s important to have the right team and tools behind social media marketing and management. For many businesses, the idea of social media is more than basic use, but rather a place from which they can market new products and services, drive sales, increase brand exposure, offer social commerce options, and introduce brand awareness within their target audience and the greater public realm.

Aside from social commerce, these communication networks have also become a way to improve customer experience as studies show that 1 in 3 social media users prefer customer service and customer care being conducted via social media to phone or email.

These networks drive sales and create brand awareness. Still, they also play an important role in analysing target audiences and consumer markets, giving companies a broader overview of the tools and resources they require to leave a lasting impression on their followers.

Let’s have a look at five free social media management tools any small and medium-sized business owner should be considering for their organization.

Later

While Later was originally designed and launched as an app dedicated to Instagram, the platform today supports several other social media networks while constantly adding new features as it grows.

Later is more than a social media marketing tool; it helps business owners create content that is striking and engaging and generates more click-through traffic helping owners direct their followers from their social media accounts to their websites.

There is a strong emphasis on visual content on Later, which makes it a more suitable add-on for businesses looking to increase their Instagram and TikTok following. Content scheduling still plays a big role, and in recent years the platform added tools and features that help to create and schedule images, videos, posts, and stories all under one umbrella.

What’s unique about Later is that it seamlessly helps tie together several important aspects of social media management, both visual and non-visual, to bring forth a powerful platform that can be used for free.

Free subscriptions on Later still give users access to features such as analytics, saved captions, and scheduled stories, among others. For small business owners who want to splurge a bit of cash on their social media management tools, Later’s cheapest plan starts at $9,00 per month, a good starting point for any small-scale operation.

Buffer

For quite some time, Buffer has remained a strong contender in social media management, allowing users more streamlined social media marketing features.

Although the platform only supports several social media networks, including LinkedIn and Pinterest, it does have some noteworthy free features that can help small businesses effectively manage their social accounts from one dashboard.

The basic layout of Buffer includes posting schedules, a Google Analytics campaign tracker, and a shuffling queue to create and enhance the variety of posts and content on a feed.

The platform helps to scale social media marketing efforts, and it comes with a friendly-to-use interface, which is perhaps why so many businesses and social media influencers are currently using it.

In a nutshell, one could say that Buffer is more of a social media automation tool with added features and resources. A majority of the core focus does help businesses queue their content and allow for it to publish automatically. For any small business owner, automated publishing helps them to post content that will keep their audiences engaged at all times, even when they are not present or seeing slower online traffic.

Free subscriptions include a small powerhouse of resources, but business owners who are looking to scale up their operations in the coming months or years will find more benefits with their paid plans.

TweetDeck

Twitter is one of the most underutilized social media networks for small businesses, and there’s no reason it shouldn’t be, as the app sees more than 229 million daily active users as of 2022. Although 67% of B2B businesses use Twitter as a marketing tool, there is a lot of potential for smaller businesses when it comes to this social media network.

For the businesses that are on Twitter, though, TweetDeck is a simple management system that helps users create customizable social media dashboards which they can use to send and receive different tweets, manage their accounts, and monitor their profiles.

Users can upload and save future tweets and posts in their scheduling domain and set their tweets to be posted on predetermined dates.

TweetDeck isn’t necessarily the most intriguing or complex platform out there, but it does serve a good purpose for business owners who are leveraging the possibilities of Twitter.

There are paid subscriptions, but smaller businesses that can get away with the basics will be able to enjoy the standard free features.

Friends+Me

Not many business owners and entrepreneurs know about this beginner social media management platform that includes several interesting features that are available for free to any person.

Something that sets Friend+Me aside from others is that it gives users the freedom to integrate with several browser extensions both on desktop and mobile devices and works on Android and iOS.

The basic free account also gives users access to post-scheduling options and automated actions such as creating new posts or even streaming content from RSS feeds.

All other integrations can be controlled and monitored from one account and work on Facebook, now Meta, Twitter, Tumblr, and Pinterest. Although there is the opportunity for the platform to become integrated with other popular social networks such as Instagram or TikTok, Friends+Me is a straightforward tool that gives small business owners just enough power to get their social media management under control.

There are some drawbacks, and the platform doesn’t come with all the bells and whistles that one would expect, but for a small team of marketers and creators, this could be the right tool that can help get them started with social media management.

Aside from the free and basic subscription options, users can also choose from paid plans which are between $9,00 and $1,200 per month. The bigger the plan, the more one can queue and schedule posts while also adding up to 50 team members when paying for the premium subscription.

CoSchedule

With so much cross-integration between social media networks while also including a business website, keeping track of and monitoring everything can be a tumultuous challenge at best.

CoSchedule is a bit more than a social media management tool, and it comes in different sizes depending on the scale of the business and social media marketing requirements.

For starters, CoSchedule has a built-in scheduling system that allows users to upload their posts and set them to be posted at a specific time. This might seem straightforward, but users can schedule a single post that can be posted across various social media networks at different times.

Users will also be able to view performance reports to see how a campaign or post has been performing. With this information at hand, it gives users a better chance to schedule posts to be posted at times when they are more likely to enjoy better exposure and interaction from followers.

Everything on CoSchedule can be done through a tailor-made publishing schedule, even messages to followers or follow-up messages. These features are all part of the free package, and for smaller, mid-tier businesses, there is a paid option that starts at $39,00 per month. Larger companies can request a quote directly from CoSchedule.

Performance is a key driver for CoSchedule, and that’s why many companies and entrepreneurs choose to work with a platform that allows them a lot more freedom, flexibility, and autonomy when it comes to managing their social media tasks and campaigns.

Social media influence on social commerce

Social media has become such an integral part of organizations these days that some high-end and medium-tier brands spent an estimated $132 billion on social media advertising in 2020, with some experts suggesting this figure will grow exponentially in the coming years as more brands and consumers move online.

Traditionally, social media was seen as a powerful tool to connect and stay connected; nowadays, it’s a platform through which companies can establish an intersection of both media and commerce.

Rapidly changing consumer behaviour has led to companies adjusting their marketing strategies according to their customer’s needs; without change or innovation, many could see their profits being run into the ground.

Only in the last few years have we seen social commerce play a more prominent role in the way businesses operate. Changing consumer behaviour against the backdrop of younger generations – Millennials and Generation Z – now having more spending power is leading to surging demand for digital tools for companies to utilize properly.

Shopping on social media is big money, and in the United States, it’s estimated that by 2025 social commerce will inject close to $100 billion into the local economy. The majority of this comes from younger shoppers as they accumulate wealth and increase their spending power.

Research by the Influencing Marketing Factory revealed that more than 40% of Millennials and Gen Zs shopped on social media last year.

This marks a strong turning point in how companies not only present themselves online but also how they engage and sell to customers.

While there are a lot of factors that are directly woven into the success rate of social media performance, with the right guidance and management tools, smaller companies can achieve a success rate faster and more sustainably.

Cost Factor

From afar, social media management can seem intimidating, especially for younger entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Running a single-person operation or managing a team of a couple of employees is already taxing enough; checking up on social media performance only adds more burden to any business owner’s schedule. Not only this, there are specific costs involved when looking to hire a professional or purchase specific tools that can help to automate processes.

Social media management is more than posting a picture on Facebook and Instagram or responding to customer questions and comments directly. It’s also more than uploading short YouTube content videos hoping to receive countless views in a couple of days.

While customer experience is a key differentiator between a well-thought social media strategy and a lesser-planned one, analytics, and growth help to paint a better picture of where a company should be better focusing their efforts.

Sprout Social found that although brands will spend differently on social media management as this is largely based on their needs and goals, on average, some businesses will spend roughly $12,300 per month on managing their social accounts.

The breakdown consists of content creation ($5,250 per month), social advertising ($5,000 per month), and platform management ($2,050 per month), among other types of expenses that are not always accounted for when starting.

For small business owners, entrepreneurs, and freelancers, social media management costs can take a hefty bite out of their monthly budgets and profits. Using the right tools not only makes the work a lot less streamlined but can help deliver better insights on how strategies need to improve to gain more followership, grow brand awareness and drive sales.

The Takeaway

While social media has allowed businesses a new opportunity to gain better market attention while also increasing their profitability and brand loyalty, it’s also given them a new set of challenges that are not easy to overcome without the right set of tools.

Digital advancements have made it easier and more convenient for businesses to develop a social media marketing strategy that will help them become more efficient while also delivering engaging content on multiple social network channels.

These tools are becoming omnipresent, and for small business owners, it means that they have a way to build their social media and increase followership while at the same time managing all these properties from the comfort of a single dashboard.

Featured Image Credit: Pixabay; Pexels

Sourced from readwrite

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12 Easy Steps To Build Your Personal Brand On Social Media

January 27, 2023 No Comments

By Bernard Marr

Building and maintaining my personal brand is an important part of my job. But it’s becoming important in so many professions, way beyond the realms of influencers, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders. Whether you’re an architect, entrepreneur, designer, blogger, lawyer, or whatever, your personal brand can help you stand out from the crowd and attract exciting new opportunities your way.

If you think about it, you already have a personal brand. Everyone has one. If a potential employer or client were to Google your name, they’d probably find your LinkedIn and social media profiles, perhaps followed by any news articles featuring your name or any other websites that mention you. What impression would someone get of you based on the search results? This, essentially, is your personal brand. It’s your online reputation.

Personal branding means taking control of your online reputation and shaping it, so people see you in the way you want to be seen.

So, if you search for my name online, you’ll see my own website, then my latest tweets, my LinkedIn profile, my YouTube channel, and then my other social media profiles. Even just a quick glance at these results is enough to tell you I’m an expert in future technologies, digital transformation, and driving business performance. You’ll see the same (professional) photos of me and read the same voice (mine). All of that contributes to my brand. It’s consistent. It tells a story about who I am and what I do.

Of course, social media isn’t the only way to establish your brand, but it does play a huge role. Here are 12 ways you can use social media to your advantage and sharpen your personal brand.

1. First things first, get your profiles in order. Add a professional, up-to-date photo to your social media profiles, using the same photo across different platforms to ensure consistency. Then clean up your profiles by deleting any content that you wouldn’t want potential employers or clients to see. (You can always maintain a private profile for sharing personal things that you don’t want employers or clients to see.)

2. Be yourself. While you want to cultivate a professional brand, it’s important to let your personality shine through in your social media posts. Write in the way you’d normally speak. Be authentic. Be honest. Talk about things that really matter to you (rather than trying to hop on the latest trends). And don’t pretend to be someone you’re not. This is all part of ensuring your brand stays consistent.

3. Share what you’re learning. Something that I’ve found impactful – and easy – is sharing interesting and relevant news stories from my industry on social media. This really helped me build my profile and stay knowledgeable on what’s happening in my field. To keep up to date with interesting and relevant news stories, you can subscribe to industry newsletters or, even easier, set up Google alerts for certain keyword topics. Do be sure to add your own message when you share something on social media – even if it’s just “I came across this today and thought I’d share it. What do you guys think?”

4. Join industry groups on social media platforms. Then make yourself known by engaging with posts, answering questions, and liking, commenting, and sharing other people’s content in the group.

5. Be generous with your time and knowledge. Be helpful to others online by responding to questions and comments and generally engaging with them. And do take the time to like or amplify other content that you found engaging, inspiring, or useful. Basically, be reciprocal.

6. Make new contacts as often as you can, especially on LinkedIn. You can do this by identifying people you want to connect with in your field and sending a certain number of invites each week, with a short personal message. Make a habit of this, and your network will soon grow.

7. Create quick polls to pose interesting questions and boost engagement. You can always mix it up by posting a mixture of professional and more general questions.

8. Post quality photos and videos from your work life. People love visual content, so if you’re at a work conference, attending an industry event, on the way to visit a client, or whatever, share it. You can mix it up with occasional “everyday” photos and videos while still keeping it fairly professional (think your morning cup of coffee when you’re working from home, that sort of thing).

9. Really, you can post any sort of content that will help to cement your reputation – it could be advice, thought-provoking questions, excerpts from presentations you’ve given, pro tips, how-to content, or whatever.

10. If you really want to establish your expertise, consider writing longer-form articles and sharing them on LinkedIn. I did a lot of this – still do, in fact – and it has played a huge role in growing my personal brand.

11. Use cross-platform tools to make your life easier. For example, you can use a tool like Hootsuite to schedule your posts in advance and share posts across multiple platforms, such as Instagram and YouTube, all from one place. This means you can get maximum value from each piece of content without having to physically post it in multiple places.

12. Try pencilling in a specific time each day or week for social media. You may actively want to limit the amount of time you spend on social media (it can be a huge time suck). So, I find it helps to schedule posts in advance and block out specific times to check in with social media, reply to comments, and see other people’s posts.

Feature Image Credit: Adobe Stock

By Bernard Marr

Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, blockchains, and the Internet of Things. Why don’t you connect with Bernard on Twitter (@bernardmarr), LinkedIn (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/bernardmarr) or instagram (bernard.marr)?

Sourced from Forbes

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The Harsh Reality About Lead Generation and Why It Still Matters For Business Growth

January 27, 2023 No Comments

By Shauna Armitage

Despite popular opinion, social media is not the answer to all your lead generation. Here are five other ways to use contact information to nurture and convert leads successfully.

Not all lead generation is created equal. As digital marketing continues to evolve, marketers are doubling down on social media. While those platforms may be great for brand awareness, they still fall short regarding one of the most critical growth metrics for a budding business — engaging your audience.

One of the biggest reasons creating engagement is tough on these platforms comes down to supply and demand — every friend, family member and company is also on these platforms, competing for your potential customer’s attention. There’s a lot of noise, and the algorithm ultimately decides who sees what.

Building an audience and selling to them is essential for any company to grow, which is why business owners need to focus on generating leads through channels they own and control.

Critical metrics for business success

We know that to sell to a potential customer or an existing one, you need to be able to reach them. We can identify success in reaching our leads by tracking engagement and open rates.

Instagram users will spend an average of 30 minutes daily on the platform. While that’s a significant amount of time, businesses aren’t getting that much of their attention. According to BazaarVoice, the average reach rate for brands with large followings is 12% for posts and 2% for stories. The median engagement rate across all industries on Facebook is 0.08%.

Those numbers are sobering and a big wake-up call for small businesses and startups spending energy and budget trying to drive revenue through organic social media channels. Instead, let’s focus on the channels we own and can control.

Controlling the conversation with leads

When you build an email list, you own those emails and have a direct way to communicate with your audience — but it’s not the only way. You can also capture a person’s phone number or address. The key is gathering contact information so you can communicate 1:1 instead of relying on an algorithm.

Here are a few ways that you can use contact information to nurture and convert leads successfully:

Email. A survey conducted by Mailchimp tells us that the average open rate for emails across industries is just over 21%. While reaching only a fraction of the audience that you worked so hard to build may feel frustrating, this is a reality marketers must face. It highlights the importance of continually growing your audience. (i.e., 20% of 1,000 means you have the attention of 200 people. 20% of 10,000 means you have the attention of 2,000 people.) Email remains one of the strongest channels for nurturing and converting leads. There are many strategies you can use to increase your open rates and improve the effectiveness of your email blasts.
SMS. Text messaging has open rates as high as 98%. Consumers spend more and more time with their phones, so it’s easy to see why sending text messages would be the most effective way to reach them. SMS is an excellent channel for communicating with your customers and potential customers if you are intentional about the messages you send and how often you send them.
Social advertising. While it may be tough to reach your audience organically through social media, that’s not quite the case with advertising on social media. You can create an audience on Facebook’s platform with your email list. This will allow you to put your advertisements directly in front of the people who have purchased from you in the past or have already expressed interest in your brand.
Community platform. It’s tough to overstate the importance of community when growing a brand. If you can create a space where your customers can connect and get extra value from the brand, it’s a win-win for everyone. Within this space, you’ll have a direct line to share updates with community members or send them direct messages if needed. Platforms like Circle and Mighty Networks are great for housing your brand’s community.
Direct mail. Traditional marketing strategies like direct mail have fallen out of favor recently, but the pandemic has changed this in many ways. Spending more time on their devices, potential customers are overwhelmed with seemingly similar content. Sending an intelligent, targeted campaign via direct mail can be a fresh and fun way to capture their attention.

Social media can be a great tool for building an audience. Still, if your audience is only accessible via social media, you are always at risk of losing control of the conversation.

If Instagram shuts down tomorrow, you can’t reach that massive audience you worked so hard to build. If TikTok decides to prioritize advertising in the future, your organic reach could disappear overnight.

Businesses in today’s digital climate, it must be a top priority to move prospects from social media to a place where the business can capture contact information. Nurturing potential customers via direct communication will help you build trust, value, and community, ultimately leading to sales and growth in your business.