Google+ Launches Business Pages Today

The day that marketers everywhere have been anticipating has come. Google Plus has finally rolled out their business page feature today. Over the next few days, Google Plus is allowing businesses to Create a Page on their platform. When I read about this, I instantly tried to create a company page for Progressive Media Concepts, but I unfortunately got this message in reply:

Google+ Pages isn’t ready for everyone

Thanks for your interest in Google+ Pages, but we haven’t finished releasing them to everyone. Please check back soon.

I will be trying over the next few days, but until then, let’s look at what you can expect from a business page on Google+.

Customer Service: Make a Video

Since the dawn of time, customer service has always needed improvement. If you’re not on hold, you’re busy being transferred from person to person or listening to automated recordings. When the age of the Internet came about, you were probably staring at a Frequently Asked Questions page. When the FAQ was no help, you had to resort to email, phone or a manual search for someone with a similar issue. The problem is, no matter which way you choose to seek help, you are either stuck listening to someone try to explain a solution or get drowsy reading an article about troubleshooting.  In either case, there is an easy solution for both the company and the customer: video content.

There is always going to be a common problem with every product. Sometimes the problem extends to the instruction manual not being comprehensive enough, causing a large percentage of customers to have trouble getting the product to function initially. Sometimes it may be a simple jam or a hidden switch not in the “on” position. Whatever the case may be, videos can offer not only great help, but they can alleviate a company from receiving an overwhelming amount of customer inquiries.

How to Manage Your Social Media Comments

If your social media strategy is anything like ours, then your brand is probably on numerous social media sites. That means you have a bunch of fans visiting and interacting with each post that you publish. There is a certain response etiquette that is important to follow when answering your fans. Let’s take a look at each social platform and see how to enhance our response strategy.

Klout: What Is It and How Does It Work?

How would I describe Klout? In my opinion, Klout is comparable to a credit score. Credit scores increase if you’re on time with paying a credit card bill and decrease if you missed a mortgage payment. Klout is the social media version of this system, per se. Klout monitors your engagement, posts and other metrics to determine a score. The higher the score, the more influence you have in the social world. The more you interact, post and engage others on different social media platforms, the higher your Klout score will be. Business professionals have begun looking at this ranking system for hiring social media managers. Is it the perfect way to gauge your social media expertise? Probably not, but it can give good insight into how much you interact with others, and if your content gets shared around the web. That may be a good indicator of how well you will manage their social media campaign.

But digging deeper into Klout, we will look at the different metrics, what they mean and possible ways to increase your overall Klout score.

How to Get More People “Talking” About Your Brand on Facebook

If you are a Facebook page administrator, you have seen the new insight, “talking about you,” on your fan page. It is a great new insight offered by Facebook that allows you to see how many people are actually talking about or interacting with your brand. This feature will be useful for tracking data and the success or failure of a promotion or event. Clearly the more people you have “talking about” your brand, the more engagement your Facebook page is seeing, which, in any social media campaign, is a GOOD thing. But what does “talking about you” mean?

Fans are considered to be talking when they carry out the following actions:

Social Media Spotlight: Shoreline Painting Contractors

For today’s Social Media Spotlight, we are proud to introduce a company that prides itself on its work. Shoreline Painting Contractors is a full-service, year-round residential and commercial painting business comprised of professionals known for their attention to detail. Whether you have a small job or large job, Shoreline Painting can get it done. Shoreline Painting services lower Fairfield County, Westchester County and New York City. We had the pleasure of speaking with the Director of Sales at Shoreline Painting, Chris Polidoro, about their social media campaign. Here is what Chris had to say:

What social media platforms do you currently use?

What the New Facebook Insights Mean for Your Social Media Campaign

Yes, it’s true. Facebook has implemented another change to its already chaotic update schedule. However, this update is actually great! Facebook has changed their analytic tools to give page managers more insight into how their Facebook page is performing. They have made it much more aesthetically pleasing for the user. So aside from how it looks, those who record and interpret analytical data are now happier due to the renovations. Let’s talk more about the functionality of the new update.

Social Media Spotlight: Charlie Scott Design

This week on the Social Media Spotlight, we are pleased to introduce a company that prides itself on perfection, not only for their clients, but for their own business. Charlie Scott Design is a company that utilizes cutting edge technologies to provide their clientele with creative branding. We had the pleasure of speaking with the CEO of Charlie Scott Design, Charlie Scott himself, about their social media strategies. Here is what he had to say:

What social media platforms do you currently use?

Why You Need a LinkedIn Company Page: New Status Updates

If you are a business professional who is not currently using LinkedIn, it’s time to create an account. This social media powerhouse currently has 120 million members worldwide, which includes executives from every 500 Fortune Company.  LinkedIn is a great tool to connect and build relationships with business professionals inside and outside of your industry. Once you begin using LinkedIn as a networking tool, you can expect to see an increase in productivity and success for your company.

How to Get Your Brand Ready for Social Media Marketing

Social media has become a main stream way for companies and brands alike to connect with their following. Going further than just engaging their consumer, brands now have several more outlets to market and promote their product and service. What some brands are having trouble with is how to properly get started with social media.

I am particularly aiming this blog towards the small to medium sized businesses. Companies like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Snickers, and any other name brand company have the funds at their disposal to do whatever they like; they can create a campaign, then completely overhaul it 5 times over if they please. I am dedicating this post to the companies that are up and coming, who are looking to jump on the social media bandwagon and would like to hit the ground running. There is still a large population of companies and businesses that have not yet adopted social media. So how do you get your company geared up for a social media strategy?