Inbound Marketing Blog

There’s been a huge upset over fake news being propagated over Facebook for some time now. Many Facebook users now know how to spot fake news, but there are still many Facebook users who are still unable to distinguish fake news from legitimate (and you may be one of them). If you are one of those who are struggling to find the distinction, don’t be embarrassed. It can be really hard to tell the difference sometimes! “Fakers” have gotten really good at passing themselves off as legitimate, which is why Facebook is still on the search for many of them. In this blog post, we’ll delve into how you can distinguish fake news from legitimate news and how you can personally help your fellow Facebook users by reporting the “Fakers.”

Running your business in 2018 requires a bit of understanding of technology. Even the least technical jobs, such as lawn care professionals, are sporting smartphones to check email, talk to staff and connect with clients.

The challenge is that technology can be a bit unnerving for some business owners. It’s not unnerving because it’s technology, per se. It’s unnerving because of the need to understand, yet again, something new.

Social media, blogs, iPhones and Android, search engine optimization, flux capacitors… how do we keep it all straight?

Let me suggest that technology is only a tool. It’s no different than a hammer or drill except it’s a tool that solves a different problem. Until we understand that the technology we use is meant to solve a specific problem, we’ll continue to focus on how hard it is to integrate technology into our business and marketing efforts.

In the land of digital marketing, we come up with some pretty unique terms. Backlinks, black hat, heatmap, keyword stuffing, schema markup, and slug. These are all jargon, and if you're not in the marketing biz, you probably have no idea what they are referring too.

Unfortunately, gaining followers on social media sites just isn't what it used to be, and the landscape is constantly changing. So how do you win a game that seems so easy to lose? The answer is: strategy, budget, and social media savviness.

One of the most important things to remember about follower building is that there are two types: organic and paid. It used to be MUCH easier to get organic engagement from users, but now we need to work smarter.

Did you know that 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations? If someone uses the Check-In function on Facebook when they visit your business, they are telling their friends on social media that they are currently at and enjoying your services or products. This results in free advertising, increased brand awareness, and is essentially an endorsement from that user. That’s why the more check-ins you can garner on social media, the better! 

Facebook, like every other social media platform, is always evolving. Most recently (rolled out in summer 2017), they updated some key components in their news feed algorithm. If you’re one of the millions that noticed a recent change in your Facebook News Feed, you may have had the initial reaction I did, which was annoyance.

“I’ve seen all of these already… days ago, because they’re a WEEK old. Why am I seeing them again?”

Okay, I know that sounds petty when it’s written out, but isn’t that how social media has wired us now? We want to see the most recent news, not week-old news.

After doing more research, I realized that Facebook actually did something right.

Social media is an incredible tool that allows you to connect instantaneously with users all over the world in the blink of the eye. Increasingly, businesses are utilizing social media as a way to connect with clients and prospects. However, what many professionals don't realize is: it’s all too easy to commit social media taboos and not even know it!

Why does this matter? Because, believe it or not, you can be penalized, or receive flak or kickback from these, and you definitely want to avoid that. Read on to discover six of the most common taboos we've identified that can harm you.

It is no longer an option for businesses to ignore social media platforms. Each platform has a unique audience of users, and with each audience you may get different levels of engagement - so don't assume that failing to reach one audience means you'll fail to reach any audience on social. We use several social media platforms at Tribute Media. They are all used for different reasons and they all have their own culture while still maintaining our brand. The trick to using it successfully is to know who your target audience is and how they are using each platform. 

Pinterest is a stand-alone visual social network built around engaging visual content. Users share images from the web by “pinning” them on to a series of virtual boards. These images then (when clicked on) lead to a web page away from Pinterest. That's where it becomes beneficial for your company. If you can catch a lead from Pinterest through an image, title, and short description - you've got the opportunity to direct them to your website. 

Imagine, if you will, an office where everything is gray; the chairs, the walls, the floor. The employees are all similarly dressed in gray tones as well. There are no expressions on their faces and their voices are monotone. It’s cold and robotic. 

Now think about the last time you were on a business’s social media page or reading one of their blogs. Was it fun and personable or was it drab and gray? It is surprising how many businesses are still following this no-personality, all-business persona. Maybe it's because they are afraid they'll be perceived as unprofessional, or maybe they just don't have the right person managing their web marketing and social media accounts, either way, they are failing to engage their audience.

If you are one of these businesses, then it is definitely time to rethink your company’s image.