Category: Social Media

Ben demonstrates how to optimise videos and your YouTube channels for SEO, offering practical insights and techniques to maximise your reach and improve the discoverability of their videos on the YouTube platform.

Join Ben as he guides you through the process of creating remarkable Instagram Reels. He’ll help you get started by sharing valuable insights and ideas for content that will captivate your audience.

We called a roundtable discussion on the relevance of Twitter (now known as X) in today’s digital landscape. Does it still have the media sway it used to? And are newcomers to micro-blogging such as Thread and Mastodon going to take over.

Join Ben as he introduces you on how to generate remarkable instagram reels. Walking through the steps on where to start and sharing ideas on what content you can create and share.

Ben is joined by club member Ishia (Spaces & Places) and Mark (Kyeburn) to discuss how to manage and generate social media content to drive more traffic and sales.

Create a professional LinkedIn profile and connect with others in your industry. With LinkedIn, you can connect with other professionals, showcase your skills and experience, and find new opportunities for career growth whether a recent graduate or an experienced professional, creating a LinkedIn account is a great way to build your professional network and establish yourself as a thought leader.

Social media marketing expert Jack McCaughtrie (Core Tree) demonstrates how to set up a Facebook Ad Campaign and share his advice on how to get the most out of your boosted posts.

Ben is joined by Helen Davies (Citrus Web), to revisit a book they wrote back in 2014. Be Sociable brought together marketing strategy and social media concepts based on their own unique experience. In this episode they’ll be looking at what’s still relevant and where marketing has moved on to.

We take a dive into Pinterest with Jonathan Pollinger and discuss how it could make a huge difference to your business particularly if you have a very visual product.

We have invited social media trainer, Jonathan Pollinger to introduce us to TikTok and share how it can build awareness of your business, help you to attract more customers, as well as boost sales and profits.

Ben revisits LinkedIn Essentials to discuss some of the key ways people use it to get new business. This is an updated version of the 2019 presentation ‘Get more out of LinkedIn’.

Ben is joined by Tom Balmont and Sirco to discuss why video is important in video marketing.

YouTube announced last week that it is removing its ‘dislike’ counts on videos for public across its platform

In the instance of YouTube removing the dislike counts publicly, it’s good for all 3 stakeholders because it limits mass trolls that often videos can get, it allows creators to be more experimental with their content while not being afraid of backlash. For users the like button still serves as a way for them to know if a video has been appreciated while letting them form their own opinions.

At the same time, creators can still opt to view their dislikes privately so they can receive needed data driven feedback to know what’s working for them.

Karuna Sharma, Advertising & Media Insider

With YouTube disabling public dislike and Instagram testing time-outs, these influencers and agencies suggest more steps to building a safer space on the internet.

Youtube have launched Youtube Shorts; a blog post from the tech giant reads:

‘Every month, 2 billion viewers come to YouTube to laugh, learn and connect. Creators have built entire businesses on YouTube, and we want to enable the next generation of mobile creators to also grow a community on YouTube with Shorts.”‘

‘User-generated short videos were born on YouTube starting with our first upload, a short 18-second video called ‘Me at the zoo.’ As technology advances, creators and artists can now take advantage of the incredible power of smartphones to easily create and publish high-quality content wherever they are in the world,” the YouTube post added.’

This is the first launch of the software and I’m excited to see how Youtube Shorts develops over the coming months. It will be interesting to see how businesses will start using more candid videography to promote their businesses.

How to use Instagram in your business, grow your audience and track progress.

Notes

Why are small businesses using photo sharing apps in marketing?

• Increasingly in popularity
• Businesses of all sizes and sectors are using it
• A great way to bring a visual element to your social media activity
• Reaching new audiences easier and quicker
• Sell products or services through the platform

Instagram as Marketing tool

• Who should use Instagram?

How to post

• Can only post using app
• Photos
• Video
• Importance of Stories & Reels
• Hashtag research

Planning Content

• Use your social media strategy for inspiration
• Variety is essential
• Post regularly
• Find inspiration from other accounts
• Consider including video

Tracking Progress

• Set Objectives to monitor progress
• Audience growth – size & quality
• Interaction – likes, comments, reach
• Performance on paid ads
• Sales of products
• Traffic to your website

Commit to action

What one action will you achieve over the next 30 days?

In this marketing webinar Ben shares how to use Facebook in your business to grow your audience and win customers.

Ben shares three ideas that could help grow or even kick start your social media engagement. He has been developing the ideas over the years so you may already have heard a few of them but it’s always good to have a refresher.

Notes

Be Remarkable

How to create remarkable content that spreads further by working with others 

• Choose a social network you like 
• Where your audience hangs out 
• Reach out to your audience 
• Be remarkable 
• Be consistent
• Connect on a personal level 

Be the First to Follow

Understand how to attract people and create a movement 

Start a Social Tribe

Local businesses promoting local businesses on the web and through social media 

• Find your tribe 
• Follow your tribe
• Spend 15 a day minutes engaging 
• Recommend what you love 
• Feedback to improve 
• Don’t talk about yourself 

Ben is joined by Jack McCaughtrie (Core Tree) and Clare Harris to discuss the current state of social as well as tips and advice.

Notes

Social Media Round Table

• We look at social media accounts by activity
• Has social media use changed during 2020 lockdown? Has it brought us together?
• What kind of content works best?
• Does it pay to create personalised content and making the effort?
• Does social media work for customer service?
• How can I get more followers on social media?

Commit to action

What one action will you achieve over the next 30 days?

Need some Marketing help?

Learn more about mining LinkedIn to find prospects and then how best to engage with them.To help me explore this topic I’ll be joined by social media and blog writer Jack McCaughtrie from (Core Tree).

Notes

Guest Jack McCaughtrie from Core Tree

Why mine Linkedin for prospects

• Remote networking
• Local, national or global reach
• Connect with difficult to reach individuals
• Build awareness of your company and how to help people

There is less noise in the channel, because it is a business to business platform it has a more professional mentality to it and people are more diligent in their approach
Jack McCaughtrie

Case Study – Witley Jones

Bespoke school furniture manufacturer, based in Worcestershire.

• They wanted to build their awareness and engagement in education
• Trying to get an in, in a busy market
• Approach of not hard selling but one of trying to support and align partnerships

Understand, Engage and Convert

Building an Audience

• Quality not quantity
• Reconnect with contacts, clients and colleagues
• Use market intelligence to identify new companies and people
• Connect with new people you have (or going to) meet
• Digitising your network

…you have 100% control who is in your audience and have control in targeting the right people. It is important you connect to the right kind of audience, a target client or prospect who have some value to you or you to them. 
Jack McCaughtrie

Search

• Use Company Pages to find best contacts
• Search for Job Titles,
• Location and industry
• Set up ‘Search Alert’ for weekly email

Who to connect with

• Connect with people who are directly relevant to you
• Associated with markets you work with
• People who would be interested in content you can share
• People you can help with
• Don’t simply collect connections
• Connect with people that interact with your posts

Start a conversation

• Personalise your connection invitation
• Soft intro message once connected. Not sales focused
• Ask questions to encourage a response
• Follow 2/3 days after invite accepted
• Be patient

Breaking the ice

• Be inquisitive about their business or sector
• Make an opportunity to send more information – relevant blog or video
• Refer to a post they have shared recently or something you have seen on their website
• Ask a favour (Benjamin Franklin effect)

Nurture & Follow-up

• Sow the seeds that will grow over time
• Be patient. Building relationships take times
• Have regular content to share within your network
• Ask who the best person to contact
• Ask if you can share more information
• Don’t be afraid to follow up once, twice, three times

Review your profile

• Must be up to date and accurate
• First impression counts
• Make it relevant to your audience
• Answer the questions your new connections will have
• Add link to website and videos
• Consider the posts you share and engage with.

IMC4 – Get more from Linkedin

Subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts or Android.

This is the fifth of 6 episodes in which I’ll be walking you through the foundation level of my Marketing Strategy. I’m going give you ideas, advice and guidelines in a simple, step by step process that will work for any startup or business new to marketing.

The episodes cover Planning, Stats and Analytics, Website Development, Search Engine Optimisation, Social Media and Business tasks that you need to do to give you marketing strategy a great foundation.

If you want to jump ahead. everything I’m talking about is available online nowratherinventive.com/marketing-strategy

For now here’s part 5 and it’s about Social Media. Enjoy!

👋 If you found this podcast interesting you might like my Marketing Club. Join to receive regular tips and advice on marketing, video and the web and Pro Members get access to my live marketing webinars every month, exclusive discounts and other perks. Find out more here https://ratherinventive.com/club/

Related to my post from earlier today. Seth on Doom scrolling

Getting hooked on an endless scroll of media inputs is not the same as being informed. There’s long been a business model of urgent news (“man bites dog!”), but now it’s been leveraged, amplified and optimized to suck people in for hours at a time.

https://seths.blog/2020/07/doom-scrolling/

I limit my news intake to a handpicked set of websites via Feedly and aim to check in once or twice a day, I don’t rarely listen to the news and try to use Twitter as a last resort. I don’t want or need to know everything that happens as it rarely brings me joys but I simply don’t have time.

I’ve often heard the term ‘Hanlon’s Razor’ – usually on tech podcasts – in relation companies doing the wrong thing and where people assume the worst and jump to conclusions. so decided to look it up.

‘Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity’

Robert J. Hanlon

An example of this can be seen when Apple was accused of slowing down old iPhones to force people to upgrade, where in fact an update was made to improve the performance of phones with older batteries by slowing them down a little to prevent a high peak power drawn causing the phone to crash.

The same effect can be seen on social media when people jump on the back of a scandalous story.

Modern media treats outrage as a profitable commodity. This often takes the form of articles which attribute malice to that which could be explained by incompetence or ignorance. We see examples of this play out in the media multiple times a day. People rush to take offense (sic) at anything which contradicts their worldview or which they imagine to do so. Media outlets are becoming increasingly skilled at generating assumptions of malicious intent. When looking at newspapers, websites, and social media, it can be beneficial to apply Hanlon’s razor to what we see.

https://fs.blog/2017/04/mental-model-hanlons-razor/

The lesson I take is not to see the worst in peoples mistakes but to assume they are busy, forgetful or hassled like the rest of us and to give them the benefit of the doubt. At least the first time. Not only will it help you to stay calm but it will also moderate your response and prevent a situation from escalating.

The quoted article from FS above, dives into detail as well as explaining other popular terms like Occam’s Razer. Well worth a read.

Get you up to speed with LinkedIn and learn about some of the key ways people use it to get new business.

Notes

LinkedIn overview

Great place for sharing business content
Authoritative personal search result in
Google Good for engagement

LinkedIn stats

610 million users / Over 260M monthly active
LinkedIn provides 50% of social traffic to blogs

Profile checklist

Professional and friendly
No photos from holiday

Personalise the URL – linkedin.com/in/benkinnaird- marketing-expert/
Professional headline – Write how you help people
Profile photo – Recent picture that resembles you. Smiling, approachable
Banner images – Add contact number/email
Summary – Expand headline. Share your experience you have. Keep it simple. Include testimonials that share why people should buy from you.

Screen-share

Review Ben’s profile
Any anyone else who’s brave enough…

Q?

What do you look for in an LI profile?

Endorsements and Recommendations

Who uses these?
Do they help you to decide work with someone?

Engagement

Be the first to comment or help others
Original poster will appreciate your support
Helps stimulate more commenters
First follower video

Posting

Share links to your blog or other content
Alternative / addition to blogging

Screen-share

Review of posts and how to

Advanced Search

Find local contacts Multiple keywords

Screen-share

Demo of advanced search

Get noticed

Visit other peoples profiles
Use Google search to find people

Personal pages

These rule over business pages (Alex Galviz)
Get your employees to post your content on their personal pages

Stay connected

Connect with people you meet with or connect in advance (podcast interviews)
Ask a question when connecting

Become a tribe

Idea of WEN (Worcestershire Education Network)
All members reviewing group account
Looking for ideas to share

Resources

• Mastering the power of LinkedIn (podcast) Being authentic on LinkedIn with Alex Galviz (podcast)
• Social media strategy (book)
• Half day Social Media workshop with Jack

Observations on Tom Hanks in conversation, with advice you can use to be a better presenter on video, in a workshop or even chatting down the pub.

Here’s a few tips I noted from the video

• Create a story gap – Peak peoples interest with the promise of an exciting story.
• Pantomime what you are saying – Use hand gestures and movement to act our what you are saying.
• Be dynamic – Shift a story’s focus from sad to happy or move your voice from loud to quiet.
• Include everyone – Make good eye contact (three seconds or so) so that people feel what you are saying is relevant to them, that they are included.

The last point, on eye contact, I’ve found particularly helpful in boosting my confidence when talking to a large group of people.

I’ve always enjoyed films featuring Tom Hanks from Big (his earliest film that I remember watching), to Castaway, Saving Private Ryan and Forest Gump, which is on my rewatch list.