What Does a Social Media Manager Do?

If you have a business, club, organisation or skill you need to promote – ignore social media at your peril!

While you may not particularly enjoy the use of social media yourself, it is an incredibly powerful forum for professional promotion to engage with followers, clients and potential members. Many businesses and individuals no longer rely solely on websites to have an online presence, as their Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Tumblr accounts also help them reach out to the people interested in them.

While social media provides us with a greater opportunity to be connected than ever before – it is time consuming.  Hours and hours of your week can be spent creating posts and interacting with the people who like and comment. 

Many large companies will have a full-time person or team just to manage social media.  But if you have a small home business or a full professional life, you  may not have the personnel or the time to deal with this yourself.  This is where the services of a social media manager such as myself can be helpful.

So what does a social media manager do? We maintain any or all of your social media sites.  We take care of the day-to-day minutia of populating and responding to these, allowing you to focus on the core business that made you successful in the first place.

When I first begin working in this capacity, I sit down with the client to discuss the tone and voice of the brand.  How do you want to appear to the world?  Is it a serious brand, or fun-loving and friendly? As a professional writer, I can create all kinds of personas.  We then discuss the regularity and types of posts you are looking for. My industry knowledge helps me to make recommendations about the timing and frequency of posts, as well as the subject matter.  There are clear formulas for successful posts for each type of social media – and I can assist you to ensure you address these.

I assist you to interact with the people who are liking and commenting on your posts, presenting you with regular reports on the activities of your pages.  I monitor the types of posts that receive the most positive feedback and work to ensure future posts reflect this success.

Regular discussion with the client helps me to ensure my understanding of the brand and it’s current key concerns are up-to-date.  Although I do the day-to-day management of these sites, we remain a team, and the client makes the ultimate decisions about their online presence.  I simply facilitate this.

Exploring the opportunities for social media is an exciting journey – one I would be happy to assist you with.

This blog post first appeared on www.mypersonalblogger.com.au. 

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Blogs and Bounce Rates - What You Need to Know

Lots of bloggers get concerned about their ‘bounce rate’ when they begin to look at statistics around people reading their blog.

Bounce rates refer to the number of users who visit our websites and bounce right back out.  They don’t engage with the site or visit any new pages.

Bounce rates are of real concern when looking at data about your site as they demonstrate the percentage of traffic that does not find your site appealing.  This can lead to discussions about the look and content of your home page and how you market yourself to internet users.

But for blogs it is not this simple, and if your data is telling you that you have a high bounce rate, there may be a simple reason.  And it has nothing to do with the quality and usability of your site.

Many visitors to a blog will be following a link.  That link may have been found on a search engine, via an email subscription, or shared through social media.  That link leads the user to a particular page or entry on your blog.  One page only.

What a bounce rate doesn’t take into account is how blogs are accessed by readers.  Often, a reader who comes in and looks only at the page that the link led them to HAS DONE EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT THEM TO DO. They looked at the new entry on the site, and went back to their day.  This one page keeps them up-to-date with what we wanted them to know.

A high bounce rate on a blog may not be the end of the world.  You may have a number of very keen readers who read regularly and only need to keep updated with the new posts.  Instead, look at how your traffic has come to your blog. Are they coming from social media or email subscriptions? Perhaps this will explain your bounce rate, and will give you some other indications of areas to focus on.

This post was original published on www.mypersonalblogger.com.au

So, What is Content Marketing Anyway?

Think of the most traditional forms of advertising – things like television, radio and newspapers.  What do all of these things have in common?  They are being destroyed by the internet.  Why watch the ads on television when you can download films and TV series and watch them at your leisure, without interruption?  Why listen to the radio when you can download and stream the songs of your choice?  And newspapers?  They are all going online these days.

Content marketing is rapidly replacing other kinds of traditional marketing strategies.

Content marketing is a strategic approach to providing online content to encourage new and existing customers to engage with your brand.  Unlike traditional advertising, it is not just about saturating the internet with words or images – it’s about providing smart, entertaining and useful content for the kinds of people who are interested in your product or service. The idea is to create content people want to consume – not avoid!

You can see how this would appeal more to customers.  Instead of being targeted, they are given an opportunity to engage with thought-provoking content that potentially makes a difference in their lives.

Much of the success of content-marketing is the power of storytelling.  And brands have been embracing the power of storytelling for hundreds of years.  Did you know the term ‘soap opera’ was coined when soap companies decided to invest in radio dramas?  This is one of the first examples of content marketing. 

Nowadays, big brands are embracing content marketing  in many forms, including free eBooks, magazines and blogging. Blogging is one of the foundation stones of content marketing and larger companies have been embracing it since the early 2000s. 

A blog is a great marketing tool.  It is attached to your website and regular posts ensure that readers (whether they be potential or existing clients) always have new reasons to visit the site and keep your brand and products in mind.  When they read your blog post, they might just stay on the site and check out a few other pages too.

Blogs allow you to develop a voice and feel for your brand too.  Are you playful?  Serious?  Funny?  Associating an emotion with a brand is a powerful strategy, and the reader then associates that emotional with your product or service.  This kind of entertaining content is also shareable – the kind of content that goes viral on social media.

If you want to rank higher on search engines as well, a blog is a great form of content marketing to embrace.  Each blog entry on your site is its own webpage – and websites that have more webpages associated with them are easier to find by Google, Bing, Yahoo and so on.

Content marketing, and in particular blogging, may be an untapped resource that may potentially increase your client base exponentially.  

This blog was initially posted on www.mypersonalblogger.com.au

Seven Ways a Blog Promotes You Professionally

Are you looking for your dream job?  Do you want to break into the acting industry, or modelling, writing, art and so on?  Have you considered a blog as a way to promote yourself professionally?

A blog is a terrific promotional tool. It could make the difference between getting that break and it going to someone else. 

Here are seven reasons why a blog can help you stand out from the crowd professionally:

Show Your Passion

A blog is a great tool to help others see how passionate you are about your field of experience. Show that you are aware of new trends, or talk about new and upcoming projects.  An interest in this could get you into an interview - so make sure you put a link to your blog on your resume.

Demonstrate What You Can Do to Potential Clients and Employers

If I am looking for a band for my wedding, I would love to see pictures, footage and stories or recent events.  Put other kinds of work samples on your blog too - great moments in teaching or training or investment banking… whatever you are great at.  A blog is basically an online journal - so it’s appropriate to talk about your achievements. Use your blog to show your authority in your field.

Stay Visible

A weekly blog gives you something to share with fans, supporters and followers on a regular basis.  Whether they subscribe to your blog, like your Facebook page or are on your email list, a fresh blog entry is another opportunity to remind them of your existence.  Even if a company does not have an opening right now - if the recruiter gets a weekly reminder of how perfect your would be - you will be first in line for that next opening.

Be Unique

A blog is a chance to share your own unique voice and perspectives.  It is an opportunity for people to get to know you and your ideas. Be likeable - again this can tip the scales in your favour.  I’d rather hire a actor or researcher that I know, than one who is a complete mystery.

You are Easy to Find

A blog makes you easy to find to people who are looking for you.  The more pages on the internet that mention you, the easier you are for search engines to find. So a blog will also help entirely new people find you!

Populate Social Sites

A blog is content you can use to populate other sites - Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Reddit and so on. It is regular content for you to give to interested parties.

Easily Shared

Blog posts are easily shared - rather than having to remember the name of that terrific model, designer, student teacher, candle-maker or mummy-blogger - friends and colleagues can just share the latest blog entry via email or social media. 

If writing isn’t your cup of tea - or if you are just too busy to commit to a weekly or bi-weekly blog, consider hiring a professional blogger, like My Personal Blogger. 


This blog was originally posted on www.mypersonalblogger.com.au

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What is a MiniBlog?

Sometimes, a little is just enough.

Many small businesses, professionals and organisations are adding blogs to their websites to take advantage of search engine optimization as well as the opportunities associated with content marketing. But what if your main window to the world is social media?

If you love posting on Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr and Pinterest, then a MiniBlog by my personal blogger might just be for you!

Designed to accompany your images, a MiniBlog is a short piece of professional writing that reflects the voice and personality of your brand or message.  You take fantastic photos – whether it be of your products, your service or your passion – my personal blogger provides the words to enhance it.

Blogging is great – but there are real benefits to ensuring your social media posts are shareable.  Sometimes, a great short text, accompanied by your powerful image, can go viral and introduce you to new clientele and/or audiences.

If you are an aspiring artist, musician or model, a Mini-Blog will add a professional edge to your Tumblr or Instagram account.  Post pictures of yourself doing your thing and trust my personal blogger to find the right words to capture the attention of your followers – new and existing.  

MiniBlogs are for people who love using social media to promote themselves, their organisations and their products - but don't have the time to keep coming up with imaginative postings that tap into key hashtags. The world of social media can be daunting, but with a little bit of help, you can have text that will make the world listen!

Best of all – the MiniBlog is so affordable!  It’s one of the cheapest forms of content marketing you can buy!

For just $10 you can have a MiniBlog for your social media post of up to 75 words.  $20 buys you longer posts of up to 150 words. Order one per week for focus posts or commission several to keep your feed full of bite-sized content that's irresistible to your market and fans!

Want to see MiniBlogs in action? There are a few on my website - and you can follow MiniBlogs by my personal blogger on Instagram.

Make sure your social media page stands out from the crowd! Engage a professional and embrace the latest great content marketing opportunity!

This blog was originally posted on www.mypersonalblogger.com.au

Five Reasons Blogs May Be Better for Your Website Than Social Media

I was waiting in line at the post office today, and found myself chatting to the people around me.  And they were happy enough to pass the time through small talk too. It got me thinking about the value of communication… the human capacity and desire to communicate is irrefutable. We seek to make connections with those around us, to find and create rapport.

In business, it can often be challenging to find ways to communicate with our customers – especially for those businesses who do not have a shop front.

Facebook and Twitter are excellent forums for discussion.  You can promote sales, new services and products and ask questions about existing customers’ experiences with your brand.  But how much can you really communicate in 140 characters?  And will a single status update ever really convey your passion for your business?

Perhaps blogging may be a better fit to show the message of your brand.  Here are five reasons to consider whether establishing a blog may be beneficial for you:

Blogs Help Create Better Relationships with Customers

Blogs provide you with the opportunity to communicate with your existing customers in longer posts.  You can fully explain aspects or opportunities associated with your business.  You can have guest posts from customers, employees and specialists.   And unlike Twitter, it’s easy to invite discussion and comment. This kind of transparency as well as the familiarity that extended pieces can create allows for the creation of real relationships with your customers.

Blogs Help You Define and Communicate Your Brand

A blog better creates the ‘feel’ of your brand that a simple social media posting. Are you whimsical?  Serious? Helpful?  An extended piece can help set the tone of your brand and creates greater product recognition and stronger product associations.

The more you talk about your brand, your field of work and your expertise, the more you show you are a leader in your field.

Blogs Make You Easier to Find Online

Blogs also increase your online presence.  Each post is its own webpage with its own unique web address.  This makes your website far more visible to search engines. Therefore, the customers looking for your specifically, or for someone like you, will be drawn more easily to your page.

Good Blogging Can Be an Investment

Investing in a blog is smart – and investing in great blog content is even smarter.  The best business blogs invest time and money in the creation of well-written and timeless content.  A good blog post can be shared again on Facebook and Twitter a year or more after it is written.  

Blogs are ‘Sticky’ and Draw Customers to Other Parts of Your Website

While Facebook users will see posts from your company on their wall as they scroll through the days events, a quick press on the subscribe button on your blog will have an even better effect.  Once a customer gets on to your blog, they are more likely to stay and read the whole post.  This is what the online community calls being ‘sticky’, meaning, content that makes you want to stay on the page for longer (by finishing the post).  

Once readers are on your website, they are more likely to look at your other pages as well, including rates, lists of products and other useful information you may have there.  After all, the website is the hub of your business – not your Facebook page.

This blog was originally posted on www.mypersonalblogger.com.au

What is Evergreen Content?

Some things never go out of style - a vintage Chanel suit or a Harley Davidson motorcycle.  These are quality items, designed to have lasting power.  They ignore five-minute trends and focus on long-term style and usability.

This is the key to evergreen content as well.

The term evergreen content means content that does not date - like that classic Chanel suit, it can be taken out again and again.

This is the key to a successful blog.

While posts can and should respond to trends and needs of the time, we should ensure a high percentage of evergreen content as well.

Evergreen content can be shared over and over again with old audiences and new.  A blog post from three years ago may still be relevant to a whole new set of clients who have not seen it yet.  

While you don’t post the same information on your blog, you can keep re-posting evergreen content on social media.

It is common to post and re-post information on Twitter, for example.  The Twitterverse is so vast that it would be impossible for all of your followers to see all of your posts.  Evergreen content allows you to try those posts at different times to see if they can find new audiences.

It also demonstrates your authority in the field.  If you share content from three years ago you demonstrate not only the longevity of your involvement in your chosen field, but also the lasting power of your ideas.

So, to sum up:

• Certainly respond to needs and trends that apply to you
• Attempt to have a high percentage of content that does not depend on trends and can be re-used at other times.
• Share content on social media and re-share within reason (see my blog on posting and sharing here)

This blog post was originally posted on www.mypersonalblogger.com.au

All Your Questions About Posting and Sharing Blogs Answered

Whether you’ve stayed up late at night writing your own content, or hired a professional blogger to take care of it for you, many of us wonder what the best time is to post blogs on our website.

The good news is, it doesn’t really matter what time of day you post to your personal or business blog, as long as readers can expect entries on a regular schedule.  What really matters is how we share blogs on social media.  A little bit of know-how and you can ensure your excellent blogs reach maximum readership rather than be lost in cyberspace….

Where Should I Share?

Facebook is a terrific site to generate a personality and “feel” for your brand.  You can combine your blog posts with personal statements about your business, upcoming events, new products and so on. Facebook is the most popular of all the social media sites -  with well over 750 million daily users. It’s also the most interactive of all the sites - your posts will generate the most interaction with your clients here.

A recommended guideline for weekly posts on Facebook is a minimum of three, and a maximum of ten.  This is a good rule of thumb for anyone interested in Google+ as well.

Twitter is one of my favourite sites to post my blogs on.  It is a terrific site for professional sharing – you can following like-minded people and engage with them to whatever degree you feel comfortable. 

It’s fine to post to Twitter several times a day – and to repeat posts after a short period of time.  Twitter is made for high volume posting – at least five times a day is an excellent guideline, although this does not all have to be your own content – it’s good practice to retweet articles or tips by other authorities in your field.  

If your brand has a visual element, you may be able to share on Pinterest – one of the fastest growing social network sites in the world. How-to blogs with pictures or even a short video do particularly well on Pinterest. You may even like to explore Instagram.

When Should I Share?

When posting to Facebook, it’s worth remembering that most people check Facebook at the start and end of their working day.  Posting between 6-8am will catch the early birds who go online to check out their morning news, and between 2 and 5pm you will catch those taking a coffee break towards the end of the workday.

The best time to post on Twitter is mid to early afternoon. Although you might be up late blogging, no-one will be up to look at you post in the night.  Unlike Facebook, which is designed for fewer posts, yours will be lost among the multitude of posts overnight.

Mid-afternoon and late at night make for the best Pinterest posting times and Instagrammers should look to post at 5pm when everyone is getting off work.

Can I Repeat Content?

The top-notch content on your blog should be shared repeatedly. Those who missed it the first time will no doubt catch it in the second or the third. And why should new customers miss out on your excellent previous material?

If you make sure your content is ‘evergreen’ (not reliant on current events or linked too closely to a passing trend) it can be shared over and over, provided that time is left in between.

Repeating content on Facebook requires quite a bit of time left in between posts, as the site has a lower volume of posts.  Repeat posts too closely and you will look like you have run out of fresh things to say.

On Twitter you are almost expected to repeat content.  Play around with different posting times – once in the morning, once in the afternoon and so on.  This is a high-volume site so it is likely some of your followers will miss your posts in one time frame or another.  Again, leave some time between posts, but less time is needed than on Facebook.  You can also always post the link with a different title.  Experiment with this and see what gains the audience’s attention.  I might post this same blog by tweeting: “Everything You wanted to Know About Posting Blogs to Social Media” and at another time use “When Should I Post Blogs for Maximum Readership?”

Your Pinterest posts remain visible, so try not to re-post the same information without repackaging it.  The Small Things Blog, which posts hairstyle tips, might combine several tutorials on up-dos to create one super-pin called “5 Great Buns that Take Less than Five Minutes Each”.  

No matter where, when or how you post, good quality content is the foundation of an excellent blog. It is the most important investment you can make.

This blog was originally posted on www.mypersonalblogger.com.au