5 Tips For Social Media Success
Whether you are looking to communicate with customers or other businesses, Social Media channels offer one of the most effective methods of getting in touch.
However, despite the easy to use and free nature of modern day Social Media, it can be all too easy to get a little lost, especially initially.
To help you navigate your way through the Social Media jungle, we have drawn up our top 5 tips for success.
Tip No. 1 – Don’t Rush In
The vast majority of Social Media updates take place in public. Therefore there is absolutely nothing stop you taking a look at what your competitors are doing to see if you can take any inspiration.
Take a look around to find the following information about your competitors Social Media habits:
- Which channels are they using (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest)
- Do they engage with customers &/or other business?
- How frequent do they send out updates
Top Tip – Patience is a virtue! You may be raring to go but a little bit of homework can go a long way.
Tip No. 2 – Understand The Strengths of Your Networks
With so many Social Media channels available, all with their own individual strengths, it’s important to see which ones may prove to be beneficial for you.
Below is a little cheat sheet for some of the strengths of the common Social Media channels.
This is ideal for:
- Engaging with customers
- Driving traffic to your website
Please note: The paid social advertising options can be perfect if you have a particular demographic that you would like to target.
This is ideal for:
- Providing to the point updates
- Communicating with customers
- Using hashtags to tap into relevant streams
This is ideal for:
- Showing the visual side of your business
- Reaching a wide audience
- Targeting a younger generation
Tip No. 3 – Plan Ahead
Once you have done your background work, creating a pool of information that you can utilise is essential.
The preparation of images, videos and text snippets can help to provide a structure for your first few weeks of Social Media activity.
Tip No. 4 – Don’t Be Shy
Now that you’re ready to go, go for it! Sitting back and waiting for things to happen is very unlikely to work!
Get your message out there. Contact potential customers to see if you can help them. What’s the worst that can happen??
Tip No. 5 – Take a Step Back
After your initial foray into the Social Media world, taking a step back to see what has worked well and what hasn’t is the next critical step.
This can help you to identify any areas which have worked well for you and which may need a little re-think.
Don’t forget, nothing is ever set in stone so if things haven’t taken off at the speed you were hoping, don’t worry. A slight change of direction and then go again!
Contact Us
If you would like to put your website in the hands of a company who will take it forward, please contact Footprint Web Design on Tel. No. 01883 372488 today.
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Are You Using Instagram For Your Business? If Not, Why Not????
Few people predicted the speed at which Instagram would grow when it was launched back in 2010. With users flocking to the platform almost instantly, it came as no surprise to see a bigger fish (Facebook) swoop in a purchase this rapidly expanding platform just 2 years later.
An app which is continually evolving, Instagram isn’t suited to all businesses but the question you must ask yourself is ‘would Instagram benefit my business?’
To help you make this decision, we have identified 4 of the key facts and reasons that you must consider.
No. 1 – Smartphones Have Never Been More Popular
More people now view the internet through their smartphone/tablet than any other method. With the most recent figures showing that at least 66% of all UK adults now own and use a smartphone, tapping into this huge number of people can be crucial for any business with a visual aspect that they would like to publicise.
The way in which we access the internet has changed drastically in the space of 4 years. Today it’s estimated that 7 in 10 people in the UK have smartphones. With the continued growth of the smartphone market (and Instagram) businesses need to be engaging with these audiences.
No. 2 – You Can’t Argue With These Numbers
Instagram’s user base has doubled to over 700 million users* over the past 2 years alone!! With a core demographic of users aged 30 or under, if your target customer base falls within this age range, Instagram could be perfect for you.
Top Tip – Are you a driving school? Your target demographic could be at the very centre of Instagram’s user base.
No. 3 – Wide-Ranging Benefits (including SEO!)
Although it may not be possible to include links back to your website in your posts, you can include links in your bio and this can play an important role in extending your reach across the internet.
Please Note – Because Instagram is visual with a core audience of under the age of 30, it is much better suited to b2c rather than the b2b market.
No. 4 – Instagram Is Still Growing
Whilst the growth of some of the Social Media behemoths is beginning to slow, Instagram is still growing from strength to strength.
As mentioned above, with a user base that has doubled in size over the past 2 years, ignoring this platform could be a huge mistake.
So is Instagram Right for Your Business?
The key factor for your decision-making process is whether your target audience fits Instagram’s demographic.
If you have a visually friendly business, Instagram could be just the marketing tool that you have been looking for.
- http://uk.businessinsider.com/instagram-number-of-users-700-million-2017-4 *
- https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/media/media-releases/2015/cmr-uk-2015 **
Contact Us
If you would like to put your social media requirements in the hands of a company who will take it forward, please contact Footprint Web Design on Tel. No. 01883 372488 today.
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The Top 3 Ways Your Website Can Be Targeted By Hackers
Trying to stay ahead of hackers can be a very tricky and time-consuming process. However, by getting to grips with some of the most common methods of entry to your website, your online security can significantly improve.
In the article below we will highlight 3 of the most common ways hackers can gain entry to your website.
No. 1 – Compromised Passwords
It will probably come as no surprise to know that attackers use a variety of automated methods of guessing passwords until they get the right one.
To help make things as difficult as possible we recommend 2 steps.
- Ensure you use different passwords for each platform
- Wherever possible, use a secure password (a password containing random letters, numbers and characters)
You can quickly and easily create secure passwords by clicking here.
It’s absolutely essential to avoid re-using passwords because once hackers have identified a working combination of username and password, they are almost certain to try all other services to see if they can gain access to those as well.
No. 2 – Not Updating Your System
Ensuring that Windows and any software which you may use are updated regularly is extremely important to avoid unnecessary risks
A recent ‘ransomware’ attack used a vulnerability in older versions of Windows to access PC.
It is not possible to overstate how important it is to periodically check for software updates for your site in order to correct any existing vulnerabilities.
Please Note – The best course of action is often to set up automatic updates for your software. This will ensure that even if you forget, any updates should automatically be installed without you having to take any further action.
For more on the recent ‘Ransomware’ story, please click here.
No. 3 – Keep All WordPress Themes & Plugins Up To Date
The use of plugins and themes with WordPress offer a fantastic way to increase the usability, functionality and look of your website. However, it must be noted that outdated themes and plugins can be a major source of vulnerabilities on websites
The good news is that through the dashboard of your WordPress website, you should be able to keep all themes and plugins up to date.
These are just a small number of the methods of entry which hackers can use to attack your website but the good news is that it is possible to take steps to beef up the security of your website.
Contact Us
If you would like to put your website in the hands of a company who can help to keep it safe, please contact Footprint Web Design on Tel. No. 01883 372488 today.
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