Tuesday 28 February 2017

7 Tips to Launch Successful Twitter Promotions

Building the Bambu Mobile App in React Native

Monday 27 February 2017

47 Social Media Statistics to Bookmark for 2017

Saturday 25 February 2017

10 Ways Authors Can Win the Game of Social Media

“Writing a book means starting simultaneously down two paths, if you want to be successful. The book writing, and the book publicizing. As the author of an idea that deserves to be heard you must do both.” Nick Morgan, communication theorist in Forbes magazine

You put your whole heart and soul into writing your book. You thought the hard part was going to be writing but now that your book has published or about to be published you face a harsh reality – if you don’t get the message out, nobody will buy your book.

Here at www.whatissocialmediatoday.com, we feel your pain.

We know that most books that get published sell less than 1,000 copies. A children’s book would be considered a success if it sells 500 copies over the course of its lifetime.

In fact Ramajon Cogan and I started this business because we saw your need.

Authors today need to embrace social media marketing if they want to survive, to develop the readership they want to fulfill their dreams of making money selling books and building enough of a tribe to sustain them as they build careers as authors and authorpreneurs.

In his former career as head of the Publish Now Program for a well-known writing coach, Ramajon Cogan saw this problem first hand.

Authors would spend months, years and thousands of dollars producing quality books, only for their hard-earned efforts to fall flat and face low book sales once they hit the market.

After I published my second book, What Is Healing? Awaken Your Intuitive Power for Health and Happiness in 2012, I began to try to find good information about how to master social media marketing.

As a medical intuitive, I use my guidance all day long and have learned to trust myself. I remember asking for guidance about whether or not I should sign up for a particular social media marketing training program and I got a clear “NO!”

Like many humans, I had a terrible case of FOMO – Fear of Missing Out – so I spent $2,400 and signed up anyway, only to want to smack myself in the face during the first webinar when I recognized that I had virtually thrown my money away as the program I had signed up for was A boring and B out of date and C totally useless.

The only good thing about recognizing that I had just wasted $2,400 of my hard-earned money was that I was so mad at myself I resolved to figure this stuff out. I threw myself into studying social media and mastering it with thousands of hours of actual practice, trial, error and ultimately success.

I developed a broad base in the social media that has empowered me to develop and maintain a Klout score of 68, which puts me in the top 5 percent of influencers on the site. Influencers with a score of 60 or higher are in the top 5% users.

Although Ramajon Cogan and I had worked closely together to produce three books, it was at a writing workshop in November 2015 where I was working on my fifth book that Rama saw me in action and the idea for this business www.whatissocialmediatoday.com got hatched.

A fellow author at the writing workshop had asked me some questions about the social media.

“Sure no problem,” I said, promising to show her what to do during one of the breaks.

Rama observed me as I taught my fellow author what to do.

“Just click here, do this and emphasize that,” I explained as her eyes lit up. Rama and I could both see the hope spread all over her face as she realized she could do this – she could market her book effectively all by herself.

“Catherine, we need to bottle you,” Rama told me afterwards.

Rama and I began formulating www.whatissocialmediatoday.com in earnest in January 2016. We launched our first series of clients in July 2016.

We are passionate about training authorpreneurs, solopreneurs, ompreneurs and other entrepreneurs because we understand that what we teach you may make the difference between you scratching by to survive financially and thriving at levels you never believed could be possible.

The end goal of all this social media marketing is to empower you to live the life you really want.

As a single self supporting woman living in Atlanta, Georgia, I take my own survival pretty seriously.

Using the principles I’m about to teach you, the revenues for my main business increased 33 percent for the calendar year 2016 over 2015.

Yes, I sell books but more importantly I use the combined total efforts of my books and my social media to attract the clients I need to live a wonderful life working out of my home, teaching yoga and qi gong, walking my dog in the park every day, enjoying my orchids and lying in my hammock during times of the day when most other people are stuck in their office.

Coming Soon: Our New Book, Get Ready to Win the Game of Social Media

What Is Social Media Today: Get Ready to Win the Game of Social Media by Catherine Carrigan

Here are my top 10 ways you as an author can Win the Game of Social Media:

Learn how to play the Game of Social Media.
Think Win-Win.
Figure out your keywords and hashtags.
Make your book into a multimedia experience.
Become a Goodreads maven.
Engage, engage, engage.
Develop a digital social signature, aka your brand identity.
Your blog is more important than your book.
Build your tribe one raving fan at a time.
Market like a rockstar.

Let’s break this down further.

Learn how to play the Game of Social Media

When Rama and I started www.whatissocialmediatoday.com we were deeply influenced by Jane McGonigal, a game designer and highly influential Ted Talk speaker.

In her first Ted Talk, Jane discussed the mentality she says is essential if you want to enjoy what she calls an “epic win.”

In real life, we take our losses and challenges rather seriously. We get depressed, we get discouraged.

On the other hand, Jane McGonigal points out, in a collaborative online environment, gamers feel super empowered to feel they can change the world.

This ability to overcome feeling discouraged by loss gets developed in the 10,000 hours of online games the average young person plays before the age of 21 – matching if not exceeding the average of 10,080 hours they would spend in school from 5th grade to high school graduation if they had perfect attendance.

Rama and I recognize that when you develop the attitude that you are playing what we call the Game of Social Media, you will have enough fun playing that you eventually get very good at it.

If you take the same mentality into social media that you have in real life – that things are oh so serious – you may get discouraged and want to give up.

When you play any game – whether that be Monopoly, Spades or marketing your book in social media – you may suck in the beginning but if you’re having fun and doing it eventually you will move to the next level if you keep it up.

In our program here at www.whatissocialmediatoday.com, we recognize that people have different learning styles so we have four ways for you to learn how to play the Game of Social Media:

Weekly online webinars
One to one coaching, where Rama and I hold your hand, get online with you to look at what you are doing and coach you to take your Game of Social Media to the next level
Peer learning by playing with other clients
An online forum where you can ask questions, read articles on all the important topics in social media and watch pre-recorded videos.

If you think like a gamer, even if you are playing well you recognize that there’s always another level to get to, always another layer of learning and you keep growing as a player as you develop your audience.

As your tribe gets bigger you increase your influence and develop more readers for your books and customers for your business, products and services.

"Social Media Campaigns Catherine Carrigan and Ramajon Cogan"

Social Media Campaigns with Catherine Carrigan and Ramajon Cogan

Think Win-Win

There’s a reason it’s called the “social” media. If you want to win the Game of Social Media you want to develop online friendships with like-minded people.

The truth is even if you are a solopreneur or single author, you won’t win the Game of Social Media by yourself.

Here are some simple ways you can achieve win-win as an author:

Cross blog with other authors. Post a blog for every blog you post. Include links to each other’s books and bios and photos of your books. Here’s an example of a blog I posted for fellow Amazon No. 1 bestselling author Lynne Cockrum-Murphy.
Interview each other on your Youtube channels. Use a video conference system like Zoom.us to record videos and post them on both of your Youtube channels. Here’s an example of a Youtube video where my friend and fellow Amazon No. 1 bestselling author Maxine Taylor interviewed me about a medical intuitive reading I did about President Donald Trump.
Share each other’s posts on your respective social media channels.
Co create online webinars. Here’s an example of a FREE online webinar fellow yoga teacher Suzanne Dulin and I created. Not only did we create a Youtube video together, I posted a blog about the event where I listed the URLs for all her businesses. We gave away a FREE copy of one of my books about social media. Suzanne and I both promoted each other in newsletters to our respective tribes. And Suzanne promoted the event in her Facebook yoga community.

You have to be a friend to have a friend. Create good karma by sharing news about each other’s book launches so that when you need help your friends will be there for you also.

Recognize that everybody is an influencer because your friends always will know people you haven’t met yet and these folks may also be interested in hearing about your books, products and services.

What Is Social Media Today: Hashtags, Keywords and You Oh My! by Catherine Carrigan

Figure out your keywords and hashtags

Here at www.whatissocialmediatoday.com, we empower all our clients to determine the right keywords and hashtags to promote their books, products and services.

Why is this so important?

If you aren’t using keywords and hashtags you simply won’t get found.

Our search engine optimization (SEO) expert Scott D. Smith of London, England, helps all participants in our program find the precise keywords you need to get discovered through the search engines.

One of the secrets of the sauce of our program is Scott’s thorough research so you’re not just guessing – you know what your keywords and hashtags need to be.

Not knowing keywords and hashtags is a beginner mistake.

Knowing your keywords and hashtags and not using them will relegate you to obscurity.

If you’ve been on the social media and still nobody is finding out about you, read my latest book on social media, What Is Social Media Today: Keywords, Hashtags and You, Oh My! to find out what you’ve been missing.

Make your book into a multimedia experience

Social media is not just about words, it’s about images.

Here are some good ways you can convert your books into multiple formats to gain new readers:

Go to Goodreads.com, the world’s largest social media website for readers and authors, and list your favorite quotes from your book. Once you have these quotes listed, you can share them directly from Goodreads into your Twitter feed and Facebook timeline.
Make 1 to 3 minute videos about your book. You need not hire a Hollywood production crew. Just ask a spouse or a friend to use your smart phone to record videos of you talking about each chapter. Then post these to your author page on Goodreads.com, load them on your Youtube channel and share them throughout all your social media channels.
Use FREE websites like Pablo by Buffer and Canva to create shareable images with quotes from your book. Be sure to include your name as the author and if possible the name of your book. Share these not only on Facebook and Twitter but also on imagecentric social media websites like Instagram and Pinterest.
When you’re getting ready to do a book launch, use programs like Viraltag and Tailwind app on Hootsuite to post images of your book cover.
Create presentations for Slideshare.net such as this one I did on How to Start Your Blogging Career on Tumblr and this one on Your Social Media Tribe Awaits.

Become a Goodreads maven

Because Goodreads is the largest social media website for authors and readers, you want to set up your author profile there.

Anyone can become a member of Goodreads but as a published author Goodreads gives you a FREE marketing platform.

Find friends there from Twitter, your Facebook connections and personal phone directory. As you develop friends, some of these people will become your Goodreaders followers.

Be sure to repost your blog onto Goodreads as more than likely the 55 million members of Goodreads exceeds the number of people coming to your personal blog.

Give away your books on Goodreads, list your favorite quotes and join communities to reach new readers. To read more about how to succeed with Goodreads, read this blog I posted at this link.

Engage, engage, engage

Don’t just broadcast on social media. Communicate!

The more you respond, the more potential readers will respond back to you.

Your customer service experience doesn’t begin the moment someone buys your book. It begins the moment people connect with you on social media.

Develop a digital social signature, aka your brand identity

Here at www.whatissocialmediatoday.com, part of what we do in our one on one sessions is help you develop what we call your digital social signature, also known as your brand identity.

What do we mean by that?

Your digital social signature begins with consistent descriptions throughout each of your social media platforms and extends not just to the words you use to describe yourself but the images as well.

For example, most people who follow me know that I love orchids and Rama loves classic cars, mountain bikes and gorgeous Hawaiian sunsets.

Your digital social signature becomes easily recognizable across all platforms and allows people to relate to you as an author and fellow human being.

Your blog is more important than your book

Develop fans for your writing by blogging regularly.

As you blog and we at www.whatissocialmediatoday.com teach you how to market your blog through the social media, you develop a wider readership and these people become your raving fans.

The entire purpose of social media marketing is to use the URLs in the posts you make to drive people back to your website where they read more of your writing and discover about your books, products and services.

This is what is known as content marketing.

If you’re a novelist, here are a few things you can blog about:

Your writing process
Your characters
The period of your book
The environment of your book
Upcoming news about your new books
Rough drafts of chapters – remember Charles Dickens posted his books as serial literature

If you’re a nonfiction writer, you can post about:

Your topics
User-friendly helpful information
You can even blog your book by publishing one chapter at a time
Videos you have made

Build your tribe one raving fan at a time

Although over time you do want to build large numbers of fans, remember that you build your tribe one raving fan at a time.

Take time to respond to people. Even 15 minutes a day can be devoted to reading posts by other people and commenting on them.

Make friends and people will appreciate you.

Market like a rockstar

While many businesses take more of a funnel approach going for the masses, rockstars have super fans who they reward for loyalty.

You may have readers who consistently write good reviews, share your posts on Facebook and Twitter and buy every book you write.

You want to find a way to reward these people because your super fans will spread your message faster than anyone.

Give them advance copies of your new books, offer them free sessions, free swag.

Send them a message of appreciation when they take their precious time to write a positive review.

You can even host a party for them – online or in person – to give them the love they deserve for supporting you in your chosen profession.

Join our program at What Is Social Media Today

Putting all this together takes time and is part of creating a successful social media strategy.

We’ve got four ways for you to learn:

Weekly webinars that you can join LIVE or listen to at your convenience
One on one coaching
Peer competition
A forum with resources where all your questions can get answered

Join Catherine Carrigan and Ramajon Cogan at www.whatissocialmediatoday.com and we will show you how! Call Catherine Carrigan today at 678-612-8816 or email catherine@catherinecarrigan.com or contact Ramajon Cogan at (928) 821-4553 or email wheresramajon@gmail.com.

The post 10 Ways Authors Can Win the Game of Social Media appeared first on What is Social Media Today.

source http://whatissocialmediatoday.com/10-ways-authors-can-win-game-social-media/

source http://whatissocialmediatoday.blogspot.com/2017/02/10-ways-authors-can-win-game-of-social.html

Friday 24 February 2017

#SproutChat Recap: Creating Compelling Video Content

Video needs to be an essential component of your social media strategy. So why aren’t more brands embracing social media video content? When it comes to video and social there are definitely challenges ranging from quality to consistency. This week at #SproutChat, we discussed common challenges for creating video and community members shared solutions for producing more effective video content.

Equip Your Team With the Proper Tools

Reliable tools are instrumental to the entire video creation process. To ensure success, do your research and invest your time and financial resources into the software that best fits your team’s needs, objectives and goals. However, remember that software can’t turn everything into something. So make sure you’re complementing your tools with a talented team, detailed storyboards and thought out distribution plans.

@SproutSocial A1: On a budget? Don't discount your phone! You can use it to capture quality footage, edit and post. #SproutChat

— Katie Burton (@KatieBurton_) February 22, 2017

A1 I would using the phone you have works perfectly and focus on downloading some apps for the editing. #sproutchat pic.twitter.com/CGYxZ3dNfC

— Tony Stephan (@OmnipoTony) February 22, 2017

A1: Smartphones can be great video tools in the right hands #SproutChat pic.twitter.com/TQXhP2cD0a

— Mallie Rust (@malliefe2o3) February 22, 2017

A1 a tripod is a good investment for phone video #sproutchat

— David Pepper (@thedavepepper) February 22, 2017

A1 I like creating short fun video's using @Snapchat! So far it's been well within budget! #sproutchat

— Christopher T. Burns (@burnzie333) February 22, 2017

A1.

It's not so much about

the camera BUT

the eye the behind it!!! #SproutChat #Photography #Video

— Gabriela Cardoza (@CardozaGab) February 22, 2017

Subtitles for the Win

When people are consuming social media on desktops or mobile, they don’t usually turn the sound on right away. Adding subtitles to your video ensures viewers know what’s going on in your video content. Just be careful not to include so many subtitles that viewers can’t read fast enough.

A2: No. I avoid them if the video itself already has text because it can become unreadable when text overlaps. #sproutchat

— Sarah Romero (@iHeartDates) February 22, 2017

A2: Now with FB going audio on, not as much. If the dialogue is quick, it also hurts the vid quality trying to read that fast #SproutChat

— Jeff Higgins (@AnnaMariaSocial) February 22, 2017

A2: For the most part they are a good idea since many don't click the audio on. #sproutchat

— Brad Lovett (@Brad_Lovett) February 22, 2017

A2c: bothering the people around me and I'm more likely to watch other videos because they have subtitles #sproutchat

— Rachel Sprouse (@SprouseRachel) February 22, 2017

A2.

You never know what special accommodations your audience might need!!!

Not matter the platform.
You never know. #SproutChat

— Gabriela Cardoza (@CardozaGab) February 22, 2017

Not mandatory but they help, so rhey should always be considered in the editing process #SproutChat https://t.co/BGTIS5pd40

— Vishal Rose👾 (@Vishal_Rose) February 22, 2017

Consider the Distribution Channel

Users expect different experiences on different social networks. Create video content that aligns with these habits. A good rule of thumb is–short, sweet and compelling.

A3 your audience/community will tell you what they want if you listen 🙂 #sproutchat

— David Pepper (@thedavepepper) February 22, 2017

A3 strong visual storytelling works on all platforms run times will vary 🙂 #sproutchat

— David Pepper (@thedavepepper) February 22, 2017

A3) Yes of course! Keep the core content but vary length – short videos are better-suited for Twitter. #SproutChat

— Alex Bourgeois 🇫🇷 (@wakanouka) February 22, 2017

A3: There should be consistency in brand voice in videos on different channels, but vid should be tailored to specific channel. #sproutchat

— Jessica Lynn (@JessTheWriter33) February 22, 2017

A3: Split opinions here! But I think most the time you only need small variations to tailor to different interactions. #SproutChat

— Venture Icon Media (@VentureIcon) February 22, 2017

Use Raw Footage when it’s a Good Fit

In the era of live social video, not all video content should be highly polished and produced. When it comes to user-generated content, emphasizing an individual perspective, SnapChat or Instagram Stories, raw content goes along way.

@SproutSocial A4: I think produced is necessary! @Chubbies does a great job for produced raw video! Live video is always raw #SproutChat

— Sid says (@Sidneytoldme) February 22, 2017

@SproutSocial A4. If you want to build trust with your audience, then raw video is o.k. and later you can edit portions of video #sproutchat

— Cheval John (@chevd80) February 22, 2017

A4) Depends what's the objective – from experience raw videos are more relatable, and therefore reap more engagement! #SproutChat

— Alex Bourgeois 🇫🇷 (@wakanouka) February 22, 2017

A4: BTS content is SO important for social but there is a time and place for both #SproutChat

— iMEDIA Conference (@iMEDIA_yeg) February 22, 2017

A4: I lean towards polished videos, but it depends on the content/message you're trying to market #sproutchat

— Rachel Sprouse (@SprouseRachel) February 22, 2017

Facebook Live is great for showcasing raw footage. Sometimes it's nice to capture the moment as it is #SproutChat pic.twitter.com/z6mUCnjj85

— Franco (@FrancoPRGroup) February 22, 2017

A4 #1 rule Don't be boring. Ever. raw or fully cooked. #sproutchat

— David Pepper (@thedavepepper) February 22, 2017

Know Which Metrics Translate to Success

Measuring success with video is key. Knowing which metrics translate to success is crucial for your marketing strategy to succeed.
https://twitter.com/mettermedia/status/834503915852926976

A5: What % of viewers watched 100% of your video. This one always makes us giddy (or cry…LOL!) #SproutChat

— iMEDIA Conference (@iMEDIA_yeg) February 22, 2017

A5 – completion and conversion #SproutChat

— Jennifer Longworth (@JoysOfMercy) February 22, 2017

A5: For Facebook I love being able to see exactly when and where we loose our viewers in a video 5sec in? 15? Etc #sproutchat

— Breonna Bergstrom (@bmbergstrom161) February 22, 2017

A5: How many people finished the video? Made it through the key content? Subscribed? And, most importantly took action! #SproutChat https://t.co/0A6xUHTpDF

— Tim Mohler (@TimothyMohler) February 22, 2017

A5: (1/2) For Facebook and YouTube, the length of time the video is watched. #sproutchat

— Sarah Romero (@iHeartDates) February 22, 2017

A5: (2/2) I'll take 100 people watching for 30 seconds over 1 million people watching for 3 seconds. #sproutchat

— Sarah Romero (@iHeartDates) February 22, 2017

A5 Feedback is also a good metric if you are posting video from a Cust Svc standpoint if promoting a new product or service #sproutchat pic.twitter.com/Cej3H58nVi

— Christopher T. Burns (@burnzie333) February 22, 2017

Join us next week to discuss social media listening vs. monitoring. In the meantime, stay in touch with fellow industry experts in our #SproutChat community.

This post #SproutChat Recap: Creating Compelling Video Content originally appeared on Sprout Social.

source http://sproutsocial.com/insights/sproutchat-creating-video-content/

Wednesday 22 February 2017

How to Write a Successful Social Media Proposal: Free Template Included

Tuesday 21 February 2017

FREE Webinar Saturday, Feb. 25: How to Promote Your Book on Social Media

In today’s crowded marketplace, most books that get published sell less than 1,000 copies. A children’s book would be considered a success if it sells 500 copies over the course of its lifetime.

If you’re an author today, you’ll find it’s easier than ever to publish your books but not any easier to sell.

On Saturday, Feb. 25, Amazon No. 1 bestselling authors Catherine Carrigan and Ramajon Cogan, partners in www.whatissocialmediatoday.com, will be presenting a FREE seminar about how to promote your book in the social media.

“Most people think that the hardest part of publishing their book will be the writing process,” observes Catherine Carrigan.

“Many authors feel disappointed when all the love and hard work they poured into their books does not pay off in terms of book sales or increased business.

“That’s why Ramajon Cogan and I have put together a program at www.whatissocialmediatoday.com to teach authors how to become authorpreneurs and empower entrepreneurs from all kinds of businesses to win what we call the Game of Social Media to rocket their sales to the next level.

“We know from first-hand experience that you must embrace social media marketing if you want to be successful as an author today.”

Here’s how you can join our webinar for FREE:

Go to Zoom.us. If you don’t have the FREE application already installed, go ahead and install Zoom.us today so you’ll be ready for the seminar.
On the top right hand corner, click “Join a Meeting.” Put in Room 231-522-248.
When: Saturday, Feb. 25 at 12 noon Eastern Standard Time. Please note your time zone. You can check to see what time that will be in your area by visiting the World Clock at this link.
View the event on Facebook at this link. Please help us get the word out by sharing on your Facebook timeline!

What you will learn:

Simple, FREE strategies to build your tribe online
How to use Goodreads, the world’s largest social media website for readers and authors, to maximum advantage
How to harness the power of Twitter
How to establish your brand identity through your blog
How to use quotes from your book to create splashy images your fans can share on social media
How to win the Game of Social Media for fun and profit
Learn how you can receive $500 off our upcoming program here at www.whatissocialmediatoday.com
Tips and tricks and much, much more!

Our first class of clients at www.whatissocialmediatoday.com have included both authorpreneurs and entrepreneurs who have learned what it really takes to lead their business to the next level.

Want to learn more about how you can Win the Game of Social Media?

Putting all this together takes time and is part of creating a successful social media strategy.

We’ve got four ways for you to learn:

Weekly webinars that you can join LIVE or listen to at your convenience
One on one coaching
Peer competition
A forum with resources where all your questions can get answered

The post FREE Webinar Saturday, Feb. 25: How to Promote Your Book on Social Media appeared first on What is Social Media Today.

source http://whatissocialmediatoday.com/free-webinar-saturday-feb-25-promote-book-social-media/

source http://whatissocialmediatoday.blogspot.com/2017/02/free-webinar-saturday-feb-25-how-to.html

6 Free SEO Tools Social Media Marketers Can Use Too

Monday 20 February 2017

How to Do an Instagram Audit in 60 Minutes or Less

Sunday 19 February 2017

Just Published! Keywords, Hashtags and You, Oh My!

Are you making mistakes that keep you broke, without customers, readers or the success you deserve?

If you’ve been wondering why your social media marketing strategy hasn’t been working, look no further for understanding than What Is Social Media Today: Keywords, Hashtags and You, Oh My!

Our second book about social media marketing follows What Is Social Media Today: Get Ready to Win the Game of Social Media.

“Many people adopt a hope and pray approach when it comes to operating a business, trying to sell books or searching for new customers in the social media,” says author Catherine Carrigan.

“What Is Social Media Today: Keywords, Hashtags and You, Oh My! teaches you a simple, highly effective system so that your good work can get discovered and you can make the money you deserve.”

What you will learn in What Is Social Media Today: Keywords, Hashtags and You, Oh My!:

Why you can’t just sit around and expect clients, customers and readers to find out about your business, products, services and books
Why you can’t just start a Facebook page for your business and expect customers to discover you
Why most entrepreneurs fail at social media
How to avoid the common mistakes that keep you broke and frustrated
The five stages of change you go through when approaching social media marketing
The five kinds of entrepreneurs for whom social media is absolutely essential
How to get Page 1 of Google without spending money on advertising
What is a keyword
How to find the best keywords for your business
What the heck is a hashtag
How to find the best hashtags to use in your social media strategy
The top 7 responsibilities of a social media manager, even if you’re doing it all yourself
The top kinds of content you can create to establish your brand identity
7 steps to build your tribe in social media
How to play the Game of Social Media for fun and profit
You’ll also receive a coupon for $500 off our program at www.whatissocialmediatoday.com

Author Catherine Carrigan has published seven books, including four Amazon No. 1 bestsellers.

She is a medical intuitive healer.

Catherine became a social media entrepreneur and authorpreneur after the publication of her second book, What Is Healing? Awaken Your Intuitive Power for Health and Happiness.

“I started in social media to get the word out for people all over the world who need my work and my books,” Catherine Carrigan says. “Social media can be fun and effective.

“I put together a social media marketing training business with Ramajon Cogan, who has been working with authors for five years, because most authorpreneurs and entrepreneurs are not financially successful due to their lack of a consistent social media marketing approach.

“Ramajon Cogan and I call our system the Game of Social Media.

“Join us today to discover how to rocket your business and books to success by learning how to win the Game of Social Media.”

At present, Catherine’s Social Authority is 68, which puts her in the top 14.6 percent of Twitter users worldwide. She is consistently among the top 100 Twitter users in Atlanta, Georgia.

Her score on Klout, a broad-based measurement of average influence across Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn and Tumblr, is 68. The average Klout score is 40 on a scale of 1 to 100, with the president ranking at 99.

Want to learn more about how you can Win the Game of Social Media?

Putting all this together takes time and is part of creating a successful social media strategy.

We’ve got four ways for you to learn:

Weekly webinars that you can join LIVE or listen to at your convenience
One on one coaching
Peer competition
A forum with resources where all your questions can get answered

Hashtags, Keywords and You Oh My! by Catherine Carrigan

The post Just Published! Keywords, Hashtags and You, Oh My! appeared first on What is Social Media Today.

source http://whatissocialmediatoday.com/just-published-keywords-hashtags-and-you-oh-my/

source http://whatissocialmediatoday.blogspot.com/2017/02/just-published-keywords-hashtags-and.html

Friday 17 February 2017

#SproutChat Recap: Productivity for Marketers

Social media marketers have a plethora of productivity apps and platforms in their tool boxes. But figuring out how to best utilize various softwares and workflows can be challenging. This week at #SproutChat, we were joined by Lolitta Gevorkova, Social Media Specialist at Evernote. We discussed how social media marketers can get the most out of their business day, business goals and tips and tricks for increasing productivity.

Managing Your Content Calendar

Managing a content calendar is no easy task, especially when multiple teams are involved in the creation and curation of content. Lolita provided tips for using Evernote to manage your content calendars and our community chimed in with their own processes.

A1. SM moves FAST & organization is key. We use Evernote for content calendars, asset libraries, & more. https://t.co/PPer8VPoba #SproutChat pic.twitter.com/mXEC5XL2OV

— Evernote (@evernote) February 15, 2017

A1: I use @evernote to store ideas, then move them into a calendar template for my full editorial calendar. #SproutChat

— Express Writers (@ExpWriters) February 15, 2017

A1: I write all my blog posts and blog topic ideas with @evernote #SproutChat https://t.co/DSreBEhZ1k

— Josephine Borrillo (@70mq) February 15, 2017

A1: I use @evernote to plan out content in a calendar, draft posts and create to-do lists for each client #SproutChat

— Searcy Sledge (@SearcySledge) February 15, 2017

A1. You can use @evernote for organisation, content management and communicate with your immediate team. #SproutChat

— Bianca DeLeon (@deleonbiancam) February 15, 2017

Collaborate Across your Team for Maximum Productivity

Collaboration is the key to success for any organization. Identifying your team member’s strengths and assigning tasks is a must. Our #SproutChat community weighed in with their most effective team productivity hacks.

A2a. Organizing, planning, & getting ahead! Learn how to collaborate on a project with these tips. https://t.co/rDb8ihRcHr #SproutChat pic.twitter.com/93c9DsA5Nq

— Evernote (@evernote) February 15, 2017

A2b. Team collab. goes beyond apps. Our true secret sauce is inspired by @google’s Project Aristotle. https://t.co/tMp6DasiP4 #SproutChat

— Evernote (@evernote) February 15, 2017

@SproutSocial A2 …have a home base for the project where everyone knows and uses …#sproutchat

— Tim Elliott (@TimElliottUK) February 15, 2017

@SproutSocial A2: find platforms that make your life easier & win your team to them. This is *why* I got @evernote premium #SproutChat

— Travis Ham (@travisham) February 15, 2017

A2. Group chat threads are key (or group hangouts or slack channels or whichever) #SproutChat

— Reva Minkoff (@revaminkoff) February 15, 2017

A2: Communication=key to collaboration. Tools that show changes are really helpful, especially when writing/editing as a group #SproutChat

— Mallie Rust (@malliefe2o3) February 15, 2017

A2. Using electronic methods that the team has agreed upon. Ex: Instant Chat Messengers which are embedded in many apps as well. #SproutChat

— Eloquent Content (@eloquentcontent) February 15, 2017

Teams of One Should Take Note

Productivity tools aren’t just for teams. Individuals can benefit from tapping into productivity tools for reminders, automation, content scheduling and so more. When you’re wearing many hats and managing various tasks, prioritizing the productivity software features that save the most time is crucial.

A3a. Collecting research is crucial to a marketing strategy. Use our Web Clipper to save web articles → https://t.co/4PVa12cpME #SproutChat pic.twitter.com/FNhPThg3QX

— Evernote (@evernote) February 15, 2017

A3b. As a team of one, time is especially scarce. Save time w/ marketing persona and calendar templates. https://t.co/KwwWzHl8ZK #SproutChat pic.twitter.com/jGCuuF7atS

— Evernote (@evernote) February 15, 2017

A3: Make sure the tools you use are right for the job. You don't fix a toilet with a hair dryer. Strategize & consolidate assets #SproutChat

— Jeff Higgins (@AnnaMariaSocial) February 15, 2017

A3: Being a lone wolf gets hectic! Interactive calendars, checklists & notes-to-self can help you stay on top of all the to-dos. #SproutChat pic.twitter.com/bSm29ptdD4

— Driven Local (@DrivenLocal) February 15, 2017

A3) Time management, to-do lists by project and a deadline calendar are key to have when handling various tasks. #SproutChat

— Liliana H ☕️️ (@Liliholl) February 15, 2017

A3: It's hard to be marketing when you're alone. Probably the best way would be setting goals, calendars, and checklists #SproutChat

— Kelly Lovell (@kellyalovell) February 15, 2017

A3: it sounds cheesy but just blocking off time in your calendar and committing to getting things done helps a lot #sproutchat

— Breonna Bergstrom (@bmbergstrom161) February 15, 2017

Get the Most out of Your Software

The best features within a software are often “hidden.” These lesser known capabilities provide marketers with the “a-ha” moment that changes the way they look at a tool and increases daily usage. Lolita shared her favorite Evernote “hidden” features and the rest of the community offered their own software must-haves.

A4a. Voice recording! Capturing interviews or brainstorms into a note w/ your phone is a game changer. https://t.co/uKVfHgGtBc #SproutChat pic.twitter.com/3EbPYgKY7q

— Evernote (@evernote) February 15, 2017

A4b. Did you know you can put emojis in note titles?! Our marketing favorites:

📅 Content Calendar
📈 SMM Reporting
📌 To-Dos#SproutChat

— Evernote (@evernote) February 15, 2017

A4 The web clipper is by far my favorite feature! I like that you can do full screen or just parts #sproutchat

— Shannon Williams (@Shannon_L_W_) February 15, 2017

A4 @evernote is free? Most folks are on a tight budget, but evernote always comes through as an affordable option for any use! #SproutChat

— HeyOrca! (@HeyOrca) February 15, 2017

A4: Web clipper is my fave, along w/ ability to e-mail a note w/ tags attached & have it arrive in the right notebook. #SproutChat https://t.co/5RClUljuUf

— Tim Mohler (@TimothyMohler) February 15, 2017

A4: Well, I just learned that you can scan and upload written content, and now you tell me there's a recording option? Brilliant #SproutChat

— Venture Icon Media (@VentureIcon) February 15, 2017

Foster Growth & Encourage Community Engagement

For social media marketers, productivity also means fostering community growth and engagement–no matter how many other tasks are being assigned. The #SproutChat community knows this challenge more than anyone. Check out their best tips for achieving community while staying focused and prioritizing other asks.

A5a: In @SproutSocial, our marketing & support teams collaborate to engage w/ our community. Communities thrive in conversation. #SproutChat pic.twitter.com/fJvYlObt71

— Evernote (@evernote) February 15, 2017

A5b: Events are key to our community engagement. Our strategy includes: Periscopes, Facebook Lives, webinars, & offline events. #SproutChat pic.twitter.com/MMGcaRXkVg

— Evernote (@evernote) February 15, 2017

A5: Really listening, whether to coworkers or clients. @evernote helps organize your takeaways & turn them into actionable steps #sproutchat

— Brandfolder (@Brandfolder) February 15, 2017

@SproutSocial A5: Ask your audience questions and allow them opportunities to voice their opinions! #SproutChat

— nicole (@nicolemaries__) February 15, 2017

A5: If you want more engagement from your community, you have to step up and start conversations. #SproutChat

— Express Writers (@ExpWriters) February 15, 2017

A5: Be the first to engage. Support is a 2 way street, and you can only expect engagement if you reach out first. #SproutChat https://t.co/7qO0S1SmmE

— Metter Media (@mettermedia) February 15, 2017

@SproutSocial A5: Lead mainly by sacrificially serve them and putting their needs ahead of your own #SproutChat

— Travis Ham (@travisham) February 15, 2017

A5) You foster+engage communities when: accessing information is easy, but secure; you respond to requests & facilitate sharing #SproutChat

— Liliana H ☕️️ (@Liliholl) February 15, 2017

Next week, #SproutChat will discuss how to create great video content. Until then, join our Facebook community to stay connected.

This post #SproutChat Recap: Productivity for Marketers originally appeared on Sprout Social.

source http://sproutsocial.com/insights/productivity-for-marketers/

How to Produce Affordable Content Without Sacrificing Quality

Is it really possible to produce affordable content without sacrificing quality?

Any marketer worth their salt should know how important it is to update a website with fresh and relevant content on a regular basis. Google loves content. Customers love content. Content is king. Amen.

But quality content is expensive.

An average market price for a 1500-word article of a decent quality is around $70.

If you suffer from perfectionism, you would need to fork out around $100 (and very often even more) for a superior quality piece of writing.

And it's just one article!

If you post around 3 to 5 pieces per month, it sums up to an average of $300-$500.

You probably won’t be surprised if I tell you that this sum can be lowered significantly.

In most cases, lower price goes hand-in-hand with lower class content.

However, there are ways to produce affordable content without sacrificing quality of the material.

Today, I want to share those techniques with you.

Before you start producing content...

Prior to ordering any kind of content for your website, stop for a minute and think.

“Does this type of content really work for me?”

You see, not every expensive type of content is able to deliver your message in the most effective way. Different content types suit different niches and serve different purposes.

Here are some most popular content types and their approximate prices per piece:

How do you actually stop spending so much on content?

Written content

It is the most commonly used content type. It does an amazing job getting the message across. It sells, it educates. Google robots are after it—not to mention that it occupies the biggest part of any webpage.

I believe written content deserves a special treatment, so I will go ahead and dedicate the biggest part of this article to texts, words, and letters.

Here’s what you can do to stop spending so much on written content.

1. Update your old blog posts and articles.

It is truly the cheapest way to get fresh content for your website (in fact, it's free if you do it yourself). Go through your own archives and you'll definitely find content that can be either updated or reworked.

How do you know that your old writing needs some refreshing?

The information in a blog post is outdated. What was acceptable back in 2012 might not be that adequate now. However, your audience still read those posts, and people need advice that would be relevant at the present time. The same applies to crazy designs that scream “Hello, welcome back to the age of CDs and chat rooms”.
The topic is evergreen. People just can’t get enough of certain topics, period.
You have more experience now and have much more to add. Did you find new apps that help fellow travellers book hotel rooms? Update.
Did you just try out an awesome link-building technique and it worked? Update. Did you discover a new way to combat skin issues? You know what to do!
You have more experience now and realize that you have changed your mind. Confess that you were mistaken and describe your new experience.
It takes courage, but people tend to grow both emotionally and professionally, and looking back at your past self you may find yourself thinking “Oh, boy.
I must have been possessed by an evil demon when I told people content marketing is doomed.”
The blog article is not popular and poorly written. Spend one or two evenings polishing and enriching articles you’re slightly embarrassed of.
You’ll get rid of low quality content and at the same time get fresh blog posts at practically no cost. Time for spring cleaning!

2. Reformat or repurpose your own posts

What I mean by that is that one and the same article can be used in many different ways. Here’s what you can do:

use it as a script for a video
use it as a script for a podcasts
publish it as an infographic
publish it as a slide presentation
create an ebook (if you have enough content to work with)

All that is new content that requires very little work and money.

Apart from feeding an always hungry content monster, you’ll learn how your own audience reacts to unconventional content types (like videos or podcasts), investing less than you would have invested doing everything from the ground up.

Also, you’ll get an opportunity to expose yourself to new audiences if you decide to go a step further and republish your articles, presentations, videos, or podcasts on other niche websites.

3. Use rewriting instead of regular writing

In fact, rewriting is often given priority by website owners due to its effectiveness. It takes less time (as writers do not need to spend time on research), content is not plagiarized, and the quality is often high-class.

What is more - it is so much cheaper! If you pay $70 for an article written from scratch, it will cost you only $35-40 to have it rewritten. You can have your own blog posts rewritten or find information elsewhere on the Internet. Professional rewriters can transform articles into brand-new pieces of writing so nobody will accuse you of being dishonest.

Professional rewriters can transform articles into brand-new pieces of writing so nobody will accuse you of being dishonest.

Note: By professional rewriting I mean rewriting done by hand. Do not confuse it with rephrasing that various online article spinning and rewriting tools offer (unless you enjoy staying awake at night correcting grammar).

Apart from that, there’s a danger of getting plagiarized content, as machines do not add ideas or modify already existing ones. They simply rephrase.

Where to look for professional help: Writology, Proofessor, Paraphrasingservices.

4. Use freelancers instead of writing agencies

Yes, it takes time to find a suitable writer. Yes, freelancers are not cheap as well, especially if you hire native English-speakers. Yes, there are writers who fail deadlines and do not deliver what you expected.

Therefore, focus on beginners.

The reality shows that very often they are really hard-working and reliable. And even if they are foreigners, their English level is really good (however, it is advisable to test it beforehand). Apart from that, you’ll be surprised at the speed of their work and respect with which they treat their clients.

Young and aspiring freelancers do not charge much, as they do not have that much experience. What they do have is enthusiasm and diligence that allows them to produce high-quality work, as they need good feedbacks in order to get more clients in the future.

Prices start from $2 per article! Can there be anything cheaper?

Yes, there can!

5. Invite guest writers

Just like freshly-baked freelancers, young bloggers are on a never-ending quest for good reputation and opportunities for exposure. Even talented writers with tons of experience write for others from time to time, as such contribution translates into more traffic for their own blogs.

Therefore, let others know that you accept guest posts: you get free content and your guest writers get to promote their own blogs. However, be sure to write a clear and strict guest posting policy. Your site is no place for spammers.

You can also get in touch with some good writers by yourself. You definitely come across good guest posts on different websites from time to time. Why not invite their authors to write for you, too?

Images

If written content is a means of communication, images usually serve as baits. They set the mood, make the text visually appealing, and get customers’ eyes glued to webpages for a long time.

Finding affordable images that would complement your articles is challenging, but possible.

Below you will find a list of resources that offer free or really cheap images that you can legally use on your websites:

· Pixabay. Offers free photos, illustrations, vector graphics, and videos. Attribution not required.

· Lifeofpix. A community of photographers sharing free pictures for everybody to enjoy. Amazing website design, extensive collection of high-quality pictures, no copyright restrictions.

· Publicdomainarchive. They update their database on a weekly basis. You can also get a premium membership for only $10 per month and download high-resolution photos in bulk.

· Fotolia by Adobe. Numerous free photos, vectors, illustrations, and videos. For some pictures, however, you need to pay, but the price is really affordable (just a couple of cents per image).

· Magdeleine. Some photos do require attribution, some do not. Make sure to check the license type before you download.

· Travelcofeebook. Offers amazing photos (mostly landscapes from travels all over the world). No attribution required.

· Gratisography. Pictures taken by Ryan McGuire are free to download. You may use them for whichever purposes with no attribution.

· MMT. Stunning pictures from Jeffrey Betts are free for commercial use.

Final words

As you can see, ways to protect your money and eliminate unnecessary spending do exist.

There are also other content types that are worth mentioning, but I decided to start with the most common.

Let me know in the comments if you need info on how to get cheap infographics, videos, podcasts, etc. It will be my pleasure to share my secret cheat sheet with you!

Author bio:
Jenna Brandon is a blogger, copywriter, and digital marketer at Writology.com.When she’s not busy studying Google algorithms and writing about link building, she takes stunning pictures of California or cooks pizza. Jenna is also an avid traveler, and she is secretly Italian at heart.

The post How to Produce Affordable Content Without Sacrificing Quality appeared first on Ninja Outreach.

source https://ninjaoutreach.com/produce-affordable-content/

Wednesday 15 February 2017

9 Tips on How to Get More Subscribers: A YouTube Guide

Tuesday 14 February 2017

How to Schedule Instagram Posts Through Sprout Social in 6 Easy Steps

Monday 13 February 2017

Guest Post by Mindi Rosser: 115 Facts You Never Knew About Social Media

Mindi Rosser helps small to medium-sized B2B businesses—and their leaders—look awesome on social media. You can read her blog at this link.

The influence of social media is so overwhelming that it is hard to believe all of the big social media sites are only a decade old. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other popular platforms have the power to influence not only people’s social lives, but almost every aspect of the private and professional sphere.

NUMBER ONE SOCIAL MEDIA SITE

The most popular social media platform in the world is Facebook, with 1.59 billion users. Facebook logins account for 70% of all social media daily logins. Approximately 1.23 billion users log into Facebook for an average of 17 minutes each day. Facebook users generate 4,166,667 new likes, 136,000 new photos, 293,000 statuses, and 510 new posts every single minute.

SOCIAL MEDIA & NEWS

Social media platforms are slowly but surely becoming the leading source of news for millions of people around the globe. Reddit is the most popular social media site for reading news, followed by Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram. Facebook is the primary news source for 68% of millennials, while 24% of high school students stay informed through Instagram.

BRANDS & CELEBRITIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Big brands and popular celebrities know just how powerful social media is when it comes to reaching the right audience. This is why brands and celebrities take steps to maintain a strong presence on social media. Coca-Cola is liked by 98,332,327 people on Facebook, Chanel has 12,205,997 Twitter Followers and Lego has an incredible 2,957,749,263 YouTube subscribers.

The most popular celebrity on Facebook is the football star, Cristiano Ronaldo. Singer Katy Perry is one of the most followed celebrities on Twitter, and pop star Justin Bieber has a YouTube account with 11,728,143,967 subscribers.

Take a look at this comprehensive infographic from skilled.co to learn more about the influence that social media has on various aspects of modern life.

The post Guest Post by Mindi Rosser: 115 Facts You Never Knew About Social Media appeared first on What is Social Media Today.

source http://whatissocialmediatoday.com/guest-post-mindi-rosser-115-facts-never-knew-social-media/

source http://whatissocialmediatoday.blogspot.com/2017/02/guest-post-by-mindi-rosser-115-facts.html