1. Automation

You have everything linked up and your Facebook posts go directly to Twitter. This means that most times your tweets are incomplete because the original Facebook post is too long. What’s more is that you’ve got the exact same content on every social media platform – so what’s the point of having different social media platforms? Remember- different platforms, different audiences.

2. #Noonecanunderstandyourridiculoushashtags

Enough said.

3. Yr posts lk smthng like this

Just because you’ve got a limited amount of characters to use it doesn’t mean you’re allowed to murder syntax and grammar! Master the art of being concise while still being precise.

4. You’ve forgotten your manners

Be nice to people, show them you care by replying when they retweet something you posted, or even thanking them for following you. A little bit of courtesy can go a long way!

5. You don’t think before you jump

Don’t jump onto the bandwagon, or latest trend, without firstly checking out what it’s all about – you could end up being in a very awkward situation.
We all remember the DiGiorno incident

6. You mix up accounts

If you’re using a platform that allows you to manage multiple accounts, or have access to your company’s twitter page be careful not to mix up accounts. You don’t want to be posting something highly personal on your business’ page!

7. Keep tabs on who can tweet

You’ve given the account details to so many people at work that you can’t keep track of who has access to the account. This could end badly if someone decides to go rouge after a dispute.

8. You spam

Twitter is great because there’s so much going on that people’s feeds are constantly updated. This means you can post at a higher frequency. That, however doesn’t mean you can’t be considered as spammy.
Posting 20 posts within 20seconds will make you look desperate, inconsistent, and annoying. Plan tweets and schedule them so that you’re tweeting throughout the day.

9. You’re needy

You follow hundreds of people in the hopes that they’ll follow you back and constantly ask people to follow you. Stop!
Create a strategy- interact with people and produce good content and soon they’ll be coming to you.

10. You forget the whole world is watching

The chances are that you’ll produce great content which goes relatively unnoticed. But as soon as you make one mistake suddenly all eyes are on you. Remember that people have lost their jobs, had their lives ruined, or lost all business credibility. Check out the story about Justine Sacco for a clear example.The world is watching and people loves drama – so watch out!
There you go – it really is THAT simple to avoid these mistakes. So go back out there and start working on your strategy. Of course, we’re always happy to help so why not subscribe to our newsletter or pop over for a coffee?

The post 10 Twitter mistakes you've got to stop making! appeared first on Switch - Digital & Brand.

1. Your page lacks information

If you want to be of service then you’ve got to provide as much information as possible. Some pages don’t even give their opening hours so be sure to fill out all the necessary details.

2. Your branding is all over the place

Your profile image is a sleek version of your logo, but your cover photo looks like it came out of the 1980s. You’ve got a kaleidoscope of colours and your page screams chaos. Restore some harmony to your page and apply brand guidelines that will show unity across everything you do.

3. You’ve abandoned your page

This is probably one of the worst things you can do. Don’t start a page only to neglect it after a while. Posts shouldn’t be sporadic, and should follow some sort of regular structure. If people visit your page and see your last post was 3 weeks ago they won’t be very impressed.

4. You use Facebook like a billboard

Okay, so we know we told you not to neglect your page, but that doesn’t mean you should use it as a billboard. Don’t blast your followers with “SPECIAL OFFER ONE TIME ONLY”- this isn’t a market stall. Keep it savvy and engaging, entice your audience and interact with them instead of trying to force sales onto them.

5. Your images are never the right dimensions

Dimensions exist for a reason. A simple Google search will show you that there are dimensions for a profile picture, a cover photo, a Facebook post, a Facebook advert, and an event cover. Stick to the dimensions when creating media to be shared on your page so that everything has a professional look. Don’t use images with low quality and be creative!

(Image source: makeawebsitehub)

6. You’re not communicating

People post to your page but you don’t even acknowledge them, they might as well be talking to a wall (no pun intended!). Interact with your followers and show them you value their input and feedback.

7. You forget you’re a business

We love pages that interact with their customers and followers, but always keep in mind that at the end of the day you’re a business and a certain sense of decorum is required, especially since you represent a brand.

8. You’ve automated too many things

Automation can be handy – especially when you link different social media platforms. But more often than not it can cause some problems. If all of your posts are automated then you risk sounding like a robot. Different social media platforms have different audiences, so automating your Facebook posts to post to Twitter might be a good temporary fix to a neglected Twitter account, but isn’t a long term solution.

9. You’re not paying attention to your insights

Facebook insights provide a great deal of information for your business. If you haven’t checked them out yet then it’s high time you do. You’ll learn about your audience, which posts are the most successful, and can analyse any spikes in page likes in order to link these with any particular efforts you carried out.

10. You think Facebook advertising is as simple as pressing “boost”

We recently published the first in a series of blog posts which will provide valuable information on online advertising. There’s more to marketing than just pressing boost. Familiarise yourself with the different ways you can use Facebook, would it be better to pay for impressions or for clicks? What’s the reason behind boosting your post, and what’s your ROI?

The post Are you making these 10 Facebook marketing mistakes? appeared first on Switch - Digital & Brand.

1. Setting it up

The set up is actually really simple. Just go into Twitter and sign up. The step by step feature will walk you through the process, even suggesting people you should follow. Be sure to use a great profile picture and header image so that everything looks sharp, attracting people’s attention. Oh, and don’t forget filling in your bio with something catchy and a link to your website!

2. Tweet Tweet

Now that everything is set up it’s time to get tweeting. Why not try something friendly as your first one? Perhaps a shout out or announcement about having joined the world of Twitter!

3. Hash Tags

# <—- This little thing is going to become your friend, but first you have to learn how to use it! Hash tagging is a way of categorising a post. So if you write #AwesomeBlogPost then anyone who searches using that hashtag will find your post. Great right? So when writing your post consider including a ‘#’ before particular words. Twitter helps you out by suggesting other tags people are using. For example #SocialMediaMarketing could also be #SMM (which saves you characters).
We can’t help but remind you that while hash tagging is great, it should be used sparingly. You’re representing a company, not an overactive teenager, so #writing #a #post #like #this will get you #nowhere. Think it through, picking out 2-3 keywords related to your brand and leaving it at that!

4. @… ?

What’s the deal with the ‘@’ sign is what you might think. That’s a very simple way of tagging, or mentioning, someone. However, there are variations to it.
If you want to speak to someone directly (though still publicly) you can simply start off with @switchmalta……….[your tweet]…..
This means that @switchmalta (which is us by the way!) will get a notification with your message. This isn’t a private message – everyone can see it, the only difference is that it won’t turn up in your follower’s feed like normal tweets.
If you want it to turn up in your feed for all your followers to see then there must be text preceding the ‘@’ sign.
You could try “We love your blog @weareSWD keep up the great work!” or, for something subtle simply put a fullstop. “.@weareSWD keep up the great work!”
This allows those following you to see what’s going on, and perhaps follow the discussion.

5. Retweets

A Retweet is, quite simply, when a follower ‘forwards’ your message to his own followers. This gets your message out there, so retweets are great for your company. Create content which people will want to share in order to boost your engagement.
Don’t forget to reply someone who retweeted you with a simple “hey, thanks for the retweet!” to let them know you appreciate it.

6. Keeping it simple

Brevity is an important part of twitter. Take time to compose your posts, including a call to action at the start, 2-3 hashtagged keywords, and allow for a few unused characters at the end incase anyone retweets you and wants to add something on. Remember to shorten your links with Bitly to save on space!

7. Use Images

We’ve said it enough times for you to have learnt by heart that images will always attract attention. However, they do take up some of your character count, so plan your posts properly.

8. Schedule them in

Using something like TweetDeck allows you to schedule in twitter posts. This means that you won’t ever be caught off guard and will always have your next tweet ready to go up.

9. Frequency

Unlike Facebook, on Twitter you can post quite often, even 4-5 times a day. So while we recommend posting to Facebook once a day, we also recommend that you go ahead and tweet to your heart’s content. Just don’t over do it and always make sure your tweets are interesting and relevant to your brand.

10. Be friendly!

We cannot stress this enough. If you want people to follow you you’ve got to be friendly. Retweet, reply, and favorite posts by followers and fans. Show your human side and show you care, people will respond to it with great enthusiasm and become more loyal to you.
We hope this helped you out in your quest to improve your social media presence. Don’t forget to drop us a line if you’re ready to find out more about what we can do for you!

The post Improving your Business with Twitter appeared first on Switch - Digital & Brand.

1. Your Company Profile

Of course, the first thing you need is a Company Profile. Create it by going onto your own LinkedIn account, then going to the “Interests” tab > Companies > Create Company Page. From there you can begin setting up your page. Include any relevant information, a company logo, and a banner.
Be sure to update the page with any relevant information. Your page is a reflection of your company and its work ethic so make it the best it can be!

2. Connect

The next step is to start setting up connections. Connect with employees, clients, and other companies with the same interests. This keeps you informed about what’s going on around you and also allows people to see what your company is up to. Connections on LinkedIn are highly useful and could lead to potential clients.

 3. Keep the ball rolling

Don’t take the business card approach when managing your LinkedIn account. Update the page frequently so as to have it constantly turning up in your connections’ feeds. This could benefit your relationships with followers because they become familiar with your brand, as well as the content you upload and produce.

4. The funnel effect

If you produce amazing content you could easily generate leads back to your website. Much like a funnel, use LinkedIn (along with other social media) to direct people to your website. A clear call to action would be perfect for this.

5. Job postings

One of the great features of LinkedIn is that it allows you to post vacancies. You have two levels of vacancy advertisement to choose from: first off, you can start with a listing in the ‘Jobs’ section on the network, which is similar to the ‘Classified’ section of a newspaper. Potential applicants can browse the page and choose to apply once they come across your posting. You can then take this to the next level and spend a little bit of budget to promote your listing. In this case, your post will pop up in the right hand column of LinkedIn’s homepage, and you can even select the job type to only target advertising towards relevant candidates. This is yet another reason to maintain an attractive and frequently updated page – the better your page, the better the candidates that will choose to work with you.

6. Different audience – different style

Clearly, LinkedIn isn’t like Facebook or Twitter. It’s more serious, catering for people who know exactly what they want out of their connections. Adapt your style for a LinkedIn audience so as to maximise the power of your content. However, just because it’s slightly more serious, it doesn’t mean it’s not a social platform. So while keeping it professional, don’t forget to have a bit of fun and keep a human element.
L’Oréal do this by asking their followers questions so as to engage and interact with them.

7. Group up

LinkedIn allows you to create groups, bringing together people with similar interest and opinions. Used well, this could easily boost your connections and relationships with others, acting as a goldmine of information. Plus, posting relevant and informative articles in groups will help you establish your position as a thought leader in the industry.

8. It’s about who you know

Sometimes, it’s the small relationships formed online that could make all the difference. By following people, looking at their connections and following those connections in turn, you could easily build up your network and get in touch with the right people.

9. Visuals stand out

It’s very obvious that LinkedIn is quite plain. That’s why having great visuals in your content is important. Visuals will attract a person’s attention and draw them in. Even something as simple as a recurring colour could make a difference.
Evernote do this with their sneaky addition of green in their images.

10. Trust

Above all, LinkedIn gives off a sense of trust and reliability. Recommendations, followers, and endorsements all serve to build a brand’s reputation, making it look more human. Add this to brilliant content and management and you’ve got yourself a winning recipe.
And that’s a wrap, you can now go ahead and create your company profile and start working on getting your brand noticed!

The post LinkedIn for Beginners appeared first on Switch - Digital & Brand.

It’s all about the timing

Schedule your emails, tweets, updates and blog posts to go live at a time that’s suitable for your audience.
When’s that? Well, that depends on three things:

– The platform you’re using: Twitter is usually buzzing around lunchtime, while LinkedIn is always a ghost town on Fridays. Think about the network you’re using before scheduling posts.

– The audience you’re targeting: If your audience works from 9 to 5, for instance, try to publish Facebook posts during the afternoon slump, as most people won’t check social media during the morning rush.

– The type of engagement you’re after: Looking to build awareness about a promotion? That’s great material for early mornings posts, when people sneak a quick peek at their phones over coffee. Do you want people to read your blog posts? Save it for late afternoons, when people will have more time to spend.

While these guides are a safe start, we would definitely recommend running your own tests before deciding on a time – every brand is different, after all.

Respond to direct interactions from followers

One of the most important things you can do within your profiles is to respond to any direct messages or comments you’ve received from followers or fans. Remember that these interactions represent people who have made the effort to engage with your brand on a higher level than simply viewing your content.
Whether the interaction is good or bad (in the case of possible negative reviews) it’s imperative that you respond to them as quickly as possible to return the effort in making that connection. Not only will you create a connection with a potential client, but it will also humanise your company profile and make it more accessible for future visitors to contact you directly.

Add a call to action

Do you want people to click? Ask them to. Want them to comment? Let them know.
Social followers are often so overloaded with information on their news feeds that it takes a clearly defined request to encourage them to take action. According to the Buddy Media report, Facebook posts with questions generate 92% higher comment rates than posts without questions, so a clear call to action could make all the difference to your post engagement.
As for Twitter, well, see for yourself:

A word of caution – please, please do not ask questions on every single one of your posts. Moderation is key, and overdoing it could make your posts less engaging and more annoying in the long run.

Use images

It’s about a lot more than a pretty picture: Kissmetrics finds that posts that include photos attract 53% more ‘likes’, 104% more comments and 84% more click-throughs than posts that are purely text-based.
It makes sense, if you think about it: As humans, it’s in our nature to communicate visually, and most people process images a lot quicker than text.
Here’s the caveat, though: Posting a stock image of a pretty face won’t do much. Ideally, your chosen pictures should be self-explanatory. The most obvious example of these are graphs or infographics, images that don’t need a caption to be understood. All in all however, the use of good visuals in your posts will make them more sharable and engaging. And bang on cue, here’s an impressive little graph to demonstrate the effectiveness of images in tweets, courtesy of Buffer:
 There you have it – 4 tips to improve your social media marketing effectiveness. Making small improvements like these could get you to know your audience better and interact with them on their terms. By making it easy and attractive for them to engage with you, you can elevate your brand and continue to drive revenue through your efforts. Not bad for 140 characters or less.
Want to know more about improving your social media marketing strategy? This might be what you’re looking for. 

The post Be Effective: 4 Tips to improve your social media marketing strategy appeared first on Switch - Digital & Brand.