by BrandMinded | Apr 20, 2023 | Branding, digital marketing, reputation management, social media marketing
Maintaining a positive brand reputation has never been more important. In today’s digital world, it’s increasingly becoming a more central part of effective marketing. In many ways, it can make or break a brand. There are two sides to this: being proactive in establishing a strong, positive image, and properly responding to negative situations that could tarnish your brand’s good name. At BrandMinded®, we specialize in reputation management services in Tampa to help brands grow strong.
Let’s talk about why it all matters — and, most importantly, how you can build a positive brand image in today’s digital landscape.
Reputation Management in the Digital World
Online reviews carry a lot of weight. A whopping 97% of consumers check product reviews before making a purchasing decision[MS1] , according to a 2021 PowerReviews survey.
If your brand has less-than-stellar reviews, that could impact your business’s bottom line.
With the rise of online reviews and social media commenting, consumers have more power than ever to shape a brand’s image. That’s why building positive brand awareness is so crucial.
How Brands Can Build and Maintain a Strong Reputation
Let’s dig into three simple ways brands can establish a strong reputation.
1. Encourage Customer Reviews
When you go to your Google Business Profile, having no reviews could deter potential customers. Building a strong bank of positive reviews helps establish you as a credible business. It also demonstrates that you’re a trustworthy brand. An added bonus is that online reviews can also improve your local search engine optimization (SEO) and website conversions to help attract a new audience.
Encouraging existing customers to leave reviews can go a long way. Email and text reminders are a go-to strategy to remind them to do so after using your services. Automating these reminders is the most efficient way to keep reviews rolling in.
2. Respond to Online Feedback
Think of online review management as a two-way street. Once your brand receives a new review — whether that’s on your website, Google Business Profile, or social media — be sure to respond thanking your customer or client for their feedback. This communicates that they have been heard and that you value their opinion. Do your best to put a personal touch on it. (A generic, “Thank you” can feel disingenuous.) Instead, mention what stood out to you about their review and be sure to thank them by name when possible.
Responding to reviews helps build credibility, improve customer trust, and enhance your overall online presence.
3. Don’t Ignore Negative Comments
It isn’t always possible to have 100% positive reviews. Even on your business’s best day, mistakes can happen. The most important thing is to respond swiftly to negative comments. Ignoring the reviewer could escalate the problem, especially if they start sharing and spreading their thoughts further on social media.
Damage control is all about hearing them out, validating their concerns, and doing your best to resolve the situation. Be sure to maintain a professional tone and avoid the urge to argue or “be right.” Instead, look for ways to solve the problem and end the interaction on good terms.
Online review management can often feel like a hefty task for time-strapped business owners. It requires constant vigilance and continually tracking user reviews and comments. That’s where we come in. LeadMinded is an all-in-one reputation management software that streamlines the process. It allows you to easily send review requests, monitor and respond to reviews in real time, and stream your most recent reviews right to your website.
When it comes to reputation management services in Tampa and beyond, the combination of our BrandMinded® team and the LeadMinded software is here to help brands gain new reviews and elevate their online presence. Get started with LeadMinded and other valuable services by connecting with the BrandMinded® team today!
by BrandMinded | Mar 21, 2023 | Content Strategy, digital marketing, social media marketing
Social media marketing has become its own art form. These platforms have exploded in recent years — and standing out from the pack is about more than just getting followers. The goal is to use your social media channels to:
· Connect with your existing customers
· Attract new leads
· Convert engagement into sales
· Build brand awareness
· Humanize your business
Social media users are bombarded with constant brand messaging, but being strategic can help you capture their attention. This type of marketing requires a nuanced approach and data-driven insights. An agency that specializes in social media marketing can do the hard work for you and get you the results you need. Here’s how.
Looking Beyond Surface Metrics
Whether we’re talking about a regular post or a paid ad, social media impressions only tell you how many times that content has been displayed on a screen. What it doesn’t reveal is how many people have clicked on it or engaged with it in some way. That’s a big distinction. Beyond that, “likes”, comments, and shares only tell you so much. Effective social media marketing goes beyond these kind of surface metrics and digs into the nitty-gritty details.
An agency that specializes in social media knows that understanding user behavior is key. That means zeroing in on engagement data across all platforms and content types to reveal:
· When your clients engage with your content
· What type of content they like to engage with
This information can help you create social media posts (and website content) that’s tailored to your target demographic.
Handling the Logistics
Managing your social media strategy is necessary but time intensive. Outsourcing these tasks to an agency frees up time and energy that you can devote to other things — like running and growing your business. At BrandMinded, we make sure that posts are delivered multiple times per week on all social media channels. Consistency is the name of the game. If you aren’t keeping up with relevant social media trends and posting interesting content, your brand will likely get lost in the crowd.
Creating Multilayered Social Media Posts
It’s easy for social media users to scroll past text-only posts, no matter how interesting they are. Succeeding on today’s platforms requires brands to create high-quality original graphics, gifs, videos, captions and more. These must:
· Get the attention of social media users
· Entice them to engage with it
· Reflect your brand’s voice
· Communicate your brand’s values
That’s a tall order, but the right marketing agency can deliver these must-have social media assets. Short-form video has become especially important since the rise of TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels. Social media users are particularly looking for authenticity. Salesy videos, for example, are usually off-putting. Instead, brands that are willing to be more natural and have a little fun on camera usually resonate more.
Expanding into New Social Media Channels
Being fluent in one social media channel doesn’t mean it will translate to another. Every platform has its own language, quirks, and challenges. Effective social media marketing requires brands to switch tactics and bring something different to each one. If you’re hoping to expand to a new channel, you’ll want an agency that has experience creating content for all the major platforms. At BrandMinded, we can guide you through every step of the process.
Strategizing Social Media Ads
Whether you’ve never advertised on social or you’re just looking for better results, a specialized agency can help your brand get the most out of social media advertising. Simply put, we know what works — and what doesn’t. We help brands use their advertising dollars wisely and in a way that will get their content in front of a wider audience.
Social media marketing has a lot of moving parts. BrandMinded is here to put it all together for you. Reach out to us today to get started.
by BrandMinded | Jan 26, 2023 | content marketing, Content Strategy, digital marketing, digital news, News, social media marketing
With a fresh year ahead of us, small business owners are looking for ways to elevate their marketing game. Hitting your revenue goals is all about increasing brand awareness and generating new leads — and, of course, serving your customers well. Digital marketing is a powerful way to reach both potential and existing clients, but there are many ways to go about it (some more effective than others). We’re kicking off the year by rounding up the best marketing strategies for 2023.
Video Marketing
“Video is just becoming so much more important, especially with the rising use of reels,” says Matthew Hall, Senior SEO/SEM Specialist at BrandMinded. “We’re going to be focusing on producing more video content for social media for our clients this year.”
Considering that 20% of all Instagram activity takes place on reels, it is critical to drive exposure so we can maximize our client’s reach potential. It’s no secret that short-form video is taking over social media, so in order to get in on the action we need to stay knowledgeable about the ever so changing algorithms of platforms such as Instagram.
“We’re seeing a lot of video content for sure, especially short-form video,” says Alyssa Drum, Digital Account Coordinator at BrandMinded. “With the rise of Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, a lot of platforms are trying to get in on that. We have such a small window to capture our viewers’ attention right now.”
She suggests creating two versions of a video when working on any campaign; a 15- to 45-second one for social media, and a longer version for the brand’s YouTube channel or website.
Hall adds that Hulu is another platform worth exploring. “In the past, you’d need to have a media buying agency handle that, but now Hulu has opened it up to marketing agencies like us,” he says. “That’s something we’re exploring a lot as well because we think there’s a lot of value there.”
Authenticity
Digital marketing is continuing to evolve and change. What worked a couple of years ago isn’t necessarily resonating with audiences anymore, especially on social media.
“Authenticity is big,” says Drum. “In the photos we post, people want to see things that are organic-looking and natural, as opposed to a graphic style.”
In other words, social media users will likely scroll past a generic, static image. Instead, the focus right now is on storytelling, connection, and a sense of realness. In 2023, Drum plans to leverage social media takeovers to capture user attention. This is often an employee or someone relevant to the brand “taking over” the company’s social media channels. The result is a more face-to-face feel. It’s similar to doing a “Team Tuesday” on social media. This allows users to get to know a company, which helps humanize the brand.
“We usually get more engagement with those kinds of posts,” says Drum.
Partnering with Nano-Influencers
You might think that teaming up with a big social media star would be a great marketing strategy, but it can be hard to persuade these folks to work with small businesses. Drum says there’s another approach that’s proving to be very effective.
“Nano-influencers are becoming a big thing,” she says. “We’re moving away from big, A-list celebrities partnering with brands and going more toward social media users who have only a couple thousand followers.”
These influencers still have substantial reach, and they may be more likely to believe in your brand’s values. Drum says it’s a great way to promote a genuine feel and earn the trust of social media users.
Strategic Content Marketing
Google rewards helpful content. This is content that puts people first, instead of trending keywords. Brands that are focused on gaming search engine results could be penalized by Google and actually worsen their ranking. Strong content:
- Is well written and authentic (not generic)
- Is relevant to your target demographic
- Helps web visitors get information or solve a problem
- Establishes a sense of trust with the reader
- Demonstrates your brand’s values
When it comes to the best marketing strategies for 2023, BrandMinded understands that every small business is different. The strongest approach for your brand will depend on your goals, target demographic, and brand identity. We’re here to help you figure out what it all means — and create a game plan that works for you. Contact us today to get started.
