digital marketing

Boosting Your Audience Engagement Through Social Media

MOMENTUM Business Support Business Support, Digital Marketing, Social Media
Hand holding up a translusent card with like, comment and follow amounts and symbols

So you’ve created a social media account for your business. You may even have a significant following, but the audience engagement just isn’t coming. What can be done?  Luckily, many of the solutions are simple and, in most cases, benefit from immediate results. Here’s our list of 6 things you can do to boost your social media engagement today!

Optimise your following

Sure, it may be tempting to follow as many people as you can in hopes of growing your audience. You may have even considered inorganic ways of grow your following. The truth is numbers don’t matter unless every follower is either a prospect or a benefit to your business. First and foremost, it is interest that drives engagement; thus, an optimised audience is crucial when it comes to generating more interactions. Follow accounts which are fitting with your business – consider if they are suitable prospects with potential interest in your niche. For example, if you’re a brand which sells vegan food, your target audience is of course primarily vegans. A following of sworn meat-eaters would most likely bring little engagement.

Post frequently

A large part of engagement is often received from your long-term followers. Individuals who already know your business and have likely established a positive dynamic over time. It’s not too different from in person relationships; the more you get to know someone the more likely you are to engage with them! Therefore, it is important for your account to be active, post frequently, and be consistent. Don’t disappear for weeks and expect your engagement to bounce back upon your return! Build momentum with your following, establish trust, and give them a reason to interact.

Ask questions

Asking questions, is the simplest way of eliciting information and thus prompting engagement. They don’t always have to be business related either! Ask your followers about their day, current events, or their opinions. Just remember to reciprocate the interaction. Not only do questions encourage engagement, but they also provide you with an opportunity to obtain first hand insights into audience preference. Discuss upcoming products and ideas, use your platform to learn more about your prospects and in-turn write about your target audience’s main interests.

Include more visuals

Always include visuals where relevant. Recent studies show that information retention after a three-day period, is 50% higher when exposed to content accompanied by visuals. As well as being more memorable, their engagement rates are 650% higher, making them a great tool when it comes to storytelling and creating interaction worthy content. There are very few instances in which visuals won’t benefit your posts, so be creative and remember to make them branded! Include images, gifs, or infographics, and don’t be afraid to put out video content.

Give more than you get

It cannot be one sided, if you seek engagement, you must make the effort to interact too. Respond to your audience, make them feel heard and be an active participant in online conversations. Making a conscious effort to respond and interact with your audience adds personalisation and credibility to your account, subsequently giving your followers a reason to seek engagement too. Present your business as a social and approachable enterprise and breathe life into your profile. Try to limit automation to a minimum, a real time response can go a long way in personifying your business and improving prospective relationships.

Stay on top of current affairs

Always be a credible source for news and trending topics relating to your field. Don’t give your competitors the upper hand when it comes to offering up to date information! Becoming a go to source will encourage your audience to show their appreciation through the means of likes, shares, and comments – boosting your engagement while simultaneously expanding the reach of your content. Subscribe to informative newsletters, follow industry experts, and stay on top of trending and newsworthy stories. Make a conscious effort to stay up to date and spread your expert knowledge through your social media content.

Audience engagement is a crucial part of every social media strategy and thus a key step in growing your business. It’s a fantastic way of interacting with your prospects but most importantly a beneficial tool when it comes to evaluating the effectiveness of your content. If you’d like to find out more about other ways of boosting your engagement or require any additional support, we’d love to help! Get in touch:

E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com   T: 01903 688789

4 Tips For Maintaining Brand Consistency

MOMENTUM Business Support Business Support
white notebook with the words branding on it on a wooden surface

Making sure your branding is consistent is key when it comes to building and maintaining an easily recognised business. Consistency solidifies the image of a brand in the mind of the public, presenting a single, unified identity and personality. This is important, as an output that has a different tone, writing style or visual style can quickly distort the perception of a business, making it seem less trustworthy and credible. Here are our top 4 tips for maintaining brand consistency:

  • Use the right tone – The tone of voice used in content is often overlooked, but it is an important part of consistent branding. Tone can reinforce ideas behind your company and products in a subtle way; if your product or service is unusual or caters to a niche market, then a humorous or unusual tone of voice may fit your business – for example, Old Spice uses a unique style to catch attention. Conversely, if your products are powerful or serious, then a strong or proud voice may be right. Think motoring brands like BMW or Harley Davidson.
  • Create branded graphics – Visual communication is very important with branding. Colour, for example, is one of the simplest elements you can use, but can be very powerful. The red and yellow of McDonalds is instantly recognisable, and the multi-coloured Google branding is commonly seen online. Fonts are also a simple yet effective way for branding to remain consistent across different content; cursive fonts give an elegant and carefree feeling, whereas blocky sans-serif text gives a more straightforward impression. Logos are another more obvious way to imprint branding into communications – when included tastefully, they provide an unambiguous identification of your brand.
  • Make the most of your slogan – Not every brand has to have a slogan, but it is a useful way to convey what the company does, as well as establish an identity in a couple of words. “Just do it” or “Every little helps” are instantly recognisable and give a good idea of a brand’s values. Slogans can also be used for individual products or lines as a way to differentiate from the competition. Finally, to really utilise that slogan why not turn it into a branded hashtag? Just make sure that there’s no hidden meanings or existing uses for your hashtag – such mishaps are more common than you think!
  • Vocalise your values – Let your audience know what you stand for! Ad campaigns aren’t exclusively for products or services, they are also a great way to show a company’s values and actions. You could draw attention to switching to recyclable packaging, or any partnerships or fundraising efforts. In recent years, some ad campaigns have seemingly deliberately featured controversial topics to draw attention, for example Gillette’s “we believe: the best men can be” ad which tackles toxic masculinity, and Nike’s ad featuring Colin Kaepernick, an American football player who has advocated against racial inequality.

We hope you’ve found this short read helpful.  If you’d like to chat through your own ideas or need any help getting them implemented, get in touch:

E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com   T: 01903 688789

Podcasts: A Marketing Tool On The Rise

MOMENTUM Business Support Business Support, Digital Marketing
Woman using a microphone to record a podcast while reading a notebook

A podcast is a digital series of audio files commonly presented as episodes, which listeners can stream and download using varying platforms. Typically lead by a host or featuring guests, podcasts are an auditory space in which the speakers share topic-focused stories, discussions and news. Often striking thought provoking debates, they provide a unique opportunity for participants to talk about something they’re knowledgeable and passionate about.

One of the main strengths of podcasts is that they are a passive form of media – they are easy to listen to in the car, on a commute or while making dinner. Conversely, visual formats often require your full attention. While initially they may be more engaging, they’re a lot less flexible which often leads to a loss of interest and focus.

The most popular way of accessing a podcast is through a smartphone – as most mobile devices now support mainstream platforms. However, modern desktops, tablets and smart TVs are also suitable, though less optimised for listeners on the go. Some popular podcast apps include Apple podcasts, Spotify, Audible, Google podcasts and Stitcher.

Podcasts for business

Though they’re a great way of passing time, podcasts aren’t just another media format- they’re also a great business tool! According to latest findings the global number of podcast listeners has surpassed 400 million and is set to continue rising over the coming years. Furthermore, based on research carried out by Bredin, an impressive average 39% of SME owners listen to podcasts. Over half of those SMEs prefer to listen to business, finance and economics themed shows- presenting a significant figure of likeminded listeners and potential prospects.

Making your own podcast

Before taking the plunge and starting your own podcast series, it is important to establish some basics. Consider who you are making the podcast for – it is sometimes useful to create a customer avatar, which is a detailed profile of your ideal customer. Catering your podcast towards this ideal customer will help to draw in more listeners with a positive impact on your business. Your content really depends upon why you want to make a podcast. Growing your community, building trust with your audience, and using a podcast as a creative outlet are all valid reasons. You need to provide value to a listener, or else there won’t be a point to listening. A successful podcast is a reliable outlet for either information or entertainment- in both cases benefiting the audience.

Tips for getting started

  • Good quality recordings are essential for a good listening experience. Record in a place where there is little or no background noise, and make sure the quality of your microphone is up to par.
  • Editing the audio is important, as it can streamline the podcast and is useful for cutting out any long pauses or stumbles.
  • Upload regularly, so that your audience knows when your content is due and can tune in consistently.
  • Keeping the length of the podcast consistent between episodes is also key, although a difference of a couple of minutes between episodes is acceptable.
  • Don’t script it word for word! While notes and key cards are a great way of keeping on track, a free form episode often sounds more organic and provides an easier, conversation-like listen for your audience.

These things may seem small but presenting your podcast in a professional manner is principal to its success. If you’d like to find out more about podcasts, or require any additional business support, we’d love to help! Get in touch:

E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com   T: 01903 688789

How To Perfect Your LinkedIn Profile

MOMENTUM Business Support Business Support, Digital Marketing, Social Media
Classic LinkedIn logo on a white background

Every social media platform is different; some emphasise visuals, some provide you with daily news, while others exist solely as a way of keeping in touch. As a business owner it is vital to nurture all your networking spaces, and most importantly learn how to use them right! Often the first line of contact for prospective clients and established connections are our business socials, and these should be straight forward, on brand and active, but there is one platform that users still find more intimidating than others…

LinkedIn is one of the most overlooked networking tools, with the common misconception being that it is only used as a ‘formality’ or because it makes you seem more professional. However, with a few simple changes to your profile it can become a powerful ally to you and your business.

Choose an appropriate profile image

Your profile picture will likely be the first thing noticed by visiting users, and as we know, first impressions matter! If the profile is set up for your business, it is advised you use your logo as the image; it helps to keep your branding uniform and recognisable as well as boosting the profiles credibility. However, if you’re setting up your personal profile, it’s best to use a clear and recognisable photo of yourself. The image should be recent and of good quality, with a more professional tone and work or image appropriate clothing. Stay clear of selfies and filters and aim for your face to take up around 60% of the frame (don’t forget to smile!).

LinkedIn profiles also include the background photo, a great opportunity to use an attention-grabbing image in line with your branding. You could use an image that depicts your profession, the name of your brand or an image that reflects your business. It is also a great place to showcase some of your work e.g., your creations, achievements or products.

Make the most of your headline

While your current employment/field of work is the focus of the headline, passions, goals and a little extra elaboration on what you do or hope to achieve can also help to bring personalisation and attention to your profile. If you offer multiple services or wish to add more about yourself, try separating with a vertical bar (|). Don’t get carried away, for more in-depth content utilise the about section later on.

Tell your story

Your LinkedIn summary is your chance to impress, introduce your business and tell your own story, when done right it can be a gateway to exciting opportunities and new connections. It doesn’t have to be just a long list of qualifications, in fact personalised writing and anecdotes on how you’ve ended up in your profession help to improve readability and add creative flair to your summary. Achievements, your employment history and skills are all important factors which benefit from an engaging presentation, so think of creative ways to showcase them. If it is a summary meant for your business, delve deeper into the history of your brand, how you got here, where it originated as well as future goals and values. If you’re unsure of what to include follow this structure as a basic rule of thumb:

  • Introduction – who are you/ what do you do?
  • A little history – how did you get to where you are now?
  • Achievements and goals – what are your passions/ what are you proud of/ hopes for the future?
  • A call to action- contact information/ website/ upcoming events

Ultimately, remember that LinkedIn is a unique platform which caters to businesses and business professionals. It differs from socials such as Facebook and Instagram as its focus is providing an online space for finding work, marketing, as well as connecting with business partners. Whichever field of work you’re in, it’s a useful tool to have under your belt! If you’d like to find out more about perfecting your social media or require any other business support, we’d love to help. Get in touch:

E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com   T: 01903 688789

12 Days Of Tipmas Day 12: Celebrate!

MOMENTUM Business Support 12 Days Of Tipmas 2021
Two champagne glasses tanding on golden decorations and Christmas bells with warm lights in the background

It can be difficult to reach our end goal. Most of the time it is a long journey that you can’t make overnight, so it’s important to celebrate the achievements you make while working towards your goal. Whether you choose to celebrate by just acknowledging the work you’ve done or by getting together with your team for a meal, you’ll feel renewed. It is easy to lose sight of all the progress you make, so taking the time to appreciate your accomplishments can put things into perspective, improving your outlook on the situation.

Celebrating can be the little things:

  • Reflect on your accomplishments and how you’ve improved
  • Take time for yourself to recharge
  • Socialise with your team
  • Spend time with your loved ones
  • Be positive about the future

We hope you’ve enjoyed MOMENTUM’s 12 Days Of Tipmas. If you’d like to find out more about any of our blog topics or require any additional business support, get in touch!

E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com   T: 01903 688789