Meaghan

  • Social Media Advertising, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Tips

    Can Google Ads or Facebook Ads Help Your Service-Based Business?

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    Are you wondering if Google Ads or Facebook Ads are the way to go for your service-based business?

    To answer this question, we first need to understand the purpose of each ad type:

    • Google Ads allow you to reach potential customers when they’re trying to find a solution.
    • Facebook Ads (or Meta Ads as they’re called now) are shown to users when they’re on the platform checking out their friends’ posts and updates – they’re better for brand awareness and getting traffic to your website than for getting bookings.

    *Remember, Facebook/Meta Ads post to Instagram too. Placements are configured when creating the campaign.

    Let’s review the benefits of using Google Ads or Facebook Ads to get your services in front of the right people.

    The Argument for Google Ads

    Google Ads help to get your business in front of the right people at the right time. When people search for a solution to their problem your product or service addresses (whether they know it exists or not), your company can show up at the top of their search results with an ad on Google.

    Currently, Google uses “Ad” in bold letters to show the user which are ads versus the organic search results (a result of SEO). They’re usually the first few results and a few more towards the bottom of the page.

    Google Ads are targeted ads based on search queries. This means that people searching for what you offer will be more likely to click through and find out more about your business, call you, or send you their information. With Google Ads, you customize your ad targeting so that it shows up for specific keywords related to your business.

    The Argument for Social Media Ads

    Social media has transformed how consumers interact – it has become an integral part of business. Through social ads, businesses can tap into this space and create relationships with their customers that may not otherwise exist.

    Using social media ads, you can show tailored content specifically to certain groups of people based on audience targeting. It’s a great way to create engagement between customers and your brand – which can ultimately lead to more purchases due to stronger relationships.

    Depending on your chosen objective, social ads can get more traffic to your website, create brand awareness, capture leads, promote an app, or get people to convert (in my experience, the sales objective is best for retargeting warm leads).

    Facebook and Instagram ads work really well for brand awareness and traffic. They’re also great if you have a download or quiz for lead generation. One Facebook Lead Ad I created for a health coach with a digital download gathered hundreds of email addresses in a month with less than a $100 budget. Over seven months, they spent about $500 in ad spend and brought in over 1,300 leads in the form of email addresses.

    Should You Use Google Ads or Facebook Ads?

    There are several things to consider when deciding which type of digital ad is the best fit for your business.

    • Budget is obviously a major factor. Pricing varies between the two and across social media networks, but both are cheaper than traditional advertising methods like television commercials or radio spots.
    • How much time and effort can you put into creating and managing the ads?
    • Advertising goals – Do you want website traffic, people to engage with your posts, leads, purchases, or something else?
    • What type of audience are you trying to reach? This includes demographics like age, location, and interests, but also where your potential customers or patients are in their journey to make a purchase or schedule a consultation.

    Ultimately, it’s important to remember that both types of digital ads can effectively achieve your business goals if managed properly. To be honest, you should probably be using both, and maybe even LinkedIn Ads too.

    Here are some more of my insights that will help you when deciding to use Google Ads or Facebook Ads:

    • Social media ads are often easier to manage for beginners but do require design work upfront and tweaking throughout the campaign term.
    • Don’t waste your money on DIYing Google ads if you don’t have time to check on the ads and keywords weekly at the minimum. It’s better to hire a professional who knows what they’re doing.
    • Running larger campaigns across multiple platforms may be preferable if you need maximum exposure.
    • If building relationships with customers is most important to you, then investing in social media advertising would make sense over relying solely on Google Ads.

    When it comes down to it — test the different options to determine which is most effective for your business goals.

     

    Need help with your online ads? I’m certified in Google Ads Search, and we’ve helped clients create digital ads for several years now. Reach out if you’re ready to take the next step in your online marketing!

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  • Social Media Marketing, Social Media Tips

    Should You Use Hashtags on Instagram in 2023?

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    As social media continues to evolve, one of the most talked-about topics right now is whether or not to use hashtags on Instagram. I’m sure you’ve seen influencers dancing around on reels lately, telling you that hashtags are a waste of time and no longer work.

    I disagree.

    The Argument FOR Hashtags on Instagram in 2023

    Hashtags tell Instagram what your content is about. They’re a great way to categorize posts, making them visible to users who otherwise may not have found you. However, generic or overly used hashtags like #acupuncture or #yoga are often flooded with other people’s posts, decreasing their effectiveness. Do some research and identify several “long-tail” hashtags like #acupunctureforfertility or #therapeuticyoga.

    I’ve discussed the importance of using regional hashtags to improve your local social media presence, so I won’t go into it too much here. The basics are to search neighborhoods, town/city names, and abbreviations for your area to find your local hashtags.

    The max number of hashtags allowed per Instagram post is 30. Even though it might sound tempting, you should only use relevant hashtags that are directly related to your content. Consider the relevance of each hashtag you choose. Using too many may not help, and using none at all can leave your content hidden from potential followers. 

    Evaluate Your Hashtag Performance with Instagram Insights

    While celebrities and influencers with thousands to millions of followers may not find it necessary to use hashtags, your Instagram Insights will give you a better idea of what’s right for your account. 

    Screenshot of Instagram Insights

    In the above screenshot, you can see there were 878 impressions from hashtags compared to 423 attributed to Home, Profile, and Other. That’s more than half and is reason enough for me to continue using them.

    Check out the insights on your single image and carousel posts to see how many impressions are from hashtags versus from the home feed. This will give you an idea of whether using them has been worthwhile for your account up to this point. You may find out that hashtags aren’t really working for you, in which case I’d recommend doing some hashtag research to find some new ones. 

    Get Expert Help with Social Media Management for Your Small Business

    Ultimately, quality content will encourage others to follow your page and turn followers into customers or patients, not hashtags. But remember, there is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to using hashtags – it all depends on what works best for you!

    Need help managing the social media accounts for your small business? Tidal Creative Group can help! Learn more about our services here and if you don’t see something that works for you, feel free to email info@tidalcreativegroup.com to discuss other options.

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  • Social Media Marketing, Social Media Tips

    Instagram Pinned Posts – What to Pin on Instagram and How to Pin

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    If you’re like most small business owners, then you’re always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to market your business. And if you’re not already using Instagram, then you’re definitely missing out! Instagram is a great way to connect with your customers and share images of your products, services, share a peek behind the scenes, and so much more.

    One of the newest features – and coolest to my marketing-focused mind – is that you can pin posts to your Instagram profile so that they stay at the top of your feed. Instagram pinned posts are front and center for new people first checking you out and those long-time followers who are finally ready to engage more with you.

    The question is what to pin. Should you share your most engaged posts, a sales pitch, an educational reel, or something else?

    In this blog post, I’ll show you how to set up your three pinned posts on Instagram and a few ideas of what you should be pinning to get the most value out of them.

    What to Add to Your 3 Instagram Pinned Posts

    Instagrammed pinned posts are a great way to address HubSpot’s Flywheel model that replaces the marketing funnel of days past.

    The idea of the Flywheel is to “Attract, Engage, and Delight” the strangers who become prospects, then customers, and eventually promoters of your business. It keeps your business growing. You can learn more about the HubSpot Flywheel on their website.

    Back to the Instagram pinned posts…

    The three posts that you pin to Instagram should move people along in their buyer’s journey and help them to build a relationship with you and your brand.

    Following the Flywheel, let’s look at a few options. The types of posts listed could overlap in multiple steps of the Flywheel:

    • Your newest post
    • An educational post with a CTA to send you a DM
    • A post that quickly shares what you offer
    • A Q&A thread post to keep the conversation going
    • A client testimonial
    • A post that sets the tone for the rest of your feed (colors, fonts, design, etc.)
    • A post that explains how people can get started
    • An introductory post that shows why you’re the right person to work with
    • Your most engaged post or reel

    Use a mix of single-image posts, carousels, reels, and videos in your top 3 pinned posts. People absorb information better in different formats so trying to connect in multiple ways is always helpful.

    How to Pin Posts to Instagram

     The process to pin posts on Instagram is simple to do the first time and when you want to switch out your pinned posts to something else in the future.

    Here are three easy steps to set your pinned posts on Instagram once you’ve identified them:

    1. Go to your Instagram profile and tap the post.
    2. Click the ellipsis (…) and tap “Pin to your profile.”
    3. Repeat for the other two posts.

    That’s it! You can confirm the three posts that are pinned by the pushpin at the top right of the images on your profile.

    Removing pinned posts is just as easy. Click the post you want to remove, tap the ellipsis, and tap “Unpin from your profile.”

    Need help with your Instagram strategy?

    In addition to our done-for-you services, we also offer digital marketing consulting and coaching. This option saves you some money and allows you to handle digital marketing yourself. Click here to send a message and set up a call. Your first 15 minutes are free!

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  • Business, Marketing, Online Marketing

    3 Marketing Efforts That Deserve a Permanent Spot on Your To-Do List

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    Marketing is always changing. That’s a fact. With every new trend, new technology, and new world event that occurs, your marketing strategy needs to be flexible and adaptable.

    When you’re running a business, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by these constant changes. Do you feel yourself falling into either of these categories?

    The Marketing Overhaul: You’re convinced that each time something new comes out, you need to completely revamp your marketing strategy. You’re always starting from scratch, which can be exhausting and actually set you back further than if you’d just stuck with one solid plan.

    The Marketing Underachiever: You hear about all these changes but you just can’t keep up. You’re too busy running your business to worry about Marketing 2.0 or the latest trending sound on Reels. As a result, your marketing strategy is outdated and you’re not reaching your full potential.

    Neither approaches are ideal, but there is a middle ground, and focusing your marketing efforts has a lot to do with it.

    Where to Focus your Marketing Efforts?

    You can’t be expected to do everything, but you also shouldn’t be completely ignorant of the changes in social media and digital marketing. We’ve put together a list of three areas that we think business owners and healthcare providers need to continue to focus their marketing efforts on for the rest of 2022 and likely beyond.

    Watch this video, to learn more, or continue reading to fully understand why I believe these marketing efforts should always be on your to-do list.

    1. Creating authentic relationships

    The most important thing you can do for your marketing is to create and nurture authentic relationships with your audience. In a world where consumers are bombarded with marketing messages, they’re more likely to pay attention to – and buy from – brands that feel like friends.

    2. Maintaining consistency

    With so many channels and platforms to choose from, it can be tempting to try to be everywhere at once. But when you’re spreading yourself too thin, you risk diluting your message and confusing your audience. It’s important to find the right mix of channels for your business and then focus on delivering a consistent message in the proper format.

    3. Reaching new prospects

    Even if you have a great product or service, you won’t get very far if you’re not reaching new prospects or patients. That’s why it’s important to invest in marketing efforts that will help you reach new people. From paid advertising to PR to content marketing, there are a number of ways to get your brand in front of new eyes.

    Get Started with Your Marketing

    Now that you know where to focus your marketing efforts, it’s time to get started. If you’re not sure where to begin, we can help! Here at Tidal Creative Group, we work with small businesses and healthcare providers to create tailored marketing plans that get results. Contact us today to learn more!

     

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  • Local Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Tips

    8 Tips to Generate More Interaction on Social Media

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    Have you ever tried to get more interaction on social media? You know that it’s important, but you probably don’t know where to start. With these simple tips and tricks for getting more engagement on social media, your posts will be seen by the people who are interested in what you have to say.

    8 Tips to Get More Interaction on Social Media

    Interaction or engagement is a tricky thing. It’s not something that can be obtained without effort, and it’s never easy to keep up with social media trends – did you see that Instagram FINALLY published details on how their algorithm works earlier this month?! The more engagement that you get on your posts, the better chance there is of people seeing your content- which means more views for you! So how do you increase engagement?

    Here are some quick tips:

    1. Be Authentic – Speak to your audience in an engaging and personable way.
    2. Mix it Up – Try to change up the types of posts you are making so that each one is unique and interesting.
    3. Be Original – Make sure you are posting original content that people will find helpful or entertaining, not just regurgitating what other pages have posted on their social media feeds already.
    4. Time it Right – Post at optimal times based on previous data from your social media accounts.
    5. Provide Value – Create content your audience will find valuable, rather than just posting for the sake of creating something new to post about. Think about what you’re posting before you hit publish.
    6. Use emojis – They are a great way to show your brand’s personality and break up blocks of text.
    7. Be Detailed, but Succinct – Nobody wants to read all day on social media feeds, so edit your posts down as much as possible. As Kate Chernis says, it’s “one part writing and four parts editing.”
    8. Tag Others – It’s not just about you! Make sure you tag relevant people, businesses, and organizations – especially if you’re resharing their content!

    These easy-to-implement tips will help you get more shares, comments, likes, and followers every time you post something new! Something all small, local businesses strive for.

    If you want to get more engagement on social media, it’s important for your posts to be authentic and original. If you’re looking for a few simple tips to help increase the number of likes or shares on your next post, make sure not to forget these helpful tips!

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  • SEO Tips

    How to Write SEO-Friendly Content that Gets Results

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    Earlier in 2019, I was certified as an Expert SEO Content Writer. I already had a lot of knowledge on how to write SEO-friendly content, but everything I knew was learned from my own research and real-world experience.

    Today I want to talk to you about some SEO (Search Engine Optimization) basics:

    • Why SEO helps to attract new customers
    • What are keywords and how do you find the right ones for your website
    • Other tips I’ve learned over more than nine years as an online writer about how to write SEO-friendly content

    I also talked a little about this topic on The B2B Mix Show Podcast. Give it a listen to learn more about working with a freelance writer.

    What is SEO, and why do you need it?

    First of all, let’s establish what SEO is. I’m sure you’ve heard about it on commercials and in conversations with other website owners. You know that you need it, but what is SEO?

    SEO or Search Engine Optimization is an online practice to improve your rankings on search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Most conversations, including this one, revolve around Google since 92% of the world uses it.

    HubSpot reports that 75% of people don’t go beyond page one of the search results. Doing what you can to rank higher is critical to your success in generating leads on the Internet.

    What are keywords, and how do you find them?

    Keywords or keyword strings are words or phrases that site owners incorporate into their web copy. These are the words or phrases that your ideal customer is searching online.

    You may be saying to yourself, “That’s great and all, but how do I identify which keywords to use?” I have some suggestions and tools that will help.

    Find valuable keywords by thinking about the common questions or issues your buyer is facing.

    I’ll take an example from the health and wellness space, specifically for a diabetes health coach like my client Melissa Slemp. Using UberSuggest.com, I searched “weight gain and diabetes.”

    Screenshot of Keyword Overview from UberSuggest.com

    Search Volume tells me how many people are searching the term “weight gain and diabetes.” I can see the SEO Difficulty is easy with a score of 10. This is decent, but when I scroll down below the graph, there’s a list of related keywords and I see a better option.

    I see that “weight gain from diabetes” is a more common search term with 1,300 queries a month. The difficulty is a bit higher at 28, but it’s still shown as easy to rank.

    I also see a question listed, “can weight gain cause diabetes?” This is perfect to use as a primary keyword and a blog title. You could also incorporate the other two search terms as secondary keywords.

    From a quick search, I now have a title and three keywords I can target in a blog post. A few other sites you can use to gather information on search terms and what your audience is looking for are:

    • Google Trends
    • Kwfinder.com
    • Squirrely plug-in for WordPress
    • Pinterest

    Stop now and plug a common phrase or question from your industry into UberSuggest.com and use the steps above to find a keyword or two you can target in your next blog post or long-form article.

    Got it? Okay, then let’s move on.

    How to use keywords in your blog – 8 Tips to write SEO-friendly content

    Historically, SEO writers have had a bad reputation for trying to game the system (i.e., Google) and stuff articles with keywords and irrelevant links to increase their rankings. Google quickly caught on, and if you try the keyword stuffing technique today, you’re bound to do more damage than good on your website. It’s an awful practice that doesn’t help the user or you.

    The practice of SEO writing today is reliant on several best practices, most importantly, answering a question and providing helpful content for the reader. For more info here are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind when writing your next SEO-friendly blog:

    • Use your primary keyword in the title and a few of your subheaders or H2s.
    • Incorporate your keywords into an H3 subheader before the final paragraph. I usually write it as part of a call to action. Following the example of the above, it would be something like “Contact me to discuss natural options when it comes to weight gain from diabetes.”
    • Include the keyword and variations of it in the body of your article. If you’re stumped on related terms and you didn’t find enough from UberSuggest, hop over to Google. Plug your keyword in and scroll to the bottom of the page to see “Searches related to ____.”
    • Research the competition. Plug your keyword into Google and see what others have written on the topic. Try to find ways that you can add to the conversation and not regurgitate what someone else has already said. You want to uplevel the competition on your keywords.
    • Link to credible sources. Find statistics or other information from trustworthy sites that you can incorporate into your blog post. Using credible outside links notifies Google that your website is likely reliable since you’ve done your research.
    • Link to other articles within your site. Find words or phrases within your article that you can link to other content or pages on your website. A good example of this practice is above where I linked “SEO writing” to my copywriting service page.
    • Tell a story while thinking about your search terms. When you’re writing, keep your keywords top of mind, but don’t let them control everything that you write. You need to be cautious not to overdo it and end up with a keyword-stuffed article. Aim to keep the use of your primary keyword under 3% of your document, and your secondary keywords under 2%.
    • Use SEO to guide your content strategy. Create a plan for the next few months of content by theming your content based around keywords. When your keywords and blog topics are already planned out, it makes it easier when you sit down to write. Start with the basic topics and drill down into specifics – then you’re able to link back to the foundational articles in future content.

    Get results from your SEO content!

    If you consistently follow the tips and suggestions I’ve outlined above, you’ll eventually see results. SEO is not an overnight fix to instantly bring tons of traffic to your website. It’s a strategy that takes time and effort. 

    Contact me for a free consultation if you need help with strategizing or creating new content.

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