Important Tips for Sharing Content on Social Media

According to U.S. copyright law, it is illegal to publish someone else’s work on your website or blog without their permission. It doesn’t matter if you give proper attribution and link to them. If the artist or writer never gave you their permission, then it is theft.

Content Theft On Websites Vs Social Media

Now, that’s how it works when it comes to scraping text or copying photos, cartoons and videos off other people’s websites and publishing them on your own. But when it comes to sharing on social media, things are a little different.

Sharing someone else’s work is very different from stealing it. You don’t have to look very far on social media to find users who will copy someone else’s images, erase their signature or watermark from the images and then share them as if they themselves had created them. That is theft, and if you do that sort of thing, you will eventually get reported and have your account shut down.

Social Media Sharing: Best Practices

To protect yourself from crossing the line into copyright infringement and content theft, there are a couple of simple steps you should take before copying and sharing someone else’s art, photography or writing on social media.

First, look over the person’s profile to see if they specifically request that people not share their work without permission. Remember, many of these creators are making a living from their work, so they are losing money when people share their work without permission or without attribution. So if they specifically ask not to share, then don’t share without their permission.

Most content creators and influencers will be happy to have their work shared with attribution – that’s why they’re posting their work on social media in the first place. But it doesn’t hurt to check their profiles first. And ALWAYS ask for permission before posting.

Second, when you do share, always tag the writer or artist or account from which you took the content. This is just good etiquette and common courtesy. But don’t just tag them in the photo. Instead, tag them in the caption or text so that your followers will see the tag and click through to see more from that creator.

Many content creators love shout-outs like this to grow their business. So if you enjoy their work and want to support them, then be sure to give attribution in a way that will send more people to their page. But, do be careful not to share from the same person over and over. There’s a fine line between sharing content and scraping/stealing.

Ready to outsource your digital marketing? Top Tier Media provides a full range of social media marketing and influencer outreach services. Contact us today to find out more.

Top 14 Instagram Apps for Bloggers and Social Media Marketers

Social Media: Defining Goals and Expectations

It’s no secret that social media is the driving force behind engagement marketing for many different types of brands today. With so many platforms to chose from targeting varying demographics, it makes sense that any business looking to establish their social reputation and expand their reach would do so with an eye towards utilizing social media to their own best advantage.

However before diving head-on into the fray, it is critically important for every brand owner to set realistic expectations for their company in terms of what social media can (and cannot) do for them. Though invaluable for reaching the masses, social media platforms are not a panacea when it comes to a poorly planned marketing strategy and as we all know, becoming an overnight hit rarely happens “overnight.”

Define Clear Objectives

The first step is to be realistic about what social media sites can and cannot accomplish. To simply establish an Instagram or Facebook page and posting pretty photos is not going to generate brand awareness on any meaningful scale. In order to create a community of brand loyalists, extensive planning must first take place before any actual data is transmitted.

Ask yourself:

“What do I expect social media to actually accomplish?”

“What steps will it take for me to reach that goal?”

“How long do I expect for it to take to accomplish that goal?”

Additionally, you’ll need to establish short and long term goals and identify key metrics to measure success. What does success look like? Is it acquiring 10-20% new fans weekly? Is it a strategic tweet garnering a set amount of retweets? Is it increasing sales monthly? And by how much? How often will you measure growth – weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly?

Understanding Social Media’s Role

It’s likely many business owners look at the role of social media sites as a way for prospective customers to obtain the somewhat nebulous concept of “brand awareness.” However, in reality there are several roles a strong social media presence can fill.

When focusing on social media’s role for your brand, try to think of uses that go beyond simply hyping a product or service. Several top brands such as Virgin America and Target have developed dedicated online followings by passing pertinent information to followers and offering superior customer service. Sometimes it’s not the social platform that drives the initial sale, but it is the customer care post-sale that creates brand loyalty for future sales.

Have a Long-Term Strategy:

Expecting near-instantaneous mass saturation of your brand is at best a pipe dream. The most successful social media campaigns have nearly all been the result of long-term planning and lots of trial and error. If you think you’ve got it all figured out, think again! Be flexible with your approach, and never become so wed to one idea that you’re not willing to abandon it if a better one comes along.

It’s an old adage that “slow and steady wins the race”, but in the case of social media campaigns this advice still rings true. There is no shortage of factors to consider when it comes to having a well thought-out social media presence. However, with a logical approach combined with realistic goals, you can offer yourself your best chance to succeed.

5 Best Practices for Instagram Content

With tens of millions of active users, Instagram is a marketing tool you can’t overlook. It’s not just another social network. It’s the best place to go beyond text and introduce your brand visually to your audience. It’s a more personal and interactive way to engage with customers.

Gaining followers requires more than just posting pretty pictures though. Make sure you’re posting only the best content while optimizing marketing strategy and using relevant calls to action.

1. Focus On Quality

Blurry or fuzzy images aren’t a good representation of your brand. The top brands have one thing in common – their images always look stunning. Utilize Instagram’s editing tools or outside photo editing apps or software to clean up images. You can also use a DSLR camera to make your images sharper.

2. Keep It Personal

Some of the most popular brands on Instagram don’t focus on blatant product marketing. For instance, The Ellen Show posts more candid shots of things that go on backstage. Using images your audience can relate to versus just images of your products makes your brand seem more personal and relatable.

3. Turn Them Into A Story

Thinking of what to post is one of the hardest parts of using Instagram. Keep it simple by turning your images into a story. For instance, if your launching a new product, post fun shots from the initial planning meeting, demos in action, the first official product coming off the assembly line and your team posing around the first product display.

Pictures are worth a 1,000 words. Create a novel by sharing your story through Instagram.

4. Have Personality

Uploading bland pictures of products against a white backdrop or people posing uncomfortably with your products isn’t going to help build followers. Is your brand fun? Post pictures of your staff playing around or people using your product at a popular event. The more personality your pictures have, the easier they are to relate to.

5. Use Hashtags

Skipping hashtags is like trying to yell in a crowd of millions. If you want your pictures seen, you have to use relevant hashtags. Participate in trending hashtags whenever possible for more exposure or create your own event specific ones to boost brand awareness. Make sure to use hashtags that aren’t overly broad (#naturalmakeup vs #makeup for example). You can use up to 30 hashtags in the first comment after posting your image. You can use up to 10 hashtags in Instagram stories.

The most important thing to remember on Instagram is to have fun and interact with your followers. Do this and it’ll be well worth your time. Looking for help with your Instagram strategy? Contact Top Tier Media for help!

Do I Have to Show my Face on Social Media?

If you’re a brand owner, in a word – yes. Sharing your face, your personality and glimpses behind the scenes are what make consumers trust you. You started your company with a passion. Now you have to let others see that passion. Don’t be afraid to share a little slice of life with your customers. They will stop seeing you as a faceless corporation and start seeing the person (or people) behind the brand. If this is too much sharing for you, hire a community manager to be the face of your company.

The first time I heard the term, “community manager” when referred to social media management I pictured that warm, friendly landlord that always waves at you when you leave your apartment. After all, an online community manager seems so much more approachable in sharp contrast to the terms, “expert in social media” or “social media specialist.” If you have a consumer complaint or question, would you rather ask an expert or a specialist or a community manager?

While it’s rare that any major brand is not on Facebook or Twitter these days, brands are still seemingly represented by faceless voices. While a brand may respond to one of my tweets, isn’t it odd that there is still a disconnect between the consumer and the person that represents the brand? Isn’t the point of social media marketing to make things more targeted, more direct and more personal? Let’s examine the potential pros and cons of a social media specialist versus an online community manager. Is there even a difference?

Call any customer service line and you are greeted with, “Thank you for calling ___, My name is so and so…” or you enter a department store and every employee has on a name tag (sometimes with an additional tagline, I’m here to help!) My store receipt usually identifies the name of the cashier that just checked out my groceries. Even a particular cosmetics company I love stamps their products with a sticker identifying the person who packaged MY particular shower gel with their picture and their name! (It’s actually one of my favorite things about the company.) So why, in an age when we are using the most personal of online platforms to connect, market, advertise and eventually sell, are we not identifying who we are?

The few companies that I have seen utilizing this personalization of social media really caught my eye and I haven’t forgotten about them. For example, I know that I can go to Social Media Examiner’s Facebook page and ask Andrea a question and she will quickly respond to me. (I love that!) There’s something to be said for a consistent tone and “online voice” when it’s connected to one specific person – granted it’s the right tone. There’s also a promise of accountability with giving your name in a customer service oriented world. This makes accountability an essential key to superior customer service, both in person, on the phone or through social media platforms.

With this accountability is there also an equal danger of making ONE social media specialist’s face an online representative of a brand? After all, what if a consumer doesn’t like the social media specialist merely based on superficial factors? Most likely, the net gain of happy consumers will outweigh any negatives. Either way, if social media has become a front runner in the world of making customer service more personalized, it just doesn’t make sense that online brand representatives are not identifying themselves. If Facebook and Twitter are becoming a tool for more personable, targeted marketing – why is social media hiding behind the anonymity of the internet?

What to Expect from Social Media Marketing

While social media marketing has been proven to have an overall positive impact on sales, it is not going to work overnight. Do not get discouraged if it takes a long time to build a decent following, and do not expect an instant upswing in sales. In my experience, it can take 5-8 months to build a decent following with good customer interaction and engagement.

Remember that your social media presence is like your own personal real estate. Your fans and followers grow and become more and more valuable over time. However, it is very important to keep it going. Constant interaction with your fans keeps you and your brand on their radar.

Building a following on social networking sites will take a lot of effort, but once you get the ball rolling you’ll gradually begin to see results. In order to start things off on the right foot you should include the URL to all of your social networking pages on your business cards, in your email signatures and on all print advertising. It is also a good idea to have all of your employees follow each of the company’s pages.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in a nutshell means optimizing your website and social media channels for specific keywords and content to help customers find you when searching via Google or other search engines. SEO can help drive qualified­ potential customers to your social networking pages, so be sure to put a lot of thought into the content that you post. Although it is very important to build an online community made up of your current customers, it is even more vital to reach out to new potential clients. SEO will help you achieve this goal, as individuals who use a search engine may be driven to your social networking page based on one of your posts.

Once you’ve put all of the pieces in place, you will begin to see the several benefits that are associated with social media marketing.

Your community of followers will grow on a regular basis, and many of them will become actively involved with your page. Reaching out to these followers regularly will encourage them to become brand ambassadors. These are your biggest fans and will often tell others about both your business and your page, which will result in higher follower numbers and increased sales activity. You can encourage the growth of sales by running special promotions, but pay close attention to the results. If no one takes you up on the offer then you need to tweak your message going forward.

Another perk of social media marketing is that when it’s done correctly, it really helps your business stand out from your competitors. The majority of your customers are likely to be online, and if your social media presence is more welcoming than that of your competitors’, then their customers may soon become your customers instead.

If you set realistic social media marketing goals and ensure that your pages and ads are updated regularly, then you will see a long-term positive impact. Stick with your social networking pages while they’re in their infancy and make sure to listen to the input of your followers. In time you’ll have a strong base of followers, and they will help introduce new potential customers to your page.

Maintaining a strong social media presence will take not only time, but also a firm commitment. It is very important to respond to followers who ask questions or make comments, be they positive or negative. Posting regular content, which is applicable to what your business is all about, combined with being responsive will help you build a strong base of followers. Building this base will take time, but in the long run it can have a very positive impact on both your overall brand image and sales.