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.

How to Find and Pitch Beauty Health and Style Influencers

If you are running a small business, chances are that publicity and marketing for your brand and product line are on your mind. Without a dedicated publicist, contact emails, editorial calendars and the all-too-important relationship with your chosen print or broadcast editor, this type of media may be out of reach. Or maybe you simply want to increase awareness faster than the 3-4 month lead time that magazine editors require and are looking to work with bloggers and influencers.

Many businesses understand the value of partnering with influencers such as bloggers, YouTube creators and Instagram influencers to endorse their particular brands, but they don’t know where to begin and what criteria should be put into place to discern between someone of influence and someone who is a hobbyist. Not to mention, what are the rules of engagement? How do you approach them and maintain a positive relationship?

As bloggers ourselves at Top Tier Media, we have a few tips you will find helpful.

Where to Find Influential Influencers:

1. Pinterest
   Pinterest is a blogger’s dream. It is the place where blogs get pinned and re-pinned with very little effort. Pinterest overflows with millions of professional pictures of blog-worthy outfits, delectable recipes and brag-worthy adventures. Behind many of these pictures are bloggers. Many have enormous followings and earn regular incomes because of this. Take a look at their Pinterest statistics. Their number of followers, pins and likes will show how influential they are in the marketplace and how often they are active on the site. Strategically partnering with a blogger with a large enough following can send loads of traffic back to a site with eager customers.
2. Instagram
   Hashtags are the best ways to find beauty bloggers on Instagram. Try searching hashtags such as #beautyblogger, #lifestyleblogger, styleblogger #fashionblogger, etc. Want to find a beauty blogger in your specific niche? Try #crueltyfreeblogger, #veganbeauty, #over40style, #greenbeauty, #drugstoremakeup, etc. The hashtags can help point to a particular authority in that field. Look for Instagram users who post regularly, stay within a theme and have true engagement in the form of likes and comments. While follower numbers are important, if the engagement doesn’t jive with the follower count, then it is likely that the Instagrammer may have “bought” fake fans. If the influencer doesn’t have a physical blog linked to in their bio, they typically have their direct contact information listed.
3. YouTube
   YouTube is the ultimate tool for finding influencers to endorse a product. With any given topic featured on YouTube, the most popular content creators show up at the top of the search results. Try searching keywords like you would on Instagram.

Remember – microinfluencers, celebrity influencers, and those with large followings will likely charge a fee for their services. You must not only be willing to send free product, but (oftentimes) have the budget to pay their fees for promotion.

What to Avoid When Pitching Bloggers:

1. Leaving a comment on a blog post/video/social media post regarding your brand, product and that you’d like the blogger to write about it. Some brands have even posted entire press releases in the comments – that’s a HUGE no-no and a big turn off.
2. Tagging a blogger telling them they must try your product with a link to it. (And more so, doing this incessantly when the blogger does not respond.)
3. Ignoring how they want to be pitched (which is usually found in their About/Contact section.)

How to Pitch Influential Beauty and Health Influencers:

1. Send relevant press kits. Of course you wouldn’t send pitches for beauty products to a food blogger. But, go one step further and read the “About” section and a few posts before contacting – for example – don’t make the mistake of pitching a product with animal ingredients to a vegan beauty blogger!
2. Perfect your pitch. Address the blogger by name – make it seem personal and not like a mass email (even if it is – but we don’t recommend mass pitches in general.) Don’t forget to include information about your product, small photos or pdfs (don’t clog up in-boxes without asking; “Photos available upon request” works beautifully), a link to your product’s website (you won’t believe how many people forget the link), your contact information, when the product will be released, prices, etc.
3. Use the magic words. Include the phrase “press samples available” instead of asking to send products for review. This is a subtle way to encourage bloggers to ask YOU for the product. While there is no obligation for bloggers to review your product (unless you have a written agreement to pay for an “advertorial”), they will be more likely to do so if they have requested the product samples.

Need help pitching influencers? To start a conversation with Top Tier Media regarding blogger outreach and your social media strategy, contact us today!

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.

3 Ways Social Media Is Changing Advertising

Today’s advertising landscape is an eclectic array of both online and real-world marketing strategies, from a post on Instagram to a billboard on a main drag. Social media, in particular, has created an entirely new platform for businesses to attract customers. Because social media is interactive, advertising is now more about relationships than ever before.

Take a look at some of the tops ways social media is changing advertising:

Constant Contact

When it came to old-fashioned advertising, your flyer or billboard had to be located in a busy area to be seen by hundreds or thousands of people. Advertising through social media allows your business to be in constant contact with key customers. Every time potential customers access their social media accounts, which is often up to a dozen times a day, there is another chance for them to see your posts, pictures and updates. There is no need to wait for customers to walk past your billboard because you can reach them on a daily basis through social media. They may even share or comment on your content, making your business even more visible in the marketplace.

Familiarity

With so many products and brands in the marketplace, consumers are often bombarded by images and logos throughout the day. Basic psychology reveals that people look for mental shortcuts as they make daily decisions. You cannot, for instance, research EVERY type of cosmetic, fashion or health product  to verify which are the best. People look for well-known brands and logos or testimonials from friends, family and influencers to learn about new products. Your business can use social media ads to reach your demographic and stay top of mind.

Targeted Audience

One of the major ways that social media has enhanced advertising is easier targeting. If your business sells cell phone accessories, for example, you may want to pinpoint teens and young adults in your advertising strategy. Post quirky or funny videos surrounding device use or start a conversation about tablets versus smartphones. The more you engage with your targeted audience, they’ll be more inclined to buy your product repeatedly because of the strong social media relationship. You have given them interesting news and conversation-starters which pique their interest, and make them want to learn more.

Take your social media to the next level by creating targeted ads for your demographic. Contact Top Tier Social Media for help with social media management and ad creation.

How to Pitch Beauty, Health and Style Influencers and Bloggers

Got a great beauty, fashion, health or lifestyle product to share with the world? Beauty, health and style bloggers can be a great way to reach your target audience. Influencers can get the word out! But how do you reach them? What are the unspoken rules? Not sure how to craft your pitch? Read on!

Here are some tips:

• Send relevant press kits. Of course you wouldn’t send pitches for auto parts to a food blogger. But, go one stop further and read the “About” section and a few blog posts before contacting – don’t make the mistake of sending a cheese product to a vegan blogger!
• Perfect your pitch. Address the blogger by name – make it seem personal and not like a mass email (even if it is – but we don’t recommend mass pitches in general). Don’t forget to include information about your product, small photos or pdfs (don’t clog up in-boxes without asking; “Photos available upon request” works beautifully), a link to your product’s website (you won’t believe how many people forget the link), your contact information, when the product will be released, prices, etc.
• Use the magic words. Include the phrase “press samples available” instead of asking to send products for review. This is a subtle way to encourage bloggers to ask YOU for the product. While there is no obligation for bloggers to review your product (unless you have a written agreement to pay for an “advertorial”), they will be more likely to do so if they have requested the product samples.
• Be professional and courteous at all times. You should cultivate relationships with bloggers the same way you would with traditional editors and press staff. Remember, when you submit a product for review, you are not paying a copywriter to write glowing words about your product – you are asking for an unbiased review. Many bloggers have a wide sphere of influence on the web through blog readership and social media channels. It’s best to keep relationships friendly and mutually beneficial!
• Follow Up. If you have sent a product, but not received a review or an ETA, follow up. You are much more likely to get a review if you maintain communication with the editor. Be careful not to be pushy or demanding, or you may sever future relationships.
• Don’t call. Phone calls are a thing of the past in the online world. Many bloggers see phone calls as negative and intrusive. Send your pitch via email and feel free to follow up, but don’t call unless you have permission.
• Never demand a write-up in exchange for a promotional event invitation. It is implied that bloggers will do their best to write about events they attend, event sponsors, etc. It is considered poor form to demand a blog post, just as it would be considered tacky to invite a TV or newspaper editor to an event on conditional terms. Relax. Even if you don’t get a write-up, you’ve made a connection. Never discount the power of networking!

Need help finding and pitching influencers in your niche? Top Tier Media can help!