1. Your Profile is Private and Not a Business Account

The default Instagram account is a personal account, but with a personal account there is far less people able to see your products and services. If your account is private no one other than people who follow you are seeing your posts. Most people think there is nothing to see, or it is a spam account when a business account is private. Avoid creating distrust by going into your privacy settings and turning off “private account”. Then go to the account settings and the option to switch to business account should appear. Select a category that best describes your business then fill out your business info. Now you have tools and insights that help you analyze your posts, IGTV, Instagram Stories, Reels, Videos, and Carousals.  

2. Monotonous and Repetitive Content 

Only posting the same type of content is boring. It also causes you to lose user retention and loose client interest in your brand. You want a healthy mix of photos, videos, stories, and carousals on a variety of topics related to your industry. Here are a few types of posts you can fill your account with to keep it looking interesting:

• How-to-use video
• Client testimonial
• Event post
• Benefit of your product/service post
• New product/service post
• Industry tips carousal 

3. Lack of Post Regularity  

Ideally it would be great to post daily, but this can lead to burnout. Not posting consistently leads to decrease visibility and a decrease in lead generation. Have a post schedule. You want to post on days and times your audience is most active. For example, you are selling backpacks to teens. The estimated best time to post would be between 11am-1pm and 3pm -4pm when they are lunch and after school are when they are most likely to have their full attention on the platform. If you are struggling to create post designs and post it on pre-scheduled time, you may consider hiring a digital marketing firm that provides social media marketing services, even if it is just 1 post a month to lighten the load. 

4. You Avoid Collaboration      

Some businesses avoid collaboration because they think it takes away attention from people solely focusing on them, but they are wrong. Instagram influencer marketing leads to expanding your audience and lead generation, thus increasing your sales. Businesses also make the mistake that influencers are just high-end celebrities. Small town Instagram influencers are just as affective, if not more due to their ability to keep a close relationship with their audience. Some examples on type of small-town influencers are:

• A local teacher
• Small mom-and-pop shops
• Food trucks 
• A local state official 
• A travel blogger
• Hair/Makeup artist 
• Entrepreneurs 
• Podcasters 

5. Skipping Calls-to-Action and Using the Wrong Hashtags 

If you want users to buy now, then include “buy now” in the graphic or text. If you want them to call include your phone #. It is not enough to have pretty images. You must tell your audience on how to reach your business. Most Instagram users are scanning images, so you want to make your call-to-action stands out, especially if other companies are selling something similar. Also include the correct hashtags. Do keyword research and think about what your audience would search for to find a product or service like yours.  

We can help improve your business’s Instagram account. Call 248.528.3600.

The post 5 Common Instagram Marketing Mistakes to Avoid appeared first on Miller Media, Digital Marketing Agency, PPC, Industrial Web Design, WordPress.

Post and Advertise on Social Media 

Create a feed that is festive and fun. If you sell products supply gift guides. If you are a service-based company create a joyous atmosphere around your services. Contests and give aways are popular during the season because people are hoping to get a least one free gift for someone this year. Make sure the contest or give away is fun and rememberable that way the client will be encouraged to purchase something from your brand in the future. Take group photos of your company being charitable and giving back to your local community. 

Organize or Attend a Value-Added Sales Event 

Invite groups of people to your store for an exclusive sales event or attend a festival where there is a high influx of people holiday shopping. Both ways let you meet new customers and local business owners you may partner up with in the future. These person-to-person meetings allow you to create a positive experience for customers that they will remember off the holiday season, thus building brand loyalty and trust. 

Decorate Your Website 

Whether you are strictly a small online shop or a small local brick-and-mortar shop, it is fun to decorate your website. Having a holiday vide will get people in the mood and brighten their day. Add a Santa hat to your logo or any other item associated with holidays celebrated at this time. Add falling snow to your website or create a fun cursor to grab visitors’ attention. These will increase retention rates and increasing the likelihood of visitor purchasing an item. 

 Celebrate Small Business Saturday

Across your social media use #smallbusinesssaturday to promote your business. Many towns have various promotions such as special events, advertising gimmicks, and public relations initiatives to take advantage of. While this year it was on November 26^th, some locations celebrate this year-round. Use Saturday during holidays to promote your most popular sales item and be on the lookout for holiday specials you can offer based on your local Saturday activities. Don’t forget to update your Google Business profile with holiday hours and events. 

It is not too late to start holiday marketing. Call 248.528.3600.

The post Ways Small Business Can Leverage Holiday Marketing  appeared first on Miller Media, Digital Marketing Agency, PPC, Industrial Web Design, WordPress.

Perfect for a quick website audit, Grow My Store gives a comprehensive report on your website. That report includes competitive benchmarking, recommendations, and tailored insights to help you optimize your customer/user experience. You should also check out Test My Site for developer-friendly tips on boosting site speed. It is important to have a fast-loading website to decrease bounce rate. Any corrections suggested may require you to hire a professional web agency for help. 

Do you have an app version of your company’s website? App campaigns help reach mobile shoppers and encourages them to make a purchase, or take action, for example, installing the app itself. Embedding deep links provides better mobile experiences by taking your app users from your ads directly to the corresponding app page of your app. This is key to the customer journey and the path to purchase. It makes it easier for them to complete their desired action, which is essential for good user experience.

Showcase Product Information Across Google

On Google, the Shopping tab helps to showcase your products across many places where customers turn to shop and directly integrates your product within an ad experience. You can increase your exposure at no cost by listing your products on Merchant Center or directly through your e-commerce platform such as WooCommerce for WordPress websites. 

With video increasing popularity, you now can include an interactive product feed directly within the ad unit to turn viewers into customers. Think of the product feed  as a way to turn your ad into a digital storefront. Well design ads that display your company’s brand properly will attract new customers and flag down existing customers to your product or service. Create a seamless path to purchase between brand awareness and the call-to-action.

Increase your click-through rates and conversions by adding information about promotions, sales, free and fast shipping options, and return and refund options directly to your product listing. Shoppers are constantly on the hunt for good deals and want to know all relevant information up front, so it is best to have these pieces of information clearly visible.  

Engage New Customers

Customers shop across multiple Google surfaces every day. Google avenues are Search, Discover, YouTube, Maps, and the Shopping tab. To grow your online sales, it’s important to know which ad campaigns are right for your target market. Reach the right person and convert them into a loyal customer with Google Ads.

Back in April, Smart Shopping and Local campaigns gained an upgrade to Performance Max campaigns. Performance Max campaigns allow you to promote your products or services across all of Google’s advertising channels and inventory by creating one easy-to-manage campaign. This should be less stressful for small businesses due to fact they now can focus on one area of Google analytics instead of multiple analytics for separate campaigns. With new ways to discover, research, and purchase, customers are engaging across an ever-growing number of channels, and it is important to appear on most of them. 

As mentioned earlier videos are big in advertising right now. A Video action campaign is a simple, cost-effective way to drive more conversions on and off your company’s YouTube channel. This campaign helps you drive engagement with your video ads by scaling them across the YouTube Home feed, watch pages, connected TV, and more with a clear call-to-action button. These are perfect for businesses that require demonstration of their product or service.  

Inspired to start a Google Ad Campaign? Call 248.528.3600.

The post Insights to Grow Your Online Shop with Google appeared first on Miller Media, Digital Marketing Agency, PPC, Industrial Web Design, WordPress.

1. Send a Pitch to a Journalist

Writing an email that includes your bio and a link to your website is the bare minimum. Think about what the journalist might want to write about in relation to your company or industry. For example, if Halloween is coming up, you might they be considering content themed around the getting ready for the holiday or Fall/Autumn? Say you sell furniture, you could pitch a few of your own creations as suitable additions to shopping guides the journalist might be pull together for the season.

2. Research the Publication & See What They Typically Feature

Do you have a favorite magazine or news outlet you subscribe to? Get to know the magazine or piece of media you can see content about your product or service in. Certain publications have inspiration pieces. Think about how they write them and match the tone. Journalists are busy and juggling lots of items, so make their life easier by sending them a text-rich, well-informed pitch deck along with everything they need like photos and logo files. If they have a submission page, follow their instructions to a “T”. The less correcting they have to do the more likely they will work with you now and in the future. 

3. Make Your About Page “Journalist & New User Friendly”

When trying to find out about a business to write about, one of the first things users do is click on the About page of their website. If they can’t find the information, they need they will back out of your website altogether. Here are the items that put users and potential journalist off and that you need to fix right away: 

• Not including your full business name
• Not including your location or locations you serve
• Not having a professional photograph of your business or its work 
• Not including an email address and/or contact form
• Not making it obvious that media enquiries are welcome (encourage questions)
• Not providing enough information about your background or history (how did your business come to be)

Make sure to add in details to make life easier for anyone hoping to write or interview you. If need to deliberately avoid some of the above features due to privacy concerns have a FAQ section or add a sentence that says, “For media enquiries, a professional bio, and a full portfolio please email us directly.”, then add a way for them to contact you. 

4. Become “Podcast Ready” 

Podcasts continue to grow in popularity for all kinds of industries. Buy a half-decent microphone and headphones. Let your internal marketing team up with your sales team to create media and graphic content. Also, on your About page say how you have everything needed for a quality broadcast and that you are open to podcast interviews with others in your industry or any media outlets willing to talk about your product or service. 

5. Add a Case Study Page  

Say your company launched a new product or service for a client and it was a complete success.  Create a nice case study that goes in dept about the problem and how your product or service solved it. Bonus if you can add a client testimonial. Then add it to your website. Make sure to create the visuals for all your social media accounts and link them to your new case study page. This help builds credibility and authority to your business. Potential clients have more reasons to trust you vs other companies that don’t have case studies. 

6. Spend 15 Minutes a Day Engaging with People

Social media gets a bad rep when it comes to discourse, but it doesn’t have to be a war zone. Take as few as 15 minutes liking or sharing people’s tweets, commenting on clients’ updates, and reaching out to brands you’d love to work with. This helps to build a network as well as raise your own profile. By being active on social media, you are opening doors and creating more avenues for brand awareness. 

7. Optimize When You Post 

Know when it is the right time to tweet, add an Instagram post or share a LinkedIn update. The algorithms are difficult to figure out because they are always changing. So, the best way to approach this is by analyzing your own feeds and seeing when you have had the best engagement. It is also a good idea to research when your target demographic in on the platform. For example, if you are selling to mothers. Avoid posting at early hours when they are taking their kids to school. To make life easier, schedule updates during the best times for you. Use an automation tool to schedule and publish your tweets and posts whilst you are doing something else or hire an agency that provide social media marketing services. 

8. Ask Clients if They Want to Stay Informed Via a Newsletter

Build your own subscriber list. Never rely on social media platforms alone. People take breaks or leave social media all the time. If a platform disappears, you still have connection to loyal customers. If you have your own newsletter to send out to people, you are in control. Create a well-designed monthly newsletter and include things like your latest product, service, or industry news. Include links to recent blog posts that demonstrate your wealth of knowledge. People are more likely to check email daily and there is a high chance they will open it every month. Include spaces on your website where they can sign up. WordPress has widgets and tools you can use. Mailchimp is also a good option to get start with due to it being free based on 2,000 contacts. 

9. Write a Blog

Speaking of a blog, add a blog to your domain and not as a separate site. Each blog post is a new landing page, enticing potential clients to you. Write about problems or questions potential clients might have. Users like to Google questions and if create a great piece of informative long-form content Google might show your business directly to them. Use it to educate, compare to competitors, and share industry insights with viewers. You can also use it to foster b2b relationships. You can share and interview other complementary businesses. This will strength your relationship and if you need to partner up on a project, they are more likely to say yes with enthusiasm. 

Need help integrating PR into your marketing strategy? Call 248.528.360

The post 9 Overlooked PR Tips for Businesses  appeared first on Miller Media, Digital Marketing Agency, PPC, Industrial Web Design, WordPress.

According to Google’s Retail Marketing Guide 48% of consumers in surveyed countries around the world say they get inspiration for purchases when they are online. Shoppers browse across Google and YouTube to discover new brands and products that are relevant to them. Their methods go as follows:

• Inspiration forms when watching YouTube Videos. 
  • 78% of people surveyed in the U.S. say they feel they get the highest-quality info about products when shopping or browsing on YouTube

• Browse Google Images

• Scroll through Google Discover to catch up on interesting topics

Engage Customers as They Research 

Before making a purchase, customers seek information from trusted sources to compare products and narrow down their options. Best in category, prices, and the latest reviews are important factors customers look for. 89% agree that YouTube creators give the best information about products and brands. YouTube reviewers hit all the important factors and more trusted due to the fact the person is visible vs a star review that is faceless and could be interpreted as a bot. Consider YouTube reviewers when coming up with a social media marketing plan. 

Consumers also look up information and articles on Google Search. 40% of shoppers go to Google when researching a purchase they plan to make in-store or online. It is important that your SEO strategy is up to date. Check your website’s ranking on Google SERPs. If it not where you want it to be you may need to work with a digital marketing agency on your on-page and off-page SEO techniques. And if your budget allows, invest in Google Ads. 

Convert Customers Looking to Purchase

Convincing potential clients is key. Shoppers buy from brands that can provide a seamless experience. 31% of consumers in surveyed countries say they are researching online more before purchasing to avoid out-of-stock situations, inventory blockage, and shipping challenges or delays. They want to be able to buy a product online as soon as they find it or see what a local store has in stock. 

Utilize Google Maps, especially for local business traffic. Google Maps searches for “shopping near me” have grown globally by over 100% year over year. Maps also use to be GoogleMyBusiness app. Currently you can set a profile using Maps. Create and maintain your profile so you can be found easily. 

The Shopping tab is an underrated tool business often forget about. Almost half (49%) of consumers in surveyed countries expect to be able to buy from any store online. You want your online store to show up in the Shopping tab. Make sure in your website’s CMS your product details like name, price, and description are accurate and visible. 

Update your marketing plan based on these tips today! Call 248.528.360 

The post Customers Use Google to Browse, Research, and Buy appeared first on Miller Media, Digital Marketing Agency, PPC, Industrial Web Design, WordPress.

• Reels

Think about how you can translate your usual content into this format. To start try layering several images or Stories in time to a trending audio track. 

• User-generated content

Turn on your camera on your phone and think about how you can leverage your community. Get permission before you share and put a spotlight on some of your most loyal customers. This will also strength brand loyalty, authenticity, and trust. 

• Get personal and invest in storytelling

Traditional feed posts may not perform as well as they once did, but they’re not completely ignored. Use your captions to build connections and encourage engagement. By sharing relatable photos, carousels, and video posts, you create a more personal touch to your company’s brand. 

Why Are Instagram Carousel Posts the Best Type of Feed Posts for Engagement? First, time spent is an indicator for Instagram’s algorithm. Users spend more time scrolling through a carousel post than a single photo. Second, carousel posts often surface in users’ feeds more than once, doubling (or tripling) the opportunity for likes, comments, and shares. The format lends itself to sharing more authentic and personable snapshots which can also be more engaging than a static image or aesthetic video.

Create a social media marketing strategy for Instagram. Call 248.528.3600

The post The Best Types of Instagram Posts for Engagement appeared first on Miller Media, Digital Marketing Agency, PPC, Industrial Web Design, WordPress.

1. Brand Awareness 

You must become relevant to potential buyers. Post design should be introducing your company’s product or service. Make sure you include contact info (phone # & links to your website). Bio sections of platform should act as an “About Us” section. 

2. Research & Development 

Follow your competitors to see in what ways do they engage with their customers. How do they answer complaints? How do they display new products or services? What type your promotional post has the most interaction? Create post similar to their successful ones, but tailor it to your own brand. 

3. Build a Community of Advocates

Build brand loyalty. Highlight excellent reviews. If there are any bad reviews post on how you are going to fix the issue. People like to feel as though they are part of a community, are listened to, and helped build or improved a product or service. 

4. Enhance Public Relations 

Reply to comments, questions, and complaints in a timely manner. Assure people that they are actively interacting the people of your company not just a robot. This will help strength your community and brand loyalty potential. 

5. Drive Sales & Leads 

Include persuasive posts on a variety of platforms that include the next steps in the sales process: call now or link to website. 

Need help organizing a social media campaign with these goals in mind? Call 248.528.3600.

The post 5 Goals of Social Media Marketing appeared first on Miller Media, Digital Marketing Agency, PPC, Industrial Web Design, WordPress.