What is a social media manager and when do you need one for your business?

At Marshall Arts we work with social media managers to provide them with top notch content and strategies for their social media accounts. As a social media manager, the primary role is to manage a company's online presence across social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more. The goal is to create and maintain a positive online reputation for the company, increase brand awareness, engage with followers, and ultimately drive traffic and sales.

Here are some of the main tasks and responsibilities of a social media manager:

1. Develop a social media strategy: This involves determining which social media platforms are best suited for the business, identifying the target audience, creating content that resonates with the target audience, and setting goals and objectives.

2. Create and publish content: A social media manager is responsible for creating and scheduling content that is consistent with the business's brand and voice. This includes written posts, graphics, images, and videos.

3. Engage with followers: Engaging with followers is an essential part of social media management. This involves responding to comments, messages, and reviews, and creating a sense of community among followers.

4. Monitor analytics: A social media manager must track and analyze metrics such as engagement, reach, and follower growth. This information is used to optimize content, improve engagement, and drive traffic and sales.

5. Stay up-to-date with trends: Social media is constantly evolving, so it's important for a social media manager to stay on top of the latest trends, changes to algorithms, and new features on different platforms.

Overall, the job of a social media manager is to create a strong online presence for a business and engage with followers in a way that drives traffic and sales.

When does your business need a social media manager?

The decision to hire a social media manager for your business should depend on several factors, and the size of your business is just one of them. In general, it's a good idea to consider hiring a social media manager when:

1. You don't have the time or expertise to manage your social media accounts effectively: If you're struggling to find the time to create content, engage with followers, and monitor analytics, or if you're not sure how to create a social media strategy, it may be time to bring in a professional.

2. Your social media accounts are not meeting your goals: If your social media accounts are not generating the results you want, such as increased traffic and sales, it may be time to consider hiring a social media manager who can create a more effective strategy and content.

3. Your business is growing rapidly: If your business is expanding rapidly and you're struggling to keep up with the demands of social media, it may be time to bring in a social media manager who can help you scale your online presence.

4. You want to take your social media to the next level: If you have big plans for your social media accounts and want to create more engaging content, increase your follower count, or launch a new campaign, a social media manager can help you achieve these goals.

Ultimately, the decision to hire a social media manager should depend on your business needs and goals. If you're unsure whether or not you need a social media manager, it may be helpful to consult with a marketing professional or agency who can help you evaluate your options. If this sounds like a step you are ready to take then why not get in touch with us, one of our consultants will gladly sit with you on a call and assess your needs and if need be refer you to a professional social media manager.

I'd love to hear about your experience with social media managers or your thoughts about them if you are considering hiring one. Let me know what you think in the comments!

Digital Strategies Explained

Just as in chess, digital businesses must constantly adapt and make strategic moves to stay ahead.

A digital strategy for an online business is a comprehensive plan that outlines how the company will use digital technologies and channels to achieve its business objectives.

The strategy should be aligned with the overall business strategy and consider the company's target audience, industry, and competitors.

Here are some of the key elements of a digital strategy for an online business:

1. Define the business goals: The first step in creating a digital strategy is to define the business goals. These could include increasing website traffic, improving brand awareness, generating leads, increasing sales, or launching a new product or service.

2. Identify the target audience: Once you have defined the business goals, you need to identify the target audience. This includes understanding their demographics, interests, pain points, and behaviors.

3. Choose the right channels: Based on the target audience, you need to choose the right digital channels to reach them. This could include social media, email marketing, SEO, PPC advertising, content marketing, and others.

4. Create a content strategy: Content is an essential part of a digital strategy. You need to create a content strategy that includes the topics, formats, and channels that will be used to reach the target audience.

5. Set a budget: A digital strategy needs a budget to execute it effectively. You need to allocate resources to different channels and tactics based on their ROI and the business goals.

6. Measure and optimize: To ensure that the digital strategy is effective, you need to measure its performance regularly. This includes tracking metrics such as website traffic, engagement, conversion rates, and sales. Based on the data, you can optimize the strategy and make changes to improve its performance.

Basically, a digital strategy for an online business is a plan that integrates digital technologies and channels with the overall business strategy to achieve specific goals. It requires a deep understanding of the target audience, the digital channels, and the content that will resonate with them. Finally, it needs a budget and a measurement plan to ensure that it is effective and optimized over time.

The future of digital strategies

Digital strategies continue to evolve, and there are several key areas of interest and future trends that businesses need to pay attention to. Here are some of them:

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI is already being used in many digital strategies, such as chatbots, personalization, and predictive analytics. In the future, AI will continue to transform how businesses operate, from customer service to product development and marketing.

2. Data Privacy and Security: With the increasing amount of personal data being collected and shared, businesses need to prioritize data privacy and security. This means complying with regulations such as GDPR and CCPA, and implementing best practices to protect customer data.

3. Voice Search: The rise of voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant is changing how people search for information online. Businesses need to optimize their content and SEO strategies for voice search.

4. Omni-channel Marketing: Customers now expect a seamless experience across different channels, from social media to email to physical stores. Businesses need to integrate their marketing efforts across channels to provide a consistent and personalized experience.

5. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR): AR and VR technologies are becoming more accessible and affordable, opening up new opportunities for businesses to engage customers and enhance their experiences.

6. Digital Transformation: Digital transformation is not just about implementing new technologies, but also about changing the culture and processes within a business. Successful digital strategies require a focus on collaboration, agility, and innovation.

7. Sustainability and Social Responsibility: Consumers are increasingly concerned about environmental and social issues, and expect businesses to take responsibility for their impact. Digital strategies can be used to communicate and demonstrate a commitment to sustainability and social responsibility.

In summary, businesses need to pay attention to emerging trends and technologies to develop effective digital strategies. The key areas of interest include AI, data privacy and security, voice search, omni-channel marketing, AR and VR, digital transformation, and sustainability and social responsibility.

Partnering with an agency like Marshall Arts means that you're business will stay on top of emerging trends and always make use of cutting edge technologies that provide competitive advantages.

Are you ready to develop a digital strategy, let us know how you plan to go about it in the comments!

Getting started with SEO for your website

SEO should be at the heart of any website content that any website owner creates.

Good SEO is crucial for any online business, but it's misunderstood " because of its innate complexity

If you have a website and you are ready for loads of traffic and business then you are probably starting to think about SEO and how you can use it to better your site. In a nutshell, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of optimizing your website to improve its visibility and ranking on search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. This is important because the higher your website ranks on search engine results pages, the more likely people are to click through to your website and potentially become customers.

As a business owner who has just created a website, it's essential to understand that having a great website design and quality content is just the first step. Without proper optimization, your website may not show up in search engine results, or it may be buried under pages of other search results.

What does SEO include?

SEO involves several techniques, including keyword research and optimization, on-page optimization, off-page optimization, and technical optimization. Each of these techniques is designed to improve your website's visibility and ranking in search engine results.

Keyword research and optimization involves identifying the keywords and phrases that potential customers are likely to use when searching for your products or services, and then optimizing your website's content to include these keywords in a strategic way.

On-page optimization involves optimizing your website's pages, titles, meta descriptions, headings, and content to ensure that they are easily readable and understood by both search engines and humans.

Off-page optimization involves building links from other high-quality websites back to your website, which can help to improve your website's authority and ranking.

Technical optimization involves making sure that your website is technically sound, including factors such as site speed, mobile responsiveness, and crawlability.

Overall, investing in SEO is a critical part of your website's success. By optimizing your website for search engines, you can increase your online visibility, drive more traffic to your website, and ultimately increase your sales and revenue.

What does good SEO look like?

Because SEO is such a large topic I find it best to describe it through positive examples so let's take a look at some things that a website with good SEO might have:

A website with good SEO is a website that has been optimized for search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. This means that the website is designed to be easily found and understood by search engines, which can result in higher rankings and more traffic from search engines.

From a business owner's perspective, a website with good SEO will be designed to attract more potential customers to your website, which can increase your chances of making a sale. Here are some of the characteristics of a website with good SEO:

1. Clear and concise website structure: A website with good SEO will have a clear and concise website structure, which is easy for search engines to navigate and understand. This includes a clear navigation structure, a sitemap, and a clear hierarchy of pages.

2. Keyword research and optimization: A website with good SEO will be optimized with relevant keywords and phrases that potential customers are likely to search for. This includes optimizing page titles, meta descriptions, and content with relevant keywords, while also avoiding "keyword stuffing" or overuse of keywords.

3. High-quality content: A website with good SEO will have high-quality content that is relevant, informative, and engaging to potential customers. This includes blog posts, articles, product descriptions, and other content that is optimized for search engines and tailored to the needs of your target audience.

4. Backlinks from high-quality websites: A website with good SEO will have a strong link profile, with high-quality backlinks from relevant and authoritative websites. This helps to increase the authority of your website and improve its search engine rankings.

5. Technical SEO: A website with good SEO will also have a focus on technical SEO, which includes optimization of the website's backend, such as site speed, mobile responsiveness, and crawlability. This helps to ensure that search engines can easily crawl and index your website, resulting in higher rankings and more traffic.

A website with good SEO is a valuable asset for any business owner, as it can help to attract more potential customers and increase the visibility and credibility of your business online. By investing in SEO, you can take your online presence to the next level and see the results in your bottom line.

The first steps you can take to optimise your site:

1. Conduct keyword research: Keyword research involves identifying the keywords and phrases that your potential customers are likely to use when searching for products or services related to your business. This research will help you identify the keywords and phrases to target in your website's content, including your headings, titles, meta descriptions, and body text.

2. Optimize your website's content: Once you've identified the keywords to target, you'll need to optimize your website's content to include those keywords in a strategic way. This includes writing high-quality, informative, and engaging content that uses your target keywords in a natural and appropriate way.

3. Improve your website's structure: A well-structured website can make it easier for search engines to crawl and index your site's pages.

Of course, there are a plethora of businesses out there who can assist you with the above tasks. If you'd like to learn more about how a business like Marshall Arts can assist you with your SEO, why not drop us a message and one of our talented SEO consultants can give you a call to discuss your site. Marshall Arts also offers SEO Audit reports which you can then use to inform your decisions on what to improve on your site and in what order of priority.

SEO in summary:

To sum things up, SEO is a process that a website goes through to ensure that it can be easily found using search engines. The process involves a number of methods and is an ongoing exercise with no real quick fix. Search engines are designed to show users content that would be valuable to them and therefore relevant to their searches so the process of SEO can also been as the process of adding value to your customers by optimising your website to give them what they need in the best and simplest way possible.

I'd love to hear more from you! Do you think I left out anything in this explanation? Do you have anything you'd like to add or is there a question you have that you want me to answer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!