~ Without Expensive Advertising ~

MAKE NEW CUSTOMERS WAIT BY YOUR (VIRTUAL) DOOR!

EASY TO FOLLOW 10-STEP D.I.Y. GUIDE FOR BUSINESSES

When it comes to marketing your local business, the power of Social Media should not be underestimated. Local businesses that embraced Social Media understand that it is the best and the most inexpensive way toreach out to the local community, build up a fan base and to make your customers literally WAIT BY THE DOOR with excitement when you have a special promotion or opening your new business.

FOLLOW THESE10 STEPSTO CREATE MORE BUZZ ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS

If your online directories and social media pages are a little rusty, you need to spend some time checking and updating main business listings and social media pages.Look through important About Us sections of your accounts and update all necessary information, hours, descriptions, new products, new photos, links and so on.

1. Google ListingCheck your Google listings and maps on other search engines to make sure all information is accurate.Upload new photos & videos on various business directories, Search Engine listings and Yelp. These listings are typically free and will play important part in promoting your business online and bringing traffic to you website. You need to update information on these directories often for better online visibility. This one important step can do wonders for your visibility on Google business listings for FREE! Update it regularly, get reviews regularly and your visibility will keep improving.
2. Social Media Icons on your WebsiteAbout 60% of websites have broken links from their social media icons to social media pages. Make sure thatSocial Media buttonsare prominently displayed on your website and all links connected. This way, it is easy for your visitors to follow you on Social Media and keep up to date with your latest posts.
3. Connect, Follow, &Increase EngagementConsistently update your target customers by posting regularly throughout all your social media sites. For the ultimate visibility on Facebook, it is recommended to post 3x a day! On Instagram, you need to post daily. Start increasing the engagement on your pagesand tracking it with Insights reporting (for Facebook & Instagram).
   Use multimedia – images and videos to generate engagement.
4. Cross Promote Facebook & InstagramOften, people find new local businesses via hashtags on Instagram. So, it’s important to keep attracting new local customers via Instagram. So, make sure to:
   • Integrate your Instagram feed into your website
   • Invite your audiences in other platforms to “Find out More” on Instagram
   • Add your Instagram handle to your Email Marketing campaigns

   Once they established connection with your business, you can cross promote Facebook and keep them engaged via Facebook content and offers. Use your different social media channels to widen your audience reach. For example, if you already have followers on Facebook and would like to grow your Instagram following, create a ‘Follow us on Instagram’ type of post.
   These two social networks complement each other very well.

5. Create excitement about your new business or new product BEFORE the launch with Instagram. It is not a secret that Instagram has become a great tool for product discovery. It’s a creative and cost-effective way to reach local customers. So, if you want to make sure your new brand or product stand out, make sure your follow these steps even before the launch:
   • Come up with creative “Coming Soon” posts and invite your audience to guess what’s new.
   • Keep them regularly updated on the progress.
   • Share posts with “previews” of your product, brand or local business; this will help you getting the audience attracted and eager to know how to purchase the new product or expect from your services.
   • Share behind the scenes on your Stories.
   • Upgrade the quality of your photos – make sure you have interesting, well lit, beautiful photos. Consider investing into photographer.
   • Research and experiment with hashtags and geotags; make sure to reach out to local community if you service certain area.
   • Boost your engagement with giveaways.
   • Plan a “Soft Launch” of your business or new product and invite your social media fans.

   Make sure that after the launch you keep it up by encouraging followers to share their experiences with the new product or brand (ask them to use your #BrandedHashtag).

6. Use IG & FB StoriesUsing Instagram and Facebook Stories are a great opportunity to build brand awareness while you increase the engagement with your audience, promote any launches or highlight upcoming events. One other way you can benefit from stories is that they have the potential to convert audiences into potential customers or consumers.
   Make sure your stories get the most views by:
   • Featuring any current sales or promos.
   • Making them easy to understand and straightforward
   • Offering helpful tips or sharing advice.
   • Teasing new products
   • Be authentic and honest
   • Create cute templates
7. Go Live!Live video has been slowly taking over the marketing world, this is because videos get your audience attention very quickly. This doesn’t mean that pre-recorded YouTube videos are a thing of the past, but that you can two different ways to boost your brand.
   Live videos can be beneficial because they :
   • Drive more views, generate traffic and engagement.
   • Show content people would rather watch than read about.
   • Get people’sattention faster with live videos.
8. Connect with InfluencersCollaborating with influencers can be a great asset when creating the buzz about your brand. Why? Because their popularity and engagement are very high, and they can get their fans to trust your brand or product and bring many new customers to you.
   Make sure you team up with influencers who are relevant, suitable and whose personalities match with what your brand or products are all about. These tools can help you find and connect with influencers: Buzzsumo, FollowerWonk or FanGrader.
9. Branded Hashtags: Create a hashtag for your business, which can be used to make your business stand apart from others. Another use for this would be that online users can follow your hashtag in order to find information, deals or anything important that is related to your brand or business. Hashtags help to spread the word around about your business. Customers should be using your branded hashtag while talking about any past experiences with your brand.
10. Collect Reviews Religiously.Asking your past clients to review your business can help in more ways than you can think of. Nowadays people researching brands or businesses online decide whether or not to trust them just by looking at their online reviews. By having mostly positive reviews you can increase your chances of gaining new clients, growing your brand and growing your visibility online as reviews play important part in Search Engine Optimization. Customers should be leaving reviews on your search engine listings, social media pages, Yelp, Trustpilot, Tripadvisor, etc.

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Combine Offline and Online Marketing

Combine offline ads such as flyers, brochures, magazine ads with your online marketing. Make sure your website and social media page addresses are shown on all of yourprinted materials such as flyers, brochures and business cards

. Engage your audience early on and build up a strong following that will be at the door the minute your business opens its doors even if they are virtual!

To discuss any of these strategies or schedule a FREE consultation for your business needs, feel free to email us at: info@ambiancemarketing.com with Subject line: Consultation.