Social Media Headaches: What to Do When Great Content Doesn’t Deliver

Many small businesses feel that they’re not seeing the value that they would like in their social media efforts.  They may be regularly posting on Twitter, but their comments aren’t being retweeted.  It could be that they’re generating great content on Facebook, but they don’t have very many followers.  If this is something that you’ve experienced yourself, you know the frustration of devoting time to your social media efforts and feeling like you’re getting little in return.  To counteract this problem, we suggest that rather than abandoning your efforts to create quality content, you concentrate on delivering it via email.

 Email marketing can be an excellent investment of your time and money.   In fact, the Direct Marketing Association reports that for every dollar spent on email marketing, there is a $40.56 return.  Additionally, 92% of people use email.  Compare that to the percentage of people who have social media profiles—only 56%—and it’s easy to see why email marketing is so effective.

Email marketing can appear overwhelming when you’re just getting started.  To simplify the process, we recommend that you consider the following:

• Marketing Automation (MA) Software – According to Forrester Research, businesses that use lead nurturing programs—like MA software—generate 50% more sales.  There are a number of free and low-cost MA programs available that make email marketing, lead management, and A/B testing far easier.  Check out this VentureBeat article for some great recommendations.
• Practice Consistency – Once you’ve found a good email marketing system, communicate with your leads regularly.  Don’t allow months to lapse between emails.
• Continue to Create Great Content.  Don’t get lax on creating interesting, relevant content.  The same great stuff that you were generating for your social media platforms should now be used in your email marketing efforts.
• Remember to Use a Call-To-Action (CTA) – A CTA refers to an explicit action that you would like a customer to take after receiving your email.  For instance, perhaps you could instruct email recipients to call to set up a consultation to learn more about the benefits of refinancing.
• Evaluate.  As with any marketing effort, you’re going to want to evaluate your results.  Do some email subject lines garner substantially higher email open rates than others?  Is there a certain type of content that your users forward more frequently?  When you start to get a feel for what works—and what doesn’t—modify your email marketing accordingly.

5 Tools to Help You Manage Your Social Media

With so many social media platforms available, it can be difficult to manage them all. Fortunately, there are a number of tools designed to streamline the task of staying on top of social media. Here are some suggestions for tools that will simplify your life:

HootSuite – This is the leading social media dashboard. Users can log in to HootSuite and manage all of their social media accounts at once. For instance, you can schedule Tweets on Twitter, post Facebook updates, modify content on multiple WordPress sites at once, and connect with clients via LinkedIn. At no cost, you can manage up to 5 social profiles making this a no-brainer for the busy professional.

Visually’s Google Analytics Report – While Google Analytics is helpful, some find that it can be difficult to easily locate the information that they need. Fortunately, there’s Visual.ly’s HYPERLINK “http://visual.ly/” HYPERLINK “http://visual.ly/”Google Analytics Report. This offers complex data in a helpful infographic, summing up the key metrics that are tracked with Google Analytics. The free report is available online or you can arrange to have it mailed to you weekly.

SocialBro – Designed specifically for managing your Twitter account, Social Bro is a great tool for overseeing your Twitter relationships. Use it to find out the best time to tweet your followers, get statistics on your Twitter community, discover who your most influential followers are, and segment your market. Try it free for 15 days. After that, pricing starts at $13.95 a month.Edgerank Checker

Pro – Facebook uses an algorithm to determine which news appears in people’s news feeds.
Unfortunately, this means that your posts may not get the attention of your target audience. Enter EdgeRank HYPERLINK “http://edgerankchecker.com/” Checker Pro. It provides custom-tailored recommendations that will help you to increase engagement with your Facebook fans. Also, you can analyze a post with it to determine why it performed the way it did—for example, did you send your post at the wrong time or was the content not engaging to your fan base? Plans begin at $15/month with half off your first month.

Crowdbooster – This is designed for users whose primary engagement with their followers is via Facebook and Twitter. Crowdbooster offers social media metrics and helps you to improve your online strategy. For instance, you can use it to determine your most effective tweets or posts, improve the content of your messages with its suggestions, schedule your social media engagements, and get valuable insights about your audience. You can try it free for 30 days and after that, pricing begins at $9 a month.

Titan List is a full service Advertising and Design agency specializing in Direct Mail, Mortgage Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Website / Graphic Design. Titan List has been around since 1998, and has a team of highly qualified individuals with experience in the marketing trends that fit your business. Unlike other agencies that source their work out, Titan List & Mailing handles the entire campaign in-house. Looking for a special list of data for your business? We can customize any data list for your company

LinkedIn: A Valuable Resource for Small Businesses

The past decade has seen the explosion of social media, as more and more individuals are turning to Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. But the benefits of social media aren’t just for individuals. Social media—and in particular, LinkedIn—offers many advantages to those trying to grow their businesses. Consider the following statistic: 77% of B2B companies in a recent survey stated that they had acquired a customer through the LinkedIn website. LinkedIn is also responsible for 64% of all visits from social media channels to corporate websites; compare that to Facebook which only accounts for 17% of such visits.

To take advantage of LinkedIn for lead generation and client acquisition, experts recommend the following:

Create a Comprehensive Profile. Sell yourself by creating an engaging profile. It should be detailed; make sure you fill out all sections. LinkedIn states that users who have a complete Products and Services section tend to have twice as many followers. So, be thorough.
Join Groups. Don’t be a LinkedIn lurker. Instead, join groups that are applicable to your industry. The more groups that you join, the more potential networking opportunities you’ll be awarded. To increase the likelihood of acquiring more LinkedIn followers, strive to contribute regularly to the groups that you join.

Connect. Offer links to your website and other social media accounts. You want to provide multiple avenues for your followers to keep up-to-date with what you’re doing.
Use Engaging Content. The more engaging people find your content, the more likely they will (1) revisit your social media accounts and (2) refer other people to them. So, use LinkedIn to offer links to your blog posts or online newsletters. It’s a good idea to use the 80/20 rule when developing the content—create content that is 80% for the benefit of the user (not sales-oriented) and 20% that touts your products and services.

By providing rich content, making connections, and joining groups, you’ll increase the likelihood that LinkedIn will become a valuable resource for maximizing your business opportunities. And since it’s free to use, it’s a great avenue for selling yourself without incurring any expenses.

Titan List is a full service Advertising and Design agency specializing in Direct Mail, Mortgage Marketing, Internet Marketing / Graphic Design. Titan List has been around since 1998, and has a team of highly qualified individuals with experience in the marketing trends that fit your business. Unlike other agencies that source their work out, Titan List & Mailing handles the entire campaign in-house. Looking for a special list of data for your business? We can customize any data list for your company.

5 Marketing Ideas for the New Year

With the new year upon us, you’ve probably thought about how you’d like to grow your business in 2014. If that’s your goal but you’re still struggling to identify a strategy, here are some useful marketing ideas to help you generate additional revenue this year.

Start a Newsletter. It can’t be said often enough how helpful a newsletter can be for mortgage brokers trying to attract new clients. Providing useful information—that people actually want to read—can keep you in the forefront of potential clients’ minds. Avoid hammering people over the head with sales pitches. Instead, offer them articles on changes to the tax law that affect home owners, how to be better savers, and fun family activities. Good content means that your contacts will look forward to your mailings, rather than pitch them in the garbage unread.

Keep a Blog. A blog is a great way to build inbound traffic to your website. For inspiration, check out other business blogs, carry a notepad to write down interesting topics as they occur to you, and stay abreast of industry trends. The content that you post on your blog can also be used on social media websites.

Use Social Media. Admittedly, it can be time-consuming to use multiple social media channels. That said, if you’re new to social media, a great place to start is LinkedIn, a professional networking site. Build a profile and join industry groups so you can start building your network of contacts. As time permits, you can also consider adding Facebook and Twitter. Having multiple ways for potential clients to reach you via social media will increase your visibility.

Get Active. It’s a simple principle—the more individuals that you meet, the more potential new clients you encounter. So, don’t just sit home and channel surf in your off hours. Instead, get to the gym, join professional networking groups, offer to speak at business luncheons, and volunteer. Increased social interaction can be a boon to your business.

Ask for Testimonials. Testimonials from former happy clients are a great item to add to your marketing pieces. They build trust and confidence and carry more weight than slick marketing materials. Additionally, soliciting testimonials offers you the opportunity to get in touch with past clients, see how they’re doing, and remind them that you’re available should they require your services again.

Titan List is a full service Advertising and Design agency specializing in Direct Mail, Mortgage Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Website / Graphic Design. The company has been around since 1998, and has a team of highly qualified individuals with experience in the marketing trends that fit your business. Unlike other agencies that source their work out, Titan List & Mailing handles the entire campaign in-house. Looking for a special list of data for your business? We can customize any data list for your company.

Sales Tips for Mortgage Lenders: Social Media, Direct Mail and Advertising

No matter how long you’ve been in the business, your most valuable tools are your sales techniques. Let’s take a look at some helpful approaches that could help you fine-tune your approach and ultimately increase your business.

Traditional Advertising

You’ve heard the age-old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” This saying couldn’t be more perfect when it comes to broadcast and print advertisements. These approaches are old, but when it comes to generating business, they still exist because they work. Print and broadcast have the ability, when done right, to introduce you and your services in a memorable way. When using these approaches, you’ll want to focus on what sets you apart from other mortgage lenders.

Partner Up

Advertising can be expensive and very time consuming; however, you don’t have to take on this responsibility solely. Find someone that you work well with and trust to split the process with you. Estate agents are excellent opportunities for partnerships because you have the same prospects at different levels of needs. You can bounce creative ideas off each other and produce copy that helps bring in clients ideal for you both. Partnerships also show your potential customers that you have an established network of experienced professionals ready to work for them and create a worry-free experience.

Define Your Best Sales Approach

Not every loan officer conducts business the same way. Each person must determine the sales approach that best works for them and capitalize on their strengths and comfort zones. If you know you provide great services, perhaps you offer fees and rights slightly above what other lenders are offering. If you are quick to keep up with negotiations, then you can effectively exchange lower interest rates for additional up-front costs. Consider all your options and then come to the table with several plans to see which one is right for you.

Refinancing Opportunities

When interest rates begin to drop, there’s no better time to sort through your list of people with current mortgages. You can create an opportunity to reach out to them about refinancing. Staying abreast of the current trends and news in your industry allows you to relate your services to your clients. Not only could you open up new business, but your clients will appreciate the insight and value you as a professional resource.

Venture Online

It’s no secret that online advertising & social media is more important than ever. Not only does it provide a less expensive alternative to other marketing mediums, but also it allows you to reach a large amount of people, quickly. These campaigns must be carried out correctly, or else you run the risk of annoying your potential customers. For example, you can use emails to alert your potential customers of industry news or a current promotion you are running. However, an email everyday will lead customers to unsubscribe from not only your email list, but your business as well. All online efforts must be done with the customer in mind. If the information you are providing is not of value or relevant, it’s not worth sending out, period.

Titan List is a full service Advertising and Design agency specializing in Direct Mail, Mortgage Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Website / Graphic Design. Titan List has been around since 1998, and has a team of highly qualified individuals with experience in the marketing trends that fit your business. Unlike other agencies that source their work out, Titan List & Mailing handles the entire campaign in-house. Looking for a special list of data for your business? We can customize any data list for your company. 

Social Media: Seven Ways to Let the World Know You Exist Online

You've worked hard to make your website the best representation of your business and brand. You've written content that sells who you are and why potential clients should work with you. You've provided material that is engaging and informational. You've done all the necessary steps to ensure your website is a successful marketing tool. But does anybody know about it other than you?

Website marketing is not a sit-around-and-wait-to-see-who-visits type of marketing. Like anything else you do, you have to work hard and put in the time and effort to see results. Below are seven ways to let everyone around you know they can find you on the web. Having a strong social media presence is essential in today's business.

⦁ Your website needs to go everywhere. If you advertise any part of your contact information, your web address should be included as well. Think classifieds, business card and even your email signature.

⦁ Use offline methods to promote your site. Some examples could include:  marketing postcards, door hangers, car magnets, and other marketing material.

⦁ Get other websites to link to your site. Reach out to your contacts such as colleagues, appraisers and realtors, attorneys, etc. and ask them to link to your site (and in return you can reciprocate the favor). This will not only be another way to promote your website, but it will also help improve your rankings in search engines.

⦁ Use your domain’s email address in all business that you do. If your site is ⦁ www.xyz.com, then your email should be ⦁ you@xyz.com. This helps people easily identify the two together and it helps build your brand.

⦁ Enroll the help of a blog. Unique content helps with your search engine rankings, so take advantage of the power of a blog. A blog allows you to offer fresh, relevant, regular content to your visitors. If visitors are attracted to your information, they are more likely to follow future posts, hang around your site and promote your site to others.

⦁ Consider a pay-per-click advertising campaign. Designate part of your marketing budget to various search engines. They will publish your link on relevant sites and web search results and you only pay if someone clicks on the link to your site.

⦁ Word of mouth marketing. Don’t forget how powerful your own voice can be. Tell prospective clients, friends, family, current clients, referrals, and partners about your site.

Don’t let all your hard work go to waste. Utilize all the ways in which you can help promote and drive traffic to your site.

Titan List is a full service Advertising and Design agency specializing in Direct Mail, Mortgage Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Website / Graphic Design. Titan List has been around since 1998, and has a team of highly qualified individuals with experience in the marketing trends that fit your business. Unlike other agencies that source their work out, Titan List & Mailing handles the entire campaign in-house. Looking for a special list of data for your business? We can customize any data list for your company.