5 FREE Social Media Tools I Use Every Day to Build My Business

1.       Hootsuite
http:www.hootsuite.com

Hootsuite is a posting platform that allows you to post across platforms at once, schedule posts to go out during the day, and generally do pretty much anything you can do on your various social media sites but from one location. Free up to five social media connections. Essentially, this platform allows you to reach more people with one post, and get all your posting done at one time. Natch!

2.       MailChimp
www.mailchimp.com

Mail Chimp is a tool for sending out graphically rich, appealing emails but, also, it keeps track of your list maintenance for you. You don`t have to do a thing! With email STILL being the number one way to connect to your potential clients, Mail Chimp has proven to be an invaluable tool. Free up to 2,000 contacts.

3.       Google Analytics
http://www.google.com/analytics

I am religious about checking out my and my clients`s stats every day to see if I can catch trends as they happen, or push more what works. Google Analytics is a solid tool to see where your traffic is coming from, visitor behaviour, and can even track conversions.

4.       Many Contacts
www.manycontacts.com

Want to increase your conversion rate? Use Many Contacts! Not only does this site make form building easy, it collects your data for you (and syncs it with your Mail Chimp – or other email service) automatically. Awesome!

5.       Google Keyword Tool
https://adwords.google.com/KeywordPlanner

If people are looking for your business online, how are they searching for it? Use Google Keyword Tool to increase optimization and boost your keyword strength. This is totally free but you need a google account to use it.

These tools are really great. If you need help setting these up or consulting, I am available for consulting and training on a reasonable per hour basis.  Contact me:

http://www.jaybirdsocialmedia.com

info@jaybirdsocialmedia.com

@jaybirdsocialmedia

+647-292-0210

What Google wants, Google gets. 3 Ways This Can Build Your Business RIGHT NOW.

 

How can what Google wants affect your business?

1. Google wants Google+ to be more popular than Facebook.

Well, who wouldn't? One way Google is encouraging this is favouriting posts on Google+ pages on its search engine; so, posts on Google+ rank very high up on Google Search ratings. For example, if you post on your Google+ business page about a flower special you have for your florist business in the beaches, that post may, very well, hit in the top 10 searches for 'Beaches florist' on Google. Google represents two out of every three searches made online; so this effect is nothing to sneeze at. 

How long will this effect work? Until Google gets what it wants or abandons the strategy.

How do I take advantage of this?

1. Create a Google identity (if you haven't already)
2. Make a Google+ business page (make sure your profile is complete and your business verified).
3. Research keyword searches that are common for your business using the (you guessed it) absolutely free Google Keyword Search Tool.

2. Google wants to be your Gateway to the World.

Right, right? If everybody is looking for products, services, and destinations through Google search and Google maps, then Google becomes one of the most powerful marketing engines on the planet. They have developed FREE tools that help you connect with your clients right now.

Google Places is a business registry that is linked with Google Maps, allowing your business to show up on a Google maps search of your area. This is critical, now that folks are searching primarily for products and services on their cell phones. They will be attracted to your business simply because it has a listing on Google Maps and it's located just around the corner increasing walk-in traffic and local awareness of your business.

Businesses listed in Google Places also enjoy a dominant spot on the right of the google search results page for local searches.

How long will this last? Until Google gets what it wants or Google abandons this strategy.

How do I take advantage of this?

1. Create a Google identity (if you haven't already)
2. Create a Google Places listing. Make sure that your listing is complete, with hours of operation, etc., and fully verified.

3. Google wants to be the #1 Referrer to the World

K, again. Who wouldn't? Currently, potential clients believe online reviews left by strangers and, of course, reviews by family and friends ahead of traditional forms of advertising. Google Places allows customers to leave testimonials on your products or services. After 5-6 testimonials, a rating out of five stars will show under your listing, increasing a client's perception of the reliability of your business.

How long will this last? Until Google gets what it wants or Google abandons this strategy.

How do I take advantage of this?

1. Get a Google Places listing for your business.
2. Encourage good clients to write a testimonial for you by sending them a direct link to a review form. Here is an example of that link:
   
   
   https://plus.google.com/115505053294590812173/about?gl=US&hl=en-US&review=1
   
   The long number in the middle of the link is your Google Identifier. How do you find it? Simply copy and paste it from the url of your Google Business Places listing.

There. Three things you can do.

Do me a favour: if you liked this post, go ahead and click on that Google Testimonial link and give me a good review. I'd be honoured.

If you want to take advantage of these techniques but feel daunted, we're offering a flat rate to set this all up for you -- for a short time only. Contact me:

Contact me:

website:  http://www.jaybirdsocialmedia.com

email: info@jaybirdsocialmedia.com

twitter: @jaybirdsocialme

phone: +1 647-292-0210

Skeptical? 3 Compelling Reasons To Get Your Website Mobile Ready

If you are to decide to spend the time and money it takes to upgrade your website, you have to know it's worth it. Here's three reasons (with back up data) that tell us we can't afford not to make the change.

Internet users are moving onto mobile in incredible numbers. They are accessing, researching, and making buying decisions on their smart phones. But a huge percentage of websites (estimates are over 80%) are not optimized for mobile. Their sites hard to navigate (most mobile users will just bounce off) and, indeed, harder to find. The Internet is competitive. You want to be there when your customer comes looking:

1.   Cell Use Is Our Number One Choice For Accessing The Internet

As of February 2014, cell access of the Internet outstripped PC access
(SOURCE CNNMONEY CITING ENDERS ANALYSIS):

Mobile devices accounted for 55% of Internet usage in the United States in January. Apps made up 47% of Internet traffic and 8% of traffic came from mobile browsers, according to data from comScore, cited Thursday by research firm Enders Analysis. PCs clocked in at 45%.

As of January 2014
(SOURCE: PEW RESEARCH CENTER, WASHINGTON DC):

• 90% of American adults have a cell phone
• 58% of American adults have a smartphone
• 32% of American adults own an e-reader
• 42% of American adults own a tablet computer

2.                 Consumers Are Researching/Making Their Decisions On Mobile

SOURCE: TELEMETRIX:

50% of consumers are using their smartphones exclusively to start their research and 31% continue through the process and make buying decisions online. Of the 50% who start their research, only half know what they’re looking for when they start. The other 50% can be influenced by brand marketers.

SOURCE: GOOGLE RESEARCH

 A startling 82% of consumers are using their mobile phones to help them make buying decisions while inside your store with comparison pricing research but, also, using merchant apps.

Of those users, 60% expect their business solution to be within walking distance and 33% are looking for pertinent details:  phone, location, business hours.

3.  More And More Consumers Are Coming Online Via Mobile

SOURCE: EMARKETER

Smartphone uptake is massive. According to eMarketer, the low cost of smart phones will result in 2 billion in use by 2015. We recently tipped over the 1 billion mark. And projections are over 5 billion by 2017. We are at the uptrend of a burgeoning market. Projects say that over 90% of Internet users will be accessing the Internet via their phone alone.

As I said, you can't afford not to do make your website mobile ready. We are offering a free service to take a look at your site and let you know what you need to do and how much it will cost. Get your FREE Assessment*, today!

5 Ways To Get Your Site Ready For Your Mobile Customers

Over half of online customers initiate their purchasing searches on their smartphone and this number is trending up, meaning that more and more customers will be looking for you on their phones over the coming months. We all need to be mobile ready. But what does mobile ready or mobile optimized mean? Here are five things you can do to your website to be most appealing to mobile users:

1) Responsive website or mobile version:
Responsive code or a mobile version of your site are both designed to make it easy on the eyes and the fingertips of mobile users. If your site is not optimized for mobile, you may find that your potential mobile customers bounce right of your site to your competitors'.

2) Basic Information
Mobile users want to know your basic information: 1) where you are - including a map, 2) your phone number, and 3) your business hours. Display these prominently on the front page of your website and your mobile customers will thank you by bringing you more sales.

3) Clickable Phone Numbers
Make sure that all phone numbers on your site are clickable. This means that when a mobile user clicks on a telephone link, the number will automatically load into her phone. All she has to do is press one more button to be connected with you.

4) Increase Media and Reduce Text
Mobile users tend to want simple graphic messages that get straight to the point.

5) Mobile Verbal Search
Many mobile users are using voice search tools to find what they want. That means you need to change your keywords strings to ones that are longer and more closely mimic human speech. For example, if you are a flower shop at Gerrard and Coxwell, you might use the following keyword phrase: "flower shop close to Gerrard and Coxwell" or "flower shop on Gerrard".

Cost of all this? Assuming you will need to get your website redesigned, all these techniques should be included at an approximate rate of $100 per website page. If your site is already generally designed for mobile, then the costs would be minimal.

If you'd like a mobile-readiness assessment absolutely free, go ahead and visit jaybirdsocialmedia.com and fill out the handy form.

Good luck, out there!

Mobile Optimization. You can't afford not to.

This is my second post about going mobile -- or getting your website ready for mobile users.

Your small business simply cannot afford not to go mobile. So many customers are looking for your business right now on their cell. A website designed for easy mobile access, viewing, and click-through will make you more money because such a low percentage of websites are ready. Cellphone users just pass on sites that are difficult or clunky but they'll land on yours.

The cellphone/video generation is coming of age. They are buying houses, cars, and everything else. Be there when they go looking. The fastest growing age segment on cell devices are 50+ and they are cash-rich as they downsize, interested in your product or service, and looking for you with their new gadget. Yours should be the site they find. You don't have to choose my services for your upgrade (though I would love it if you did) but you should be doing this right now.

Contact me for more information. We're actually offering a free assessment this month, a $300 savings in which we will make recommendations and offer solutions that are tailored to your needs.

If you're not already convinced, here are some stats. Happy surfing!

 2013 Cell Phone Statistics
New information has been released about how we used our cell phones, smartphones, and mobile devices in 2013. Some of the stats show a clear move among the average cell user towards it being their primary gaming, internet, and communication device. 

• 97% of adults have a cell phone. (Up 4% from 2012)
• Of these, 56% of those phones are considered "smart phones"
• the average smart phone user looks at her phone 127 times a day
• The cellular phone is the most quickly adopted technology in history. 
• Cell phones are seen as key to actively participating in your community. 
• 29% of users describe their phone as something they can't live without. 
• 9% used their phone to contribute to charity. 

2013 Showed Growth in Mobile Marketing Importance

• 34% of all users are "mobile only", meaning they use only their mobile devices and have no other computer or telephone. (Up 9% from 2012)
• 41% of mobile users browse on their mobile devices for a product after seeing it on an ad on television. 
• 80% of users will participate in e-commerce this year. 
• 36% of smartphone users admit to "shopping around" on their phones while at a retail location, before committing to a purchase. 

Interest Lists: See What You Want To See On Facebook

Facebook has recently changed its algorithms to 'incentivize' companies to use Facebook ads by reducing the number of subscribed followers who see any given post. Companies can increase the number by graphically enriching their posts or by choosing to pay to boost any given post. Fine.

But it kind of leaves the individual out of the equation. What does a real fan do to ensure that she/he/they sees more of what her/his/their favourite company pages have to offer?

The answer is Interest Lists. Interest Lists are a great way of organizing your feed but now the bonus: add your page to an Interest List and Facebook says you will see their 'best' posts. What the word 'best' means I am uncertain, but you will see them. Great.

How do Interests Lists work? A LOT like Twitter lists. You name a list, say IndieRock, and add pages you are interested in to that list. Any time you want to see the feed on that interest, you click on the list. You can create public or private lists or follow other people's lists. For a full description of how to make and use lists, click here, or throw caution to the wind and scroll down to the bottom of your Facebook left side nav bar, click on Interests, and give it a go! Alternatively, you can nav to your favourite pages and add them one by one through the cog menu.

By the way, if you are following me on Facebook, I'd appreciate it if you added me to your Social Media list. I surely would.

The 2 Social Media Platforms Your Business Must Be On

The benefits of social media for business are widely debated -- except that efforts on all platforms definitely help your business' bottom line and every business I know can point to clients they have found online through community building efforts. But social marketing is so new, we are all learning what works and what doesn't and, further, search algorithms change, corporate strategies change. The social media landscape quakes almost every day.

There are, in my mind, two kinds of social media sites: 1) Fuzzy Benefits and 2) Solid Benefits.

Fuzzy benefit social media platforms include Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest. These platforms offer increased reach and possible community building. There is no question that if you can attract a community of folk interested in your product or service on these sites and get them to follow you or sign up for your newsletter, you will increase your sales. None of these sites, however, will increase your SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

Because of recent changes and emerging data Google+ and Linkedin are in the Solid Benefits box. And these are the two site that you need to be on if you want to really capitalize on social media marketing in 2014.

Linkedin is becoming the elite of the social media sites with highest average income per member and hosting the highest percentage of business decision makers of any social media site. Linkedin is also the fastest growing social media site. If you are trying to attract business, this is the site for you, though Linkedin offers no SEO benefit.

Google+, however, is poised to become the king of SEO. Google+ treats all pages and posts on its social platform as if they were a separate websites which means each and every one can be assessed and returned in a pertinent google search for information. And, remember, two thirds of all searches are still done on Google. Most people turn to that engine for answers and that engine is poised to favourite posts on its own social media platform. If you are a business trying to be found, Google+ is a site you need to be on and need to be reasonably active on.

The rules are always changing but these two platforms will, likely, dominate in the coming years. Get your business on them right away.