How To Increase Facebook Likes With a Semi-Automated Facebook Marketing Strategy

4 January 2024 by Taylor Reaume

One important aspect of growing your business online is social media. Many business owners turn to social media platforms such as Facebook to market their business. While some might think of Facebook as a purely social medium for individuals, there are plenty of good reasons to also include it as a major part of your business marketing strategy:

Facebook has an incredible audience: According to the company, there are 2.74 billion monthly users! That is a lot of people who use the channel to post updates, share content and watch videos. It’s a good bet that a significant percentage are in surrounding communities, and these people are anxious to learn about and connect with your local business.
Facebook is heavily used: Most fans visit Facebook daily. In fact, it ranks only behind Google and YouTube as one of the world’s most visited websites.
People are engaged when they visit Facebook: Users spend over a half hour each day visiting Facebook, most of them from a mobile device. Even better, two-thirds of Facebook users said they visit a Facebook Page from a local business at least once a week.
It works for local businesses: Partly due to more people searching for local services during the pandemic and also an increase in “Support Local” trends, Facebook clicks on searches for local business increased by 23% from February through May, 2020.

Despite all these great statistics, not every small business is thriving on Facebook, due to a lack of engagement from their Facebook community. To be successful on Facebook, you need to be active and you need to generate content that motivates your community to action through “likes,” comments, or shares. It’s not enough to just post occasionally and hope that people react to it. You have to construct an effective plan to increase those likes and generate comments.

Know Your Audience to Increase Facebook Likes

The first step to increasing your Facebook likes is to make sure you know your audience. Knowing whether your prospects are young or old, male or female, consumer or business, will make all the difference in the type of content you share on Facebook and how you share it.

Besides knowing who you want to reach on Facebook, you must also build content in a number of different ways. Don’t just post videos, comical images, or promotions. Try mixing things up by incorporating different types of content such as brand stories, personal updates, lead nurturing and authority-building posts. Yes, you want to share your blog posts on Facebook, but also create unique posts that could start a conversation with your audience, stir a reaction from them, or solve their problems.

What to Include in a Marketing Strategy to Increase Facebook Likes

There are two ways to increase awareness of your business Facebook page. First, you want to have a large audience. This means more people will see your content every time you share it. Second, you want to have great content, so more of your current audience will like and share it to their social media circle. This spreads the word about your business to a larger audience than you might ever hope to reach through traditional advertising means.

You might see some ads offering to sell Facebook likes, but the quality of those connections is questionable. Better to do it yourself and have control over building your community. Here are some tips that will increase engagement with your business on Facebook:

Pay attention to your Facebook Page: This is the first thing people will see when they think about connecting with your business. Make sure it is optimized for search engines, has a crisp appearance, uses compelling photos, provides useful information, and includes your location and contact information.
Include Facebook links on your website and social media pages: Put buttons on your website that automatically direct visitors to your Facebook page, and be sure to ask them to “like us on Facebook,” especially on your Contact Us page. Ask your Twitter and Instagram followers to like you on Facebook, too.
Share your blogs on Facebook: Every time you post a blog on your website, share it to your Facebook page. Use an image and captivating headline to grab attention. Ask your blog readers to share your posts, too.
Ask people to “like” you: Tell your current customers that you have a Facebook page, ask them to like and share it with their friends. When you send an email to welcome new customers, inform them about your Facebook page. Include your Facebook address on your business cards, newsletter and email signature block.

Semi-Automate Your Facebook Likes Marketing Strategy

Here are just a few of the many tactics you can use to get your Facebook family more engaged with your content, and more likely to share it:

Create great content: Always have content that is topical and fresh. Use powerful images and headlines. Ask questions. Introduce your team, or tell a great customers service story. People get a lot of information through their Facebook streams, so your updates must stand out.
Add your posts to community pages: Facebook users are paying more attention to local community pages. If you have a service business, add something to the group’s page that provides helpful information for their community. You can also do this if there are groups that pertain to your business such as local bicycle groups, cooking groups or computer groups.
Boost posts: There are times when you put a lot of work into a post that you want more people to see. Boosting a Facebook post gets it in front of more people from a targeted audience you choose, and increases its engagement. If somebody likes one of your boosted posts, make sure you are set up to send them an auto-invite to like your page.
Pin your top posts: If you get a post that really spurs a response, you can keep the momentum going by pinning it to the top of your business page. Anyone who visits your page automatically sees this great piece of content first, so they will like your business and like your post, too.
Create a Facebook group: 1.8 billion people use Facebook Groups. If you have a really targetable audience, Facebook groups for business can be a great way to reach prospects outside your company’s brand’s page. Use your group to provide exclusive content, build community, and attract new customers.
Tag other pages: When you tag other relevant pages, your post will appear on their wall and may spark the interest of that page’s fans.
Share infographics: A good infographic on a pertinent topic can draw a lot of attention. If the information is really good, it should bump up your likes and shares tremendously.
Post videos: The average engagement rate for Facebook video posts exceeds other types of Facebook content. Viewers watch video intently and tend to be more engaged. Your videos can be a produced piece, or something that you shoot and post quickly on Facebook Live covering a particular topic of interest.
Cross-promote: Find other non-competitive local businesses and cross-share your Facebook content with them. It boosts your audience and gives your fans valuable content about local companies.
Website pop-up: Add a pop-up to your website that asks people to join your email list and like your Facebook page.
Ask customers to post: Encourage customers to post video or photos using your product or service. This provides an extended audience reach and an “accidental” testimonial.
Run Facebook ads: One quick way to garner attention is to run Facebook Ads that promote your brand. This is a paid strategy, but it can be useful for getting your name known quickly. There are software tools that help automate the creation of Facebook ads.
Time your posts: It just makes sense to share content when your audience is online, but how do you know when that is? Your Page Insights tab provides the answers. Once you understand more about when your audience is most active, you can establish your own posting schedule or schedule your posts if you’re unavailable to publish them manually.
Tell a story: 500 million people use Facebook Stories daily. Creating content for Facebook Stories is different from creating content for your news feed. The pace is faster, and you’ve got less text to work with. But Facebook Stories have the strategic advantage of appearing at the top of the viewer’s screen.

How Do I Know What Works Best on Facebook?

The Facebook Insights feature identifies the kinds of posts getting the most reach and engagements. Use this information to create more of the content your audience wants from you. Facebook Insights give you the ability to learn from your mistakes and give followers what they want, so you’ll be able to continue increasing those likes!

Another way to determine what works best is to look at case studies from other brands. Here are a few you can check out:

Facebook Group: In 2018 Starbucks launched a Facebook group, the “Leaf Rakers Society,” for its Pumpkin Spice Latte drink. Since this is a seasonal drink, Starbucks uses the group to generate a “latte love” all year long. This group builds anticipation for the yearly release of its famous drink. Currently there are 41.0K members in the group.
Facebook Video: For Halloween 2016,Tomcat (a rodent extermination company) created a live video event featuring mice in a haunted cabin (Yikes!). During the video, the audience was questioned as to how the story should evolve. The video got as astonishing 2.3 million unique views, with 21% of viewers actively participating in the fun. The Tomcat Facebook fan page also grew by a whopping 58%.
Facebook Ads: In 2017, Brewer Direct used two fundraising strategies to determine if it could acquire new donors, generate revenue, and garner a positive ROI. The campaigns were a success – they generated instant donations, added new members to the Facebook audience and acquired new email addresses.

The addition of Facebook to your business marketing strategy can make a marked difference in awareness and results, but it is important to be consistent in your efforts. Use as many semi-automated techniques as you can to get your business noticed on Facebook and build an engaged audience.

Facebook Marketing | Social Media Marketing | Web Marketing

Is Facebook advertising the best way to boost your business?

9 March 2017 by Taylor Reaume

The world of advertising is transforming. In a society saturated by information, it’s harder than ever to grab the attention of potential customers. So, just how do you get people to take notice of your business? Try reaching them through social media. Facebook has nearly 1.8 billion monthly active users, so advertising on its platform could be the answer. Learn more about how Facebook advertising works and find out how Search Engine Pros can help you harness its power to boost your business.

Why use Facebook advertising?

Here are the key reasons why Facebook advertising wins over traditional ad formats like print, billboard, radio, TV and even Google Adsense:

Facebook ads are far cheaper in terms of cost to reach 1,000 people. For example, Buffer app found that spending just $5 per day on Facebook adverts bought them 9 likes, 1 click to their homepage and 787 new views. Moz claims that spending $1 per day on Facebook gets your brand in front of 4,000 people.
Facebook ads run on pay-per-click or pay-per-day impressions, similar to Adsense. That means that you’re in control of your budget and can set daily caps or limits on the total campaign.
Facebook ads are highly visible because they’re placed directly in users’ news streams.
You can target specific audiences with Facebook ads based on a number of factors including interests, age, behaviour, connections, languages, gender, location, religion, politics, marital status and occupation.
Facebook allows you to find existing customers using contact lists, web traffic from your site or activity in your app. This allows you to remarket to an audience who has already visited your site and has some interest in your business.
Once you have a converting audience you can use the Lookalike Audience feature to reach new people who have similar profiles.
You can test and track the success of your advertising campaigns in real time with Facebook Analytics and adjust them using the Adverts Manager tool.

Exactly how does Facebook advertising work?

Facebook has made over $6.4 billion in advertising revenue in the second quarter of 2016 alone. The social network has become a key leader in the ad field by creating the most sophisticated consumer profiling ever. Here’s how it works:

When you’re logged into Facebook, it tracks everything you do on the internet. This allows it to build a profile of your lifestyle including what brands you like, your hobbies and interests, favorite foods, music, films and so much more.
Facebook knows where you live and uses your electronic device and location settings to figure out key information about you.
The company also uses consumer data that has been sourced by credit companies and research firms like Experian to build a fuller idea of your lifestyle habits.

This might sound pretty scary for consumers, but it’s a dream for advertisers who can use this information to target very specific audiences. Plus, if they wish, Facebook users can adjust their privacy settings using the Ad Preference Tool to avoid being tracked.

What makes Facebook advertising even better is that it has 10 different ad methods which cater to different business aims:

Boost your posts to a wider audience.
Promote your page to get more likes.
Send people to your website.
Increase conversions on your website.
Get people to install your app.
Increase engagement in your app.
Reach people who live near your business.
Get people to attend an event.
Get people to claim an offer, such as a discount on next purchase or enter a sweepstake.
Generate video views.

How can we help you with Facebook advertising?

Whether you want to drive sales or increase brand awareness, with a little bit of time, money and testing, Facebook ads can provide a real boost for your business. If you need assistance setting things up, Search Engine Pros can help in the following ways:

We can work with you to assess your advertising needs.
Set up your Facebook advertising account
Test various adverts and analyze what works best.
Set up a regular advertising budget and schedule your Facebook ads.

Blog Marketing | Web Marketing

Facebook Marketing Power Tips For Santa Barbara Businesses

28 March 2015 by Taylor Reaume

Are you marketing your business effectively on Facebook? There are so many ways your company can use social media to build awareness with a target audience. It may seem like Facebook is all about cat videos and selfies, but don’t be fooled. Facebook is a powerful marketing opportunity that can build your business when used properly.

One reason for Facebook’s effectiveness is that consumers now want to be more involved in creating the brand story. While business marketers used to be able to “push” information out to consumers on a need-to-know basis, consumers now want to “pull” information in and make decisions based on what they find.

The first place they are likely to look for information, whether it’s deciding on a restaurant or looking for a doctor, is online. And they’ll use their social media circle of friends as part of the research process, too.

Since the conversation can no longer be one-sided, social media is also used to create a dialog. There is no better, faster or more cost-effective way to reach prospects and customers than online.

While Facebook is one of the older forms of social media, it is also one of the most effective and widely accepted. Here are a few recent — and stunning — Facebook statistics that should capture your attention:

» Monthly active Facebook users: 1,310,000,000 — That’s a lot of opportunity!

» Mobile Facebook users: 680,000,000 — Plenty of reason to make sure your Facebook page is mobile-friendly.

» Increase in Facebook users from 2012 to 2013: 22 percent — It’s still growing.

» Total number of minutes spent on Facebook each month: 640,000,000 — It’s engaging.

» Percent of all Facebook users who log on in any given day: 48 percent — People are involved.

» Average time spent on Facebook per visit: 18 minutes — Once they visit, they stick around.

Facebook is so ubiquitous that many Millennials check their FB page before they even get out of bed, but it’s not just for use by businesses that target a younger audience. The fastest-growing demographic on Facebook is 40-60 years old.

In the old days, we used to keep in touch with friends via phone or letters; now we use social media to say hello, share information and build relationships.

It’s Not Just for Cat Videos

Did you know that Google “crawls” the Facebook Fan pages to look for indicators that could propel your business to the top of its search engine results? The same rules apply here as they do for website pages — content must be optimized, engaging, relevant and shareable. The good news is that these strategies don’t just build rankings; they also build relationships.

Let’s say you’ve started a Facebook page, added some nice photos, wrote an “about us” piece, included location and contact information, and have links to your website and other social media pages. So how do you garner likes and build a community?

First, make sure you promote your page everywhere and ask people to like it. Recommend that they share information with friends who might be interested in what you offer.

Your page needs to be dynamic, with new information added on a consistent basis. The social media world moves quickly. Information only stays at the top of the page for a few minutes. Unless you have said something that catches consumers’ attention and makes them stop, they move on to the next item. That’s why it’s important to be on Facebook every day with something new.

Constant reminders about your company, products and services, and the benefits you offer will start to build top-of-mind awareness. If you don’t think you can find the time to interact every day, take some time at the beginning of every month to outline thirty ideas or points you want to make. Some can be seasonal or talk about sales items, but most should just be a way of engaging your audience.

Here are a few power tips that can make your Facebook page sing:

» Consistency: Your message needs to be consistent across all online platforms. Have a marketing strategy with the “talking points” or main issues you want to present to your audience and stick to them. Don’t assume that one or two sentences every day is enough to form a complete impression. You might need to think of 10 different ways to say the same thing so that your audience can understand.

» Content: Content for Facebook must be optimized the same way your website is. What are the keywords your audience searches for, and how can they be included? Don’t just sell, sell, sell — use your Facebook posts to educate, engage and entertain. Ask for “likes,” tell a few jokes, post interesting tidbits they might want to share.

» Drive Traffic: Invite your community to click through to your website on a consistent basis. Tell them about your newsletter, a complimentary PDF you offer, or the latest blog article.

» Contests: These can be a good way to generate attention and gather leads. But don’t just spend money on a contest and move on. You must have a plan in place to use those leads, and try to convert them to a sale.

Above all, remember that this is a two-way street. You must also monitor your Facebook page on a regular basis. React if someone makes a comment, respond if there is a question, and say thanks if you get a compliment.

For a good example of a Facebook page that works, check out GoGoleta. Note the use of attractive photos, regular updates and posts that provide helpful information.

If you’d like more Facebook and online marketing tips, be sure to click LIKE on Search Engine Pros Facebook Fan Page.

Make Facebook a central part of your online marketing strategy. Boost your “likes” and your “followers,” and you’ll boost your sales and profits.

— Taylor Reaume is an e-Business coach and founder of Search Engine Pros. He can be contacted at taylor@thesearchenginepros.com, or 1.800.605.4988. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.

Facebook Marketing | SEO Marketing | Social Media Marketing | Web Marketing

Boost Your Holiday Traffic With These 4 Online Marketing Tips

27 December 2014 by Taylor Reaume

We are getting ready to turn the page on the calendar and it’s hard to believe that we are in our final month of 2014. It’s been a great year for us here at Search Engine Pros, and we hope that your year was equally as rewarding. As we take the time to prepare for 2015, we’d like to wish you and your family a happy holiday season and a safe New Year.

Now might be a good time for you to look back at 2014 and think about whether or not you were getting the type of online traffic that you had hoped for your business. If you didn’t get the type of traction that you had wanted, then you may realize that you failed to reach your expected earnings as you tally up revenues in the fourth quarter of the year. Luckily, a new year is just ahead, and you can start fresh with an improved marketing plan that will make 2015 an incredibly rewarding year.

With the help of web marketing, you can take your business to brand new levels of exposure. Before online search marketing, it was much more difficult for small businesses to compete with large companies. However, there are now a variety of tools that an online marketing team can implement to increase the presence of your brand.

Strategy Development Goal Marketing Vision Planning Business Con

If you are looking for a boost in holiday traffic that will carry over into the new year, here are 4 tips to consider.

1. Spruce Up Your Website

Many companies realize that they have to have a website if they want to get recognized online. But not all of those companies realize that a standard website isn’t going to be enough in today’s responsive world. Instead, it might be time to revamp your approach by stripping down your website and building it to maximize search engine optimization results.

2. Get Help When You Need It

With a marketing group that is familiar in SEO, you can have a customized online presence that is tailored to your every request. With the advice of these marketing experts, you’ll get some of the top web design ideas that will interest your audience and keep them on your page. In addition, these web marketing methods will help with your online search engine rankings by accommodating to required expectations. If any part of your online presence is outdated, you may be hurting your SEO wherewithal. This is why it’s important that you make a beneficial change that will quickly boost your presence and maximize your online efforts.

3. Re-Target Your Marketing Approach

Along with other methods of online marketing, you’ll also want to evaluate your marketing plan to see how well it is targeting your audience. In many cases, we’ve worked with business that have a viable approach in place. However, once we dig a bit deeper, we realize that their SEO marketing plan is limited and they aren’t getting the sort of exposure that they desire. To make the shift, your new approach should include an emphasis on social media marketing. The way that customers interact with companies is drastically changing on a day-to-day basis. This is why you need a marketing agency thatcan help you keep up with these changes on social media and other online avenues.

4. Track Your Results

No matter what sort of marketing service you implement, it won’t matter if you don’t know how it’s working. This is why it’s vital that you track your results and use analytics to formulate any changes that are necessary. If you are unfamiliar with tracking analytics, your marketing agency can assist you. The more that you track your results as to what is working for your online approach, the better of an idea you will have into what works. You can then use this information as you move forward and tailor your online marketing toward your target audience.

Q: Is it too late to jump start my online marketing for the holiday season?

A: Traffic from Google Adwords can be sent to your web site in less than an hour.

Q: How does online marketing compare to other forms of advertising?

A: Online marketing has changed the way that people connect with businesses. Instead of sending out mail flyers or other physical services, online marketing lets businesses communicate with their clients instantaneously. In doing so, your business will be able to bring in new clients and build your reputation as a reliable brand that people can trust in.

Here are some fantastic events to attend that will be sure to grow your company by leaps and bounds.

Social Media Strategies Summit: Las Vegas 2015 – Anyone who is anyone will want to make sure that they visit the Social Media Strategies Summit in Las Vegas. This year, the event will be from February 10 – 12. You can learn more about how to market your brand online at this great conference.

Social Media Marketing World – There will be over 2,500 people in attendance at the Social Media Marketing World from March 25-27. The event is held in San Diego, so be sure to get your ticket early to be part of one of the biggest social media events around the nation.

Facebook Marketing | Local Marketing | SEO Marketing | Social Media Marketing | Web Marketing

Get Your Online Marketing Plan Ready For The Holidays

27 November 2014 by Taylor Reaume

Can you believe it? The holiday season is here, though it seems like 2014 just started. From the team here at Search Engine Pros, we’d like to take a moment to wish you a happy Thanksgiving, and a prosperous and safe holiday season.

For the companies out there, you likely know that it’s time that you start planning for holiday marketing. With an economy that is finally back on an upswing, it’s expected that this could be a record quarter for sales as we finish out the year. That is why it’s important that your business has a dedicated web presence this holiday season. If you don’t, then you’ll be missing out on valuable clients and an increase in customers during a golden time of year to do so.

If your current online campaign is leaving you with something more to be desired, then there is no time to waste. With a search marketing team on your side, you’ll be able to get back in the game and earn more recognition for your company.

When it comes to working with a web marketing company for the first time, you may not be familiar with what to expect. Here are some of the services that an online marketing team will provide you with.

A Personalized Website = 24/7 Employee

First impressions mean everything when it comes to your online presence. That is why it’s imperative that you have a fully personalized website that makes a lasting impression on your clients.

In order to implement a personalized website, you’ll need a marketing group that can provide you with top web design ideas. Your web design needs to be something that works best for you and that really shows off your company’s personality.

In addition, your website should also be optimized for future growth as well. The internet is always changing and the way people look for information is as well. Therefore, your web marketing approach should include a strategy to ensure that your site will last for years to come.

By building trust with your customers through your website, your marketing plan will be much more effective to build from.

A Diverse Marketing Plan

Having just a website isn’t going to be enough to get the type of sales that you are looking for. It’ll help, but you’ll also need a diverse marketing plan that uses a variety of different methods.

With an SEO marketing plan, you’ll be able to rank higher in search engine results provided by Google, the largest search engine on the web. With social media marketing, you can target customers on sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and more. Email marketing and list building are also essential elements to your long term success. The more that you build as an online presence, the more successful your marketing approach will be. Keep this in mind as you look for a marketing agency to assist you, and make sure that they have a comprehensive approach.

Diligent Customer Care

Working with a marketing service that you can trust will hopefully go well right out of the gate and everything will be smooth. But because we all know that business has plenty of variables, you never know what’s going to happen. That’s why it’s important to work with an agency that promises diligent customer care. There is no telling what obstacles that you may come across, which is why it’s vital that you work with a team that is ready to take on additional challenges with you. A reputable marketing company will evaluate what is working and what is not, and then help you make adjustments accordingly to better implement your strategy.

As the year comes to a close, we’ve had the chance to look back and realize how grateful we are and how much we appreciate everyone who has supported the growth of Search Engine Pros over the years. Many, many thanks to our wonderful clients for your continued trust in our team. Thank you to our dedicated staff for your exceptional focus, drive and determination. Your contributions make a real difference every year.

Q: Why is web marketing more important than traditional marketing during the holidays?
A: Black Friday was once thought to be something that was worth going out for in order to get great deals on things. However, with so much chaos that ensues every time, people are now starting to opt for more online purchases. That is why you need to ensure that you are online for people to find when they are looking for ways to beat Black Friday madness.
Q: Why is web marketing a better investment than physical mailers or advertisements?
A: When you use web marketing, you are building multiple different avenues to keep in contact with your clients. With an investment into online marketing, you can build email lists and social media accounts, which then will make for even more cost-efficient marketing in the future.
Q: How long does web marketing stay relevant?
A: It doesn’t look like the internet is going anywhere, so it’s safe to say that your online marketing approach will be relevant for years to come. By getting a head start on your online marketing, you’ll be able to get ahead of the curve and stay relevant for years to come.

About Search Engine Pros: Search Engine Pros is a Santa Barbara web marketing firm specialized in online marketing, SEO marketing, PPC (Pay Per Click Google Adwords) and SEO/web design. Visit the website and Facebook page or call 800-605-4988 for more information or to request a copy of 101 Ways to Drive Traffic.

Big budget results. Small budget costs.

Step 1. Design a site that captivates, informs and motivates customers to action.
Step 2. Develop a content publishing plan detailing specific steps to success.
Step 3. Delegate execution to a team with a strong track record for success.

Ready to get started? Fill out this form to receive a free website analysis and rank report.

Smile, It’s Contagious!

Facebook Marketing | Local Marketing | Social Media Marketing | Web Marketing

Restaurant Marketing in 2013: Why Storytelling Matters

10 May 2013 by Taylor Reaume

Restaurant marketing consultants everywhere are talking about the power of social media and local SEO. But very few restaurant marketing consultants are talking about the power of storytelling.

There are some very empty restaurants out there serving good food. There are also some very crowded restaurants serving OK food. Why are some restaurants busier than others? Did they hire a restaurant marketing company? What’s their secret restaurant marketing sauce?

Just as there are many flavors of ice cream, there are many flavors of restaurant marketing. When it comes to marketing a restaurant, there’s a particularly effective flavor, called Storytelling. Restaurant marketing ideas, trends and strategies are helpful, but the secret sauce to powerful restaurant marketing is about great storytelling.

Great food and great beer is a pre-requisite. But what does your restaurant offer that others don’t. Marketers call this your unique selling proposition, or USP. Forget about “lowest price” or “best quality”, how are you REALLY different? The best points of difference are remarkably subtle.

Shaping perceptions in the mind of the customer base is where many restaurant owners tend to get lazy. Smart bar owners are constantly focusing on their points of difference and storytelling in a smart way to win over the influencers.

Not all bar flys are created equal.

There are two types of bar flys. You want the “influencer” type. Not the loner type. Influencers are the cool kids…the class clowns. They typically have a large influence over a large circle of friends in close proximity to the bar. Usually these influencer type bar flys are great storytellers.

Last year, I spoke to a bar owner who estimated that his “influencer” bar fly added $100,000+ to his bottom line at year end. (This puts the cost of working with a marketing agency into perspective. )

What’s your restaurants story? What do you stand for? Are you clear about it? Is your staff clear? It’s true you can’t be all things to all people, so don’t try. However, certain brand traits are non divisive and appeal to the majority without diluting the brand. For example, are you supportive of animal shelters? (animal loving bar flys) Do you love bicycling? (bicycle loving bar flys) Do you provide free, helpful information about the local music events in town? (music loving bar flys). A professional marketing agency can help you gain clarity.

How do I market my restaurant cost effectively?

After clearly defining your brand, it’s time to choose a “platform” from which you can speak your brand messages. Let’s talk about communicating those points of difference to the masses. I’m not talking bumper stickers people!

Unless you’re a chain, direct mail, radio, television are often too expensive. Locally owned restaurants owners are competing on a different level. Smaller fish need to swim faster with a sophisticated social media, SEO and web marketing plan to stay competitive.

Social media, search engine optimization and email marketing are newer, better, more cost effective ways to spread the word. By using these lower cost online marketing platforms to communicate your unique selling proposition, bar profits, and bar flys will increase.

Advanced restaurant marketing plans require critical thinking sessions with a marketing consultant every week. The world of online marketing moves fast and staying current is crucial to success. The marketing consultant should ideally have a degree in marketing and many years of experience in the field. Testimonials are a good indicator of their track record.

“Break the illusion of separation with your customer base, one story at a time.”

The best restaurant marketing ideas tell stories about the people who work there, about the food, the patrons, the thinking behind the food. Like any good story, these are elements that help potential customers identify in some way with the restaurant. More connections = more likability.

Facebook just happens to be one of the easiest, and most effective platforms for storytelling in 2013. So USE IT! However, keep away from political commentary. Restaurateurs making divisive political comments on Facebook or Twitter will lose more customers than they make.

Local SEO with keyword research, directory submissions and reviews are three additional focus areas for restaurant owners. These are specialized marketing tactics that restaurant owners should consider allowing professional marketers to help with every month. Staying competitive in business requires specialization of roles to keep operations running smoothly.

Optimize your web site for local search keywords your customers, and tourists, type into Google when searching for your business. Use your blog to add value to the reader. Websites aren’t just for large companies; now more than ever, small local businesses are realizing the importance of having a website and implementing an Internet marketing strategy. Engage in local SEO practices and be sure you get a keyword research report from a reliable online marketing company before you start optimizing your site.

Internet directories are the new yellow pages. Since the internet is the #1 place people go to find a restaurant now, it makes sense to get listed in as many local directories as possible. There are 100’s of local directories in your area – find them and get listed.

Yelp and Google reviews are the black swans for restaurant owners today. Online restaurant restaurant reviews are perhaps the most overlooked area of restaurant marketing today. It’s important to get creative and find ways to increase the number of positive reviews on Google Plus and Yelp. Consider teaming up with local food bloggers and turn them into brand ambassadors. Woo local food bloggers into reviewing your restaurant in return for a free meal. The back links will increase Google rankings, and the positive review will help your reputation.

Grow your email database and you’ll grow your restaurant business. Compared to direct marketing, email marketing is a less expensive way to stay top of mind with those bar flys. Keep customers informed with educational, entertaining, engaging information through your email newsletter every month, tie the content into social media and blog.

Restaurants need to market themselves – how they tell their story and explain why customers should give them a try is critical to long term success. Restaurants need to communicate consistently and creatively to their audience, and not go broke in the process. Get with a smart marketing company that’s familiar with the low cost, effective marketing tools and tactics. There are literally 100’s of no cost ways to market a business with the internet today. Learn them, and execute consistently.

Can I do it all by myself?

Can you cut your hair all by yourself? Well maybe yes, but how do you think it will turn out? Smart bar owners stay focused on what they do best, running the bar, and let a professional marketer do what they do best, shaping perceptions and winning the influencers.

Execution is everything. A tennis player does not have time to stop mid swing and figure out how to swing the racket. You have to go fast and stay consistent each month with your messaging. Brand building is all about being ubiquitous in the mind of the customer base.

The need to improve perceptions about your restaurant hasn’t changed, but the mediums for doing so have changed dramatically in recent years (social media, blogging, email marketing, SEO press releases, online reviews). Smart bar owners are using these new mediums to “influence the influencers” with smart brand messages.

Always remember, you could have a better product or service than your competitor, but if they’re telling a better story than you are, they’ll outsell you all year long. It’s all about GREAT storytelling. This is an ancient truth in marketing, and it’s especially relevant for restaurants and bars.

Above all, stay consistent with your marketing every month and your restaurant business will be more successful this year. Good luck, and here’s to capturing more market share and more bar flys in 2013.

Taylor Reaume

Founder/e-business Coach

Facebook Marketing | Social Media Marketing | Web Marketing

Santa Barbara Marketing Company Explains How To Promote An Event With Facebook

25 February 2013 by Taylor Reaume

Promote Your Santa Barbara Events on Facebook

With hundreds of millions of active users, Facebook’s fan pages are an effective way to capitalize on internet marketing for events, organizations, businesses, bands, or products that need to build an audience.

Facebook Fan pages are visible to everyone who visits, can grow as big as needed, and can provide the administrator with helpful page insights about visitors. When someone becomes a “fan” of your event, that information appears on their wall for their friends to see.

As a Santa Barbara marketing company we often help businesses promote their events with a Facebook fan page. Fan pages are a great way to generate awareness for the event and draw new visitors.

After you create a page for your event, you need to start using it to promote your event. Our Santa Barbara marketing consultants recommend the following:

Promote The “Get Notifications” Option: When driving visitors to your Facebook fan page, make sure to tell your sponsors, speakers, and vendors about the “get notifications” option. Facebook doesn’t always post every update or notification, but checking this option will make sure your fans get updated every time you post something new and exciting about your Santa Barbara events.
Pre-plan Status Updates: Did you know you can schedule status updates now on Fan Pages? Get your core team together, and have each person come up with 10 status updates. Next, schedule at least 50 updates to go out during the months leading up to the event. Keep the updates engaging, entertaining or educational.
Link to a Website: Have an online location where visitors can find complete information. Make sure that the page also has a link back to your Facebook fan page.
Post Frequent Updates: For effective event promotion in Santa Barbara, you need to keep interested parties constantly updated on news about your event. Whenever there is a new speaker, entertainer, or sponsor let your fans know.
Use the Facebook Comments Plugin: Your event registration page should allow the use of Facebook comments so that your event receives additional visibility each time a visitor makes a comment.
Connect With Partners: Encourage your sponsors, speakers, and vendors to cross-promote your event on their Facebook pages. You can also include their names, logos or photos in your updates to keep the cycle going.
Consider Facebook Ads: Targeted Facebook ads can help draw attention and interest to the fan page for your event.

Be sure to use other forms of social marketing to promote your Facebook fan page. Make sure any Tweets or YouTube videos you have direct visitors to your site. Event marketing in Santa Barbara will be far less difficult if you follow these quick tips above.

Need help with Facebook marketing strategy? Our Santa Barbara marketing consultants can help you build a fan page, create an event, or promote an event using Facebook fan pages. Once you’ve seen the power of Facebook to attract visitors, attendees, and sponsors to your event, you’ll wonder why you waited so long.

Facebook Marketing | Google Marketing | SEO Marketing | Social Media Marketing | Web Marketing

Are You Wooing Your Customers this Valentine’s Day?

15 February 2013 by Taylor Reaume

Valentine’s Day is one of our favorite holidays at The Search Engine Pros. V-Day presents a unique opportunity for businesses to get creative with their email and social media promotions.

Small efforts can pay off big

If you don’t have the time for a full scale digital marketing campaign, the simplest thing you can do is update your Facebook and Twitter status, and wish your followers a Happy Valentine’s Day. You may also wish to update your Facebook cover page to celebrate the spirit of this romantic day – keep the images eye-catching and use a call to action. Ditto for Twitter – a V-day Twitter header image and background, in combination with a compelling message about your offerings – can encourage followers to take the desired action.

Got V-day Marketing Automation?

For a more serious direct marketing approach, consider planning ahead. All great marketing requires great planning. But planning is not enough. Nowawadays, you need the help of a good friend named ‘marketing automation’ to stay competitive. Doing things manually is not cost effective and will likely land you in the therapists office.

How consistent is your marketing?

Businesses with automated email marketing systems stay front-and-center in customers’ and leads’ minds more easily than those that don’t. Email continues to be a powerful medium for customer engagement. So, if you have a V-day special offer, it makes sense to implement a drip email campaign that serves as a reminder of the big day, delivers useful information (how to woo your spouse/girlfriend) and follows up with your specials/promotions.

Something like this:

Last week of Jan – focus on V-day awareness, gift ideas, subtle sales message(s)

First week of Feb – launch your promotion, present incentives and make an impression

11^th and 12^th Feb – create a sense of urgency about gifts and continue with promotion

13^th Feb – offer tips to those late to the V-day party on gift ideas or planning surprises for their partners

15^th Feb – Solicit testimonials actively, encourage customers to share V-day stories, make this the highlight of your social media conversations; pictures and infographics can go on Pinterest, videos and articles on Google+, Twitter and Facebook.

An optimized press release is also a great way to get the message about your V-day specials across to your audience. Don’t overly promote; cushion your sales message with tips and advice. Keep it interesting and worthy of reading.

These tips will also come in handy come holiday time. Put on your thinking cap and make the most of your digital media campaigns!

All of us at The Search Engine Pros would like to extend a Happy Valentine’s Day for you and your sweetheart. We strive to offer the absolute best web strategy at the best prices with customer service that is unrivaled. Our business depends and grows based on word of mouth and we never forget that. Thank you again for all your past support and we look forward to serving you in the future.

Your Search Engine Pros Team

Facebook Marketing | Social Media Marketing | Web Marketing

Social Media Updates: 7 Factors You Must Consider

3 February 2013 by Taylor Reaume

It’s educational. It’s Informative. Join Us!

What: The Monday SEO workshop is a group of local business owners talking about how to generate more leads from their website via Google site optimization and pay per click. Attendees come to learn SEO and search engine marketing from other like-minded business owners who have developed effective internet marketing strategies. When: Monday Nights 6pm-7pm Where: 112 W. Cabrillo BLVD Santa Barbara, CA 93101 More info: RSVP HERE

What’s The Topic This Week?

Social Media Status Updates: 7 Factors You Must Consider Social media marketing is a powerful platform for brand awareness. Getting customers to know, like and trust your brand can seem like walking a tight rope and juggling bowling pins sometimes. With each passing year, the noise level on the social media marketing landscape increases. How do we stand out and get our message heard without being annoying or losing followers? Here’s a few tips that may help. 1. Clicking like on every single status update. Be careful not to over communicate. In May 2010, Facebook added privacy controls and streamlined its privacy settings, giving users a few additional ways to manage status updates and other information that is broadcast to the public News Feed. Among the new privacy settings is the ability to control who sees status updates: Everyone, Friends of Friends, or Friends Only. Facebook took it one step further and now allows users to hide each status update from specific people as well. However, (here’s where the bulk of my research time was consumed or this article) a user who presses “like” or comments on the status update (or photo) of a friend cannot prevent that action from appearing in the news feeds of all the users’ friends, even non-mutual ones. It is simply not possible to prevent it, despite all the misinformation on the web. 2. Use Quotes: Another good way of starting out status updates is with quotes. Do a search for some quotes of interest and schedule these to go out in your time line. Make sure they are remarkable and have a universal appeal to them. Personal development ones are great and also quotes by famous people. Here’s one I just found in the as an example: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” — Aristotle. There are thousands of these all over the Internet that you can use. 3. Not Engaging Online: It’s not about you, it’s about your audience. Ask questions and incite participation. Create posts that engage your audience. For example, visit the many Q and A sites on the web, and discover what kinds of questions people are asking. Which is more powerful, the question mark, or the exclamation point? 4. Don’t just broadcast; listen: All people need is a good listening to. Visit the pages of your complementary business categories, and support those posts by helping to keep the story alive and posting a meaningful, helpful comment. For example, if you’re a realtor, you might try following a few mortgage people social media streams, and provide positive helpful responses. 5. Closed Ended vs. Open Ended: Learn about the difference between open ended and closed ended status updates. An open-ended question requires an answer greater than a single word or two. A closed-ended question can be answered with a simple “Yes,” “No,” or other very simple answer. A response to your status update shouldn’t require a huge time investment. Ask questions that elicit short responses that don’t require a huge time investment. Bad example: Me: “Do you think online marketing is effective?”
Them: “Yah.” Good example: Me: “What has been the most effective marketing for you this year” Them: “The most effective for me has been a combination of SEO and PPC!” *This question is vague enough and open to interpretation in many ways, so those that respond will not potentially feel embarrassed about their response. Bad example: Me: “Tell me why you think social media is the future of marketing” Them: “Huh?” *Too complex, too much thought required to respond and too much potential to sound unintelligent. Another technique that can help you get specific information and a lengthier answer is to ask a closed-ended question followed up with “Why?” or “How?” For example, if I want to know whether I might find a local kick boxing class, I can ask someone who took it. Then I could follow up with “Why?” or “How?” Me: “Did you like that kick boxing class?” Him: “Nope.” Me: “Why not?” Him: “Oh, well, it was a lot of kicking and my legs got really soar and eventually I had to go see the doctor!” 6. Make use of humor: Don’t be all business. Find classy, relevant, humorous, entertaining photos and post them on your stream occasionally. Theodore Roosevelt said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Quite frankly many people don’t care until you have built a relationship with them. Engage. Educate. Entertain. Don’t forget to entertain people! Two quotes come to mind: “The shortest distance between two people is laughter!” and “All lasting business depends on friendship”. -Montapert 7. URL formatting: Make sure you always include http:// in the link and not just www so the link is clickable. The over arching goal with social media marketing is to make friends, be social and keep the conversation going = much like a social gathering at a bar or a restaurant. You don’t make money from social media, you make money by getting people to know like and trust you through social media. If you garner more likes, comments, shares, etc, this will increase your EDGERANK on Facebook, and this means your brand will appear in news feeds more often. Plan to spend a specific amount of time over the next month getting your feet wet with Social Marketing practices. The most important thing to remember for the person who is promoting their business on the net is that he/ she should always keep the content interesting, valuable and full of fun. My final advice to you is “You don’t have to be great to get started with social media marketing, but you do need to get started to be GREAT!” About Taylor Reaume and The Search Engine Pros: Taylor Reaume is an online marketing professional and founder of Santa Barbara marketing firm, The Search Engine Pros. Do you have questions about web design, SEO, PPC, social media or web strategy? Fill out the contact form on this page to get instant advice and helpful tips from The Pros. “Why should I come to the SEO Workshop?” At the SEO workshop you’ll pick up some handy tips on web site marketing strategy and also enjoy a networking opportunity with other local business owners. Bring your business cards, your lap top and an open mind. We hope to see you at 6pm at 112 W. Cabrillo Blvd, The Santa Barbara Veterans Building, just a few steps from Sambos Restaurant. Please RSVP here “How much does it cost?” The meet up cost is $5. Alternatively, you can pay with a Facebook Post recommending the group to friends. We go to great lengths to prepare the workshops, and your support in helping us spread the word on Facebook is greatly appreciated. http://Facebook.com/TheSearchEnginePros

Business Networking Opportunities In Santa Barbara

Contacts N Coffee: Great opportunity to network with other local businesses every Friday morning. visit here Goleta B2B Breakfast: Largest business breakfast mixer in Santa Barbara. First Tuesdays of every month. Earl Warren Showgrounds. visit here Santa Barbara Young Professionals: Business Networking with young entreprenuers. visit here TECH BREW: Brings together hundreds of local professionals, who gather to Exchange Ideas, Network, Form Alliances and Focus Technology and Business Growth in the Santa Barbara Region. visit here Locals That Rock: Social media smart group for advanced social media savvy business owners. visit here.

Earn income with The Search Engine Pros

Affiliates: Simply sign up for our Affiliate Program and place our banners on your site to start earning monthly referral fees from us. Sales Pros: If you would like to take your relationship with The Search Engine Pros to the next level and become a sales agent, please apply here. If you pass our initial screening, we’ll get in touch to discuss your increased commission level. Writers: Do you have technical writing skills? We are hiring writers on temp to permanent basis at The Search Engine Pros. Apply Here. Graphic Designers: We have immediate openings for Graphic Designers. We are hiring graphic designers on temp to permanent basis at The Search Engine Pros. Apply Here. Social Media Experts: Can you curate content with the best of them? We are hiring social media experts on temp to permanent basis at The Search Engine Pros. Apply Here. PPC Pros: Have you managed Google Adwords campaigns before? We are hiring PPC experts on temp to permanent basis at The Search Engine Pros. Apply Here.

Get Online. Get Ranked.

Successful websites launch with 100 helpful articles In order to rank well on the internet’s largest search engines, you site must contain informative, original content that contains the relevant keywords from which you’d like to capture traffic. Part of the success of your business depends on your ability to generate top ranks on Google and other major search engines. Santa Barbara’s Only SEO Meetup Group Join us for an hour filled with interesting conversations about online business. With over 81% of consumers making purchasing decisions online, web sites are no longer optional. If you have a good product or service, then driving traffic to your site is a matter of SEO. Taylor Reaume, The Search Engine Pros Founder, will discuss:

The latest cutting edge marketing strategies

How to wine and dine the Google spider at your web site.

Discover 4 powerful SEO Tools to help increase visitors to your web site.

Learn SEO and internet marketing strategies at the weekly SEO meetup. Share ideas with other local business owners who have developed innovative internet marketing strategies.

Tired of roadblocks in your marketing campaigns? Does your web marketing team have the communication skills to help bring your visions to reality? The Search Engine Pros are practitioners of compassionate communication. Learn more about our web strategy and workshops hosted by Taylor Reaume. Subscribe to our blog for fresh articles. If we can’t help, we know someone who can! Get a quote. Work with a team that cares for all the right things. Inquire today. 800.605.4988

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