5 Top Social Media Marketing Strategies for Growing Your Business in 2019

What is a chatbot? A chatbot is an artificial intelligence computer program designed to interact with people the way a human would. Because it is a computer program you can give it as many pieces of information as you need to and it retains everything. Companies are taking advantage of chatbots by inserting them into programs such as Facebook Messenger. Facebook business users have installed over 100,000 active bots a month in their Facebook Messenger. The advantage is instantaneous response. It frees up your workforce for more pressing tasks. While giving your customer the information they’re seeking without the normal waiting time. Ready to try a chatbot? https://www.liveperson.com/ was rated the top chatbox provider by consumers advocate.org. Try installing a chatbot and programming it with the answers to all of your most frequently asked questions. Or perhaps you are brainstorming some unique ideas of your own.
I would love to hear how you’re using your chatbot. Drop me a line in on my contact page or leave a comment below.

The use of video in marketing campaigns and as social media content is viral. If you are not yet using it you soon will be. There are three trending types of video right now.

1. The ever popular live streaming video. Periscope and Facebook Live are the most well known. I’ve mostly seen sort of “on the fly” live streams. The much more efficient way to do live streaming is to schedule your live broadcasts. Send an email to your followers and make an announcement or event on your social media pages. Set the topic and let viewers ask questions. It works best when you have at least one other person in the room on a computer. They can monitor your broadcast and keep track of questions and responses for you. Even though it’s a live broadcast you should prepare a game plan ahead of time . Have your intro, outro and an outline of where you would like to take the discussion in your line of sight, but out of your audiences view. The most important aspect of live video is encouraging viewer interaction. Don’t use live video to read off a list of announcements. People will soon get bored. Your viewer numbers will appear to be really high. But people will bounce after a few seconds and your efforts will have little effect. By all means give it try. Pick a subject. Make a plan. Go live!

2. Explain Yourself.. If you are on Facebook, Pinterest or Youtube you have seen explainer videos used by companies like Tasty and Delish. They make these awesome 3 minute recipe videos. They make it look so easy(you think) you could train your cat to do it. That’s an explainer video.
You don’t need a crazy expensive camera and a crew. All you need is a DSLR with a tripod and a light. I’m surprised more food bloggers, DIY bloggers and even mom bloggers haven’t started doing this. There’s some trial and error involved. You have to work at getting the right angle and finding simple editing software. But, it’s not like you have to pay to get film developed. It’s an awesome way to get your brand out there. And it’s growing more popular every day. So, get on it!

3.Tell your Story
Snapchat started the whole story video tred back in 2013. Since then it has continued to grow. Instagram has over 250 million people using Instagram Stories every day. A story video is some photographs and some slides and video all put together in a way that tells a story.They are 15 seconds long and filmed vertically. The easiest way to make stories is with your phone.
I’m sorry vertical video haters. Vertical video is also here to stay. Head on over to instagram and check out a few. I look forward to seeing yours up soon.

Do You Have Enough of a Following to Build a Brand Partnership?
Brand partnerships have been around for a long time. For as long as I can remember brands have been using the " celebrity effect" to their advantage. But you are not a celebrity or a mega millionaire. Would brands want to work with you? Absolutely! You do need to have a some followers. But, what’s much more important than the number of followers you have is the amount of engagement. Even though celebrities bring in mega bucks for some companies. The trend for business marketing both big and small. Is having a personal connection with their customers. Bloggers tend to network with other bloggers and small business entrepreneurs. They also have a tendency to interact more with their followers.Because of this, people place more trust in them. They are after all , just like us.They have struggles that we all can relate to. There is no nanny to hand the kids off to when they are being clingy and we need to finish that article. So, when they say “use product x to soothe your teething baby”. We believe them. This is gold to the manufacturer of product x.
So how do you approach brands? Hint, don’t just expect them to come running up to your door begging you to endorse them.

The first thing you need in your arsenal is a media kit. A media kit is simply information about you and your company. When putting together your media/press kit this is what you should include:

• A direct link to your blog or website.
• Your logo and tagline on all documents.
• A short description of your site
• A brief biography or about page.
• Your audience statistics and demographics including your monthly views and engagement rate.
• Your social media accounts and following (with links)
• Any significant press mentions, awards, high-profile recognitions, etc.
• Contact information

I also like to do a product review article and include a link to it. That way the business can see what you can do.
The easiest way to start working with a brand is through sponsored posts. Make a list of products you use and feel comfortable endorsing. Next do a search for similar products that are on the market. Look for brands that you may not have heard as much about. Try a few. Another way to find products is to think of a problem you had and what product helped you solve it. Sometimes you can find products that other bloggers in your niche have endorsed. You can also endorse classes, books and webinars that have helped you with your business. When emailing a brand you think would be a good fit for you and your business. Make sure not to be overly modest.If you haven’t endorsed a brand before be honest and upfront about it. Then move on to how you think your endorsement could be a benefit to them. Let them know that you have built a relationship with your customers/followers and that they trust you.

Virtual assistants are freelance workers who do their jobs from home and focus on administrative tasks.They are basically an executive assistant or secretary.Having an assistant can free up hours of your day. Instead of focusing on administrative tasks, you can spend more time creating content or marketing and growing your business. Many virtual assistants specialize in the area of social media management. There are websites that specialize in freelance workers. Such as: http://www.upwork.com. They have thousands of listings for virtual assistants. You should go and check out the services and prices of virtual assistants. This will give you an idea of what you can afford and which tasks could be delegated to someone else. Even if your business is not at the point where it is possible to hire help. It is good to know what’s available. Perhaps you have entered into a business or blogging career and decided it isn’t for you. If you are social network savvy and want to work from home. You might want to consider working as a virtual assistant yourself. After all, was one of the fastest growing careers in 2018!

What is augmented reality? Augmented reality is when you are viewing real world places or objects but the reality of them is altered or augmented in some way that changes your perception of it. Like viewing your living room through a paint app allows you to view your walls in a chosen paint color. Amazon.com and IKEA both have apps that let you place their furniture (virtually) in your rooms. In a AR try it before you buy it (available on iphone. Pokemon Go is also a great example of augmented reality. But those are big companies . You are probably wondering how you can use this new technology for your small business or blog. If you own a small boutique or design service you can take advantage of some of the apps that I mentioned in this article. You have the ability to show your clients exactly how their space can be changed. I would also take advantage of what’s out there as a diy or design blogger. Other niches should keep their ear to the ground.VR technology and AR technology uses are expanding as business are brainstorming creative ways to use it. I have recently heard of some small hotel chains that are exploring AR as a way to give their customers a feel for what it’s like to stay in their hotels. Soon more hotels, cruise ships and resorts are going to catch on to this trend. Perhaps travel bloggers and small agencies can be benefited as well.

Keep coming back I am constantly investigating new trends strategies that big businesses are using. So I can bring them to my small business and blogger following. Do you have tips of your own? Comment below.