social media marketing

Calling All Case Studies: The Search for Key Industry Players

SSS for Success (Simplified Social Media Solutions) is in search of new Success Stories! We’re looking for organizations who are willing to have their social media marketing efforts documented in exchange for a discounted rate of products and services, so that we can have the opportunity to showcase our talents and help propel your brand to the next level with new media! Specifically, we’re interested in organizations in the following industries:

Food Trucks (preference given to Chicago and Minneapolis-based businesses): Got a must-have culinary treat that has people traversing the globe (or your local city) to find you? Well, we want to work with you! Food trucks are the ideal place to grow and expand a location-based, mobile marketing initiative, and we’ve got some innovative plans we’re eager to put into action!
Family-Owned Small Businesses: We’re looking to work with an established family-owned small business to showcase how the integration of social media can infuse positivity and bring in new business by strategically targeting customers in the social media space. We want someone with a story to tell about their business that is compelling and encourages people to “shop small” with them. Multi-generational companies and even social media skeptics are welcomed! Let us show you how a few simple and easy steps can expand your reach and increase your sales by delivering new and returning customers!
Faith-Based Organization or Ministry: We have a great online marketing package that’s primed for a faith-based outreach initiative! This package is ideal for a ministry that’s looking to bring their offline offerings to the online space (where many of their followers already are). It’s designed to appeal to the members of your flock that already use varying parts of social and mobile technology, and introduces the organization to some of the ways they can enhance their message in the digital arena.
Fundraisers (preferably Non-Profits): Years ago, we had a great experience with a non-profit fundraising initiative, and we’re ready to recreate this success. Specifically, this campaign will revolve around email marketing and the integration of a very cool platform designed streamline online fundraising and donor relations.
Open Call (Pitch Us): If your organization is interesting and deserves consideration, fill out this form and pitch your case. We’re open and innovative enough to take on an exciting challenge, if one’s presented!

In order to take advantage of this Call for Case Studies, you must:

Have a Creative and Collaborative Spirit: We’re willing to work with you, but we can’t do it alone! We’ll consult with you and show you the way, and even train you to do the work yourself, if that’s your desire, but you must be actively involved, and ready to tweak some of your old modes of thinking.
Be open-minded enough to know that there will be some trial-and-error as we work to find the right social media marketing mix that works for you, and be willing to explore, experiment, and tweak your plans as needed.
Accept and understand that processes will be documented for internal purposes, and may be shared externally via SSS for Success marketing materials (with your approval).
Understand that the discounted rate being offered to your comes with an agreement to provide positive promotion of SSS for Success through referrals to colleagues and professional networks. True, you’re not obligated to do this, but it would be nice. This is also our incentive to do a great job when working with you! We want you be so happy you worked with us that you can’t wait to tell at least 5 people about the great products and services you received!
Be ready to make more money through sales, donations, and/or additional customers, save money though efficient operations and a better online marketing strategy, and have your biggest social media marketing problems solved through Simplified Social Media Solutions!

Get started now by filling out our intake form.

We can’t wait to work with you!

Kindra Cotton, Social Media Specialist

16 Things You Should Know About Social Media for 2016

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Thank me later for getting you started on this 5 months ahead of time!

A very popular, unattributable internet quote says: "Facebook is for the people you used to know, LinkedIn is for the people you know now, and Twitter is for the people you want to know". In this statement lies a very important trait of social media outlets: You need to know the network you want to promote your message on, because part of that knowledge includes having an understanding of the target audience that exists there!

A true list of everything you should be thinking about in your Social Media Marketing Plan for 2016 could fill a book, but for brevity’s sake, I’ve provided 16 quick-and-dirty things you should know about social media (by topic) as you start gearing up for the New Year:

Websites & Blogs: As you move forward, be sure to make your website/blog the focal point of your Social Media Marketing activities. Why? Because at the end of the day, this is something you own outright, as opposed to social platforms whose Terms of Service pretty much give them the right to giveth and taketh away on their own whims (with or without notice).
Facebook: Facebook is looking to integrate video better into its platform and to optimize the mobile experience (given that most people now access The Web via a mobile device). As they also seek to make money (as most businesses do), be on the lookout for a further lockdown on the ways that you can access folks for free.
Twitter: Over 300,000,000 users are tweeting half a billion tweets a day in order to share information and ideas instantly, without geographic barriers. The platform is continually changing, and they’re working to do what they can to enhance their user’s experience with rich media (i.e. visual content).
LinkedIn: Still the more professional of the “social networks”, LinkedIn is looking to keep its users engaged and further solidify themselves as the go-to network for professional and career opportunities. You’ll continue to see more use of Company Pages and Sponsored Updates as people figure out how best to use this network to reach their target audience.
YouTube: Without question, YouTube is THE video sharing website garnering billions of views per day and 300 hours of video uploaded every minute! The average person that visits YouTube spends between 15-40 minutes there, so this is a great way to create content in another medium and increase the likelihood of expanding your audience.
Podcasting: The average daily commute in the U.S. is 26 minutes, and most people that belong to a gym (and visit it) spend at least 2 hours there a week. All those people need something to listen to; Why not your podcast? A recent survey showed that podcasting is only being used by 10% of marketers, and this presents an opportunity, especially as people look for ways to differentiate themselves in other crowded digital spaces.
E-Newsletters & Email Marketing: Similar to your website and blog, your email marketing mailing list database is something you own and have hopefully cultivated earnestly over the years, so it’s something you can use to your advantage to continually enhance your relationship with your stakeholders. Don’t believe what anyone says if they’ve told you “email is dead”.
Google+ (or whatever new iteration it takes over the next few months): Google’s social network offering has been a point of contention pretty much since it debuted. Both novices and knowledgeable folks have debated the relevance of Google in the social realm, and the only thing that’s clear: Google isn’t going anywhere. They’ve got too much information on me (and you) to just go silently into the night and not find a way to capitalize it. For this reason, I implore you: Don’t count Google out, and don’t take your eye of whatever they’re doing!
Instagram: You have to love Instagram as the “perfect marriage” of Facebook’s social ties and Twitter’s active mobile-friendly, visually stunning style! Those with a need to deliver “real-time” photo or short video-based messages can easily find a home here.
Pinterest: Choosey moms choose Pinterest! Ok, it’s more than just moms; This pinboard-style photo-sharing website and mobile app lets users create theme-based image collections surrounding interests, hobbies, and events. And people that use Pinterest, LOVE IT! If you’ve got a message that can be articulated into a collage-style image board, then this is your new place!
Tumblr: Tumblr lets users post text, images, videos, links, and audio to their tumblelog (a short-form blog), and is very popular among the under 35 crowd. From a social marketing standpoint, one of the best things about Tumblr is that content there is often the catalyst for things that go viral! Remember The Dress That Broke The Internet, or colloquially #ThatDress? It all started on Tumblr!
SnapChat: With content intended to be temporary, SnapChat is really big among 13 – 34 year olds who believe their content magically goes away forever after their 10 second “snap” has expired. The company touts itself as the best way to reach users in the aforementioned age group, and they’ve recently introduced advertising that’s supposed to be game-changing and super-effective. We’ll see!
Mobile Marketing (Users): Mobile marketing is such a huge topic, that you can’t really do it justice in a few brief remarks in a blog post – but I’ll try. I’ve broken it into three (3) parts, to make it easier to digest in such small blurbs. Mobile Marketing: Users – More than 60% of adults in the U.S. & Canada have a smartphone, many with more than one device. Android holds 52.4% of the marketshare, with Apple trailing at 42.6%, and Microsoft at 3.3%. Not sure how (if at all) Windows 10 will effect these numbers, but it’ll be interesting to watch this trend as 2016 gets underway!
Mobile Marketing (Trends) – Users are going to be thinking mobile first, so you should design your webspaces with this mindset. Think about how voice search and handheld devices change the nature of how people will interact with your websites and social content, and work on the best ways to optimize this experience. Also, don’t forget to factor in the use of mobile payments and wearables, and keep your eye on The Internet of Things (IoT), because the Apple Watch and FitBits are only the tip of the iceberg!
Mobile Marketing (Apps): Mobile Apps are cheaper to build than they once were, but more expensive to maintain in the long-run. However, if you’d like a mobile app for your brand, it continues to be a great way to engage your audience over a significant period of time. A mobile app can keep people coming back, and keep you in their minds for a long time to come.
Location-Based Marketing: Location-Based Marketing (LBM) is an off-shoot of mobile marketing that certainly falls under its umbrella, however LBM’s strategy is based on a mobile device’s location. With the ability to target your audience based on the user’s location, you can provide a more personalized experience tailored to their personal preferences and traits. This means things like pushing location notification messages to nearby stakeholders, or providing turn-by-turn navigation instructions to guide visitors right to your location! Location-based marketing is a great bridge from “the digital world” into “the real world”, and the possibilities are endless!

Did you find this quick review helpful? Great! Over the next few weeks, I’ll elaborate on each of these topics more in-depth, but in the meantime, for your own edification, I would suggest checking out “The 2015 State of Social Marketing Report” by Kevin Shively over at Simply Measured and the “2015 Social Media Marketing Industry Report” from the Social Media Examiner.

Let me know if you have any questions, and feel free to leave your comments below.