Let’s dive into some simple and effective ways we can leverage content for our customer success efforts.

Pay Special Attention to Your Use Cases

Use cases about the various features of your products aren’t only helpful for potential customers; they can also help your current customers. We always have to think about marketing and lead generation, but brands that do this really well understand that the customer journey also includes nurturing your current clients. Client retention and providing a good experience to your customers are things that should always be top of mind.

How can we improve use cases to complement our retention efforts?

• Don’t wait for many people to ask the same question. If someone is asking, others likely have the same question. Use this to update some relevant use cases or create new ones.
• Remember to keep the language simple. Clear, direct, and helpful instructions are the way to go.
• Regularly collaborate with your customer success team to proactively identify the needs of current customers and improve your use cases.
• Think about delivering this information in different formats.

Be Proactive With Your Educational Content

To follow our previous point, combine a proactive approach and data from your customer success team to plan new educational content on an ongoing basis. You can do this through feedback loops and feature customer success stories in your blog content.

Sharing stories from your community is a great way to help both potential and current customers discover new ways to use your products and potentially relate to the experiences shared in these stories.

Create a Content-Driven Onboarding Strategy

Set your customers up for success by creating a winning onboarding package. This package should include everything there is to know about your product or services.

Things to include in your onboarding package include:

• A series of blogs were created specifically for your new customers’ onboarding process.
• Content gives clear instructions on how to troubleshoot your product.
• Clear instructions on how to get in touch with your customer success team.
• Access to a resource hub. This could also be where you house blogs that you create specifically for the onboarding process.

Overall, blogging, video content, and use cases are incredible content formats to help you refine your customer onboarding process and contribute to your retention efforts.

The post How Can We Leverage Content and Blogging for Customer Success appeared first on Stencil.

No matter what marketing platforms you use or the strategy you adopt, there are some habits that can help you grow and stand the test of time, no matter what happens with algorithms. 

Let’s dive in and review some marketing habits we recommend for 2024. 

Make Data-Driven Decisions

“Let your data guide you.” It’s something that we hear often and something we wholeheartedly agree with. No matter which platforms you work with, start looking at your data regularly, and no, not just a quick look. 

Dive deep into your data to really understand what content performs the best and which keywords are working the best, and leverage data to understand what’s working on your website and what’s not. 

Using your tools allows you to better understand customer behavior and pinpoint what works at various stages of the journey. 

Between AI and the advancements of various reporting tools, there is no reason why doing a deep dive into your data wouldn’t be a part of your weekly marketing habits. 

Build an Engagement Strategy

Engagement on social media is more than just responding to comments and messages received. A lot of bigger brands sometimes don’t do any outbound engagement, but they should. If you have a look at TikTok, for instance, a lot of brands, big or small, proactively engage in their niche and also participate in engagement on trending videos. This is a great way to get more eyes on your business and should be a best practice for all brands. 

In a way, it’s easier than ever to use various platforms to grow your brand, but it’s also important to keep a pulse on your niche and nurture your community. 

Content Consistency

Being consistent with your marketing is important, but what’s more important is to create a content plan that you will be able to stick with. If that means that at the beginning, you post less and build your way to more content, that’s ok. When entrepreneurs or brands post too often and aren’t able to sustain their posting schedule (even with a social media scheduler), that’s when the overwhelm kicks in, and this is what we want to avoid. 

Think about working on creating a schedule that you can sustain or build your way up to getting to that point. 

Customer Success is Marketing

The heart of effective marketing is a stellar customer experience. This is nothing new, and if your brand hasn’t adapted to this yet, it’s time. Consumers want quick access to support, and this can happen in various ways. 

You can make content easily accessible on your website; you can create educational content and content to address the various needs of the various touch points in the buyer’s journey. 

In addition, both your social and customer success teams should ensure that they have processes in place to answer common questions received on the various platforms you use. 

Feedback Loops

Regularly seek customer feedback and act on it. This could be through surveys, social media polls, or direct customer interactions. Responding to feedback not only improves the customer experience but also builds trust both on a short-term basis and long-term. Asking for feedback doesn’t require weeks of planning and multiple levels of approval (it really shouldn’t) you can ask for feedback to your email community. 

You can also send post-interaction surveys, and you can create story polls. Brands have so many opportunities to be proactive when it comes to feedback. 

Prioritize SEO in Content Creation

Optimizing your content for search is no longer just for websites or a YouTube channel. Most platforms have been talking about the importance of optimizing your content for search with keywords in order to get discovered by your audience. 

It’s important to do a deep dive and understand what keywords (search terms) your audience would enter in the search bar of various platforms to find your content. Those keywords then need to be included in various places based on the platform you use and in your post copy. 

Incorporating these simple marketing habits into your daily routine can significantly enhance your marketing efforts. Remember, it’s the small, consistent actions that lead to big results. Start implementing these marketing habits today, and this will pay off for you in 2024. 

The post Simple Marketing Habits to Start in 2024 appeared first on Stencil.

Your Customers Are Online

Today, customers expect a fast response from companies, and they want to be able to interact with them online. If you have an easy way for customers to find what they may be looking for online, they will most likely use those channels first. When brands are proactive and make it easy for their audience to find what they need online, this also contributes to the overall customer service strategy by reducing potential calls or emails. 

It Can Help Improve Your Search Engine Visibility and Ranking.

In the same way that a well-optimized website is essential to your search engine visibility and ranking, so is an optimized content strategy. It could be argued that certain content types are the new SEO.

The best way to optimize your content for search engines is through keyword research and the use of keywords in your content. The next step is tracking keyword performance so you can make adjustments as needed, or understand where there’s room for growth by focusing on certain keywords in particular. This will help improve your search engine ranking over time!

You Can Improve Your Brand Awareness and Reputation

Content can improve your brand awareness and reputation. If you want to build trust with your customers, prospects, and employees, then you need to become a content creator.

Content helps people understand who you are as a business or organization by providing them with insights into your products and services—and the experience of interacting with them. It’s also useful for building relationships by getting others excited about what you have to offer.

You might think that blogging is enough for this purpose but it isn’t; posting on social media is also important because it allows people who don’t know much about your company yet (or even those who do) see what kinds of things happen within its walls every day. This makes them more likely do business with someone else someday down the road!

It Can Help Build Trust

Your content is your best chance to build trust with your customers and prospects, so it should go without saying that you’re going to want to take advantage of it.

There are many ways you can accomplish this. You can create educational content about the products or services you offer, share stories about past clients who were helped by what you have to offer, showcase testimonials from satisfied customers, or even share case studies demonstrating how your business has helped solve problems for other businesses.

Sometimes brands are worried about providing too much value online, it really shoudln’t be a concern because even if you share detailed case studies and how-to guides for your audience, it will only help them build trust towards your brand. 

It Gives You a Competitive Edge

Content is an important part of customer service. It helps you stand out from the competition, communicate with your customers, build relationships with them, improve your brand reputation and improve your search engine ranking.

In order to stand out from the competition and attract new customers, you need to offer something different than what everyone else is doing. This is where it’s important to do your competitor research and identify areas where you have a chance to stand out and provide a better experience. 

Now that we’ve covered why content is important in your customer service strategy, let’s clarify that this isn’t a do-it-all solution. You still need to provide excellent service and support to get it right. But if you want to reach out to new prospects and customers, or increase your company’s visibility online, then incorporating content into your customer service efforts can be an effective way of doing so.

The post The Importance of Using Content in Your Customer Service Strategy appeared first on Stencil.

Here are a few tips for using social media for employer branding.

Showcase Your Company Culture

By sharing photos, videos, and behind the scenes of your company culture on social media, you can give potential employees a glimpse into what it would be like to work with you. Potential talent wants to be able to get a sense of what it’s like and what some of your current team members do on a day-to-day basis.

Don’t be afraid to interview some team members and leverage those videos or posts on platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and even TikTok.

Voice Your Values

Another great way to use social media for employer branding is to share your company values. This allows you to show potential employees what you stand for and will help you find talent with similar values. Create content to discuss some of the charitable organizations you support and any current causes you stand for.

This information is often found on a brand’s website. Why not make use of it and share it on social media.

Be Open About Your Hiring Process

Want to attract top talent? Be open about your hiring process. Of course, there may be some things that can’t be discussed on social media, but many new up-and-coming organizations even post their hiring process on their website.

Share information such as how long the process takes, what the interview process looks like, and anything important that new talent would need to know.

Create a Process to Share Testimonials

Create an internal process where you collect and share employee testimonials. If your happy team members take the time to share the positive feedback to their employers in an email, chances are, they would be ok sharing it with the world. Having a process in place to collect these testimonials and ask your team permission before posting on social media is key.

You can easily use Stencil to turn those testimonials into quote graphics for your audience to see.

Create a Sense of Community

One of the most important things to keep in mind when using social media for employer branding is the importance of creating a sense of community. When potential employees feel like they are a part of something, they are more likely to want to be a part of your team. This is why it’s so important to be active on social media and to create content that engages your audience.

Be sure to share content relevant to your target audience, which allows them to feel like they are a part of something bigger. When you can create a sense of community, you are well on your way to improving employer branding.

Creating a sense of community contributes to business growth from all angles. It helps buyers in their journey, contributes to fostering a sense of belonging for your current clients, and can even impact the first impressions you create for future talent.

Start Small And Stay Consistent

The idea of using social media for yet another purpose can be overwhelming. Start by dedicating a few posts per month with the goal of supporting your people team (HR) and observing what works best for your brand.

To recap, here are a few ideas for the types of posts that you could create:

• Team member testimonial
• Create a post featuring a cause that you support
• Discuss your hiring process
• Share some of your values
• Showcase your company culture

We hope that this post gave you some insights on how to use social media for employer branding.

The post How to Use Social Media for Employer Branding appeared first on Stencil.

But how exactly do you grow your Instagram? And how can you use Instagram to nurture your audience and create a positive experience? That’s what we’ll be discussing today.

In this blog post, you will learn:

1. The features that you need to be using on Instagram.
2. The importance of going live on Instagram.
3. The importance of being authentic.
4. How consistency is more important than perfect aesthetics.
5. How to leverage Instagram for customer service.
   

The Features that You Need to Use to Grow on Instagram

If you’re new to Instagram and trying to grow your account in the next year, we’re going to cover the features that will help you do so in this blog post. The first thing you want to take note of are Instagram stories. The create function in the stories allows you to give shoutouts, posts GIFs, use templates, share memories, ask questions, create a countdown, and more.

These types of stories create a sense of urgency for viewers who may be new to following you, they also promote engagement and help build relationships. You should get familiar with the various features available to be able to create authentic content for your audience.

Another great storytelling tool is Instagram Reels. This feature is for short-form videos, and you can create videos that are up to 60 seconds in length. Companies are using short-form videos to sell their products or services. From TikTok videos, Instagram and Facebook stories, YouTube Shorts, Idea Pins, and more, short-form video is where it’s at! It’s a no-brainer that you should be using Instagram Reels.

What if you don’t like being on camera? Try animating your graphic series or scripting your videos in advance. You can also observe trends happening with Reels and make them work for you.

The Importance of Going Live on Instagram.

Going live on Instagram is a great way to connect with your audience in real-time. It’s also a great way to show off your products or services and to get feedback from your audience. In order to make the most of going live on Instagram, you need to be prepared. That means having a solid plan in place and knowing what you want to achieve.

Before you go live, it’s important to make sure that all of your ducks are in a row. That means ensuring that you have a solid WIFI connection and then just be yourself. Write down the points that you’d like to discuss. The more you go live, the easier it gets.

The Importance of Being Authentic

When it comes to social media, authenticity is key. People can see through businesses that are trying too hard to be something that they’re not. In order for your business to be successful on Instagram, you need to be authentic and genuine with your audience. What that means is that you should share your story, your values, and what makes you unique.

People are drawn to businesses that are authentic because they can relate to them. When followers feel like they know who you are and what you stand for, they’re more likely to become loyal customers. So don’t be afraid to show your personality on Instagram! Share photos and videos of yourself and your team, and let your followers into world. Fake it until you make it is not a thing. People will connect with you when they see your growth, your struggles and how you care for your audience.

Consistency Is more Important Than Perfect Aesthetics

When it comes to Instagram, posting consistently is more important than perfect aesthetics. If you’re only posting once a week, or only when you have something special to share, you’re not going to be successful on the platform. Your followers will lose interest, and you’ll quickly feel like you’re stuck in a rut.

Consistency looks different for everyone. Perhaps you will find success posting twice per week but really engaging in your stories, but you need to build a relationship with your audience. In order to build a relationship with your audience, you need to show up. Find what works for you and your business and stick with it.

How to Leverage Instagram for Customer Service.

When it comes to leveraging Instagram for customer service, there are a few key things to keep in mind. First and foremost, you need to be responsive. That means responding to comments and messages as quickly as possible.

You’ll want to ensure that your customer experience team or community manager sets guideline that also align with your internal customer service guidelines. When followers see that you’re responsive, they’re more likely to reach out with questions or concerns.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you should be proactive. In other words, don’t wait for customers to reach out with questions or complaints. Instead, proactively reach out to them with solutions or answers to their questions. You can be proactive by creating posts to answer FAQs, hosting regular Q&A sessions, taking questions that you receive on social and even including the responses in your email marketing strategy. Everything on social media can be repurposed and serve as a content anchor.

We hope that you enjoyed these Instagram tips and that you are ready to amplify your efforts this year. 

The post How to Grow your Instagram in 2022 appeared first on Stencil.

This blog post will discuss how important it is for businesses on social media to be open-minded when trying out new things on their platforms — especially if they want growth!

Being Open To Growth

Every business who has a social media presence knows the importance of growth. Whether it’s a small mom-and-pop shop or a major multinational business, the goal always comes back to growth! However, this path to growth might not be as easy as it seems, and there are plenty of companies that have found themselves stuck in a rut with no clear way out.

The first thing you need to remember when you want to grow your company on social media is to take risks. You can’t expect success without trying new things; for example, if you’ve never tried YouTube as a marketing platform before, but you’re not sure about its capabilities, try including YouTube in your marketing strategy.

Although it is true that your audience may be more present on specific platforms, with the volume in audience on each social media platforms, chances are, you can find your people. This may sound a little silly, but to see growth, you have to be open to growth.

You need to let go of some older legacy marketing guidelines that you may have within your business and replace them with something more flexible that allows your team to test the waters.

A/B Testing all of Your Content — Including Organic Content

A/B testing is a way to measure which content, headline, or offer works better. It can be implemented to find out what type of ad copy will work the best with your audience, and then it can be used as a benchmark for all future campaigns. It can also be used to test which video will perform the best vs. another. Which Instagram post will perform better vs. another, and so on.

A/B Testing is one of the best ways to make your marketing work for you. No matter which type of marketing we’re talking about.

It’s time to break out those A/B tests and put them to use! A/B tests will help you figure out the difference between what is working and what isn’t. This is better than doing research and coming up with your own hypotheses. We all want results — not guesses!

So, how do you begin? When you are working on a new strategy, incorporate various formats and copy variations for each post. Once you see which posts perform the best, you’ll have a better idea of what to do next.

Here are some tips for your A/B testing:

• Always include both a video and a graphic to see which resonates the best with your audience.
• Be open to the idea of having to test multiple times.
• Repeat A/B testing on a regular basis to see if new content ideas may resonate best with your audience.
• Always test different copy & keywords.
• Most importantly, be creative and have fun.

Accepting That Your Analytics will Fluctuate

It is true that your analytics will fluctuate. Analytics, don’t tell the whole story, and they change over time. It is important to be easy on yourself when you see a dip in engagement or followers, and even traffic. If you go into it with the idea that the fluctuation is normal, it’ll make it easier to accept.

What you also need to realize is that dips in reporting are often due to external factors. Sometimes it could completely align with your goals. For example, less traffic but more sales could mean that you are actually reaching a more targeted traffic, so your overall efforts are working. Understanding your goals and keeping an open dialogue about reporting is key.

Being Open to Trying Short-Form Videos

In the past couple of years, the use of short-form video on social media has been steadily growing. This trend will continue to grow as new features are introduced, and new enhancements are made to the current platforms offering short-form video.

Short-form video allows for a more personal touch from a brand that may not be possible with a long form video. Short-form videos typically range from fifteen seconds to even one minute or three minutes in length, whereas long form videos can be anywhere from five minutes to ten minutes or even longer.

A short-form video can be something as simple as a few seconds of someone telling their story about how they used the product or service offered by the company and what it means to them. This type of storytelling allows for a more personal feel, and helps buyers in their journey.

Short-form videos are also great for educational content and even to showcase an amazing company culture.

Giving Your Team More Creative Freedom

This is about giving your social media team more flexibility to be creative. You can still make sure they are sticking to the company’s style and voice while being creative.

But you need to allow them to try new things that could really help grow your audience. Your social media team are the ones who are exposed to new trends, ideas, and updates on a daily basis.

Giving your social media team more flexibility also means allowing them to have a little more freedom in creating their own content, images, videos, etc.

If you have some team members who regularly mention their desire to get involved in new projects, allow them to. This is a perfect example of allowing existing talent to feel valued, all while generating great new ideas.

Giving New Platforms a Chance

If you try a new platform, and you only test it for 30-days, it’s likely not enough to see the results that you were hoping for. Think about it, 30-days is only long enough to collect a bit of data and often times not enough data to allow us to make significant changes to our strategy. If you’re going to give any new platforms a try, investing a solid 90-days would be best.

We hope that with these tips, you’ll be on your way to more social media testing in the new year and persevere while trying new platforms.

The post Social Media Growth: Persistence and the Importance of Testing appeared first on Stencil.

We’ve rounded up some social media tips to consider going into 2022.

Diversify Your Online Presence 

Recent events have shown that we cannot rely solely on one or two platforms. We need to do better at diversifying our online presence. You need to explore and research a platform before assuming that your ideal clients are not on that specific platform. 

Things that you can do on a regular basis to diversify your online presence: 

• Explore new online platforms.
• Get involved in relevant communities on Reddit, Telegram, or answer regular questions on Quora. 
• Grow your list, and don’t put email marketing on the back-burner. 

Revisit Your Goal(s)

Businesses change, and so do goals. If you are crafting your social media strategy around the same goals that you had for the previous years, you won’t see the results you would like to see. 

Make it a habit to revisit your goals on a quarterly basis, even if they don’t change, ensuring that everything aligns does go a long way. 

Compare Your Avatar to Your Statistics 

Has there been a change in your audience or your buyer demographic? The more you understand your audience, the better you can market to them. Not every buyer responds to the same marketing tactics, and it’s important to understand who’s in your target market to serve everyone well. 

Show Your Human Side

No matter how big or small, your business has a human side. You have founders, you have a team, and now more than ever, your audience wants to see YOU and what your brand is all about. 

Quick tips to show the human side of your brand: 

• Create a “get to know the team” post. 
• Host a virtual lunch & learn. 
• Leverage social media to host information sessions. 

Start small, and it will go a long way. 

Give New Features a Try

With platform changes often comes new features. Don’t be afraid to try something new, even if it doesn’t completely align with your strategy. Success often comes from taking risks and testing the waters with something new. 

This can be really simple. For example: 

• If you have never used Instagram stories, give it a try. 
• What about creating a Reel or Tiktok video? 
• Maybe testing out a YouTube Short.

The takeaway here is to diversify and to remember that it’s ok to take risks. You don’t have to be aggressive when trying something new. Create some content to test the waters and build from there. 

Here’s to success with your social media efforts in 2022. 

The post Social Media Tips To Consider Implementing in 2022 appeared first on Stencil.

While many business owners use Pinterest to grow their business, blogs, generate traffic and sales for their e-commerce, some businesses still aren’t 100% sure how to leverage the platform or where to get started. 

Pinterest is an excellent tool for inspiration, so as a business let’s see how you can learn to use it to your advantage.

Ensure That Your Account is A Pinterest Business Account. 

Create a Pinterest business account if you don’t already have one, or convert your personal account to a business account. You’ll want access to the best insights and have the ability to potentially do some paid advertising in the future.

Organic efforts on Pinterest can take you far and once you identify a selling product or a blog post that is driving a lot of traffic, you may want to explore the opportunity to invest in some paid ads. 

Make Sure That You Leverage Pinterest Predicts

Pinterest Predicts is a report that you can leverage for your business where Pinterest shares its predictions in terms of what will be trending on the platform. It’s important to note that this is a “not yet trending report,” but in 2020, 8 out of 10 of their predictions came true.

So far, in 2021, many of their predictions for trends have been coming to fruition as well. By using this report, you can plan ahead and start creating content and boards and incorporate these predictions in your overall strategy. 

Claim All of Your Applicable Sources

Pinterest is not only great for driving website traffic, but along with claiming your website, you can claim your YouTube channel, Instagram account, Etsy, and Shopify store. The bottom line is that you can send traffic to more places than just your website.

Some businesses leverage the platform to drive brand awareness, while others focus on traffic and conversions. The beauty of Pinterest is that you can make it work based on what your goals are. 

Ensure That Your Boards Are as Descriptive as Possible.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is using a generic Pinterest board description and/or simply adding your website to fill in the blanks. Your Pinterest board description allows for up to 500 characters.

Leverage this to ensure that your board tells users exactly what they will find in your board. You should also avoid keyword stuffing. Stick to one or two relevant keywords in your board descriptions. 

Ensure That Each Pin is Optimized With A Title, Description, and Strong CTA. 

When you share a new pin, ensure that your pin title and description contain searchable terms (keywords) and that your Pinterest image also contains a great pin title with a CTA. Vertical pins are your best friend, and with that being said don’t be afraid to repurpose other graphics you may have even if they are square. Your pins should also include ALT-Text to the best of your abilities as accessibility is really important on the platform. If you share video pins or an Idea Pin, make sure to also include relevant tags.

Don’t Leave Customer Service on The Back-Burner. 

Pinterest can be a powerful customer service tool. In fact, most platforms, whether social media or search engines, can be leveraged for your customer service efforts when you get creative. The idea for a service-based business and even for product sellers is to ensure that the answers to most of the questions a potential client would have can easily be found. 

Idea Pins (formerly known as story pins) are great to educate your audience, answer some FAQ’s, give your audience homework, share some behind the scenes and really build a relationship.

This can also be achieved with regular graphic or video pins, but Idea Pins are great because they are a new Pinterest feature and have proven to really be effective amongst pinners. 

With these Pinterest tips, you should be equipped to start growing your traffic by first optimizing your Pinterest profile and setting yourself apart from the competition. When it comes to Pinterest, keep an open mind, be patient, be creative and always, always, always analyze your Pinterest data.

The post Simple Tips to Leverage Pinterest For Your Business. appeared first on Stencil.

The core purpose that social media serves is the same as customer service’s purpose—creating lasting connections. Whether or not you agree, social media and customer service have too many similarities to be discounted.

Both Take You Straight to The Customer

Monitoring your social media inboxes offers your customers and potential customers more ways to connect with you and get their questions answered. It’s also a great way to provide value consistently.

Both social media and customer service provide customers with the foundational surety that your business cares about their feedback and is here to listen.

Both Are Sources of Customer Feedback

Even when you offer a good product or service, it may not be easy to get customer feedback. Customer service teams typically make calls or send out survey forms to ask for feedback and responses or include a survey with the purchase receipt.

Social media platforms get you the feedback but with much less hassle, time, and labor consumption. On social media, customers need less than 30 seconds to send your company a quick message to ask for help, give positive feedback, leave reviews, and access other customer service support.

Both Help You Engage With Customers

Customer engagement is a pivotal aspect of building a brand, creating a community of your customers, and strengthening loyalty ties with them. With one-on-one customer service, you can initiate two-way communication—this ensures that your customer feels heard and their concerns are solved quickly.

With social media, customer engagement becomes incredibly easy as you can reply to questions and concerns frequently. You can also host giveaways, ask questions and feedback, showcase customer testimonials, and authentically engage with your customers. 

Both Can Make or Break Your Business 

Customers base their opinion of your brand on many factors—the quality of your product and service, post-purchase experience, engagement and customer experience, conflict resolution time, and any other experience created.

With social media, you can connect better and have more control over how your brand is perceived. By publishing value-driven content, you can put your best foot forward and show your audience what’s in it for them when they associate with you. 

Both Give You a Competitive Edge

Your business could run like a well-oiled machine at the backend, but you are likely to see limited impact without catering to your customers on the frontend. Customer service via phone, email, or social media gives you direct access to your customers in varying degrees. In a world that is full of options, your personalized service and customer engagement offer you a competitive advantage. 

Social media and customer service facilitate this process. by fine-tuning your response time and tone of communication to ensure that your customers know that they are valued, you can steer the customer towards your business offerings instead of losing them to competitors. 

The Chosen Mode of Communication 

One of the goals of running a business is to find ways to get to wherever the customer is so you can showcase your product and service effectively. The bottom line is that your customer base is on social media. 

With social platforms fast becoming the chosen mode of communication for your customers, not leveraging social media for customer service shows a lack of foresight. Even if other customer service channels are open, your business will likely miss out and lose your competitive edge.

Consider whether you are offering your customers the best service standards possible. If you are not leveraging social media platforms as a customer service tool, it’s time to implement a solid social media marketing strategy that will complement your customer service efforts.

Leverage your social media pages to engage with customers, address their issues immediately, issue apologies even quicker, and design your brand image with every post and picture you share.

Taken together, all of this social media outreach equals quality customer service.

The post Why Social Media and Customer Service Are Very Similar appeared first on Stencil.

When we hear about influencer marketing, we often associate this with the action of issuing products and payment in exchange for some social media content, blog features or any other type of feature.

Inviting collaborators to share their wealth of knowledge on your blog is also a great way of reaching a wider audience. The same applies to guest video interviews, hosting a guest on your podcast, featuring an industry professional in your newsletter and any other similar arrangements. 

Collaborations are key for any industry. It’s a great way for every business and brand involved to get more reach. It’s also a great way to create brand awareness and to continue growing your fan base by showing up and providing value.

Get on Board With New Platforms

“That platform won’t work for us.” We’ve all been there, and we’ve all had this thought because, at first glance, we see a new up-and-coming social media platform really taking off, but it seems like our target demographic may not be using it.

The best thing that you can do is dive in and test if any new up-and-coming platforms are a good fit for you. Writing something off before giving it a try isn’t the best idea. 

As an example, we’ve seen in the last two years how more and more brands are adopting TikTok. Many business trends have been on the rise on the platform, such as “small business TikTok” where business owners share tutorials and give their audience great insights. Brands like Tarte Cosmetics are leveraging the platform to do product demos and share collaborations. 

We’re not saying that this is the platform for everyone, but the moral of the story is to explore your options and to diversify. 

Give Search Engine Marketing a Bigger Push

Search engine marketing should always be on the table, it’s not an easy growth hack, but it works. Keyword-optimized blog posts and leveraging a visual search engine like Pinterest are your best bet to get your content and brand discovered organically on an evergreen basis. 

People often give up with search engine marketing because they don’t observe results as quickly as they’d like. When it comes to search engines, and including a visual search engine like Pinterest, the more you optimize your content, the quicker you’ll rank up in searches. You’ll still need to be patient, but you’ll be amazed at the results. Use Trends on Pinterest to keep an eye on popular keywords and topics.

Engage Now More Than Ever

It’s always been about your community and how you can provide them with a positive user experience. It’s also about how to provide a solution to their needs with your products and services.

Outbound engagement on social media takes time and effort, but let’s face it…Rome wasn’t built in a day. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that we should be ready for anything and ready to pivot at any time. 

You can’t put a price on having a loyal community. If you weren’t already regularly engaging with your audience, put this at the top of your list for 2021.

Outbound engagement with your ideal audience is an effective way to drive sustainable inbound engagement on an ongoing basis. 

Find New Press Opportunities 

Using a tool such as HARO can help you identify press opportunities. More press opportunities means more eyes on your business, and that’s always a win.

Register to receive their daily alerts and identify opportunities that may be relevant and useful for your business or industry. 

We hope that these five marketing growth hacks are simple enough so that you can incorporate them into your ongoing marketing strategy.

You don’t need to try everything at once. Try one thing at a time, test it out, look at reporting, pivot if needed and grow. 

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