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How to use LinkedIn for your Business

November 30, 2016/0 Comments/in Blogs /by Katelyn Flores

Depending on the type of business you have LinkedIn may be better for finding employees, promoting your business or both. If you’re business to business, then LinkedIn can be a great tool to find employees and connect with potential customers. It’s actually 277% more effective for lead generation than Facebook and Twitter. It offers a lot of great tools to help you reach and connect with the people you need to.

The First Step in Your Lead Generation Strategy

You can use LinkedIn as the first step of your lead generation strategy. Connect with individuals you see as both prospective customers and people who could be great strategic partners. Once you make those connections on LinkedIn you can move those people into your lead generation plan. Whether that be through requesting an initial meeting for potential strategic partners or asking prospective customers to join your email list, it’s a great place to create those connections.

Establish your Company Page

Just like other social media pages you want to make sure you optimize your LinkedIn company page. Include a branded header image and be sure to fill out every item applicable to your business. LinkedIn also offers Showcase Pages which allow you to create branded subpages off your company profile that target a specific demographic from your audience.

For example, Microsoft has Showcase pages that promote Microsoft Office and another one that promotes their training and certification. It makes it easier for your customers or potential employees to find the content they are interested in without having to scroll through your page.

You can also have a tab for careers, so people looking to work for your company can find out more about the company and the positions you have open.

Create Your Own LinkedIn Group

Another great way to use LinkedIn is to create your own LinkedIn group. You can invite people you are already connected with or find a new pool of people through other groups and advanced search features. Once you establish your group you want to make sure to post quality content and encourage participation from other group members. Having a group allows you to showcase your expertise and build your list of potential prospects.

Advertise on LinkedIn

You can also advertise your business on LinkedIn. Whether that be promoting a post on your company page or a specific product, LinkedIn has a similar set of tools as other social networks to help you target the right people.

One of those advertising options is Sponsored InMail, which allows you to send personalized messages to prospects. This could be a great tool to use when you need to increase attendance to a webinar you are hosting or get the word out about a new product your company is offering.

Use LinkedIn as a Recruitment Tool

And then of course you can use LinkedIn as a recruitment tool. The advanced search options allow you to target specific people that meet the job qualifications you are looking for. You can then message them through LinkedIn and see if they are interested in the position. You can also purchase a job listing which LinkedIn then pushes out to qualified applicants who are searching for a position similar to what you have open. They also provide you with a list of applicants that could be a good fit for the position you just posted. So, you can then send InMail to those candidates as well.

LinkedIn has a lot of great tools that businesses can use to not only create an even further reach for their brand but to also build a community of prospective customers and employees. It allows you to showcase what your business is all about and why people would want to work with you or for you.

If you’re looking for some more great content, check out our new blog on The Ins and Outs of Graphic Design & Communicating Visually.

Social Media Management: Why you should act now!

November 1, 2016/0 Comments/in Blogs /by Renée Johnson

When thinking about the benefits of engaging with consumers on social media, there are some obvious benefits that come to mind first: brand awareness, measurement capabilities, and opportunities to push sales. However, there are some less obvious, but extremely important benefits when it comes to social media management.

Participation Is Key

Yes, posting on social media can make a world of difference for your brand. You could have the most amazing posts that get tons of likes, comments, and shares. However, you still wouldn’t be fully capitalizing on those posts without actively managing your channels. Simply watching how your posts are performing isn’t going to be enough over the long haul. This is where participation comes into play. Make sure your brand is dedicating time to social media management by having conversations with users and providing excellent customer service in order to grow the community. Stay educated on social media best practices to stay relevant as a brand. If you know your resources are limited in this area, enlist the help of an agency.

Fast-Paced Social Media Management

Keeping track of what people are posting on your brand’s accounts, whether they’re positive or negative, is a great way to encourage a more loyal brand following and take care of issues customers are having. If Jeremy comments on a post “This is awesome! I love your products and I always recommend them to friends!”, take a moment to say thank you and maybe even consider rewarding them somehow. They are taking time to write about your brand, so you should take the time to respond. It’s easy to assume that a well thought out response is the best way to go, however, a quicker response is actually better. People expect a response to their question on a social channel within 4-24 hours. The younger the audience, the quicker the expectation.

User Generated Content

Users often times write about brands they love on social media and even post pictures or videos. It is important to recognize these users as fans and leverage that content to the brand’s advantage. Let your fans help with content development! Take Apple’s “Shot on iPhone” campaign for example. Plenty of consumers are taking fantastic photos on their iPhones and Apple was right to optimize this opportunity! Needless to say, the amount of people posting photos for Apple increased rapidly after the brand started featuring fan photos. Social media management allows you to keep up on posting user generated content, therefore fostering a more loyal community. There are so many reasons to act now and put together a social media management plan or utilize the expertise of an agency! Take full advantage of social media to get to know your consumers even more and become a responsive brand.

Infinite Reach Agency, Kristi Church Panel Speaker, Million Dollar Series Event

Kristi Church Panel Speaker – PRESS RELEASE – October 7, 2016

October 7, 2016/0 Comments/in Blogs /by PR_Infinite Reach Agency

Kristi Church, CEO of Top Phoenix Digital Agency Infinite Reach attends the Million Dollar Business Series as a Panel Speaker.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PHOENIX, October 7, 2016: Yesterday morning, local women business owners were invited to gather at the Burton Barr Central Library for a complimentary Million Dollar Business Series event. The event focused on information and strategies for women business owners, and featured a panel discussion with experts like Kristi Church, Co-founder and CEO of Infinite Reach Agency. Church touched on topics such as harnessing social media for businesses.

The event was hosted by Susan Brooks, Owner and Founder of Business Solutions for Women Business Owners, whom Church has called “a dear friend and colleague.” Church’s fellow panelists are Rachel Dahl, Owner & Creative Director of Dahl Design Studio and Ilana Lowery, Editor in Chief of Phoenix Business Journal. The main goal of the event was to exchange ideas between the panelists and the audience, and the sharing of information to increase both visibility and sales for women business owners.

Church, who also recently opened the body-healthy Mogollon Moose Bakery in Payson, Arizona, drew on a long career in internet marketing to share her first-hand knowledge and take a “deep dive” into the benefits of social media for “increas[ing] your visibility with both clients and potential customers.” Infinite Reach Agency, which she is the sole owner and proprietor of, has recently seen tremendous growth: from 6 clients in 2014 to 23 clients and counting last year. Her staff of 11 is predominantly women, and she will draw on her leadership and mentoring experience to inform the panel discussion.

In addition to Infinite Reach Agency and Mogollon Moose, Church regularly lends her expertise to the Phoenix Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) as Marketing Director, the non-profit Women’s Enterprise Foundation (WEF) as Marketing Chair, and the community organization Partners for Paiute (PfP) as Treasurer & Marketing Director.

About Infinite Reach Agency: Infinite Reach is a full service marketing and visual communications agency located in central Phoenix. Their clients receive everything from SEO-driven web content to website design and corporate photography. The staff of Infinite Reach has over 125 years of combined professional experience.

http://infinitereachagency.com/

Media Contact:

Kristi Church
Phoenix, AZ, 85016
Telephone: (602) 535-2188
Email: kristi@infinitereachagency.com
Website: http://infinitereachagency.com/

What it Takes to Be a SMAM

August 5, 2016/0 Comments/in Social Media /by Morgan Hirschi

First of all, you may be wondering, what is a SMAM? In the online marketing world, it is the acronym for Social Media Account Manager. This is the person who oversees an account for your company’s client and takes care of all of their social media needs.

This can include a number of aspects depending on the client. Some clients are interested in website alterations and upgrades for the short-term, while others are looking more for a long-term investment of weekly social media postings.

Whatever the case may be, the SMAM’s job is to provide quality service in a timely manner while building a good rapport with their client. The intention is to increase business, and hopefully revenue as well, for their client through their online presence.

A Relationship

The Social Media Account Manager is in charge of all communications with the client. Whether that is to gather content that they would like the SMAM to use or to get the approval on a design for a change that needs to be made, the account manager is the first point of contact for the client.

This communication may also include in-person meetings at the client’s place of business, meetings online using Hangouts or Skype or even an old-fashioned telephone call. Whatever form of connecting is more comfortable and convenient for the client.

The SMAM also has the pleasure of welcoming each client, letting them know that they are valued and will be taken care of and that we appreciate their business. This can be done in a number of ways, seen in our company website blog, Client Appreciation and How To Show It!

Timeliness

The Social Media Account Manager replies to emails as promptly as possible. They set dates for meetings and make sure that everything is running smoothly with the account.

This means communicating with the web designer, the graphic designer, the marketing manager and the CEO. All of these people contribute to the success of the client and ensure a good experience for each client that they work with during the course of the day.

Informed

The SMAM is also in touch with social media and what is trending, what is working for others in the industry and what can help to enhance the quality of service they are providing at their online marketing business.

They are aware of new developments, software and information that can build their skills and broaden their expertise. Taking advantage of trainings and webinars, as well as reading articles on relevant topics are all part of the Social Media Account Manager’s ability to grow and expand their ability to provide what clients want.

SMAM-tastic

The job that a SMAM does gives the client peace of mind knowing that all of their social media and website needs are being taken care of behind the scenes. They can then invest their time in the other aspects of business ownership that need doing.

The best part of being a Social Media Account Manager is knowing that you are making a difference in someone else’s business, that you are freeing them up to have time to do the work they want and love to do, instead of working to promote their business themselves. And, I think we can all say ‘Cheers’ to that!

Earned Media: Can’t Live With It, Can’t Live Without It

June 13, 2016/0 Comments/in Blogs /by Renée Johnson

Earned Media- Learn to love it

Earned media is what comes out of a consumer’s experience with a brand. It can be wonderful and it can be painful. A brand is what its customers say it is. But where does one find what people are saying about a brand? Social media. When we think about marketing, we don’t necessarily think about trust, yet earned media is trusted by consumers far more than paid or owned. Why? Because people trust what their peers have to say- and what they’re saying is on social media.

Creative Content > Big Budgets

Social media has become a huge player in the game of earned media. It is an environment where conversations about brands can thrive and relationships can be built between consumer and company. What was once a one-way interaction between brands telling consumers what to believe, is now an equal playing field of listen and respond. It is no longer true that brands with the biggest marketing budget will win. Now, those that know how to actively engage with consumers creatively on social media are the top dogs. Brands have the opportunity to become personable. Believe it or not, brands can construct personalities on social media that consumers love- or love to hate.

Give them something to talk about

Doesn’t it make sense for brands to be where their customers are? Not to say that simply making a Facebook account means you’re golden, but a brand needs to know how to play its cards right. Take a look at the demographics of social media audiences. Should the brand live on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or somewhere else? Once that audience is located, what does the brand need to be in order to entice likes and interactions? How does the brand offer promotions and ask for feedback? Although there is a much more complex answer, the simple answer is to create content that is exciting and relevant for consumers. Social media management is at the core of earned media success, making it a necessity to have a superior understanding of how social media plays into a brand’s marketing strategy. Infinite Reach Agency understands social media marketing and can help your business flourish on social media. If a brand is what customers say it is, then let’s give them something to talk about.

Why You Should Hire a Social Media Management Company

January 18, 2016/1 Comment/in Articles /by Kellie Meisenheimer

Social media marketing can be tricky. Establishing a successful social media presence requires a massive effort. A lot of people think that social media management is simply posting a picture of what you had for dinner on your Facebook page and then waiting for customers to come banging down your door. Well, that is not the case. Posting cute pictures or inspirational memes may get you some likes but if your posts have not been researched, thought out, and specially designed to reach your target audience, you might as well be talking to yourself. That is exactly what a social media management company does.

They have a team of specialists on staff to create a strategy, or type of road map, focused around your business and brand which guides everything they do. When they issue a press release or social media post, it is branded and works in conjunction with everything else in the campaign. That way it funnels all potential customers to the right place through repetition and recognition.

What is Social Media Management –

Social media marketing is one of the best ways to build a brand. It has become an important way for companies today to build lasting relationships and communicate with their customers or “followers”. People expect to be able to reach out to their favorite companies through social media and have their cares and concerns addressed in a timely fashion. It can be overwhelming trying to post current content related to your business or brand, attract new customers, keep followers engaged, and connect and build your brand all while trying to run and grow your business. That’s where the management part of social media marketing comes in.

By hiring a professional Social Media Marketing Company, you save time and money by gaining access to many things you would not otherwise have. Management companies use expensive software and experts which would not be cost effective for most businesses. Professional social media marketing companies will have the experience and expertise needed to target customers who are interested in your brand. They will select the appropriate platforms for your specific demographic, they will build, grow, and maintain relationships with your network, as well as optimize all content to fit your target market. Beyond posting and creating content and advertisements, professional management companies also scan social media for relevant conversations to join and monitor the web for mentions of your company or brand. They also have access to research and analytical tools to show you how the content is working and if it is attracting the amount and type of audience you are looking for.

Lastly, a management company can not only manage your outbound content, they can manage all inbound content as well; being ready to respond to customer inquiries 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, thus taking the pressure off of you and allowing you to grow your business.

Why Not Hire a Full Time Employee –

Many companies choose to hire a full time employee, or Social Media Community Manager to handle their social media marketing. This can be expensive, and as the amount of social media platforms and conversations increase, it can quickly become overwhelming for one person to manage efficiently and effectively. It is expensive to hire a new employee and their salary is just one of the costs to consider. In addition to their salary, there will be the cost of their training, benefits, taxes, equipment, office space, and any other perks offered by your company. The dollars start to add up quickly.

Not only will you save money by hiring a management company, you will gain the benefits of having an entire team of professionals on your side. A management company offers you many benefits, their constant exposure to social media gives them insight into what’s hot right now and trending on social media so they can use it and relate it to your brand specifically.

If you hire a company to manage your social media, they have the resources needed to do the research into areas such as your competitors and target audience, which are important aspects in producing a successful social media campaign. They come prepared with experience from other clients and can provide insights into your business or brand that you may be too close to see.

Social media management is a full-time job best suited for a team of experts, like the one at Infinite Reach Agency, who have the knowledge and experience to react to any situation quickly and effectively and provide you with the best experience possible.

Once You Hire a Social Media Management Company – Be Involved

Once you hire a management company, your work is not done. You can’t just hand over your brand to a management company and expect them to know your story and be able to convey it properly without direction from you. Only you have the insight and knowledge of your brand to make it a success on social media. You need to share your story with them, and I’m not just talking about the 30 second pitch you have practiced a million times and give to everyone. I mean you should really share your story.

Tell them about your passion that first sparked you to start your business. Tell them about your success stories and your failures, your biggest clients and your smallest triumphs. You never know what will resonate with other people and the more your management company knows about you and what your brand means to you, the better job they will do representing you.

You should provide them with pictures and graphics, articles, and any relevant content you have. One of the most important things to remember is…If you build a relationship and work with your Social Media Management Company – Together you will succeed! If you need help with Social Media Marketing Management, Contact us today! Our team can help!

Infinite Reach Agency Phoenix

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