Year: 2020

  • Easy Ways to Find Your Social Media Target Audience

    Every year social media audiences grow. As of July 2024, active users on these platforms have swelled to 5.17 billion people worldwide. With this continued growth, your brand needs to have a social media strategy, and it starts with defining your social media target audience.

    The Key To Your Social Media Presence

    Coming up with a social media strategy doesn’t happen overnight, but requires time, thought, and attention to your brand presence and your target audience. Knowing your target audience is key to social media marketing.

    Who Is Your Target Audience?

    Who is your target audienceIt’s essential to keep in mind that your target audience is not “everyone.” Sure, you may want “everyone” to buy your products or sign up for your service, but that doesn’t mean those are the people who will.

    Your task in defining your social media target audience is to identify and understand your brand’s position so you become the best choice in your industry.

    Optimize Your Marketing

    Audience research will help you create relevant content and messaging for your social media posts and ads. This can lead to higher conversation rates and better social media ROI.

    To optimize your social media marketing efforts, you need to know:

    ▪️ Who are your customers?

    ▪️ Which social networks do they spend their time on?

    Easy Steps to Find Your Social Media Target Audience

    Step 1. Identify or create customer personas.

    Ask very specific questions about your customers, including their age, demographics, income, etc. You want to construct detailed personas to understand your customers.

    Step 2. Determine where your audience is most active.Where is your social media target audience active

    Where do they hang out online? Once you know your customer persona, you can hone in on what social network they use most frequently and what content they prefer.

    Step 3. Check out your competitors.

    Where are they posting? What content is getting comments, shares, and likes? You can even use your analytics to check out competitors.

    Step 4. Survey your customers.

    Create a survey for your target audienceNothing beats real data from your current customers. Send out a survey and find out what they like, love, and dislike.

    The Takeaway

    Once you have a better understanding of your customers, you can use it to create better social media content that they will love.

    Remember to revisit your customer personas periodically because interests change, and you want your social media marketing strategy to reflect that.

    What do you think? How do you identify your target audience?

  • What’s the Secret to Valuable SEO Friendly Content Writing?

    How do you create content that’s valued by your clients and also considered SEO friendly content writing for the search engines? To nail both of these goals, you need to look at your SEO strategy and at what your clients are thinking. Let’s talk about the importance of listening for SEO writing.

    When creating content, listening and understanding your client is critical. How can you create relevant and clickable content if you don’t know your target audience?

    The secret of making sure that all your content gets the attention it deserves and directs traffic to you is listening to your clients and customers.

    Client-Focused Keyword Research

    Your SEO keyword research should always begin with thinking about what your client is thinking. Basically, ask yourself, “What would your ideal client put into the Google search bar to get to the content you’re creating?” A client-first focus in keyword research will help direct you to the terms that are both suited for SEO friendly content writing and also solve your client’s problem or answer their question.

    Don’t Do What Facebook Did

    It’s essential to know your audience and what they want when rolling out new SEO content writing, such as blog articles and newsletters.

     

    A man pressing a happy face button when thinking about if his blog is SEO friendly content writing

     

    Making assumptions can create disinterested (or angry) customers. For example, Facebook encountered this problem with the new design to its interface.

    Facebook users gave negative (and hateful) feedback about the new design.

    This begs the question, did Facebook ask their audience what they wanted?

    Stay Committed To Every Client

    When you listen to your customers, you may not always get the feedback you want to hear. And that’s ok. You want that too.

    An opportunity to have a conversation with a customer is an opportunity to build a relationship. But, how you respond is also critical.The secret to SEO friendly content writing is to listen to the problems of your customer with an open mind and desire to act

    A recent study by TCN showed that 72% of Americans would abandon a brand after one poor customer service experience.

    Don’t give your leads and clients a bad experience. Listen to their problems with an open mind and desire to act. Show them you are committed to them.

    Connect With Your Audience

    The secret to valuable SEO, friendly content writing is simple: listen to your clients.

    But keep in mind that listening isn’t just about reading reviews. It’s more than that.

    Listening is about connecting with your clients and understanding their desires, wants, and needs. Listening is learning how you can help them achieve their goals.

    The Secret To Customer Loyalty

    The word secret uncovered under a ripped imageWhat is the key to customer loyalty?

    For example, is it discounts, viral videos, or free swag?

    While all those are nice perks, the key to customer loyalty is listening to and responding to their feedback.

    Great Content Requires Great Listening

    Content marketing focuses on creating relevant, valuable, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience.

    But how can you create content if you don’t know what your audience wants?

    Listening to your clients is the key to effective content marketing.

    Content marketing is one of the most effective marketing strategies today, but it requires getting to know your audience. Most importantly, once you connect with your audience, you can create content they want, and they’ll trust you.

    Well-executed content marketing can position you as a trusted brand, and people are more likely to buy from brands they trust.

    Keep Them Coming Back For More

    Try new ways to communicate and listen to your audience. Use surveys, social media polls, or direct messages—whatever works best for your business and can help you understand your clients.

    If you do these things, you will be able to:

    • Keep your audience on your page.
    • Keep them liking your content.
    • Keep them coming back to you.

    But how do you do this? Start with listening.

    Above all, don’t put off creating valuable content to attract customers!

    Are you a professional service agency or financial firm looking for SEO consulting paired with SEO-friendly content writing? Let’s chat. Book a call today.

  • Top Content Marketing for Accountants Strategies

    Content marketing builds trust, generates leads, and cultivates brand loyalty. Technology has made content marketing for accountants even more relevant as firms try to connect with leads through the noise of the digital space. A content marketing strategy for SEO remains essential for firms because it works—especially in competitive industries like accounting, where relationship-building and expertise matter.

    Content Marketing Is Not Traditional Marketing

    The Content Marketing Institute defines content marketing as:

     A strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.

    Unlike traditional marketing, which pushes direct sales messages, content marketing for accountants focuses on creating helpful resources for your clients and prospects.

    Whether you’re addressing tax season FAQs or demystifying financial regulations, your content should solve problems, answer questions, and guide potential clients toward making informed decisions.

    Why Accountants Need Content Marketing

    Traditional marketing efforts are not as successful at reaching audiences as they once were—even in regulated industries like accounting, prospects seek value and engagement. 

    This is where content marketing for accountants can be essential. Key benefits include:

    • Increased lead generation: Content marketing generates 3x more leads than outbound marketing.
    • Boosted website traffic: Firms that consistently publish content can see up to 7x more site visits.
    • Higher conversion rates: Well-crafted content drives 6x higher conversion rates compared to traditional methods.

    Content marketing positions your accounting firm as a trusted resource, helping you stand out in a crowded market.

    Popular Types of Content Marketing for Accountants

    If your firm is considering investing in content marketing but you’re not sure where to invest first, consider some of these solid content marketing strategies to attract prospects and convert them into clients.

    1. Infographics Transform Complex Financial Data Into Shareable Content

    Financial topics and regulations can be overwhelming, but infographics make them digestible. With 65% of people being visual learners, accountants can use infographics to explain tax deadlines and audit preparation in a visually engaging way.

    Types of Content Marketing Infographic

    Pro tip: Tools like Piktochart make creating shareable infographics quick and easy, helping you boost social media engagement and website traffic.

    2. Email Newsletters: Stay Top of Mind with Leads

    Email marketing remains a cornerstone of content marketing for accountants. With over 90% of Americans checking their email daily, newsletters offer a reliable way to stay connected with clients. Use them to:

    • Share tax updates or regulatory changes
    • Promote new services or upcoming webinars
    • Provide helpful reminders during key financial periods

    Consistency is key—monthly or bi-weekly newsletters keep your firm top of mind when clients need financial guidance.

    3. Drive Traffic and Build Authority with a Blog

    What You Need To Know About These Popular Types of Content Marketing - Blog

    A regularly updated blog is one of the most effective content marketing strategies to drive organic traffic and demonstrate your expertise. Potential clients search for answers to questions like, “How will you address any audit findings from previous years?” or “How do I prepare for an SEC audit?”

    Publishing SEO-optimized blog posts not only attracts these prospects but also builds long-term trust with your audience.

    4. Video Content: Earn Trust and Engage Prospects

    According to research by Cisco, video accounts for 82% of all internet traffic—and that trend continues. For accountants, video content doesn’t have to be elaborate. Short, informative videos explaining audit guidance changes or tax law updates can humanize your brand and engage viewers more effectively than text alone.

    Keep it simple and authentic. A quick video answering common client questions can go a long way in building relationships.

    Choosing the Right Strategy

    There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to content marketing for accountants. The right mix depends on your resources, audience, and business goals. Whether you focus on blogging, videos, or email campaigns, the key is consistency and providing genuine value.

    Ultimately, the best type of content marketing is the one that your firm has the time and budget to implement now.

    Is Your CPA Firm Ready to Leverage Content Marketing to Bring in Leads?

    You know digital marketing works, but maybe you’re not sure where to begin. Don’t let content creation fall by the wayside—and opportunities slip by. Contact me today to develop a tailored SEO strategy and content that attracts leads and grows your accounting firm

  • Top 3 Powerful Digital Marketing Trends for Financial Firms to Embrace

    Digital Marketing Trends To Embrace This Year

    Digital marketing trends are always changing.  But which ones should your financial firm invest your time and money into next year? Which ones are going to get you the most leads, conversions, and sales? These three digital marketing trends should be on your radar.

    1. Glued to our phones

    A group of people looking at content on their mobile devices.Mobile devices have made it easy to watch videos at any time and all the time.

    The convenience and low cost of smartphones and tablets have made video always within reach. And people are watching a lot of videos.

    Video is no longer optional

    According to Buffer, more than 500 hours of videos are watched on YouTube each day. And that is just on YouTube. eMarketer reports that adults spend more than 7.5 hours on connected devices per day in the US.

    People love videos, and marketers need to learn to love them, too.

    More videos, more views, more customers

    A list of video content marketing statistics and a camera set up on a tripod.Why is video marketing so essential to brands? Check out these statistics.

    • 89% of consumers say that they want more videos from brands. (Wyzowl)
    • 88% of marketers report that video has improved their conversion rate. (Small Business Trends)
    • 52% of consumers say that watching product videos makes them more confident in online purchase decisions. (Invodo)
    • More than 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. (Statistica)
    • People are 52% more likely to share video content than any other type of content. (Wyzowl)

    People watch videos to answer their questions, learn how things work, and for advice. Video is the perfect content to connect with your customers and build trust. People are more likely to buy from brands they trust.

    2. Voice search is quicker than typing

    A.I. (artificial intelligence) technology has improved over the years, and as a result, voice search has become more popular.

    How popular is voice search?

    Currently, 66.4 million Americans, or over 25% of adults in the U.S., own a smart speaker. And, 31% of smartphone users worldwide use voice-activated search technology at least once a week.

    A woman holding a phone that's being used for voice search.

    According to Wordstream, here’s what the numbers tell us about voice search:

    • One in five consumers (19%) have made a voice purchase through Amazon Echo or another digital home assistant, and another third (33 percent) plan to do so in the next year. (Walker Sands)
    • 22% of U.S. smart speaker owners have purchased something using their devices. (Edison Research)
    • 72% of people who own voice-activated speakers say that their devices are used as part of their daily routines. (Google)
    • 55% of all American homes will own a smart speaker by 2022. (OC&C Strategy Consultants)

    As AI technology continues to improve, we should expect smart speaker technology to improve in understanding voice search.

    3. Interact with your clients

    Companies have embraced content marketing with blogs, how-to guides, and videos. This static content brings value to consumers, but it doesn’t deliver engagement.

    What content delivers the most engagement?

    Anything that your audience can actively participate in. Calculators, pricing estimators, and interactive infographics are just some examples.

    A quote that says increased customer engagement means more subscribers, clicks, and sales.How can engagement help businesses?

    Fully engaged customers are 4x more likely to appreciate brand messaging and 7x more likely to claim offers from a brand.  Increased customer engagement means more subscribers, clicks, and sales.

    Keeping ahead of the competition

    So, what does this mean for your firm’s marketing strategy?

    The main takeaway is to embrace the new digital marketing trends and technologies and stay ahead of the competition. Be aware of the trends and find ways to try new ones.

    Need help with your CPA firm’s content strategy? Let’s chat.

  • How to Start a Successful Facebook Ads Strategy

    Do you feel like you are constantly throwing money at Facebook Ads that are not delivering results? Without a Facebook Ads strategy, it can be challenging (if not impossible) to get a return on investment (ROI) on your Facebook advertising.

    Paid Facebook Ads Beth ChernesYou’re not alone. 62% of small businesses feel like their paid Facebook Ads are failing.

    Why do so many small businesses feel like this?

    Well, the Facebook landscape and how to use it effectively is always changing.

    The Facebook algorithm (the secret formula behind posts, reach, and Ads) is never constant. And organic reach doesn’t have the same value as it did years ago.

    But, with 2.6 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the biggest social network. Your business needs a presence and a Facebook Ads strategy to be effective and get leads and sales.

    Where to start?

    Create a Customer Persona

    To start a Facebook Ads strategy, you need to know your audience. It is essential to define your audience or “customer persona.”

    You probably have a rough idea of your ideal customers. They are generally the customers you have already attracted and converted.

    If you are creating a new product or service, then your “customer persona,” maybe someone who is not already defined.

    How many “customer personas” do you need?

    Create a range of customer personas based on your ideal targets.

    Customer Persona Facebook AdsThink of things like age, gender, customer needs, demographics, and even values such as their opinions on matters related to your industry.

    Key Point: Don’t make assumptions when creating a customer persona. Research and make sure each customer persona you’re targeting is interested in the product or service you offer.

     

    Define Your Goals

    You need goals to measure success with your Facebook Ads.

    So, what are your goals?

    Facebook Ads ManagerWhat’s great about Facebook Ad Manager is that it can help you fine-tune the goals of your Facebook Ads.

    Facebook Ad Objectives are broken down into 3 categories:

    • Awareness: Generate interest in your brand and an understanding of what you offer.
    • Consideration: Urge people to learn more information about your brand and your product or service.
    • Conversions: Encourage people already interested in your business to buy or use your product or service.

    What do you want from your Facebook Ad? Sales leads? App downloads? Brand Awareness?

    Defining these goals will determine what type of Facebook Ad you need (video, collection ads, Facebook Stories, etc.) and what features to display.

     

    Make a Content Marketing Plan

    As said by digital marketing expert Neil Patel, “Social Marketing is different than traditional marketing.”

    Facebook Ads are not like traditional ads you buy in your local newspaper.

    You can’t just buy the ads and expect results. You need a content marketing plan to put forth a profitable Facebook Ads strategy.

    Content Marketing is about building trust. When you create relevant, educational, and helpful content for your audience, you position your company as a trusted brand.

    What does content marketing include?

    • Educational articles
    • Videos
    • Blogs
    • Infographics

    Paid Ad campaigns need to combine with organic content marketing.

    Organic content can build relationships with your brand, which will help your paid Facebook Ads encourage conversions.

    Your Turn

    Unfortunately, you can’t just create a Facebook Ad and hope it brings you leads and sales. Facebook Ad success requires a strategy.

    If you want to get results, you need a Facebook Ads strategy that includes:

    • Creating a Customer Persona
    • Defining Your Goals
    • Content Marketing

    What’s your biggest struggle with Facebook Ads with right now?

     

  • 3 of the Best Digital Marketing Certifications to Grow Your Career

    Are you looking to level up your digital marketing skills?

    Like the algorithms in Google, trends in digital marketing are always changing.

    Whether you are a seasoned digital marketer or a beginner, you’ve got to stay up to date with the latest digital marketing certifications and training. No one wants to be left behind!

    Luckily, there are many digital marketing courses and certifications that are free (or not too expensive). They can help you stay on top of new trends and learn the “tips and tricks” from digital marketing pros.

    These 3 digital marketing resources make it easier to help you grow your business, traffic and your career.

    1. Google

    As a leader in the search engine market (89% of internet searches are on Google), it’s no surprise that Google offers its brand of digital marketing training.

    Through Google Skillshare, you can check out a variety of training on Google Analytics, Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords), and Google Marketing Platform.

    Noteworthy is the Google Ads certification.

    If you work in the PPC industry (Pay-Per-Click), this is the certification to get! GoogleAds certification can give you an edge over the competition. Google Ads accreditation shows that you are an advanced Ads user and an expert in PPC advertising (and Google thinks so too).

    Price: Free

    Time Commitment: Varies between 1- 4.6 hours

    2. Hubspot

    HubSpot is a full platform of marketing, sales, customer service and CRM software.

    Whether your company uses the HubSpot platform or not, HubSpot Academy is an essential resource of digital marketing training.

    Ask yourself, “What am I looking to learn about digital marketing?” and then go to HubSpot. They probably have training on it (or a blog post, article, guide, white paper…you get the drift).

    HubSpot has many different training courses and certifications for all aspects of digital marketing.

    Training offered includes Inbound Marketing, Facebook Ads, SEO (search engine optimization), and Email marketing.

    HubSpot certifications demonstrate your knowledge in various areas of digital marketing considered well-respected in the marketing industry.

    Why get HubSpot certified?

    Price: Free

    Time Commitment: Varies between 1 – 7 hours

    3. Moz

    There is no way to talk about digital marketing and not mention SEO.

    If you are looking for training courses to brush up on your SEO skills or certifications show you SEO prowess, Moz Academy is where to start.

    Do you work in SEO?

    If so, you’ve heard of Moz SEO software (and maybe even use it daily).

    If not, no worries, Moz Academy offers beginner training in SEO Fundamentals to get you up to speed in all things SEO so you can improve search rankings and drive traffic.

    For the digital marketer with SEO experience, Moz offers the SEO Essentials Certificate Series.

    Price: Free through May 31, 2020, with the Promo Code: wegotthis (Does not include SEO Essentials Certificate Series); After May 31, course prices vary between Free – $595

    Time Commitment: Varies, 1+ hours

    To Sum Up

    Training and certifications take time, commitment and focus.

    But, above all, every training or certification is a huge step in solidifying your credibility as a digital marketer and helping your clients increase their traffic, customers and sales.

    In short, go sign-up and grow your career!

    Do you have any other digital marketing certifications that have helped advance your career? Are you looking into other digital marketing tools for your career?

  • Are You Blogging? 3 Big Benefits for Your Business

    Why does having a business blog matter?

    How are you marketing yourself online? Do you have a website showing off your products and services? Are you using social media?

    As you may have realized, no matter the size of your company, creating an online presence is never easy. You are competing with everyone else and the online field is crowded.3 Big Benefits of a Business Blog

    How can you make sure your website gets seen and drives customers to you?

    One of the easiest ways for your website to get noticed is by having a blog. But why is a business blog important?

    Think of a business blog as another channel for your business to connect with customers and market your products and services. It’s an individual area on your website where you can create content that is useful for your audience.

    Blog posts create strong connections with consumers. According to QuickSprout, 61% of US consumers have made a purchase based on a blog post.

    So, if you think about it, every blog post could lead to a potential sale!

    A blog is another tool in your inbound marketing toolbox that will bring in leads and grow your company. There are also 3 huge benefits blogging has for your business.

    3 Big Benefits Blogging Brings to Your Business

    1. A Business Blog Drives Traffic

    So, you have a gorgeous and well-designed (maybe even expensive!) website, but you just aren’t getting many visitors. Sound familiar?

    Unfortunately, you can’t just have a website and hope the visitors will find you. Websites need to be optimized for search engines (Google, Bing, etc.) and updated frequently. This is known as SEO (search engine optimization).

    What does SEO have to do with driving traffic?

    Search engines are looking for content on websites to index. They are looking for information that gives them an idea of what your website is all about. But most importantly they are looking for fresh content.

    If your website has frequently written content about what you sell and your industry, your website will be easier to find when customers search.

    More frequent content means more is indexed, and it’s more likely your website will be higher ranked in search results.

    How do you create content to be indexed? (A business blog!)

    Websites with a blog tend to have 434% more indexed pages, which means they appear more often in search results.Business Blogging Drives Traffic

    If your competitor is creating content to index, they are more likely to pop up in a Google search than you.  In fact, companies who blog receive 97% more links to their website than those who don’t.

    Don’t wait for visitors to find you! Create content on your blog and drive business to you.

    2. A Business Blog Builds Trust (… and relationships and conversions)

    Content marketing is all about building trust. When you create relevant, educational, and helpful content for your audience, you position your company as a trusted brand.

    People are more likely to buy from brands they trust. SproutSocial recently reported that, “when customers feel connected to brands, more than half of consumers (57%) will increase their spending with that brand and 76% will buy from them over a competitor.”

    Valuable content builds trust over time and keeps prospects close. According to survey data from Conductor, if the customer’s journey down the sales funnel begins with educational content, they are 131% more likely to buy.

    Even with declines in consumer spending due to COVID-19, 40% of consumers noted trust in a brand as the biggest influencing factor driving purchasing decisions.

    What content is most trusted?

    Blogs are considered the 5th most trusted source for accurate online information.

    Companies and marketers continue to invest time and money into ensuring blogging is part of their online marketing strategy.

    According to Hubspot, 53% of marketers say blogging is there top content marketing priority. Another 52% of respondents on a content marketing survey agreed that blogging is their most critical content marketing tactic.

    Each blog post is an opportunity for your company to build trust through well-written and relevant content and a direct way to:

    • Convert leads to sales
    • Turn past customers into repeat buyers

    5. The Price is Right

    Are you looking for the best ROI (return on investment) for your marketing efforts? Well, a blog is a cost-saving option with big benefits.

    The cost of starting a blog is affordable for most businesses because the bare minimum it requires is:

    1. A website
    2. Relevant and educational information to share (let your knowledge shine!)

    That’s it! Yes, really.

    Hubspot noted that marketers who prioritize blogging efforts are 13x more likely to see positive ROI. In fact, B2B companies with blogs get 67% more leads than those without.

    But maybe you are asking, “Why can’t I just drive traffic through Ads?”

    Google Ads, Bing Ads, and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising are great options, but they require a long-term strategy and financial commitment.

    What are the costs for Ads?

    • The average cost per click on Google Ads is between $1 and $2 on the search network.
    • The most expensive keywords in Google Ads and Bing Ads cost $50 or more per click.
    • The average small business using Google Ads spends between $9,000 and $10,000 per month (not including extra costs of strategy, platform, and maintenance).

    To be effective, PPC and Ads require a substantial investment of time and money to develop and achieve success.

    If you don’t have a strategy, then PPC and Ads aren’t going to drive traffic.  

    But even if PPC and Ads aren’t right for you now, it doesn’t mean they aren’t in your future. And a major (and low-cost) way to pave the way for that is by blogging.

    Why? Because Blogging is going to help with your SEO, optimize your keywords, and drive organic traffic (unpaid traffic).  And organic traffic will support your website when it’s time to invest in PPC and Ads.

    Did you know people are more willing to click organic results over ads? 70% of the links searchers click are organic. People trust organic results.

    People trust organic results.

    The content you provide in your blog will give organic content that can help your ranking in the search engine.

    A business blog is something you can start immediately with minimal costs that can generate organic traffic, leads, and sales to grow your company right now.

    Wrapping Up

    Do you read blogs? (You’re reading one now!) I do, and so do most people.  75% of internet users say that they read blogs regularly, so, it’s no surprise that businesses are investing time and resources into blogging.

    Maybe it’s time for you to start a business blog too, so you can:

    1. Drive traffic to your website
    2. Build trust and makes sales
    3. Bring in leads with low costs

    82% of companies admit that blogging is critical to their success. Will you be one of them?

    Need help with your company’s blog? Let’s chat.

  • 3 Free and Simple Graphic Design Tools for Social Media

    Do you want visually stunning, beautifully designed, and free content for your brand’s social media channels?

    Of course, you do!  And with these free (and user-friendly) social media graphic design tools, you can create amazing visual content immediately to get likes, shares and engagement on social media.

    Why now?

    Fun Fact: On average, 97% of digital consumers use social media each month.  With 50% of the global population using social media (roughly 3.8 billion people), it’s more important than ever to make sure your brand is present and creating content on social media.

    I know this sounds daunting (and expensive), but if you don’t have the budget—don’t worry. These free social media graphic design tools can get the job done at $0. The most important thing is to start!

    Show Me The Social Media Graphic Design Tools!

    1. General Graphic Design

    canva logoCanva

    We are all guilty of clicking on a post because of the cool infographic and cute cat photo (that’s me!) associated with it.

    Do images generate more engagement? For sure! A study by BuzzSumo showed that adding images to Twitter updates generated 150% more Retweets than using plain-text updates, and adding images to Facebook posts led to 2.3x more engagement.

    So, where do you go to create your cute cat photo and boost your social engagement? That’s where Canva comes in.

    Canva is a graphic design tool that sits at home in your internet browser. It has easy-to-use drag-and-drop features that allow you to create professional layouts with only a few clicks.

    Canva also has millions of free images you can access, photo filters, free icons and hundreds of fonts. One of the best features is that you can create custom designs specifically for a social media platform. No more guessing (or remembering) the image dimensions for each social network –Canva does that for you!

    Check it out: http://www.canva.com

    Pricing: Free, Pro ($12.95/month), Enterprise ($30.00/month)

    Alternatives: Stencil, FotoJet, BeFunky

    2. Infographics

    easelly logoEasel.ly

    A study in TIME reported that the average attention span is about 8 seconds. 8 seconds isn’t long to capture a consumer’s attention –especially with all that competing buzz on social media (like those cute cat photos!).

    Maybe you have interesting (possibly even complex) information to share in a social media post –how can you display it so your audience can easily digest it? Thank you, infographics! Easel.ly can help you effortlessly create infographics

    Easel.ly is a design tool primarily to design infographics that are fun and engaging to read. The interface is easy with a simple layout. Every button is carefully labeled so you can get started right away.

    Are you worried about designing your templates? Never fear! Easel.ly has thousands of templates already ready for you to open and modify yourself. With a few clicks, you can customize the templates with your brand logo, fonts, and colors.

    Check it out: Easel.ly

    Pricing: Basic (Free), Pro ($4/month)

    Alternatives: Infogram, Venngage, Piktochart

    3. Video Content Marketing

    FlexclipFlexClip

    Did you see that cute cat VIDEO? Did you share it with all your friends? Maybe not, but someone probably did (It was me, sorry, not sorry).

    The truth is that you want to create content that gets shared, and video is your most significant opportunity to make that happen.

    Why video?

    You want your audience to remember your product (and purchase it!) and video gets results:

    • Viewers claim they retain 95% of a message when obtained through video. (Social Media Week)
    • This year, video ads were the #1 way consumers discovered a brand they later purchased from. (Animoto)
    • 30% of mobile shoppers say video is the best medium for discovering new products. (Facebook)
    • 92% of mobile users report sharing videos with others. (Social Media Week)

    Everyone is Doing It!

    There’s no time like the present to make videos. Social video trends are only growing, and by 2022, the number of videos crossing the internet per second will approach 1 million translating into 82% of all online traffic. (Social Media Week)

    FlexClip: A Free & Easy Video Tool

    Creating a video for social media doesn’t have to be complicated or time-intensive. FlexClip makes it easy to create short videos to showcase your product and produce engaging content.

    FlexClip is a cloud-based video maker that produces videos from photos, video clips, and music. You can add your images or use their vast media library of royalty-free media resources.

    A lot of “free” video software claims to be free, but these “free” plans imbed their logo as a watermark on all your videos. Not with FlexClip! You can create free videos that look professional–no watermark.

    FlexClip is one of the best tools of its kind, as you can create high-quality videos without paying for sophisticated video-editing tools.

    Check it out: http://www.flexclip.com

    Pricing: Free, Basic ($4.99/month), Plus ($7.99/month)

    Alternatives: Animoto (watermark), Adobe Spark (watermark), iMovie (Mac/iOS only)

    Time to Create Content

    Now that you have these free social media graphic design tools, you can quickly get started creating visually stunning graphics for your audience to share, comment and love.

    Not sure what content to create first? In my opinion, you can always start with a cute cat video and go from there.

    Do you need help planning out your social media strategy or creating engaging and content to attract your audience? Let’s chat.