How to make your Tweets more engaging

Posted on 23-04-2020 by Erin Reynel

Twitter is still undeniably a great social media and marketing tool (best used for customer service, in our professional opinions). With limited characters, you have to make your tweets short and punchy, ensuring you grab the attention of your intended audience.

While we’ve previously covered the topic of how to generate leads with Twitter, today we want to show you how to improve your Tweet format.

Bad copy, good copy

There are some very simple ways for you to up your Twitter game, and improving your Twitter copy is the easiest way.

Twitter’s Global Creative Lead, Joe Wadlington, recently released a series of videos called ‘Good copy, bad copy’ – check it out below.

In each episode, Joe shares tips for writing effective Tweet copy by demonstrating his “bad” copy and then fixing it. In the videos, Joe explains the reasons behind each correction.

Watch him walk you through it here:

Key takeaways from the video

Avoid all caps, as this gives the impression that you’re angry or shouting
Use % instead of $ off when mentioning discounts as research shows users are more likely to click through on a percentage off
Reduce the number of hashtags you use, no more than 1 or 2 is adequate
Use a website card instead of a URL to add a visual component, making your Tweet more appealing and “clickable”, as well as increasing traffic to your website

Twitter Business has now shared at least three of these short video clips, so consider checking those out for more advice on creating effective copy.

How to create a website card on Twitter

Not sure what a website card even is on Twitter? A Twitter Website Card is essentially an ad that features an image that leads to an external website, product, brand or even article.

This feature is on a cost per click, so you only pay when users click through to your website/external link.

If you decide to use this feature, then we encourage you to pay attention to your metrics from Paid Campaigns – use this information to create a strategy going forward.

Here is a quick tutorial on how to set up a website card on Twitter, it’ll only take 1 minute of your time.

Other things to consider in your Tweet copy

Add a call to action to your Tweet
Avoid extra unnecessary words in your copy
Add spaces in your copy to add height to your Tweet
Add capitals in your hashtags, #MondayMotivation instead of #mondaymotivation to make it more “readable”

Twitter apparently still boasts a cool 330 million active users each month. Want to know if and how you should use this social media platform? Ask us – here at Legendary, content creation is part of our service!

Here’s how to create the perfect social media marketing plan

Posted on 14-06-2018 by Danielle Cole

In Vancouver social media marketing, it’s important to create a plan. Otherwise you’re just blindly throwing money and time around, hoping something sticks.

We wouldn’t do that, and neither should you.

So here’s how to set a social media marketing plan that actually works.

How to create your social media marketing plan

1. Set your goals

In order to establish your social media marketing plan, you have to set your goals. What are you trying to get out of your social media marketing? If you are a newer business, you may want to focus on brand awareness. If you’re more established, you’re better off working on building a community or driving traffic to your business. Don’t forget to reassess your goals at least every six months!

2. Target certain platforms

Not all social media platforms are created equal for all businesses. Rather than trying to hit every platform, you want to focus your social media marketing on the ones that help you most. Not sure which platforms are right for you? Read up on the differences here!

3. Figure out your budget

Of course, your budget needs to be sustainable. You can’t break the bank on social media marketing. At the same time, you need a big enough marketing budget to be able to achieve your goals. What’s the right balance? That depends on your goals and overall business budget. If you want to get a sense of the price of social media marketing for your business, get in touch with us and we’ll provide you with a free quote.

4. Activate your audience

Social media marketing isn’t just about followers or attention. It’s also about engagement. How do you get that engagement? Plan to add a call to action to your posts every now and then! These calls to action can include encouraging followers to comment, make a purchase, participate in a poll – or any other form of engagement you’re looking for.

What to do once you have your social media marketing plan in place

Once you have a social media marketing plan put together, it’s all about executing it. How do you do that? You stay ensure you have consistent content that furthers your goals – and you work with great people, like us!

Why is Legendary the right team to handle you social media marketing? Let us tell you!

7 ways to use social media to promote your Vancouver business

Posted on 31-05-2018 by Danielle Cole

We get that you want your social media in Vancouver to actually help promote your business.

But how do you make that happen?

We could feed you a bunch of mumbo jumbo, but we’d rather give you some good old fashioned straight-up advice.

So here’s what you need to know.

7 ways to use social media in Vancouver to promote your business

1. Insta-contests

Instagram contests are all the rage now. And why wouldn’t they be? Your followers can win great prizes while having fun!

Not sure what kind of contest to run? Don’t worry, we’ve put together a list of three of our favourites to get you started!

2. Ads

Ads can be effective if you run them in the right way. If you are going to run ads on social media platforms in Vancouver, focus on Instagram and Facebook. These are the only two platforms that are likely to give you the response you’re looking for.

Also, make sure the ads are engaging (that means: interesting enough to comment on, like or share). There’s no point in getting something in front of people if it’s not engaging enough to them to pay attention to!

3. Polls

If you spend any time Grammin’, you’ve likely seen the huge jump in Instagram polls. Everyone’s polling people about something!

Why? Because polls increase engagement. It can be hard to get people to comment on posts; but, when you put up a poll, followers want to have their say.

Not sure what to poll? It can be as simple as “which do you like better: vacation or staycation?”

Spoiler alert: they’re both awesome!

4. Get personal

Your followers want to feel that you’re engaging with them – not just marketing to them. The best way to foster that feeling is to get real.

Do “behind the scenes” videos for a new product or a selfie video for your Instagram Story. Share a personal piece of information. Just be authentic.

Followers can tell when you’re faking “realness”.

5. Use influencers

We know working with influencers can sound scary and expensive. But hey, we’re not talking about the Kardashians here.

If you’re focused on your social media in Vancouver, look for micro-influences. They are easier – and cheaper – to team up with, and can help promote your business to an engaged, local audience.

6. Engage with brand advocates

You may already have brand advocates advertising for you without you even knowing! People love talking about brands they love (and hate) on their social media.

Keep an eye out for these posts and, if you find them, repost them! You’re basically getting free promotion and a genuine, personal testimonial. Who wouldn’t want that?

Plus, once your followers realize you repost their content, they’ll be more likely to talk about you even more.

7. Poke fun… at yourself!

Social media is supposed to be fun, so try not to take yourself too seriously. We’re not suggesting that you do something like… going streaking if you’re a lawyer. Just that you poke some brand-appropriate fun – even gently – at yourself from time to time. Doing this will make your brand feel approachable and relatable.

Need some inspo?

Check out Wendy’s on Twitter.

And the reigning champ, Denny’s.

Overwhelmed with all this? We know promoting your business through your social media in Vancouver can feel like a full-time job in and of itself. But that’s what we’re here for! Let us handle your social media – so you can take care of your business!

How to know which social media platforms you need for your business

Posted on 26-04-2018 by Danielle Cole

So you want to use social media for your business. But which platforms should you use?

Not every business should be on every social media platform. You need to use the one(s) that are right for you.

Rule of thumb: Choose the platform where you’re most likely to find your ideal customer type. If you’re selling T-shirts, LinkedIn probably isn’t right for you.

Here’s the run-down of how to choose the right social media platforms for your biz.

Which social media platforms are right for your Vancouver business?

Let’s go through each, shall we?.

1. Facebook

Looking for women aged 38 and up? Facebook is the place for you! This is the most active group on Facebook now, but you’ll find a surprising number of men here too. Facebook is also still the best advertising platforms for many types of businesses, so having a presence here is important for almost any type of business. You should know, though, that Millennials are closing, or not using, their Facebook accounts these days, so if your target customer is under the age of 25, you might want to focus your efforts elsewhere (read: Instagram).

2. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is known as the social media tool for connecting with professionals. If that’s your target audience, LinkedIn is THE spot for you. Lawyers, accountants, and most B2B services should have active LinkedIn accounts. It’s also a great place to hire, if you’re looking for professionals to join your team.

3. Snapchat

When we’re talking marketing, Snapchat isn’t the place to do it, except in limited circumstances. Snapchat has also been accused of racism on several occasions, including after releasing filters declared digital blackface and yellowface. Who wants to work in a space like that? Not us – and we hope not you either!

4. Instagram

As we all know, Instagram is the social media shit right now. Want to connect with 20-45 year olds? This is the number one spot to do it! It can take time to build a following; but, with dedication and hard work, you can make it happen.

5. Pinterest

A lot of companies don’t know how to use Pinterest, but it can be useful for certain types of businesses. In fact, Pinterest is a favourite amongst interior designers, artists, and anyone in fashion. Why? Because it’s the top spot for inspiration boards! Most importantly, it’s perfect for online store who are selling products globally. But if your business serves a local audience only, Pinterest isn’t ideal.

6. Twitter

Twitter is the best social media platform… if you’re a current president looking to address your base. Yeah, D-Trump, we’re talking about you! Twitter is also a hotspot for authors, the science/medical community and journalists. Other than that, though, it probably isn’t your best bet.

Remember that, when it comes to social media in Vancouver, the platform is only the beginning

When looking at social media in Vancouver, a lot of companies think that all they have to do is find the right platform and they’re good. But the platform is just the beginning! You still have to put the work in to build a following.

Don’t have time to take care of this work? Let us look after the social media for your Vancouver business for you!

How to: Small business Twitter lead generation

Posted on 19-10-2017 by Erin Reynel

Ah, Twitter. The noisy social media platform where Trump makes vague threats and brands shout their 140 character messages to a sea of followers who aren’t listening. But hey, despite a lot of recent changes to the platform and increasingly lower engagement rates, Twitter still has an important place in your social media toolkit. Especially for generating leads for your small business.

Let’s look at some ideas and tips to help you make the most of Twitter to find and generate leads without getting into the advertising game. We’ll save the topic of advertising for another post and get right into some free (‘cause who doesn’t like FREE?) tools and techniques to help you start your Twitter lead generation campaign.

Start at the top – your Twitter header

You can make the most of your Twitter header by using a call to action in your image. Make sure you clearly communicate what your business is and give people an easy way to contact you. For example, let’s say you are a plumbing company in Vancouver – your Twitter header can feature your logo and phone number in the image along with text to support it like, “Let us know you found us on Twitter for 10% off!” Simple and effective.

Pin a tweet

Build your perfect tweet – something that offers your services, perhaps an important image or link to your website and pin this tweet to the top of your profile. You can pin any tweet – so select one that can help you sell. It’s the first message that followers will see on your profile, so make it count!

Search hashtags

Depending on what kinds of leads you’re looking for, start searching on industry terms or topics that are being used by the people you are looking to find. If you’re a Vancouver clothing retailer, search topics like #Vancouver #Fashion. Perhaps you’re a Thai restaurant in downtown Vancouver, searching for #Vancouver #foodie will help you find people who might be interested in you. You’ll need to try a few different hashtags and terms to zero in on the market you are looking for.

Build Twitter lists

When you find people in your market, follow them, of course, and add them to a Twitter list. These can be public or private. Adding users to a public list can get their attention, like a soft tap on the shoulder. Beyond the relationship building, lists can help you keep track of important users out there… as you’ll see in our next tip.

Build a relationship with the people on your lists by retweeting and liking their tweets. Your actions in becoming a fan of their will go along way in gaining their interest in you. Make sure you are following and sharing content from as many different users as you can. Spend some time on them!

Use free Twitter lead generation tools

Using a publishing platform like Hootsuite can make your life easier for a few different reasons when looking to help generate leads from Twitter. How?

Save your searches into visual streams

This allows you to scan each stream at a glance without having to return to the search results every time you execute a search. Being able to organize your Twitter data like this allows you to quickly interact with and act on lead generating content that is applicable to your business.

Schedule your tweets

Batch your work to save time, and pre-plan your tweets. Doing this helps create a more consistent marketing message for your brand, plus saves you hours of searching for stuff to tweet about (especially when the Trump BS that dominates Twitter isn’t going to help you get leads).

Now, not only do you have the convenience of being able to schedule tweets and other social content, but you can review a much larger and relevant picture of what your Twitter audience is up to at any given moment.

Set up automated Twitter lead generation platforms

Twitter has recently updated its policies to block third-party platforms from sending automated direct messages, welcome tweets and other automated content.

The use of automated DMs was always controversial (can you say “SPAM”?). However, automated DMs were a handy way to send out offers and links.

All of that doesn’t really matter now – so if you were thinking of using automated tools or had set these up in the past, they certainly won’t be working any longer.

Play the long game

Once you’ve begun to build up your community, you can then start inviting them directly to your business. You’ve earned the right to approach them on occasion, but keep in mind – no one, not even you yourself – likes the hard sell. Ask them directly, send them links… but then go right back to supporting and reinforcing your audience.

There are really two ways to look at Twitter to generate leads:

you’re either going to spend money (on ads)
or you’re going to spend time to generate leads

No shortcuts, my friends. If you opt for time, we know these tips will help get you out of the gate faster, help you to be more efficient and at the same time, build a solid community around your brand.

Have questions or need help with your Twitter marketing or using Twitter to generate leads for your business? We do that! Get in touch with us awesome people at Legendary Social Media Vancouver to start your Twitter lead generation campaign.

Hashtags on Facebook: Yay or nay?

Posted on 19-09-2016 by Erin Reynel

I don’t blog often, but when I do, it’s because a certain topic keeps coming up again and again. This past week, it’s:

hashtags on Facebook.

A few clients and acquaintances have asked recently about whether hashtags on Facebook are useful, tacky, good practice or a negative thing for your company’s social presence.

First, let’s take a look back at how hashtags on Facebook every became ‘a thing’.

Back in 2013…

Facebook announced that hashtags were clickable and would help people find certain types of content. The idea was just the same as on Twitter and Instagram: you’d click a hashtag to find out what other people were posting with that hashtag.

Anyway, after a short time, Facebook’s searching algorithm got dysfunctional, which you can read about from Social Media Examiner, and hashtags on Facebook became unimportant.

And fast forward to today.

It looks terrible

One of the things I love about Facebook is its use of NO HASHTAGS. I don’t know about you, but I find hashtags cumbersome, difficult to read, annoying to research and too often misused.

They look really bad on Facebook.

But apparently I’m not the only one who felt/feels that way. In fact, a Buffer blogger compared whether posts on Facebook did better with or without hashtags.

Yay or nay?

The answer, my friends, is nay.

The Buffer research showed that Facebook posts with hashtags got less engagement than posts without hashtags.

Why? The exact reason isn’t clear, but the Social Media Examiner article does make mention that the hashtags made posts harder to read. I agree.

Facebook is more visual than Twitter, and looks very different from Instagram. Using the same mentality across all platforms, and cross-posting with tools like Buffer and Hootsuite without tailoring each post to its platform, is one of the biggest mistakes I see companies and marketers making when it comes to their social media management.

Why do I care?

I like seeing companies make awesome connections with their customers via social media. I like seeing your sales increase because of it. I like seeing more traffic through your door because you’re actually offering customer service where your customers want it: online.

I like doing it right when it comes to social media management. Don’t put hashtags on Facebook. You’ll see better engagement from your audience if you don’t!

Is Twitter dying? The social network that’s barely social

Posted on 01-03-2016 by Erin Reynel

For a few marketers, like the team at Legendary Social Media, the word “social” still matters in social media. From the first days of Facebook, social networks were all about providing a platform for people to connect and communicate easily, online. Twitter, though, has lost its way.

First, let me clarify: Twitter isn’t a lost cause. There are still amazing, active communities of friends and strategic connections on Twitter. They exist, and they love the platform. For businesses using Twitter in their social marketing strategy, the platform can hold a lot of value. For some, not for all.

Is Twitter dying?

Before we answer that, here are some Twitter usage statistics:

The number of monthly active users on Twitter has grown from 30 million in 2010 to 320 million monthly active users in February 2016.
Since early 2015, the number of monthly active users has plateaued, even diminished.

Source: Statista

About 500 million tweets are sent out every day.
That’s 6,000 tweets per second.
The number of tweets per day grows by about 30% each year.

Source: Internetlivestats.com

Tom Webster authored a blog post in 2014 pointing out Twitter’s decline even then. In his article, he writes:

While Twitter’s origins were centered around “what is happening,” these newer, mobile networks are based around “what are you doing?”

Webster points out that Twitter doesn’t give us the opportunity to share our experiences the same way that networks like Facebook and Instagram do.

And on another note, despite implementing Twitter images for better visual marketing, Twitter still feels like a mainly text-based platform, whereas other networks have really adopted the visual marketing trend is a much more serious way.

The social part of social media is missing from Twitter

Have you been on Twitter lately? Here’s a challenge.

Tweet to a few local businesses or organization, maybe about an event they’re hosting. See how many reply to you.

Try sparking a conversation about something happening in your city or neighbourhood by using an appropriate hashtag. Here in Vancouver, I’d use something like #kitsilano or #yvrevents. How many people respond to you?

Chances are, the response you’ll get most often is a ‘like’ for your tweet. How rewarding is that, really? You’ve reached out to a business with a compliment, or helped them spread their news with a retweet and the thanks you receive is a like?

How hard is it to just tweet a “Thank you”?

The fact is, the number of Twitter users willing to have a real conversation on Twitter is diminishing. The social aspect of the social platform is petering out.

As a normal person who uses Twitter from time to time, it’s sad to see that businesses don’t use Twitter as a way to connect with real people (read: customers) anymore – not like they used to at least.

Maybe there are just too many companies/businesses on Twitter.

Maybe it’s the overuse of scheduling software like Hootsuite and TweetDeck. These tools allow businesses to have one-way “conversations.” They send out tweets, but never check for replies.

How to do Twitter the right way

Here are our tips for businesses to get it right with Twitter:

Treat Twitter like the social network it truly is.
Because Twitter is text-based, and its hashtags make it easy to follow things you’re interested in, having conversations on Twitter is fun and rewarding for businesses!
Start conversations. Ask questions, disseminate ideas.
Follow more real humans than other businesses.
Be available. Reply to tweets about you.
Thank people for retweeting your tweets – not with a like, but with a “Thank you.”
Share great content and news that your followers will care about.
Be gracious, friendly, and most importantly, social!

Think Twitter has lost its “social” status? Do you use Twitter? Tell us what you think in the comments section!

Legendary Social Media – what’s that all about?

Posted on 24-02-2016 by Erin Reynel

Between the multicoloured unicorn-pegasus logo and the bright pink accents on the website, the Legendary Social Media brand has something a little different about it. Call it cheesy, funky or just plain weird, we decided to take a different tack than many social media management agencies in Vancouver. We wanted to be legit to who we are – a team of unique, original individuals with a stellar skillset and a penchant for creating awesome stuff.

A rare breed of online marketing.

Legendary Social Media has the goal of creating legendary content, whether that’s graphics or logos for your website, engaging social media posts, fully functional and SEO-optimized websites, or SEO-friendly blogs.

Legendary Social Media: doing it right, every time

Our brand is NOT about rushing through your project to get it done quickly. In fact, our policy is to keep working until you’re happy with the product we deliver. Why? Because the Legendary Social Media mindset is that your success is our success. So when you’re happy, we’re happy.

Our business is making your business grow online.

We would love for your to check out the suite of services Legendary Social Media offers, but here’s a quick snapshot:

website design: SEO integration and submission to Google Webmaster Tools is included every time
social media marketing: we only use best practices for each platform to get you the best possible response
social media advertising: can’t be bothered to navigate the world of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn ads? That’s our forte. Let us design your ads and whittle your audience down to perfection for best results
Google PPC: need your website to be on Page 1 of Google? We create highly effective ads (up to 20% CTR) for your website
email marketing: reach out to your newsletter subscribers with emails that have high open rates and great sales-driven content
content creation: boost your website’s SEO power with blog articles that are written to catch Google’s eye, plus wow your audience with great, original content

Have questions about Legendary Social Media? We’re always happy to chat via email, phone or text. We’d love to hear from you!

The easy guide to optimizing ALL your content for SEO

Posted on 16-02-2016 by Erin Reynel

Having great content or blogs on your website is just a piece of the puzzle when it comes to making gains in your search ranking, or SEO. In order to really work for your, you need to rock it when it comes to optimizing content for SEO.

This absolutely genius blog on Search Engine Journal by the incredible Nathan Chan does a perfect job of breaking down exactly how to optimize your content for search. Read their blog, or read on for a Coles Notes version of how it’s done.

And, don’t forget to read further into how to structure each blog to truly get the most out of your blog content’s SEO with this blog by the team here at Legendary Social Media.

How to optimize content for SEO

Choose one keyword per blog

You’ll want to have a solid list of keywords your business’ website is targeting. Then, create a content strategy to identify which blogs should target which keywords. Choose one keyword per blog, and optimize its content for SEO, relating to that keyword. For more information, read our blog about how to structure each blog post.

You can also add a few related keywords to each main keyword. For example, if you want to optimize for “Vancouver realtor”, you may also want to include the phrases “Vancouver real estate” and “Vancouver homes for sale” in your content.

Optimize your file and photo names

Rather than naming your blog’s image “blog pic1.jpg”, add some keywords to the file name. Go with “vancouver-realtor-real-estate-blog.jpg” instead. Also, don’t forget to add alt text to each file or photo you use in your blog with the same keyword you’re optimizing for.

Categories, tags and topics are opportunities to optimize content for SEO

Google looks at the names of the categories and tags you add to your blog posts when it ranks your site. Ensure your categories, tags and/or topics use the keywords you’re targeting, and keep them relevant to the post.

Optimizing content for SEO on social media

Using keywords strategically shouldn’t end when you push the “publish” button on your blog. When you share that blog on social media, keep using those keywords in the description for the post. Since Google looks at your business’ social profiles when it ranks your site, ensuring you’ve optimized with keywords everywhere possible will only do you big favours in the end.

Legendary Social Media tip: Which social sites are most important?

Google looks at almost all social media sites that link to your website when it ranks you, but it tends to look at some sites more than others. Google+ and YouTube are your best bets for sharing your content for SEO wins, since they’re owned by Google see page. But Google also prioritizes LinkedIn and Facebook heavily. After that comes Twitter. Sharing your content on all of these platforms is a great idea for SEO, as long as it’s worthwhile for your business – you should only share content to networks where you’ll actually interact with the people who care about the content you publish.

Have questions about optimizing content for SEO? Write them below or send us an email!

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