What's going on everybody? IIm back again with another piping hot episode of The Social Marketing Advice Podcast. Firstly, I owe you all a massive shoutout. Last week was wilder than anything I’ve seen in awhile, but I took that mini-hiatus to also jazz things up over here. And guess what? I’ve come back with an even more valuable structure to this podcast and I hope you enjoy the change. Based on your feedback, I'm still going to be serving up all the fresh social media updates. But now, drum roll, I will now be featuring a new key segment to each episode where I dig deep into a specific marketing topic. Plus I'm adding a spicy segment called 'The Terrible Truth'. This is where I will be sharing something you might not want to hear as a business owner, but its something you need to hear. So don’t shoot the messenger! I promise I have your best interests at heart and you will learn from these episodes, one at a time. So, on today’s plate, we’re diving deep into the juicy world of... Paid Ads! Have you ever wondered how many people your organic posts on platforms like Facebook and Instagram actually reach? Why you should be throwing money at ad spend? Be sure you stick around, because I’ve got the scoop. A bit of backstory - I’ve been swimming in the social media sea for years, and I've heard whispers... whispers that say only about 5% of followers see posts organically.A little bit of a sidenote, I seriously felt like Sherlock Holmes trying to find solid proof. But, lucky for you, I’ve done my detective work and here's the deal: Whats going on with organic reach? It’s definitely sinking! As of July 2023, an average organic Facebook post engagement rate is 1.52%. So let me give you an example. if you have 500 followers, that's like only 8 people potentially engaging with your posts on average. 8! And Im sorry, that's a dinner party, not a business strategy! Here's a silver lining: At the end of the day, it's better than zero, right? If anything, just remember, in the realm of social media, the game's changed. It's not "post and pray" anymore, it's "pay to slay". Don't in case you dont believe little ol' me…Did you know that social media advertising recently leapfrogged paid search, notching up 25% growth YoY? Yeah, $137 billion big ones! While search’s was an underhanded $135 billion. Okay, now if you're thinking, “Where do I put your cash when it comes to targeted advertising?”, most of you will yell "Facebook!" or "Instagram!". And while that is true, they’re the popular kids in school, remember, the popular spots also have the longest queues and competition. So, test the waters, but don’t expect miracles right away. Oh, and pro tip: Every ad campaign should have a goal. It could be lead generation - like running a Facebook ad to collect peoples contact information or to sell tickets for an upcoming event. Another campaign goal could be for boosting exposure - by running a video ad or fun piece of content just to keep your name and brand top of mind. Lastly the goal could be to get engagement by running a poll or pushing people to take a fun quiz. In case your not sure what "engagement" mean….I want you to Think likes, shares, comments... basically all the digital love you can get. Now all fun aside, have you ever heard the saying “any press is good press”? I had to bring this up because Morgan and Morgan injury attorneys are rocking that mantra right now with their, let's call it "creative", billboard marketing. Honestly, it's so wild, I'm half tempted to call them just to ask, if its working?" 🤣If you haven't seen these billboards, it was geniously designed to appear as though the billboard was vandalized with graffiti. Well what has happened you might ask? Well it looks so convincing that it has literally broken the internet and gone viral. So in case you;ve been holding back an out of the box idea like this, now maybe the time to try it! Now, for the ambitious marketers, here’s a rapid-fire list of platforms to consider running some paid ad campaigns on. Definitely grab a sticky note and a pen to write these down so you can determine which platforms might be best for reaching your ideal audience. Ready? Here we go! LinkedIn, Google, YouTube, Hulu, Roku, Apple TV, Netflix, iheartradio, Spotify, Pandora, and even...community based platforms like Reddit, Quora, or Nextdoor. Got it? Good! Alrighty! It’s time to put on your safety goggles! It's time for ‘The Terrible Truth’! Ever watched 'Field of Dreams'? The whole "if you build it, they will come" spiel? Spoiler alert: It's a myth. Online, if you build it... you still gotta shout about it from the digital rooftops! Even the best of businesses can vanish online without some strategic love. So make friends with SEO, stand out from the competition, and for goodness' sake, be proactive! Let me paint a quick picture for you.

Your a hard working small business owner, just getting your business off the ground and you have to work with minimal funds to start up. You worked endless nights to try to piece together your own website, and somehow, someway you figured it out. Now while you may not be super happy with it, if it works and does what you need, then rest easy and consider hiring a professional down the road. Lets say a few weeks go by, no inquiries. Lets say a few months then go by, and no inquires. And you start getting really frustrated, maybe at the point of even just giving up. Well this my friends is called ‘The Field of Dreams Myth’.

Meaning, that just because you build it, that doesn't mean they’ll come. Whether you’ve built a website, a product, a service, or even a piece of content like a video. Successful marketing requires a strategic outreach plan. In reality, the online space is saturated with businesses, content creators, and innovators, all vying for the same attention. Without strategic promotion, even the most valuable offerings might go unnoticed.

Now let me break this down further for you:

First talking about getting discovered in the Digital Age. As you probably already know, search engines are the primary means of discovery online, but they prioritize content and sites based on relevance, authority, and numerous other factors. Just building a website doesn’t guarantee a top spot on search results. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategy, regular content updates, backlinks, and technical optimization are vital.

Next lets chat about the Role of Competition. Today, every niche is crowded. Several businesses offer similar products or services to you right in your same area and without distinct positioning and a strategic outreach plan, even superior products and services can get lost in the noise.

Now I want to dig into passivity vs. Proactivity: The "build it, and they'll come" mentality is passive, assuming customers will do the work of finding you.While modern marketing requires proactivity. This means going where your potential customers are, understanding their needs, and offering tailored solutions.

How about actually talking about the Customer Journey and critical Touchpoints? In today's complex buying ecosystem, consumers might need multiple touchpoints before making a purchase. This could range from seeing an ad, reading a blog post, getting a recommendation, or engaging with a social media post. Relying solely on the "built" product or service ignores this multifaceted journey.

You guess it! Changing Algorithms will forever be a thing and platforms like Google and Facebook frequently change their algorithms. A strategy that works today might not work tomorrow. Assuming that a built website or a product will continuously attract traffic without adapting to these changes is a recipe for stagnation.

I’m sure you already know the Value of Marketing Channels when it comes to your business. Just building a product or service isn't enough. Businesses need to identify where their audience spends time and target those channels, whether it's social media, email, podcasts, webinars, or physical locations.

Building Relationships should have been first but either way, merely having a product or service doesn't foster customer relationships. Active marketing and engagement do. These relationships can lead to brand loyalty, repeat business, and referrals. All things you need and deserve!

In wrapping up, here are some fresh-off-the-press social media updates for y’all: * TikTok now has Text Posts. It’s like Instagram stories, but, you know... TikTok-ier. * THREADS has lost half its users already! Gasps * X (formerly known as Twitter) is still rocking the charts, even after its makeover. * Instagram's diving into AI for sticker creation. * Meta is getting its AI chatbot game on! * And, YouTube is adding some glitzy tools for your Shorts. Whew! That was a wild ride today and I wanna hear from you! If you learned something, or even smirked once during this episode, hit that subscribe button and share the love. Also, for those sitting on the fence about upping their marketing game, slide into my DMs. Let’s chat! Before we part, here's a wisdom nugget from my guru, Simon Sinek, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” So chew on that until next time my friends and I’ll see you on the next one!