Report: Social Media Examiner 2016 State of Social Media Marketing

It can be easy to get caught up in the buzz of new social media marketing platforms and content types (live video ring a bell?). But what are today's marketers implementing the most and experiencing the most success with? The answers might surprise you.

Social Media Examiner recently released their 2016 State of Social Media Marketing Industry Report which dives into the responses of over 5,000 marketers who share their top priorities, successes, failures and outlooks for social media marketing.  This post will dive into a few of the highlights that I found most interesting from this year's report.

#1 – Not All Marketers Implementing Social Media Analyze Success & Measure ROI

Social media marketing still seems to hold a mystery for a lot of marketers. Of those surveyed in this report, only 19% strongly agree that they regularly analyze their social media activities. Additionally, only 41% say that they are able to measure the ROI for their social media activities.

In order for marketers to be effective with any aspect of their digital marketing approach, a close eye to the data is essential. By closely watching this information, marketers are better able to adapt and evolve their strategies to meet customer need.

#2 – Some Marketers Are Facing Declines in Website Traffic via Facebook

Social media can be a great source for referring traffic to a brand's website. But just like those above that are not measuring the ROI of their social media, many aren't sure if referral traffic from Facebook has declined or not. However, 23% have noticed a decline in traffic in the past 12 months.

#3 – Social Media Marketing is Becoming More Difficult

Social media is a quickly evolving beast. Platforms are constantly changing algorithms, releasing new features and “changing the rules”. That requires marketers to think on their feet and quickly adapt their approach at the drop of a hat. According to this survey, 40% of marketers believe that social media has become increasingly difficult in the past 12 months.

#4 – Many Marketers Are Spending Under 6 Hours a Week on Social Media

A successful social media marketing strategy requires commitment. Building an audience in general, let alone one that is engaged and interacts with your brand takes time, and an ongoing investment of both time and often budget.

However, 37% of marketers are spending a maximum of five hours per week on their social media efforts. That means, at most they are spending 1 hour a day managing their social media accounts.



Today's customers expect swift responses from the brands they follow and interact with online which would be extremely difficult to master in only 5 hours a week.

#5 – The Top Reported Benefits of Social Media Marketing Might Surprise You

Increased exposure for the business is listed as the top benefit of social media marketing by an 89% of respondents. The other benefits that made the top of the list include:

• Increased Traffic 75%


• Developed Loyal Fans 68%


• Provided Marketplace Insight 666


• Generated Leads 66%

#6 – The Super 3 Still Reign Supreme

Even with the increasingly popular use of platforms like Snapchat and vine for brands across the globe, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are still the most commonly used social media platforms by marketers. From 2015 to 2016, both Twitter and LinkedIn faced a slight decline while Instagram gained a few points.

#7 – The Outlook for Paid Social Media

Many social networks are increasingly making it more difficult for brands to maintain the organic reach that they used to. That change has required an investment in paid social media to become more of a necessity than a luxury.

An overwhelming 87% of marketers invest their budgets in Facebook ads versus the next platforms coming in at 39% (Google ads), 18% (Twitter ads) and 17% (LinkedIn ads).

#8 – The Difference Between B2B & B2C

One of the biggest contrasts within this report is the importance of different social networks for B2B and B2C marketers. The top three social networks (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) both rank high for both types of marketers, but the order of importance is vastly different.

What Does the Future Hold for Social Media Marketing?

Next year, we may begin to see some of these responses shift as more and more marketers begin adopting the use of platforms like Snapchat and SlideShare. We cannot be certain what the future will hold for social media marketing, but we do know that marketers are finding it to be a value tool for interacting with and engaging their audience. Social media marketing is here to stay.

---

Gain a competitive advantage by subscribing to the
TopRank® Online Marketing Newsletter.

© Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®, 2016. |
Report: Social Media Examiner 2016 State of Social Media Marketing | http://www.toprankblog.com

The post Report: Social Media Examiner 2016 State of Social Media Marketing appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

SearchCap: Google AdWords hack, SEO ROI & more

Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web.

The post SearchCap: Google AdWords hack, SEO ROI & more appeared first on Search Engine Land.



Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.

Copywriting in the Content Era: A Guide for Writers Starting Out

Modern marketing still needs copywriting. But the skills and experience required to succeed in the era of content have created new complexity and demands on copywriters. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

4 Tasty Content Marketing Recipes to Grill Up on Your Day Off

If you're like most business professionals, you are likely enjoying today off, spending time with friends and family and celebrating the lives of those that have served our country. Memorial Day marks one of the first holiday's of the summer that give busy professionals a chance to take an extra day to unwind and enjoy the warm summer months.

If you're taking the time to read this on your day off, the least I can do is offer you some helpful content marketing recipes for a successful holiday BBQ. A successful meal and content marketing plan both require a full range of elements to meet the needs of your audience, whoever they may be. The four recipes below will help you get started.

#1 – Something Substantial: Content Mission

Most good BBQ's include a protein such as a burger or steak that the grill master puts most of their energy into creating. Similarly, your content plan should center around a consistent content mission. Your content mission should describe your purpose for creating content and how you intend to use that content to help your customers solve their business problems.

Just like the difference between purchasing stew meat and filet mignon to throw on the grill, you need to invest your time in developing a content mission that will help you develop a “best answer” approach for your customers.  

Use the following recipe to develop a content mission:

1. Determine who your content mission is for.


2. Identify your message and determine how you will deliver the content to your audience.


3. Set benchmarks for your desired outcome.

#2 – Something Starchy: Content Calendar

Carbohydrates provide your body with energy and let's face it, they're delicious. No grill out is complete without some tasty potato salad or [insert your favorite starch here]. Sometimes it can be difficult to find a good way to plan your content appropriately, without overdoing it (just like when you find yourself facing down an enormous bread basket).

A well-developed (but flexible) content calendar will help keep you on track and aligned with the content mission that has been developed. If you need help creating a content calendar of your own, check out this awesome list from Curata.

Use the following recipe to develop a content calendar:

1. Always identify who each piece of content is for.


2. Create a consistent experience across all digital marketing channels to build confidence with your audience.


3. Do your research to ensure that content is optimized for customers and search engines.

#3 – Something Healthy: Content Measurement

In the frenzy of planning all the staples needed for grilling, a very important element is often overlooked, fruit and vegetables (no, corn is not a vegetable). To balance the fat and calories in some of the other dishes, it's nice to accompany a grilled meal with a healthy vegetable or fruit.

Another often overlooked element of marketing programs is the importance of tying content to business objective and then measuring their impact.

Use the following recipe for content measurement:

1. Identify benchmarks and set performance goals prior to launching content campaigns or assets.


2. Utilize unique tracking urls and tracking codes to properly identify sources for conversions.


3. Review your metrics, see what is working and what is not and use that information to evolve your content strategy.

#4 – Something Unexpected: Unique Content Types

Every once in awhile, you might bring something new into the mix and find that you're pleasantly satisfied with the outcome. For example, last week we decided to try our hand at grilling my favorite food, the artichoke. The results? Amazing!

Like the unexpected success and simplicity of a grilled artichoke, it's important to provide your audience with something new from time to time that captures their attention. Testing new content types can help break marketers out of a content rut and create more stickiness with your audience.

Use the following recipe for developing unique content types:

1. Collect information from your audience to determine which content types resonate with them the most.


2. Go outside of your comfort zone and try something new such as video interviews, infographics, interactive content, motion graphics, live-streaming video and more.


3. Both successes and failures will teach you an incredible amount about how to delight your audience with unexpected content they are not getting from other sources.

What Are You Cooking Up Today?

These four content marketing recipes should be the basics that you need to have a successful holiday BBQ. While each marketer will add their own flair or have some secret recipes of their own, these will help you get started. Always remember that both grilling and marketing are a process that may seem frustrating at times, but often create many rewards when it comes time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Have a safe and happy holiday!

---

Gain a competitive advantage by subscribing to the
TopRank® Online Marketing Newsletter.

© Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®, 2016. |
4 Tasty Content Marketing Recipes to Grill Up on Your Day Off | http://www.toprankblog.com

The post 4 Tasty Content Marketing Recipes to Grill Up on Your Day Off appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

7 essential Google Analytics reports every marketer must know

You may be using Google Analytics, but are you using it to its full potential? Contributor Khalid Saleh lays out 7 key reports with which every marketer should be familiar.

The post 7 essential Google Analytics reports every marketer must know appeared first on Search Engine Land.



Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.

How a Simple Story Can Help You Win Your Prospect's Trust

When someone first visits your website, it's unlikely she's going to buy from you, no matter how good your product or service is. She needs to come to trust you first. So how can we marketers build such credibility? Read the full article at MarketingProfs

How To Use Net Promoter Score to Improve Retention and Drive Reviews for Your SaaS Product

You know that customer retention is important for any company; even more so for SaaS. If you keep customers around, they keep paying you. Churn rate should be one of the most important metrics for any SaaS company.

Though there are many ways to reduce churn, there is one way that we've found to be the most impactful: Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys. Implementing and responding to NPS surveys had a direct 30% decrease in our churn rate.

Through collecting and acting on NPS you will not only retain more customers but also drive new leads and close more deals. It's a true win-win.

I'm going to teach you how we leverage NPS to pinpoint customer issues, pave our product roadmap and get our fans to write 5-star reviews for us around the web.

What is Net Promoter Score?

Net Promoter Score is collected through a survey which asks participants on how likely they'd be to recommend your product to a friend or colleague. The answers are broken down in to three categories:

Image Source

Detractors (0 to 6): Detractors are unhappy customers who may churn shortly. They account for more than 80 percent of negative word of mouth. It's important to react quickly to their feedback to keep them as a customer.

Passives (7 or 8): Passives are somewhat satisfied with your product but do not love it. There may be a couple issues holding them back from being a promoter. If a competitor's product catches their eye they may switch.

Promoters (9 or 10): Promoters are your company's biggest fans. They are far more likely to recommend your products to others, remain customers and spend more money with your company.

To calculate the actual Net Promoter Score all you need to do is subtract the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters. It's a number that ranges from -100 to 100.

The goal is to increase your Net Promoter Score over time, but it doesn't matter what your beginning NPS is. The feedback from your customers is what you're really after.

After users are asked for their score they're prompted to answer an open ended question of why they chose that score. This information is gold to your company.

Our NPS Collection Process

You can fully automate the NPS survey process with a number of tools including Promoter.io, AskNice.ly or Wootric. While the most common way to run the surveys are through email, certain apps allow alternatives like web and in app popups.

We keep it simple and send out an email NPS survey 45 days after the customer has become a paid user and then again every 6 months. If the customer doesn't leave a score we have a follow up email that goes out 5 days later.

While the score is nice to have, the comment after they score your company is what you're really after. We've found that only around 70% of people who answer the survey leave a comment as well. You can squeeze out more responses by following this guide by Baremetrics, which automates following up with customers who fail to leave a comment.

As the surveys roll in there are three main ways we utilize the information:

1. Pinpoint and overcome customer issues

These surveys are the perfect way to find any problems or issues nagging your customers. Many times you'll find people complain about something that you've already solved. Or they're looking for a feature that you already provide or plan or providing.

For example, we already provide a way to deactivate accounts. By simply asking we moved this customer from a passive to a promoter.

Here are some tips that we use to respond to customer issues:

• Take a personalized approach with each customer. There is no auto reply function that works well and you can gain value out of talking to your customers.


• Reply to every comment regardless of whether it's positive or negative.


• Pay close attention to detractors; they're ready to leave your company at any moment.

2. Pave our company roadmap

Along with our support section where customers can vote on features, NPS surveys have become essential in deciding the path of our company.

We take note of every suggestion that comes in through the surveys. It doesn't have to be complicated, simply tally suggestions in a Google Sheets document as they come in. It's a bit of manual work but well worth it.

This approach lets you find out exactly what your customers would like to see. Chances are that if your current customers want to see a specific feature, your potential customers and leads would like to see it as well.

We use this information to make a product roadmap with loose deadline dates. On top of our Google Sheets document we also tag each user with the suggestion they'd like to see in our CRM platform. The customer is then notified when their suggestion is added to the roadmap, and then also when it's released. People love knowing they're being listened to and the notifications delight them.

3. Leverage Promoters

Promoters love your product and don't care who knows it. There are many ways that you can leverage them:

• Invite them to refer friends or colleagues


• Upsell them to a new package


• Ask for reviews on G2Crowd, TrustRadius, etc


• Share their encouragement with your company to boost morale

What we realized we need more than anything were positive reviews around the web. When you did a search for our company + reviews not much popped up.

Google results for “Agency Analytics reviews” before leveraging NPS.

We started asking promoters to leave reviews with a very simple request:

We're in a tough place because online reviews help us grow and add more features, but we really hate asking users. We know your time is valuable.

If you have a moment consider letting people know what you think on G2Crowd: (link to G2Crowd). No pressure, just ignore this if you'd prefer not to :)

After asking our promoters, reviews started rolling in. Not every promoter will leave a review but we received seven glowing reviews after a few months.

There are now a few new leads a day who tell us they signed up because of the reviews they saw online. This page is also used as a sales tool to show potential customers why they should go with our software. All because of NPS!

Demo requests that come from G2Crowd.

Conclusion

Sending out NPS surveys is one of the best things a SaaS company can do to improve metrics across the board. It takes less than an hour to set up and allows you to get candid feedback from your users.

We use it to: answer customer concerns, plan our company roadmap and get rave reviews across the web, but there are hundreds of ways you can leverage these surveys. How are you going to use NPS to improve your SaaS company?

About the Author: Christian Sculthorp is the Marketing Director at AgencyAnalytics. @AgencyAnalytics is an all-in-one reporting platform for SEO agencies with rank tracking, backlink monitoring and more.

Know your SEM? Prove it. Enter the SMX Biggest Search Geek Contest

See if you have what it takes to outsmart your peers! The Biggest Search Geek Contest, sponsored by Marin Software, is where the world's brightest search marketers compete to outsmart fellow search geeks from across the globe. The contestant who answers the most questions correctly in the...



Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.

Case Study in Online-to-Store Measurement: Petit Bateau & Google Analytics

Knowing that many people research products online before going into a physical store to make a purchase, French clothing retailer Petit Bateau wanted to develop a better understanding of the online-to-offline (in-store) behaviour of its customer base. The brand leveraged Google Analytics and its robust features: User ID and Measurement Protocol, to reach the objectives.

Petit Bateau customers in France can shop in 153 physical stores as well as on Petit-bateau.fr. Users log into the website which makes it possible to later match the traffic of logged-in users with subsequent in-store transactions made with a loyalty card.



Petit Bateau uploaded personally non-identifiable in-store data into Google Analytics and discovered that digital played a significant role in driving in-store purchases:

• 44% of in-store buyers had visited the site within the seven days before making their purchases, 
• 9% of in-store buyers had visited the site on the same day as their purchase in the physical shop. 

Further analysis revealed that the online-to-store effect was particularly important on mobile. Mobile visitors converted within stores at an 11% higher rate than desktop visitors, and their in-store spend was 8% greater.

By using Google Analytics to measure online-to-offline purchase behaviour, Petit Bateau was able to better understand the impact of online marketing on in-store sales and use the data to recalculate AdWords return on ad spend – which proved to be six times higher with in-store sales incorporated. Taking in-store transactions into consideration in this way is enabling Petit Bateau to optimise the brand's digital marketing programmes, make more informed decisions around media budget allocation and design better experiences for consumers as they move seamlessly between digital and physical shopping environments.

You can find the full case study with all the details here.

Posted by the Google Analytics team