Take a look at five social commerce trends for 2020 that could help improve your social commerce strategy for the year ahead

Social media continues to offer opportunities for brands to connect with consumers in new and interesting ways, across a wide variety of platforms. The number of people online, on mobile and on social has increased year-on-year. According to the Global Digital Report 2019: The number of internet users worldwide in 2019 is 4.4 billion, up 9.1% year-on-year. The number of social media users worldwide in 2019 is 3.5 billion, up 9% year-on-year. The number of mobile phone users in 2019 is 5.1 billion, up 2% year-on-year. It’s also worth noting that whilst the major platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) still dominate, there has been a rise in alternative platforms. As …

Social media competition is fierce and your budget is limited – so you need to make the most of your time and resources in order to make sure your efforts are actually paying off

When it comes to social media marketing, you need all the help you can get to stand out and get results. The competition is fierce and your budget is limited, so you need to make the most of your time and resources in order to make ensure your efforts are paying off. You need to find out what strategies actually work. Where your audience is online. What your audience actually wants to hear from you. And so, so much more. You can do much of this with one simple "trick": leveraging UTM tracking links. In this blog post, I’m going to show you how to use UTM tracking links on social media to help boost your results. [si_guide_block id="90657" title="Download our Premium Resource –…

As well as creating demand through strong creative and large-scale reach, social media now enables consumers to instantly purchase what they see on their screens

For many of us today, we’re just as likely to buy something online as in a physical shop. E-commerce has consistently grown and developed over the last 10 to 15 years and it appears this trend is set to continue. With the likes of Amazon setting new standards all the time, we’ve never expected more from our e-commerce experiences. Over the same period, social media has exploded and now plays a significant role in our digital lives. [caption id="attachment_134921" align="alignnone" width="939"] [Image Source][/caption]Social media has revolutionized the way we consume information, communicate with friends and experience the world. In fact, we’re so…

Awareness of smaller retailers is on the up, but winning the high street battle will come down to a niche product offering and a personalized shopping experience

Following countless announcements of high street store closures and a long line of large retailers reporting financial difficulties, new research from Pure360 has revealed that nearly three quarters (72%) of British consumers want the government to do more to back the growth of smaller, independent retailers. The research, which commissioned YouGov to poll a representative sample of GB consumers, found that nearly half (42%) would consider shopping with an independent retailer because they prefer to support smaller operations over a larger retailer. In addition, over one in five shoppers said they like to compare price and product offerings between larger retail brands and independents, before going on to make the final purchase from the smaller retailer. …

The style and topic of your blog and social media formulate a story that connects customers to your brand

Your marketing content is a reflection of your brand personality. Just as your colour scheme, visual elements and overall aesthetics communicate what your brand is all about, so does your content. The style and topic of your blog and social media formulate a story that connects customers to your brand – both literally through SEO and figuratively through established sentiment. However, creating top-notch content has always been a challenge for marketers. The demand for great content is extremely high, considering that the average customer views between three to five pieces of content before making the decision to purchase. [si_guide_block id="5651" title="Download our Individual Member Resource – Content marketing strategy guide" description="This guide shows you both how to develop a strategy to deploy content across all your online marketing and gives…

By not actively trying to establishing a stronger online presence, as a business owner, you lose out on potential sales and loyal customers

How a business portrays itself is a vital factor in its success and, with the advent of social media, establishing a positive image and creating a personal brand is as important as ever. For entrepreneurs trying to make a name for themselves, this is even more important. Many businesses make the mistake of thinking a Facebook page or a LinkedIn profile isn’t that necessary. However, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that the face behind the business is as crucial as the business as the business itself. By not actively trying to establishing a stronger online presence, as a business owner, you lose out on potential sales and loyal customers. While the web is crammed with everyone using the same old strategies, businesses aiming to differentiate themselves need to opt for out-of-the-box solutions…

Video is thought to be one of the best forms of content when it comes to generating engagement and leads

Over the last few years, video has been all the rage in social media marketing. In fact, video is pretty much taking over the Internet as a whole. It is expected that as early as 2020, online videos will make up over 80% of all consumer internet traffic and even more so in certain countries in the world (for example, 85% in the US). Video is thought to be one of the best forms of content when it comes to generating engagement and leads. So, how can you start leveraging video in your marketing strategy, particularly on social media? In this blog post, I’m going to show you how to create amazing social media videos that get results. [si_guide_block id="13290" title="Download our Premium Resource – Social media marketing…

Key social media trends for 2019 that every marketer needs to keep an eye out for and include in their digital marketing strategy, based on predictions from leading industry experts

Social media is ever-changing. Be it new platforms, different consumption habits or varied forms of communication, social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp etc. are always coming up with innovative features or affordances that add different dimensions to the platforms. These changes not only help users engage in a number of different ways with their favourite brands online but also give marketers a chance to captivate their audiences through an array of tools and tactics. [si_guide_block id="49146" title="Download our Premium Resource – Digital media options cheatsheet" description="Our Digital media cheat sheet is aimed at helping Smart Insights premium members to keep track of the free and paid media options so that they're not missing out on any of the latest…

Ever found yourself stuck in a dilemma while posting images on social media?

A crisp shot posted on Facebook may appear to be of a terrible quality on Twitter, and that’s just two of the many different social channels out there.

While content marketing focuses primarily on the quality of content, the quality of additional assets, such as the feature images and video links should be equally scrutinized. These assets should compliment the textual content, instead of detracting from it. A blurry image may put the user off of your content entirely, as they might question the overall quality of the link.

If you can’t make the effort of presenting your audience with decent quality content, why should they make the effort of consuming it?

[si_guide_block id="85104" title="Download our Free Resource – Top 10 common content marketing mistakes" description="With so much content being produced,…

Google+ is Google’s own social network, enabling brands to build relationships with prospects, customers, and other businesses

Similar to other networks, you can share information and images, promote yourself as an individual and, if used correctly, Google+ can be a powerful social media marketing tool. The importance of Google+ should be assessed on an individual basis, as it is based on your unique appeal. If it is thought to be of benefit to your brand, it should be used as part of your overarching social media strategy.

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What is Google+?

Google+ is Google’s flagship social network, allowing users to connect easily and often, through interests and friendship. It’s not an independent service – instead, it is integrated and connected through all Google services as part of the ‘ecosystem’. Interactions with individuals or companies are based…