In the past, if you were self-employed or a small to medium sized business owner, effective marketing was either too expensive or completely unattainable. Now, thanks to the rise of social media, anyone is able to massively expand their reach.

1. In the past, if you were self-employed or
a small to medium sized business owner,
effective marketing was either too
expensive or completely unattainable.
Now, thanks to the rise of social
media, anyone is able to massively
expand their reach. As long as you have
a solid, data-backed plan in place you
can reach more people per dollar than
ever before.

2. Social Media's Progress So Far
Although Facebook may have started as
a means for college students to connect,
it now commands 1.13 billion users
every day. 84% of those users come
from outside of the US and Canada,
which leaves a whopping 180 million
plus domestic users! The importance of
having a solid social marketing strategy
becomes even clearer when you
consider that 90% of 18-29-year-olds
are active on some form of social media.
Those young adults already have
significant purchasing power, and they
are only going to command more
purchasing power as they age.

3. What's Hot Now?
Video is where it's at. A post that
includes a video has an organic reach
that is 135% greater than an image post.
It gets even better with Facebook live
videos. According to Facebook's own
research, people will spend 300% more
time watching a video that is live versus
one that is previously recorded. If you
are eager to get the most out of live
videos here are a few tips to incorporate
into your social media marketing:
• Introduce your team members
• Give a "behind the scenes" view
• Product Tutorials
• Demonstrate new services
• Thank you messages

4. Graphics Are Still In
If you are looking to get your content to
spread organically it is crucial to
produce content people will want to
share. Visual, graphic content is 40
times more likely to be shared than text
alone. Sounds simple enough, but there
are a few aspects to remember:
• Maintain a style to your images
• Use a watermark to keep people
coming back to you
• Be unique in your work
• Helpful infographics are always a plus

5. Third-Party Approval
Word of mouth is still the best form of
advertisement. With social media, it's
easier than ever before to gain. Not only
are you able to collect and post your
customer's testimonials, but when your
customers like your page on Facebook
their friends will see that too. Be sure to
share the satisfied testimonials that you
receive, and if you are in need of some
submissions, consider offering
something in return for people that give
feedback.

6. Don't Look Emoji-less
Currently, 92% of people online use
emojis. We all know that tone is lost in
text all too often. Emojis help you
connect with your audience and ensure
that the emotion behind your message
is not lost. It is important to make sure
that you understand what each emoji
means, or else you could be headed for
a faux pas.

7. Go Forth and Go Viral!
Hopefully, by now you see why a strong
social media strategy is important and
have some ideas on how to get started.
Remember to always be authentic with
your content. There are too many
entities out there who still use
deceptive practices and people will see
right through that online. Finally, always
stay tuned in and learning. Social media
marketing is still a newer idea and what
works for you today won't necessarily
work for you tomorrow.

8. To Your Best Online!
Ingrid Gee, Internet Marketing Consultant. Blue
Dress® Marketing, an Internet Marketing Company
headquartered in Knoxville, TN. Internet Marketing
Developed, Implemented and Managed to Full Circle!
Organic Internet Search Engine Guru. Turn Key
Internet Optimization Programs Placing You
Everywhere and Anywhere You Need to Be Online®
ingrid@bluedressinc.com
865-951-5887
Ingrid Gee,
Founder/CEO Blue Dress®, Inc.
ingrid@bluedressinc.com