How Retailers Can Use Social Media for Better Customer Support

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A new survey by the marketing agency Rational Interaction found that 92.5% of brands are failing to meet their customers’ social customer care expectations. Here are seven strategies for how brands and retailers can offer better customer support across all the social channels that their customers use.

7 Fresh Ways SMBs Are Using Social Media for Marketing

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In order for business owners to maximize the impact of their expanded social media budgets, they need to think outside the box and try new tactics for reaching consumers online. Here are seven examples of fresh new ways that small and mid-size businesses can use social media for marketing in 2017.

What Happens When SMBs Get Social?

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Social networks are transformative, and are the most disruptive when they provide a market segment with opportunities previously unavailable. If you look at the history of how selling has traditionally been done, it’s evident that social will transform sales as well.

Imagining a Local Search Pathway for Snapchat

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Snapchat may be considered by many to be “the next Facebook,” but its approach to social media and interactions couldn’t be more different. From its emphasis on moments to the uneasiness the founders have with ad personalization, the company is certain to blaze a trail all its own the the local space.

How Should SMBs Respond to Complaints on Social Media?

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The way a merchant responds to complaints on social media will influence not only the perception of the offended customer, but also the perception of any potential customers who view the interaction online. Here are eight strategies that business owners can use when deciding how best to respond to customer complaints on social media.

As Merchants Flock to Social Media, How Can Community News Sites Keep Pace?

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According to a new survey, SMBs are turning to social media more and more. But they may be doing it not just because they’re getting good results but also because they have better buying experiences with Facebook and others.

Street Culture: Multi-Location Brands Connect Employees With Beekeeper

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Beekeeper is like Slack but for companies with employees who are on the move, waiting tables and parking cars. The mobile-based communications platform is growing quickly and meeting a current need in the marketplace.

Survey: SMBs Beefing Up Local Marketing — And Favoring Free Social Over Websites

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More and more small and medium-sized businesses are upping their digital marketing game — even though they still don’t have a clear understanding of the relative ROI of various channels. According to Thrive Analytics’ Local Pulse Report, 42% of SMBs are planning to boost their local marketing budgets in 2016.

Case Study: Children’s Center Uses Scheduling Platform to Streamline Administrative, Marketing Tasks

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Almost half of small business owners say they’re being overrun by basic administrative tasks. When Roo’s World of Discovery owner Michelle Pollak Landwehr found herself in that same position, spending hours each week on basic administrative tasks like tracking member visits, scheduling classes, and managing recurring payments at her Washington-based children’s indoor play space, she began looking for digital solutions.

6 Full-Service Social Media Management Firms

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Small business owners have a reputation for being do-it-yourselfers, particularly when it comes to marketing and advertising. But with social spending on the rise, more of those business owners seem to be saying that if they want social media marketing done right, they need a professional to handle the job. Here are six full-service firms operating in the space right now.

Case Study: Westport Restaurant Views Social Marketing as Digital Word-of-Mouth

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Local merchants in every vertical are relying more on social media marketing for customer acquisition and retention, but restaurants in particular have become heavy users of social platforms. This year, 50 percent of casual dining and fine dining operators said they planned to devote even more resources to social media marketing. Hyperlocal vendors like Perch are providing business owners with a way to consolidate most social marketing tasks in one centralized app.

Can Facebook Win Local?

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Facebook is known universally for its social networking features, but the company has quietly but consistently been rolling out a set of tools to make it the go-to platform for SMBs. From social buy buttons, call functionality, and Pages to messaging and free beacons, Facebook is staking its claim to online, offline, and online-to-offline marketing and commerce for SMBs.

Report: Getting the Most out of Hyperlocal Social Media Marketing

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A new report from Street Fight Insights found that many local businesses don’t feel they’re getting return on their social media efforts. That’s in spite of the fact that two-thirds of them are using social media for marketing, and many plan to increase their efforts. Companies in the connected local economy value chain looking to best serve merchants should supply them with tools and services to measure the impact and efficiency of their social media marketing programs.

Case Study: Coffee Shop Leverages Dayparting to Perk Up Afternoon Lull

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Walk into any coffee shop in the late afternoon and you probably won’t have a problem finding an open table. That afternoon lull can be tough to overcome. At Sunshine Coffee Roasters in Northern California, owner Mike Doherty’s approach adds a shot of technology to established customer outreach tactics. He relies on his cloud-based POS system, ShopKeep, for the majority of his promotional work and business management.

5 Tools for Measuring Social Marketing Results

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Social media has become an essential part of the local marketer’s playbook. But with so many platforms and networks to choose from, and so many metrics to measure, it’s challenging for small business owners to know what they’re getting in return for their budgets. Here are six platforms with advanced tools for measuring results on social spending.

Did Apple Just Solve Deep Linking?

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One of the coolest things to come out Apple’s September product event was 3D Touch, which lets users indicate levels of intent based on how hard they press apps and links. Beyond the gadgetry of 3D Touch, one thing hasn’t been said: This is essentially deep linking, an area that will be a key battleground in local. 3D Touch could preempt the deep linking dilemma by peeking deep within other apps — a lighter and more elegant solution I’m calling “deep previewing.”

Getting Real: What SMBs Can Realistically Expect from Social Media

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Small business owners don’t sign up with digital agencies for mediocre results. When SMBs pay for hyperlocal services like social media management, they expect to be wowed. For hyperlocal vendors working with SMB clients, failing to set clear expectations is a recipe for disaster.

Where Do My Friends Fit Into My Local Search?

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The social graph alone won’t be a silver bullet for local. It’s just not big enough. And its value to local is overstated. My friends are great for party pics and snappy news feed dialogue — they don’t yet excel at plumber reviews.

A New Political Campaign Methodology Connects Supporters With Localized Social Media

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It’s self-evident that campaigns should be promoted at local levels, where word-of-mouth buzz can truly happen within neighborhoods. As the 2016 national election approaches, campaigns have the opportunity to harness local social more directly than ever before.