Infographics are Captivating…Fun to Read…More Likely to be Shared

First things first: an infographic is a collection of data presented in a visually appealing manner. When done right they’re captivating, fun to read, and are more likely to get shared.

Here’s why you should utilize them in your content marketing:

They’re Compelling
People love facts. Things like:

Honey is the only food that will not rot—it can remain edible for over 3,000 years.

The hair on a polar bear is not white, but clear. They reflect light so they appear white.

Researchers have determined that most people are happiest at 7:26 PM on Saturday night.

These factoids—and those presented in your infographic—are attention grabbing. They literally catch people’s eyes and enhance the value and appeal of your content. As humans, we are better at quickly interpreting visual information over words. People are more likely to retain information presented in infographics (supposedly, people only retain 20% of what they read). And since 2010, searches for infographics have increased by 800%—that’s love.

Presents a lot of Content
Infographics are snackable content—something we can munch on between meals. They’re accessible, scannable and easily understood. They force you to cut the fluff and present the meat of the subject in a visually appealing way. Face it, people are lazy. And visual content is easier to take in than written content.

Boosts Traffic
Sharable content can only be a positive for your business’s website. And tasty tidbits like infographics are constantly being circulated—if done well. Infographics are commonly referred to as link bait (content within a website designed specifically to encourage people to link to your website). If people link back to your infographic, you’ll likely get a boost in rankings from search engines.

But don’t misunderstand us, you can’t simply toss a couple of stats on an image and call it good. Quality infographics worth sharing take careful planning and time. So if design isn’t in your wheelhouse, hire someone who’s experienced with design or illustration to ensure that your infographic is picture perfect.

Shows Thought Leadership
They say you don’t fully understand something until you can explain it simply to someone else. And we agree (with whoever “they” is). And infographics highlight your knowledge of a subject to potential clients. They show that you have an expert understanding within your field and make you stand out amongst competition.

NJC Printing provides quality digital and offset printing to businesses in St. Louis, Missouri and throughout the Midwest. Please visit our website at www.NJCPrint.com to learn more about us or to Request An Estimate.

3 Key Points to Know When Using Social Media

Social media marketing is all the rage these days. The barrier to entry is extremely low (no money required–just create a free account!), so it seems like a straightforward win for your company.

Because it’s so easy to get started, few people think through their social media strategy and whether it’s really helping them. Here are three things to know before you start using social media for your business.

1. It’s Hard to Measure
While some highly focused social media campaigns have measurable ROI, the vast majority are investments in relationship building. And when those investments pay off, it will be difficult to draw a line back to social media.

2. It Isn’t Free
While Facebook doesn’t demand any money to create an account, don’t fall into the trap of thinking it doesn’t cost you anything. The time spent maintaining your social media accounts is time that isn’t spent on your other, measurable marketing efforts.

3. It’s About Your Brand
When your competitors’ products are available online with the click of a button, your brand is what differentiates you. If you have a vibrant social media presence where you take the time to interact with your customers, your company will stand out.

At the end of the day, social media is meant to build trust. And while it’s hard to measure, being trusted is the biggest prerequisite to customers buying what you’re selling. So, while social media may not be for all businesses, many companies have found success in putting these tools in their marketing mix.

NJC Printing provides quality digital and offset printing to businesses in St. Louis, Missouri and throughout the Midwest. Please visit our website at www.NJCPrint.com to learn more about us or to Request An Estimate.

Jump on Board the Social Media Marketing Train

So you’ve decided to get involved in social media marketing! Congratulations. There’s no time like the present to jump on board. Many companies just like yourself are getting linked, booked and pinned and you’re about to join the great, buzzing conversation.

But social media is a wild beast that is difficult to predict and quantify. Before jumping headfirst, ask yourself a few pivotal questions:

Where’s Your Audience?
Social media is like all media–it exists to connect people and ideas. And since you’re in the business of trying to connect to customers, it’s worth taking a moment to ask if your customers are on social media at all.

Does your target demographic engage online–and if so, which social media platforms resonate with them? Are they tuned into social media companies? Are they already talking about you? If your audience isn’t active on social media, it’s not a good idea to invest time, money and energy in trying to reach them there.

What’s the ROI?
The thing marketers (and marketers’ bosses) complain most about when it comes to social media is measuring the return on investment. How can you tell if your social media strategy is effective? How do you know if it’s worth the effort? Likes, tweets and pins demonstrate engagement, but they don’t necessarily mean anything if you’re trying to produce revenue.

While there are many intangible products of a vibrant social presence, take time to research ways to measure your social media’s impact on your bottom line, not just track the vanity data.

Who’s Going to Do It?
Many like the idea of social media because it’s free. Who doesn’t like free marketing? But it’s not that simple. Someone has to manage your social media accounts, and usually that person will want to be paid. If you pass it onto an existing employee, they’ll have to spend their time on it–instead of another valuable project. Plus, you might not have a social-media-skilled employee, so you might even have to hire someone new.

What we’re trying to say is this: consider the costs and the benefits thoroughly before committing to social media marketing, because you’re better off not doing social media than doing it poorly.
Social media is a powerful tool for connecting your company with those who love what it’s doing. And if you have a good game plan you can influence your loyal followers to do business with you.

 

NJC Printing provides quality digital and offset printing to businesses in St. Louis, Missouri and throughout the Midwest. Please visit our website at www.NJCPrint.com to learn more about us or to Request An Estimate.

On Target With 3 Social Media Improvements!

The great thing about social media is that it’s always evolving, and most of the time it’s for the betterment of your marketing strategy. These changes (some simple, some BIG) will help you reach out to customers in the social media world more effectively.

We’ve got the simple changes, the upgrades and the just plain complicated (in simplified form, just for you). See what’s new in the world of social media that can help you today.

The Complicated—Facebook Home
Let’s start with the complicated. You’re probably thinking, “Facebook, Huh?” It’s okay, we’re wondering the same thing. Is it a phone? Nope. Is it an operating system? Try again. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says Facebook Home is an application that turns android phones into a Facebook phone.

So what exactly does that mean?

It means people with the application will see Facebook news front and center without ever having to open an application. Facebook’s Chat will always be on so people can communicate with users that way. Plus, notifications from other social media sites will take a backseat to Facebook.

For you, it means your current social media presence should be evaluated. If you don’t have much emphasis on Facebook currently, it may be worth looking into increased emphasis.

The Simple—Facebook Direct Comments
It’s time to get personal—or at least more personal than you’ve been on Facebook. A simple and much needed upgrade to your Facebook profile now allows users to make a direct reply to a fan who has made a comment on your wall, photo or status.

In the past one of your fans could post a question or statement that needs a reply, but tons of people commented after it before you could respond. Now you can simply click ‘reply’ to that particular comment and the person will be notified. Facebook then puts your reply next to the original statement or question.

The change means better customer service and an easier way to connect with fans. Kudos to Facebook for implementing a change to make marketers lives easier.

The Upgrade—LinkedIn Mentions
At last, what Twitter and Facebook have already done we can now do with LinkedIn. The professional networking social media site has included direct mentions in its updates. If you have an article you know one of your clients would love or want them to see your post, simply type your connection’s name and select their profile. They’ll then be notified that you have content or a message just for them.

Use it to make sure you’re targeting the right people with your content, and ensuring that they see it. Again, the upgrade gives you the opportunity seek out specific people and make them feel special.

NJC Printing provides quality digital and offset printing to businesses in St. Louis, Missouri and throughout the Midwest. Please visit our website at www.NJCPrint.com to learn more about us or to Request An Estimate.

Facebook Did It Again! What It Means for Your Business?

 

 

Facebook did it again!

Remember when we all got Newsfeeds for the first time? And then last year, when Timeline made us all embarrassed because our friends could find pictures of us from 2006?

Well, Facebook has decided to switch up the way we use the largest social network in the world once again, and this time, it’s by implementing a new search function: Facebook Graph Search.

What Does Graph Search Do?
Right now, you can use Facebook’s search bar to search for lots of things, including companies, people and interests. But you can only search for one of those things at a time, and can’t get very specific in your requests. Facebook’s Graph Search will change that.

Instead of just one search term, with Graph Search you’ll be able to select multiple variables at once. For instance you can search for “Journalist” that “are most notable.” Or you can search for other “places where they worked “or “photos they have been in”.

This new functionality will allow you to be crazy specific with what you search for, and makes Facebook “likes” into something much more useful. You’ll probably even be able to search through a list of all things your Facebook friends have ever liked.

What Do I Need to Do To Be Ready?
Basically, Graph Search means that you need to make sure Facebook can find your business’s page when people are searching for terms relevant to your business.

For instance, make sure that your company Facebook page has an accurate and keyword-rich ‘About’ description, page category and page subcategories.

Include terms that potential customers might be searching for. If you’re a software company in Montgomery, Alabama, make sure you include both of those things, as well as listing any specific products a customer might be looking for.

Another side effect: the more your Facebook page’s posts are shared, liked or commented on, the more popular you will be in the search results. These things really matter.

Will Graph Search Be An Important Change?
It COULD be an important change. But then again, it’s up to all of us.

If businesses embrace the new Graph Search by creating detailed Facebook business pages, complete with accurate keywords and high customer engagement, then Graph Search will be more valuable because it will be able to be more precise and relevant.

Of course, if the users themselves don’t enthusiastically embrace the changes, it won’t matter how much businesses try to do to help Graph Search take off. People have to be using Graph Search in ways that they didn’t already use Facebook’s existing search, otherwise your business’s Facebook page won’t get any added value from Graph Search.

But we bet that, like the Timeline and the Newsfeed before it, Graph Search will take off. There might be some complainers and late adopters, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Make sure your business’s Facebook page is well-optimized for Graph Search NOW, so that if it gets big LATER, you’ll already be ready to go, and take advantage of your early lead.

NJC Printing provides quality digital and offset printing to businesses in St. Louis, Missouri and throughout the Midwest. Please visit our website at www.NJCPrint.com to learn more about us or to Request An Estimate.