Author: Robbie Sosna

As a small business owner, it’s common to find yourself caught between what you think you want and what you actually need. You may find yourself setting ambitious goals and creating elaborate marketing campaigns, only to realize that it’s not resonating with your target audience. Or, you might find yourself focusing on “vanity metrics” instead of real, tangible results. This is where understanding the distinction between your wants and your needs comes into play. In this blog post, we’ll dive deeper into how to discern between these two categories and how to align your marketing strategy with your true business goals.

The Difference Between Wants and Needs

When it comes to marketing, wants refer to the things that you and your team may desire or think would be beneficial to your business. This could include a sleek new website or a viral social media video. On the other hand, needs are the essentials that actually keep a small business running. Just a couple of examples are generating high-quality leads and increasing and building a loyal customer base. While wants can be tempting and exciting – particularly in the short term – small business owners must remember that they should always be focused on the long-term success of the business.

Examples of Small Business Marketing Wants vs Needs

As a small business that largely works with other small businesses, we come across these unrealistic wants all the time. However, it is our goal to set people in the right direction, so that they focus on the things that will actually lead to the sustainability of their business.

Want: More Leads

Just about every small business or marketer says they want to see more leads come in. But that’s not entirely accurate. What they really want are more qualified leads, who will be more likely to turn into customers. Having a huge number of leads can actually be a waste of your time if most of them are not qualified and therefore very unlikely to actually purchase your product or service. It would be better to have a smaller number of more interested leads than a large number of uninterested leads.

Want: More Social Media Followers

We know, having a lot of followers on social media looks good. But it doesn’t always make sense for small businesses to have a lot of followers. If you are a small shop located in a smaller city, it wouldn’t make sense for you to have thousands upon thousands of followers. If you did, a lot of them probably wouldn’t be located anywhere near you, which means they are extremely unlikely to become customers. Instead of focusing on the number of followers you have, focus on how you can increase engagement with your current followers. These are people who have already expressed that they have some interest in your business, product, or service. How can you help them take the next step to purchase? This is a much less labor-intensive process than convincing new people to follow you and then purchase.

Want: More Website Traffic

If you have a website, you’re probably always looking for ways to increase how many people visit it. But think about this similarly to how you should think about social media followers. If you’re getting a ton of traffic from people across the globe, that traffic essentially means nothing (unless of course, you ship worldwide). Rather than focusing on the sheer volume of traffic to your website, make the focus how targeted that traffic is. The more targeted, the more likely it is that they turn into conversions.

Want: More Content

How many times have you thought that you’re not posting enough, whether it’s to your website, your social media profiles, or elsewhere? You may believe that getting a post out every day, even if it’s low quality, will be more beneficial than posting just a few high-quality posts. We are here to tell you that is not the case! Again, volume doesn’t equal success. If you can’t manage posts every day of the week, don’t worry. It’s better to post strategic, high-quality content, even if that means only posting a few days a week

Want: More Advertising Spend

Another common misconception is that if your advertising strategy isn’t working well, you just need to put more money behind it. It would be nice to always have more money to spend, wouldn’t it? But as a small business, funds are probably limited. If your advertising isn’t going a well as you’d like, it would be worth your time to analyze who you are targeting with your ads. Are your ads being seen by the people most likely to purchase your products or services? If not, spending more time creating the right targeting strategy might be the best option.

Communication Is Key

Marketing goals are most often met when everyone is on the same page. To avoid any misunderstanding or disorganization, make sure your entire company knows what your goals are. And remember that these might change over time. Keep everyone updated when strategies, priorities, or methods change. This will ensure that everyone works together to create even better results.

Meet Your Small Business Marketing Needs With 98 Buck Social

One thing is for sure: marketing is a huge undertaking. And it is especially so for small business owners who already have a seemingly never-ending to-do list. If you are overwhelmed or unable to give your marketing the attention it deserves, 98 Buck Social is here to help. We can take multiple responsibilities off of your plate, allowing you to spend your time doing what you do best. Everything from your daily social media posting and social media advertisements to search engine optimization strategies and blog writing can be done by our expert team. Get in touch with us to learn more about how our services can help your small business thrive.

How do Facebook Ads work? What’s the best way to define your target audience? How much should you be spending? These are likely questions buzzing in the mind of any small business owner who has never run Facebook Ads before. Just breathe! Figuring out how Facebook Ads work is definitely an attainable goal. When you’re setting up your first ad, avoid making these common Facebook Ad mistakes.

Lack of Clear Objectives

The very first thing that should be done with any ad campaign is to set a clear objective. Neglecting this step is something that happens way too often. You need to have a measurable objective if you want your ad to be effective. Every Facebook Ad campaign should have an objective such as increasing traffic to your website, increasing conversions to a certain landing page, and leading to immediate sales. This objective will ensure that your ad’s creative, copy, and targeting all line up with your ultimate goal.

Using the Wrong Ad Type

One of the best things about advertising on Facebook is the wide variety of ad formats you can choose from. Some of the most popular ad types are photos, videos, carousels, and collections. You can also choose where you want your ads to be placed, such as on desktops or mobile devices. The final ad type decision you have to make is whether you want to do a lead ad or a link ad. A lead ad brings the user to a pre-populated form where they can fill in their contact information. A link ad contains a link to your website, often in the form of a call-to-action such as “Sign Up,” “Learn More,” or “Shop Now.”

Not Targeting the Ads Correctly

Some Facebook ad campaigns based in the US can target up to 20 million people. If an audience is that big, it wouldn’t be surprising if a large number of the viewers don’t respond positively to the message or at all. The audience you choose to target in your ad is just as important, if not more so, than the content of the ad itself. Be realistic about how many people you really want to reach and how many you can afford.

In addition, it is a good practice to continue to add to, remove, and expand your target audience for Facebook Ads. If you continue to use the same audience for each ad, your engagement will likely be reduced over time and you will ignore those who continuously see your ads. Once you see the numbers drop on your results, it’s time to switch up your audience.

Not Monitoring the Ads Regularly

You shouldn’t be checking your ad’s results every hour on the hour, but it’s also not a good practice to set it and forget it either. If you set up an ad to run continuously, and never check it to see how it’s doing, you’re just throwing money away. Set a stopping date for the ad, check in to see how it’s doing, and make adjustments from there. Facebook has some features within its ad platform that make monitoring its results easy. In addition to those features, don’t forget to take a look at the comments you receive on your ad. This will tell you whether your campaign is actually effective or if it is annoying viewers.

Advertise on Facebook With 98 Buck Social

Facebook advertising can be a powerful tool for small businesses when utilized correctly. We hope these tips will help guide you on your Facebook Ads journey, whether you are just beginning or have been at it for a while. If you’re interested in running ads for your business without the time and effort it takes to manage them yourself, 98 Buck Social offers Facebook advertising services. You can learn more about these services as well as the other platforms we can advertise on now.

Ever since Instagram launched Reels to compete with its snappy competitor TikTok, more and more improvements have been made to the feature. Did you know you can make ads for your business in the form of Reels? Say hello to Instagram Reels Ads, an innovative way to connect and engage with your target audience. With over 1 billion users, Instagram offers a vast potential audience for businesses to tap into. In this blog post, we’ll explore Instagram Reels Ads and how they can be an effective part of your marketing strategy.

What Are Instagram Reels Ads?

Launched in August 2020, Instagram Reels is a feature that allows creating, editing, and sharing video clips. These can be set to music or an original sound. Sound familiar? That’s because it’s extremely similar to TikTok. Reels Ads are full-screen and immersive content that appear in between user-generated Reels. This format enables businesses to reach and engage with users in a new way. Reels Ads can be up to 30 seconds long, however, most are 15 seconds or shorter.

What Are the Benefits of Instagram Reels Ads?

Instagram Reels Ads are a great way to reach an audience that prefers video to still images. Another benefit to Reels is that when you share a Reel Ad, your business gets shown to people who don’t follow you. In addition, the algorithm for Reels is different from your usual Instagram feed, so you may notice a wider reach. Reels can be watched both from the explore page and the home page. With a Reels Ad, you can specify the audience you want to reach and you can also add clickable calls-to-action, further improving their effectiveness.

Quick Tips for Your Reels Ads

If you’d like to try out Reels Ads for your business, make sure you follow these tips.

Be Mindful of Their Length

Your Reel Ad can be as long as 30 seconds. While that might not seem like very much time, it is likely more than enough to get your message across. Before you begin filming, make sure you have a script or an outline of what you want to cover in your video. This will make every second count and keep you from rambling. As mentioned earlier, many Reels are shorter than 30 seconds. As social media users’ attention spans continue to get shorter, your ads probably should as well.

Add Audio and Text

It’s not uncommon for people to watch Reels without their sound on. They may be scrolling in public or somewhere else where listening isn’t possible. For people like this, it’s important to include text or captions that allow them to still understand the video. You can use the text to enhance and emphasize the main topics covered in your Reel or provide word-for-word captions of everything that is said. The text is also beneficial for hearing-impaired viewers.

Capture Attention Early

You want people to view your entire ad. As such, you need to capture their attention early on in the video. If there isn’t an enticing hook within the first few seconds, they will simply scroll past or tune it out. You can start with an attention-grabbing visual, sound effect, or text. You can also start by asking a relatable question, telling a captivating story, or offering a solution to a common problem.

Get the Dimensions Right

The worst thing you can do when you upload a new Reels Ad is to upload it with the wrong dimensions. This can make the video very blurry or difficult to watch. Specifically, landscape videos also don’t do very well in a Reel, since most people don’t want to rotate their phones while they watch. Make sure your video is in portrait format and keep the aspect ratio at 9:16 or 1080×1920 pixels. As an additional tip, an easy way to avoid a blurry video is to edit using Instagram’s tools built directly into the app.

Instagram Reels Ads for Businesses

Instagram Reels Ads are an exciting opportunity for business owners to connect with and engage their target audience. It allows you to create immersive and impactful ads that can boost your brand’s visibility and ROI. In order to make the most of your Reels Ads, focus on grabbing attention, being mindful of length, and optimizing their dimensions.

Interested in learning more about your advertising options on Instagram? Book a call with our team today!

In a world where customers have countless options to choose from, achieving customer loyalty has become more critical than ever before. It is essential to the long-term success of any business. Research shows that loyal customers are more profitable, spend more, and recommend your brand to others. So, what can businesses do to build customer loyalty? It takes more than just offering good products or services. It requires a strategic approach and a commitment to nurturing meaningful relationships with your customers In this blog post, we will cover some practical tips to help you build and maintain customer loyalty for your company.

Start by Answering These Customer Loyalty Questions

Building customer loyalty for your company should always be a strategic exercise. It is not about throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks. You want to ensure that there is a well-thought-out plan behind your efforts. Consider starting by getting a team of employees together to answer the following questions:

Why do customers do business with us instead of the competition? Don’t just say something generic such as they like your products. Your competitors probably say the exact same thing. What really sets your company apart?
Why do customers choose to do business with a competitor instead of us? Now, flip the question by asking yourself why some people choose your competitors over you. It may take time to figure this out, but it will be valuable information as you put together your strategy to build customer loyalty.
What percentage of our customers leave us? You could also think about this as your churn rate. Your goal is to consistently bring in more new customers than those you lose. This also leads us to the next question.
Why did our customers leave us? For the customers who don’t come back, there’s always an explanation. Sometimes life happens. People move away, pass on or have some other changes in their personal circumstances. Or, they may leave for reasons such as price or location. What you don’t want is to lose customers because you let them down with poor customer service or a bad experience. You have control over this!

Ways to Build Customer Loyalty

Now that you have gathered some background information about your customers and why they do or do not remain loyal, it’s time to actually take action in building customer loyalty. The following strategies are effective ways to improve customer loyalty to your company.

Offer Exceptional Service

This should go without saying but always offer exceptional service to your customers. This begins with truly understanding your customers’ needs, wants, and preferences. Train your employees to be knowledgeable about your products, services, delivery processes, and customer service. Encourage them to be friendly, helpful, and willing to go the extra mile to please your customers. Things like personalized recommendations, hand-written thank-you notes, and faster shipping can all contribute to exceptional customer service. Remember, word of mouth travels fast, and providing excellent customer service can turn customers into advocates for your brand.

Utilize Social Media and Digital Channels

With the world going increasingly digital, social media channels provide a great platform for businesses to connect with their customers. Use social media to communicate with your customers, offer customer service, and share company updates. Create engaging content that adds value to your customers’ lives and promotes brand loyalty. Additionally, implement a loyalty program that allows customers to earn points and redeem them for discounts or free products.

Focus on Quality

Quality is essential to building and maintaining customer loyalty. Every product or service you offer should meet or exceed your customers’ expectations. Make sure your products are durable, reliable, and user-friendly. Also, ensure that your employees are trained to provide quality customer service. Quality is not just about the product, but also the entire customer experience.

Personalize the Customer Experience

Customers feel valued when they receive personalized service. Collect customer data (with permission), such as birthdays, buying habits, and interests, to tailor your communication and offers. Personalization can also include customized products, exclusive promotions, and personalized recommendations. Personalized communication and service can significantly impact the customer experience, leading to increased loyalty and repeat customers.

Offer Rewards and Incentives

Rewards and incentives are a great way to build customer loyalty. They can incentivize customers to remain loyal to your brand, refer new customers, and increase the frequency of their purchases. Some ways to implement this are by offering discounts, loyalty programs, exclusive offers, and personalized gifts. Loyalty programs are one of the most effective ways to incentivize customer loyalty. They can be a simple points-based system or a tiered system that rewards repeat customers with special perks. By rewarding your customers, you can show them that you value their patronage and that you are willing to invest in keeping them around.

Ask for Feedback and Act on It

Feedback is a valuable tool for improving customer satisfaction and loyalty. It gives you important insight into what improvements your products and services may need. You should encourage your customers to share their thoughts and opinions by implementing a customer feedback system, such as surveys or feedback forms. Act on the feedback you receive to improve processes, products, or customer service.

Start Building Customer Loyalty for Your Company

Building customer loyalty takes time and effort, but it is essential to the success of your business. By providing exceptional service, quality, personalization, and effective communication, you can create a loyal customer base that will support your business for years to come. Remember, customer loyalty is not just about increasing sales; it is about creating a community of customers who trust and value your brand.

As you begin your search for the right social media marketing agency, you may have seen 98 Buck Social and 99 Dollar Social come up. With just a one dollar difference in their monthly price, how different could they possibly be, right? Well, if only it were that easy. There are many other factors that need to be taken into consideration outside of simply the monthly price of their services. In this blog post, we’ll compare 98 Buck Social vs 99 Dollar Social to give you a clear picture of which social media management company will be right for your business.

Contract Options and Cancellations

The first place to compare these two companies is the terms of their contracts. 99 Dollar Social offers its services month-to-month, meaning there are no contracts. They also allow cancellation at any time. Meanwhile, 98 Buck Social requires a short, two month minimum for all plans and just 7 days of notice to cancel.

Services Offered

What really sets these two social media marketing agencies apart is the services they offer. 99 Dollar Social offers limited services that include organic social media content creation, Facebook advertising, and blog writing packages.

On the other hand, 98 Buck Social offers a wide range of services, making it a one-stop-shop for social media management. Just like 99 Dollar Social, 98 Buck Social offers organic social media content creation and blog writing packages. When it comes to social media advertising, 98 Buck Social offers much more. Your advertising efforts are not limited to Facebook alone. They also offer paid advertising services on Instagram, Google, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.

If you’ve heard the buzz about search engine optimization and would like to look into that for your website, 98 Buck Social can also assist with that. Their SEO marketing packages include helpful services such as keyword research and analysis, on-page optimization, local SEO and Google Maps optimization, link building and outreach, and more. They also offer blog writing packages, ranging from one to four posts per month.

Finally, 98 Buck Social has introduced text message marketing, giving you another way to create a personal connection with your customers. With a 98% open rate, text messages are one of the most effective ways to reach your clients and customers!

Pricing

While there is a price in both companies’ names, this only refers to their lowest package level. Both companies offer multiple packages, with varying prices.

99 Dollar Social refers to their $98 per month package as “Presence.” This will run you $99 per month and get you 3 posts per week on 2 platforms, on a fixed schedule of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The next step up is called “Presence Plus,” for $189 per month. This will get you 5 posts per week on 2 platforms, with posts going out Monday through Friday. Next, “Presence Premium” is $299 per month. This includes the same number of posts as “Presence Plus” but includes custom-branded images on half of the posts and one SEO blog post. Lastly, “Max Presence” gets you 5 posts per week on 3 platforms for $389 per month. All of these posts get custom-branded images and there is also one SEO blog post included.

98 Buck Social’s pricing begins at $98 per month for 3 organic social media posts per week on 2 platforms. The next plan is $198 per month for 5 posts per week on 3 platforms. The $298 per month option also includes 5 posts per week on 3 platforms, with the ability to review, edit, and approve all posts before they go live. Finally, the $448 per month option gets you 5 posts per week on 5 platforms, review, editing, and approval ability, and one strategy call per month. Another great benefit is that all plans above the $98 per month price point allow you to pick which days you would like your posts to go up.

Support Offered

99 Dollar Social allows you to get support via chat, phone, or email. 98 Buck Social also has multiple support options. Depending on the package you sign up for, you are able to take advantage of chat, phone, and email support.

Clients Served

99 Dollar Social and 98 Buck Social have very comparable track records. Both companies have provided over 7000 clients with social media management and content creation services since they opened.

Who to Choose Between 98 Buck Social and 99 Dollar Social

Choosing 98 Buck Social over 99 Dollar Social as your social media marketing agency is a smart decision for any business. Their social media management and content creation services are just the beginning of what they offer. When you decide to work with 98 Buck Social, you can have just one company working on all aspects of your online presence. There is no need to hire multiple companies to handle different areas of your social media management – they can do it all. As you can see, it’s no wonder why 98 Buck Social is an industry leader when it comes to affordable social media marketing. That’s why over 7,000 clients have chosen them to help promote their businesses online. Click here to learn more about 98 Buck Social’s services.

Is your small business struggling to gain traction in the competitive online environment? Are you wondering how to get your business in front of potential customers without breaking the bank? This is where paid advertising comes into play. As a small business owner, it is essential to understand the potential return on investment (ROI) of paid ads. In this blog post, we will dive into paid advertising, so you can decide if they are worth it for your small business.

What Is Paid Advertising?

Paid advertising is when businesses pay to display their ads on various platforms. These platforms often include search engines like Google and Bing, social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, and other websites that sell advertising space. The most common forms of paid ads include search ads, display ads, and social media ads.

How Does Paid Advertising Benefit Small Businesses?

Paid advertising offers multiple benefits, particularly for small businesses. Some of these benefits include:

Immediate Visibility

One of the primary advantages of paid ads is that they offer instant exposure for your business. Once your campaign goes live, your ads will immediately start appearing to your target audience. Right away, this will drive traffic to your website and increase the chances of conversions. This is in comparison to organic forms of marketing, which generally reach far fewer people.

Targeted Reach

Most forms of paid ads offer very specific targeting options. This is extremely beneficial as it enables you to reach the exact audience you want. This ensures that your ads are seen by those who are most likely to be interested in your products or services. In other words, you don’t waste time, effort, or money just for your ad to be shown to someone who doesn’t want your products or services or can’t afford them.

Measurable Results

Another way paid advertising beats organic marketing efforts is that you can track your campaign’s performance down to the finest detail. With this information, you can obtain a very clear understanding of which ads are working the best. You’ll also be able to see which ads could use some work if you want them to receive a better ROI. Taking the time to measure these results is one of the critical components in determining the worth of paid ads for small businesses. If you’re not achieving the desired results when it comes to conversion rates and costs, you might want to go back to the drawing board to optimize your ads and test new strategies.

Flexibility

Finally, paid ads provide small businesses with flexibility when it comes to their budget. You can allocate your budget to accurately reflect your business’s needs and objectives. For many small businesses, the best approach is to start small and scale up if you find that it’s working for you.

Consider Your Budget and Overall Marketing Strategy

Paid ads can be a valuable addition to your marketing efforts but only if you have a budget for it. However, you do have a lot of options. Every paid advertising platform has different pricing models. It’s essential to do your research on what you’re investing in before committing. It’s also worth considering the long-term value of your other marketing efforts. For example, organic avenues like content marketing and SEO may take time to yield results, but they can be less expensive and bring long-term benefits. Ideally, small businesses should aim for a healthy balance of both paid and organic efforts.

Tips for Creating Effective Paid Ads

To make the most of your paid advertising efforts, you should consider the following tips:

First, clearly define your campaign goals and objectives. Do you want to increase brand awareness, generate more leads, or drive sales?
Next, make sure your ads and landing pages are consistent in terms of messaging, design, and overall user experience. The landing page an ad takes you to should look and feel like it fits with the ad itself.
Don’t be afraid to test different ad formats, creatives, and messaging to find what works best for your audience. You might not get it right the first time around and that’s okay. Keep trying different things until you get it right.
Finally, regularly monitor and optimize your paid ad campaigns to improve their performance and achieve the best results for your business.

Paid Ads Service From 98 Buck Social

Paid advertising can be an effective way for small businesses to quickly gain visibility and see results. Ultimately, deciding whether or not it’s worth the investment for your business depends on your budget, overall marketing strategy, and the ROI you can expect.

Once you’ve decided you want to pursue paid ads, you should consider whether you have the time or expertise to effectively manage them. The expert paid advertising team at 98 Buck Social can offer you valuable guidance, ongoing management, and optimization of your ad campaigns to ultimately help you maximize your return on investment.

Social media managers are almost always stretched in 100 different directions at the same time. You might be the content creator, a customer service representative, and the brand ambassador all in one. It’s no wonder it’s so easy to get bogged down in everything you have to do and lose sight of the bigger picture. That’s why we’ve put together a list of five productivity tips to help social media managers work smarter, not harder. Making the most of your time is essential to your success. If you want to learn how to use your time more wisely, keep reading for our best productivity tips.

Create a Schedule and Stick to It

One of the best ways to be productive as a social media manager is to create a schedule and stick to it. Creating a schedule will help you know exactly what needs to be done and when it needs to be done. This will help you stay on track, make sure nothing gets left behind, and ensure that every project is done on time. A simple to-do list could work for you or you can block out time on your calendar dedicated to certain tasks.

In addition, it’s helpful to create a content calendar. This will further help you keep track of what you need to post, when you need to post it, and any other relevant information. With this helpful tool, you can quickly and easily see what’s happening on all of your marketing channels without having to log in to separate platforms.

Set Time Limits and Boundaries

Most social media managers probably got into it because they love spending time on these platforms. That makes it very easy to get lost in scrolling if you are not careful. That is why it is important to set time limits for your social media usage. For example, you may want to limit yourself to checking social media sites only every few hours and only for 30 minutes at a time. Once you reach your time limit, force yourself to move on to the next thing on your to-do list. This will help you stay focused and avoid getting sidetracked.

Social media never sleeps, but that doesn’t mean you have to be available 24/7 too. It’s important that you set boundaries for yourself so that you can disconnect when necessary. Let your clients and coworkers know when they can expect replies from you (for example, during business hours only) so that they’re not left confused if they reach out outside of those times. Another way to set boundaries could be to turn off your notifications during certain times of the day, so you can really focus.

Take Breaks

Just like any job, it is necessary to take breaks as a social media manager. The job requires a lot of creativity, but sometimes coming up with new ideas can be difficult. You can combat this by taking regular breaks throughout your day. Taking breaks will help you to come back feeling refreshed and ready to tackle whatever comes your way. You can use your break however you like. You might want to get a snack, go for a short walk, or do some yoga. Research has proven that people who take breaks throughout the workday improve their productivity, job satisfaction, mental health, and are more engaged in their work.

Delegate Tasks

In the situation of a one-person marketing team, delegating tasks may not be possible. But if you do have a team, it is important to know when you can delegate tasks to others. You simply cannot do everything on your own. Expecting yourself to do so will only lead to burnout. Try thinking about the things that you are really good at. Those should be the tasks that you complete yourself. If there are certain tasks, like graphic design, that you know you could use some work on but another member of your team is very good at it, why wouldn’t you get them to do it?

Keep Learning

Finally, one of the best ways to stay productive as a social media manager is to continue learning. Social media marketing is constantly changing and evolving, which means there is always something new to learn. When you keep up with the latest trends and best practices, you can ensure that you are always ahead of the curve. It can also help you continue coming up with creative ideas that you can put to use for your own social media accounts.

Stay Productive With 98 Buck Social

If you are a social media manager who has too much on their plate and not enough time in the day, 98 Buck Social is here to help. We an take over certain parts of your social media management responsibilities so that you can focus on what you’re best at. For example, we can take over your organic content creation and posting, paid advertising, search engine optimization, or blog writing. Book a time to speak with one of our social media experts today!