Setting a Social Media Marketing Budget for Your Up and Coming Business

Probably one of the most uncertain things a small business owner can think about is a digital marketing budget. A discussion of this may most likely earn looks of confusion among budding entrepreneurs. Questions and reactions such as "Is that really necessary?", "Should that be included in the general marketing budget?", and "I definitely don't have that" will most likely be present. Most small and medium business (SMB) founders think that a specific amount of funds earmarked specifically for social media marketing is something that only large businesses can afford, and therefore, can have.

The thing about our current situation now is that social media marketing would account for the biggest marketing item companies would spend on. After all, not a lot of opportunities for events, print ads, and outdoor advertising are available for marketers to pour money on, which leaves us with online marketing, with an emphasis on social media. Besides, that's where the public is in these "stay at home" times. With everyone spending countless hours on social media, it is very wise to mindfully strategize and establish a budget particularly for social media.

Note the cost of advertising

The primary reason for advertising or marketing on social media is to generate leads for future customers. So, the question now is, how much will acquiring one customer cost? With this question's guidance, you can then be led to how many customers you can expect with the money you are willing to spend. You may check this through Google's Keyword Planner, which will give you information on the average cost per click on the keywords your business is searched on that will most likely become customers from mere web browser users. If your targeted keywords cost a low CPC, it means that you can get results even with a small budget. But if your CPC is high, as in at least $10 and above, then prepare to shell out more if you are serious in upping your social media marketing game.

Your ad position and your cost per click are determined in part by the competitive landscape and in part by your own maximum bid (the max amount you’re willing to pay for each click) and Quality Score (a measure from 1 to 10 of how good your ads are).

(Via: https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2017/07/05/online-advertising-costs)

How much do you earn per customer?

Another method of getting a feel of how much your social media marketing budget should be is by looking at revenue per customer, or in layman's terms, how much you will earn for every person you've converted into a customer through your marketing efforts. If you have a low revenue per customer figure, then you will need to look for cheap ways to get these customers. On the flip side, if you will be earning lots of money from every customer you get, then you will be expected to shell out more on customer acquisition through socmed marketing and still recover your cost / have a good ROI.

Obviously, the goal here is related to the earlier point - a lower cost per acquisition (CPA). If it takes only a few dollars to get a customer, then the value of that customer increases as the revenue you got is above the cost you spent to acquire him/her.

One way to better appreciate the value of religiously tracking cost per acquisition is by comparing it to another marketing metric called customer lifetime value (CLTV, also abbreviated as CLV or shortened as LTV for lifetime value).

(Via: https://www.fool.com/the-blueprint/cost-per-acquisition/)

How much are you spending versus your total earnings?

Answering this question will allow you to assess with a level head how much you need to spend based on your company's size. Take note that most marketers from around the world set aside an average of 8.6% of their revenues for social media marketing. If you want higher growth, you may consider following their example, as it has been seen that companies with lower growth tend to underspend on socmed advertising.

Most small businesses aren’t going to hit a significant number of users, especially on platforms like Facebook, without coughing up some money.

(Via: https://www.webstrategiesinc.com/blog/how-to-set-a-realistic-social-advertising-budget)

Getting expert advice for your digital marketing efforts need not be expensive as well. Get in touch with us and we'll help you strengthen your social media marketing strategies within your budget.

The following article Setting a Social Media Marketing Budget for Your Up and Coming Business was first seen on All Systems Go Marketing Blog

source https://www.allsystemsgomarketing.com/social-media/setting-a-social-media-marketing-budget-for-your-up-and-coming-business

All Systems Go Marketing Crushes HVAC Shoulder Season Hiring Myths In New Video

La Mesa, CA-based HVAC digital marketing firm All Systems Go Marketing recently uploaded a video to YouTube that explores a concept very few HVAC companies even consider during what the industry terms as the "shoulder season" - hiring new employees.

In the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning business, so called "Shoulder Months" are the times of the year when outdoor temperatures are typically quite people friendly and are between 40 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

For many HVAC companies, particularly those that obtain new customers via old school methods such as the Yellow Pages, referrals and word of mouth, Shoulder Season is a tough time each and every year. This is typically when HVAC business revenues shrink, work is less frequent, and many midsized companies have difficulties maintaining work schedules for their employees.

"Talking to HVAC company owners during this period always makes me realize that there are both haves and have-nots in the industry," said Craig Wright, owner of All Systems Go Marketing, which has been providing digital marketing solutions since 2001. "The have-nots tend to worry a lot about where their next job is coming from and if they can keep on their best employees. It's super common."

The have-nots, says Wright, all share a single trait - no cohesive strategy to attract new customers and a real lack of consistent marketing.

"It's always funny to me that the shops that are the running overtime all summer just absolutely limp through their fall season as if this is an annual necessity," said Wright. "The fact is, there is absolutely no reason why sales should drop off come fall and spring. If you're prepared, it can actually turn out to be the most surprising profit generator of the year."

For most HVAC companies, hiring during the Shoulder Season is just simply not considered. But, as Wright notes in a recent episode of The All Systems Go Marketing HVAC Coffee Break, smart HVAC owners need to open their eyes precisely at the time when others are closing theirs.

"If you talk to almost any HVAC owner about hiring new techs and installers during Shoulder Season, you're likely to get laughed at," said Wright. "But All Systems Go Marketing clients rarely experience the ups and downs that other shops do, and consider this part of the year to be a gold mine when it comes to bringing on new skilled help."

It's a classic contrarian move that works wonders. Many shops fail to plan for Shoulder Season and as a result find that layoffs and shorter work weeks are sometimes unavoidable. Meanwhile, smart HVAC companies begin recruiting when good people are let go. It's a strategy that isn't very well known.

"Another key point here is that when you have to bring on a new hire, Shoulder Season is perfect because it's a lot slower paced than during the summer," said Wright. "The smart HVAC owner has more time to train and get to know new hires, and to monitor their progress. Plus if things don't work out with the new employee, they can move on and not find themselves with an instant work backlog."

All Systems Go Marketing also provides its clients with recruiting campaigns that have proven to be surprisingly effective. When it comes to hiring, one HVAC company's crisis truly becomes another company's opportunity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ3JB2pK3IY

"Strong HVAC companies understand that digital marketing is the number one killer of lumpy, inconsistent sales during the shoulder season," said Wright. "A month after we begin working for any company, they immediately see that this form of marketing is easily the best return on investment available. It has a price, but we've been told that the peace of mind it creates is priceless."

from Press Releases at https://www.pressadvantage.com/story/39027-all-systems-go-marketing-crushes-hvac-shoulder-season-hiring-myths-in-new-video

A Contractor’s Nightmare: The HomeAdvisor Bait & Switch

"Man, THOSE WERE SOME GREAT LEADS I tell you! We did well. And then suddenly, everything went to hell."
We hear it all the time. The subject is one almost every contractor, no matter the industry, understands.
HomeAdvisor.

Everyone has a short term success story with the ol' Advisor. But why are "long term successes" so impossible to find with this company?
I discuss it in this video. Check it out!

Now, certainly not everybody is going to have issues with HomeAdvisor. There are certainly some areas in which an HVAC owner, provided he or she has an excellent sales person on hire, can make a good return.
But a key point is that the return is miles and miles away from working with a Digital Marketer and obtaining exclusive leads.
There are a ton of reasons why buying leads from Angies List, HomeAdvisor and ThumbTack is an awful idea, but certainly one of the worst is the fact that these leads are non-exclusive.

That means each lead must not only be paid a high price for, but also that each lead will contain automatic competition, sometimes along the lines of 4-5 competitors, but in more competitive markets, that can go up to 9-10 and even more.
It's a sad state of affairs, and it does train HVAC owners to think that "all leads are garbage", or that "digital marketing is a scam", when in reality it has nothing to do with honest to goodness professional marketers and has everything to do with a company that is currently facing a brutal class action lawsuit from its customers.

In the end, gaining consistency in an HVAC business is exactly what this is about. Without a consistent appointment flow, company owners can become stuck, unable to plan for the next quarter, and doing unfortunate things like laying off employees.
That kind of consistency is ONLY available with Active marketing.

Call us to book a chat today.

A Contractor’s Nightmare: The HomeAdvisor Bait & Switch was first published to All Systems Go Marketing

source https://www.allsystemsgomarketing.com/digital-marketing/a-contractors-nightmare-the-homeadvisor-bait-switch

Local SEO Agency Publishes New Blog Post On Diversity In Online Marketing

La Mesa, CA-based All Systems Go Marketing recently published a blog post titled ‘Get Some Diversity in Your Online Marketing Efforts.’ The blog post discusses how diversifying a business’ marketing efforts can have positive effects on the extent of their outreach. Over time, digital marketing has changed in a number of ways, and many businesses have found new strategies that work especially well for them. Most businesses choose to stick to strategies that they have found to be effective but, according to All Systems Go, implementing a diverse set of strategies can yield positive results.

“When your business grows with the same marketing campaigns rolled out annually, you might not feel compelled to push the envelope or challenge the norm,” says the blog post. “After all, why fix what ain’t broken? But then, this comfort zone will most likely lead you to be complacent, which will cause your site to underperform and eventually experience a decline. Yes, it is inevitable that your business will face stagnation and regression if you don’t adapt to the dynamic nature of online marketing. You need to try and be more open to adopting a more robust strategy. And what better way to do this than to be aware of new opportunities and try to see if they are applicable to your business.”

One type of outreach that businesses might find to be effective is proximity marketing. Proximity marketing has been around since early 2013, and it continues to see new developments (like Google Beacons) that could increase the effectiveness of any business’ marketing efforts. Beacons can send out signals within a limited area, allowing one to target devices (like mobile phones) based on location. Proximity marketing is widely used in malls and commercial districts to send text messages to people in the area, informing them of special offers and discounts. This opens up a wide range of options and can potentially allow businesses to reach people who they might otherwise never reach.

Currently, online marketing is dominated by chatbots, with many businesses having realized that conversational marketing can be particularly effective. By integrating one’s business with platforms like Facebook through chatbots, it becomes possible to engage with one’s target audience through their or the business owner’s app of preference. Chatbot integration can also include other social media assets, the business’ website and external messaging apps which ensure that all of the business’ bases are covered and clients can reach their representatives on multiple platforms at any time. This is particularly effective when looking to communicate with younger generations that have shown an increasing desire for quick and efficient 24/7 service.

Businesses may be interested in voice search optimization as well. As the blog post says, “Voice search optimization (VSO) is also something you need to look into, as there have been more pieces of evidence that prove its efficacy. According to comScore, of all searches to be performed in 2020, 50% will be through voice searches. Moreover, Gartner also foresees that screenless searches will comprise 30% of all searches in 2020. Finally, Google also revealed in its study that 72% of people with voice-activated speakers claim to use their devices daily. You can definitely take advantage of these trends in VSO to benefit your business.”

All Systems Go Marketing can help with any of the marketing strategies mentioned in the blog post and others. The agency has, since 1999, focused on working for and partnering with small to mid-sized businesses. Instead of looking to reinvent digital marketing, the agency aims to provide quality marketing solutions that work for each and every client. The company has, since 2015, been focused primarily on HVAC businesses. All Systems Go Marketing approaches each project with a single goal: to increase the business’ clients and deals. The company’s techniques are based on 20 years of digital marketing experience and have been proven to be effective time and time again.

La Mesa, CA businesses in need of effective marketing services can get in contact with All Systems Go Marketing today to get started. The agency is always looking to push the boundaries of online marketing and looks forward to providing their expertise to new clients.

from Press Releases at https://www.pressadvantage.com/story/38813-local-seo-agency-publishes-new-blog-post-on-diversity-in-online-marketing

Get Your Small Business the Marketing Team It Deserves

Warning: Your marketing department can stop your HVAC business from succeeding. You might wonder how, when having a marketing department is a necessary function for your business, as it makes more people aware of your existence. Actually, it's not marketing efforts that may derail you, but how your department or team is structured. For one, industries these days move fast, so you need the right people with the most applicable skills to succeed in marketing. If it turns out that your marketing team is composed of people that do not have your business' interest as a priority and are not updated with the best marketing practices, you are most probably wasting a lot of money in misguided efforts and salaries.

Unfortunately, some organizations are ill-prepared for these constant changes. If they do catch up, they may do so late, which costs their businesses. Structures also need to be constantly updated to scale. Your team needs the right skills, should be organized for maximum success and efficiency and needs to know how to use the best tools and software to aid their success. Ultimately, you need the right people with the right skills. The question now, is are you ready to turn your marketing team into a lean, mean, effective machine?

Assembling a team for small businesses

This article wouldn’t be much of a problem for large businesses, even if they are also suffering in today’s pandemic. For one, they have a steady stream of resources that do not get easily depleted even in the midst of economic downturns like this. Of course, they would need to do some adjustments like downsizing, but the nature and size of their businesses would still require them to have a sizable marketing team, not to mention that they can afford a larger headcount. On the other hand, small businesses don’t really have the luxury of starting off with a large team. At the start, the already need to be practical of only hiring people that they find necessary to roll out successful marketing programs.

In a small business, odds are you’re hiring one or two people to tackle marketing. If you’re fortunate, you may have three or more.

(Via: https://coschedule.com/blog/marketing-department-structure/?utm_source=mc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ccn&utm_term=marketing-department-structure&utm_content=2)

What skills do your people need to have?

Another must for small businesses in assembling their marketing teams is that they have to be deliberate of what skills their hires Have. It is not wise for small business owners to just hire anyone who claims to have earned a degree from a top business school or have been working with a Fortune 500 company. Marketing specialists for small enterprises need to wear many hats, not to mention that they need to be skilled in various segments of marketing that were not present 10 or even five years ago, such as influencer marketing and social media marketing.     

As brands recover and begin recruiting in the second half of 2020, digital marketing teams will prioritize candidates who can add the most value to a team. Throughout this current downturn, it’s more important than ever for marketers to understand what core skills they possess, and what additional training they need to become the most employable versions of themselves.

(Via: https://clickthrough.marketing/most-in-demand-marketing-skills-2020/)

Is it wise for marketing to stay at home?

Another facet of marketing teams particularly applicable to the times we are currently immersed in is that like all departments of a business, it is highly recommended that job functions can be done at home. Marketing, especially in the age of social media, can be done anywhere, and not as client- or field-intensive like, for example, sales functions. Thus, it makes sense that marketers can take full advantage of the currently popular WFH trend.   

As the pandemic accelerates the adoption of remote work, organizations large and small are realizing that jobs we used to assume had to be done on-site can in fact be done remotely.

(Via: https://hbr.org/2020/08/is-your-organization-ready-for-permanent-wfh)

Your business also deserves top-notch digital marketing expertise, so don't hesitate and get in touch with us right away.

The following blog post Get Your Small Business the Marketing Team It Deserves Find more on: http://www.allsystemsgomarketing.com/

source https://www.allsystemsgomarketing.com/hvac-seo/get-your-small-business-the-marketing-team-it-deserves

All Systems Go Marketing Notes Increasing Popularity of User Generated Content in New Blog Post

All Systems Go Marketing, an SEO company based in La Mesa, CA, that focuses on HVAC businesses, has released a new blog post that takes note of the rising popularity of user generated content (UGC). The article points out that UGC is a worthy alternative for businesses to utilize in their online marketing strategies because customers are always ready to use their smartphones to create videos, photos, blog posts, or stories, and all of these can be gathered by a business who knows how to use it properly. UGC can be included in a business’ marketing plan and an SEO company like All Systems Go Marketing would be able to provide some help.

There are important benefits from the use of UGC for online marketing. First is the fact that it is readily available and a business can easily have a large volume of content that they can use. Second, this is content that originates from a wide variety of people with social media accounts. For instance, if the business wants to focus on a specific gender, ethnic background, social status, etc., it is very much possible that the business can find content produced by people who have a similar profile as the target market.

Craig Wright, owner of All Systems Go Marketing, explains, “With these benefits UGC provides, it is the right time to look deeper into what UGC opportunities are available so you can use them to your advantage. If you are interested in including UGC for your marketing plans, let our experts help you.”

An important source of UGC is social media content. There is a large number of photos and videos shared on social media and a large percentage mention a business or brand. When the business is mentioned in an Instagram post, Facebook post, or a tweet, that is already considered as UGC for that particular business.

Another vital source of UGC are reviews and testimonials, which are huge for generating free HVAC leads. Whether these are left by customers on the business’ site or a third-party site like Yelp or Google, they are a very effective type of UGC because they are social proof for the business. Those who read them have a good chance of becoming new customers. Thus, it may be a good idea for a business to request for a comment, review, or testimonial from customers after they have made a purchase or used a service. One way to do this is through a drip campaign that automatically sends out email messages to recent customers after a particular amount of time has passed, to secure their testimonial.

And with regards to user generated video content, there are a lot of free video content that can be accessed from social media, such as Facebook Stories, Instagram Stories, and the TikTok videos. Video content has been observed to be effective among social media users. Because a video shows a real person talking excitedly about a product or service, this may convince people who are watching the video to also try the product or service.

All Systems Go Marketing may be able to help businesses make use of user generated content in their online marketing campaigns. The company started its operation in 1999 and right from the start up to the present time, they have focused on helping their clients increase their profits. The strategies that they use are based on the most up-to-date Social Marketing research, algorithm analysis, proven search engine performance, and genuine results.

In 2015, they had decided to focus their efforts exclusively for the HVAC industry. They have HVAC SEO experts who have industry knowledge and experience who are able to develop campaigns that can substantially improve an HVAC company’s online presence. These are customized HVAC SEO services to ensure that the strategies used are truly fitted to the specific growth requirements of a particular business.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vIN8mxNRg0&t=8s

Those who would like to learn more about the use of UGC for online marketing may want to check out the All Systems Go Marketing website, or contact them on the phone, or through email.

from Press Releases at https://www.pressadvantage.com/story/38062-all-systems-go-marketing-notes-increasing-popularity-of-user-generated-content-in-new-blog-post

Back to Basics With the Digital Marketing Essentials

2020 has been relentless in dealing us with blows, one after another. It is an understatement to say that marketing efforts from small businesses have become challenging during this time. Some companies and industries have taken a more severe beating, but the need to reassess the effectiveness of marketing strategies to our much-evolved business landscape does not spare anyone.  All businesses, small and large, should take time to recalibrate their efforts and see what is working and what is not, especially since this period has also lessened the revenue of most businesses. We may not have the luxury of having unlimited funds for the implementation of just about any marketing initiative, so we need to think of what works best.

But then, many companies have taken the opportunity to test and try new marketing platforms and channels to see if they are better in engaging with their audiences. This is all well and good, especially if these platforms and channels do not require a large financial investment. However, during this time, it also makes perfect sense to strengthen marketing strategies that have been tried, tested, and true and in fact, already have a successful track record to show. What digital marketing strategies are these?

Fortify your SMS strategy

Mobile phone and smartphone use have definitely increased during this time when connectivity to the outside world can only be achieved virtually. Thus, there has never been a better time for marketers to optimize their strategies in this platform. While it is true that SMS is subject to strict data privacy laws and regulations, marketers should use this to provide customers with timely and important information that would benefit all parties involved. What better way to inform your customers of online promotions on a limited time than through SMS?

With this knowledge in mind, many brands are redesigning their strategy with SMS marketing in mind. SMS marketing is essentially communicating with your customers through text messages. This tactic is excellent for building trust, increasing sales, and connecting with your subscribers.

(Via: https://www.business2community.com/mobile-apps/5-ways-to-use-sms-marketing-for-business-growth-02337157)

Market through video

Social media marketing efforts in these times have seen tremendous growth, but the medium that has become phenomenal is video, with Instagram Stories (and now Facebook Stories) and Tiktok taking the lead. What has made videos a booming channel is the participation of customers who can now record relatively good quality videos through their smartphones, which has in turn ushered a golden age of user-generated content.

Imagine sitting in a steak house. Every time a waiter brings in order on a cast-iron platter, people look up hoping that the food that’s making the beautiful sizzling sound is theirs.

That is precisely the function of sizzle videos – to turn heads.

They’re essentially promotional videos that rank high on the Schoville scale due to their energy, instant engagement, and long-lasting impact.

(Via: https://www.business2community.com/video-marketing/how-to-use-sizzle-videos-to-create-a-superior-first-impression-02344904)

Up your email marketing game

Of course, how can we not mention the granddaddy of all digital marketing platforms? The thing about email marketing is that it has not stagnated. Regular improvements are still being introduced, and if your businesses have been left behind with these developments, it is high time you get updated.

However, email is only effective if you follow a well-planned strategy—one that doesn’t involve bombarding your subscribers or sending sales pitch after sales pitch.

(Via: https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2020/09/11/10-tried-and-true-email-marketing-tactics-that-actually-work/#561e34ba7a33)

To make sure that your digital marketing strategies are still top-notch, get in touch with us and expert advice is within reach.

The post Back to Basics With the Digital Marketing Essentials was first seen on ASGM

source https://www.allsystemsgomarketing.com/hvac-seo/back-to-basics-with-the-digital-marketing-essentials