Social Media: The More the Merrier [Guest-Post]

Managing social media campaigns takes time and energy, so it’s understandable to want to cut back on that expenditure. With Facebook still reigning over the social empire, it could even be reasonable to think about focusing all your efforts toward just that site, and nixing other profiles and platforms.

The truth is, diversification is a valuable tool for social media. The old adage about not putting all your eggs in one basket translates to social marketing; pins, tweets, and likes are all vital.

So what are the benefits of spreading yourself out across the Internet?

[Infographic] The State of Content Marketing 2013

Did you know: Companies that blog have 55% more traffic to their websites?

Content marketing is fast becoming a regular marketing tool (marketers now spend 25% of their marketing budget on content marketing). And it’s having a huge impact on how consumers view and interact with companies: 68% of consumers spend time reading content from brands they are interested in.

The following infographic shows how companies are using content marketing to and how consumers interact with it.

SEE ALSO: [Infographic] 12 Brilliant Blog Post Ideas for Businesses

Which type of content marketing do you find most effective? How do you use it? Let us know in the comments.

8 Top Tips: How to use Email to Promote your Facebook Contest

You’ve created an amazing Facebook contest with great branding and an awesome prize. You’ve marketed it through your social channels like Twitter, your blog and highlighted posts on Facebook. How can you get even more participants and keep generating buzz about your sweepstakes?

Get back to the good old tried and true method: email.

According to top marketers like  Epsilon, email marketing is on the rise. In particular, triggered messages (emails sent to subscribers based on specific events, such as contests) are gaining momentum and generating the best return on investment for your marketing efforts.

Short of Facebook ads, emails get the biggest sure-fire return to directly reach your market. It’s the most personal, opted-in way to connect with your customer. And hey, they’re free.

Email is a crackjack method to promote a Facebook contest, and to keep in contact with your entrants, turning them into enthusiastic fans, leads and ultimately sales.

That’s why we put together these eight tactics on how to use email promote your next Facebook contest.

7 Ways to Increase your Facebook Likes [Guide]

As Jeff Bullas says, “Growing your Facebook “likes” are social media’s version of building the traditional email subscribers list.”

A “Like” on your Facebook Page is not just a vanity metric. It signifies a real person showing interest in your business. They’ve opened a 24/7 communication channel with you. I, for one, think this is very powerful.

Facebook allows you to keep your customers warm in a friendly non-invasive way. There are only so many times a person will shop at your store in a month or year, depending on your industry, respectively. Even promotional emails with 10% off coupons can become tired and end up people’s spam folder over time. So to keep a person warm between purchases, Facebook posts are key.

Even with Facebook’s Edgerank giving each Page Post reach to just 16% of it’s Fans, a Fan is worth a lot to your business. It gives you the ability to actively promote your business to a potential customer at any time. If you need a quick refresher, or introduction, check out the 4 Factors Facebook’s EdgeRank Uses to Determine Your Posts’ Reach

Increasing your Facebook Likes can be done using a variety of methods, both on Facebook or off it. So don’t fret if you’re just starting. These methods apply to both advanced users and noobs.  

As you’ll soon see, your secret weapons for increasing your Facebook Likes will be like-gates and Facebook’s Like Button plugin. Let’s dive into the Top 7 (IMHO) Ways to Increase your Facebook Likes.

[Infographic] Tumblr by the Numbers

In light of Tumblr’s recent acquisition, I thought it would be interesting to see what Yahoo! was paying $1.1 Billion for. In short, it’s a ton of traffic. I’m excited to see what kinds of advertising products and targeted tools it releases as it moves to monetize the site.

Since its inception in 2007, Tumblr has grown to boast over 185 million monthly visitors. This makes it the 31st most popular website in the world. 

And it’s more than just teenagers posting cat GIFs. Many brands, especially in the fashion industry, have adopted Tumblr as its blogging platform of choice. It’s built-in “Follow” and sharing mechanisms make it easy for content to spread. And its Explore page makes trending content easy to be found.

SEE ALSO: [Infographic] 12 Brilliant Blog Post Ideas for Businesses

The following infographic shows who is on Tumblr and how they’re using the site.

Do you have a Tumblr for your business? How do you use it? Let us know in the comments.