Thunderbolt Social Media

07/11/2022

Getting found near the top on Google can make the difference between getting new customers and not. Let us help you, with our new Roadmap to Ranking package. Give us your budget, and we'll give you an SEO strategy to move you up in search results in a unique way that uses what you already have to keep your current traffic while using your content to bring you more.

Reach out here or find us at http://thunderboltsocialmedia.com. We're here when you need us -- which is now, because another year is starting soon, so start it off on the right foot!

07/11/2022

If you're planning your 2023 marketing budget -- and if not, you should be -- don't forget to add in your social media marketing spend! We will work within that budget to help your business grow, taking something off your plate so you can focus on what you do best: run your business.

We also offer SEO services, so you can increase your chances of being on that first page of search engine results! Reach out to us here or on our website, https://thunderboltsocialmedia.com. We're going to have a Black Friday sale, so keep an eye out!

We're the social media marketing agency to make your business boom!

12/10/2022

Buying followers can be tempting. You want your account to look more influential and reputable. Thing is, wouldn’t you rather it BE influential and reputable?

And probably even more importantly, don’t you want your account to be authentically reaching your target market?

Fake followers — bought followers — hurts that goal in more ways than is immediately obvious. Here are a few reasons buying followers is bad for your Instagram account.

1. The algorithm favors engagement with the accounts that you want to reach or that are similar. Bought followers are basically diluting your algorithm, since they’re probably following accounts all over the map.
2. If you have higher numbers of followers, your engagement percentage goes down if they’re not liking, saving, commenting or DM’ing you.
3. People see it. They can see you 30k followers but only 14 likes, and they’ll wonder why. They may also see that your followers have weird/fake names, no bios, no posts or it’s full of selfies, all red flags for fake accounts. Do you want people wondering if your business is ethical and legit?
4. It’s just an unnecessary waste of time and money. You want customers, not people who follow you simply because others do.
5. You also miss real followers and the opportunity to recognize them, thank them, follow them back, reply, etc.

We get it. Instagram isn’t easy. It takes time and effort. It isn’t something you can necessarily grow in minutes a day, but it’s better to reach the right people than a bunch of fake accounts who will probably disappear in a few weeks because they broke Instagram’s rules, and then you’ll be right back where you started…buying more followers to retain that number or taking the risk people will notice the smaller numbers.

Stop worrying about your follower count, and worry about sharing quality, helpful content to your current legit followers and potential ones. You’ll reap rewards later, we promise. If you need help doing that, you know where to find us.

10/10/2022

If you hire a social media agency to manage your platforms and social media marketing for you, let them do it. If you micromanage what they do, insist they do it your way or don’t want to listen to their advice on what content to post, and when, you’re basically paying for someone to be your administrative social assistant…not a social media manager.

Social media managers do more than create your content. They also know the behind-the-scenes details on how to maximize the reach of the post, how to get people to read it and how to use the insights to develop the best social marketing strategy to grow your business and improve your brand awareness and reputation.

Be a team. Work WITH your manager and/or agency. Listen to feedback, give your input and let them do the job you pay them for. This gives your business the best chance it can to grow, and it lets your social media manager do what they enjoy. You can BOTH do what you do best.



16/08/2022

I get it, finding things you feel are of value to share on your stories can be tough. We all struggle with it sometimes, but trust me, it doesn’t need to be a struggle. Stories are places where you can be informal. Show your personality. Be funny. You don’t need to script them, because 15 seconds at a time only lets you say so much. Wing it. Smile. Share those photos and video clips you take of your offices, your warehouse, your studio. People want to see it. They want to learn about you, and they want it to be authentic. So here’s some homework. Grab your phone. Stand up. Turn around and see what’s available in the space where you are now. Take some photos, or take a quick tour of your office. Tell your viewers what cool sale is coming up, what fun product you’re working on, your next big project. Laugh. Point. Dance. Do whatever you want — and if you don’t want to be in front of the camera, feature a product or a colleague or employee. Stories disappear after 24 hours and can reflect the NOW in your business and life. Don’t let the fear discourage you from reaching out to customers in this easy way!

Tomorrow I’ll talk more about the importance of sharing others’ content. There are SO many reasons that one post won’t cover it all, but I promise, it will pay off in a big way.

31/07/2022

Are you creating reels for your Instagram account? If not, you're missing out on a wave of traffic -- and a lot of fun! Here are a few top reasons you need to start working on short video content.

1) Be yourself! You can still remain professional while sharing an informal side of yourself or your business that lets people learn more about you and what you offer.
2) Do a demo. Show them what you do!
3) Brand awareness -- people may not know you exist until they find you on social media. (Throw in some good keywords in the caption to help your SEO!)
4) Teach something. Freebies go a long way to building organic brand evangelists, and you can position yourself as an authority in your industry.
5) Encourage others -- or make them laugh. Everyone needs a boost or a giggle, and they'll remember where they got it.

Don't let reels scare you. You don't need to spend a lot of time on them nor do they need to all be fancy. Use what you've got, and don't stop from sharing just because you don't think it's perfect. Authenticity is everything. If you're not comfortable being in every video, find someone else -- or don't use people at all! There are no rules...and no dancing or pointing is required. Have fun!

05/04/2022

Your Instagram bio allows for 150 characters, so you need to use that space wisely. Here are 5 top tips on how to maximize that real estate and get the attention you want on Instagram.

1. Tell people what your business does, in as few characters as you can. Use keywords that relate to your services and/or products.

2. Make it easy for people to contact you: be sure your website URL is visible.

3. Provide an email address. Yes, you may get spam, but you also may get new clients who don’t want to have to fill out a form on your website.

4. Include your location, and if you work remotely, say it!

5. Still have a few characters remaining? Throw in a couple of relevant emojis! This gives you the chance to throw in a little personality. Have some fun!

These tips help you tell the short story on who you are, why people should do business with you, how to reach you and to be unique. Change it as necessary so it’s always accurate and best reflects your business approach and target demographic. Have a special promotion you want to push? That URL doesn’t need to just be straight to your home page, it can go to a landing page or other place in your funnel. Just use it wisely and let your Instagram bio be an important part in your marketing strategy!

11/02/2022

Sometimes you never realize how much you need something until you get out and do it, right? I experienced that this week when I went to my first National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) - Orange County meeting. Being surrounded by a group of women focused on growing their businesses, at Hera Hub Irvine, a female-focused, spa-inspired coworking space, I left SO fired up to do more and do better. I also came home with a new goal-setting plan, courtesy of Conni of Clarity Consulting Inc., who taught us how to go about creating SMART goals to confidently create a successful 2022. I can't wait for next month's meeting, where we're going to learn about optimizing our LinkedIn.

If you're a woman business owner, consider heading down and checking it out next month on March 8. Learning, networking and inspiring -- you'll leave fired up, too! (And if you want to learn about Instagram and how to effectively grow a community to leverage for business growth, come on April 5, when I'll be the guest speaker!)

30/11/2021

Do you hear "YOU NEED TO DO REELS ON INSTAGRAM" and cringe? You don't need to! Creating Reels for your followers is way easier than you think. In fact, so easy, you may just get hooked.

What's stopping you from getting on Reels today? There's money and fun to be had...and the authentic follower growth and engagement will ensue.

Get out of your comfort zone, make just one Reel, and you'll see what I mean!