TJ

Are you currently marketing on social media? If not, you should be. Here are the secrets to starting strong in social media marketing in 2019. 

Is your small business active on social media? 77% of small businesses use social media for sales, marketing, and customer service, so if you don’t you’re definitely falling behind.

Many small business owners struggle to incorporate social media, however, because of time and staffing constraints. A social media marketing strategy requires consistency, and if you have a small number of employees you might not think you have the bandwidth to do it well.

Fortunately, you can still succeed at social media. You just need the right tools and strategies. Here’s what you can do to maximize your social media presence in 2019 and beyond!

Know Your Audience

Different social media platforms have different demographics, so knowing your audience is the first step to maximizing your marketing strategy. Look at your existing customers, along with your customer avatars, to make sure you’re on track.

Do you tend to cater to women, men, or both? Are you a B2B business or B2C? What age are your customers, and what do they do for a living?

With this information, you can not only choose the right social media platforms, you can also target your audience effectively through paid ads.

Choose Just One

If you’re struggling to fit social media marketing into your small business, start with only one platform. Build up a presence and become consistent with your branding and interaction on that platform before you add more.

It can be tempting to feel like you need to launch marketing on every social media outlet available, but that’s not true. In fact, an inconsistent presence is worse than none at all, so start small and be wise.

If you want to target a variety of demographics, start with Facebook. If you want to sell primarily to women, you need to be on Pinterest. If you have highly visual content that appeals to a younger audience, try Instagram or Snapchat.

If you’re already successful online or have significant resources for social media marketing, consider starting on two or three at once.

Use the Right Tools

Once you’ve chosen your platforms, you’ll need the right tools to manage your presence. You can use tools like Buffer to post to multiple platforms at once, as well as planning and scheduling your posts ahead of time.

If you’re focused on Pinterest or Instagram, you might enjoy using Tailwind. This app allows you to post at the right times for top engagement, as well as allowing you to see what’s working and maximize your marketing efforts.

Determining what to share and when to share it is an important part of your marketing strategy. By using these tools in conjunction with a social content calendar, you can post consistently without spending hours online.

Know Your Goals

You can spend an enormous amount of time and money on social media with no return on investment (ROI) for your business. Unfortunately, it’s easy to confuse likes and followers with success, when those don’t bring you any income directly.

Instead, know what you want to achieve. Do you want to drive sales? Focus your social media strategy on connecting with ideal buyers and showcasing the products that are most popular with them. Do you want to bring in referrals or boost your online advocates? Focus on connecting with influencers or encourage your existing employees and customers to share your content on their own social media accounts.

Many times, small businesses give up on social media marketing because they feel it’s not bringing in any money. Remember that your strategy needs to be specific to your goals – you can’t just show up online and post funny memes and expect to boost your bottom line.

Having trouble setting your marketing goals? You might find it helpful to work with a digital marketing agency like Local SEO Search who can help you determine how to move the needle for your business.

Join Existing Conversations About Your Industry

Getting people to talk about you is challenging, but joining existing conversations is much easier. You can use social media listening tools to get alerts about posts that mention your industry, company name, or product.

Once you “hear” that, jump in with your social media account and contribute to the conversation. Of course, don’t just throw out a sales pitch. Think of it as joining a conversation at a party – you want to contribute something helpful without killing the vibe. You can also simply like a post to show that you hear what was said.

Use Hashtags to Extend Your Reach

On many platforms, hashtags allow you to describe your content while making it more findable to other users. Hashtags are especially important on Instagram and Twitter, but they are effective on Pinterest as well.

To use hashtags well, do some research to discover what existing tags are being used frequently that are relevant to your product, service, and industry. Take advantage of those to extend the reach of your posts beyond your existing followers.

When you use these tips, you’ll be off to a great start in your social media marketing. Of course, this is just the beginning – but it will definitely get you going and help you start getting results with your social media marketing!

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Not so long ago, the concept of connecting three separate areas of the home was unheard of. Food was prepared in the kitchen, eaten in the dining area, and then everybody relaxed in the living room (or lounge, if that’s what it was called in your home). Things were simpler… or so it seemed. But when you think about it, this also means three different styles of decor and furniture, so wouldn’t it be easier if they were all just one and the same? If you’re thinking of making the switch, here’s what you need to know.

It’s unavoidably expensive

First things first, the most pertinent reason that puts people off is the cost. Unless you’re in the trade yourself, you’re normally going to be forking out for an extensive rebuild, potentially involving significant structural work. Planning consent isn’t likely to be an issue, as everything’s already yours to alter or demolish, but there will inevitably be some issues, particularly when it comes to load bearing walls. There’s no one-size-fits-all estimate, but a builder offering a free, no-obligation quote could be a good place to start.

It’s not going to make everything cold

Older generations will remember homes without central heating, and many homeowners with central heating will still be living in a property that was designed to keep heat in enclosed spaces. And while an open plan home can cost a little more to heat, they also let more light into the property throughout the day, leading to a potential reduction in lighting costs. The insulation in your doors, windows, walls and roof will also play a big part in heating bills, so contact a reliable company to give yours the once over before commencing any restructuring of the home. Findley, Sunderland roofing contractors who share their work across the entire North East, are experts in a variety of building work.

It’s a more social way to live

As the average person in the UK now spends more than one day every week online, it’s fair to say that we all live a personally tailored existence. One of the biggest benefits of open-plan living is that you can spend more time at least in the same room as everyone else, and the way you furnish your new space could be crucial. With a ‘less is more’ layout, you can create focal points all over the open plan kitchen/living-room/dining-room, and spend more time close to the family. Hopefully you’ll each prove to be more entertaining and fun to be with than endless cat videos and news feeds.

You could end up with extra living space

Without a couple of walls and doors, and a good declutter of your rooms, you could easily find yourself with far more space than you envisaged. However, if your budget allows for it, and there is sufficient space on your property, you could add an enormous amount of space with a super-stylish home extension, while altering the layout already inside. Planning permission may be required for this more extensive work, and you need to be sure that you’re dealing with a reputable builder.

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Getting on the property ladder is harder today than it ever has been, and is one of the major financial differences between the current generation of first-time buyers, and the generations who came before them. Houses today typically cost several times more than they did thirty years ago, and salaries haven’t risen with inflation. That means that while the parents of first-time buyers may have borrowed double their annual salary to get their first house, the average first-time buyer may be left with a debt of more than four times the amount they earn in a year.

Given the size of the loans that people now have to take out to cover the ownership of their homes, it’s tempting for people to choose to repay those loans on an ‘interest only’ basis rather than a full ‘repayment’ basis. Once, they were the preserve of those who intended to pay their mortgage off with a cash lump sum in the future, or those who let their properties out and ultimately intended to sell them. Now, they’re increasingly being used as a means for those who want to own a property at any cost. An interest-only mortgage means lower monthly repayments and therefore less strain on your monthly income – but is it right for you?

Agreeing to take out an interest-only mortgage is a decision that will be arrived upon mutually between yourself and the institution which is lending you the money. For lenders, giving a first-time buyer hundreds of thousands of dollars is a gamble in any circumstances, because that person doesn’t have any track record of paying back debts of that size.

Lenders aren’t happy gamblers. If they see a reason not to lend to you, they probably won’t. While they’ll take a gamble, they prefer their odds to be 5/50 at worst, like betting on red or black on a roulette table. If they decide the gamble is more like playing on a mobile slots website like Amigo Slots, where each bet they take could have thousands of different possible outcomes, they won’t lend. Slots on mobile are a lot of fun for someone placing a small stake in the hope of winning a larger reward. They’re less fun for a bank paying out huge sums of money without knowing if they’ll ever get it back at all. They want the jackpot you get from slots, but the odds they get from 50/50 bets. They control the game, so they get to make the rules. Just because you want an interest-only mortgage doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to get one!

Here are a few questions you should ask yourself before applying to take one out.

Do You Understand What An Interest Only Mortgage Is?

Incredibly, some people will go all the way through the process of acquiring an interest-only mortgage without completely understanding what it is they’ve done. They see that they have a mortgage term of, for example, 30 years, and they see that they have a monthly repayment. They therefore assume that after they’ve maintained those payments for thirty years, their mortgage will be paid off. That’s incorrect. None of it will be paid off. A mortgage comes with an interest rate applied to the lump sum borrowed, and with an interest-only mortgage, only the monthly value of that interest is paid. After thirty years of making payments, you will not have paid a single dime off the amount you owe against your home.

Do You Have A Repayment Vehicle?

The bank will ask you this, so it’s best to come up with a good answer before you go to them. As you’re not repaying any of the capital you owe to the bank – just the interest they’re missing out on by having the money invested in your home – the bank will want to know how you intend to repay the loan once you reach the end of your term. Are you expecting to inherit money, for example? Do you have savings or investments which are due to mature by that point? If the answer to either of those questions is yes, and your plans are realistic, you likely won’t have a problem. If your answer is just ‘I’ll sell the property,’ it’s likely you will. House prices, as we know, can go up or down. Over the thirty years you owe the money, there could be a huge economic recession, which means your house is worth less than you paid for it. In that scenario, selling it wouldn’t repay the debt.

What Happens If Something Goes Wrong?

When a customer is on a full repayment mortgage and something goes wrong in their life – typically a divorce, a bereavement, or the loss of a job which will have a short to medium term impact on their income, they might phone their mortgage lender and ask to switch to an interest-only mortgage for a short period of time while they try to get a handle on their situation. This eases the financial burden on them. Someone who’s already on an interest-only mortgage doesn’t have this option – and it’s unlikely you’ll be able to take a payment holiday unless you have an exceptionally sympathetic lender. Could you use some of the money you’re saving by taking an interest-only mortgage to buy insurance against the payments, perhaps?

Are You Comfortable Having No Equity?

This is a long term concern that most interest-only buyers never consider. Unless you put down a large deposit on your property, or your property significantly increases in value as the years pass, you will never have much, if anything, in the way of equity in your home. That matters. Most people’s greatest asset is their home. It can be used as a form of security to take on further borrowing when it might be required later in life – for example, to pay for a child to go to college, or to carry out home improvements. It can be left behind in a will. If you don’t have any equity in your home, you won’t be able to leave it to your children, or to anybody else. Should you pass away during the term of the mortgage, then unless you’ve insured yourself against the full balance owed, the full amount owed to the mortgage lender is payable by your estate. It’s not an asset; it’s a debt.

How Will You Pay In Retirement?

One of the most common reasons people take an interest-only mortgage is that they can’t comfortably afford the costs of a full repayment mortgage against their salary. Are you expecting your salary to increase dramatically over the course of your career? Are you expecting to be earning more in retirement than you are in employment? If not, then you’re going to have big problems maintaining the repayments against your home if the term takes you into retirement age. Most lenders won’t even entertain the idea of allowing this to happen – they’ll instead insist on you having a repayment vehicle in place by the end of your working life.

If you can’t think of good answers to the above questions – or they make you uncomfortable – then it’s likely the case that an interest-only mortgage isn’t for you. Don’t take our word for it though – we have no way of knowing your individual circumstances. Seek the advice of a qualified professional before making any decisions on home borrowing.

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The playground is such an important part of the community. It is a place where children can go for physical activity and it is a place for families to gather and meet others in their neighborhoods. It an also function as a community resource for parties, meetings and more.

Because playgrounds are such a vital local resource, it is important to make the most out of these public spaces by adding a sense of excitement and that starts in the design.

When thinking of playground design, landscape architects should be aware of creating a space that is safe for children, allows for inclusive play and provides a protective atmosphere that dissuades criminals. However, they should also think of ways to make the area intriguing and fun so that children and families will love to spend time there.

Keeping that in mind, here are some of the latest trends that can make your local park a place children and families just won’t be able to get enough of.

Themes

A good way to make your play area a place kids will want to visit is by incorporating a theme. When thinking of themes, the possibilities are endless. Here are some that have been successful in promoting engagement.

Childhood Themes: The themes you use should be focused on what will appeal to children. Apparatus can be designed to resemble pirate ships, spaceships, medieval castles and more. Children can spend time searching for buried treasure in shady coves or setting sail on an adventure. These are terrific, unisex themes that are made to cater to a child’s short attention spans.

Musical Education: Musical education can be another great theme to incorporate. It is a wonderful way to stimulate speech and cognitive and motor development in younger children and children with autism and other sensory issues.

Drums, chimes and bells can be incorporated into the apparatus giving children the chance to interact and make their own noises. The best part is, no prior musical knowledge is necessary. Children are welcome to bang on instruments and make the noises that delight them.

Adventure Playgrounds: This is another trend that is becoming more popular for children. Contrary to many who believe it is a newer concept, it was actually first developed back in 1931 by designer Carl Sorensen who noticed that no matter what he built, children seemed to find new ways to play on the apparatus beyond its intended purpose.

These adventure play areas can take many forms ranging from natural to junk playgrounds. The common thread is the presence of playworkers (or wardens) and the absence of adult made rigid play structures like swings, slides, seesaws and climbing bars.

Nature Playgrounds: What kid doesn’t love rolling around in a pile of leaves or climbing up a tree or a big hill? Nature themes take this idea to the next level by combining landscape elements with natural materials and structures to create areas that resemble miniature pockets of nature. This type of design provides safe, accessible play for children and a way for them to bond with nature.

Innovative Approaches to Playground Design

Beyond incorporating clever themes, your design can take an innovative approach that will make it inviting to all local residents. Here are some examples of parks that make inclusiveness a priority.

Inclusive Playgrounds: These provide apparatus that is accessible to all children that play there. There are no ‘special needs’ sections because all the equipment is designed to challenge all of the children and there are no divides when it comes to play areas. Some inclusive play areas also offer therapeutic activities and features like horseback riding and an accessible fishing pond.

Multigenerational Playgrounds: While most play areas focus on the needs of the children, it is important to remember that they can be a great place for people of all ages to gather. Therefore, shady benches for sitting can be a real perk for adults who go to parks for some sunshine or to bring their children out to play.

Some parks even offer activities adults can engage in such as game tables, fitness equipment and obstacle courses. This way, both children and adults can enjoy an afternoon out in the fresh air.

Funding for Your Design

Of course, a more advanced playground design can also require increased funding and with an uncertain economic climate, parks and recreation often do not get the monetary prioritization they deserve. However, if you are seeking funding for your design, there are several potential resources.

Some of the more obvious ways to fundraise include asking local businesses and donors for donations or hosting fundraising events in your area. A more out of the box idea is to consult the NRPA Grants and Funding Resources Web Page to learn about funding opportunities.

The internet is another great fundraising resource with websites like Fundraise, Crowdrise and Neighborly all being the perfect platforms for you to receive donations.

A playground is a terrific neighborhood resource and the right playground design can make it more likely to be utilized to promote social and physical activity in communities. These are just some of the innovative approaches that can make your play area into a local landmark that will help it reach its full potential. Good luck finding the design that is perfect for your neighborhood.

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If you don’t know, French is a language that is spoken in more than 28 countries across the globe. Having a good insight into it can really boost your online presence. I am a food blogger with an estimate of fifty thousand followers. Until last year all my blogs were in English, but then I started putting out blogs in English and in French. Why should you do it? And how can you do it? Through this article you’ll be able to learn about both these questions.

Why Use French?

If you are a blogger or a video producer whose work is majorly online, apart from your primary language, you should start putting out content in French too. You see, as I mentioned earlier French is spoken in more than 28 countries and this is really important. Apart from English which is a global language for sure, French also has a following which you can use at your advantage. By putting out your content in a language like French, you will be able to expand your geographical reach. More people would view your content which in turn will lead to more revenue. Brands and association would start coming up from various places across the globe and before you know it, you will have more followers than you ever imagined. Now, isn’t it amazing? It is. Sure, you’ll have some initial hiccups and queries, but one thing that can help you is the use of professional French translation services. This leads to my next point.

How can you do it?

Producing content in French doesn’t require you to completely understand French. Yes, if you are producing videos, then it’s a different thing, but for written content, all you need is a trusted freelance translator. Yes, a French translation service provider is your go-to option for written content. If you are a blogger, you can simply write your content in English and use a translator who knows absolutely everything about the language. They will convert your content into French in no time and you’ll have a fresh piece, a replica of your English content which can be easily incorporated in your blogs. I found a similar service provider whom I still work with and is my top recommendation. Click here to learn more about him. These services are not very costly but at the same time, you should be very careful while choosing one. Punctuality, their command over the language and the overall nature of the service provider really matters. After all, it’s all your work that you are handing out to them. Initially, you can also ask some expert to cross-check their articles only to check if their writing says exactly what your English writing is trying to say.

To conclude, even if you have a successful online presence through your blogs or content, offering it in French can be an advantage. I recommend all the bloggers just like myself to give it a try. Thanks for reading, hope this article helped you.

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