Social media marketing for beginners the ultimate guide to learn social media marketing and improve your online presence

Table of ContentsIntroduction Using Instagram for Building a Personal Brand Factors That Affect Personal Brand Strategies That Would Aid Your Brand Growth on InstagramFrequent Engagement

Social Media marketing for beginners 2019

The Best Methods, Tricks and Steps for Successful Social media marketing.

Gregory Belmont

Copyright © 2019 Gregory Belmont

All rights reserved

Table of Contents

Introduction

Using Instagram for Building a Personal Brand

Factors That Affect Personal Brand

Strategies That Would Aid Your Brand Growth on InstagramFrequent Engagement of Your Audience

Follow Similar Brands

Post Your Contents Links on Other Platforms

Use Your Call-to-Action Tools Judiciously

Products and Services Related to Your Brand

Your Potential Customers

Why Instagram Ads Is the Best Way to Target Your AudienceHow to Scale Rapidly Your Followers with Instagram AdsTakeaways

Using Instagram Ads for Selling Products and Services

What Is Affiliate Marketing?

The Merchant

The Affiliate

The Customer

How the Affiliate Marketing Process Works

How to Become a Merchant

How to Become an Online Affiliate Marketer

Pros and Cons of Affiliate Marketing

Drop-Shipping

Pros and Cons of Drop-Shipping

Affiliate Marketing and Drop-Shipping Are Marketing Tools

The Future of Social Media Advertising

Personal Branding on Facebook

Plan Your Branding Strategy

Brand Identity and Brand Positioning

Real-Time Engagement on a Daily Basis

Use of Facebook Stories

What are Facebook Stories?

Interactions through Facebook Stories

Advantages of Facebook Stories

Importance of Transparency for Brands

How Do Brands Ensure Transparency?

Transparency Tools for Social Media

Facebook Live - The Rising Trend

More Visuals, More Engagement

Marketing on Instagram

Use of Hack Culture

Experiment with Numbers

Create Lifestyle-Specific Narrative Content for Your Audience

Era of Instagram Stories

Using Instagram Stories for Your Brand

Embed Links in Instagram Stories

Invest in Buying Ads for Content Distribution

Influencer Marketing - Sponsored Content

How to Create a Strong Partnership with Brands

IGTV - The Next Arising Trend

Personal Branding on Twitter in 2019

Check your privacy settings

Take your time to choose a good Twitter handle

Follow the trends and hashtags related to your industry Follow the right people and interact with them

Make a Twitter List (or more)

For Inspiration: a Twitter Personal Branding Success Case

Personal Branding on Youtube in 2019

Create good thumbnails

Keep your video lists organized

Use the Community tab

For Inspiration: a Youtube Branding Success

Why You Should Use Pinterest

Creating Pins that Capture Interest

Introduction

n recent years, we have seen how and thanks to the power of socialnetworks These have become protagonists of important matrices ofgenerated opinions, from topics of the world of entertainment to moreserious topics of a political or social nature

For example, when the recent crisis in Greece broke out, social networksdid not stop, or for example the riots generated in countries like Ukraine andVenezuela as a result of the political crises of these countries, which inaddition to becoming Trending Topics on Twitter, generated many videosthat showed the repression applied by those governments that went viral.Another case with a non-political connotation was when Bruce Jenner,the stepfather of the Kardashian sisters who enjoy immense popularity for hisreality show, decided to change sex and become Caitlyn Jenner beating theGuinness record of more followers in less time

In short, social networks have achieved a space in the life of each one of

us in different ways

Use the Power of Social Networks

Businesses, politicians and great leaders have noticed the power thatsocial networks have within society, and have understood that they need apresence in them to reach more and more their followers and get close tothem That is why we see how today from the smallest companies to thelargest multinationals have a social media presence The same happens withpublic figures, artists, politicians, journalists or big businessmen, who usethese means to have more direct communication with their followers

Social networks can also serve as a means of listening to know whatpeople are saying, to know what they think of a government, to detectreputational crises, to know what they think of a brand and even to be asource of information for carrying out studies of the market That is whysocial networks went from being just a thing of young people to become acommunication channel of utmost importance for various sectors of society,

in which if you do not have a presence, you practically do not exist

Social Networks and the use of Atribus

As explained previously, since social networks stopped being somethingonly of young people, to become a medium with a lot of power of influencewhich must be handled more professionally for companies and institutions, toget the most out of its use , it is necessary to implement Social Media toolssuch as Atribus to help you control your management

With Atribus, besides being able to program your Tweets, Retweets andanswers, which will save you a lot of time, you can also monitor your fullonline presence in social networks like Twitter and Facebook, being able tocontrol what they say about your brand, prevent online reputation crisis,detect KPIs that allow you to enhance your online presence as the best hours

to tweet, influencers, tweets plus RT, clouds of words and popular hashtagsaround your search, which you can include in your social media campaigns,you can even know where come the mentions you are getting

With Atribus, you could also measure the impact of a social mediacampaign, since you could know the number of times a hashtag has beenused that you have created, the interaction in the Facebook Feeds and thenumber of mentions in YouTube The best of all is that you can apply this toyour competition, giving you a clear advantage This tool has multiple usesincluding reputation crisis detection, knowing the opinion of people about abrand, a politician or a town hall, and could even be used as a tool to extractinformation from the world 2.0 and complete market studies And if you arecurious but you do not have much knowledge of the Social Media world,from Atribus We can also advise you on everything you need regardingonline marketing and even offline So, do not underestimate the power ofsocial networks and start using them to be more successful

Thanks again for choosing this book, make sure to leave a short review onAmazon if you enjoy it, I’d really love to hear your thoughts

Using Instagram for Building a Personal Brand

ou might not know it, but every individual has a brand You areassociated with something That is exactly what branding means Apersonal brand refers to different attributes that are known to a particularindividual or organization Mind you, these attributes can either be positive,negative, or neutral For example, when you hear of Barack Obama, the firstthing that comes to mind is he is a past United States president Also, ifsomeone mentions Osama bin Laden close to you, you would remember him

as a suicide bomber This is precisely what branding means It can appear inthe form of your name, biography, occupation, skills, behavioral patterns,experience in a particular field, appearance, and some other factors

As a personal brand, you dictate what people would think of you Forgetyour CV or skills; it is your output that would speak highly of you If you gofor a job interview and the interviewer goes through your CV, it doesn’tguarantee you a spot in the organization You shall be required to undergoboth oral and written tests The answers you give are how you will brandyourself Your CV may not even be perfect, but you can be considered theperfect fit for the job because of the kind of branding you have accordedyourself

To create a successful personal branding, you need to come up withconcrete strategies to make it possible The perceptions of people about youneed to resonate toward three qualities

Authenticity: There is nothing better than for people to regard you asauthentic This means that you are original and there is nothing substandardabout you

Difference: Do you remember 7 Up’s “Dare to be different”? That isprecisely what you are You are quite different, and it has endeared peopletoward you You do not conform to the norm

Best quality: Good is acceptable, better is encouraging, and best ispremium That is exactly what you are–premium Progressive humans preferquality over quantity, so you are always their first choice

Factors That Affect Personal Brand

The way you talk: Communication is key in life Therefore, your talks

need to be impeccable, both verbally and nonverbally You have to accordevery human with respect Consequently, you need to avoid degrading talks

Education: The form of knowledge you may have received on particular

subjects can be a key to determine what many people think of you If youhave sufficient knowledge related to specific topics, you can be highlyregarded

Negotiation skills: It might not look it, but the way you negotiate your

way into or out of situations or during a business transaction can affect yourbranding If you settle for less, people’s perception of you might be affectedadversely However, if you decide to go for more, they can think of you as aquality brand

Customer service: This is quite important in branding Individuals and

organizations who attend to customers with politeness and ensure theirproducts and services are promptly delivered are highly thought of If it isotherwise, it can lead to low ratings, and that isn’t good for a brand

Presentation: Brands who present themselves with an aura of

confidence are more sought after than those bereft of confidence

You need to set up a profile for your brand This profile contains thefollowing information:

“Who we are”: You need to explain in lucid terms what you stand for.Your area of specialization, your core business values, your mission andvision statements, and your future projections fall under this category

“What we do”: People need to know what exactly you do You need to

be concise and precise about this

“What makes us different”: Under this category, you need to portrayyour uniqueness and peculiarity Highlight what your brand does that is quiteuncommon with others This is an avenue to sell your brand Use it wisely.Instagram Is the Best Media to Grow Your Brand

Instagram isn’t only meant for business transactions As a matter of fact,that is only secondary It is a medium to connect with people through visuals.You can also build your brand through Instagram If you are interested in aparticular subject and your posts are entirely consistent on this subject, youcan be regarded to as a thought leader That’s branding You should seeInstagram as a microblog People think of Media takeout as an entertainmentblogging superpower and Forbes as an economic giant It is the same wayyou can be associated with a particular niche As long as you showcase yourexpertise in a specific subject, your branding can be useful.

If you want to ensure your brand records huge success on Instagram,there are certain things you can do

Reflect on your brand You need to be critical of the brand you arebuilding Be sincere with yourself Are you satisfied with where you arenow? What do you think you can do to improve your brand? These questionscan serve as guides for you Also, you can ask people about their honestopinion of your brand You should note that the truth might sting, but it is away to forge ahead and aid your development You need to be reflectiveregularly Also, you can ask for feedback from your followers Accept theirconstructive criticism because they are the recipients of your brand A fewpeople might rubbish you, not because it is true but because of theiranimosity Whatever a bulk of them thinks is most likely the truth It isprecisely what you need to work upon

Define what you desire to be known for As a brand, you need to beassociated with a particular niche or subject You need to clearly define it sopeople can correct when you are derailing and place you back on track.Clarity is essential in branding You need to let people know why you arebranding For a job? It is a great way to sell yourself

Share frequently On the path to becoming a thought leader, you canshare insights frequently Focus on contents that will be beneficial to yourtarget audience You can also mix professionalism and humor Both can gohand in hand Ensure they do However, you need to be careful about whatyou share too Sharing a picture with your mentor is cool, but that picturetaken while you were downing a few bottles of alcohol should not find theirway to Instagram You need to be civil in all you do A little mistake can soilyour brand

Meet people in real life You should stop hiding behind the “introvert”mask Endeavor to meet some of your followers in real life Do not limitsharing insights to the internet alone; doing it in person is a great way to buildrelationships Also, you can meet to hang out, unwind, and have fun Forgetthe Instagram hype, and you are human too You deserve to act silly too.Also, you can attend productive events You see those conferences you hear

of frequently? They won’t participate in themselves They need people likeyou to be there and learn a few things that will be beneficial to your brand.Research the conference and find out who is likely to attend You should alsoset your mind on the people you would like to meet It might be anopportunity of a lifetime Take charge Also, you can meet people who wouldpresent you with massive opportunities Therefore, you do not have to beconfined to your mobile devices Go out

Update your profile We cannot hammer on this one enough It is anoverview of who you are Make it count Promote yourself on this profile.You can list your skills and achievements in a concise way You need theprofessional image that befits your brand Acquire it through your profile

Strategies That Would Aid Your Brand Growth on Instagram

Every brand wants to grow—at least, that is the goal How exactly canyour brand grow? If you haven’t asked yourself this question, you haven’tdesired growth You need to put various things into action when developingyour brand

Content strategy: If you need to be reminded, content is king However,you cannot afford to churn out aimless contents These contents aid yourconsistency as a brand Also, it is the most feasible way of increasing yourengagements This is why you cannot ignore the strategy You need to usecontents shared by established brands with similar niches or subjects as aninsight Compare and contrast both brands Study what has made themsuccessful

The contents you want to share need to be goal-oriented, catchy, andwitty You need to stand out from the rest of the pack Be critical of the type

of image you post It needs to ooze quality Also, these contents have to befrequent You need to display contents regularly People look forward to your

contents, so it will be unwise to be irregular with it They would move on andfind another content creator who satisfies their desires.

Frequent Engagement of Your Audience

Your audience can make or mar your audience This is why you need to

be as close as possible with them What do they want? This is highlyimportant that needs to be answered You cannot afford to post contents thatare not relatable You need to understand what they want Also, do not ignoretheir comments It takes a certain level of relationship before Instagram userscan post comments Therefore, reply to them when you can Do not fail toacknowledge pertinent questions and answer them promptly Believe it ornot, you are like a rabbi who shall be bombarded with questions by students.Provide accurate answers to every question asked You can check their feeds,too, to acquaint yourself with some of their posts You can like engaging ones

or even repost them It means a lot to them that a brand they look up to stillhas ample time to check up on them You can even make comments on theirposts This will foster your relationships

Follow Similar Brands

You need to keep up with similar brands You might not even get afollow-back from the big brands Target the relatively smaller brands Youcan engage them in relevant conversations Assert yourself as a brand toreckon with You can even have productive arguments with them on certainsubjects Giving different opinions of various subjects might even be an eye-opener You can use your intellectuality as leverage to form a sort ofcollaboration with them You can achieve big traction posting each other’scontents You should ensure to give them credits though

Post Your Contents Links on Other Platforms

You do realize Instagram is not the only social media platform you use,right? Do not ignore other platforms They come in handy, especially when

you have to promote certain posts on other platforms All you need to do issimply post a link and add captions These captions need to portray what theyshould expect from the posts It can be an excerpt The caption needs to bethought-provoking and incomplete You need to give your audience thedesire to click on the content Chances are if they click on the link and they

go through the contents, some of them might even decide to follow you

Use Your Call-to-Action Tools Judiciously

You need to pay keen attention to the CTA button Never use a buttonthat is quite needless for your brand For example, a haulage company is notexpected to the Download button Only use what resonates with your brand

Products and Services Related to Your Brand

This is a subject that needs to be highly dwelt upon As a brand, youhave different products and services that rake in income for you The socialmedia world is packed with prospective customers and clients who might beinterested in your products However, you need to market products andservices that resonate with your brand It is important that you avoid aconflict of interest Amassing followers is a way of creating leads Yourfollowers might be interested in your contents because they are relatable.Therefore, before you advertise a product and service, your contents must act

as guides to them For example, if you own a photography brand, yourcontents can include how to take the perfect picture, top photo editing appsfor mobile devices, most liked pictures on Instagram, sample pictures ofclients you have taken before, etc

Your Potential Customers

Your products and services determine who your potential customers are.There are different variables that can determine your potential customers.Age Grade

The age grade can be a determinant Unless you sell a general product orservice, they cannot be applicable or used by everyone You need to identify

the age group you are targeting.

Region

Since some products and services are region-specific, it is beneficial tofocus on people born or who live in such regions For example, anengineering company that specializes with the assembly and sales ofgenerating sets would rather focus on areas or countries battling withepileptic power supply, e.g., Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Benin Republic, and thelikes

Interests

Every human has different subjects or events that strike one’s interests.Humans share different tastes, and this is notable Be it music, food, books,movies, or what have you, there are striking differences in what people prefer

or like This is why you need to take cognizance of this

Income

You are aware of the fact that not everyone can afford everything Infact, most humans cannot afford many things So it is a wise idea for you toput the financial status of people into consideration before choosing yourtarget audience If you are advertising a luxury product or service, it isadvisable for you to focus on wealthy people

Why Instagram Ads Is the Best Way to Target Your Audience

If you are looking to reach a target audience with your post, thenInstagram ads are your feature of choice As a paid feature, the onus is onInstagram to identify people who might be interested in your products and

services All you have to do is click on certain keywords and fill out somefields The app will automatically use its algorithm to derive your targetaudience for you This is a reason why Instagram ads are the most effectiveway to target your audience.

Reach

As a paid advertisement, the number of people who would have access toyour content will more than triple the number of people who view withoutads People who are interested in your brand or niche can be added to yourgrowing community

How to Scale Rapidly Your Followers with Instagram Ads

Like it was pointed earlier, Instagram is a community with over 1 billionregistered users This means that there are more than enough people to seeyour ads Also, as a brand, it is your desire to increase engagements on yourpage and your follower count When you use Instagram ads, your sponsoredpost is more likely traction This is also the best way to follow those whoseinterests resonate with your product and service You can follow likers andthose who make comments At least 30 percent of them would follower back.This is one of the reasons why Instagram ads are highly recommended

Takeaways

Instagram is a great media to build your personal brand

There are various strategies that can help you grow your brand onInstagram

Instagram ads are the best way to target your audience

Using Instagram Ads for Selling Products and

Services

What Is Affiliate Marketing?

ave you seen situations where someone continues to rake in incomeseven without doing anything and you are torn between querying themand finding out what they do? Such a person might be into affiliatemarketing It refers to an act of getting commissions due to the promotion of

an individual or brand’s products and services The process is quite simple:You find a product or service of your choice, promote it to other people, thenreceive a percentage of the profit for every sale

In affiliate marketing, three main components complete the chain:

The Merchant

This is the individual or brand that creates products or services They arealso called the seller, vendor, creator, etc It can be an individual like OmarMomani, who is a cartoonist, or a brand like Johnnie Walker The merchantdoes not have to undergo any process in affiliate marketing All that needs to

be done is have a product or service to market

The Affiliate

This is an individual or organization that promotes the merchant’sproducts and services to the world The aim is to convince people fromdifferent walks of life to make purchases because of the several benefits theystand to gain Whenever a purchase is made to that effect, the affiliate, who isalso known as the publisher, receives a fraction of the sales There aredifferent ways by which the promotion can be done It might be through a

product or service review on a blog or website or a post on social mediaembedded with a link to lead potential customers.

The Customer

This is the person who makes purchases These purchases are thehighlights of affiliate marketing It is why the system was set up in the firstplace Through these purchases, the merchant can rake in more income whilethe affiliate gets a percentage of the profits made by the merchant Thecustomer also gets to enjoy the product or service purchased: a value chainsystem

The affiliate is expected to market the products and services aggressivelythrough channels like the social network, search engine optimization, onlinebillboards, ads, etc More often than not, the customer does not know he orshe is aiding the cause of an affiliate program Note, however, that it does notmatter to such individual as long as he or she enjoys the value of makingpurchases

How the Affiliate Marketing Process Works

The merchant designs and creates a new product or service

The merchant approaches an affiliate or vice versa to promote theproduct or service that has just been created

The affiliate sets up various online media, giving an overview of theproduct or service, explaining its advantages, educating potential consumerswhy it is recommended, and providing links to make purchases These linksare always embedded with a unique code for the affiliate, which would makesuch purchase be traced to them

The customer purchases the product or service

The merchant makes more income

The affiliate gets a percentage of the income

You should note that the profit to be made by the affiliate is always

added to the price of the products or services, so the merchant does not have

to pay more than the stipulated sum

How to Become a Merchant

If you would like to become a merchant, then have affiliates who workfor you follow these steps

Have a product idea There is nothing problematic in coming up with aplan The hard part is coming up with an ingenious idea There is little ornothing that has not been created This is why you need to go out of theordinary and create something worth the while It also has to be somethingyou are quite interested in, or you shall get tired later on You can take a cuefrom products and services that have already been created Do a criticalreview of them and identify their flaws Think of feasible solutions to theseproblems and note them For example, if you are a furniture maker, think ofcreating sofas in such a way that the lower spine would not ache after sittingfor an extended period of time

Create your product After gathering various necessary information,including the SWOT analysis of your product to determine its feasibility, youneed to create your product or service Create it to perfection or to taste atleast Make sure it is something that solves problems in a faster and moreefficient manner

Find affiliate partners or make them find you You might think this iseasy because people are keen enough to make extra dough It is hard findingpeople who are actually interested in your products and services and can bepassionate about making sales However, you can approach people who are inthe same niche as you Yes, that was not a mistake You might be thinkingthey are your direct competitors, so they won’t aid your cause You are right.They are your direct competitors However, create value for them, and theywould not resist helping you You can offer them a partnership for sale Thenyou will share revenue after Who would pass up on making more profit,especially if they do not have to spend a dime? You don’t have to be greedy.You win; they win Everybody wins

Also, you can find top bloggers who are in the same niche as you Forexample, if you are trying to sell a football product or service, your choicebloggers would be Goal, 442, Sky Sports, Dailymail, or the likes They have

a large number of followers, so it is quite easy to convert leads to salesthrough these blogs

Also, you can partner with social media influencers who can post a shortdescription of your product or service then add a link to where purchases can

be made Furthermore, there are pools of affiliate marketers all over theinternet When you find one, you can request marketers and drop yourcontact details They would surely find you No maximum number of affiliatepartners can work with you since the goal is profit making on both sides

How to Become an Online Affiliate Marketer

Before you decide to become an online affiliate marketer, it isfundamental that you choose a niche You cannot be a master in all niches.You cannot be regarded as a thought leader in any of the niches

Review Products and Services

You need to start reviewing products and services on social mediaplatforms, blogs, and websites This is a way to put you in the spotlight Also,honest reviews can generate internet buzz Many people read reviews andcheck ratings before purchasing products

Collect People’s Emails

Also, you need to collect people’s email addresses The more emailaddresses you gather, the more your potential customers You should receiveemail addresses of people whose interests align with your niche Theseemails can be gotten through your website or blog When they click on yourlink, a pop-up can appear requesting for their emails before reading thecontents When sending periodic newsletters, be brief as possible and gostraight to the point

Interact with Your Audience

It is necessary for you to interact with your audience This is a great way

to build relationships You can organize live video seminars (webinars) with

them, explaining certain things that might seem complicated It does not have

to be all serious You can be friendly while being interactive

Pros and Cons of Affiliate Marketing

Pros

It is a booming business The affiliate marketing industry is worth over abillion dollars Therefore, you can earn bucks for yourself through thisscheme

It requires little funding You do not need much funding to set up anaffiliate marketing venture All you require is an affiliate marketing website.Although you can be an affiliate marketer without a site, this is notrecommended

No experience needed You do not have to be a pro before you arerecognized as an affiliate All you require is to learn the ropes while working.You can organize paid and organic campaigns Your successes and failureswould serve as lessons for you to improve upon on your skills Also, youneed to learn how to administer affiliate marketing programs Do successfulpractices repeatedly

Low recurring costs For ordinary business owners, they have to figureways to pay monthly rents, taxes, and sort out different operating billsassociated with their business However, in the case of an affiliate marketer,this is not a problem All you have to spend funds on is internet subscription,web hosting fee (which is mostly yearly), original electricity bill, webdesigner bill, and the likes Not much money is required to part away withperiodically You do not have to rent an office because you can work fromthe comfort of your home

You can combine jobs If you do not intend being a full-time affiliatemarketer, you can combine jobs You can do your normal office job whilealso being an affiliate marketer as a side hustle: more money, no problem

It is flexible You can be an affiliate marketer on multiple affiliatewebsites You can set up different campaigns and landing pages on thesewebsites Talk about not putting your eggs in one basket

You do not worry about customer service Many humans have beenvictims of poor human services Then they lodge their complaint withrelevant authorities Bear in mind that poor customer service complaints canmar the progress of an establishment However, as an affiliate marketer, you

do not have to worry about poor customer services You are not dealing withcustomers directly The only thing on your mind is the commission you aregoing to get If a customer makes an inquiry or request, all you have to do isrefer to such customer to the merchant

However, there are peculiar uncommon situations when affiliatemarketers make room for comments on their website If you fall under such acategory, you should respond to them promptly You decide to make itanyway

Independence As an affiliate marketer, you are your boss You are notanswerable to anyone No boss can question your decisions or query you.Also, you are the boss of your time Whether you are in Indianapolis, Abuja,

or Mogadishu, you can work conveniently without being under any pressure

of a boss

Marketing tools readily available You do not have to worry aboutproviding marketing tools because the onus is on the merchant to providethem for you So you don’t have to create banners or promotional contents.Your merchant covers you

It is a passive income mechanism You do not have to be working all daybefore you can make your money While sleeping or relaxing, your cash cantrickle in It isn’t uncommon for affiliate marketers to wake up and find outthat they have made more revenue

There is no limit You are not limited by any factor whatsoever There is

no maximum number of affiliate marketing schemes you can undergo Also,your revenue is not limited You can make as much as you desire to In thesame vein, you can make use of any social media to promote your affiliatemarketing deals

You are your business owner As an affiliate marketer, you are yourboss You are not answerable to anyone or obligated to run tasks for anysupposed boss

Revenue is performance-based Contrary to white-collar jobs, where youcan get paid on a weekly, biweekly, or monthly basis, you get paid based onhow well your promotions are faring You should note that this can be eitheradvantageous or disadvantageous It is beneficial in the sense that you canalways have funds available to you if your promotions are performingexceedingly well.

Cons

You have no control over affiliate marketing schemes Affiliatemarketing schemes are usually set up by merchants Therefore, you do nothave control over them You need to abide by the stipulated rules andconditions given by the merchant Irrespective of the prospects of thepromotion, all you have to ensure is its success You cannot tweak any error.You have no control over your competition An affiliate marketer wields

no power over competitors Others do whatever they deem fit, and there isnothing you can do about it

You have a large number of competitors Affiliate marketing is a freecommunity where anyone can join Also, it requires very little capital to start.Therefore, many people have signed up as affiliate marketers Sadly, all ofthem are your direct competitors Worse still, many of them can share thesame niche as you You need creativity, hard work, and persistence to comeout tops

You cannot have permanent customers Should there be an individualwho has purchased a product through the link you provided, it is impossiblefor the person to make more purchases through the link The customer nowhas a direct relationship with the merchant, so you have been left out It is aone-time thing

Revenue is not guaranteed There is no stipulated amount for an affiliatemarketer to make periodically You get revenues based on performances Ifyou are unable to convert leads to sales, you cannot have any income

Quantity over quality An average affiliate marketer would instead optfor quantity over quality Many of them send spammy contents, which can bereally annoying Also, these posts can be quite misleading Customers mightharbor different expectations only to be disappointed when they realize that

whatever the affiliate marketer has said to them is mostly untrue Thereputation of the merchant can be soiled through this.

Prone to hacking Affiliate marketers are usually victims of hacking.More often than not, hackers have also affiliated marketers who understandthe technical know-how of the venture They can hijack the affiliate links andturn it into theirs Worse still, they will receive whatever commission belongs

to a standard business practice where an organization does not need to havecustody of goods before taking orders from customers All they have to do isform partnerships with various manufacturers or wholesalers

Who Should Engage in Drop-Shipping?

Bear in mind that not every brand should engage in drop-shipping It isonly meant for brands that do not have the financial weight to handleimportation and sales of goods Also, it is a venture meant mainly for first-time business enterprises that are looking to build a foundation in business Ifthis business flops, they would not be able to record too much loss.

Who Should Engage in Drop-Shipping

Start-ups: They are entirely new to the business terrain and would like totest their products They need to know how profitable their products or theirinventory is before going large-scale If the business booms, they can focus

on producing more units and upgrading to full-time manufacturers If it fails,all they have to do is shift focus to another venture without accruing muchloss

Budget brands: This category of brands does not have excess fundsavailable to start a large-scale business Therefore, they instead opt for drop-shipping, which is not cost-intensive They do not have to purchase productsupfront; all they have to do is partner with manufacturers or wholesalers Who Shouldn’t Engage in Drop-Shipping

Profit-oriented brands: If you are focused on making much profit, it isfutile to engage in drop-shipping It can only guarantee you 10–35 percent ofprofits of the entire revenue This is, indeed, not enough if you are looking tomaking massive profits

Brand-centric business enterprises: If you are hoping to build a brandthat will be sustainable for an extended period of time, then drop-shipping isnot for you There are certain instances where a customer can bedisappointed, and that can lead to a drop in ratings for your brand Forexample, if a customer orders for good and you contact your supplier only foryou to find out that it is out of stock, the onus is on you to find anotheralternative to get to the product If you deliver the order on time or you canceland refund, the customer is certainly going to be displeased, and this can lead

to a bad reputation for your brand Worse still, if your drop shipper suppliessubstandard good, your brand may be stigmatized as a result of your dropshipper’s negligence

Pros and Cons of Drop-Shipping

Setting up isn’t complicated: You do not require any technicalknowledge before you can set up a drop-shipping business All you need issetting up your website and market goods

Setting up a drop-shipping business is cost-effective: You do not have to

go out of your way before you can get set for the drop-shipping business Allyou are required to pay for include web hosting, web design, themes, etc.You do not even have to set up a physical office

Expensive overhead costs are eliminated: A notable advantage of dropshippers is that they do not have to bear many overhead costs like monthlyrents, electricity bills, stationery, transport, etc These overhead costsconsume a bulk of the revenue of companies However, this isn’t a problemwith drop-shipping

Minimal risk is involved: For the average business enterprise, the fear ofnot making enough sales after stocking up grips them However, the risksinvolved in drop-shipping are at the barest minimum Since you do not have

to stock up an inventory, you have little or nothing to lose

The business is not location dependent: You can run drop-shipping fromany part of the world as long as you own an internet-enabled device There is

no need for a store, employees, and what have you All you need to run yourbusiness seamlessly is an internet connection

Varieties of products available: As long as you make the right contactand partnership, you are afforded varieties of products to offer for sale

Infrequent damaged goods: It is quite uncommon for products to getdamaged since they are moved directly from the merchant’s warehouse to thecustomer’s location Therefore, the danger associated with moving goodsfrom one space to another is reduced to the barest minimum

Cons

Reduction in profits: As a result of drop-shipping goods, manufacturers

or wholesalers tend to charge you higher than usual, thereby leading to adecline in your earnings

You are liable for every action: It may sound unfair, but you are

responsible for everything that goes wrong with the supply of goods This isbecause they were ordered via your website, so it is assumed that you supplythe goods Therefore, if your drop shipper supplies a counterfeit, substandard,

or damaged product, everything is on you This can lead to a dent to yourbrand’s name, but there is absolutely nothing you can do about it

Shipping complications can occur: If a customer orders for differentproducts and these products are sold by different manufacturers orwholesalers, you need to sort these shipping costs separately This can takeits toll on your profits

Massive competition: Since drop-shipping does not require much hassle,many people are into the business Retailers are abundant in different niches.The pressure is on you to stand out This is possible if your prices arecomparatively lower than others’ However, this also means that you are infor less profit

Affiliate Marketing and Drop-Shipping Are Marketing Tools

Bar the practices, both affiliate marketing and drop-shipping aresynonymous Both of them involve a merchant, marketing medium, affiliate,and customers The chain is also the same The affiliate sets up a marketingmedium that is quite accessible to everyone and showcases a merchant’sproducts The customers place their order for these products, and both themerchant and affiliate earn revenues

The Future of Social Media Advertising

hile the average user may not feel as though much has changed, the fact

of the matter is that social media has changed substantially over the pastdecade and the coming decade promises to only bring about more of thesame What started out as a way for teenagers to interact online has sincegone on to consist of several billion dollar platforms that have the level ofreach that marketers of previous generations could only dream of

If you are planning on making it big with social media marketing in thefuture, it is essential that you take the time to understand where social media

is likely heading next and how current trends in this space are helping toshape the next generation of users Before looking to the future, however, it isessential to consider the current state of things

Based on the most recent Pew Research data, nearly 90 percent of thoseover 18 and under 30 use at least one type of social media This numberdrops to less than 80 percent for those between 30 and 49 and then drops toabout 65 percent for those under 65 and over 49 Finally, those 65 and olderstill use at least one type of social media regularly about 40 percent of thetime Currently, about 75 percent of those over 18 use Facebook or Instagramevery single day While this data is promising for marketers, it also paints asomewhat Black Mirror future where more and more people are addicted tothe online space As those in the youngest ranges are using these services themost, it is important to understand them in order to find success in thefuture

As a marketer, all this content consumption also provides you with allthe data you need to understand which channels your audience is naturallydrawn towards This makes it easier to eventually create content that willsuccessfully serve that section of the audience even more readily The long-term strategy then becomes creating long-form content and then distributing

it across the relevant social media platforms

GoPro is an excellent example of this strategy They have essentiallyconvinced their users to do their marketing for them thanks to theimmediately recognizable style of their user-generated videos The companythen uploads these videos to its YouTube channel, and its more than sixmillion subscribers are then treated to a wide variety of globetrottingadventures What’s more, their clear emphasis on community also works intheir favor and gives them the appearance of putting their customers first GoPro continues to prove it is a forward-thinking company becausedoesn't stop at just one type of social media output either Instead, it also has

a very active Instagram presence that is heavily focused on the consumerexperience They encourage the posting of Instagram Stories that are user-generated from users who used the @GoPro tag This flood of personalizedcontent is what has led GoPro to become one of the biggest brands in thesocial media space, and it is indicative of what can be done if you take thetime to determine where exactly your videos will play most effectively Indoing so, you will be free to capitalize on not only the current trends in video but also any that come along in the future as well Regardless of whatspecific trends you follow, the end result will be a long-term relationship withthe community surrounding your target audience that will reap benefits foryears, if not decades, to come

Short-Form Storytelling:

With so many users making regular and repeat use of Instagram andsimilar sites single-serving content and the storytelling options it providesbecome more and more attractive and will only continue to grow inpopularity in the future While innately less appealing to marketers thanevergreen content, this new bite-sized form of storytelling is already proving

to be a big hit with users and the brands and influencers who are earlyadopters are also seeing success

As this type of content only lasts a limited period of time, it is onlynatural that it will take numerous tries before you determine exactly whatworks for you Good examples of this type of content that are already on themarket include brands like Away Luggage and Everlane which have bothdone great jobs of capturing user interest through sophisticated, strategic andabove all unique, types of ephemeral storytelling

Everlane hired a group of millennial filmmakers to make a video in afamous ice cave in Canada as an excuse to prove how warm their new jacketwas Not only was the resulting video interesting for viewers to watch, but italso served as proof at how warm the jacket actually was While this trend isonly going to become more prevalent in the coming years, there are likelyalready examples of brands or influencers doing something similar in yourniche which means that inspiration is likely only a few clicks away

This will make it easier for you to learn what tactics are most effectivewhen it comes to reaching your audience and also the techniques that willhelp to ensure that your customers are interacting with as many separate parts

of the story as possible This often includes things like talking with customersdirectly and interacting with them on their chosen social media platform.Direct communication will not only provide you with a variety of usefultypes of data, but it will also help you to form the types of relationships thatlead to individuals becoming brand advocates because they feel that theyaren’t promoting a brand, but they are also promoting a community

Of course, it is important to keep in mind in these instances that the types

of storytelling that can take place in these scenarios is going to be differentfrom what is possible on other platforms First and foremost, the content thatdisplayed is far less curated, and the various integrations of the format havethe potential to make it more engaging Stories are already overtakingprimary grid activity when it comes to Instagram which means that if youdon't learn how to take advantage of this type of content soon, you will,without a doubt, be left behind

Influencers on the Rise:

Current estimates put the influencer market at a 10 billion dollar per yearindustry by 2020 Millennials and Generation Z, two big audience groups that

will be discussed in a later chapter, are embracing influencers enthusiasticallywhich means if your future marketing plan doesn't include them in someshape or form then you are missing out on a serious potential advertisingavenue Influencers of all types use a wide variety of kinds of storytelling toget their message across which is why their appeal is so universal; there isliterally someone for everybody.

This makes an easy way for brands to reach entire communities that theyotherwise couldn’t all while only working with a single individual or smallgroup of individuals When it comes to choosing the influencers you areinterested in working with it is important to first have an idea of what type ofcontent creation you are interested in focusing on and then go from there.Choosing knowledgeable influencers will make it possible for you toessentially allow them free reign to do whatever it is that they do best.Influencer trends that are on the rise include Instagram Stores that share aunique, immersive experience, a full-spread Instagram grid discussingparticular products and longer-form content in the form of beauty, product orfashion hauls

Courting Controversy

The recent Nike campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick is only the latest

in a line of marketing decisions designed specifically to make waves withconsumers As the issue that Kaepernick so publicly supported is sodecidedly controversial, it doesn't matter what side of that particular issueyou come down on; it is an undeniably bold move on Nike's part

Other major instances of major brands courting controversy in recentyears include Chick-Fil-A expressing their conservative opinion about gaymarriage or the NBA moving a game out of North Carolina to protest a recentstate law that made it easier to discriminate against the LBGTQ community.Likewise, Dick's Sporting Goods stopped selling assault rifles, and CVSPharmacy stopped selling cigarettes, the list goes on and on

What’s interesting about all these examples is how they have bucked thetrend that most brands follow of avoiding controversy at all cost Whileseeking out the comfortable middle ground makes since when trying toappeal to as wide of a base as possible, going hard on a particular issue in an

effort to galvanize support behind the side you favor is increasingly proving

to be a viable strategy as well

First things first, taking a stand shows that your brand stands forsomething and also stands up for what it believes in If you are choosing tostand up for an issue you actually have an opinion on then your choice will beeasy; otherwise you may want to do some market research first and determinewhich side is going to generate the greatest potential return in the long run.Choosing a side shows both sides that you are willing to go to bat for yourbeliefs which generates a net positive amount of good will in the process.There is the potential that it will make everyone consider your brand moretrustworthy and loyal

While this is not to say that you are going to take a stance on every issuethat comes your way, it is important to take a stand now and then becauseotherwise, your brand will gain a reputation as being bland—especially ifyour niche is naturally adjacent to more than one hot-button issue

Another useful fact about the marketing strategy of “taking a stand” isthat it can be used as a means of reinforcing your authority which isdiscussed in detail in a later chapter At the very least it will be a good excuse

to show off how much you know about the topic in question and the comingsand goings of the newsworthy events that might affect your chosen niche Agood example of this would be staying up to date on recent legaldevelopments that have the potential to change how a relevant industryoperates You would then be able to also create your own content weighing in

on the topic and its potential ramifications As long as the topic is researched, it will, at the very least, show that you really know what you aretalking about which is something everyone should be able to respect

well-Now, unfortunately, there are a few downsides when it comes to taking astand on a controversial issue as well, the biggest of which is that you aregoing to lose some business, no matter what It doesn’t matter how minor theissue you chose to take a stand on is, you can guarantee that there are somepeople out there who are willing to put their money where their mouth is onthe issue and abandon your brand regardless of how long they had previouslybeen happy customers

On the other hand, you will find that a portion of the customers that do

stick around are going to feel even more loyal than before As an example,assume you start with 100 people who are slightly positive on your brandbefore you choose your issue Now assuming you don’t choose anythingextremely divisive then you can expect about 20 of those people to be turnedoff by your choice, 20 would become even more in favor of your brand andaround 60 either wouldn’t hear about your choice or wouldn’t care if theydid Essentially the process removes those who might fall off your brand atsome point anyway while also supercharging a core portion of your audience.Frequently, you will gain new support from people that align with yourstance People who were not loyal to your brand before, may become newfaithful customers as a way of throwing their support for a particular stance

on an important issue

After all, controversial topics are controversial specifically becausepeople on both sides believe they are right so passionately that they areunwilling to come to a consensus no matter what This also means that whenanyone researches the topic in question, it is likely that the name of yourbrand will come up as well, providing you with the potential good press for

as long as the issue remains relevant This means that if you are thinkingabout implementing this strategy, you will want to choose a topic that is juststarting to be talked about to ensure you get as much publicity out of yourdecision as possible

Even if the topic you choose to support or oppose doesn’t make themainstream news right away, you will still get some benefit from taking astand if you post about it on your favorite social media platform as it willvirtually guarantee that the space will become a hotbed for discussion on thetopic This will not only serve to make your audience feel more involved, butpeople on both sides of the issue will feel more invested in the brand as aresult

Choosing the right topic can be tricky, especially if the topic you choosestarts off as one thing and then gets co-opted into a cause that you do notbelieve in This is why it is important to screen your topics very carefullybeforehand to make sure that they aren't going to cross any lines that youdon't feel are appropriate Crossing the wrong line can easily spell death forall but the most resilient brands which is why it is important to be aware ofthe types of factors that can make it easier to predict these types of issues

Generally speaking, you are going to want to avoid taking a stand onanything related to a longstanding political debate For example, making abig show about coming out for or against the death penalty isn’t going tomove the needle much in either direction except when it comes to the mostvirulent supporters and defenders on both sides Instead, you may find thatyou get far more traction by tackling a local issue like teacher pay or trafficlaws

Another important guideline is to try and ensure that your business has atleast some tangential connection to the topic you are supporting This doesn’thave to be something that is specific to your chosen niche, but it should besomething you have a personal stake in For example, in the previousexample having a child in the school district would be enough as otherwise,you may not gain as many diehard followers and you end up losing forexpressing the opinion

VR and AR

The biggest paradigm shift on track to come about in this space in regard

to marketing is the potential inherent shift from a 2D to a 3D interface.Facebook and other companies are already working on creating virtual spacesthat respond directly to the spot the user is looking and allowing users tomove about in a three-dimensional space

Facebook is already a pioneer in the virtual space, and it is perhapsunsurprising that content marketing is already being perfected for their space.They are really starting to leverage their strengths especially improvedempathy and presence As an example, rather than a traditional televisioncommercial a car company could make a virtual experience that lasts a fewminutes and accurately create something that mimics what it is like to driveone of their high-end vehicles Likewise, a company that matches purchaseswith donations like Tom's Shoes could create a short documentary that is farmore effective at tugging at the consumer's heartstrings than if the samevideo had simply been shown on television

VR is already proving powerful when it comes to eliciting empathy,reinforcing customer loyalty, funneling in new customers and convertingthose who are only on the fence In much the way social media platforms

changed communication as a whole, VR and AR also have the potential toreinvent the way content, as a whole, is regularly consumed As thesetechnologies are being created, at least in part, with marketers in mind, youcan expect the final product to involve templates that anyone can dropcontent into, regardless of design or coding skills

What makes AR and VR so potentially attractive for many people is itspotential to alter even mundane errands like grocery shopping where thingscan be tracked as users move throughout the store so that brands can offer upspecific incentives for purchase in real time Users are already becomingmore and more used to constant tracking in the form of digital assistants andthe ever-popular FitBit It isn't much of a stretch to take things one stepfurther and ensure all that data is getting to the marketers who can put it togood use

In addition, these innovations will open up ways for an entirely newwave of content creators to make money off of existing content by simplyconverting it to this new format For example, when visiting a new city, atraveler might pull up an AR tour that includes things like videos, languagetranslation services, and geotagged pictures to name a few, all of which will

be prime candidates for their own form of advertising

Facebook is also working on a type of VR for interoffice communicationknown as Facebook at Work The premise of this system is that it will be aclosed loop that is unique to the needs of each enterprise client As mostpeople already have a Facebook account, it is easy to get everyone up andrunning with the service as soon as the platform is integrated into the existingenterprise API for things like voice calls, conferencing, presentations andmore

If this service really takes off, it will mean the end of work laptops andworkstations completely as everything would rely exclusively on eyeweartechnology to work from wherever they happen to be All of their data is thensynced to the cloud, and any typing that would need to be done would happenwith a VR/AR keyboard overlay or from the help of a digital assistant whowill accurately transcribe whatever you dictate The truth is this space is onlynow being explored which means the possibilities are endless for marketerswho get their first

Why You Should Focus on Creating a Brand Rather than

Making Direct Sales

It is understandable that you want to make profits as early and as much

as possible Business owners should be profit-oriented Making direct salesmight give you an instant profit So what happens next? You might notrealize it, but it is entirely possible for stagnation to set in You cannot boast

of a significant improvement because you have adopted the “wash, rinse, andrepeat” system of making direct sales to customers who might not evenincrease in numbers because of the lack of reach Sad song! This is why youshould focus on creating a reputable brand and carving a niche for yourself

A reliable brand is quite instrumental in making companies thrive Benz shall be used as an example of good branding

Mercedes-The Mercedes-Benz Model

Mercedes-Benz is a force to reckon with in the automobile industry It isassociated with speed, luxury, and class Their vehicles might be quiteexpensive, but a lot of people still opt for it In 2018, Mercedes-Benz wasannounced as the highest-selling premium vehicle brand in the universe Ithad sold over 2 million passenger cars

Why People Opt for Mercedes-Benz

Performance: Be it horsepower, top speed, or torque, a Mercedes-Benzvehicle is sure to deliver An average Benz vehicle can go from 0 to 60within four seconds Amazing, yeah? Their cars have amazing handling, fueleconomy, safety-oriented controls, and top-notch entertainment features.Luxury: Slide into a Benz’s seat, and you’ll feel a unique sense ofcomfort and style The upholstery always appears polished and styled in asleek manner

Safety: Did you know that Mercedes-Benz introduced the anti-lockbraking system (ABS) in 1978? Now you do Even before that, the companylaunched the crumple zone in 1951

Excellent customer service: Pick up your phone, and put a call across toany Mercedes-Benz office or service center What you shall get is sheerprofessionalism displayed by their customer relationship managers You can

also walk into their offices and factories, and you shall leave with a greatsense of fulfillment.

How Mercedes-Benz Has Branded Itself

Adverts: For every Benz vehicle that is released, it is accompanied bydetailed adverts, ranging from visual to billboard, social media, andtelevision The company spends vast sums on promoting these adverts in abid to reach a lot of people

Social media: Benz has a broad reach on major social media platforms.Their accounts are laden with insightful and entertaining contents that endearthe brand to people

Collaboration with influencers: Mercedes-Benz has a couple ofinfluencers who include celebrities and famous people A roll call of theseinfluencers includes Roger Federer, Mike Massimino, Susie Wolff, MikeHorn, and a host of others

Sports: Mercedes-Benz uses games as a medium to brand itself Thecompany has been an official patron of the Professional Golfers Association

in America since 2009 It means that they can sponsor tournaments like PGAChampionship, Senior PGA Championship, and Ryder Cup

Fashion: The company is the sponsor of New York’s Fashion Week (itsofficial name is Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week)

Through these media, Mercedes-Benz has been able to turn leads intosales They do not focus much attention on direct sales Instead, they focus onbranding themselves so much that the brand’s name is on everyone’s lips

Takeaways

Affiliate marketing and drop-shipping are similar to each other

Both of them are passive-income mechanisms

Start-ups can employ the use of drop-shipping to test the feasibility oftheir products

Companies should focus on branding rather than making direct sales

Marketing on Facebook

acebook is a great social media platform which is widely used by brandsfor the promotion of their products and services Facebook marketing canhelp you win potential users across the globe It consists of manyconnecting dots that allow the successful creation and execution of acampaign Undoubtedly, Facebook is one of the most casual and easy-to-useplatforms that has given businesses and consumers a chance to interact witheach other People prefer to buy online products instead of visiting stores,after all Thus, entrepreneurs can sell their products to such customers

Successful marketing on Facebook requires a well-drafted social mediastrategy However, there are certain aspects that you should keep in mindbefore jumping into the Facebook marketing campaigns To furtherunderstand the depths of advertising and associated techniques related to it, afurther breakdown has been done to understand the importance of eachfeature separately This will help you in understanding different aspects ofmarketing and branding on Facebook Let’s dig in and see what Facebook has

to offer in 2019 for all the businesses out there

Personal Branding on Facebook

Facebook is a very powerful instrument for personal branding as it hasover 200 million active users Sharing online enables you to build a virtualidentity, which reflects your professional and personal brand Without anyboundaries or restrictions, you can connect with thousands of valuableconnections Nevertheless, managing an online persona is extremely difficult.Without the proper control mechanisms, building a social and professionalimage appears to be nearly impossible

Socrates said 2400 years ago, if you want to gain a reputable image, thenwork hard for what you desire Therefore, personal branding throughFacebook has always been considered as a luxury reserved only for bigentrepreneurs and famous people in the past Now, though, anyone whowants to become popular can use Facebook for personal branding

So, how can you exactly create a personal brand on Facebook in 2019?