September 2019
What Are The Benefits Of The Different Social Media Networks
30/09/19 16:33
Pro's and Con's of the Different Social Networks
As an animal care professional you want to connect with your existing customers. But also gain new customers. Social media is a great way to do both of these. BUT..... with there being so many social media networks. From Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat and more, how do you choose?!
Unless you have lots of time. Or have someone to help you. It’s unlikely you’re going to have the time to manage multiple social media accounts. Top Tip: Don't use the same post info on different networks. As the networks vary it doesn't always translate well from one to another.
Choose the networks that you are going to find it easiest to use. And that you enjoy using! There's people who love animals on all the networks. So any of them will be a potential place for you to build your service and find new customers.
Twitter - Great if you can keep posts short and want to share links, videos or photo's. Plus great search ability so new people can discover you. Cons - you do have less space per post to share, although it IS possible to 'thread' tweets together.
Facebook - Great if you have photo's or video's to share. You can share other things too like links and articles. But video is currently a great way to get engagement on Facebook. Cons - the reach of your posts are usually limited beyond the people who already 'like' your page. Unless you pay for advertising.
Instagram - Great if you have photo's or video's to share. Cons - not good if you want to share links in a post.
LinkedIn - Great for building up a network. This can be of potential customers and peers with similar interests. Cons - not always used to best effect by people BUT it is increasing in its engagement.
What Next…
- If you’re unfamiliar with any of them. Take some time reviewing the different networks and decide what you’d like to make a start with.
- Concentrate on using one well, and then think about using others (if at all).
- It’s important that you enjoy this part of your business, so don’t make it difficult for yourself!
How to Make Your Equine or Canine Business Thrive
Visit https://animal-star-social-media.teachable.com or email me at info @ taranet.co.uk
About The Author
Suzanne Harris is an equestrian and canine entrepreneurial coach and consultant to veterinarians who want to help prevent animals being affected by domestic abuse.
How To Use Hashtags For Your Horse or Dog Care Biz
23/09/19 16:07
What do you think about hashtags?
They can be annoying, they can be helpful - there's definitely good and bad to using hashtags. So how can you know what to use for the best for your social media posts?
Hashtags are useful on several social media platforms. This is because hashtags are a helpful way for people to search for information. In particular hashtags are great on Twitter and Instagram. But they're not so useful on all social media networks. For instance the way Facebook works means hashtags tend to be less helpful on this network.
But knowing what hashtags to use can be confusing. Have you browsed your social media newsfeed, and seen a range of hashtags used? Sometimes you’ll see lots of hashtags on a single post and other times not so many - so what’s right?
Well the simple answer is there is no right way! But……If you use 4 or more hashtags on Twitter it may well come across to the viewer as being ‘spammy’. On Instagram it’s much more acceptable to use many - up to 30 even. But in saying that it’s important to be relevant.
The idea of a hashtag is to make related content from many people easy to find. So if you're searching for say what posts there under ‘horses’. If you start finding content nothing to do with horses, then you’re going to find it irrelevant. And if you’re like me it’s not going to make me want to look at a post that’s nothing to do with what I was looking for. I’m more likely to think what a nuisance!
Here's three top tips for you, before you start adding hashtags to your posts.
Visit https://animal-star-social-media.teachable.com or email me at info @ taranet.co.uk
About The Author
Suzanne Harris is an equestrian and canine entrepreneurial coach and consultant to veterinarians who want to help prevent animals being affected by domestic abuse.
They can be annoying, they can be helpful - there's definitely good and bad to using hashtags. So how can you know what to use for the best for your social media posts?
Hashtags are useful on several social media platforms. This is because hashtags are a helpful way for people to search for information. In particular hashtags are great on Twitter and Instagram. But they're not so useful on all social media networks. For instance the way Facebook works means hashtags tend to be less helpful on this network.
But knowing what hashtags to use can be confusing. Have you browsed your social media newsfeed, and seen a range of hashtags used? Sometimes you’ll see lots of hashtags on a single post and other times not so many - so what’s right?
Well the simple answer is there is no right way! But……If you use 4 or more hashtags on Twitter it may well come across to the viewer as being ‘spammy’. On Instagram it’s much more acceptable to use many - up to 30 even. But in saying that it’s important to be relevant.
The idea of a hashtag is to make related content from many people easy to find. So if you're searching for say what posts there under ‘horses’. If you start finding content nothing to do with horses, then you’re going to find it irrelevant. And if you’re like me it’s not going to make me want to look at a post that’s nothing to do with what I was looking for. I’m more likely to think what a nuisance!
Here's three top tips for you, before you start adding hashtags to your posts.
- Do a bit of research and see what your peers / competitors are using. Will any be relevant to your business? If they are, then consider using them!
- Make a list of hashtags and keep them on your phone or computer so you can re-use them. It can work to your advantage to be consistent. Then people searching under a hashtag will see your posts often.
- Remember some hashtags are more specific to one network. What is used often on Twitter may not work on Instagram, and vice versa.
How to Get Confidence in Using Social Media For Your Equine or Canine Business
Visit https://animal-star-social-media.teachable.com or email me at info @ taranet.co.uk
About The Author
Suzanne Harris is an equestrian and canine entrepreneurial coach and consultant to veterinarians who want to help prevent animals being affected by domestic abuse.
How To Market Your Horse or Dog Care Business Online (#2)
04/09/19 14:43
Hello,
You've got your new website. You now want people to see your website and become your customers. How best should you go about this?
You may think that all your promotion should be online. But first of all, I urge you to look at your offline promotion.
Here are some ideas.
As a horse or dog care professional, your local veterinary practices are a great place to make links. So see if you can leave leaflets or business cards in these vets surgeries. Again I challenge you to make those calls, and go and see at least one vets each week for a month to make connections. OR if you are a veterinary surgeon. Some people you could make links with are saddleries or animal therapists.
What next?
The principles of promoting your website are the same for any business. Don't try to do too much at once. Review what you're currently doing. Concentrate on one or two of the above points, for the next month or 2. Test, test and test again is a good method to help you get it right. So review.
Visit https://animal-star-social-media.teachable.com or email me at info @ taranet.co.uk
About The Author
Suzanne Harris is an equestrian and canine entrepreneurial coach and consultant to veterinarians who want to help prevent animals being affected by domestic abuse.
You've got your new website. You now want people to see your website and become your customers. How best should you go about this?
You may think that all your promotion should be online. But first of all, I urge you to look at your offline promotion.
So what can you do offline to help promote your equine or canine website?
Here are some ideas.
- Leaflets - do you have leaflets advertising your business? It can seem unnecessary. But there are a lot of shops about. You may want to have a trade stand at shows/events. Having leaflets means people have something to take away. Be sure to include your website, telephone, email and any social media details on these.
- Business cards - these are useful to pin on noticeboards. As there's not so much space on a card, add your website and phone number. Most equestrian or country stores have buy/sell noticeboards. Some want you to add your details onto a standard card. But you can pin a business card onto one, or sometimes put your business card onto the board. I challenge you to find at least one noticeboard each week for a month in a different store.
As a horse or dog care professional, your local veterinary practices are a great place to make links. So see if you can leave leaflets or business cards in these vets surgeries. Again I challenge you to make those calls, and go and see at least one vets each week for a month to make connections. OR if you are a veterinary surgeon. Some people you could make links with are saddleries or animal therapists.
- Company vehicle. If you use a car/van specifically for your business. Have you got your name and website name on it? This can be a simple and effective way to get your business found.
Online ideas for you to promote your horse or dog care business website.
- How well optimised is your website? Search engine optimisation as is often titled, is a large subject. But a well organised website with great content is a good start. Appropriate use of keywords is vital. For instance. Are you offering a dog care business? Then ensure your keywords relate to dogs and what you're doing. This is simplistic. But irrelevant keywords can actually do your website more harm than good.
- Social media profiles - Do your social media business profiles include your website? If not, add the domain name in now!
- Social media posts - Promote your website in your posts.
- Online directories. There are many directories online. For many different subjects. This includes lots of dog related directories, or horse related ones. Some make you pay for listing. Others are free. But one could be useful for you.
- Google adwords. There are of course many other search engines. But Google remains the leader. Paying to promote your website to the top of listings, can seem an easy way to get your site found. But it's also possible to spend a lot of money with out much result. So plan your campaign. Use carefully selected keywords and phrases.
What next?
The principles of promoting your website are the same for any business. Don't try to do too much at once. Review what you're currently doing. Concentrate on one or two of the above points, for the next month or 2. Test, test and test again is a good method to help you get it right. So review.
How to Make Your Equine or Canine Business Thrive
Visit https://animal-star-social-media.teachable.com or email me at info @ taranet.co.uk
About The Author
Suzanne Harris is an equestrian and canine entrepreneurial coach and consultant to veterinarians who want to help prevent animals being affected by domestic abuse.