Social Media Platforms: What You Need to Know

In today's marketing world there are over 100 Social Media platforms for businesses. In yesterday's marketing world, it was considered "legitimate" to be on as many as you could and then post the icon on your website to come off as "socially active." Well, as the amount of platforms grew, business owners became tired of keeping up with each platform's offering and users quickly flocked to the sites that met their needs the most.

This is why, as a business, it's important to decide what you NEED to be active on and what you can be active on.


NEED:

Facebook- obviously Facebook is the number one site that everyone is bound to have, which is why it is the number one site your business needs to be listed on. We say it all the time, "Social Media isn't going anywhere," but Facebook is literally making it's way to compete with Google. In the near future, Facebook will be the search engine for the younger generation. When they are looking for your business, they won't be looking to Google for results, they will be searching in Facebook.

Twitter- to us, this is the "hipster" cousin of Facebook. Users who have a Twitter account probably do not have a Facebook, or have abandoned it due to it's "mainstream personality." So, businesses also need a Twitter because you are marketing to a completely different audience. An audience you wouldn't otherwise reach.

Instagram- this platform has proven to be so successful because a picture is worth a thousand words. For businesses, that means brand recognition. When your hashtags are used correctly and your photo is appeasing, your brand is reaching a broad range of customers without putting any effort into selling it to them. And we all know how important brand recognition is.

www.TheSocialMovement.com

 

Happy Holidays from The Social Movement!

However you choose to celebrate the season, The Social Movement wishes you a warm, safe and #social Holiday! 

www.TheSocialMovement.com

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The Social Movement: Holiday Grocery Giveaway

Wouldn't it be nice to win free groceries? 🎄

The Holidays are here and we're in the giving spirit! Enter our giveaway for a chance to win a $100 gift card to King Soopers, all you have to do is...

1. Follow us 
2. Tag 2 friends in the comments section of this post

It's that easy 😉 The winner will be announced on December 18th at 12:00 PM.

‪

#‎TSMGiveaway‬

Follow The Social Movement on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more giveaways all year long!

What to do in Denver: Ideas to Get You in The Holiday Spirit

It's a Friday night in Denver and you don't have plans for the weekend. Consider one of our ideas and really experience Denver and what it has to offer this holiday season.

1.  Parade of Lights          December 4th at 8:00 PM and December 5th at 6:00PM

Put on by local station 9NEWS, the Parade of Lights is an annual event that has been a Denver tradition for 41 years. This event is free and fun for the whole family. At the heart of downtown, be sure to pick a few restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and bars to stop in along the way of the parade to grab authentic food and warm up!

2.  Prost Brewing Company            Open most of the day- check weekend hours

This one of a kind, authentic German style brewery is right outside of the Highlands neighborhood and across I-25 from Downtown Denver. Friday, December 4th is Prost's release party of their seasonal Doppelbock Bier. This is perfect opportunity to try something different as well as stock up on great gift ideas to share the experience with your friends.

3.  Ski and Snowboard

It's that time of the year again where most, if not all, of the resorts have opened in Colorado! And if it's something you have never tried before, you will want to get up there before it gets miserably cold. This weekend couldn't be any better and for all the insights and tips from friendly locals, stop by The Kine Mine in Idaho Springs, whether or not you're interested in their product!


Be sure to follow The Social Movement on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram fro great Colorado and Denver news, events, and entertainment!

                  
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#DemisHolidayShowdown: Local Animal Rescue Saving Animals Through the Month of December

#GivingTuesday may have been yesterday but one local animal rescue is hoping to expand the generosity of others through the whole month of December. And what better way to make a fundraiser a little more interesting than by adding some friendly competition?

Demi's Animal Rescue has been saving the lives of animals for many years and has made large strides in bringing Colorado closer to being a no kill state. Demi Merritt, founder and owner of Demi's Animal Rescue, has been advocating for animals since the age of 14 and has since grown her registered 501c(3) non profit organization with the help of her 4 board members- April Merritt, Jessica Roeger, Kaylee Walters, and Aimee Wright.

Check out Demi's Animal Rescue's creative fundraising event, #DemisHolidayShowdown,  going on the entire month of December and help save the lives of so many deserving animals this holiday season!

‘Tis the Season!

We are excited to spice up ‪#‎GivingTuesday‬ and the holiday season this year with some friendly competition!!

Because we like to go big around here, we are turning our Giving Tuesday campaign into an entire holiday season contest! Starting on Giving Tuesday and running through December 31st, Demi's passionate and competitive board members will be participating in ‪#‎DemisHolidayShowdown‬. Each board member will be heading up their own team and will compete to gain the most supporters!

The board member who has raised the most money for Demi's as of midnight on Decemeber 31st will be deemed the winner! All donors who joined their team will receive a Demi’s Animal Rescue sticker and one lucky donor from the winning team will win a $50.00 Cheesecake Factory gift card!

To donate, simply visit our donation page at www.demisanimalrescue.com/donate Be sure to include which team you are joining in the memo! After you login to Paypal, click on "Add special instructions to the seller" to add a memo!

You may also turn donations in to any board members.

Join in on the fun and help recruit others to the team of your choice - there are no rules or limitations on how you can encourage friends to join your team! Let the games begin! #DemisHolidayShowdown

#SmallBusinessSaturday: Support Your Local Colorado Businesses!

Don't forget that #SmallBusinessSaturday is this week, November 28th, 2015! This is a yearly opportunity to help support your local, small businesses that give back to the economy in a big way. Just as large corporations partake in Black Friday deals, there is a good chance that your neighborhood brick and mortar businesses reward their customers with #SmallBizSaturday specials as well! 

Remember, your participation not only strengthens your community but the business owners too, who throughly enjoy what they do and proves that their hard work pays off. 

Just ask our friend, Jessica Hogan, owner of Living Canvas Tattoo, that was recently featured in the Columbine Courier, a local newspaper in South Jefferson County. Read her article below on why she loves owning her own business and what sets her apart as a small tattoo shop. 

Labor Day profiles: ‘Those people are in need of your help’ | ColumbineCourier.com

The Social Movement is a proud supporter of Colorado's local businesses and appreciates all of the support we have received from small businesses too. It has been an honor to be a part of your team! Also, check out Keep Colorado Local, a group who is standing against out-of-state corporations who are interested in allowing all chain grocer and convenience stores to sell local, craft alcohol. 

Tricks That Are Bad For Your Company's Social Media!

Don't be fooled by the other Social Media Marketing Companies and their bad tricks!

Organic Growth is the Best Type of Growth

We will not purchase you likes or engagement for your pages. Often times Social Media companies will do this to grow your pages faster but these purchased likes are usually in other countries, and often times they are fake or spam accounts. These hurt your engagement to follower ratio which is horrible for post reach. Getting carried away with Facebook ads can even hurt reach in the long run. Growing your Social Media mostly Organically requires more work and patience, but your followers will be quality, and actual potential customers for years to come. It does no good for a business page to have incredible engagement from people so far away they would never be a customer. Don't ruin the page's performance for the future...do it right the first time. The Social Movement is here to help!

Social Media Marketing: How Often do I Need to Post on Facebook?

Consistency in Social Media plays a large role in how successful your presence is on your platforms. How often you post, when you post, and what you post all affects how many of your followers actually see what you're putting out there. The Social Movement's Vice President, Scott Merritt, has learned a few things when it comes to the perfect post problem. Here is a helpful insight when you and your business ask, "how much do I need to post on Facebook to succeed?"

"The Facebook algorithm is a tricky, ever evolving thing to battle. Gone are the days where all of your followers see your Facebook posts. Your posts may only reach 1-3% of your followers, unless you do things the algorithm appreciates, which will allow your posts to reach more potential customers. Posting everyday is essential because it gets your brand out as much as possible, and also because consistency is one of the keys to the Facebook algorithm. Posting to much though, is recognized as trying to hard and your reach will be pulled back. We find that the sweet spot is 1-3 posts a day for Facebook to both satisfy the algorithm and to keep people informed without being annoying. Keep in mind the content will stay fresh, and also that the group of people that saw your morning post may somewhat differ from the grouping of people who are served your evening post. The algorithm is always changing. Not only do you not have the time to keep up with how the algorithm evolves, you don't have the time to post that often and make it effective at the same time. You can't just post. You have to post the "right way" to satisfy the algorithm, and we know how."

Scott Merritt, Vice President, The Social Movement

Consistency is key, but is 365 days a year to much posting? Can I really keep up with the algorithm to make my Facebook page succeed? Well good news! If you ever find yourself struggling to keep up with your Social Media and all the other tasks that business owners face on a daily basis, then The Social Movement is here to help. We're the experts on Social Media and it's our job to keep up with all the changes to keep your Social Media platforms not only successful but personalized to your business.

Tips for Social Media Marketing- Helpful Tips When Looking for Help

As Social Media grows, so does our competition. But we're not worried. We welcome a little competition. Why? Because we're different and we want everyone to know it! The Social Movement prides itself on managing Social Media pages that are customized and unique to your business. We not only want our clients to be "in the know," but every business owner that is seeking Social Media Management help. Here is the helpful and honest tip of the week when looking for the right Social Media Marketing company:

Beware of "Posting Companies!" We are much more than that. This is real marketing! 

Beware of the many "posting companies" out there that will cue up a single post for dozens of their clients within the same industry, to be posted at the same time with the exact same content and caption. They are in essence creating matching pages even though the businesses differ greatly. This is something we would never do! We spend the time on each of our clients pages to make them unique, and to promote and portray your brand image the way it should be. 

#JointheMVMT #TSMtip

www.TheSocialMovement.com

Check out The Social Movement on Thumbtack, Inc. - Social Media Marketing Services in Denver

Check out our feature on Thumbtack, Inc.! 

Thumbtack, Inc. is a great way to connect people looking for specific services to business owners in one easy step! The Social Movement appreciates the feature!

Thumbtack Spotlight

Social Media Marketing Services

Provided by: The Social Movement

Building Roads Through Social Media

What do you love about your job?

Being in Social Media Marketing, creativity is everything! The trends, algorithms, breaking news, viral videos, etc. are always changing, and to be successful, it's our job to stay on top these things. Every day, it is something different; it is constantly changing and evolving. We make sure we give the followers what they want to see while successfully marketing our client's business. It's an exciting challenge to prove to businesses how important being active in social media is in today's world.

What or who inspired you to start your own business?

We wanted to be a part of something that is on the rise. A lot of businesses, especially local, either they lack the time or knowledge to use social media effectively. As a result, they either chose not to utilize it at all or end up overpaying for it. We wanted to be able to look out for the "little guys" and offer affordable, reliable, completely personalized Social Media Marketing.

Describe your most memorable project.

One of our clients has been with us for quite some time. When you get to see their company expanding and are able to physically show them the success and growth of their Social Media, it's exciting. When we started with them, they were just opening their second location. Now, they have four locations and are a really well-known, established business in their industry. It's great to be able to grow with our clients and become a part of their team! We always say, We don't succeed unless you do!

#SundayFunday in Denver: Things To Do This Weekend

What are your plans for #SundayFunday? The Social Movement has a few recommendations that might help you finish out the weekend and summer strong! Being a Denver based company powered by a team of Colorado natives, we have a few suggestions that will take advantage of the warm weather before the fall temperatures roll through and the work week starts.

1.  Brunch

The only true way to start a Sunday off right, is to start it off with brunch. You can enjoy bottomless mimosas on the rooftop of The Tavern, or create your own bloody mary with the extensive options at Teller’s Tap Room. Denver is well known for it’s diverse and unique food scene with some great patio vibes.

2.   Appreciate Denver

Exploring Denver’s festivals, fairs, events, and random places is never boring.  No matter how long you have lived in Denver there is always something new to do. Stroll down South Broadway and treasure hunt in the row of Antique stores or spend the day in Civic Center Park during Labor Day weekend and enjoy the annual tradition of The Taste of Colorado. With a little creativity and research, the possibilities of are endless.

3.   Enjoy the Mountains

Sunday or even weekend trips to the mountains are a must for the end of summer If you don't mind traveling a little further, visit Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, and Vail resorts for fun shopping and great food. Hike up to Maroon Bells in Aspen and get unbeatable pictures of the beautiful scenery.  

4.  Catch a Concert

Want to stay close to Denver but get out of the city? Morrison is the perfect spot to get a taste of the “mountain scene” without having to travel far. And of course, it is the home to one of the best concert venues, Red Rocks. Whatever your taste in music, Red Rocks has a great concert lineup on Sundays through the end of September including Mad Decent Block Party, O.A.R., Twenty One Pilots, and a few more. 

5. Bronco Bonus

All you have to be is a football fan to appreciate the Bronco’s. We say this because we are die hard fans but even a rival can have a good time in any sports bar watching the Broncos play… preseason or not!

VIDEO: Why you need Social Media for your business, and why The Social Movement is the right choice!

Check out our new video!

Running Social Media effectively for your business is a full-time job. The Social Movement is here to save you money and time. It is our goal to learn about your brand identity, so that we can accurately represent your business. 

You won't find more personalized Social Media management in Denver. Your current and future customers are on Social Media; let us find them. By posting multiple times a day on different social platforms, we maximize the amount of people seeing your name and logo. Stop wasting money on expensive and out-of-date marketing techniques. Social Media allows you to engage with followers, build brand loyalty and get more customers through your door. Call us today, so we can get started tomorrow! 

#JoinTheMVMT

www.TheSocialMovement.com

Rant Alert! :)

The Social Movement has compiled a small rant list of things that we find annoying about Social Media. I think a lot of you can relate…

1. Oversharing. Whether it’s personal or business related, oversharing is a quick way to get unfriended. Your friends do not want to hear the endless rants about your job, relationship, and overall life. And your followers definitely do not want to hear about your business’ daily specials in 30 minute post intervals. If you cant say what you need to say in a maximum of 3 posts a day, maybe it’s not important.
2. Invitations. We’re mostly talking about game invitations, but an excessive use of any invitation can get irritating. Luckily, Facebook has a feature of how you can block such invitations from reaching you, but who wants to put in the 4 step effort? On the other hand, do we mind if you send all of your friends a suggestion to “like” their page? Of course not, we do it all the time. But if not all of your friends jump at your suggestion, it’s safe to say they don’t want to, so sending it again and again and again is just being pushy. Instead, give your page a shout out using your status…just don’t overshare.
3. Grammatical Errors. In a world where we have automatic grammatical corrections, why are there still misspelled words in posts? We just wish people would consider taking a quick test to learn the proper usage of there, their, and they’re. 
4. Constant Updates. Facebook, especially, changes CONSTANTLY. We’re not the type of Company that’s afraid of change, but when FB makes a change and a few weeks later makes another change to fix the change because people didn't like the first change… we’re just as confused as you are. 
5. Math Problems. We are calling you out Instagram! Why are pictures dated in weeks? It isabsolutely frustrating to have to pull out a calendar to remember when a specific picture was taken. Just why?
6. Repetition. The same selfie pose, the same picture of your baby as yesterday, the same status update about your life woes, the same desperate attempt for attention. We got it the first day and we don't need a repeat.
7. Hashtag Abuse. When hashtags first became a “thing,” they were intended for pointing out a keyword or trend to ultimately be used by others searching the same hashtag. This means, it is unacceptable to insert a hashtag in front of a sentence. Enough said.
8. Just Complicated. We genuinely feel bad for newbies in the Social Media world because if we didn't make it our career to specialize in all the cracks and crevices of Social Media, we would be lost. Exhibit A: Twitter. Taking a first look at Twitter, it is overloaded with keyboard symbols, highlighted words, and links.  It takes time to train your brain to read through a post without having to stop and decipher what something means. Remember, you will get used to it after a while!

To be fair, we are probably guilty of more than one of these Social Media infractions and in hindsight, we all mean well. Everyone needs to rant sometimes :)

Happy Friday!!!

Putting a Price on Marketing

How to Put a Price on Marketing…

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that when you have a business, no matter what it is, advertising your business is important and a key factor in keeping a business alive.

There are over 101 ways to market your business and to do it successfully is, no doubt, a full time job. By now, whether you have just started your company or have been in the industry for years, you have realized that the “monster of all marketing” in today’s world is Social Media.

Social Media Marketing is not only important, it’s necessary. And if you haven’t been to our website yet, it can (and in most cases should be) outsourced. Isn’t it also the wave of the future to outsource everything anyways… that’s another post for another day.

But we have already gone over what you should be doing on your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and how The Social Movement can help. But how much should it cost? How much should you pay for Social Media Marketing?

I will start with what you “shouldn’t” pay for. I say “shouldn’t” because if this is what you focus on and think that the more money you throw at it, the more successful it will be, you may be very disappointed. Im talking about SEO: Search Engine Optimization. You can pay a large amount of money for SEO but guess what? So does everyone else. Explain this- if you and 5 million of your competitors are paying the same amount of money to be at the top of Google, when anyone searches for something relevant to your business, who will really be on top? Who will even really be in the top 10? I don’t have an answer for you, nor do I have the secret to being an SEO master. What I do have is my proven observation of how having a successful, complete, and consistent Facebook page improves SEO. Using trending hashtags improves SEO. Being a Social Media master improves SEO. I’m not saying that SEO isn’t important to a business, just be careful of what you are paying for vs. what you expect your results to be.

And that holds true in all aspects of marketing; what you are paying for vs. what you expect the results to be. The second piece to this math problem; how much you pay for outsourcing vs. what you would pay a full time employee. For example, The Social Movement (the outsource) is $500.00 per month. That breaks down to roughly $100.00 per week. Divide that by 5 working days, that’s $20.00 per day. Divide that by an 8 hour work day, that’s $2.50 per hour. Obviously you can’t hire a full time employee to manage your Facebook for $2.50 an hour. That’s illegal. 

“If I outsource, what will the quality of work be?” “Is The Social Movement really going to increase my Social Media presence?” With marketing, it’s important to remember, quantity does not always equal quality. To feel comfortable with hiring a Marketing company, you need to analyze what they are promising and what is really realistic. It would be hard for an SEO Company to promise your business one of the top 3 spots on Google and actually deliver. But know this, anything Social Media related can be tracked, and analytic reports are crucial in looking at where your business was and how far it has come. Any marketing company that is confident in their service, will have no problem showing you the results of hiring them. At least, The Social Movement has no problem doing that ;)

So how do you put a price on Marketing? Just like any other business decision. You look at the benefits and the cost. You research what you will be paying for. You feel confident with the choice you made by analyzing the results. And just like The Social Movement’s clients, you realize how necessary Social Media Marketing is and how reassuring it is that you have a company that will take care of it for you.

Happy Birthday America!

On July 4th, 1776, America claimed their independence from Britain and it would forever be a day where Americans nationwide would celebrate! From parades and BBQ’s, to grand firework displays and epic light shows, America knows how to throw a party.  Of course, in the grand scheme of things, we are all lucky to live in the land of the free, but what about how lucky we are to live in one of the best states ever, Colorado.

Colorado is never short on festivity options and with one short weekend so jammed packed with events, parades, and scenic camping, its never easy to make a decision on what to do and where to do it. 

Denver, for example, not only has a great bar scene, but a couple huge firework displays that you can enjoy without paying for the ticket to Coors Field or Sports Authority Field. If you're the type that would rather spend their money on a bar tab, this will require a little more placement strategy, as the best views from the bars and restaurants fill up fast hours prior to the sun going down. 

Mountain getaways are always a popular choice for the Fourth of July weekend and a great way to escape the busy social crowds. Similar to the best bar views, campsites also go quickly and are primarily booked months in advance. If you can find a nice spot, near a lake, that puts on a great firework show, than I am envious of you and you should make it the best weekend of your life.

Now, maybe you don’t have the skills or knowledge to go on an adventurous camping trip. Maybe you would rather not deal with the extremely “lively” bunch of Denver bar hoppers. No need to be discouraged of the overcrowded “hot spots” in this beautiful state. There is a long list of “in between” activities for you to take advantage of. The Greeley Stampede, Bandimere Speedway, or an old fashioned neighborhood block party are all very low key options to show off your patriotism. 

Whatever you decide to do, it’s important to stay safe and of course, stay social. We cant wait to see all of the great firework pictures, the friends and family posts, and overall marketing of America and how great it is! 

Happy Birthday America from The Social Movement!

Social Media isn't all about the amount of followers you have.

How many likes or followers do you have on your page?

Does it matter? Sure it does.
Does it matter as much as you think it may? Probably not.

Facebook algorithms are an ever changing, ever evolving mess of semi-unpredictable rules that govern how many people are seeing your Facebook posts.
Your posts are probably reaching about 10% of your followers. The days of posting something that all of your followers can see are long gone, and most likely are never coming back. It is a pay to play game now, unless you are like us, and can get incredibly creative.

If your posts only reach a fraction of your followers, why does everyone look at your number of followers first?


Here at the Social Movement, one of the many things we specialize in, is posting ENGAGING content, aka content that people Like, Comment, and Share with.

If the post goes to roughly 10% of your followers, but he likes it, she comments on it, and her friend shares it, then the post will open up to all of their networks and REACH will drastically go up. (The amount of people that see your posts, in other words, your logo).

Many people that run their own Social Media for their business are completely unaware that a simple business post every so often isn't reaching anyone new. They wonder why they do not grow followers. Unless you are getting people to ENGAGE with your posts, your reach, and followers for that matter will never accelerate.

We love to study analytics, and when we do, we love to focus on expanding reach first, and then the followers will.... well,.. follow.

The problem with posting more creative, engaging content, (along with your business content of course) is that you have to go find it or create it. Finding and creating this content is a FULL TIME JOB! This is where we come in. That is why we are here. That is how we can help.

Hire us, The Social Movement.
Taking the time to search for the content necessary to growing a page is just one of the many things we do that will benefit your company.

Social Media Marketing is so much more than other forms of Marketing, but with the same principle. The more people that see your logo, and are aware of you and what you offer = more people that consider you when making a purchase decision.

The Social Movement + Your business + Engaging content = More people being aware of your business = More people considering to purchase from you = More $$$ in your pocket.

Hire us to run your Social Media. You will be ecstatic you did!

TheSocialMovement.com    303-557-2399

Drone Me.

Drone Me.

Our Social Media Manager Trey was the first one in the office to buy a #Drone. He couldn't put it down. Trey would fly his drone around the office till we were cold from the mini ac unit buzzing around our heads, and then we would hear the next day about how he went home to fly his drone in his apartment, and while walking his dog. #DroneLife.

Drone this. Drone that. Drone replacement parts. Drone orders. Drone kits. Drone maintenance table at home. Drone, drone, drone. He flew it in the morning, day, and night. Then he ordered more drones...

It didn't take long for us to want to try it and get better at flying his drone. So we tried, and failed. Easier than it looks for sure. Crash. Crash. "You got it, you got it!" Crash. Then, we ordered ours. More drones. Drone this, drone that. Drone flights. Drone crashes. Drone maintenance. Drone charging. Drone better. Drone me.

Find our drone videos on our Facebook page to see our drone progress.

www.facebook.com/TheSocialMVMT

Where to start with our new blog?

A blog...

Where to start with our new blog?

Have we ever blogged before? Maybe.. Maybe not. 

We can blog about Social Media. We can write about how we do it, or how we can do it for you. 

We can write about why we think you need it. Or why others think you need it. We can try to convince you that effective Social Media Marketing is a viable way to bring more potential customers in the door by making people more aware of what you do, and how you do it. We can try to sell you on the fact that we can increase your reach dramatically so people who have never seen your logo...will in fact see your logo... a lot.  Along with plenty of added information about your company such as deals, pictures, links, contests, staff bios, and entertaining and relevant content that real people can engage with. We can blog about that. 

We can blog about all of us here at the MVMT being huge foodies. We love food. We love trying new food, and we love having the food we already know is good. We love to talk about it. We take pictures of it. We can't get enough of it. We eat out... a lot. The food scene in Denver is on fire, and we love to pour more gasoline. We can blog about that. 

We can blog about sports. We love sports. We love watching them, talking about them, and betting on them. "Do you play fantasy?", one may ask... "Are you a back to back fantasy champ"?, is what our response might be. We also love The Fan so we can hear other people talk about sports, off season or not. We like sports... a lot. We can blog about that. 

We can blog about the local happenings in Denver. Always so much going on. Conventions, events, campaigns, celebrations, special interests, fundraisers, meet ups and anything else that goes on. We love where we are from and we love sharing it, talking about it, and being a part of it. There is always something going on in our beautiful city. We will keep it broad and try not to get tunnel vision, but some of them surely will be about food... a lot. 

I am sure we will find plenty to blog about... 

The Social Movement