SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING AGENCY
UNIQUE ONLINE MARKETING APPROACH THAT'S AFFORDABLE
This is going to be a weird way to lead out on an article on social media marketing, but we don't normally have to do a lot of it...why?
We've always focused heavily on organic SEO, most notably, Google. And with that being said, MOST of our clients fill their calendars through their SEO-optimized website and Google Business Profile.
What that means is you rarely have to pull out your wallet for any additional social media advertising at all.
The main reason we do most of our social media marketing is for a couple reasons.
- It's a brand new business getting started. SEO takes a bit of time, normally, before it starts maturing and producing a lot of calls. This can vary by markets, depending on competition levels. Sometimes it only takes a few months to start making that phone ring consistently. Other times, it may take a bit longer. Either way, effective social media marketing ads can help "fill the gap" before the SEO really kicks in and takes over.
- It's a really large business, with a huge demand for leads that often can't always be filled by SEO. This is rare, honestly, but I have seen it from time to time.
UNFORTUNATE TRUTH ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING COMPANIES
The unfortunate thing about advertising these days, is often social media agencies will take up to 50% of the spend, I've even seen more. So in simple math terms, if you have $1000/month ad budget, often only half it is actually going towards your advertising and the social media agency pockets the rest. And you'd be surprised how often I run into situations where they don't even know it.
Are you running ads now? How much are you paying an agency to manage them? If you don't know the 2nd answer, you may be shocked when you get that answer.
We normally simply charge a flat fee to setup and mange MOST of our ad campaigns. Truth is, usually after a month of so of running the ads and checking the stats, you can dial in the ad's effectiveness rather quickly.
However, there are some companies that have larger social media advertising budgets and also require constant changing of creatives.
CONSISTENT SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING POSTS RARELY FAIL WHEN DONE RIGHT
The goal besides obviously making your phone ring, is to keep a constant funnel of leads coming without you having to deal or worry about it. Some companies are simply too busy and that's why they outsource with a social media marketing agency to begin with (and we have many of those clients).
AND the important part about social media marketing is making it all work together harmoniously, and consistently.
And we often "coach" our web marketing clients so they can empower themselves to do the organic side of posting "in-house" when possible (depending on the company and niche).
In fact, the normal route we teach takes about 2-3 minutes and THAT'S IT! Not only will it cover all the socials necessary, but it'll integrate it naturally into your website (doesn't look like some copy/pasted widget).
So you're able to keep your social media marketing up-to-date as well as your website, all while basically doing nothing.
And the results? We track EVERY phone call from our websites AND Google Business Profile, so you can see in a glance clearly if their online marketing is working, or not.
"Chris is awesome! He knows his stuff when it comes to websites and bringing customers to your site. He is genuinely interested in helping your business succeed. And for those that are in the hunting industry, he also has a great understanding of the industry which is an added bonus to creating and maintaining a website that helps you succeed."
Mick Hanan - Prairie Tornado Outfitters
Social Media Done Differently
I know you've seen the "boring" posts for businesses that you KNOW were simple copy/paste with stock photos on social media. You can tell by the flatness that it came from a media agency without knowledge of that industry.
We do things a bit differently here at Flyway Media. Each and every post or ad we create is designed for optimal engagement rates. Leads, sales, phone calls, etc. are all the goals depending on the clients' needs.
We make the process seamless with our social media marketing clients. We organize and schedule ahead for a fluent and well-designed social media presence. All posts on social media are NOT created equal...
We’ve been creating engaging social media posts for 15 years. We're good at it and the it shows by the results.
The focus on each and every social media client is unique. The target markets differ, and different social media platforms may make sense for one business, while different apps for others.
In the end, it's really all about ROI. If you're going to spend and put emphasis on your social media marketing approach, you may as well do it right from the start.
Combining Social Media Platforms
The typical 1-2-3 combo that works very well in many industries, is Instagram/Facebook/Website. This is targeting generally an older crowd, with a balance of old/young demographics on IG. Of course, this isn't the only social media to target, far from it. But most of our clients fall into an older demographic, so we'll start there.
Facebook Ads Marketing Agency
Like Facebook or not, it's where the "old peeps" hang out. I'm a regular Facebook user myself, so I get it (and yes, I'm old).
The best part about Facebook is it's a great way to "stick your toe in the pool" for smaller budgets. But don't get me wrong, it's not only for small budgets, far from it. It also depends on what the engagement goal for the post or ad.
And it's customizable in so many ways. You can drill down the demographics based on location (city/county/state/country), interests, age, etc. In other words, you can be as specific as you want.
And best of all, you can do it on any sized budget, depending on the volume forecasted.
Take this recent client performance below. This is for a big contractor in a competitive market. So to get 50 calls in a month, at $34.53/call...to them it's a bargain! Considering their margins, it's really almost meaningless for the projects it produces.
Facebook Advertising for Small Businesses
As you saw in the previous Facebook Ads screenshot, you can really use your revenue properly to convert new leads and projects. But what if you're a small business on a budget? Really no problem! The key is to make every impression count. By that I mean really drilling down on the demographics and geographics for the optimal customer to be interested.
For example, we do a lot of Facebook advertising for new fishing charters and hunting outfitters. Normally, it's only about 3 months where it's necessary to fill the gap before the SEO kicks in. So in that time, the last thing you need is to throw away a lot of money on wasted advertising. Believe it or not, you can get a pretty decent run for as little as $10-15/day. Obviously the more you spend, the better the rates but from a 101 perspective...it's really not a bad investment.
In other words, you don't need to spend thousands of dollars each month to get leads. All you need is the right campaign that is super-tailored to your niche. For example, see a recent campaign that just ended for a new client.
This is a new hunting outfitter just getting started. For just over $500 for a month run, and the results are pretty transparent. And yes, he did book a bunch of hunts out of those 58 calls, with some even still deciding. For his margins, this is a great campaign, and at the end of the day, making your phone ring is something we're good at here at Flyway Media.
More often than not, we find that clients want PHONE CALLS more than anything as stated earlier. Anyone that knows anything about sales knows it all starts with a phone call. From there, you sell your value.
With that being said, we usually do 2 main campaigns for our Facebook Marketing Ads.
- A Facebook ad that targets certain niches, ages, and at times, geographics.
- Run a local-based Facebook ad that doesn't go beyond their physical reach.
Yes, there are a lot of other ways to advertise on Facebook, we usually stick with what we know works and produces a lot of leads for the right price.
Combining Social Media Platforms
As you know, there are A LOT of social media apps and platforms out these days. The key is choosing the right social media(s) that match your niche.
As stated earlier, we work with a lot of companies in hunting & fishing. And usually, it's the "older" guys that tend to book the most trips. So with that being said, would a TikTok social media campaign make sense??? Probably not... At least, I don't know many older people spending much if any time on that app.
So the first thing when looking into Social Media marketing and advertising is ensuring you're in the right place. Then, it's all about getting the right ad in front of the right people. Seems obvious but you'd be shocked how often that 101 is overlooked in the marketing world.
But I will say, we do advertising on Facebook more often then not for the simple reason I mentioned earlier. We deal with older-aged niches. And us old farts love our Facebook. ;-)
In the end, it all comes down to making your phone ring for the right price.
Instagram Advertising & Posting
Instagram is a bit of a different animal than their counterpart of Meta, Facebook.
Historically, it's a younger crowd there. It's the place where you'll find young individuals doing stupid stuff and somehow get rich off it. Whether or not you agree or disagree with the validity, influencers are here to stay (at least for now).
But as the years have gone by, it has become a staple for most companies and businesses looking to capitalize on their social media presence and marketing. And with that, comes a good amount of middle-aged individuals.
So your experience with IG really boils down to how you engage with it, and who you follow to determine your feed. So your goal is, of course, to engage with individuals on their feeds. So how does one do that?
Historically, it all comes down to quality photography. Taking a picture that stands out, if you will. But it's becoming more frequently used to send a message, as well. And like it's sister, Facebook, having a regular presence and engaging with your customers can win them in the end.
Integrating Social Media Into Your Website
When it's all said and done, the beauty of us managing your social media marketing is we will balance out the updates on your website. This allows you to keep your website up-to-date and fresh, while not having to lift a finger.
People have come to expect it nowadays, so why give them stale content?
Normally, the process works like this with the social media mentioned and the website.
Post to Instagram ---> Auto-Appears on Facebook Business Page ---> Shows up on your Website
From there, it really comes down to how we want it to look and function. For example, some clients will prefer not to type much text on Instagram, if any at all. That's fine, and when that's the case, it'll function so colors/fonts/etc. match the web design project.
Or, if you'd prefer to add text, we can certainly integrate as well and make it display well on your website. Some of our clients such as fishing charters or hunting outfitters will use this as their "reports" section. This way, you spend a few minutes on Instagram and it ends up doing A LOT of work for you. Here is an example of this:
Social Media Marketing Platforms to Choose From
Again, I can't stress enough that there are other socials you can focus on, as well. It really comes down to your niche and ensuring it matches the niche on the app.
Marketing on LinkedIn
We do have some clients that do very well through LinkedIn as well. If you're not aware, LinkedIn is more of a business social media where it focuses more on that side than personal. But that doesn't mean you can't make your mark there. But be aware, you will get spammed, A LOT.
X or "Twitter" Branding
X, formally known as "Twitter", is another option for some. Historically, it's a place to voice opinions, more than brand. But that doesn't mean you cannot get business there. But in our experience, it takes longer and isn't as effective as the one's we focus on.
RECAP
So at this point, I'm assuming you already take social media seriously or you wouldn't be here. You have to make a choice for your company, do you do your own social media marketing in-house, or do you outsource to a company such as Flyway Media to handle it?
As stated earlier, I can't stress enough to ensure the company you choose (if you outsource) has an understanding of your product or service. Otherwise, your marketing dollars will dry up, fast, with a flat social media presence as an end result.
So it's VITAL that you partner with someone who understands your niche. I think of it as "niche social marketing".
Give Flyway Media a shout if you'd like to discuss more about what we can do, and if it makes sense.
"Chris is an incredible communicator, very hard working (emails from 6am to 10pm), and committed to perfection. Very grateful I was referred to him when I was looking for someone to build us a new website and rebrand our hunting business!"
Mike Dorris - EPO Hunting Lodge
