How Contractors and Construction Businesses Benefit from Social Media

It’s no secret that social media is a huge part of the lives of millions, if not billions, of people. Social media is a way to connect with, communicate, and share with others, but it’s also incredibly beneficial for businesses. Social media is good for advertising, it can help build a brand, create and distribute content, and help a business grow. Let’s dig deeper into exactly how.

Advertising

Today, social media sites are full of content, with ads being a big portion of that content. While it may seem like social media is flooded with advertisements, almost all of these ads are targeted, meaning that they are directed to a particular audience. Not everyone on social media needs a contractor, but there are some people that do, and there are even some people that do and don’t even know it. This is why it’s important to know and understand your target audience. This not only refers to who they are demographically  (gender, age, etc.) but also which social media platforms they are more likely to use.

Branding

Social media is especially helpful for small businesses that have just started, allowing them to build their brand. It’s a good way to make more people aware of your company since you can list things like your company name, logo, location, services provided, hours of operation, and even pictures on your company’s social media business page.

Content Creation

Content can be anything like photos, videos, text, and ads. It’s also like a portfolio of your work where you can showcase your services and finished products. When your loyal customers share your content, it can then be viewed by their network, which increases the chances of you gaining new customers. Consistently creating content on your social media business page also keeps your followers (including both current and potential customers) engaged, and helps you to engage more with your audience. This keeps a line of communication open between your company and your audience/customers. You should post some form of content on a regular basis, whether you keep this portion of your business in-house, or if you choose to outsource it.

Growth

When you’re creating social media business pages for your company, make sure to include a link to your website. Even in the construction business, it’s important to have a website. Social media pages are just an extension of your website, with your website having more detail and just as much content. When you post content to your pages and have your ads running throughout different platforms, this drives all of that traffic back to your website. This is also a good way to reach those who may be interested in your services, but have no idea where to start— when they visit your website they may find the contractor and services they need for a specific project.

Networking

Social media can also be beneficial for connecting you with other businesses. For example, you may need to connect with other businesses to provide services or materials for your business, such as specialty tools or a truck rental company to supply trucks to carry your equipment. Not only do consumers benefit from social media by finding your services, but you’ll also be able to find services that will help your construction business operate more efficiently.

Conclusion

Social media is a powerful tool that has helped billions of people connect with each other, and it has also helped businesses connect with consumers. At one point, it wasn’t necessary for companies to have a presence on social media, but now it’s cardinal in order to have your business thrive and continue to grow. Using social media allows you to reach an exponentially higher number of potential customers than the traditional ways of expanding a business. It does take a significant amount of time and money, but the success you’ll see greatly outweighs these initial costs.

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Original source: https://socialmediaexplorer.com/social-media-marketing/how-contractors-and-construction-businesses-benefit-from-social-media/

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Growing Your Business Through Referral Marketing

Growing Your Business Through Referral Marketing written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Podcast with Raúl Galera

In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I interview Raúl Galera. Raúl is the Chief Advocate at ReferralCandy – an app that allows ecommerce brands to set up and run customer referral programs.

Key Takeaway:

Talking about the things we’ve bought and the services we’ve used comes naturally and happens organically all of the time. There’s a lot of businesses who get a lot of referral business, but don’t know how to measure it or use it in a way to help grow their business. Referral marketing is a long-term strategy — but it’s definitely something businesses need to implement.

In this episode, I talk with Raúl Galera — Chief Advocate at Referral Candy — about word-of-mouth marketing, why using a referral system is important, and how to use it to grow your business.

Questions I ask Raúl Galera:

• [1:39] If a business knows that fundamentally our business is coming by word of mouth or referral —why doesn’t anybody do anything about it?
• [3:51] The number one complaint I hear from small business owners when it comes to referrals is that they don’t want to ask their customers and it feels awkward to ask them for help — how have you helped folks get over that idea?
• [5:36] Does automating the referral process get in the way of the required trust that’s needed?
• [7:08] What are your thoughts on incentives and does it change the motivation behind referrals?
• [10:15] Which do you think has a stronger appeal — products or discounts?
• [12:46] Does Referral Candy have some case studies of more traditional maybe even somewhat offline businesses?
• [14:59] How do you protect against fraud?
• [17:02] If I’m somebody who’s thinking about setting up a referral campaign, what are the steps?

More About Raúl Galera:

• More about Referral Candy

More About The Certified Marketing Manager Program Powered By Duct Tape Marketing:

• Check it out here.

Like this show? Click on over and give us a review on iTunes, please!

This episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network.

 

Original source: https://ducttapemarketing.com/grow-your-business-referral-marketing/

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The Justin Brady Show – The Ultimate Marketing Engine

The Justin Brady Show – The Ultimate Marketing Engine written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

2020 and 2021 disrupted business as usual, and as business owners changed their strategy, some of it was good for us. You can catch my conversation with Justin Brady on The Justin Brady Show where we discuss all of the positive marketing lessons and how we can apply those to future challenging events.

Listen to the episode here: https://justinkbrady.com/notes/john-jantsch-ultimate-marketing-engine/

Original source: https://ducttapemarketing.com/the-justin-brady-show-the-ultimate-marketing-engine/

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How Safe Are Your Emails?

Despite its advantages as a communication tool, most emails people receive are useless and unnecessary.  85% of all emails are considered spam.  Some spam is merely annoying, but other spam messages are dangerous.  At least 3 billion phishing emails show up in inboxes every day.  Phishing emails are fraudulent messages meant to steal people’s personal information.  They often act as the first step of a sophisticated cyberattack. How safe are your emails? Not very.

Private individuals are common victims of cybercrime, but large companies are not exempt from the problem either.  When a ransomware cyberattack locked down Colonial Pipeline’s digital equipment, the criminals crippled the supply line and triggered a massive gas panic.  Integrated ransomware once halted a 5th of JBS’s meat production, disrupting the market.

Small Business is a Big Target

If even large corporations are susceptible to cybercrime, what chances do small businesses have of avoiding it?  More than 60% of small businesses close their doors permanently in the months after a successful phishing attack.  The most costly part of the attack is not the initial hit.  Small businesses take up to 6 weeks to recover from ransomware.  In the meantime, as many as 70% of consumers will stop shopping at a business that failed to protect their data.  Losing business is far more costly than most ransoms.

How to Secure Your Email

What can businesses do to keep themselves safe?  The first step is to establish an employee training program. 85% of scams rely on human error to be successful.  While regular training is not foolproof, it could drastically lower the number of employees who click phishing links.   Second, verify all invoices and payments.  Over half of phishing attacks involve credential harvesting, and this can lead to invoice fraud.  Third, keep a human eye out for discrepancies.  Humans may not catch every problem, but 25% of phishing emails can bypass default security.  Email security is worth the investment, but humans must stay vigilant.  Cybersecurity plans cost less now than closing down a business does later.

Courtesy of Avanan

The post How Safe Are Your Emails? appeared first on Social Media Explorer.

Original source: https://socialmediaexplorer.com/infographic/how-safe-are-your-emails/

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How to Identify the Unseen Threat

The internet is a wonderful place. It has brought us conveniences such as Amazon, Instacart and DoorDash. It has entertained us with countless cat videos and nourished our curious spirit with millions of google search results in less than half a second. It has also allowed us to open ourselves up to a whole new set of problems: cyber attacks. Often, this is an unseen threat. 

Unlike a traditional attack, cyber attacks are often hard to trace. Hackers are very savvy and leave very little evidence of their evil doing. However, recent data shows that these attacks cost businesses upwards of 4.4 million every time. This is a huge sum of money to be spending on an unsolved crime. 

However, there are several ways to prevent cyber crimes. The first is simply knowing what information is out there. You can only control what you know, so be aware of what you are posting online. Your Instagrammable lunch at that new place downtown may seem perfectly safe to share but it could also be the difference between you being a target or not. 

It is important to be aware of potential threats constantly. You should by no means live your life in fear, but you should understand that your time spent on the internet could have side effects. So know the signs of potential foul play. It is almost as important to know what you are looking for then who you are looking for. Simply put, use common sense when it comes to sharing. 

The internet doesn’t have to be a bad thing. In fact it shouldn’t be a bad thing at all. However, in order for us to maintain this safe space it is important to be aware of what is going on. This is the only way we are going to maintain the safety of the internet. Learn more in the infographic below about the unseen threat from Pondurance:

The post How to Identify the Unseen Threat appeared first on Social Media Explorer.

Original source: https://socialmediaexplorer.com/infographic/unseen-threat/

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from Connect Social Networks http://connectsocialnetworks.com/how-to-identify-the-unseen-threat/

Where Social Media Fits In Your Marketing Strategy

Where Social Media Fits In Your Marketing Strategy written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Podcast with Emeric Ernoult

In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I interview Emeric Ernoult. Emeric is the Founder and CEO of AgoraPulse – an easy-to-use all-in-one social media management software.

Key Takeaway:

Social media isn’t going anywhere, and it’s ever-evolving. Founder and CEO of AgoraPulse — an easy-to-use all-in-one social media management software — talks with me about the state of social media today, where social fits in your marketing strategy, and how to make sure you’re getting the most out of it.

Questions I ask Emeric Ernoult:

• [1:59] How would you describe AgoraPulse to someone who hasn’t heard of it?
• [2:56] What’s the genesis of the name, “AgoraPulse”?
• [4:26] How would you describe the state of social media today?
• [7:39] Where does social media fit under the marketing umbrella?
• [11:36] What are some of the best things happening at Facebook in your opinion?
• [15:22] What would you tell somebody who’s looking into TikTok and trying to decide if that’s a place they should be?
• [17:04] Is paid social something that just has to be on everybody’s mind?
• [18:12] Where can people find out more about you?

More About Emeric Ernoult:

• AgoraPulse
• Send Emeric Ernoult a DM on LinkedIn and get three months of AgoraPulse for free

More About The Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network:

• Check it out here.

Like this show? Click on over and give us a review on iTunes, please!

This episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network.

 

Original source: https://ducttapemarketing.com/where-social-media-fits-in-your-marketing-strategy/

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from Connect Social Networks http://connectsocialnetworks.com/where-social-media-fits-in-your-marketing-strategy/

What Is The Best Free VPN For Mac?

When you connect your device to the Internet, you connect it to a world of possibilities. At the same time, you also expose it to numerous risks. Cybercriminals need just one loophole on the internet network to intrude into your device and snoop data or mount cyberattacks.

While some Mac owners wonder if they should install the best free VPN for Mac, others do not hesitate to even go for paid versions of VPNs. The majority of them ask why they would need a VPN on a Mac device when it already has many security features.

If you have a Mac device and are wondering whether or not you should install a VPN application, this post will answer your question. Plus, it will also give you an insight into the best VPN options for Mac 2021.

Why Should You Use A VPN For Mac?

The primary reason for using a VPN on any device is data security. You would want to use a VPN on your Mac primarily for this reason. In addition, you might also want to do so for many other reasons. These may range from streaming to gaming and more.

Beyond any doubt, Macs have the best built-in security features for protection from any form of intrusion from external sources. But those features protect the privacy and security of the data in your device only as long as it remains in the memory of your device. Once it goes out on the Internet to another server, it becomes vulnerable to snooping. 

Cybercriminals and hackers look for opportunities to exploit the security vulnerabilities of websites by employing smart methods. They seek ways to find out the IP address of devices and keep an eye on users’ online activities.

From internet browsing to shopping, you can perform a wide range of activities on a website. Non-HTTPS websites put your payment information at the risk of being stolen by cybercriminals. Even if HTTPS protocols claim to offer more security to your data with their encryption features, you might feel the need to add an extra layer of protection to it. After all, your data is yours, and the onus is on you to protect its privacy from the prying eyes.

Best Free VPNs For Mac in 2021

After knowing why you need a VPN on your Mac, the next thing that you might want to know is the best option among the existing choices. 

Here are some best VPN options for Mac in 2021 that you can choose to address your VPN-related needs.

1. BetternetVPN

Along with an easy-to-download option, BetternetVPN also comes with an easy-to-update feature. These features add up to make it a ready-to-go VPN option on the App Store. You can set a location of your choice based on your needs while using it. Moreover, you can use this feature without any subscription.

2. Urban VPN

Urban VPN enables Mac users to connect to a secure virtual private network with decent streaming and browsing speeds. Its hallmark feature is the availability of 40 distinct server locations. Besides, you can also access it in 10 distinct languages.

Though its speed is decent enough, it is not ideal for gaming. Its encryption protocols also lack clarity. You might need to consider these aspects before deciding to use Urban VPN.

3. Windscribe

Are you looking for a VPN that you can use on Mac and other devices? If yes, Windscribe is ideal for it. You can also use its extensions on popular browsers like Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome.

Also, it has its servers in 10 different countries. Due to this feature, you can count it as a handy VPN option for unlocking geo-restrictions proficiently. However, the only catch is that its tools are far lesser than what you get with other VPNs. You will also find the same even if you subscribe to its premium plan.

4. Proton VPN

Proton VPN offers free and premium choices. Though you can go with your preferred choice, the premium option has more features. To have access to the features of both options, all you need is to create an account.

The premium options of this VPN are affordable and range between $4 and $8 per month. However, you do not get a high speed even as you choose one of the premium options between its basic plus plans. Its speed is just about perfect for addressing users’ basic needs. Plus, it only offers servers of 3 distinct locations.

5. Hide.me

Hide.me gives you unlimited bandwidth without the need to create an account. Further, its full spectrum of features is available without subscription charges. The speed it offers is ideal for downloading as well as streaming.

The only downside it has is its monthly data usage cap of 10 GB. But there is not much to complain about as most users find it good enough for their needs at basic and moderate levels.

Conclusion

From the above, it becomes clear that Macs need VPNs to extend an additional security level on the Internet. But for attaining the best results, you need to choose the best VPN for your Mac. Select one of the above options based on your requirements for an invaluable experience of using a VPN on your Mac. 

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Original source: https://socialmediaexplorer.com/content-sections/tools-and-tips/what-is-the-best-free-vpn-for-mac/

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