How does your web design go hand in hand with your social media plan?
Let’s say, for example, a website displays an icon for Facebook and Twitter, as well as other social media icons somewhere on the homepage… and those icons are linked to the company’s profile from the various social networks… Bam! That’s pretty much the extent of the average small business’ social media plan – for their website.
To be fair, some small businesses have gone a step further and added one or more of the following:
- Facebook Like Box
- Twitter Follow Box (with or without live tweets)
- Google+ Follow box
You’ll find these boxes placed on sidebars or footers. They are an excellent way to get people to like and follow you on the various social networks… without leaving your website. Some businesses who maintain a blog, have also added:
- Social Sharing Buttons (for blog posts, articles and content)
These buttons are an important way to encourage visitors to share the blog’s content with their friends, which helps build brand visibility. Adding social sharing buttons to content is as simple as adding the Facebook “like button” which is different from the “like box”. With the “like box”, visitors can like your actual Facebook Fan Page. With the “like button” (placed at the beginning or end of your content), visitors can like the specific post, and (depending on the user’s privacy settings) your post will appear in their Facebook News Feed for all their friends to see. There is also the Facebook “share button”, which enables visitors on your site to share your content directly on their Facebook. Twitter and most of the other social networks also have similar buttons.
BUT… when it comes to your web design, this should NOT be all there is to your social media plan.
With so many businesses entering the world of digital marketing, the competition is getting REAL. Your competitors are revamping their sites. You cannot afford to have an outdated website and no social media strategy.
Are you ready to have your web design go hand in hand with your social media plan?
Google Authorship allows Google to display the author of the content of a specific page in your website. When the content of your webpage appears in the search engine, the author’s name and face appear with it, if you have Google Authorship. Attaching the image of the author provides readers with a higher level of trust which can increase your chance of the reader confidently choosing to click and view the content on your website. Search results with pictures can be more eye-catching and have a higher chance of getting clicks. The reason why Google Authorship should be part of your social media plan is because it encourages interaction between visitors and the author of the content, and increases overall brand awareness.
Embedded Facebook posts and embedded Facebook comments. Did you know that Facebook allows you to integrate a comment box into your website? Any person who adds a comment to your website can have their comment appear on their Facebook News Feed where their friends can see it. Not only can you add a comment box to your website, but you can embed an entire Facebook post to any webpage.
Twitter Cards - A Twitter card is a summary of your web content, along with an image from your site that is embedded into a tweet! Read about how Twitter Cards work here
Pinterest verified website. Once your website is verified on Pinterest, your URL will be prominently displayed at the top of your Pinterest page with a check mark next to it. Having a check mark creates a dramatic effect and tells other users that your website has been verified by Pinterest and that you are the owner of the site. People are more likely to click on a verified site they know is safe as opposed to an unverified site they’ve never heard of.
Make your website pinnable. When you make your website pinnable, visitors have the ability to pin your images to their boards. Making your images pinnable, allows Pinterest users to share your content and create a community around your brand. You can take things even further by adding pin-it buttons. There are different kinds of pin-it buttons. For example, you can add a pin-it button that shows up every time someone hovers over any image on your website. Our web design team can help you choose the best button for your content.
Rich Pins - Rich pins show more detailed information than regular pins. This information includes automatically updated detailed information such as pricing, availability, ingredients and description. Read about the different types of Rich Pins here
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