What is SEO?

What is SEO?

You’ve heard other people talking about it and you know it has something to do with Google and your website, but beyond that, you’re not too sure. What is exactly is SEO?

Search engine optimization, or SEO for short, is basically the way in which search engines such as Google, rank the results when you perform a search. It helps them decide what should appear on the first page and what can be left towards the bottom.

Think of it as asking advice from a group of friends. Maybe you want to find a photographer and each of your friends gives a […] Read more

Our Best Tips for Social Media in 2018

Our Best Tips for Social Media in 2018

We’re well into 2018 and so far, it’s been a wild ride in the world of social media marketing! Even before #Facebookgate, Mark Zuckerberg had us panicking with the changes to Facebook and Instagram algorithms. There was also a change in Twitter’s policy; in February, the platform announced it would no longer accept recycled tweets. In both of these instances, it meant businesses would have to adjust their online marketing strategies in order to keep their content in front of as many eyeballs as possible.

There’s no doubt about it, in order to see a return on investment in social […] Read more

How to Separate the Real SEO from the Scams

How to Separate the Real SEO from the Scams

Do you mistrust the idea of “SEO”?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is about maximizing your website’s performance to ensure that it ranks as highly as possible in a search engine like Google. However, phishing scams and spammy emails can make the entire SEO industry seem like a fraud.

…but did you know there are two kinds of SEO?

“White hat” SEO refers to ethical and legal ways of promoting your website and making sure that when people search for keywords associated with your business, your website pops up. But even within the white hat (good) realm of SEO, there are many agencies that […] Read more

What’s a Good Cost Per Click for Social Media Ads?

What’s a Good Cost Per Click for Social Media Ads?

Have you ever wondered what a good cost per click (CPC) is for a paid social media campaign?

There are a couple of important factors to consider when looking at your CPC:

What industry are you in?
On which social media platform are you running your ads?

If you’re running ads for a business that revolves around entertainment, the arts, food, fashion, gimmicks, or cute pets, you’re going to get a better overall CPC. These industries are simply better suited for social media than professional industries as they are perceived as fun, and fun is a big part of why people […] Read more

Why We Always Recommend WordPress For Your Website

Why We Always Recommend WordPress For Your Website

I’m in a lot of business groups on LinkedIn and Facebook and I see the same question almost every single day:

“Hi everyone, I plan to make a new website. What website platform do you prefer? Wix, Weebly, Squarespace, WordPress.com, WordPress.org…?”

I’ve been drawn into this discussion on so many occasions that I figured it’s about time I write a blog post about it.

Whether this is for a business website or a personal blog, here are 5 reasons why at Barker Social we ALWAYS recommend WordPress for building your website:

1. If you plan to do any kind of marketing, WordPress […] Read more

How to Promote Your Local Business on Facebook

How to Promote Your Local Business on Facebook

Are you concerned about the latest updates to the Facebook algorithm and how they’ll affect your business?

Here’s the reality: Facebook algorithms are here to stay. Your impulse might be to get angry at Facebook because you’d like to benefit from free organic reach to build your business. We get it, from a business owner’s point of view, it feels obnoxious. But being angry is actually misguided.

Facebook has to continually make updates to their platform to ensure that the user experience is positive and that all of those 2.07 billion monthly active users keep coming back. If Facebook got spammy, people […] Read more

The Instagram Shadowban: What is it & What to do about it

The Instagram Shadowban: What is it & What to do about it

Have you fallen victim to the Instagram shadowban? Maybe you have, and you haven’t even realized it yet!

What is it?

So what is the Instagram shadowban and why has it been making bloggers, influencers, and entrepreneurs pull their hair out for the past several months? No, it’s not a complete ban. Your account won’t be suspended. Instead, the shadowban limits your brand’s visibility in the hashtag search.

**To be clear, Instagram has said that this was an unitentional glitch in the system, not a conscious algorithm adjustment. However, people continue to experience the shadowban so the bug seems to be at least […] Read more

How to Use Social Media Engagement to Grow Your Business

How to Use Social Media Engagement to Grow Your Business

Should you be engaging with your customers on social media? You better believe it!

But there are two sides to the answer of the social media engagement question—why you need to engage with your customers on social media… and how to do it.

Why Engage?

Pssst! In case you haven’t heard: People don’t like to be sold to!

Nobody likes to be told what they want. It’s obnoxious and spammy. But people do like to be engaged. The brands that are engaging with people on social media are actually making more sales than those that are just hard selling. It’s a fact! 80% of […] Read more

How to Improve your Marketing ROI with Facebook Ads

How to Improve your Marketing ROI with Facebook Ads

Are you concerned about how much you’re spending on your marketing vs. the return you’re getting? You should be!

More often than not, you have to spend money to make money—but it’s not just about spending cash. It’s also about expending resources. This includes your own time, as well as any time that any of your team members are spending on any kinds of marketing. If you’re not tracking your results vs. your spending, then you’re probably wasting time and money.

And by the way, if you’re sharing content on Facebook, it’s quite possible that almost no one is seeing your content. […] Read more

Business Owners: Are You Wasting Your Time on Social Media?

Business Owners: Are You Wasting Your Time on Social Media?

As a business owner, are you spending your precious time on social media marketing that could be better spent growing your business?

Probably!

Is social media marketing important?

Absolutely! It’s critical!

Does that mean that you should be managing it?

Heck no! In fact, it’s probably a terrible use of your time.

Being a business owner means wearing a lot of hats. From sales to management, to product/service delivery to accounts receivable and payable, the work never stops. You’re the person with the big vision who needs to push your business forward. Getting bogged down with nitty gritty daily tasks is a time killer—and it can […] Read more

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