Case Study: Meta vs. Google Ads (Which is better?)

When I talk to a new client, the first thing I do is spend some time on the phone with them to get to know their business a little better, and to try and determine the best approach to begin. I say that very intentionally. Most of the time I get the strategy right, but not always…and that’s where testing and figuring out the best approach comes in. While I don’t make clients sign long-term contracts - small business owners don’t need more stress on their plates! - I do recommend sticking with my services for at least 3 months to see if they’re actually working, because nobody bats 1000 from the very beginning.

I met Joanna of Land Income at a business networking event with the Visalia Chamber of Commerce, and she mentioned the possibility of marketing her business. When she explained to me what she and her husband do, however, I was hesitant at first since I had never advertised in that space before. Land Income sells farmland investments that provide long-term growth and gains for their investors. This was all new to me, and I never promise to help someone if I don’t truly believe I can…

Case Study: Facebook Lead Ads (ITK Insurance)

If you haven’t yet dived into Facebook ads, I’ll help you out a little bit: there are a ton of different options, not all of which are obvious from the outset. The basic categories of Meta ads are awareness, traffic, promotion, engagement, leads, app promotion, and sales. Within each category are infinite options based on audience targeting, ad copy, final destination, and more. I have experimented with almost every single different kind of ad with varying degrees of success…

How Can I Increase My Instagram Engagement?

If you have an Instagram profile for your business, I can guarantee you’ve asked the question: how can I increase my audience engagement on Instagram? There are articles about this all over the internet (you can read some of mine here!) and services like Social Curator that help answer the question. Business owners whose customers are on Instagram are going to consider it a top priority to maintain high engagement, so this question is valid - and to be honest, the answer is always changing!

You know that social media is an ever-changing entity, with new platforms and terms and methods popping up all the time, not to mention the influence of outside events and society. What I can say confidently is that in 2022, the best way to increase Instagram engagement is:

5 Marketing Ideas that Cost $0

One complaint I often hear about marketing: it’s expensive. On the one hand, I truly believe that great marketing will pay off far more than any monetary investment you make but on the other hand, I completely understand that everything is expensive (especially right now!) and a lot of entrepreneurs and small business owners are constantly looking for ways to cut costs.

The good news is that good marketing does not have to mean big money, and since I regularly work within the constraints of a tight budget, I have learned a lot of free marketing ideas over the years. So if you need a few easy and free ways to marketing your business, here are my top 5:

5 Ideas for Social Media Posts when You're Feeling Stuck

When you have to constantly come up with social media posts every day, it’s easy to run out of ideas or feel like your life is too boring to talk about with any kind of excitement. I understand this struggle deeply as I manage not just my own Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, but all the social media content for about a dozen othter businesses. There are days when it’s a struggle to come up with something unique and compelling for any and all of these social media pages.

So, in case you’re running out of options and need ideas to post on social media, here are 5 quick ideas for when you’re feeling stuck…

How Do I Use Instagram Hashtags?

Before you see the title of this blog and think it’s just another post about what hashtags to find on Instagram, I’ll cut to the chase: this is not about which hashtags to use, but how to effectively use hashtags on Instagram. There’s a big difference, and thinking about it in that way could be just the mindset shift you need to dive in a little deeper.

While I do have a fairly good and consistent Instagram presence (see it here), it’s not necessarily a main focus of my business. My ideal client - a small business owner with a deep value for marketing but no time to do it - is certainly on Instagram, but is most likely using the platform to try and expand their businesses rather than find someone to fill the marketing holes they have. Of course I believe in long-term investment, but my main strategy on this fast-growing platform is interaction and engagement over posting, reels, stories, and live video…

Facebook Ads vs Google Ads: Which Should You Choose?

As you likely know, there are dozens of advertising options in the online world alone. From Facebook tot Instagram, Google to Bing, TikTok to Yelp, and everything in between, it’s hard to decide which ad platform will benefit your business the most. Today I’m breaking down the two most common advertising spaces to help you decide which is the best choice for you: Facebook Ads vs. Google Ads.

How to Keep Up with all the Changes in Social Media

Of all the issues business owners have with social media, the biggest one is this: when it is constantly changing, how in the world should I keep up? To be honest, the question is not only valid, it’s one that I think about all the time. When I’m managing social media advertising and profiles for 5-10 different businesses at one time, it is imperative that I stay on top of trends and anticipate changes.

In addition, the world of social media is nothing if not constantly in flux. The Facebook of today is worlds apart from the platform of one, five, and ten years ago. Everybody knows that, but only business owners think about how this impacts the bottom line. If the algorithm prefers a certain type of content one day and a different one the next, how can you possibly know what to post?

Ultimately, though, the question comes down to…

Which Social Media Platform Should My Business Use?

Let’s face it: none of us knew how big social media would become when Facebook first launched its platform in February 2004. Not only did that particular business grow beyond belief, dozens (maybe hundreds?) more have sprung up since then. With the addition of Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, and countless others, it feels like there is always a voice in the room telling business owners that if they only did this on this platform, they would be successful.

But we simply cannot do it all. There is no way to run a business and be wildly successful on each social media platform. In the end, it can constantly feel like you are behind because your business is not killing it on _______________ (fill in the blank). Too often I have seen overwhelmed business owners so stuck in this mindset that they decide to forego social media altogether.

That, however, is decidedly not the best solution…

Why the 'Boost Post' Button on Facebook is a Waste of Money

Facebook ads are the bread and butter of marketing for a lot of small businesses, especially those who can’t afford to hire a marketing consultant. The good news is that social media ads can be extremely effective and cheap…but the bad news is that most people are throwing their time and money away by not understanding the basics of Facebook advertising. Spoiler alert: clicking the ‘Boost Post’ button for your ad and walking away is almost always a waste of your valuable resources. Here’s why.

The Three Best Podcasts for Online Businesses

I tend to listen to podcasts when I have a little extra time during the day…and, actually, when I feel like I have less time than usual. Let me explain…

When I have more downtime (which, I’ll be honest, is rare), I might sit and listen to a podcast and occasionally take notes. I spend time really focusing on what each word says, and thinking through it all. However, on most days I am rushing from one thing to the next, just trying to fit it all in. On days like that, I turn on a podcast whenever I am doing something with my hands but not my head.

If I’m trying to feed my toddler lunch, there’s almost no way I can listen clearly, but if I’m prepping dinner while she plays outside or I’m making graphics for blogs like this while she naps, I often turn on a podcast. Sometimes, admittedly, my mind wanders and I don’t soak in all the information, but every little bit helps, and I love learning while I’m doing other day-to-day tasks.

So what podcasts have helped me grow as an entrepreneur? Here are the top 3 podcasts I would recommend for any online business…

The Basics of Facebook Ads, Part 3

Click here to start at the beginning of the Facebook Ads series.

The ‘audience’ portion of Facebook ad sets is actually a huge topic, and I’ll probably cover it in a few different posts, since I’m not going to talk about Lookalike or Custom Audiences in this particular post - it would be too long! My goal in this miniseries is to show you the basics of advertising so you can get started without overwhelming you by covering all the different options. With that said, let’s jump right in!

Location…

Social MediaMaria Grace PhotographyApril 27, 2020facebook, facebook ads, facebook advertising

The Basics of Facebook Ads, Part 2

Click here to read The Basics of Facebook Ads, Part 1

Now that you have made a simple ad in Facebook Ads Manager and you understand the platform a little better, the next step is understanding the purpose of Campaign Objectives. Currently there are almost a dozen different choices, so I’m not going into detail on every one. Instead, I’ll cover common objectives that can help you get started, and in future blogs I will dive deeper into the Conversion objective, at the very least.

Social MediaMaria Grace PhotographyApril 20, 2020facebook, facebook ads, facebook advertising

The Basics of Facebook Ads, Part 1

If you have been on Facebook for longer than one minute, I am certain you have seen an ad. These ads can look different - from sponsored posts to videos and more - but they form the backbone of Facebook’s revenue. In fact, you have likely seen an ad for a product you were interested in on a completely different platform, which seems both brilliant and creepy at the same time. For business owners, this should light a spark in your mind to think about how you can capitalize on the incredible tools Facebook advertising has to offer so that you can build your business - whether product or service based.

So how do you get started with Facebook ads? Here are the steps to creating your first social media advertisement…

Social MediaMaria Grace PhotographyApril 6, 2020facebook, facebook ads, facebook advertising

Five Minute Marketing: How to Immediately Get More Facebook Likes...for Free!

The title of this post may sound gimmicky, but I’m not into gimmicks…just marketing advice that is 100% true and 100% helpful…yet easy to implement at the same time. That said, let me jump right into the easiest way to increase your Facebook likes for free!

The truth is, as much as it seems like the opposite is true, Facebook wants your business page to succeed. The happier you are with the results you see, the more advertising dollars they get and the more satisfied the consumer (aka anyone not running a business) is, which leads to their own business success. Yes, they have become a ‘pay-to-play’ platform in many respects, but they offer the most options for getting to know who your ideal customer truly is…and reaching them quickly and easily, even if you have to pay a little to do that…

Five Minute Marketing: Locations, Geotags, and Check-ins

Have you ever seen someone ‘check-in’ at a location on social media and wondered how they did it - and why? Do you want to be found when a potential customer is scrolling through Instagram? Here’s how to use location services, geotags, and check-ins on social media to increase your reach!

In short, all three of those terms refer to using a platform (mostly on social media) to indicate where you are at a particular time. On Instagram, the location appears just below the username on a particular picture or video. On Facebook, the check-in appears beside text, images, or videos, and the actual location appears below the title. Below are a few sample images so you can see exactly what I mean…

Why Facebook Likes Don't Matter

One of the questions I most frequently hear is, “How do I get more Facebook likes?” or “How do I get more followers on Instagram?” And above all, the follow-up question is, “How can I get more social media fans for free?”

Social media is a whirlwind, and it can be difficult to cut through the noise and actually get your message heard. Business owners everywhere struggle with finding and keeping a following, and even when you’ve accomplished that, it’s frustrating to post on your page and hear virtual crickets from your followers. What’s worse, when you compare your page to a competitor’s, you’ve noticed their audience is way bigger…and seems to actually love the content they’re producing. So what gives?

Five Minute Marketing: How to Find New Customers on Social Media

Let me start off with a disclaimer: there are literally books written about this topic that I’m covering in a five minute marketing segment, so I am by no means claiming to cover it all with one article. I can, however, share some effective strategies most of my clients aren’t already using to find new customers using social media.

My second disclaimer is that although this article will only take about five minutes to read, the strategies themselves will require time and consistency, since nothing done randomly can be effectively repeated. With all that said, here are some things you can do right now to find new clients using Facebook, Instagram, and more…

Five Minute Marketing: How to Use Hashtags on Social Media

Oh, hashtags. Such a big, beautiful, and confusing topic that provides frustration for every business owner and entrepreneur. While opinions differ on the best hashtag strategy for Instagram and social media in general, there are a few rules that can help inform exactly what you do and why. Here is what I’ve learned through years of marketing about how hashtags can help - and hurt - your social media presence.

1) There is a limit to hashtags on Instagram.
Right now, you can use no more than 30 per post. Creator Studio will tell you exactly how many you are using, but if you are writing the caption yourself or using another scheduling service, you will have to manually count them or your post/comment will be rejected…

Five Minute Marketing: 15 Ideas for Social Media Posts

When you have to post content to social media every.single.day, it can feel completely overwhelming - and it’s easy to run out of ideas. I know this firsthand - besides my own social media channels, at the present moment, I am managing content for 9 different businesses and all their profiles and pages! There are days when I’m just out of ideas, and it’s hard to find good, creative, compelling content to post on Facebook, Instagram, and everywhere in between.

So, in case you’re running out of options and need ideas to post on social media, here are 15 quick ideas for social media posts. Enjoy!

Maria Grace, LLC
Online Marketing Solutions for Small Businesses
Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday; 8am-5pm

Copyright 2023 Maria Grace, LLC

Click here to start at the beginning of the Facebook Ads series.

Click here to read The Basics of Facebook Ads, Part 1

Maria Grace, LLCOnline Marketing Solutions for Small BusinessesHours of Operation: Monday-Friday; 8am-5pm

Maria Grace, LLC
Online Marketing Solutions for Small Businesses
Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday; 8am-5pm