The first-time homebuyer market is booming as Millennials and Gen Z step into homeownership. With many buyers unsure where to begin, mortgage professionals have a unique opportunity to become trusted guides for this audience. By offering accessible information and creating a supportive buying experience, you can stand out in a crowded marketplace and build relationships that lead to referrals and repeat business.

This guide will walk you through key strategies to attract and convert first-time homebuyers. From understanding their unique challenges to tailoring your marketing approach, we’ll ensure you’re equipped to meet their needs and grow your business.

Understanding First-Time Homebuyers

Before targeting first-time homebuyers, it’s essential to understand who they are. A first-time homebuyer isn’t just someone purchasing their first home. Many state and federal programs define them as individuals who haven’t owned a primary residence in the past three years. This means a wide audience—including young professionals, newlyweds, and even former homeowners—could qualify as first-time buyers.

Common Challenges First-Time Buyers Face

First-time homebuyers often face unique hurdles during the buying process. Here are some of the most pressing challenges they experience—and how you can address them:

1. Financial Uncertainty

Many buyers mistakenly believe they need a 20% down payment or fear they won’t qualify due to limited credit history. By educating them about low-down-payment programs (like FHA loans) or helping them explore affordability tools, you can provide clarity and reassurance.

2. Student Loan Debt

Rising debt-to-income ratios pose problems for buyers saddled with student loans. Highlight programs that accommodate these borrowers, such as FHA or income-driven repayment options, to ease their concerns.

3. Lack of Homebuying Knowledge

Mortgage terms like “PMI,” “closing costs,” and “pre-approval” can overwhelm first-time buyers. Simplifying these concepts through educational content can empower buyers and instill confidence.

4. Emotional Stress

Buying a home is a milestone for many—and with it comes a lot of pressure. Providing patient, compassionate guidance helps reduce anxiety and creates a memorable customer experience.

Addressing these challenges head-on will establish trust, positioning you as a go-to expert in the first-time homebuyer market.

Crafting Marketing Messages That Resonate

First-time homebuyers don’t want a sales pitch—they need reliable guidance from someone who understands their concerns. Crafting a marketing message that connects with this audience can set you apart.

Key Strategies for Messaging

• Use Plain Language

Avoid industry jargon. For example, simplify terms like “DTI” to “your debt-to-income ratio—or how much of your monthly income goes toward paying off debt.”

• Position Yourself as a Guide

Frame yourself as a knowledgeable advisor, not just a loan officer. Show them how you can simplify the process and eliminate hurdles.

• Highlight Homeownership Benefits

Create educational content that explains why building equity is better than renting. Use concrete examples, like future resale value or lower long-term costs of ownership.

• Address Fears Directly

Tap into first-time buyer concerns with blog posts, like “What Credit Score Do I Need to Buy a Home?” or “How Much Do I Really Need for a Down Payment?” Offering honest answers builds credibility.

By focusing on simplicity, empathy, and education, you can foster lasting customer relationships while demystifying the mortgage process.

Digital Marketing Strategies to Attract First-Time Homebuyers

An effective digital marketing strategy can help mortgage professionals capture the attention of first-time buyers. The following methods leverage SEO, email marketing, and personalized content to reach this audience.

1. SEO & Content Marketing

First-time buyers frequently turn to search engines for questions like “How much do I need to buy a house?” or “First-time homebuyer loan programs.” Optimizing your website and blog with target keywords ensures buyers find you online.

SEO Tips for Mortgage Professionals:

• Include specific keywords, such as:
• • First-time homebuyer mortgage
  • Mortgage lenders for first-time buyers
  • Best home loans for first-time buyers
• Write blog posts that answer common questions, like:
• • “How to Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage”
  • “Step-by-Step Homebuying Guide”
  • “Understanding Mortgage Closing Costs”
• Offer downloadable resources (e.g., homebuying checklists) in exchange for email sign-ups.

By addressing buyer concerns directly, you can generate organic traffic and drive leads to your business.

2. Build Trust via Email Marketing

Once potential buyers join your email list, nurturing this relationship is vital. Use automated email sequences to provide educational and engaging content.

Effective Email Topics:

• Welcome Series

Include a homebuying roadmap or downloadable content to start building trust.

• Education Series

Break down the mortgage process into digestible steps over multiple emails.

• Financial Tips

Include ways for buyers to boost their credit scores or save for a down payment.

By offering valuable resources, you can stay top-of-mind throughout their buying decision.

3. Leverage Your Expertise in Content Creation

Use your personal knowledge and experience as a mortgage professional to showcase your expertise in blog posts, webinars, or downloadable guides.

For example:

• Write a blog post about common challenges first-time homebuyers face—and how you can solve them.
• Create FAQs based on your most common client questions, such as, “Do I qualify for down payment assistance?” or “What are my mortgage options as a single buyer?”
• Develop localized content that resonates with buyers in your area, such as highlighting specific state homebuyer programs.

This not only educates and builds trust but also improves your website’s SEO performance.

Promoting First-Time Homebuyer Loan Programs & Incentives

Educating your audience about available loan options is an excellent way to stand out. Many first-time buyers are unaware of the various programs they qualify for, like down payment assistance or special grants.

Highlight these programs in your blog content, social media posts, and email campaigns:

• FHA Loans – Perfect for buyers with limited savings, requiring as little as 3.5% down.
• VA Loans – Zero down payment options for veterans and active-duty service members.
• State Programs – Research local grants or incentives that reduce closing costs.

Additionally, tools like a mortgage calculator can help buyers discover what they can afford, boosting engagement and trust.

Why Building Trust is Key

When marketing to first-time buyers, credibility is everything. Many buyers feel overwhelmed or skeptical about the process, so proactively establishing your trustworthiness is essential.

Trust-Building Tactics:

1. Social Proof – Highlight client testimonials and reviews to show your success.
2. Educational Content – Offer free webinars and workshops to establish your authority.
3. Transparent Communication – Be upfront about fees, rates, and timelines to ensure clarity.

When buyers see you as knowledgeable, reliable, and approachable, they’re more likely to rely on you not just for their first mortgage but for future loans and referrals.

Set Yourself Apart in the First-Time Homebuyer Market

The first-time homebuyer market offers immense opportunity for mortgage professionals willing to go the extra mile. By focusing on education, addressing buyer concerns, leveraging your expertise, and using digital marketing tools, you can position yourself as the trusted mortgage advisor these buyers need.

Looking to grow your client base and reach first-time buyers? At 220 Marketing, we specialize in digital marketing for mortgage professionals, from SEO optimization to custom content creation. Contact us today to build a strategy that brings in more leads and closes more loans.

The post The Mortgage Marketer’s Guide to Attracting First-Time Homebuyers appeared first on 220 Marketing Group.

If you have spent any time researching search engine optimization, you have likely heard the phrase, “content is king.” While search engines are always evolving and improving, your website content will always be one of the most important factors for search engine ranking. Quality content is not only about search engine ranking though. A sound content strategy provides users with a better overall experience while on your site, improves the perception of your brand, increases your industry authority, and provides shareable content to expand your reach on social media. Any time you develop a new website, it is imperative that you update your default content right away. After your initial updates, you should continue to update your content on a regular basis as well. Let’s take a deeper look into why content updates are so important for your website and your brand.

Search Engines Loves Fresh Content Updates

When you update content on your website, it signals search engines to scan your site and to index it. Every time a search engine goes through this process, it is an opportunity for you to improve your ranking. If you are not updating your content, there are fewer reasons for search engines to consider improving your ranking, and those higher positions will be given to those sites that are updating content regularly.

Think of news websites. When doing a search in Google, you will often find that news websites make up a large portion of the top results. News sites want to get viewers information on current events as quickly as possible. For that to happen, search engines need to scan new articles and stories quickly so that they are indexed and can be found in search results. Over time, search engines learn that these websites are a valuable and reliable source of information, and their ranking reflects this. If you treat your website content similarly, search engines will recognize your site as an important industry resource as well.

Here are some examples of how a mortgage company can update content for more frequent scans and improved search engine ranking:

• Update your loan product pages to be thorough and current. Mortgage loan programs are always changing, and it is important to update this content for both search engines and your site visitors. If you provide outdated or minimal information for your users, it will be hard to establish trust and the user’s impression of your brand will be poor.
• Maintain an active blog. Blog posts are a great way to share industry updates, loan program changes, company updates, and more. Regular blog updates will trigger frequent indexing and help establish you as a source of valuable industry information.
• Create new products and services pages as soon as they are available. Don’t delay getting these pages created. Not only does it trigger indexing but if a visitor comes to your site looking for this information and can’t find it, they may go to a competitor’s site that has the content they are looking for.

Content updates are a continual exercise. It is important to note that simply updating content doesn’t equal a higher search engine ranking. Quality content with good keyword usage is equally as important as regular updates. Doing both will ensure that over time, your site ranking will improve.

Quality Content Improves User Experience

Google and other search engines place a significant amount of weight on the overall user experience of a site when determining ranking. If a user visits your site for information and they are met with poorly written content, keyword stuffing, and bad overall design, they are likely to leave that website and continue their search elsewhere. Well-written content with a good layout is much more engaging and will encourage users to stay on your site.

The time spent on a website is often an indicator of user experience. Those who leave a website instantly likely didn’t find the information they wanted, or the information was bad. Users who spend more time on a site are more engaged and are finding the information that they were searching for.

In the mortgage industry, trust is a very important aspect as well. Customers need to share a lot of personal information for loan approvals. Quality content can help establish trust whereas content with misspellings and missing information can leave customers feeling apprehensive. Customers who trust you are more likely to fill out a lead capture and provide you with their personal information.

While text is important for search engine optimization, a great tip for creating quality and engaging content is to provide engaging visuals. 90% of human communication is visual and the human eyes can process visuals 60,000 times faster than text! Good visuals will grab a user’s attention faster and keep them engaged longer than content with just text alone.

Improved Brand Perception and Authority

First impressions are key, and your website is often a potential customer’s first glimpse of your brand. The information you provide, and the quality of your website is crucial for creating a positive perception of your brand.

A new website often comes with stock content, but that content is generic and brief. It is meant to give your website structure and to provide you with a starting point to begin developing your own unique content. If a user visits your site looking for information and content is lacking or missing entirely, they are likely to go elsewhere to find what they need. Right off the bat, that visitor likely doesn’t have the greatest impression of your brand.

A website that is full of valuable information will give a user a much better perception of your brand. They will see you as a source of valuable information and as a company that keeps customers informed and educated. If you provide enough regular content updates, you will even have the potential to be recognized as an authority in the mortgage industry. People will view your site as a source for new and accurate industry information, which will be shared by visitors and possibly other industry sites. When you have established industry authority, you create endless opportunities for new business and referrals.

Content Can Be Shared on Social Media Sites

Being active on social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn is just as important as having a website these days. In fact, many people will go directly to these sites for information before searching for something in Google.

Regular content updates on your website also provide you with content for social media posts. Anytime you update content with new loan program changes, or create a blog post, you can share links back to these pages or posts on your social media sites. Social media content has a much greater chance of being shared with other users versus content that is just added to your site.

As your social media content is shared and more users are clicking those links back to your site, you are creating a significant amount of website traffic. Often far more traffic than if you were to simply post the content without sharing it. The amount of traffic your site has also has an impact on your search engine ranking. By sharing content from your website on social media, not only are you creating good content for your social media sites, but you are most likely improving your search engine ranking as well.

Content creation is an ongoing exercise with numerous benefits for both your website and your brand. Always be sure to update default website content with content you have developed. Keep your website content up to date and accurate, and be sure to make regular updates for frequent indexing. Maintain an active blog as a source of fresh, shareable content for both your website and social media. Follow these tips to improve your website ranking, traffic, and ultimately your lead generation. If you are unsure where to begin your content efforts or need advice on taking your content to the next level, the team at 220 Marketing can provide the guidance and support you need. Contact us today to see how our team of marketing experts can help you reach your content goals.

The post Why Regular Content Updates Are So Important for Your Website appeared first on 220 Marketing Group.

Social media marketing can be tricky at times. If you can even find the time throughout your busy day to post, you have to carefully consider a number of factors to get the most out of your social media posts. Posting too little or too much, or at the wrong time of day, can make the difference between successful posts and ones that goes unnoticed. Ideal posting schedules and frequencies vary from platform to platform and can change at any time. Without a little guidance, it can seem like a puzzle that you are forever trying to solve.

Activity and engagement on social media sites will peak at certain times throughout the day and week. These peak hours are when you want to be making your own posts to maximize the chance they are seen by your target audience. Posting during off-peak hours will likely result in your post being missed. By the time most of your audience is back on social media sites, the post will be buried in the never-ending wave of content from other businesses and users. 

So when is the ideal time to post on social media sites? SproutSocial has analyzed the content engagement of over 20,000 companies to provide us with the times of day when clients are most active and engaging on popular social media sites. Based on their findings, these are our recommendations on when you should be posting to Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

When to Post on Facebook 

Facebook tends to have the most engagement throughout the middle of the week and falls off on the weekends. Wednesday has the most overall engagement and would be the best day to post if you were only able to make one per week. Tuesday through Thursday is a fairly forgiving safe zone with strong activity as well. Outside of these optimal periods, you should simply do your best to avoid early morning and late evening hours if possible. We recommend posting at least once every day so while engagement may be less than ideal on the weekends, posting on these off-peak days is still better than not posting. 

Recommended Posting Times: Tuesday through Thursday, 8 a.m. through 3 p.m. 

Worst Posting Times: Evenings after 6 p.m., early mornings before 7 a.m. and weekends. 

When to Post on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a unique social media network given its focus on a professional audience. Engagement on the platform is very high on the weekdays during typical work hours. Wednesday and Thursday are the two days with the most interaction while days at the beginning and end of the week show less engagement. Weekends tend to have limited interaction as users spend more time on the more personal social media sites. It is recommended to post once a day on the platform. Try to get weekend posts done but if you can’t, make sure you at least post once per day during the work week within normal work hours.

Recommended Posting Times:  Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. through 2 p.m. 

Worst Posting Times: Hours outside of the typical work week. 

When to Post on Instagram 

Instagram is one of the most popular social media sites and is only growing in popularity. The simplistic visual-based platform makes it easy for users to quickly view and interact with posts. This may be why Instagram is one of the few platforms with better than average weekend and evening interaction. Wednesday and Friday around 10 and 11 a.m. are the times with strongest engagement. As with most other social media sites, engagement still tends to be strongest mid-week while tapering off as the work week starts to come to an end. 

Recommended Posting Times:  Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Worst Posting Times: Early mornings before 8 a.m., late evenings after 8 p.m. and Sunday. 

Fine Tuning Your Posting Schedule 

Even if you follow recommended posting schedules, you may find that engagement is low at peak times or that it spikes for you at times that may not be considered ideal. Your social media posting habits will constantly be changing based on your own discoveries. Do not feel forced into a specific schedule if it does not work for you. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to social media marketing. Experiment within the recommended posting windows and find out exactly when your particular clients are most active. From there you can pinpoint exactly when to post to get the most interaction. These windows may constantly be evolving, and you must do the same. If you can do that, your social media marketing will be far more successful. 

The post The Best Times to Post on Popular Social Media Sites appeared first on 220 Marketing Group.

A recent update that allows you to switch between two accounts means that it might be time to take another look at Instagram as a way to reach potential customers and increase your brand awareness. From real estate agents to insurance professionals, Instagram provides a great platform to share tips and services your company provides.

To log into an additional account on your Instagram app, navigate to your profile settings, scroll down, and click Add account.

Once you have added all of the accounts that you will need access to, toggling in between them will be a breeze. Simply go to the profile you are currently on, and click on the username in the top left corner. From here, you will see a drop down of all accounts available, and you will click on the one you want to update.

Simply make your updates, and use the same process to go to the previous account! What are some good posts that have gotten you traction on Instagram? Share your feedback with us in the comments!

The post Instagram Now Allows You to Switch Between Multiple Accounts appeared first on 220 Marketing Group.

Step 1: Make sure you fill out your page completely

It’s important to make sure that your face is filled out as completely as possible before you start promoting it. Not only does this help them see that you know what you are doing (even if you don’t), it helps show them that it’s a valuable resource they can’t live without. Two very important sections to focus on are going to be the Profile and Cover Photo, as well as the About Section.

• Profile Picture and Cover Photo – This allows you to start branding your business right away. Want to sell yourself as a local company so they know you aren’t some fly by night company? Use some local landmarks as your cover photo. This is also a great place to put a picture of you or your staff so they know who they are working with.

• About Section – This will help people get to know your business and the services you offer. This section will include your website address, phone number, and physical address if you have a local office. The long description section is a great way to not only let potential customers know what you do, but also add keywords that may help Facebook users find you. This can include insurance policies you specialize in, for example.

Step 2: Invite Your Facebook Friends

The best source to start mining Facebook fans is through your current friend’s list. You can do this by clicking the three dots next to your “Message” button, and selecting “Invite Friends”. This will allow you to see your list of friends and click the grey Invite button next to their name. This sends a notification to them saying that you have suggested they like your page. It’s an easy way to ask and an easy way to get your page out there! If your page is filled out completely before you start inviting everyone, it will increase the likelihood that they will actually like your page to get your updates.

Step 3: Promote your Facebook on other networks and your email

• Tweeting your Facebook URL to your twitter followers is a great way to get some instant exposure. Be sure to include a catching call to action that will make them want to click on the link.
• Shoot a mass email to your contacts. Make sure you add some value as to why they should like your page; everyone wants to know what’s in it for them. You can also use the “Tell Your Fans” option under the Marketing section of your Facebook to upload a list of contacts or link up your Gmail to have Facebook send out a message for you.

• Add your Facebook link to your Instagram description. this will help funnel people from that account to your Facebook.

Step 4: Optimize your site with Facebook Like and Share buttons.

Be sure to incorporate the Facebook “Like Box” on your homepage to pull through your latest posts and give people easy access to like the page directly from your website. You can also put share buttons on your product pages to give visitors a seamless way to share your great content to their friends.

Step 5: Use Facebook ads to promote your page

Facebook has great targeting options that let you get in front of your target audience. This allows you to select everything from the geographic are to the age group you think would be the most responsive. You can run ads for as little as $5 per day, and run multiple ads with different target audiences to let you tailor your message accordingly. You can also use their re-target code to show your ads to people who have already visited your website.

Wow that was a lot of information! It may seem overwhelming at first, but you will soon get the hang of it and be a Facebook marketing pro. If you follow each step one by one, you will be on your way to success and generating a great audience to promote your services to. Once you have a good fanbase, you can use their loyalty to grow your email list and drive traffic to your website.

Still don’t know what to do next, or haven’t even started the process of setting up your Facebook page? 220 Marketing offers everything from marketing consultations to complete social media set up from top to bottom to get you going!

To get a free consultation, contact us today at 1-877-220-6584 or click here.

Follow 220 Marketing for Daily Marketing Tips and Updates

The post How to Grow Your Facebook Fanbase appeared first on 220 Marketing Group.

Here are five easy ways to start using the power of Facebook to drive traffic to your website, blog, or lead generation landing pages.

1. Focus on Visual Content

At the risk of sounding like a broken record because we’ve gone through this so many times, status updates with videos or images generate much more interest and interaction than posts with just text.

Instead of putting a long post that people have to click “read more” to see the entire post, put the most important stats or key points from the story in an info graphic.  Putting a picture in each blog post you are linking to in your updates is also important, as the images will automatically be posted with your link without any extra work on your part.

2. Stay Natural to Facebook

Though you may be in charge of updating all of the social media pages for your company, it’s important to remember that each site has its’ own culture and language.

While short updates without images may be what people on Twitter are looking for, Facebook requires a little more care and attention. Take advantage of the tools you have on Facebook that aren’t available on Twitter by posting pictures of your staff or funny videos to get people talking about your page.

3. Include Links to Your Website in All Posts

This may seem like a no brainer of generating traffic is your goal, but so many people forget this important step. Just posted a great update about the new real estate listing you just snagged? Put a link to the listing page that is on your website!

If you have a great webinar or seminar for your clients to get more information on your services, provide a link to a form where they can sign up for that upcoming event!

4. Use the Views and Apps Features

For those who aren’t up to speed, apps are the little pictures that show up under your cover photo on the new timeline business page. These apps allow you to create innovative cover photos for each link that will grab the attention of visitors and prompt them to click on the button to find out more. You can use these apps to provide lead capture forms or provide a link to a special offer on your website.  If you want to get creative, you can include calls to action in the cover photo to prompt people to click on that link like we did for our company page.

5. Conversion is Important

It’s extremely important to measure the reaction certain posts get so you can replicate the ones that generate the most buzz. It’s also a good idea to measure the amount of referral traffic Facebook is providing to your website as well as the amount of leads that come as a result of your efforts. If you noticed that referral traffic isn’t getting the most bang for your buck, it may be a good idea to shift the posts to appeal to your super fans and super customers that will be more likely to convert.

Follow 220 Marketing for Daily Market Updates

The post Boost Traffic to Your Site Via Facebook in 5 Easy Steps appeared first on 220 Marketing Group.

Now you know how important it is to incorporate images into your marketing, but you may not know how to do that with the type of business you offer. Maybe you have adding visual content down to a science with your social media efforts but may be at a loss when adding it to the rest of your marketing. We’re here to help! Read on to learn how to take advantage of the new marketing strategies you’ve been hearing about, we promise it’s not as scary as you may think it is.

Using Visual Content in Social Media

It is crucial to any business to use visual content on social media platforms. Facebook and Pinterest users are being bombarded with funny pictures they want to share or ideas for how to redecorate their living room. How can you make sure you can keep up and gain their attention?

Pinterest

You may think Pinterest isn’t relevant to you because you don’t have products for sale or an eye for home design. It’s important for you as a marketer to keep up with them times and find ways to integrate your business into the latest, greatest thing.

Companies like GE use the history of their company to engage followers. They have pin boards showing the history of certain products and how they’ve evolved but also have boards that raise awareness about being eco-friendly with statistics and tips on how we can reduce our role in pollution. Don’t have products your clients can go out and sell? If you’re a real estate agent, it would be beneficial to pin pictures of the properties you have for sale with links that go back to your website. You can also incorporate home décor boards or invite your clients to send you pictures of their house after they’ve spruced it up to showcase their work.

One thing to remember before getting carried away with your pins is to include links and ways for people to reach you for more information on your services and how you can help them.

Facebook

The Timeline update for business pages has made it easier than ever to feature pictures and videos in your postings. Along with a new layout, the Highlight feature also came into play. If you have pictures of an office grand opening or other pictures you want to make sure people look at, you can make sure the picture spreads across the whole page to make it more visible. Postings with images get two times more interaction than those without, so it’s important to include pictures every once in a while. If you don’t have any personal pictures to post, include cartoons or other funny images you have so you can break the monotony and bring a smile to a customer’s face.

Twitter

Because Twitpics don’t show the picture in the feed itself (users must click through to see the image) the best way to optimize your Twitter account is to add phenomenal profile pictures and adding a personalized background to your profile page. You can capitalize on this by adding products you offer in the background, list your web address, or incorporate pictures that really represent your brand and your company.

Instagram

Is your puppy the company mascot? It might be a great idea to create an Instagram account that features his/her adventures and daily activities in the office. Instagram is a way to tell the story of your company using only pictures. The app allows you to instantly post photos you are taking to your profile and add cool sepia tones or other effects to spice it up a little. Since it was acquired by Facebook recently, it also gives you the ability to directly post the photos to your wall, bringing your social media efforts together.

Youtube

Using videos to showcase your products or expertise is one of the best things you can do. Creating a Youtube channel that has a mix of educational and funny videos will help people get to know your company better while expanding their knowledge of your product and what you have to offer. If you are an expert in something like FHA loans or Reverse Mortgages, this may be one of the best ways to get information to your clients in an easy to understand format. Be sure to include links to your website in the profile section as well as the comment sections so viewers can have easy access to contact you for more information.

Having a Youtube channel will also help provide you with links and embed codes that make it easy for you to post Youtube content on your other marketing platforms.

Using Visual Content in Your Blog and Landing Pages

Incorporating images in your blog or landing pages isn’t an important tip for making the page make prettier, it’s also important when sharing those posts on your other social media sites. Facebook, for example, automatically pulls images off of the page you are linking to and features it in the update. This will kill two boards with one stone; providing pictures for you social media posts AND your blog post/landing page at one time.

Images also help break up large chunks of text and help keep readers engaged. Providing graphs that help people visualize the statistics you just provided helps put everything into perspective, especially if the reader is a visual learner. It also makes it easier to organize the content within the page and let a reader know when there is a new subject being introduced.

You can even use images to help you with content creation. Of you got a list of data that you want to provide your client with, you can create charts and graph depicting the numbers and write a blog as to why that information is important. It’s also important to include links to landing pages with offers (free ebooks) or ways to learn more about your services. Adding images on these landing pages will help keep the feel of the content consistent and help tie everything together.

Using Visual Content in Email Marketing

Emails with images have a higher click through rate than those without so it is a wonderful idea to incorporate images into your emails. If you have certain products for sale (anything from a new real estate listing to the latest summer dress) having a picture of that product with a link to more information in your website will be more successful than writing information about it. It’s also a good idea to incorporate some images as your calls to action. Including a button instead of a text link to your site will draw more attention and entice people to click on the link.

You can also get creative as you want or have time to. Why not tell a story about a new product through several images thrown together? This will provide a change to the monotony of emails and engage the reader into viewing all of the email and possibly even forwarding it on for others to see your creativity.

If you want to introduce your new recorded webinar or how-to video to your email clients, including a screen shot of the video (not all email programs allow readers to view embedded videos) and linking to a page in your website or Youtube channel will help take people from email to video without any complications.

Using Visual Content in Your SEO Strategy

You may be worried enough about the content on your site and how high it will help you rank in the search engines. Integrating images into your SEO efforts may help you achieve better ranking while helping to make your content easier to read at the same time.

If you are using images in your SEO strategy, it is important to use only BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, WebP, or SVG file types. The file name the image is saved as should also help describe the content of the image as search engines won’t be able to read the picture itself. Adding alt tags will further help you describe how this image relates to the content on the page. When possible, it is also helpful to introduce or summarize your image in the text surrounding it.

Whether you are writing content for your blog, website, or social media postings, it’s important to include images in your text. Not only will it make your content more interesting to read and share, it can also help the reader understand the content a little more by providing visual depiction of what you are describing.

For those that have trouble coming up with content in the first place, images might be something that can either help inspire your copy for that day or make up the entire post you are making that day.

If anyone has tips or feedback about the content that you include in posts, we’d love to hear them in the comments!

Follow 220 Marketing for Daily Market Updates

The post Using Visual Content to Revamp Your Marketing appeared first on 220 Marketing Group.

When posting an update, you will now see a little clock in the bottom left of the box. When clicked on, it will give you the option to choose where you want that update in your timeline, whether it is a past or future time. If you choose a date in the future, it will automatically post for you at that time. You can schedule posts up to six months in advance and in 10 minute intervals. If you post a past date, it will appear in the correct spot in your timeline.

Another update that was launched is the ability to create different access levels for the admins on the page. This will allow you to set what level of access you want to give ranging from just being able to view stats, to the ability to make all changes on the page.

Companies will now have the ability to assign different aspects of maintaining Facebook pages throughout the office, and even give restricted access to marketing companies that are monitoring interaction with the page. This will make it easier for everyone to keep track of what is happening and ensure that the page is being taken care of without overwhelming one or two people with all of the work.

Have you used any of the new tools yet? If you have any feedback on your experience (good or bad) please let us know in the comments!

Follow 220 Marketing for Daily Market Updates

The post Facebook Finally Allows Scheduled Posts! appeared first on 220 Marketing Group.

If you are a devoted tweeter, you should be posting your most important content between 1 pm and 3pm Eastern (10 am to 1 pm Pacific). This will give you the best click rate, especially early on in the week. For best results, you should avoid posting after 8 pm throughout the week, and 3 pm on Fridays

Twitter will require a little more upkeep to be successful as the half life of a post is about 2.8 hours

To reach your fans on Facebook, you should post between 1 pm and 4 pm to get the most interaction to your post. The best time overall to post during the week is at 3 pm on Wednesday

According to bit.ly, although traffic on Facebook begins to increase around 9 am, it’s best to wait until 11 am to post your update. Similarly to twitter, traffic from Facebook begins to wane after 4 pm, and posting should be avoided altogether after 8 pm and before 8 am

If you are taking advantage of the benefits of  Tumblr, you will be on a completely different schedule. To get the best results here, you will need to wait until at least 4 pm Eastern, and posting after 7 pm will help get you the best return on your investment.

While it’s not the best idea to post on a Friday evening with Facebook and Twitter, this is the time that Tumblr will give you the best opportunity to post.

So what does all of this information mean? Mainly that each social networking site has it’s own culture, and each community has its own habits that you will have to adjust your strategies to. By analyzing the times your posts get the most attention, and maybe by doing some experimenting, you will be able to find the formula that works best for your network of people.

Because each site has different optimal posting times, it’s best to set up a schedule of when you will post on each social media site and stick to it. Setting up reminders will help you stay on track, and help you make the most out of your valuable time.

What is the time of day that you get the most results from your posts? We’d love to hear your feedback and see what has been working for you.

Follow 220 Marketing for Daily Market Updates

The post The Best (and Worst) Times to Post Social Media Updates appeared first on 220 Marketing Group.

Start Planning – Get the Timeline for your personal profile. This will give you an opportunity to get adjusted and learn about some of the features that are likely to cross over to the business page version of Timeline.

Think Visually – A big difference between the Timeline and the current interface is the emphasis on images. The Timeline has a large cover photo at the top, but also features images throughout the page. Start brainstorming ideas for your cover photo. You will want the cover photo to be as compelling as possible. Think about including pictures of you and your staff, images of your products, community photos, or testimonials. Your cover photo is going to be the first thing a client sees when visiting your Facebook page so choose wisely.

Reflect on Your History – One of the features of Timeline is the ability to go back in time and add relevant information. You are not confined to only the period of time you have been active on Facebook. This feature may allow you to tell the story of your company history. Start brainstorming ideas and collecting highlights from your career to add to your timeline. Updating your business page Timeline with historical and nostalgic information will keep people on your page longer.

Build Content – Think about the type of content you have been posting. It is important to keep the content on your page interesting and engaging, no matter what format your page is in. If you are not generating the clicks and comments you would like to be getting, now is the perfect time to look at your status updates and reorganize your content strategy.

Expect the Unexpected – It is uncertain what features will be offered with Timeline for business pages. Third-party apps and landing pages are a big part of most business pages. Whether or not these features will be conducive to the Timeline layout is unclear. These changes are inevitable so go with the flow, don’t sweat the small stuff, and don’t resist change. Jump in and be a leader in your industry.

What do you think of Timeline for business pages?

Follow 220 Marketing for Daily Market Updates

The post 5 Ways to Get Ready for Facebook’s Timeline Launch appeared first on 220 Marketing Group.