ROAS Calculator

ROAS Calculator

What is ROAS?

 

Return on ad spend (ROAS) is a marketing metric that measures the effectiveness of a digital advertising campaign by calculating the amount of revenue a company received for every dollar they spent on advertising. In the simplest of terms, it is the revenue derived from an advertising source divided by the cost of the ad source. This metic offers exceptional insight to the amount of revenue conversion actions are generating. This calculation process may seem a bit complex at first. Fortunately, we made it easy with our ROAS calculator.

Understanding ROAS is paramount to determining the performance of an advertising campaign and how that affects your business’s bottom line.  For further information on ROAS, check out this helpful video.

At the most basic level, the higher the ROAS, the better. But, not all conversions are equal. The target ROAS varies depending on the industry if your business.  Because of this variation,  it’s important to have advertising professionals like us with experience across all industries by your side guiding you through the obscurities. This is where professionals like us come in.

Why Just a ROAS Calculator isn't Enough

Experienced advertising professionals can create proper conversion actions that indicate precise success in your advertising efforts.

As helpful as a ROAS calculator is, formulas can only get you so far. Therefore, it's necessary to have a team who knows the ins and outs of conversion tracking. Intuition and  perception are two very important traits that a calculator simply doesn't have. At Just Digital, we go beyond simply calculating your return on ad spend. Our experienced advertising specialists and marketing strategists are equipped with the experience and expertise needed to fully optimize your advertising campaign and increase your ROAS to its maximum potential. Are you ready for your business to thrive? Don't wait, contact us now!  

How We Maximize Your ROAS:

• Premier data analysis
• Innovative strategies
• Expert perception
• Original plans

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ROAS Calculator

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by Just Digital Team

Best Vlogging Camera Reviews – 2021 DSLR and Mirrorless Cameras

In this Just Digital Gear Review, we take a look at the best vlogging cameras for the serious (or even beginning) Youtube content creator and vlogger. Specifically, we review the top mirrorless and DSLRvlogging cameras for 2021.

With the rise of social media influencers came the rise of a new form of marketing. One that demanded a new form of content from a new kind of creator. The vlogging and social media influencer industry has seen a lot of growth over the past couple of years and we want to help content creators create.

When it comes to choosing a vlogging camera, there are many things that need to be taken into consideration. The most important one is to decide what kind of vlogs you’re going to film. You need to understand that you need a vlogging camera that fits what you want to do. 

Once you have an idea, it’s easier to choose a camera that fits your needs.

There are many excellent cameras on the market for vlogging. So let's take a look at what camera fits best to kickstart your content creation! Let’s get started.

Note: If you want to see other of our top picks for best vlogging cameras, check out our review here. We came out with our list of Top compact Vlogging cameras where we featured Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II, Canon EOS M50, Panasonic LX10, GoPro Hero6 Black and Fujifilm X-A5.

What to look for when choosing a vlogging camera?

Video Resolution

Resolution is not as vital as you would think, but it should still be necessary. Although 4K video at 1080p (Full HD) is becoming popular, vlogging with a lower resolution camera is still more than good enough, particularly if you're just getting started. You might also get away with a 720p video camera, but I would not suggest doing that. 

Light Performance

Generally, low light efficiency refers to ISO. In other words, the greater the ISO, the more light your camera can absorb, the more light your camera will collect. ISO is the camera’s sensitivity to light. One drawback is an increase in noise and grain with a high ISO. Noise and grain can decrease the image quality depending on how high you push the ISO.

This criteria will again depend highly on the type of content you're hoping to produce. Low light performance will not be too much of a concern if you are going to have complete control over your lighting, because you would have enough light to be able to use a lower ISO.

However, if you aren’t shooting under studio lights or if you’re going to be wandering about in your vlog you won’t be having much control over your lighting. Depending on your camera, you might end up having to bump up your ISO to improve visibility and video quality. 

So it's just something you need to look out for, and if you know you're going to be doing vlogs where you're heading to really different lighting circumstances, then a camera that can manage higher ISO will be better.

Lens

The lens you get will depend on the kind of camera you choose.  If you opt for a digital camera, then only the lens that comes with the camera can be used. If you go for something like a mirrorless or DSLR camera, then you can choose from several lenses.

You will be able to use interchangeable lenses using DSLR and mirrorless cameras. This means the lens on your camera can be adjusted. This also helps you to purchase lenses that suit your vlogging style and gives you more creative leverage.  

The aperture of the lens is important. Generally higher quality lenses will have a wider aperture which allows the lens to absorb more light. A wide aperture is also great for enhancing the aesthetics of each vlog you make, enabling you to achieve a blurred background effect for your vlogs. 

A f/1.8 aperture is available for some of the best 50mm lenses. The amount of noise your camera generates at a higher ISO setting also affects its ability to work in conditions of low light.

Bear in mind that it doesn't necessarily come with a lens if you're going to go with a mirrorless or DSLR camera. When you look at these cameras, make sure it doesn't say body only.

Autofocus

Generally most vloggers do their vlogging alone, so not having video autofocus on your camera can be an absolute deal breaker. You can’t be in front of a camera and try to keep monitoring the focus of your lens. 

Look for a camera with a great autofocus system. It saves you time, and the nightmare of having to edit or scrap unusable clips. 

Stabilization

Don’t wait for your viewers to sound off in the comments calling you out for your shaky and crunchy videos. Before buying a camera,  check to see if it has optical image stabilization. Although this feature is not mandatory for vlogging, it is recommended. Especially for vloggers who aren’t staying put in the video. 

Battery Life

When it comes to vlogging, not everything will be done in one take. Shooting and filming will go on for hours on end, so it’s crucial to get a camera with great battery life. It’s ideal to have a camera where you can change the batteries with spares or a camera with the ability to film even while it’s plugged in to charge. 

Camera Microphone or Input Microphone

Nothing will make audiences drop a video than bad sound quality. People would much prefer to watch a video with decent sound quality at 720p, for instance, than to watch a 4K video with bad sound quality. Sound quality will produce a video that can damage your vlogging site, or ruin it. Sound equipment can, sadly, be pricey, but there are also cheaper alternatives that can provide decent sound quality while being inexpensive. 

There are various types of microphones, much like cameras and lenses. You may need a different type of mic, depending on the style of vlog you want to make. 

There are some vlogging cameras with a built in microphone input, but since it is considered a luxury feature, almost all compact cameras do not come with a microphone input.

You can try relying on the camera’s microphone, but you’re going to have to locate it so you don’t accidentally cover it while filming. 

Flip Screen

A vlogging camera requires a flip-screen or it would be almost impossible to vlog. Flip out displays will let you see the camera screen when you are filming your vlog. This makes it easier for you to get your focus and exposure right. It will also allow you, if the camera has the power, to track your audio levels.

Budget

Look at cameras from your price bracket as you hunt for the right vlogging camera. See what video features they have, do some analysis on those features and then strive to find a more affordable camera with as many of those features as possible.

Top Vlogging Cameras in 2021

We have listed below the best vlogging cameras in 2021

1. Sony A7R III MIRRORLESS

2. CANON EOS 7D MARK II DSLR

3. PANASONIC GH5

4. Nikon Z50 Compact Mirrorless Digital Camera with Flip Under Selfie

5. SONY ALPHA 

6. Fujifilm X-T4

SONY A7R III MIRRORLESS

Get it on Amazon here.

If you are a vlogger who wants to do a lot of creative work with your camera then the Sony A7R III mirrorless camera is the one for you. Today, a lot of vloggers are professional so it makes sense to get a vlogging camera that has a lot of features when it comes to photos and videos. The Sony A7R III gives you great videos along with photos.

The A7R III has an impressive 42.4-megapixel camera sensor that creates the best photographs you've ever seen. With a 3" LCD screen, the camera can film at a stunning 4K resolution.

The camera gives you an ISO of 32000 with very low noise which is great and it has fast and accurate autofocus. This latest mirrorless camera can provide a unique combination of high resolution and high frame rates. 

With a checked shutter of some 500,000 cycles, its build quality is very robust. Stunning ISO sensitivity for still images improved up to 102,000 & its sensitivity is 25,600 for 4K.With 10 frames per second, its sensor can deliver superb accuracy & stable-shooting speed at maximum resolution. In addition, it can also accommodate approx. 76 Raw File Compresses. 

It has an ideal buffer quality without which frame rates operate less. In addition, without sacrificing on speed, this camera also carries a dual memory slot.

Specifications:

• Sensor: 42.4 Megapixel full-frame sensor
• Focal length conversion: 1x
• Memory: 2x SD/SDHC/SDXC, inc 1x UHS II
• Viewfinder: Quad-VGA OLED, 3.69 million dots
• Max video resolution: 4K UHD at 30, 24fps
• ISO range: 100-32,000, expandable to 50-102,400
• Autofocus points: 399-point phase detection, 425-point contrast detection
• Max burst: 10fps (76 compressed raw)
• Screen: 3-inch tilting touchscreen, 1,440k dots
• Shutter speeds: 30-⅛,000 sec, bulb
• Weight: 675g (body only)
• Dimensions: 126.9 x 95.6 x 73.7mm
• Power supply: NP-FZ100 lithium-ion (supplied)

Key Features:

• 3.1 USB port
• 5-axis image stabilization
• Full HD video up to 120 fps
• Multi shooting mode
• Battery life up to 650 shots
• Auto-focus & auto exposure
• BIONZ-X processor
• New front-end LSI E-mount

Pros:

• 4k Video
• High ISO with Little Noise
• Autofocus
• 5-Axis Image Stabilization
• Compatibility
• Compact

Cons:

• It doesn’t have a flip​​​​​ screen or touchscreen
• Low-light videos
• Overheating
• Battery

 

CANON EOS 7D MARK II DSLR

Get it on Amazon here.

This beauty is selling out - and there’s a good reason why. The Canon EOS 7D MARK II DSLR is an efficient camera to carry around. It has an amazing autofocus system that can take sharp shots even when the subject is on the go. 

The Canon EOS 7D Mark II got a convenient burst of 10 frames per second. Its dual processor and upgraded hardware will provide you with extremely bright, crisp images. Its dual processor and upgraded hardware will provide you with extremely bright, crisp images. You would be impressed by its outstanding ISO handling, which goes up to 16,000. With its high-quality glass & the best battery life, you can get the most out of this camera. 

The is the best option for all-rounder users. You'll get outstanding picture quality, fantastic footage, fast frame rate, a solid build, a decent system of autofocus, and the list goes on. It's definitely worth the price.

Specifications:

• Sensor: 20MP Dual-Pixel AF CMOS
• Focal length conversion: 1.6 x
• Memory: 1x SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) and 1x CompactFlash (UDMA 7)
• Viewfinder: Pentaprism
• Max video resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels and a frame rate of 24 fps up to 60 fps
• ISO range: 100-16,000, expandable to 25600, 51200
• Autofocus points: 65-point all cross-type AF
• Max burst: 10fps
• Screen: 3-inch tilting, 1.40 million dots
• Shutter speeds: 1/8000 to 30 sec., bulb
• Weight: 820g (body only)
• Dimensions:  Approx. 148.6 (W) x 112.4 (H) x 78.2 (D) mm
• Power supply: 1 Battery Pack LP-E6N (or LP-E6)

Key Features:

• Shutter rated to 200,000 cycles
• Dual Digic 6 processors
• 150,000 RGB sensor
• IR pixel metering sensor
• Latest environmental sealing
• SD (UHS-I) slots & compact Flash (UDMA)

Pros:

• Shooting 10 frames per second 
• 65 All cross-type autofocus sensor points 
• Rapid autofocus 
• Face identification and subject recognition and monitoring iTR metering sensor 
• Dual-Pixel Live Display and Video autofocus 
• Silent Power for Video Shooting 
• All-I (all intra) setting for recording 
• Support for video files from .MOV and .MP4 
• 4:2:2 With audio and timecode, 8-bit HDMI output 
• Headphone jack and Video Sound Monitoring 
• Jpeg rendering improved 
• Decent color and tonality at high ISO  
• Dual SD and CF card slots 
• Built-in GPS 
• Robust and sturdy
• Weatherproofing 
• AF is fast and sensitive 
• The Cropped sensor is a pro. 
• The shutter is fast and light
• Video is enhanced 
• Better AF, codec range, better quality 
• Lighter weight 

Cons:

• Costly. 
• No Built-in Wi-Fi   
• Mounted rear LCD  
• When shooting at 1080p60, Servo AF is not available.
• ITR fails to track moving subjects accurately, especially fast ones. 
• Comparatively low dynamic ISO base range and latitude of exposure in Raw 
• Spot metering that is not related to the AF point 
• Soft video lacks detail 
• Long screen outage during shooting on live view 
• No AF with continuous live-view shooting 
• No screen touch 

PANASONIC GH5

Get it on Amazon here.

 

Panasonic changed the game with a hybrid camera—the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH sequence. The GH5 is currently the fifth generation of this camera and is viewed as a hybrid where both video and stills of the same intensity are prioritized. The amazing features you get from this camera is an expensive price to pay.

It is important for you to question yourself with this steep of a price tag. Will this camera elevate your vlogs that much more than other, more affordable cameras on the market?

The GH5, however, brought the camera to the next level. Without cropping, the camera produces 4K video. It will shoot up to 59.94p and 48p, which is almost unheard of by its rivals. 

And the camera makes extensive use of its sensor, which can be seen from the fact that by oversampling from 5.1K it offers sharp video. 

In addition, the image quality in the GH5 is expanded by newly evolved Panasonic technology. Lastly, the camera provides stunning stills extracted from film. This is a perfect platform for vloggers to use to present a slice of a video clip to their viewers.

Specifications:

• Sensor: 20MP Dual-Pixel AF CMOS 20MP Four Thirds sensor (no OLPF)
• Focal length conversion: 2x
• Memory: SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card, SDXC Memory Card (Compatible with UHS-I / UHS-II UHS Speed Class 3 standard SDHC / SDXC Memory Cards)
• Viewfinder: TFT LCD 1,620 million dots
• Max video resolution: 4K 60p video
• ISO range: 200-25600 (expands to 100-25600)
• Autofocus points: 225 AF points
• Max burst: 9fps
• Screen: 3.2-inch
• Shutter speeds: 1/8000 to 60 seconds
• Weight: 725g (body only)
• Dimensions:  Approx. 139 x 98 x 87 mm 
• Power supply: DMW-BLF19 lithium-ion battery & charger

Key Features:

• Resistant to dust   
• Weather Sealant buttons  
• Micro Four Third Sensors for MOS 
• 6K Photo Extraction Still 
• Vari-angle 3.2-inch screen with 1620000 dots 
• Connectivity with Wi-Fi, NFC & Bluetooth 
• 225-area autofocus 
• Battery life of 410 shots

Pros:

• Tilting/flipping screen
• Strong image stabilization  
• Headset jack  
• Amazing ergonomics 
• Weather sealed
• Strong battery life 
• Compact lenses 
• 4k 60/50/48 30/25/24, Cinema 4k 

Cons:

• Auto-focus inconsistent
• Poor efficiency in low light 
• Difficult to achieve a shallow field depth 
• Lens options are pricey 

Nikon Z50 Compact Mirrorless Digital Camera with Flip Under Screen

Get it on Amazon here.

With its flip-down LCD panel, the Nikon Z50 is ranked as one of the best vlogging cameras. This Nikon APS-C camera is very handy and economical. It is the ideal choice if you are searching for the best Nikon camera for making YouTube videos and vlogs.

A 20.9MP sensor is at the core of the Z50, and is joined by an Expeed 6 processor (the same engine as the Nikon Z6/Z7. While this has the same pixel count as the Nikon D500 DSLR, we are assured that it is not the same sensor. The Expeed engine allows to promote features such as 4K video capture, as well as the native ISO range, which begins as low as ISO 50 and tops at ISO 25600.

Z50 also has autofocusing and a 209 on-sensor AF points spanning roughly 90% of the frame and promising to offer edge-to-edge sharpness. You have the option of a 0.39-inch, 2360k-dot optical viewfinder to compose your images (which is narrower and lower in resolution than the one on the Z6/Z7), or a touch-sensitive 3.2-inch tilting TFT LCD. Unlike the Z6/Z7, you have the advantage of tilting this to face forward from the bottom hinge, making it convenient for selfies – but not so for mounting the camera to a tripod.

Specifications:

• Sensor: 20.9MP CMOS sensor
• Focal length conversion: 1.5x
• Memory: Single UHS-I SD card slot in battery compartment
• Viewfinder: 2.36M-dot OLED viewfinder
• Max video resolution: 4K video at up to 30p
• ISO range: 100-51,200
• Autofocus points: 209 AF points
• Max burst: 11 fps.
• Screen: 3.2inch tilting touchscreen
• Shutter speeds: 1/4000 - 30 seconds
• Weight: 533g (with batteries and kit lens)
• Dimensions: Approx. 5.0 x 3.7 x 2.4 in. (127 x 94 x 60 mm)
• Power supply: En-El25 battery that can produce 300 shots per single charge.

Key Features:

• Twin control dial interface
• Rear touch screen tilts up by 90° or down by 180°
• Bluetooth-enabled Wi-Fi (via Snapbridge app)
• Creative Picture Control effects

Pros:

• Video 4K 
• USB Charging 
• Superb photo and video quality 
• Nice EVF  
•  flip screen feature 

Cons:

• No built-in stabilization
• Single UHS-Icard

SONY ALPHA A6500  

Get it on Amazon here.

 

The famous A6500 vlogging camera has great buffer capacity, a steady shot image stabilization, and a maximum 11fps uninterrupted shooting speed. Its magnesium body is durable, lightweight, and weather resistant. It has a  24.2-megapixel sensor that is perfectly combined with the new LSI & Sony BIONZ X front-end image processor, ensuring high-end output and speed. Sony also ensures sharp images, and supreme texture with low noise.

Another major feature that brings an advantage to the A6500 is the 5-axis steady shot in-camera image stabilization and its advanced & solid autofocus. You do not need to go for a mount for optical stabilization with this camera. Plus the  4K video capture is spectacular and smooth.

Specifications:

• Sensor: 4.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
• Focal length conversion: 1.5x
• Memory: Memory Stick/SD/SDHC/SDXC, UHS I
• Viewfinder: XGA OLED viewfinder
• Max video resolution: 4K UHD at 24, 25 & 30 fps
• ISO range: 100-800 (expands to 25600)
• Autofocus points: Hybrid AF system with 25 contrast-detect and 179 phase-detect points
• Max burst: 11fps
• Screen: 3-inch tilting LCD with 922k dots
• Shutter speeds: 30-1/4,000 seconds
• Weight: 453g (body only)
• Dimensions:  Approx. 120.0 x 66.9 x 53.3mm

Key Features:

• Bionz X image processor 
• 169-point contrast-detect AF and425-point phase-detect AF
• Built-in flash 
• Continuous shooting with 11 fps with subject-tracking 
• Wi-Fi with NFC capability and downloadable apps
• 5-axis body-based image stabilization

Pros:

• In-body stabilization 
• Complex autofocus system 
• Perfect ergonomics 
•  built-in flash 
• Remote control via phone app

Cons:

• LCD gets dark under daylight 
• Awkward with the big lens

Fujifilm X-T4

Get it on Amazon here.

For a much cheaper price, APS-C cameras can deliver virtually the same picture quality, with almost all the features and performance as a mirrorless camera. And the brand-new Fujifilm X-T4 appears to have everything any beginner, enthusiast and professional might like right now.

The Fujifilm X-T4 is filled with amazing imaging features, but it's still the best video camera ever made by the brand. It supports 10-bit resolution 4K recording, provides a flat color grading profile, and five-axis image stabilisation for clearer handheld footage. 

External microphone support is available, and headphones can be attached via USB-C for monitoring (a 3.5mm dongle is included in the box). In-camera profiles are massive if you don't want to rate your own footage, providing a variety of looks.

Specifications:

• Sensor: 26MP BSI CMOS sensor
• Focal length conversion: 1.5x
• Memory: 2x SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS II)
• Viewfinder: EVF, 3.69m dots
• Max video resolution: 4K video (DCI or UHD) at up to 60p
• ISO range: 160 to 12,800 (expands to 80-51,200)
• Autofocus points:  117/425/91 point hybrid contrast/phase AF
• Max burst: 30fps electronic shutter, 15fps mechanical shutter
• Screen: 3-inch vari-angle touchscreen, 1.62m dots
• Shutter speeds: 4 seconds to 1/8000 seconds
• Weight: 607g (body only)
• Dimensions:  Approx. 134.6 x 92.8 x 63.8mm

Key Features:

• USB-C type connector allowing USB PD charging
• 12 Film Simulation modes, including Eterna Bleach Bypass
• In-body image stabilization (up to 6.5EV correction)
• 1080 video at up to 240 fps for 4-10x slow-motion footage
• Rear touchscreen
• NP-W235 battery rated 

Pros:

• Pro-grade, splash- and dust-protected body 
• Excellent EVF Excellent 
• Mechanical shutter of 15fps 
• Improved Battery
• Excellent appearance of in-camera film and raw processing 
• Picture Sensor Stabilized 
• 4K at 60fps 

Cons:

• No standard headphone jack

Conclusion – What Are The Best Vlogging Cameras?

With such a competitive industry as vlogging, you’re going to need the best equipment that can get to reflect the quality of your work. Depending on your requirement, you can choose the vlogging camera that is most appropriate for you. We hope you found this post helpful. For more reviews, check out more of our blog posts! 

 

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by Just Digital Team

10 Of The Best Social Media Management Tools To Boost Your Campaign

 

More and more businesses are investing their time and money on social media marketing content. Social media has become a juggernaut in the digital marketing industry. However, it can be difficult trying to juggle managing your business and your social media. This is why we've curated a list of 10 of the best social media management tools.

“The active number of global mobile social media users is 3.3 billion global equaling 42% penetration”
Statista

While it's opened many opportunities for businesses to market their products/ services on a larger scale, it has also turned the industry even more competitive.

It takes a lot more effort to influence today’s buyers. You need to produce killer content for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the other various social media platforms. You also have to provide excellent customer service, respond quickly, and engage more with your audience on social media.

Before we dive into our thoughtfully compiled list, we have to start with the basics of social media management tools. You want to use tools that do the following:

Now that you have your checklist ready, let’s begin!

1. Sprout Social 

Sprout Social is one of the most popular social media management tools to date.

It is a central hub for managing all of your social media accounts. Not only that, Sprout Social has powerful data analysis capabilities and helps with customer support.

It’s a simple to use platform that does everything for you, from managing your accounts to scheduling all of your posts. You can either plan your own schedule or let Sprout Queue automatically schedule posts for you.

Sprout allows you to track all kinds of metrics, from Facebook page impressions, to Instagram trends. These metrics can then be exported to PDF and CSV, branded with your company's logo, allowing you share them with clients and team members.

It’s great for analyzing your data too. With Sprout, you can tag and track all of your campaigns, from posts, to types, subject matters, and any other content you may be trialing. You can easily tag your campaigns to compare which one does best.

You can also track your campaign by customizing the options to show various demographic and geographic measures to quantify exactly what content is working for you.

Sprout also has an Asset Library that stores, edits, and publishes visual content alongside your updates. It can contain your own photos, video content, response templates, etc.

Sprout is great for handling team interactions as well. You can see when other team members are viewing or replying to messages in real-time, because of Sprout’s small on-screen indicator.

Another awesome team feature is how you can turn items into tasks for other members. Sprout makes it easier for teams to collaborate on drafts.

You also have the option to monitor your market’s thoughts about your brand. Do this by monitoring keywords across all social media so you know when your brand is being discussed. Now, you’ll be able to easily respond to customers.

Sprout is overall an amazing social media management tool, the only downside is its price. It’s one of the most expensive social media management tools around.

Sprout Social Pricing

2. Buffer

Buffer has been a go-to for many businesses who want a reliable social media management tool. It’s one of the longest-running social media management tools used to schedule posts. It supports social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Pro users can schedule Pinterest posts too. Free users can connect up to three social media accounts, including Facebook pages and groups.

Once you’ve set up your account, Buffer will create four slots for you to schedule and post content throughout the day: In the morning, noon, afternoon, and late at night. You can customize your posting schedule by going to Settings > Posting Schedule to edit or tweak the time.

The only disadvantage of using Buffer is the limited metric tracking features. You can only see the number of impressions your post gained, number clicks on links, comments, shares, and reach. Its main purpose is scheduling posts. With that being said, if you want to track your metrics you’re going to have to get Buffer Analyze for an additional fee.

The team features on Buffer are only included for a more expensive plan. They offer a free plan that includes one user, three accounts, and 10 queued posts per profile; from $15/month for the Pro plan that includes one user, eight accounts, and 100 queued posts per profile.

Buffer Pricing:

3. Hootsuite

Hootsuite is the answer to all of your social media management needs. It’s compatible with over 35 social media platforms including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

It has features that allows you to schedule queued posts on time you plot them. You can also AutoSchedule or do it manually. Not only that, you can queue your posts until you finish your entire campaign, just make sure you’ve scheduled everything in order. You can always re-order with a simple drag and drop.

Hootsuite’s best feature is its analytics. It can draw on more than 200 metrics to measure performance. These reports are also available for export as Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, and CSV files.

Monitor your social media account for mentions, new followers, search terms, hashtags, engagement, etc., with Hootsuite’s custom social streams. You can make your streams as specific as possible by includeing or excluding specific keywords, post types, locations, and languages.

Various team members can also be assigned access with Hootsuite’s custom permission feature. You can assign them tasks, then approve any of their outgoing responses before they’re sent.

Team members can use Hootsuite's included Content Library to create updates with on-brand assets of your choosing. There are also free stock photos and GIFs courtesy of Giphy on Hootsuite, or you can connect your Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive to draw on your own resources.

Hootsuite Pricing:

4. Iconsquare

Iconsquare is the best social media management for tool for Instagram accounts and Facebook Pages. You can monitor, publish, analyze visual content on Instagram and Facebook. The app’s design was made with Instagram users in mind, the navigation is simple yet effective.

Like the other apps we’ve mentioned, Iconsquare allows you to schedule content in advance for both Facebook and Instagram. You can post single images and video posts for Facebook, then carousels and story updates for Instagram

The great thing about Iconsquare is that you can preview your queue on your scheduled posts. You get to see what your feed will look like using the Feed Preview feature. This way you can ensure your feed remains on-brand and to your aesthetic.

Link your Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive to your Iconsquare to have your very own Media Library or content bank. You can organize your library by adding labels and sorting it out by source.

Iconsquare lets you track in-depth Instagram metrics that you don’t get with other social media management tools. You can see your follower count, how many people you reach with your updates, the time these people are most frequently online, and which posts work best for you.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to reply to any comments you receive. Iconsquare’s Conversations area keeps all of the unread comments you have received over the last six months in one place.

With Iconsquare, you can track and compare your own Instagram strategy with your competitors. You can track their post times, hashtag use, and post popularity.

Overall, Iconsquare is a great social media management tool for businesses who want to focus on Instagram or Facebook because of  it’s compliant features.

Iconsquare Pricing:

5. Sendible

Generate more leads with Sendible. Sendible is another social media management tool that’s a complete package deal. It’s compatible with 20 social networks and blog services including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and WordPress. It also connects to Google My Business, Facebook Pages, Medium, and Tumblr.

This social media management app has one of the best scheduling features among the ones we’ve mentioned. With Sendible, you can maximize your engagement by customizing your publication time.

You can easily generate more leads with Sendible. All you have to do is set up an appropriate keyword under Monitor > Keywords > New Monitor. Pick keywords you want to target and track, or have a list of relevant keywords emailed to you daily or weekly.

It also has its set of analytics tools that’s integrated with Google Analytics to help you measure the effect of your social media campaigns on your website traffic.

Sendible also has its collaborative team features that includes a shared media library, task assignments to teams or individuals, and per-user or per-team permissions.

Sendible Pricing:

6. Tailwind

If you’re a business that’s mainly focused on Pinterest, then Tailwind the social media management tool for you.

Pinterest is the website people go to for inspiration. It’s where people post and discover visual content they can categorize into different boards or collections.

Tailwind is exceptional at managing Pinterest and Instagram because you can easily manage the visual content of these social media channels.

With Tailwind, you can schedule and monitor your posts on both social media channels. You can also upload by bulk by simply dragging and dropping your images. You also have the option or sync Tailwind with your Dropbox to immediately import your images. Another cool feature Tailwind has is their SmartLoop tab, which allows you to schedule your pins to be automatically uploaded again and again.

Tailwind can also schedule your posts to help you decide when the best time to upload is. This will help increase your engagement and brand recognition. The app also suggests trending content with recommendations to help you keep up with the trends and your competition.

Tailwind has monitoring tools specifically designed for Pinterest. They also have pixel-matching technology and image recognition to help you see which images are trending or most popular. You can also measure your followers, engagement trends, and Pin virality.

Tailwind Pricing:

7. PostPlanner

Content is paramount on social media. That being said, it’s essential for businesses to create and curate enticing content as often as they can. PostPlanner is the best social media management tool to help with that.

This social media management tool helps you find and share relevant content on your social media accounts. What really sets PostPlanner apart from the other tools is its price point. It does the same job but at a far more attainable price.

This app works with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. It has a recommendation engine that suggests content based on who and what you follow. It also has a scheduled posts feature. With this tool, you can schedule your collection of curated content, then add more to it after.

PostPlanner also allows you to monitor your results. View all of your past posts in one place and reorder your posts by dragging and dropping. There’s also a team feature that you can get for extra pay.

PostPlanner Pricing:

8. MeetEdgar

MeetEdgar is a social media management tool you should use if you want to automate your posts.

This social media management tool autopilots for all your social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. It schedules and posts everything for you.

What sets this app apart is its automation. You can paste a link on their Add New Content button then it finds quote-worthy texts from it. It pretty much creates your content for you.

You can also categorize your updates on MeetEdgar. Have your categories color-coded to space your content out better.

MeetEdgar Pricing:

 

 

 

 

9. MavSocial

If your social media strategy is heavy on images, then MavSocial can help you add images to your social media posts. It has an impressive library of 20 million royalty-free stock images that you can post on your accounts.

You can add effects, stickers, and filters to these photos, just click on the wand icon that appears on the image you choose. They also have premium stock images that you can be licensed after paying for it.

Other than it’s incredible collection of stock photos, MavSocial does it all when it comes to social media management. It publishes, monitors, engages, and measures your success. It’s compatible with social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Tumblr. It also has a scheduler to help you with your updates across your networks.

MavSocial Pricing:

 

10. Planable.io

Planable is the best social media management tool for teams. It’s designed to streamline the process of multiple members using the same account.

Just like the other apps, it allows you to centralize your content management to optimize your social media marketing strategy. You can schedule your posts and view it all as if they were live in the feed of your social accounts.

Team members can go back and forth with feedback for each of the posts, this makes editing easier and faster. With Planable, you can easily see the changes that were implemented on each post and work together in real-time on the same piece of content. You can also add emojis, gifs, stickers, etc., to give more life and personality to your posts.

Planable Pricing:

Which one should I choose?

We’ve given you ten social media management tools to choose from, but which one should you get?

All of the tools we’ve mentioned are wonderful and have their own defying features. The best way to choose is to go back to your social media strategy. Which platforms are you using? Is your strategy content heavy? How much is your budget?

Consider all of those before making the right decision. Once you’ve answered those questions you can easily eliminate the tools above that you don’t think will work for you. If you have any questions about which social media management tools would be best for you, don't hesitate to contact us! 

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by Just Digital Team

Contractor Marketing Strategies You Need For Your Contractor Business

Many contractors put their clients at the end of the line when it comes to marketing when they should be doing the complete opposite. This also applies to many contractor business owners. Contractor marketing is crucial to help you grow your business. In this article, we dive into some effective contractor marketing strategies that will help you get on the road to success. 

“Great marketing makes the customer feel smart.”
- Joe Chernov

Business owners tend to make the assumption that marketing is simply endorsing products and services to any person they come across. However, this megaphone marketing technique is outdated and not quite effective.

Currently, marketing is centered around putting your customers at the forefront of your priority list. Instead of trying to market your products and services, focus on selling how your product can solve the problems of your clients and how it can benefit them.

Marketing is an investment - invest your marketing efforts in showing how your products can enhance the lives of your clients.

Keep two things in mind when contractor marketing:

1. Sell the benefit of your product or service to your consumer
2. Make sure you offer the benefit to a targeted audience

Those are just two tips on how you can improve your marketing for your contractor business. We have much more to offer than that. Continue reading to find our tips, tricks, and marketing strategies to help your contractor business generate more leads and make more sales.

As we’ve mentioned above, contractor marketing is an investment. It’s a long and ongoing process of putting in the effort for your contracting business.

As years go by, consumers are becoming more educated, conscious, and smart about their buying decisions. They will do their research before hiring any contractors in their local area, whether that be through the internet or by asking a friend.

With that in mind, competition is more stiff. You really have to put your contracting business out there and market the hell out of it to get the customer’s trust and attention.

In order for you to do this, you're going to have to do some research. Marketing will require you to hit the books, or, in our day and age, do some customer research on Google.

Gain some insight into your buyer’s wants, needs, problems, challenges, and things your contracting business can do to make their lives easier.

Create a customer persona so you know who your customer is, when and where to sell to them, and what messages trigger them to buy.

Once you have this information, it gets easier to target and sell your services to the right audience.

Aside from the obvious benefit of gaining more leads and sales from marketing, there are a few more benefits that will convince you to start investing more time into your marketing plan.

• It educates - Marketing offers business owners, like yourself, a chance to let people discover your business and services. Customers will want to know more about your brand before buying or acquiring your services. They need to understand what you're selling, who you are, why they should choose you, and what they gain from working with you. Marketing is the perfect chance to communicate your value proposition in a fun way.
• It’s sustainable - Marketing is sustainable because it keeps your business fresh in people's minds. Marketing is something you have to work on everyday to maintain your presence and develop a healthy relationship with your consumers. You get to create relationships through marketing, and just like any relationship, you’re going to have to work on it consistently for it to thrive.
• It grows - Marketing will help your business grow. The customers you have now should be your main priority, but it wouldn’t hurt to expand your customer list. Marketing will help you achieve that. Engaging with new people online through social media or email campaigns will not only strengthen your relationship with your current customers, but also gain you new ones.

You may think this year isn’t really the best time to invest in contractor marketing, especially because of COVID-19’s impact on the economy. It’s easy to assume that people aren't really looking for contractors to hire these days.

However, it could be that the reason you aren’t getting many customers is because you don’t have a proper digital marketing strategy in place.

There are 1.6 million online searches for contractors every month, which shows how COVID-19 isn’t stopping your target audience from searching for businesses like yours.

A great digital marketing strategy can put you ahead of the competition and get you customers even while you’re sleeping.

Are you ready to grow your contractor business? Read on below to get started.

It all starts with a goal, without one you’re headed nowhere. Your marketing strategy needs to have a clear objective. List down what you want to accomplish like your revenue goal, number of sales, target area, time frame, etc.

All these things need to be defined in order to create campaigns and strategies around that goal.

Setting your contractor marketing budget is a crucial step to creating a marketing strategy. You can’t and shouldn't spend money you don’t have, but you also can’t create an effective marketing strategy without spending.

Allocate a budget for your marketing efforts by:

1. Determining Your Revenue Target - This ties in with the first tip. Create goals. Set a goal you can work towards and ask yourself: how much money you want to make, how much you want in sales, or what your overall goal is.
2. Allocating a Percentage of Your Revenue Goal - The next step is figuring out a percentage that makes sense for you and that will help you hit your revenue target. The percentage that works well for companies and clients is between 10-20% of total gross revenue. We suggest allocating half of the percentage towards paid ads and the other half towards experienced marketers, like us, who can do the work for you.
3. Determining the Marketing Strategies That Work Best for Your Business - Now you can start looking into what marketing activities you can do that make sense for your contracting business and your goals. Just make sure that you're spending your budget on the right campaigns.

Once you’ve set a budget you can start listing down possible marketing channels. It's important to be extra strategic with tis step. Think of which marketing channels will benefit you the most before doing your research.

List how you got customers in the past. Was it through your website? Social media? Ads? Add them on the list then rank them depending on the cost, resources, and time you used on each channel.

Some possible channels are:

• Website
• Ads
• Social Media
• Email
• Referrals

A fast-working and mobile-friendly website is a necessity, especially during trying times like these when everyone is relying on the internet for their daily needs.

Having a website establishes your presence and existence in the digital sphere. Without it, you don’t exist. Aside from that, your website will act as your 24hour sales representative. Potential customers can visit and engage with your business anytime, anywhere.

Studies show that at least 92% of consumers will look at websites when deciding on a contractor to hire. And at least 75% of these consumers will judge your credibility based on your website’s design and functionality.

If you don’t have one, now is the time to acquire the services of an agency to help you with your web design and development. If you do have one, make sure it’s optimized and up-to-date.

Your website checklist should ensure that your website is:

• Fast
• Functional
• Secure
• Optimized for mobile

A landing page is a page on your website that will help convert visitors into actual leads.

The landing page’s objective is to focus on one product or service and to get the customer to fulfill an action. Hence why the landing page has 1-3 call-to-actions. The goal could be to get a customer’s email or get them to download a pdf.

Landing pages usually have forms that allow you to acquire the user’s information in exchange for your offer.

A landing page is important because it:

• Generates leads
• Tracks data
• Offers clarity and purpose
• Encourages visitors to make a decision

Increase your conversion rates by creating a landing page that’s fast and has a clear goal. A landing page is where you can get straight to the point to communicate your value proposition to your prospective clients.

For a more in depth discussion of landing pages, click here.

Aside from a fast, functional and well designed website, you can also increase conversion rates by developing a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy.

A website optimized for search engines has better chances of landing a higher rank and getting more organic quality leads. A great SEO strategy will also give you an advantage against your competitors.

A few ways you can improve your SEO strategy is by:

• Publishing relevant content with the right keywords.
• Regularly updating your content.
• Adding metadata such as meta titles, meta descriptions, and meta keywords.
• Using alt tags.

Search engine algorithms, especially Google's, are constantly changing. You’re going to need to keep up with the constant changes in order to get the top spot.

It’s going to take time and effort to learn everything involved in the SEO process. Instead you can hire a digital marketing agency like us to do it for you.

We’ve worked with dozens of businesses from different industries for all of their digital marketing needs.

Pay-per-click advertising (PPC) is a faster way to get high quality leads compared to SEO. Therefore, publishing PPC ads can get contractors a spot on the first page of Google in a snap.

It’s a fast and effective way to get results. Additionally, you get to target your ads to people who are actually looking for your services.

Studies show that when people are looking online to buy a product, ppc ads receive 65% of all clicks.

PPC advertising works by only showing your ads to people who are actively searching for your services. Take the example above. I typed in keywords that triggered the ads to show on my search results.

To get your ad placed on that spot of Google’s search results page, you’re going to have to bid on certain keywords. For contractors it could be “contractor services”, “contractor for hire”, “licensed contractor Los Angeles”.

Aside from keywords, factors such as the quality of the landing page your ad links to and the relevance of the ad based on the searcher’s query will also affect your ad rank.

Whenever you type in a particular business or service on Google with the added location in the keywords like “Contractors in New York,” you’ll find an image of a map below the paid ads section with a few company listings with their specific location. That’s what you call Google’s local pack.

In order to get a spot on Google’s local pack, create a business page on Google my business. Once you have your page fill in all necessary information like your number, service hours, location, a link to your website. Another tip is to include reviews.

Our last suggested contractor marketing strategy is crucial. You need to know where your business is standing in a marketing point of view.

This is essential research because you’ll know what tactics to avoid and what to keep doing on your next marketing campaign.

Measure your leads and conversions, track your calls, ROI, etc. All of these can help your business grow.

There are many third party analytics and software trackers like Google analytics, Clicky, Cloud Flare, and KISSmetrics.

Looking for someone to help you with your contractor marketing? We can help! Just Digital is a digital marketing agency dedicated to helping businesses like yours grow and thrive.

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by Just Digital Team