SEO Reseller Guide: Top Reasons Consumers Follow Brands on Facebook

If you're an SEO reseller, you most likely also offer social media or at least some form of it. For example, if you aren't offering SM optimization, maybe you install buttons or widgets on your clients' blogs to lead them to the social network accounts. But there's one thing you cannot deny: social is changing the way search engine optimization is being conducted.

Even Google wants people to be more social online. There's the Google+ network, which is now uses to verify Authorship, which in turn is influencing search results. Needless to say, you need to mind social media even if you consider yourself a "purely search" SEO reseller. And this is where Facebook comes in.

 Fun fact: Facebook is blue because founder Mark Zuckerberg is red-green colorblind.

It's the biggest out there. Founded in at a Harvard dorm in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and his roommates, it now boasts of 1.11 billion users across the globe. With this much users, it's no wonder brands and small businesses are scrambling to advertise on it. Your clients -- whether they're major corporations, SMEs, local businesses, or entrepreneurs -- also want  a share of this pie. That's why as an SEO reseller, you need to expand and start reselling Facebook and social media optimization. And here's a great place to start.

Why People Follow Brands on Facebook

According to a new study released by web and mobile solutions provider Syncapse, the most common reason for fololing brands on Facebook is "to support the brand I like." That option was chosen by 49% of respondents. What's the logic behind this? The brand or business has to be likable. It boils down to providing better services and valuing customers after all. But while that's something that's beyond your control, you can still help your clients look more likable online. That is by making them visible through SEO and other optimization offers. But what other reasons do followers have for "liking" brands on FB?

Some 42% of respondents said they follow brands "to get a coupon or a discount." This is somewthing you can act upon. You can coordinate with the marketing team and come up with a campaign for the client that will make use of your services. Not only will you appear an expert and a friendly consultant, you'll also set up yourself for more future business with that client.

Check out the table below from the Synapse study on why people follow brands on Faccebook.

The table can help SEO resellers determine the direction of the Facebook optimization campaign they can offer to clients.

Another interesting view the study provided is that people's reasons for following brands on the social network vary change depending on the brand. For instance, for fashion retailer Zara, the biggest reason was "to get a coupon or discount". For Walmart, it was "to receive regular updates from brands I like." Check out the table below.

People's reasons for liking brands on FB change based on the brand.

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...that you start offering SMO services to clients. There's a huge potential in social media. Companies and brands are no longer satisfied with typical optimization efforts on their websites. They want to be out there in the online social field, interacting with clients. As an SEO reseller, you can use this mentality to convince clients to avail of your services.

For starters, you can offer Facebook services like setup and design, branded writing for the "About" section, customization of cover photos, and status updates, among others. When you get some traction, you can inch your way to other social networks like Google+, which is now the second largest social site, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

SEO Reseller Guide: What the Rich Do with Their Mobile Devices (And Why It Matters to You)

As SEO resellers, we all have our preferred clients. Whether that's something you're willing to admit or not is up to you. But in reality, some resellers prefer dealing with SMEs or small and medium enterprises. Others prefer helping “solopreneurs” and micro businesses. Others are more niche-focused; for example, some resellers deal purely with clients who own medical-related websites.

But here's some good news for resellers who have clients dealing with the rich.

According to a recent survey by the Luxury Institute, the penetration of mobile devices among people considered affluent is high. In fact, eight in ten respondents owned a smartphone. Nearly six in every ten, meanwhile, own a tablet.

According to digital marketing and media experts eMarketer, this penetration rate is rather high compared with the rate among the overall US population.

 The golden iPhone and iPads are actually real.

What good does this bring to SEO resellers?

In a nutshell, the high penetration rate of mobile devices among rich American Internet users – aged 21 and with gross incomes above $150,000 – presents an opportunity for resellers to expand their business and grow their income.

This means two things: You need to start offering mobile related services, especially if your end-clients are targeting affluent customers. If you have clients whose target markets are people with gross incomes of $150,000 and above, you need to educate them about mobile and offer your services.

How do your convince clients to get your mobile services?

The study didn't just verify the high penetration rates of mobile devices among the rich, it also uncovered the activities Internet users do with their mobile devices.

"As affluent consumers become increasingly comfortable with their smart mobile devices, they are turning to them throughout the purchase process," said eMarketer in a report.

The study found that the most common m-commerce or mobile commerce activity among the rich was searching for store information. Users commonly use their smartphones and tablets to find out opening hours and directions, among other store information. Next in line was looking up product details while on the go. Third most common m-commerce activity was comparing prices while shopping in-store. They also view product images, which came in at No. 4.

See the list below. Image courtesy of eMarketer.

Rich internet users commonly use mobile devices to search for store information and product details.

What mobile services can you resell?

Here at SEO Reseller Guide, we always recommend to start with the simplest. Always take a small first but think of it as part of a long-term goal. The easiest mobile service you can resell is always web design and optimization. If your clients have a website but it's not yet mobile optimized, that's a great opportunity.

Google recommends mobile responsive websites. But with this study from the Luxury Institute, end-clients targeting the affluent market need to act fast and optimize their websites for mobile browsing. As a reseller, you can offer them your services.

Go ahead and ask your clients about mobile today.

Are You Reselling SEO Blog Services? You Should!

Blogging is definitely one of the services you offer as an SEO reseller. Right? If you answered "yes", that's great.. Keep up the good work. But if you do not offer blogging to your clients or do not include blogs as part of your strategy, time is ripe for you to reconsider your decision.

According to a report by research firm Marketing Sherpa, "blog" was rated as most effective among social media platforms when it comes to marketing. The 2013 MarketingSherpa SEO Marketing Benchmark Survey asked marketers to indicate the level of effectiveness of social platforms particularly in inbound or non-disruptive marketing. See the results in the graph below, courtesy of Marketing Sherpa.

Marketers considered blogs as more effective in inbound marketing compared with other social media platforms. Source: Marketing Sherpa

Some 84% of marketers rated blogs as either somewhat effective or very effective. Of that percentage, 32% said it was very effective. 52% rated it was somewhat effective. Some 11% said it was somewhat ineffective while the remaining 5% said it was very ineffective. This is impressive considering blog went up against other popular social media platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook -- the other top finishers.

Some 71% of respondents consider YouTube or other video-sharing sites as at least somewhat effective. LinkedIn, meanwhile, got a 68% effective score while Facebook was fourth with 58%. Micro blogging site Twitter rounded up the top five with 57% saying it was either very effective or somewhat effective.

Why should you care as an SEO reseller? 

First, this means you should not ignore blogs when it comes to organizing campaigns for your clients. They are crucial in forming a solid online presence for clients. Marketers can attest to that, as shown by the survey.

This also means bigger chances of better results. By incorporating blog in your SEO strategy, you are doing yourself and the client a favor. With good results come returning clients and their referrals. Consider this a long-term investment to grow your business.

Does this mean you should forgo other platforms and refocus on blogging? No. The graph above serves as a good SEO reseller guide on where our focus should be. For instance, if your SEO strategy involves blogs, Facebook, and photo-sharing site Flickr, you'll know how much time you need to devote to each platform. If  the survey results are any indication, you should be devoting more time to blogs, Facebook, then Flickr -- in that order. 

While the application of social platforms will always depend on the unique situation of the client, it's no denying that blogging deserves a spot in SEO resellers' strategies.