November, 2015 | DKIServices.com

Increase Engagement with Visuals

Nov 23, 2015

By: Chelsea Haley, DKI Ventures, LLC

Images and video play a key role in building engagement on social media. Know which imagery to share, how to post and the proper size requirements on each platform.

Size Matters

It’s important to resize your photos for them to properly display on different social media platforms. If a photo does not meet the platform’s sizing requirements, it will either alert you with an error notice, or it will post distorted to your timeline and your viewers’ newsfeeds, which may reduce engagement.

For optimal appearance of photos posted to social media, upload images to the following sizes:

Facebook: 1,200 x 630 pixels

Twitter: 440 x 220 pixels

Instagram: 612 x 612 pixels

LinkedIn: 100 MB or smaller

Native or Linked?

When sharing a video to a Facebook post, you can choose to link to YouTube or embed directly on Facebook. Direct Facebook videos automatically play without audio in people’s newsfeeds. The interactive posts are more engaging and attractive to viewers than the average post. According to a report by socialbakers.com earlier this year, embedded Facebook videos receive more than 80 percent of all video interactions. In addition, Facebook videos receive a greater reach than any other type of post. Search Engine Journal’s (SEJ) study reported that on average, posts with native Facebook videos received a greater reach and number of likes, shares and comments than posts with YouTube video links.

Make it News

While photo albums help organize photos on Facebook, album additions are never alerted to your followers and don’t receive as much engagement, if any. By uploading images directly to your status update, they reach more followers and have a better chance for engagement.

What to Share

Countless studies prove that images increase engagement on social media. According to the Visual Teaching Alliance, people process visuals 60,000 times faster in the brain than text.

Consider posting photos of your team members or clients. People trust people, and people can help humanize a brand. Your social media audience will likely identify with and gravitate toward a brand that uses images of people.
Post photos relevant to your business. Show your followers the excellent work you perform.
Be exclusive. Post branded photos, unique to your organization.

DKI’s Training Heats Up

November 19, 2015 – DKI, North America’s largest disaster restoration contracting organization, today announced that one of its member companies, Complete DKI, of Pensacola, FL., alongside Donan Engineering, successfully hosted a Live Burn Event on Tuesday, November 17, 2015 to provide a new level of fire damage education to their clients.

The Live Burn, attended by approximately 55 agents and adjusters from Florida and Alabama, included approved continued education courses for “Fire Investigation & Subrogation” and “Fire Losses, Statistics & Restoration,” as well as two live fire demonstrations, showing the different results of a staged kitchen grease fire and a living room sofa fire. These were contained in two separate one-time-use burn cells. Through the classes and hands-on demonstrations, the attendees learned fire analysis and recovery processes for a fire claim.

“The Live Burn was the most fun any of our adjusters and agents have had at a CE class. We will be making it an annual event,” said Ashlee Carpentier, business development manager for Complete DKI.

About Complete DKI

Complete DKI is a leading restoration contractor in the Pensacola, FL area with 10 years of experience in disaster restoration. Providing restoration services to commercial, insurance and residential clients, the team is fully insured, licensed, and is registered to do business in Santa Rosa and Escambia counties in Florida and Mobile and Baldwin counties in Alabama. Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year using the most up-to-date technologies and quality professionals with superior skills and certifications, their customers count on Complete DKI when things appear at their worst. For more information, please call 850-225-5354 or visit www.completedki.com.

About DKI
DKI, headquartered in Chicago, is the largest disaster restoration contracting organization in North America. DKI Franchise Member companies provide full service restoration to their customers: emergency response, water damage mitigation, fire and contents cleaning, mold remediation, complete reconstruction and much more, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. DKI returns damaged property to its pre-loss condition quickly and efficiently, delivering complete satisfaction to our consumer, insurance, and corporate customers. For more information about DKI, visit our website at www.dkiservices.com and download DKI’s Red Cross Emergency App www.redcross.org/mobile-apps/emergency-app.

DRS Supports House of Heroes and Local Veteran

November 17, 2015 – DKI, North America’s largest disaster restoration contracting organization, today announced that one of its member companies, Disaster Restoration Services (DRS), of Middletown, CT, supported House of Heroes in honor of one veteran, Rafael Castro.

House of Heroes, an organization that allows skilled tradesman to help out local veterans who need assistance, has made home repairs over the past four years for 55 Connecticut veterans with financial or physical challenges.

Castro, a local veteran who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and lost his job last spring, has been relying on space heaters since his boiler broke two years ago. Since he returned from Iraq, many of his home restoration projects have been put on hold.

In addition to the new boiler system, local contractors, including DRS and other veterans, helped upgrade the plumbing and electrical, repaired and painted Castro’s deck, installed laminate flooring and performed general upkeep.

“DRS is proud to support such a great cause, seeing as veterans have put their lives on the line to protect our country, and now it is our turn to help them,” said DRS President Danny Strong.

To find more information on House of Heroes, visit www.hohct.org.

About Disaster Restoration Services

Disaster Restoration Services can take any disaster cleanup from start to finish! DRS is available 24/7 and services all of Connecticut. DRS provides services for: water mitigation, fire damage cleanup, storm damage cleanup and mold remediation. Not only can DRS do the mitigation, but they can also handle the remodel. Doing Restoration Strong! For more information, please call 860-788-6822 or visit www.drscleanup.com or www.drsremodeling.com.

DKI Donates for the “Season of Giving”

November 16, 2015 – DKI, North America’s largest disaster restoration contracting organization, today announced their remote office in San Ramon, CA is supporting its community through the Contra Costa and Solano County Food Bank’s Season of Giving Food Drive, sponsored by Sunset Development Company’s Bishop Ranch.

Every year, the Contra Costa and Solano County Food Bank serves over 8 million pounds of food, feeding more than 188,000 people.

Bishop Ranch, a business complex in San Ramon, CA, housing several companies, including DKI, is accepting donations of non-perishable food through Thursday, November 19 to support the Food Bank and its community of needy families. According to Bishop Ranch, the number of children in low-income families and seniors unable to afford food in the Contra Costa and Solano Counties has grown 26 percent in the last two years.

DKI donated several bags full of canned vegetables, soups, cereal, and more non-perishable foods.

“For those of us who are lucky enough to have food and roofs over our heads this holiday season, it’s important to stop and give back when we can. Even the smallest act of kindness can make a difference. Our entire corporate team is excited to continue to support those in need throughout the holidays,” said Dan Cassara, DKI’s CEO.

About DKI

DKI, headquartered in Chicago, is the largest disaster restoration contracting organization in North America. DKI franchise member companies provide full service restoration to their customers: emergency response, water damage mitigation, fire and contents cleaning, mold remediation, complete reconstruction and much more, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. DKI returns damaged property to its pre-loss condition quickly and efficiently, delivering complete satisfaction to our consumer, insurance, and corporate customers. For more information about DKI, visit the website at www.dkiservices.com and download DKI’s Red Cross Emergency App www.redcross.org/mobile-apps/emergency-app.

Shambaugh Cleaning And Restoration Joins DKI

November 6, 2015 – DKI, North America’s largest disaster restoration contracting organization, today announced that Shambaugh Cleaning & Restoration of Mansfield, Ohio has joined the DKI network.

By virtue of its DKI franchise member, Shambaugh Cleaning & Restoration can employ DKI’s 24-hour call center, its claims tracking technology, and other tools to enhance its ability to serve its insurance and corporate customers. Shambaugh Cleaning & Restoration also gains access to DKI’s training seminars and workshops, which ensure that it remains abreast of all changes in this rapidly evolving industry.

“We are delighted to welcome Shambaugh Cleaning & Restoration into the rapidly growing DKI network,” stated Dan Cassara, DKI’s president. “‘Shambaugh Cleaning & Restoration’s commitment to quick response, superior workmanship and outstanding customer service reaffirms DKI’s position in the marketplace as The Source for Quality Restoration. We look forward to a long and rewarding association.”

Shambaugh Cleaning & Restoration’s owner, Jeremy Shambaugh, is pleased that the company is a part of the DKI network, giving them the opportunity to work in partnership with other quality firms. The DKI network will allow Shambaugh Cleaning & Restoration to expand their scope of service, introduce them to new markets and ensure the company’s success long into the future.

In addition to the benefits of DKI’s technology and training capabilities, Shambaugh Cleaning & Restoration will also be able to utilize the DKI branding in its marketing efforts, participate in its various co-op programs, and leverage DKI’s corporate marketing efforts.

How to Make Time for and an Impact on Social Media

Nov 5, 2015

By: Chelsea Haley, DKI Ventures, LLC

One of the main reasons businesses don’t leverage social media in their marketing efforts is that they don’t have the time. However, knowing the strategies of how to post, and utilizing a calendar or some online scheduling assistant makes it fairly simple to market your brand and grow your business through social media marketing.

Schedule

Consider developing a calendar of social media posts or a list of content, relevant to your industry. Plan for big company events, launches, volunteer days and holidays.

If you want to schedule posts on multiple platforms in advance, there are several free or inexpensive programs online you can use to strategically schedule posts. Most of these also have a mobile app, which you can access to schedule or edit a scheduled post while you’re away from a computer. Here are a few of the platforms we like:

Scheduling posts will allow you to be more strategic and will save you from the headache of scrambling at the last-minute. However, it’s also important to monitor and be a part of the social media conversations related to breaking or buzz-worthy news events that will be trending on social media, especially those related to your industry or impacting your clients. For example, say you are a hotel property manager, and there’s flooding in your area. It would be wise to update your followers on social media that you are still open for business. This is not only helpful for your current followers, but it’s also a way for others that don’t currently follow you, but are tracking that news event, to find you.

Although you can schedule many of your social posts, it’s also important to be relevant and timely with your content. The key, overall, is to be proactive and strategic with most of your content, while still having the ability to be reactive when current events warrant it.

Optimal Timing

While you schedule your posts, take into consideration the ideal posting days and times that have the most traffic. Some outlets are more popular during work hours to stay up to date with news and weather, while others are more commonly accessed during non-work hours, or during commute time, for leisure time or job hunting.

For example, Twitter is often accessed throughout the day for breaking news and occurrences. However, according to BufferApp, early morning hours tend to receive the most clicks on tweets. Our understanding is that people are trying to stay informed and capture daily news before work. They want to start their day “smarter” and in the know. However, the same study from BufferApp showed that on average, evenings are the times when your tweets receive the most favorites and retweets.

On the other hand, Chartbeat reported an increase in social media engagement overall is in the afternoon after work hours and evenings when people have more time to browse the networks, and want to relax. With that said, according to Chron, LinkedIn is not commonly accessed on Mondays or Fridays when the week or weekend is just beginning.

Note that these are general recommendations only, and are subject to change. The ideal posting/tweeting times can vary greatly depending on your audience, your industry, and your brand. Consider checking your page analytics for when you receive the highest engagement. It is also suggested to experiment with different times of the day and days of the week, also taking holidays into account. You may find that the busiest times on each platform aren’t always the best times to post, since you’re competing with a higher volume of posts published at the same time.

Social media, like other forms of marketing, is part art and part science. Although it’s good to follow some general guidelines and monitor engagement data, it’s also critical to be flexible and creative with your efforts.

Please comment below, and let us know what works best for your business.