Why Facebook’s Ad Preferences Works In Marketers’ Favor

21Aug

An advertisement has to be really well made and relevant for the average social media user to pay attention to it. If it looks like spam or is pushing a product we have absolutely no interest in, we ignore it like the plague. Facebook knows this and is giving more power to the consumer by introducing ad preferences. However, this isn’t doomsday for social media marketers. Instead, it’s actually good news.

In Facebook’s announcement, they explained that the new ad preferences feature allows its 1.6 billion users to narrow down the type of ads they receive. With just a few clicks (or taps for mobile users), users can weed through some annoying subjects and narrow down their interests and hobbies. Imagine that, ads you actually enjoy!

At the first sight of this news, marketers may begin to sweat bullets. They gave consumers the ability to control the ads? What kind of chaos is this? Yet in truth, this will help deliver the right message to the right person. When companies create a Facebook ad, they already have the ability to specifically pick and choose who gets to see the ad. From a marketer’s standpoint, there are plenty of options so the right person sees your message. Ad preferences will allow that scope to be even narrower, which only leaves the people who would buy your product or service to see it. There’s no point in wasting time, some people just won’t be interested. You might be thinking that a smaller scope is a bad thing. While your reach will be narrower, the possibility of someone actually clicking on the ad will be greater. It’s about quality leads over quantity.

Because of this further filtering, Facebook has another treat. Ad Blocks no longer work on Facebook’s desktop version. Since users have the option to see content they enjoy, there isn’t an excuse anymore to not see ads. Once again, social media marketers should be cheering.

Facebook has never denied that they need advertising to live. It’s what makes their employees happy and their websites free. Without ads, there would be trouble on the horizon for marketer and consumers alike. No one wants a Facebook monthly fee. Because of that, ads will always be a necessary element to all social media platforms. Now, the required experience of advertising seems to be a little less painful.

What do you think of ad preferences? Comment below!

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4 Elements Of Social Media That Need Your Attention

By Christopher Tompkins

14Aug

Advertising, Business, Email Marketing, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Local Marketing, Marketing, Periscope, Pinterest, Reddit, Snapchat, Social Media, Social networking, Tailwind, Twitter, Uncategorized

When companies create a budget, they want to make sure they are paying for the most efficient tools, products, and services available. Companies are gradually starting to realize that social media fits into these categories. Unfortunately, you can’t just buy a box labeled “Social Media Marketing” once a year and call it a day. There are many facets to this industry, some that must be considered when budgeting for the coming year.

Our previous article covered the advertising side of social media, so today we are talking about four additional major elements to social media marketing. Whether you are just clicking “Sign Up” or you are a social media veteran, these areas require constant attention. Luckily, there’s also helpful resources just a few clicks away. Here are some areas of social media marketing that will be benefited by some paid services:

Scheduling – Unless you want to create a team of 24/7 vigilant workers that stare at Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn all day and night, you will need help with scheduling. You have the ability to write posts for the week ahead and schedule accordingly. Several sites can help with this, but we recommend Hootsuite. This handy tool is a fantastic, multi-layered solution that helps marketers set up content for the coming days. However, it doesn’t work for every social media platform. You will be able to schedule Instagram posts via Onlypult, and Tailwind can schedule your pins on Pinterest.

Analytics – A majority of the above schedulers also offer data analysis features so you can study how your social media is working. This is crucial to your online marketing success so you can see what posts, publishing times, subject matter, and platforms are working better than others so you can fine-tune your approach. There are many companies offering tools that help you track this data on a regular basis. A simple Google search will bring back relevant results to get you started.

Reach Optimization – Social media is all about reach. For Twitter, this is particularly important. You need to make sure you have lots of people following you, but you also need to reciprocate so your brand is active in the community. To do this, there are certain tools like Crowdfire that have the potential to deliver amazing results. With programs like this, you can connect with those who follow your industry’s leaders, which will raise brand awareness. You will also be able to switch between accounts quickly if such a case arises. All this can be done with just a few clicks given the right software. As you plan for the coming year, consider these services.

Creative Software – Anyone who spends more than a few minutes on social media will run into eye-catching imagery, captivating videos, and enjoyable GIFs. Since it’s only natural for the eye to gravitate towards attractive visuals, social media marketers need to keep this in mind when creating content. Even the most powerful writing can only do so much. Unfortunately, the power to be an artist isn’t typically free. Adobe Photoshop, video editing software, and creative apps all offer premium services either in the form of one-time fees or subscriptions that will pay off once you start incorporating them into your content.

Social media marketing is most certainly a multifunctional machine. There are many cogs and gears needed to be maintained, so it moves along smoothly. However, as you can see, you don’t go in without assistance. There are many programs, apps, and services that will bring your marketing to a whole new level.

Which programs do you use for your social media content? Share below!

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Is Facebook Adding Commercial Breaks To Your Videos?

By Christopher Tompkins

9Aug

Advertising, Business, Facebook, Local Marketing, Marketing, Periscope, Snapchat, Social networking, Uncategorized, Video

It looks like we are going full circle with advertisements. TV gave us ads mid-program and the internet provided uninterrupted entertainment. Now, however, Facebook is about to try a nostalgic business tactic by testing “mid-roll” ads on Facebook Live.

The social media giant is trying to find a way to incorporate advertisements during live broadcasts in order to boost revenue on their fairly new service, Facebook Live. They are hoping to work with pre-existing advertisers as well to get bigger names onto their live-streaming website.

The most important part for business owners is that this is proof of the following two things.

One, that live streaming video, while still being tweaked by the big names such as Facebook and Twitter via their sister site Periscope, is going to impact marketers in a big way in the future. Businesses from many industries are beginning to use these platforms to debut products, broadcast events, host Q & As, and more. It’s an attempt to get social media to be more “in the moment” and well, social.

Secondly, this shows how much advertising is Facebook’s bread and butter. Since it is a free service, they are making advertising more and more essential for companies to thrive on their site. Twitter, Instagram, and others are not much further behind Facebook creator, Mark Zuckerberg’s thought process. Without advertising, there is little revenue. However, they definitely reward those who pay them. Advertising through social media has become a huge source of attention and a way to spread a brand’s reach.

Commercial breaks seem to be on the return as people become more invested in streaming video. It may be time for you to get your camera ready and start going live!

What do you think of Facebook’s new advertising method? Share your thoughts!

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The 5 Types Of Posts Your Social Media Needs!

By Christopher Tompkins

18Jul

Copywriting, Social Media

There’s nothing more terrifying to a writer than a blank document. That flashing cursor staring back at you… it gives you shivers! The same goes for social media marketers as well. At times, inspiration just won’t come, and you have to get those posts out there! The business is counting on you, after all. There are plenty of ways to brainstorm, but sometimes it can do wonders to go back to basics. We do not mean you have to start a brand new Facebook or Twitter account, but rather examining the fundamentals of social media marketing. One of the most important questions someone in this industry has to ask is “What kind of posts should I write?”

While there are millions upon millions of posts out there, most of them can fall into 5 overarching categories. As you progress through the world of social media, you may find yourself doing the very important task of laying out an outline of posts that you want to write. It is crucial to add variety to your social media content and as such, you will want to learn the following “areas” social media can cover:

Articles- If you spend more than five minutes on any of the social sites, you will run into one of these popular posts. “Articles” is a broad term, of course. Whether the content covers a news piece, a recipe, tips to accomplish a certain task, or a piece of history, articles are without a doubt the most common types of content out there on the internet.

Promotional- As a marketer for a company, you may find yourself being tempted to use promotional posts more often than others. While sales-oriented content can be effective, you do not want to oversaturate your followers with promotions. It is common to see a company crash and burn online because all they want to do is sell as opposed to connecting to the community. That being said, sales posts do have a place in your overall content mix. If shared in moderation and written with subtleness, sales posts could work.

Events- Whether it is Christmas Day or your company’s annual picnic, posting about an event or utilizing your preferred platform’s invitation tools can attract a lot of attention to your page.

Entertainment- While we primarily use social media for business purposes, many people head over to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others for entertainment. Join in the fun! Just because you have a business page doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t post fun and interesting posts every now and again. Providing some interesting and enjoyable content is a part of the job!

Native- Above all else, native–or original content– is pure gold. Whether they are photos, videos, graphics, text, or events, they are valuable. Of course, visuals are more eye-catching than text-only posts so be sure to create your own graphics, logos, flyers, and more whenever possible.

Depending on the week you are writing for, content should be ordered in a unique and inventive way. No two articles, promos, or events should be right next to each other on your content timeline. These posts are the bread and butter of your campaign so you will need to spend time on them.

Which of these posts do you find the most effective? Share below!

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Facebook Goes Global: How Their New Translator Will Change Everything

By Christopher Tompkins

6Jul

Advertising, Facebook, Marketing, Social Media, Social networking, Uncategorized

Facebook has been on a roll lately and one can only assume it’s all building up to world domination. Their new tool in the works might make you wonder just how true that is. They have begun developing a content translator that will be able to work with 44 languages.

While Mark Zuckerberg may or may not have plans to take over the world, his team has provided an innovative way to communicate for the 1.5 billion users that do not speak English. As you could imagine, there are quite a few.

Of course, Facebook isn’t alone in trying to solve an age-old problem. Google has offered translation services for years and Microsoft has also been developing new technology to allow communication amongst the world’s residents via Skype. However, Facebook’s translator will be native to their website and we will be able to see posts rewritten into our native tongue. Before we get into the business side of it, just imagine the opportunities this presents to families and friends. We have always had trouble connecting to those who spoke a different language. However, that may change.

We have seen translators fail in the past. Yet with each step forward, automatic translation software is becoming increasingly accurate. You could imagine the opportunity this raises for companies who already utilize social media. Before this groundbreaking update, Facebook updates were restricted to those who could read the language it was originally written in, unless users endured the hassle of looking up a third party translator. Now, however, the tools will be right on Facebook and the language barrier will begin to fade.

What do you think about Facebook’s attempt to unite the world? Comment below!

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Why Customers Are Your Biggest Social Media Fans

By Christopher Tompkins

Social-Medias-Role-in-Customer-Service--200x300

28Jun

Advertising, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Local Marketing, Marketing, Pinterest, Social Media, Social networking, Uncategorized

We’re aware of all the benefits social media has when it comes to personal communication. We’re able to connect like never before! That’s true when it comes to customer service as well. Each platform gives us unique opportunities to reach out to customers in innovative ways. Huffington Post explains how social media allows businesses to drop an intimidating veil and come down to an approachable level. Here are the top ways businesses benefit from what will define our generation in terms of business and human interaction:

Technically speaking, businesses now have access to a ton more data. Whether it’s customer reviews, demographics, or analytics, social media now helps get the numbers straight. We are able to look into the minds (and conversations) of our customer bases. This allows us to create better content, more engaging posts, and essentially adapt to the needs of the market.
Businesses now have a direct line to their customers. They don’t have to worry about other mediums like television channels and press releases if they don’t have to. If they want to reach out, all they have to do is press the “Publish” button. Now, with updates to Facebook’s Messenger app, we can greet them with immediate replies in case there isn’t someone near a screen to reply. There are also AI systems in the works so you can allow your customers to enjoy a quick, automated process.
As stated earlier, social media allows businesses to be human. They now communicate like everyone else and can have a real conversation. This is why we post engaging, fun content instead of constantly barraging our followers with ads. This is supposed to be social media, not a sales pitch.

We see a big shift in the way businesses market and advertise thanks to social media’s tools. The internet has opened up a whole new world for professionals to reach out to customers in a fluid, organic, and frankly, fun way.

For more on how social media changes the engagement of customers, check out Huffington Post’s article here: http://ow.ly/FH4P3008ThL

How has social media helped your business? Let us know!

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An Unsurprising Affirmation

By Christopher Tompkins

27Jun

Facebook, Social Media

It’s probably not a shock to anyone to find out that Facebook is the most used social media site for business. However, it was also the site considered to deliver the best ROI. eMarketer reports some interesting numbers about where the social media platforms stand in this side of business.

According to their article, eMarketer reports about a survey that questioned 551 social media marketeers worldwide. An overwhelming 95.8% of them said that Facebook provided the best ROI. Twitter followed with 63% and it dwindled down from there.

While ROI isn’t exactly the best information to gauge social media activity, it can be helpful when looking at things from a strict business point of view. Most importantly, it can be a sign of the amount of engagement. For instance, Snapchat was only considered to have the best ROI by a mere 2.1%. Someday we may see Snapchat pick up those numbers, but for now, businesses aren’t yet comfortable with the app.

Now, Facebook has new tools on its utility belt. Facebook Live and Facebook Messenger are great additional pieces to the social media puzzle. Now, we can broadcast live video streams out to our followers with Facebook Live. We can also converse in new and intuitive ways with friends, families and yes, customers with Messenger’s many features.

One of the biggest reasons for Facebook’s firepower is its advertising efforts. It has the ability to reach out to a massive amount of people in the specific demographic you’re trying to target. If Snapchat had something similar, those percentages would surely rise.

For more information about this study, read eMarketer’s article here: http://ow.ly/VB8030096NM

What do you think of this? Do you think it is a dependable system to gauge effectively? Let us know!

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The Domination of Social Media

By Christopher Tompkins

6Jun

Advertising, Email Marketing, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Marketing, Pinterest, Social Media, Twitter, Uncategorized

It seems that we have an interesting relationship with social media. Sure, we get our news, connections, entertainment, and business advertisements through these intuitive websites, but in the same breath we’ll complain how our lives are being dominated by technology. Maybe people are addicted to these websites and the screens we view them on. Yet our culture has created a need to be constantly connected to the web we’ve created. Because of this, viewers are being fed a large quantity of content everyday.

It may be expected that complaints about social media and “technology addiction” would be from an older generation that weren’t always used to it. However, we’ve seen younger people have similar thoughts. The only thing about them, though, is that they keep using it. Some Millennials may have strayed from the traditional and uber-popular Facebook, and now flock to platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and Snapchat. But social media is social media. In fact, speaking of generations, older users are increasing on many fronts. So, even those who complain are still using them!

There is no doubt that we use this medium more than we have with television and radio. This is because, frankly, we’re able to. Social media is on our phones, desktops, even on some people’s Smart TVs. Even if we try to avoid screens by going out, we see those iconic logos everywhere as businesses try to promote their pages. We’ve even seen this Presidential Election being molded by tweets and followers. Let’s face it…it’s everywhere.

Businesses are at a special advantage with this. Since it’s being used so much, you have ample opportunity to grow your customer base in a short amount of time if implemented correctly. Yet, since social media never turns off, how can you, as a business person keep up with the demand? Certain applications will allow you to schedule posts so you don’t always have to be online. If you get a message from a follower, you can schedule auto-replies when you’re out of the office, even when your office is a smartphone. You can view analytics to see key times when people are online so you know exactly when to send your word out.

The point is, even though social media is demanding and everywhere, you can be successful when sending out your message, especially since your audience is always present. Many of us use these platforms as news sources and sole means of communications with family and friends. We’ve invested a lot into these accounts and ended up connecting many, many aspects of our lives into them. As a result, these tools have become constants, even more so than previous tools. As a result, we can use this to our advantage and get important messages and branding out.

What do you think about social media’s impact? Let us know below!

Facebook’s Advertising Firepower

By Christopher Tompkins

28May

Advertising, Facebook, Marketing, Social Media, Uncategorized

Social media is a great tool to reach out to peers, clients, and potential customers. But where would it be without the websites and its advertising features? Whether it’s a good or bad thing, there isn’t a single website that drives the industry, no SocialMedia.com that every user has to use. In fact, that domain redirects to Living Social, which isn’t even a social media platform! That being said, social media tends to be synonymous with its biggest facilitator, Facebook. Most people know the name by now, but not many understand how powerful it can be for business. Turns out its advertising can make your brand go viral!

Originally, Facebook was only intended for college students. Now, their target demographic is… well, everybody. It has an estimated 1.65 billion users every month and is considered the easiest platform to establish a business page with. With that many users, you have ample opportunity to reach out to exactly who you want as a customer and Facebook’s advertising power can set your page up for success.

One thing that Facebook was always proud of was the lack of a price tag for its users. Yet they still make quite a profit by the amount of people that invest in advertising on their website. However, it’s worth every penny. Facebook has made it so your ads are targeted towards exactly the right person based on their likes and hobbies, but also for what they search for and post themselves. Have you ever searched for something and then you got hit with a barrage of advertisements about it later? That’s not a coincidence. They’ve worked tirelessly on the system and it really is effective. Their advertising has the strength to bring attention by doing the best thing Facebook knows how, putting it right in your customer’s line of sight.

Facebook has been around since 2004 and doesn’t seem to be fading any time soon. While many social media platforms have faded and others have risen, Zuckerberg’s creation continues to stand tall in the constantly changing winds of the internet. Because of this, it has become a staple for any business. They’ve provided resources for people to thrive using their pages, and their advertising is undoubtedly the most effective.

What do you think of Facebook advertising? Share your thoughts below!

10 Ways to Get More Facebook Leads, Referrals and Visibility

By Christopher Tompkins

12Jan

Facebook, Uncategorized

Its not too surprising to hear that Facebook, while known as one of the most popular social media sites for marketers to use, is still one of the most mysterious and difficult to use to market your business.

How do I know this?

When I am teaching, speaking or consulting – Facebook is always, and I mean always, the subject of the most questions:

How do I get more leads?
Why don’t I get more engagement?
Why doesn’t anyone like my content?
Who creates the cover image for you?
What is Facebook Advertising?

And the questions go on!

So, with that in mind, I thought it would be helpful for me to share my 10 tips to getting more leads, referrals and visibility on Facebook. Let’s go!

*Make Sure to Set Up Your Page Properly: In order to do this you must choose the right category and the right subcategories for your page. This helps your audience find you through searches. Also a must in this tip is filling out all of your page information and making sure your page settings are maximized to get you the exposure you need!

*Optimizing Your Visuals: Here are some useful numbers you should be using to create hi-resolution and beautiful Facebook Images: COVER IMAGE: 851 x 315 pixels, PROFILE IMAGE: 180 x 180 pixels, SHARED IMAGES: 1200 x 630 pixels

*Call to Action Button: This lives in the bottom right hand corner of your Facebook Page cover image. Simply click and set it up using the options available. This is a great way to get more click-throughs to your website or get more people to claim your promotional offer.

*The Power of Video: With Facebook video on the rise (at a rate of 758% year on year…yes that is the rate, no typo), you need to be using video to increase engagement. Remember to upload your video directly to Facebook rather than using a link: this will increase your visibility by leaps and bounds.

*Facebook Advertising: With ad clicks on the increase at the rate of 70% year over year and ad click-through rates increasing 160% – it is time to consider adding Facebook advertising to your strategy! There are more than 2 million active advertisers on Facebook, proof that this is not a passing fad.

*Optimizing Your Tabs: Your tabs can support your page to no end. Make sure to choose and format your tags, choose the best order for them, and use sites like Woo-box to customize them to fit your brand and to promote click throughs to your website.

*Optimize Your Posts: Writing posts is just half the battle. Optimizing them to be found in searches by your audience is even better. Some extra tips: shorter posts receive 60% higher engagement, use keywords, create quizzes and contests, and don’t forget your visuals!

*Post at the Right Time: Did you know that 75% of a post’s total engagement will happen within its first 5 hours?! Track the time when your audience is using Facebook the most and post then! Highest traffic occurs mid-week between 1 and 3 pm. On Thursdays and Fridays (especially during the Friday afternoon slump), engagement is 18% higher.

*Integrate it Into Your Website: If you do not have a button on your website that links to your Facebook Page – you need to get that on your site NOW! This connectivity will get you more likes and engagement using the website traffic that you are getting already. An untapped resource. Top Tip: don’t bury it at the end of your page. Put it right at the top so that it is easy to see.

*Consistency: I know you may be getting tired of me saying this, but consistency is the key and a common mistake that marketers make. Create a content strategy and schedule and stick to it!

These are tips that will work for you right now, but remember that Facebook is a constantly evolving medium that you need to stay on top of. There will be constant changes to your page layout, how your content is ranked and delivered, and how you are able to manage the page. Stay on top of trends and updates, but also implement them. The key to Facebook success is being able to ride the wave of change and innovate along the way.

Tag : facebook advertising