Facebook Tries To Be A Cool Kid With Lifestage

27Aug

When Mark Zuckerberg first released Facebook into the world, its original purpose was meant to help college students to connect. In fact, you couldn’t even sign up if you didn’t have a .edu email address. Obviously, all that has changed. Now, everyone and their grandma (literally) has a Facebook page. This year, the primordial idea of student exclusivity is resurfacing in a new app called Lifestage. However, Lifestage’s demographic is quite a bit younger than Facebook’s original goals.

This new app is quite a unique platform. Its target demographic is teenagers and aims to connect fellow students from the same school. In fact, you can’t sign up for this “Facebook Jr.” if you’re over 21 years old! Perhaps, this is a way to protect the young internet surfers, but the app itself actually has no privacy features in an attempt to be as transparent as possible.

It should come to no surprise to anyone that Snapchat’s design heavily influences the rest of the app. Lifestage offers entertaining filters to decorate the videos much like the popular platform already does. Yet unlike Snapchat, posts are always visible. A surprising feature of this app is that it only allows video content. The teenage users can easily peruse through emoji-clad profiles like a Facebook profile, but there will be no static pictures. It seems like video’s reign is changing even the selfie.

Despite Lifestage technically being a new social media profile, marketers shouldn’t get too excited for new advertising possibilities. Users’ reach can only go so far and there doesn’t seem to be any advertising options (yet). What this app does show is how much video is influencing social media in 2016, as predicted by many of the experts. Additionally, this is the second attempt from Facebook to create a “Snapchat clone”, the first being Instagram Stories. Snapchat has begun to show its potential as Millennials (and younger) are being gravitated towards the platform. It offers a certain sense of instant gratification that people crave. As such, video, smaller bodies of text, and interactive apps are shifting the way we approach marketing.

My first question would be what happens if hypothetically Lifestage takes off, and these users outgrow the 21-year-old age limit? Will they be denied access to their favorite platform and all the videos they’ve accumulated during their childhood? Perhaps Facebook should integrate a “Grown Up” button, which will convert an account into a fully grown Facebook profile when the time comes.

It’s unclear just how effective Lifestream will be. Facebook has a long list of failed children. From Paper to Slingshot, there are several apps that Zuckerberg’s team has created that just didn’t take off and now only reside in the history books. At the time of this blog post, Lifestream only has a 2.5 out of 5-star rating. Still, their attempt to prime the next generation for a video-dominant social media landscape speaks volumes about just how much Facebook not only likes but needs video to be on their side.

What do you think of Lifestage? Comment below!

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Coming Up Next In The Social Media Marketing World

By Christopher Tompkins

25Aug

Social Media

Social media reflects the wants and needs of the people who use it. Because of that, it’s growth patterns are organic. Trends grow and fade, features are added and taken away. Some of these are very easy to predict while others come as a shock. For the rest of 2016 and early 2017, here’s what we’re expecting social media to give us:

Brace yourselves, holidays are coming – It’s about this time that you should start to consider how your business is going to tackle the holiday season. Obviously, this is the time many companies are at their busiest and marketing is needed. Social media has become a cornerstone element in spreading the word about Black Friday specials, holiday wishes, and everything in between. Prepare your content and make it unique. There are going to be tons of Santas flying around on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, so make sure yours stand out.

Brace yourselves even more, elections are coming – As if we haven’t had enough of election-related news already, it will only get more common until we hit that Tuesday in November. But it won’t stop there. No matter who gets the Presidency, the social media floodgates will burst with cheers, jeers, and a whole lot of controversy. As a business, tread lightly. Don’t show personal bias for any candidate.

Videos will continue to grow – Instagram proved just how much video matters when they unveiled Instagram Stories, which is reflective of Snapchat’s Story service. Videos aren’t going anywhere but up in popularity. It’s eye-catching content that is prominent on people’s newsfeeds. Try to devise a way to utilize videos in your social media. Not a filmmaker? No problem! There are tons of apps and programs that allow you to make creative slideshows based on pictures. You can be a Spielberg in no time!

More diverse advertising options – Recently, we’ve seen Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and even Reddit tweak their advertising structures. They understand that this is their bread and butter and are making more options for marketers to utilize their services. Don’t miss out! Advertising can be inexpensive and will deliver you surprisingly large spikes of engagement.

LinkedIn upgrades – Microsoft acquired LinkedIn recently and as such, we should expect some things to change for the social media platform for professionals. It’s doubtful Microsoft will completely change LinkedIn’s structure, but we should see at least a little bit of their presence.

Even more mobile accessibility – Apple and Android are preparing for another mobile war. The next line of iPhones will be released in the next month or so, and Samsung has already showcased their snazzy new Note 7, Galaxy 7, and Edge. With new technology comes new innovations for app developers. 3-D touch, new camera usage, and third-party accessibility will also improve social media platforms as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and others are forced to adapt to what the people want.

More algorithms and updates – This one should come as no surprise. One of these days, Twitter will finally roll out the coding that separates links from the 140 character limit. We should also see new Facebook and Facebook Live features being rolled out and some of them may not be free.

Only time will tell what else is next for social media marketing, but professionals know how to adapt and take advantage of upgrades. The right social media manager will be able to handle the incoming transitions without a hiccup or delay in content publishing. Get ready to move onwards and upwards in the realm of social media. We couldn’t be more excited!

What other changes do you expect to come? Comment below!

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Are You Fluent In Instagram? Insta-Terms You Need to Know

By Christopher Tompkins

22Aug

Instagram, Social Media

Social media and the internet had a certain impact on language. We have become quicker, shorter, perhaps even more impatient. Regardless, tools such as acronyms and hashtags gave us new ways to communicate, much like shorthand did decades prior. Above all other social media platforms, Instagram takes this to a new level.

Instagram brings a whole separate, unique culture to social media marketing. We could say it’s because it’s more imagery focused as opposed to text, or we could say it targets a younger demographic. But when it comes down to it, it promotes a fun way to connect. Even as a marketer, you need to learn how to speak as the Instagramers do when trying to promote your brand online. As such, you will need to learn very specific terms. Here are some of the most common terms that people use:

Regram – This is the equivalent of a retweet on Instagram. This term denotes that this post is originally someone else’s content, and you’re trying to spread the word.

LB (like back) – This is a common term used on Instagram. If someone comments “LB” on your post, they are hoping you will like them in return. Like Twitter, reciprocation is a large part of connecting with new people.

S4S (share for share) – We’re not recommending you use this one, but this is a common term that is supposed to boost engagement. However, this hashtag tends to be associated with spam accounts. It can be helpful to know what exactly #S4S and these other terms stand for, even if you don’t partake in them.

DM (Direct Message) – Like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIN, direct messages are a way to send private messages out to anyone you wish.

Filters – Due to Instagram’s primary use on smartphones, they offer fun filters to add to photos. People have begun using these so much that Instagram has become known for this particular feature. Additionally, #nofilter designates an unaltered photo, which is supposed to express how the subject of the picture doesn’t need any help to look good.

Hashtags – We have seen hashtags reign supreme on Facebook and Twitter, but it’s suggested that a post to has up to 10 of these tags. Some to look out for – and use in your marketing – are #TBT (Throwback Thursday), #FBF (Flashback Friday), #IGDaily, and many, many others.

Each social media site has unspoken rules on how to communicate. As you can see, Instagram is no different. There are many various ways to interact with fellow social media users, and marketers have a responsibility to their brand to adapt.

What do you think of these Instagram terms? Do you have any others? Comment below!

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Emojis – :) or :( ? What A Smile Says About Marketing

By Christopher Tompkins

20Aug

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

A long time ago, someone very clever saw a colon and a parenthesis next to each other, turned their head, and saw a smiley face. That was the beginning of what we now call Emojis. Now, we see these little images on text messages, emails, and social media posts every day. They have fully integrated themselves into text-based communication, and they express our feelings, activities, even nationalities. It seems that there’s an Emoji for almost everything these days. So, what can social media marketers learn from a smiley face?

Emojis’ rise in overwhelming popularity and pop culture presence is a direct byproduct of the smartphone’s reign. They originally accompanied text messages on Apple and Android devices as a downloadable keyboard. Now, phones come pre-equipped with an expansive library of Emojis due to their popularity.

Products such as Pepsi, Domino’s, and General Electric have integrated the symbols into their marketing. The smiley faces are appearing on our soda bottles, and we can even order a pizza with a few Emojis of pizza slices if you can believe it. It seems to be dominating communication lines, but most importantly, they appear to be replacing traditional words. Is this even possible? The Millennial generation is, by far, the ones to use Emoji the most. They certainly like this quick, to the point, and colorful. We even see texts being comprised 100% of Emojis. The power of the written word is being replaced by an icon. The most important thing to realize about Emojis is that they are shortcuts. They are time savers that are used so someone doesn’t have to actually read a sentence.

Twitter has a special affinity for Emojis. Twitter itself is the embodiment of quick and snappy wordage, but now they are coming up with new ways to incorporate Emojis into a tweet’s reach. If you use an airplane Emoji, Twitter’s algorithm will recognize it as the word “airplane”, and you will receive all the benefits that come with that content. Once again, this internet tool is a space saver.

Does this mean that all your Facebook posts or tweets should be expressed via Emojis? Absolutely not. Sure, these pictures could be taken lightly and seen as a fad, a way to spice up a message, but it brings up two major elements of social media to consider.

First, the rise of Emojis indicates that people’s patience for longer texts is starting to shrink. Social media marketers need to craft their copy in a way that the message comes off immediately, and there is nothing vague to decipher. People will only give your message so much of their time, especially on social media. This doesn’t mean the art forms of the blog or long forms are starting to die. But rather, social media users demand the updates in their feeds to give them the info they need so they can move along down the timeline.

Secondly, Emojis emphasizes the power of the almighty image. It’s easy to see how powerful visuals are on social media, and the rise of these images are even more evidence that massive blocks of texts in updates on Twitter, Facebook, and other platforms just aren’t attractive for the average social media consumer. A picture can make or break your social media campaign as well as video. Emojis are still pictures after all, despite their size and usage. As compelling as any text can be, imagery will bring engagement possibilities to new heights.

Trends such as Emojis are important for any marketer. They open up the opportunity for these professionals to recognize, analyze, adapt, and learn. To survive the wild landscapes of the internet, you need to do all four, and maybe use a smiley face every now and again. 🙂

What do you think of Emojis? Comment below!

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How To Heat Up Your Hashtag Game

By Christopher Tompkins

11Aug

Advertising, Business, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Local Marketing, Marketing, Periscope, Social Media, Social networking, Twitter, Uncategorized

One of the most important elements of social media marketing is to spread your content as far as possible. To achieve this goal, we have hashtags as handy tools. These little guys allow our posts to appear when someone searches for that hashtag. They’re basically the advanced version of a keyword. Simple, right? Hashtags are easy to learn, but can take some finesse to master. Here are the best ways to make the famous internet tool work for you!

Know your platform’s limits. Do you think all the social media platforms are the same? Think again. The way each site uses hashtags is completely different. You should not use more than three for Facebook. There isn’t a limit for Twitter, but you still have that 140 character limit hanging over your head. LinkedIn and Pinterest don’t use hashtags at all, rather utilize keywords. Instagram, on the other hand, is the king of hashtags. Be professional, but 10-15 hashtags max is recommended.

Do your research. A hashtag will only do its job if someone is actually looking for it. You need to figure out what is trending. Luckily, you have tools. Ritetag and Hashtagify are both third party websites that allow you to see what the market is talking about. Facebook and Twitter both have trending sections that allow you to see what all the buzz is about at the time.

Don’t be too specific. #FacebookSocialMediaMarketing may not get as many hits as #Facebook, #SocialMedia, #SocialMediaMarketing and #Marketing. You want to make sure that people are searching that exact phrase, otherwise your content won’t come up.

Don’t be too broad. On the opposite side of things, you want to make sure your hashtag isn’t going to drown in a sea of the same. #California may work, but if you are trying to get San Diego residents to pay attention, #SanDiego will work better. Otherwise, people who are looking for things pertaining to San Francisco may also see your post and it will be a waste.

You need a little bit of imagination, research, and common sense to master hashtags. The symbol that used to be called the pound symbol is now your best friend in the social media world, but you need to know how to use them!

How do you use hashtags? Share below!

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Instagram Stories: Snapchat Clone Or Effective Marketing Tool?

By Christopher Tompkins

7Aug

Instagram, Snapchat, Social Media

They say imitation is the sheerest form of flattery, right? Well, Snapchat, prepare to get flattered. Instagram released a new feature to its popular mobile app called Instagram Stories. If that name sounds familiar to you, it’s because Snapchat released a feature called Stories not too long ago. Both of these tools do almost precisely the same thing. They allow users to see a series of photos or videos, equipped with all sorts of fun, customizable options, for the time period of 24 hours. After the day is gone, so is your chance to see the content.

This is in the wake of Snapchat’s rise in popularity and it’s projected only to grow in popularity. If Snapchat poses a threat to any platform, it’s Instagram. Yet just because Snapchat thought of this intuitive design first, does that mean Instagram Stories is just a rip-off? It’s actually a slight improvement over the original thanks to a more convenient infrastructure. You can easily access stories on your home page along with a handy “Add” button on the top left. Though it is taking notes from the Snapchat’s original philosophy, and only allowing camera access, as opposed to your photo album. Content needs to happen NOW for it to qualify for Instagram Stories.

This is even further proof of video’s rise in social media. It’s increasingly vital to a successful social media campaign that its marketers incorporate video in some way. Additionally, because we are beginning to see more “time sensitive” features, this leaves a few things to consider.

First, platforms are utilizing the concept of “live” more and more. Because of this transition, each post needs to count and grab your audience’s attention right away. Second, the importance of having a strategy is more crucial than ever. Systems like the two Stories are beneficial tools, however. You could use these glimpses into your brand’s world by offering flash sales as well as content relevant only to the moment.

Social media gurus and marketers need to learn to adapt to these types of upgrades. Already, we are seeing major brands utilizing Instagram’s new feature and promoting their story through other avenues such as their traditional Instagram posts, Twitter, even Snapchat itself. Change and adaptability are cornerstone elements of social media marketing, and the best in the business knows how to make it work in their favor.

What do you think of Instagram Stories? Comment below!

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Why You Need A Dedicated Social Media Manager

By Christopher Tompkins

23Jul

Social Media

Millions of businesses are now reaping the benefits of social media. Yet just how serious are they taking this venture? We have seen many companies assigning social media duties as an afterthought to their marketing team or part-time intern. After these employees work on traditional marketing all day long they hardly have the energy to invest into their company’s Facebook, Twitter, etc. We can’t tell you just how wrong this approach is! A successful social media marketing campaign requires attention every single day. Some of the worse types of accounts are those that are either stagnant or sparsely contributed to and that’s what this answer to social media generates.

Now that social media marketing has become a necessity for business, many managers feel obligated to create accounts. However not many fully understand the work that goes into its success.

Depending on exactly what sites your business has accounts on, a social media marketer needs to perform unique duties. Maintenance of Facebook pages is time consuming as there are many intricate steps to take and areas of the site to follow. Twitter marketers must retweet and quote retweet to make sure there is a constant stream of engaging content on the company’s news feed throughout the day. They also must fix the balance of followers and non-followers to the benefit of the page. If LinkedIn is involved, networking with an account’s fifty groups is needed during the workweek.

Amongst all this, analysis of data is critical. Statistics are available either through native analytics or third-party applications so social media managers can see what posts generated engagement and which didn’t. As the internet landscape is quite fickle, it’s our job to study trends and stay on top of what is happening today and not yesterday. The moment is vital in social media marketing, and we appreciate how missing an important event can spin a whole campaign out of control.

Some businesses still may not want to waste an employee’s time with social media. Others may not have a team member that is privy to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other websites’ intricacies. That’s where outsourcing to professionals like The Go! Agency can be very beneficial to your company. Your online accounts will receive comprehensive work, writing, and support which is priceless when creating an effective online presence. It’s more than understandable for all the work a social media campaign requires to be a bit over a business owner’s head. After all, you are a professional in your field, not online marketing.

If you have any questions about how outsourcing can help your company, please contact us!

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Your Social Media Toolbox: Software Your Social Media Needs

By Christopher Tompkins

19Jul

Social Media

Social media marketers need technology to succeed. No surprise, right? While a majority of the work day is spent on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the other platforms, we cannot be truly effective without a little help from third-party tools.

There are new products popping up on the internet and App Store all the time. Some are terrible, some make our lives much easier. The world of social media is face-paced and demanding, so having some tools to help is much appreciated. Here are some of the newest helpers social media professionals are integrating into their workflow:

Crowdfire- Twitter can be effective, but very competitive. Marketers need to keep a sharp eye on their followers. Crowdfire will do just that. This website will help you find new followers based on other leaders of the industry. You will also be able to weed through your followers and get rid of inactive accounts.

One Tab- Researching content is a major part of social media. Whether you are finding new content to share or you are checking your facts, you will find your browser window bursting with tabs. One Tab will combine them for easy access, allowing some space to breathe.

PicPlayPost- Looking for a new way to bring life to your Instagram page? Check out PicPlayPost. It’s an app that allows you to add pictures and video to unique collage template.

RiteTag- Hashtags make the world go round in social media. You got to use them! But how can you find the best tags that pertain to a specific subject? RiteTag is the answer. With a helpful browser extension, you will be able to find trending hashtags in a snap!

There are many new social media sidekicks out there and many more on the way. The above four have proven to be very helpful for businesses. Content curation, sharing, and organization can get a whole lot of easier. You just need the right tools!

What do you think of these programs? Comment below!

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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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Is Your Social Media Marketing Social?

By Christopher Tompkins

16Jul

Social Media

For decades, marketing was a fairly straightforward job. Regardless of the medium, the goal was to present the client’s product or service in the most positive light possible so customers would buy, buy, buy. There was no mistaking that all the content produced was advertising, commercials, and sales. Now, however, social media has changed everything. Perhaps it’s that the general populace has become keen on what marketers are trying to accomplish or perhaps it’s the technology that we currently use. Regardless, social media marketing requires a different type of approach, one of humanity and warmth.

The whole premise of social media marketing is to have have instant access to a company’s representative. That’s right, a live, human representative. The same should go for your content. It needs to have that human spark to it. How exactly does one go about reclaiming the humanity in an industry that was once very shallow? Here are some of the best ways to keep your social media content down to Earth:

Respond quickly. When a customer contacts you on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or one of the other websites we all know and love, you need to respond the same way you would if it was one of your friends asking you a question, which is quickly! The days of being put on hold are coming to an end and the best social media marketers keep their response times low.
In addition to responding quickly, your tone should be organic. You should have a natural, friendly feel to everything you write and depending on your industry, you should add some personality to each post.
Raise engagement. How do you strike up a conversation in real life? With questions, statements, and general icebreakers. Social media is no different. Present content that will get the dialogue going. Ask a question in the form of a poll, quiz, or just a simple inquiry into your customers’ thoughts. Then, when you respond, try to act in a professional, yet comfortable nature.
Share! On your personal page, what do you do if you see something that your friends will enjoy? Well if you are a good friend, you share it. Your business page should be the same. If you see content out in the wild landscape of the internet that pertains to your customer base, try to share it often. This will bring a lot of attention to your pages as well.

Making sure that there is a conversation and human tone to your social media content will satisfy customers and have more followers show up. It is helpful to always examine how you are writing and to make sure it doesn’t seem too robotic.

Share your thoughts on humanity’s role in social media below!

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Tag : instagram