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Content Gathering for Social Media Made Easy

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Social media requires a constant stream of content including visuals, links, text. I know what you're thinking...but that's a lot of work. Why yes, it is. Here are four tips for making that content gathering process a bit less tedious.1. Plan ahead. Map out you content weekly or in a perfect world monthly. You can always add to it as things arise.

2. Create structure. Think of a content bucket or theme for each day. You don't have to necessarily call it out as such on social, but it will help you create content more quickly. Wednesdays are deals, Thursdays are trivia, etc.

3. Clip as you go. Use a program like Evernote to save interesting articles you see on the fly, or "favorite" interesting tweets and posts on Twitter and Facebook. Some of your content will be more evergreen while other will be more time sensitive. It's always good to have a stockpile of interesting articles that you can plug in to your content calendar as needed.

4. Build an archive of images. You can take 30 interesting photos in one day of your product, service or organization and sprinkle them throughout the year. No one but you has to know they were taken in one day.

What tips do you have for making the content creation process run smoothly?

Promoted Pins - How to Advertise on Pinterest

I admit it...I was probably way too excited to try my first Promoted Pin, but then again when you're a social media dork, these things happen. Pinterest recently rolled out Promoted Pins, a similar product to Facebook's boosted posts or Twitter's promoted tweet. The premise is to extend the reach of your pinned content to relevant users on Pinterest.To set up the promoted pin go to https://ads.pinterest.com/ and log into your company's Pinterest account. You must tie a credit card to that account, so be sure to have an AMEX handy.

Once inside, Pinterest populates recent pins and you can select which one you want to promote. It didn't populate all my pins which was a tad annoying, but after scrolling through I found one that would work for my test. Pinterest does want you to promote original content that you own, which makes sense anyhow if the end goal is to get people to click back from the pin to your website.

Once you have a pin selected you can choose interests, geography (medium to large cities), device type and gender. At this time you can't select age.

You then set your maximum CPC, how long you want the campaign to run and your daily campaign budget. Since this was a test I ran it for two days with a maxiumum $5 daily budget and $1.50 CPC. I was out $10 at the very worst. Keep in mind, you only get charged when someone clicks on your pin to go to your website, so it is totally possible to run a campaign and not spend anything.

Since the spend was minimal I didn't see outrageous results, but I did see a definite spike in reach for the particular pin I promoted. I also found it interesting to see what keywords / interests drove the most views. Using that information you can create more pins and boards around keywords that did well.

Overall, setting up a Promoted Pin was just as easy as a Promoted Post on Facebook. Pinterest doesn't have the robust analytics that Facebook has but it is making strides. And at the end of the day, Promoted Pins are another indicator that all social will need to have paid "media" in the mix when you want to expand your reach.

Go on. Test it out. The platform is fairly intuitive and you can set up an ad buy for minimal cost. Let me know what you think.

Person versus Page - Facebook's Decreasing Organic Reach

I was researching new business opportunities and targeting local wineries who may need help in the social department. Some who posted infrequently, some who posted only text and others who only posted recycled content from someecards versus telling their own story.You could tell those who really didn't understand Facebook as they had set themselves up as a "person" years ago, and never made the switch to a page. In the past I would say this is a horrible idea. The first reason being you have to approve friends versus allowing people to click one button and become a fan. The second, and probably most important, is it goes against Facebook's terms, businesses are supposed to be pages. The third being you have limited access to resources - analytics, advertising buys, check-ins.

However, I'm going to have to eat my words because I noticed something unusual. The "pages" set up as a person were getting 100 + likes a post with a fanbase that was only a few hundred strong. A 50% engagement rate without advertising on a FB page is unheard of today.

So, what was happening? These "pages" weren't being penalized by the decrease in organic reach because Facebook was viewing them as people. Their content was actually reaching their fans. Remember those days?

I don't condone you setting up a business as a person for the reasons mentioned above, but it does speak to the fact as a page you are going to have to work harder than ever before. Set up advertising, mine your analytics and create content worth sharing.

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When to Give Admin Access

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Giving Admin access to your Facebook page is like handing over the keys to your car. There should be some level of trust, some level of mutual understanding and some knowledge that no matter how well your friend "drives" you're opening yourself up to more risk.If you are going to give someone access to your page make sure you take the following steps:

1. Select the right role:

Facebook allows you to select various levels of access from Admin (all powerful) to Analyst (simply has access to page insights but no power to post or comment as the brand).

2. Discuss expectations:

If you are going to give someone more access versus less be sure to define who is doing what so you aren't double posting or worse, assuming the other person will respond to fans / customer service issues. To a fan it is all one brand voice so you don't want to stumble over one another internally.

3. Limit access but not too much access.

You should have at least two people from your company as admins at all times in case one person quits or forgets his/her password. There's nothing wrong with giving agency partners access but once you've moved on from that relationship, be sure to remove them from the page. Same goes with an employee who quits or is let go.

You want to believe the best in people, and you should, but always remember to protect yourself and your brand identity at the same time. Too often people are too casual about admin access.

Why Marketers Should Care About Pinterest's New Message Function

Pinterest has joined Instagram, Twitter and Facebook in the world of direct messaging. Users can now send direct messages to one another - share pins, boards and even group chat. Why should you as a marketer care?Contests: If you've ever tried to run a contest directly on Pinterest you've no doubt found some struggles trying to contact winners. Outside of tagging them and hoping they see the notification you didn't have a great way of getting in touch. Direct messaging solves this.

Customer Service: The new messaging service provides businesses with an opportunity to handle customer service (questions, complaints, ideas) in a more private manner.

Increased "Word of Mouth": It's now easier for users to recommend your product, recipe, design to their network of friends.

What other uses do you see for Pinterest Messaging?

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6BIchm_iQg&w=560&h=315]

Lessons from Humans of New York

I'm late to the party on this, but Humans of New York, a blog featuring quotes and images from real people in New York, is one of the most powerful uses of social media I've ever seen.  Humans of New York does a beautiful job at instantly creating an emotional connection that keeps you captivated, touches you at your core and makes you think about the world differently.As a marketer we strive to find an emotional connection with our customer. We talk insights, archetypes, drivers, but very rarely do we achieve a connection like Humans of New York does with each and every post. I'm a firm believer in looking at what works and how you can adapt it for your business. So let's break it down.

The social content of Humans of New York works because...

- It's real and easy to relate to. They don't feature super models, they celebrate the average joes. For a moment that guy on the corner becomes a superstar.

- It's vulnerable. They touch on topics that aren't always easy - from one man expressing his loneliness because no one will approach him since he's overweight to another woman talking about how she feels like a failure because she went from honor student to bartender.

- They know what matters. The writer can take what may be a 30-minute conversation and grab that one sentence that hits home. They don't try to cram the whole story in, they get right to the good stuff.

- They create community. By posting these real life situations - both struggles and joys - they open the door for conversation. The comments that follow are just as engaging as the post itself, and quite often uplifting. There's something about pointing out we're all "humans" that seems to put people in a happy, helpful space.

I'm sure I could come up with ten more reasons but for now, see if you can take these lessons and apply them to your social content. In the meantime follow Humans of New York on Facebook and Twitter. Guarantee it will change your day.

 

 

 

 

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How Much to Pay for Social Media Support

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As a social media marketer I find myself dabbling in all areas of marketing from copy-writing to customer service to design and media buying. Often a good social media marketer has to take on several roles to run a page successfully. And a really good social media marketer knows when to outsource the areas that just aren't his or her forte (insert graphic design here for me). Sometimes there will be the dream client with a load of great information already packaged in bite-sized 140 character nuggets, tons of beautiful imagery and a specific ad budget set aside for promoted posts, but most often, this isn't the case. Usually your social media marketer is going to have to pick up the slack where your creative assets fall short.Herein lies the problem - you can't pay as much for a well-designed Facebook photo as you would for a magazine layout, yet visuals are key on social. You can't pay as much for a well-crafted tweet as you would for your brochure copy, but pumping out content frequently is a must. You can't pay an hourly rate to watch your pages around the clock, yet we live in a 24/7 world. To pay the same prices you've been paying for traditional media on social would be outrageous, but in some ways you need more support than ever - more content, more coverage, more "always on" advertising to feed the hungry Facebook beast.

Should you throw in the towel now? No. There are those of us out there who are coming up with social media packages every day which offer realistic pricing. We're figuring out what content already exists that we can repurpose, how many customer replies on average you'll get a week and the most efficient way to spend your ad dollars to extend your reach.

It's the wild west out there in terms of pricing and there is a range. Talk to several companies and if someone is selling you social media services for what seems like an incredibly low rate be sure to ask them these questions.

- How many posts a week will you create? Do the posts include visuals?

- How many days a week will you monitor my page?

- If I run an ad campaign will you set that up?

- Does this quote include any reporting/measurement?

- How do you plan on using social to help me meet my business goals?

The social media marketer of today is a hybrid marketer merging a variety of talents in order to create content on the go. If you're getting your social for the low low cost of $99/month, there's probably something wrong.

 

 

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Do you really need Facebook ads? Yes.

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Remember when Facebook ads used to be a nice to have? If you want to reach even a third of your fanbase those days are over. As Facebook decreases the organic reach of pages you can expect less than 10% of your fans to see your content. Here are a few strategies for tackling the ever decreasing organic reach. 

  • Budget for ads. Simple enough. You need to carve out a certain amount of dollars to get the content that matters most in front of your fans. Whether that be specials sales or a new product. Consider boosting at least one post weekly to keep top of mind. The good news is you don't have to throw thousands of dollars behind a buy, depending on your audience size, sometimes $5 a post will do.

 

  • Diversify. Sure Facebook-owned Instagram will probably follow suit in a year but in the meantime see what kind of organic exposure you can gain. Twitter has an ad product but as of now they aren't "editing" your stream the way Facebook does. That said the Twitter stream moves so quickly it self-edits in a way. Pinterest is testing ads and favoring those with a bit of development prowess - rich pins rule - but you don't have to advertise at this point in order to get seen.

 

  • Create content your fans want to share. Even if a mere 5% of your fanbase is seeing it, if your content is good that 5% may share expanding your reach.
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Creating Solid Social Media Content

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Your social media content should be three things - Relevant, Engaging and Strategic. It's a fine balance but do it right and your content will work harder for you. Here are a few examples:- It's Martin Luther King Day, which means it would be very relevant to talk about him today, but alas, I'm an orange juice brand. It's not really relevant for me. Find those larger conversations happening on social that you can legitimately be a part of and jump on them, but please don't force fit an awkward situation. It really is awkward for everyone involved. By creating a social media content calendar ahead of time you can identify those relevant time periods in advance and come up with a plan to own the days that make sense.

- Who doesn't like Someecards? Practically everyone does. So much so that if you post one on your page people aren't going to remember you. Recycling Someecards content, or other people's jokes on a regular basis may get you likes, but it won't build any loyalty. That kind of social media content isn't ownable, it doesn't differentiate you from the thousands of other wine brands posting a snarky cartoon about Wine Wednesday. Find a way to be engaging while telling your story - you know, the one that's unique to you.

- Your social media content should work hard for you. It should drive to a larger purpose for you and your fans. What do you need to accomplish and what do your fans need from you in order to help you accomplish that goal? Perhaps it's building awareness (great storytelling content/reason to believe) or perhaps it's to sell more stuff (coupons/deals). Look at your business goals and see how social can fit into them. Yes, social is a fun, relatively new space, but that doesn't mean your content should be permitted to run wild with no accountability. We all have to pull our weight. You can hear the crowd chanting "ROI, ROI..." can't you?

 

Facebook's Future. Let's not panic yet.

There's been a lot of talk around teens leaving Facebook, and if you're a brand that's targeting teens that's cause for concern. But if you're a brand targeting teens, my guess is you've seen it coming. Heck, even Facebook has seen it coming. They've offered to buy Snapchat. They tried to launch Poke. They purchased Instagram. The writing has been on the wall for awhile and while Zuckerberg may be many things, stupid he is not.For those not targeting teens your target demo is most likely spending an inordinate amount of time on Facebook. Look at all the stats and Facebook still reigns king. Will it in five years, ten years? Who knows? But you can't predict the future. It's like hesitating to advertise on a certain TV show because you're not sure it will be popular three years from now.

What you should be doing is focusing a majority of your efforts where your customers are spending their time now. Not where you think they may be five years from now, and not panicking. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with preparing for the future. You should be thinking about how to collect data from your Facebook fans. Get their information in your database so if you do ever jump ship from Facebook you can stay in touch. But don't let a few articles, whether it be the crazy Princeton infectious disease study or the fear-based "teens are leaving" headlines, drive your marketing plan. Get a grip, stay calm and talk to your customers while they're still checking the newsfeed.

 

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Social Media Demographics - 2014

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The first step in launching a social media presence is to select the right network. At the end of the day you want to be where your audience is spending time, which means taking a look at a variety of factors including demographics. The Wall Street Journal reported on a recent Pew Research study breaking down the various networks by ethnicity.

  • You'll see Facebook is pretty representative of the overall U.S. Internet population.
  • Instagram and Twitter however pop for being a bit more diverse.

Be smart about your social presence and be where your customers are spending time.

 

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Cheers to Winter!

It's time to cozy up to a winter beer. Currently pitching seasonal beer releases to media across the country. It never hurts when the journalist want to come and meet with the brewmaster for a glass or two.* PR Tip: Always try to offer an experience (in this case come meet with the brewmaster) to set yourself apart from the others. Media may not take you up on it but nine times out of ten the offer is appreciated.

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Pitching for Facebook Posts

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There's no denying the media landscape is in flux, but as journalists figure out the best way to leverage social media, so must PR professionals. From pitching media via tweets, as opposed to email or phone, to sharing media hits on brand Facebook pages, PR professionals are changing how they go about their daily tasks. But yesterday's interaction with a journalist, was a first for me. When I sent off a pitch for a new beer release to a drinks reporter at a Las Vegas Magazine she requested a photo and informed me that the beer would be featured as the "5 o'clock drink of the day" post on the Magazine's Facebook page. It was the first time I had pitched a journalist where the content was being used strictly to fill the Facebook newsfeed, and while it may not have made the glossy pages of the magazine I was still pleased. Here's why:- More fans: The magazine's Facebook page has close to 20K fans. Not nearly as many as the print subscription, but it was ten times that of my client's Las Vegas Facebook page. People still flock to traditional media on social media as traditional media pumps out quality content.

- Timeliness - The beer is being released in a few days. I would have never made the print deadline but in this case I was able to get in front of people in a timely manner via Facebook.

- 3rd party endorsement. Sure I posted about the beer release on the client's Facebook page, but there I'm most likely reaching current customers. The Magazine's Facebook page could potentially drive new customers.

Who knows...one day in the very near future, PR professionals may be battling it out to secure placements in the newsfeed of media's social pages versus the news pages of a publication. At the end of the day, the important thing is the message gets to the right audience at the right time.

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From Facebook to Email and Back Again

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You have your email list, you have your Facebook fans, so how do they work together? Believe it or not, there are benefits to having someone as a fan and as an email database member, you just have to get them to sign up.

One benefit of having a fan on Facebook is you can talk more often than you can email. Send me an email message every day and I'll probably unsubscribe, post a daily message on Facebook and I'll remain a fan, as long as the content is engaging.

One benefit of having an email address is you can use it to go from one social network to the next. If the popularity of Facebook wanes, you can use the email address to extend an invitation to the next social platform.

Sounds great, right? So, how do you get them to sign up?

Building your database - from Facebook to email. Want to capture the emails of Facebook fans? The easiest way is to host a giveaway on Facebook and drive fans to a website registration page where you capture their email addresses. If you are hosting an event you can also promote on Facebook and require email during the event registration process - again driving them from Facebook to a website registration page.

Building your database - from email to Facebook. Simply invite your fans to like you on Facebook via an email. Offer up a clear reason to join - perhaps you will post a fan only coupon to your page soon, or you'll be hosting a Facebook contest. Give them a sense of urgency that they need to join now in order to be a part of the action. Keep the email copy single-focused - don't bury the ask in a newsletter format.

Something else to consider is Custom Audiences, Facebook's ad product which allows you to upload a list of emails from your database and advertise directly to them on Facebook. If they like you enough to receive your emails chances are they would be open to becoming your fan.

Simple ways to drive people from Facebook to email and the other way around. What methods have you seen work?

 

Facebook Images - High Engagement, Low Reach

Recently I uploaded a post which contained a recipe and a photo (after all it's fairly common knowledge that images help increase engagement). The post did well garnering more than 100 shares and 200 likes. Yet, something interesting happened. The next day I posted on the same page a post that contained no photo. The text-only post reached twice as many people as the popular recipe post, even though it had far less engagement. I tested the text-only approach again on a different page and received the same results.So why does a post without a photo almost double your reach instantly?  Here's one guess - the post without an image shows up in the news ticker on Facebook. When you upload a post with a photo the Facebook ticker simply reads: "(insert page name) posted a photo" versus the actual text of your post. If people don't click on the news ticker, and Facebook decides not to serve up your post because of its newsfeed algorithm, your reach may remain low.

I'm a believer in images, especially interesting, eye-catching photos, but lately, I'm also a believer in occasionally throwing in a few text-only posts. They help increase your reach, and in a newsfeed that is now flooded with photos, can help you to actually stand out. Go figure...what's old is new. That's the thing about social, it constantly pushes you to test, try and reinvent yourself in order to keep your place in the newsfeed.

What have you done to reinvent your content lately?