Category Archives: Social Media Marketing

FacebookvsTwitterIf you’re like many brands, your company is on both Facebook and Twitter social networks. If you don’t understand the nature of both social networks, you may make the mistake of thinking it is okay to post the exact same content on both. However, although Facebook and Twitter are both social networks that allow you to engage and connect with your customers, they’re also very different. Writing specifically for each requires thought and if you’re posting the exact same thing on both, the people who follow you on both networks will get bored, frustrated and may unfollow you. It’s okay to post about the same topics, like a recent blog or company event but it’s not okay to say it in the exact same way. Follow these tips to customize your posts specifically for Facebook and Twitter as two separate social networks.

How often should you post?

Facebook: Post about 2-4 times a day on Facebook in order to help your chances of being in your fan’s newsfeeds without becoming a pest. Remember that Facebook takes into account how much interaction your fans have with your company. The more interaction, the more likely your post is to be seen.

Twitter: Twitter moves very fast. It can be very hard to make sure your tweet is seen by your followers because their feed is flooded with so many other recent updates. Posting often will help your tweets be seen, however don’t tweet just to tweet. Make sure you have something interesting to say, otherwise don’t say it at all.

How should you interact with your followers/fans?

Facebook: Ask open ended questions and encourage your fans to share their opinions. People love talking about themselves on social networks so encouraging participation in this way will help boost the interaction between you and your fans. Ask your fans to share stories or photos about their experience with your business or product. If they are bad experiences, address them publically so other users can see that you care and then resolve the issue privately with the customer.

Twitter: On Twitter, responding is very important. When users mention your brand, it’s important to acknowledge them with a response, even if it is just a simple “thank you.” Ask a question and encourage your followers to answer with their opinions. Always respond to these answers to keep the conversation going or at least thank them for their participation.

How should you share photos?

Facebook: Sharing photos on Facebook is easy and a great idea for marketers. Fans can preview a photo before clicking on it or browse through entire albums. The more photos uploaded on Facebook, the better. People love to view and comment on photos often so it’s a great way to engage your fans.

Twitter: Sharing photos on Twitter requires a little more effort than Facebook because you must click a link to see the photo. This extra step means that people will be expecting a great photo if they do decide to click. You must be choosey when deciding which photos to display on Twitter. Make sure you only tweet photos that highlight your product or service in the best way.

Want more ways to make sure your posts are customized specifically for Facebook and Twitter? Stay tuned for part 2!

pinterestlogoPinterest, the visual social network that allows users to “pin” images and videos they like onto their virtual boards has really blown up over the past few months. The site is becoming increasingly popular and brands are taking note and beginning to establish a presence on the network. However, Pinterest is a territory that many brands have never entered before, which means it can be difficult to measure whether your brand is succeeding. Here are some great tools to help measure your company’s Pinterest efforts provided by Mashable.

Pinerly: Although it is still in beta, Pinerly will be a comprehensive Pinterest analytics dashboard to help measure your company’s success on the social network. According to Mashable, it will graphically measure clickthroughs, likes and repins.

Pinstamatic: This new application allows you to add your Twitter profile links, “Sticky Notes” and websites to your boards on Pinterest. According to the site it will be supporting other forms of content soon, so keep an eye on this useful tool.

Pinpuff: Pinpuff allows you to “calculate your pinfluence.” It gives you a score based on your reach and activity and gives you an idea of the value of your pins and traffic so you can figure out which types of pins are working in order to concentrate your efforts on those.

Remember, Pinterest is a new social network, so be prepared to change techniques often in order to find the right groove so your company can find success on the site.

Starting March 30, all Facebook brand pages will be transformed into Facebook Timeline pages. The layout of the page will completely change once Timeline is enabled and it may take some time for you to get used to the look of your new page. However, just because the new Timeline is unfamiliar doesn’t mean it’s bad. In fact it’s going to be more aesthetically pleasing and will still give you the same opportunities to interact and engage your fans.

Cover image: One feature of the new Timeline is the cover photo. This is a large image featured at the top of the page. Businesses should use this image to feature something particularly captivating or a special they want to promote because it’s the first thing people will see when they visit your Timeline. Businesses can change this photo often in order to promote weekly deals or monthly contests.

History: Timeline is just that, a timeline that lays out posts the company has made in a vertical line format with events on either side of the line, one on top of the other. Timeline allows you to display company events that happened before Facebook was even created. You can go through your company’s history and mark milestones like when your company was founded, when it reached a certain number of employees, when your CEO was appointed, etc. This adds a personal touch to your company’s Timeline that fans appreciate. Timeline is meant to make Facebook more personal and when you get personal with your fans it encourages loyalty and trust.

Map: Timeline allows you to feature a map of your business location. You have the option to display the map or hide it so if people come into your business location, it’s best to display it. If you’re a business that primarily goes to your customers, it may be best to hide the map on your Timeline.

From now until March 30, you can preview your Timeline and publish it if you’re ready for the change now. Take this time to make sure all your business information is updated, figure out what you’re going to use for your cover photo and start mapping out what company milestones to include on your Timeline so you’re ready when it’s activated in a few days.

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