There are 22 Brilliant Social Media Marketing Tips you can use on your campaigns that gain brand awareness and trust in your social media networks.
Friday 30 September 2016
22 Brilliant Social Media Marketing Tips
There are 22 Brilliant Social Media Marketing Tips you can use on your campaigns that gain brand awareness and trust in your social media networks.
3 Billion Social Shares Analyzed: Lessons From the Internet’s Most Viral Content
by Ashley Carlisle | September 20, 2016
By looking at over 3 Billion article share counts and sentiments across networks and publishers, Fractl and Buzzsumo partnered up for a 2016 reboot of their previous 2014 study to uncover several interesting comparisons and emerging trends regarding social shares. We ended up learning some amazing things
How Social Networks Have Changed over Two Years
The Findings
Even with just a 10-percent increase in two years, Facebook single-handedly dominates the social sharing space, earning nine out of every 10 shares across the networks. LinkedIn had an even larger increase but still gains a minute number of shares – 25 out of every 1,000. Twitter continues its slow and steady decline (losing nearly 30 percent of its shares), but Pinterest and Google+ are in freefall by comparison, with a 70-percent and 93-percent decline, respectively.
The Big Takeaway
A recent 2016 industry report from Simply Measured confirms Facebook still reigns supreme in terms of monthly active users, even in light of new platforms like Snapchat capturing recent headlines. Ultimately, there’s no doubt Facebook has continuously offered the greatest potential for reach and engagement for publishers and brands.
After witnessing the unofficial and slow death of Google+ and the potential threat of Facebook’s algorithm changes, it’s crucial to avoid overdependence on one platform by diversifying efforts across the networks rather than focusing on one. Just like how the social platforms are constantly evolving, publishers and brands will need to adjust their strategies for each platform to maintain and grow their social presence.
News and Niche Sites are Gaining Social Momentum
The Findings
As evident by the increase in total social shares and the diversity of top publishers, niche vertical sites are learning how to create and tailor content for specific audiences. Meanwhile, viral sites trying to appeal to a broad audience like Viralnova are no longer the most-commonly shared publishers. Sites with more targeted audiences like National Geographic and Mother Jones, however, joined the top-20 list of highest-average shares per article.
Even heavily opinionated news sites with divided followings traditionally viewed via other means (like television or print) are seeing increases in their average share count; for articles within the top million, Fox News saw a 114-percent increase in average shares per article, while The Nation saw a 211-percent increase between 2014 and 2016.
The Big Takeaway
If you try to be everything to everyone, you’ll become nothing to anyone. This adage holds especially true in marketing, whether it be for publishers or brands. Niche media sites targeting an audience of a specific demographic or with certain interests can develop a strong, loyal following and authoritative reputation through a unique voice and vertical expertise – which translates to more social shares. Marketers emulating this strategy also have the potential to see one additional benefit when investing in niche content: more qualified leads.
Positive Content is Increasingly Seeing More Shares
The Findings
An analysis of top articles for news publishers revealed that the sentiment has shifted dramatically across the board since 2014. Even as more quality content floods more strictly regulated networks, the average share counts increased significantly when publishers shifted towards a more positive approach.
The New York Times saw the greatest change from overwhelmingly negative to exclusively positive sentiments, and at the same time saw an 81-percent increase in average shares. CNN also saw a drop in the percentage of their top articles classified as negative and a 39-percent increase in average shares. Fox News saw a significant shift toward more neutral sentiments that corresponded with a 114-percent increase in average shares per top article.
The Big Takeaway
These findings closely correlate with the findings of other studies that examine the emotions that make content go viral. Overwhelmingly, viral content elicits positive and often complex emotional combinations (like happiness, surprise, and admiration), while strong negative emotions were reported far less. These findings are great news for marketers: virality isn’t a matter of luck, but rather is the result of a well thought out content strategy that appeals to the right emotional combinations.Understanding the target audience is key in obtaining higher social engagement.
Both social networks, as well as the publishers and brands using them, are constantly competing to dominate the internet; rankings are always evolving and never guaranteed. Ultimately, brands should keep a close eye on the networks to determine where their efforts are best spent, and should take note from publishers when it comes to content strategy.
Thursday 29 September 2016
Social Media Marketing in 3 minutes
Discover the 4 step formula for using Social Media Marketing for your business
Discover how using Social Media Marketing to promote your business can keep you top of mind with your prospects. Use Social Media to position yourself as an expert in your field, teach people how to solve their problems with your product or service and develop a lasting relationship. After all, we all know people buy from people they know like and trust.
Book Review: ‘The CMO’s Periodic Table’ Reveals the True Elements of Marketing
by Kristina Brown | September 27, 2016
When my boss, Drew Neisser, asked me to review his book he requested I pay specific attention to my position as a young marketer fresh out of university. For me, The CMOs Periodic Table was really an introduction to marketing, a true Marketing 101.
In 64 interviews, I got read some of the country’s top marketers tell their story: what practices were used, what risks were taken, what turned out to be mistakes and what resulted in success. While going through this crash course, I kept thinking to myself, “When else will I hear from CMOs of the likes of JetBlue, IBM, MasterCard or J. Crew?” And so what was a once menial task from the boss became the ultimate teaching experience for this young employee.
Learning From the Best
Much like Mendeleev’s periodic table, The CMOs Periodic Table is divided into sections of similar elements. This breakdown allows you to digest all the meaty lessons of the book in an organized and effortless manner. Each of the seven sections is jam-packed with brief but stimulating interviews that make you leave with something new to think about.
Moments such as the one in the “Setting Expectations” interview with Jeffrey Hayzlett, where he says that The Four Pillars of Marketing theory is actually incomplete (Jeff shows that there are actually five pillars), highlight the thesis of the book. Marketing is an evolving industry, and the most successful marketers catch on to this very quickly.
“The biggest mistake you can make in business is to do nothing.”
The Power of Influencers
Of the 64 interviews, I would be lying if I said I didn’t have clear favorites, specifically ones that altered my marketing purview in some capacity. A favorite of mine was “The Power of Positive Influencing” with Tami Cannizzaro of IBM. Before reading, I thought influencer-brand relationships were simple tradeoffs. A brand hires an influencer to better reach its target audience, and the influencer gets some compensation or incentive from the brand. Easy, right? However, Cannizzaro’s words showed me that I was thinking quite small.
Influencer partnerships aren’t living up to their full potential if they are acting as tradeoffs: “Make these people part of your overall brand strategy, treat them like VIPs and give them insider access to your strategy and brand.” Cannizzaro’s words really resonated with me because, let’s be honest, influencer relationships aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Thus, knowing how to make the most of them will prove to be essential as I work with brands in the future.
Err Towards Edge to See Real Results
Coincidentally, another interview with Mr. Hayzlett of C-Suite Network grabbed my attention. His strong words of advice to fellow marketers in “Making Sure Your CEO Gets the Picture” caused me to think about the kind of marketer I plan to be. Hayzlett cautioned against the dangers of staying on the safe side: “If you want to grow, you’re going to have to take risks.
Risks may work or they may not, but you just won’t know until you try it. The biggest mistake you can make in business is to do nothing.” This advice was similar to a conversation I had with Drew as a mere intern. Drew, like his interviewee, basically said, “You’re either gonna have a safe career or an interesting one.” I think I’ll listen to these two and be more welcoming of risks and chances.
An Essential Read for New Marketers
The CMO’s Periodic Table is just as much for the young marketer as it is for the seasoned exec. For we rookies in the game, the book is a gold mine of information from all the people with which you wish you could score an informational meeting. For the established marketers, the 64 interviews are case studies that can inform and inspire your next marketing challenge. Wherever you are in the field, you can’t read this book and not learn something from one of its 64 thought leaders.
Happy reading, everybody!
Wednesday 28 September 2016
12 Questions to Separate Social Media Experts From Pretenders
Social media takes time. Lots of time. But it has the potential to really build your business and brand.
If your waking hours are needed elsewhere and you don’t have a team member to take over, you should consider using a freelance resource. That may sound like an easy decision, but finding a competent resource is a real challenge.
Many people talk the talk, but very few walk the walk. Alas, the world is full of fast-talking people who know enough buzzwords to convince you to hire them as “social media experts.”
Here are 12 questions I now ask of anyone – whether it’s a potential full-time employee or consultant – who claims social media expertise and proposes to help with social media.
Take this list seriously, because paying someone who does nothing for you is worse than doing nothing in the first place.
1. What was your college major?
Social media management requires professional-level English language and writing skills. First and foremost, it’s a writing job.
While there are always exceptions to the rules, those who didn’t major in English, journalism, marketing, or PR, or haven’t worked extensively in those fields, may not be able to communicate and engage at the level needed to represent your company.
2. What type of unedited writing samples can you share with me?
Everyone has a portfolio; but by the time things get published, editors and copy supervisors have often spent as much time rewriting as the writer invested in the first place (if you want an earful, just ask any editor).
You never want to look at published samples; you want to see the raw copy that was submitted to the publisher. While there may not be writing samples of social media posts, anyone applying for the job should have articles or relevant memoranda to share.
3. What’s your client service experience?
Managing social media requires a good sense of how to do client service and customer service correctly. If you haven’t worked for a company as an account executive, client service manager, customer service manager, etc., you can’t service potential customers in social media.
4. What are some examples of how you have worked to sell your ideas in collaborative environments?
Social media is a collaborative marketing and communications function. How has this candidate led a team, or been a major contributor to one?
Critical here are superior listening skills (as opposed to fast-talking skills). How well does this candidate understand, and work with, the various threads of conversation?
5. What is your experience with public relations?
Look for any involvement in setting up or managing events. Ask to see press releases (unedited examples, of course).
Gauge experience in working with the media and an understanding of how the world of journalism operates. This is critical to developing relationships with the media and getting them to cover you.
6. What is your experience with graphic design?
Ask the candidate to name the graphics programs he/she is proficient in, and to rate his skill level as competent, advanced, or able to teach the course.
Then ask this question: What is the best way to create and add graphics to the top four social networks.
7. Can you answer these questions?
- What is CPM?
- What is CPC?
- What is excess inventory?
- How do you manage content?
- Can you show me an example of a marketing calendar you have done?
- What is a social ecosystem?
- What is a flight?
- How many social networks are there?
These are basic knowledge for anyone laying claim to a social media skill set. If you, the hiring manager, need the answers, contact me. If you’re a job candidate and can’t answer them: You’re not ready to take a paid job in social media.
8. How would you deal with this situation?
This is your opportunity to see how the candidate thinks. Provide one or more social media challenges that need to be dealt with (or have been previously dealt with).
These challenges should relate to your social media goals. Evaluate the level of sophistication of the response.
9. How would you assess our current plan?
Share your social media plan and get live feedback. Evaluate the level of the questions the candidate asks. Don’t provide the plan in advance – you want to see how candidates think on their feet, without outside help.
10. Do you have experience in advertising?
It’s a bonus credential if the candidate has ever bought, sold, or managed media, especially online media. As always, ask for examples.
11. What types of references can you provide, who can address what you have achieved for them?
Perhaps this should be the first question, since if there is no one who can endorse the candidate’s skills and accomplishments, why spend time on the other questions?
12. How many hours do you think this requires?
This is a key question when the social media job is part-time or outsourced. Someone who “practices” social media daily will be able to answer the question of how many hours need to be allocated daily/weekly to everything you need done. Then, it’s up to you to budget for it or review your expectations.
Summary
This might seem like a lot to ask in an initial round of interviews, but it’s better to lose some time up front than lose your sanity later due to a social media pretender.
Any questions you’d add to the list? Leave or comment, or connect with me directly.
Image Credit: Jason Howie/Flickr¸
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