Does your PR Agency Know How to Connect?
May 15, 2013 - Posted by Stephanie Graves
“We need more people talking about us!” As a CMO, or PR director, how many times has someone at the top come to you and said those exact words? Did you immediately start to feel the heat? When an organization decides it needs PR representation or that their current PR strategy needs an overhaul, it usually starts with a desire to create more buzz. And many times, this desire is motivated by a positive article in the local news about a competitor, or a look at another company’s thousands of seemingly engaged Twitter followers eagerly and happily interacting with their brand online. THE GOAL Simply creating buzz should not be the end goal for ramping up PR efforts. In the past, the end goal of public relations for brands may have been limited to raising brand awareness, but as the digital age has caused a major shift in how we… read more
The Bottom Line on What Facebook Partner Categories Mean for the Little Guys
May 4, 2013 - Posted by Stephanie Graves
When Facebook launched its new ad-targeting solution Facebook Partner Categories a few weeks ago, we’re pretty sure we heard a loud, collective, “Wooooohoooo” from every small business owner using Facebook ads to market their business. And they have every right to be happy beyond measure because Partner Categories, for small fries, are the great equalizer. In case you missed the announcement, Facebook Partner Categories allow brands on the social network to get ads in front of targeted users based on their activity across the Web, through desktop and/or mobile, plus their offline purchases and tendencies. Previously, targeting was based on users’ Facebook activity. Moreover, all of this is powered by data provided by market research heavyweights Datalogix, Epsilon, Acxiom and Blue Kai. Partner Categories are a gold mine for advertisers because it provides significantly more detail about where to place ads and the users they should target. Advertisers who target… read more
Creating “Share-alicious” Content to Build Your Online Community
April 30, 2013 - Posted by Stephanie Graves
Ever wonder why some organizations seem to have no problem at all building and engaging their online communities when your company spends a great deal of time working to get more fans, to no avail? Does it seem like no matter what you post, tumbleweeds blow across your page. Very few, if any “likes” or comments are happening, with the exception of the one super fan you can always count on (read: your mom) who “likes” everything you post (because she loves you). You’re not alone. Many companies struggle to find the sweet spot in content creation. But if you listen closely, your audience is telling you what they want to hear. Deliver it, and you’ll see your online community start to take shape. First understand what moves your audience If you don’t have a deep understanding of who your audience is then you’ll have a difficult time figuring out… read more
Calls to Action Now Allowed on Facebook Page Cover Images
March 21, 2013 - Posted by Shama Kabani
The 17th December version of Facebook’s Pages Terms previously prevented any kind of marketing in the cover image, and text was not allowed to comprise more than 20% of the image area. Page owners had to compromise by making sure that they advertised within the page and tried to creatively draw in consumers. However, it seems as though the Pages Terms Platforms changed overnight and simultaneously opened up a great method for marketing. Previously, or at least until March 20th, the Page Features determined under subsection B (Cover) that cover images may not include: images with more than 20% text; price or purchase information, such as “40% off” or “Download it on socialmusic.com”; contact information such as a website address, email. mailing address, or information that should go in your Page’s “About” section; references to Facebook features or actions, such as “Like” or “Share” or an arrow point from the… read more
Facebook Graph Search: It’s About Who You Know
February 7, 2013 - Posted by Amanda Norris
While Facebook Graph Search is in essence a search engine, it’s fundamentally different from the traditional search engines. Google and Bing searches return results based on what the search engine’s “spiders” find when they crawl through a website. Facebook Graph Search, however, is all about who you know, and how you interact with your friends and fans. So if you’ve been applying standard search engine optimization techniques to your Facebook page(s) and profile, it may be time to rethink your strategy. Facebook says that its new Graph Search is all about connecting people with information that other people are already talking about on Facebook. So it’s technically about who knows you and your company – Graph Search makes connections from public pages and friends’ shares. What does this mean to businesses that use Facebook? It means that your fans have instantly become a referral marketing force for your business –… read more
5 Facebook Changes Marketers Love
November 20, 2012 - Posted by Amanda Norris
Facebook seems to be the tool that social media marketers can’t live without – and love to complain about. From promoted posts and EdgeRank, to Timeline, 2012 was the year when many people took exception to some of Facebook’s changes. Over time, however, many marketers have come to love some of this year’s Facebook changes – even Timeline. Here are five Facebook tools that marketers need to seriously consider now, or risk being left behind as your competitors adopt them. Make Your Cover Photo Sizzle The large 851 x 315 pixel cover photo on your Facebook page can become a valuable part of your social media marketing plan. Why? Because it’s located at the top of your Timeline, overlapping with your profile picture, above any tabs. So it’s the first thing visitors see when they click on your page. Also, if you don’t upload a cover photo, users will see… read more
Facebook Advertising Options Demystified (Chart)
October 19, 2012 - Posted by Amanda Norris
With a potential audience of over a billion users, many brands have found success by adding Facebook advertising to their online marketing efforts. In recent months, Facebook has focused on providing more advertising options and tools for companies to use to grow their customer base and increase engagement and loyalty. But with so many options available, it may be hard to keep the options straight – and to know which ones meet your needs. To help clear things up, we’ve created summaries of each of the current major Facebook advertising options along with a chart for at-a-glance comparison. Facebook Ads Facebook Ads are simple and straightforward: Businesses purchase ad space, and their ads show up on the right side of most Facebook pages. These ads can promote a brand Page, Facebook app, Facebook event, or even an external website. Facebook Ads generally contain ad-specific copy (content created specifically for… read more
Can Your Social Media Profile Be Both Personal And Professional?
October 4, 2012 - Posted by Rilee Chastain
Blurring the lines between business life and personal life with social media. Back before the immense growth of the internet and social media, it was never too difficult to keep your business life separated from your professional one. Intense sport and political talk was reserved for passing moments around the water cooler, and live commentary of your favorite television sitcoms were reserved specifically for whoever was in the room with you at the moment. However, as we saw just last night following the first presidential debate, more and more people are turning to Facebook, Twitter or Google + in order to share their thoughts and opinions on everything from politics to pop culture references. And while this may a great platform to banter back and forth with friends or dive deep into the thoughts of your favorite celebrities, where should you draw the line when your business and personal social… read more
Facebook Adds Features – And a Fee – To Offers
October 2, 2012 - Posted by Amanda Norris
When Facebook launched Offers – its replacement for its failed Deals service – earlier this year, companies gained access to a powerful social media marketing tool. Offers provided a way for brands to create coupons and deals, and then share these offers with their followers. Best of all, the entire process was free – until recently. Last month, Facebook rolled out some major changes to their Offers platform. These changes present a new revenue opportunity for Facebook, but also a more powerful and promotional tool for brands to promote their products, gain traffic, and drive sales. First, the bad news: Offers are no longer free. Previously, businesses had the option of simply sharing their Offer with their current Facebook followers at no charge, or paying to promote the offer with an ad. Though there are still no fees associated with claiming or redeeming an Offer, and users will still see in… read more
Facebook’s Custom Audience Ads – And What They Mean for You
September 27, 2012 - Posted by Amanda Norris
With a user base that includes hundreds of millions of active and highly engaged members, Facebook has established itself as an excellent way for brands to reach out to and connect with potential customers through either establishing Facebook communities on brand pages or purchasing in Facebook Ads. The problem for some, however, was that the two options for Facebook marketing often seemed to exist on opposite ends of the spectrum of “social media” and “marketing”. Facebook’s recently released Custom Audience advertising builds a bridge across that divide by giving brands the opportunity to include relationships built outside of Facebook in their targeting process. What is a “Custom Audience”? Facebook advertisers have long had the ability to target a specific audience segment through using some basic and fairly broad filters. These included general demographic information, such as age, gender, relationship status and location, as well as targeting options based on users’… read more