by Fronetics | Jan 31, 2019 | Blog, Content Marketing, Current Events, Marketing, Social Media
Also, this month in social media news: Instagram allows posts to multiple accounts; Snapchat shares research on social media use; and YouTube adds new swipe-to-view option.
Highlights
- Facebook and YouTube are making changes that reflect a shift toward the Stories format.
- Snapchat releases research revealing that users seek different types of content on different social media platforms.
- Twitter is considering a big update to its conversational features designed to boost user engagement.
The new year is off and running in the social media world. As social media platforms vie to keep up with user behavior, we’re seeing a broad industry shift in favor of the “Stories” format. Facebook is attempting to ramp up the popularity of its Stories feature by giving users more options for direct response, while YouTube is introducing a swipe option, reflecting the growing preference for this kind of interface.
Businesses should take heed to the changes this month. The opportunity for CTA stickers in Facebook Stories — as well as Twitter’s plans for new conversational features and Instagram’s introduction of a feature allowing users to post across accounts at the same time — have important implications for how B2B businesses market themselves on social media. Additionally, Snapchat has released the results of a study examining how and why people use various social media platforms.
Here’s your social media news for January 2019.
Facebook Adds Call-to-Action Stickers for Page Stories
As Facebook continues to work toward making its version of Stories a success, the social media titan is testing a new set of Call-to-Action (CTA) stickers for Pages. The stickers let businesses on Facebook use Stories more effectively via direct-response tools.
The new buttons echo the CTA options already available to Pages in their header. Options include inviting users to “Shop Now,” “Book,” or “Get Directions” directly from within Stories.
Why does this matter for B2B businesses? This new feature brings direct action to where Facebook is pushing users to spend more and more time — Stories.
Twitter Releases Detailed Plans for Beta Testing of New Conversational Features
Twitter is looking to evolve its platform in line with usage trends, announcing the creation of a new beta program to test its conversational options. According to TechCrunch, Twitter will soon launch the beta program with a select group of users. Features to be tested include color-coded responses, algorithmically sorted replies, and status updates.
If the beta testing is successful and Twitter adopts the changes, expect to see a big impact on platform use. For example, color-coded replies would corollate with your connections, making them easier to locate within extensive threads. Algorithm searching would also assist with keeping users up to date with the most personally relevant parts of any discussion — all with the goal of boosting engagement.
Instagram Now Lets You Post to Multiple Accounts at Once
Earlier this month, Social Media Today and TechCrunch reported that Instagram is rolling out a feature allowing users to post a single update across multiple profiles at the same time. For social media managers responsible for maintaining several accounts, this is big news.
[bctt tweet=” Instagram is rolling out a feature allowing users to post a single update across multiple profiles at the same time. For social media managers responsible for maintaining several accounts, this is big news.” username=”Fronetics”]
It’s now easy to post content to all accounts at once. But the question remains: is this good news for your audience? Of course, every case is different, but it’s yet to be determined if this ease of posting identical content across multiple platforms will broaden audience engagement or backfire, causing users to get bored and tune out your content all together.
Snapchat Shares New Research on How and Why People Use Different Social Media Platforms
Partnering with Murphy Research, Snapchat Business conducted a study of more than 1,000 of its users between the ages of 13 and 44. The goal was to gain insight into the social media apps they use, why they spend time on each, and how each makes them feel.
The research revealed three key insights:
- The apps people use can impact their moods.
- There’s a reason users tap on each app.
- And there’s a time and place for each app in this space.
What does this mean for B2B users? Being aware of the various platforms people use to find a specific type of content, for example, can help shape content creation and sharing.
YouTube Adds a New Option to Swipe to View the Next Video
As if it weren’t easy enough to fall down a YouTube rabbit hole. This month, the video giant is rolling out a new option that gives users the option to swipe left to view the next video or right to go back to the previous. Users can also get a “sneak peek” of the next or previous video by partially swiping. Currently, the update is only available to iOS users and is in line with a broader industry trend toward the swipeable Stories format.
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by Fronetics | Jan 29, 2019 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Marketing, Social Media, Supply Chain
Knowing the right video distribution channels can go a long way toward driving traffic and getting your content to your target audience.
Highlights:
- An effective video distribution strategy is key to success.
- Choose video distribution channels that match your marketing goals.
- Paid ads can give video an extra boost.
Video transcript:
I’m Christy Lemire, the Director of Video Marketing here at Fronetics. Today we’re going to be talking about the four best distribution platforms for video.
Here are the four best platforms for distributing your marketing videos.
1. Your network
Don’t underestimate the power of your own existing network. Send your videos, via email, to your primary contacts and everyone in your current database.
2. Social media
Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and of course YouTube are great to reach your target audience. Of course within the category of social media, you want to consider what platforms suit your content best. YouTube is a great place to start, but there are also many industry specific online forums and social groups that can benefit you as well.
3. Blogs
Promote your video on your own blog to reach your followers and boost your SEO. It’s also a good idea to distribute your video on other industry specific blogs to overlap your target audience.
4. Paid ads
While the first three channels of distribution we discussed are organic, sometimes it is well worth it to use paid ads to give your content a significant boost, such as Google Adwords and AdSense.
Bottom line is using the right distribution channels helps you get the most out of your video marketing efforts. For more information about video marketing, visit Fronetics.com.
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by Fronetics | Jan 23, 2019 | Blog, Current Events, Logistics, Marketing, Social Media, Supply Chain
Supply chain and logistics companies: here are your key takeaways on digital marketing trends from the Content Marketing Institute’s 2019 survey.
Highlights:
- For 2019, resolve to put your audience first.
- Building audience trust is crucial.
- Make sure your content is performing well by keeping pace with changes to search engines.
The Content Marketing Institute has published its ninth annual survey, giving insight into the most significant digital marketing trends and priorities for 2019. We’ll get into some key takeaways in detail, but perhaps the most striking finding was one that we’ve been talking about for years.
Of the top performing B2B marketers surveyed, the vast majority (90%) reported that they “prioritize the audience’s informational needs over their sales/promotional message.” That’s a powerful statistic. And when you consider that of the least successful B2B marketers, only 56% doing the same, it’s hard not to agree that the success gap is accounted for by this prioritization.
Digital marketing trends in 2019: making the audience a priority
Looking at the key trends from 2018, which will set the pace for 2019, some overall themes emerge. Foremost among them is the need to put audiences first. When 96% of the most successful B2B marketers report that their organizations have “built credibility and trust with their audience,” it indicates that those organizations have been highly effective at listening to their audiences and delivering value with their content.
Savvy marketers going forward will devote time and resources to researching the needs of their audience. Currently, only 23% of marketers are using email to encourage audience participation, build community, and bring new perspectives to their efforts. Not only that, but only 42% report seeking conversations with customers as a form of audience research.
Successful marketers in 2019 will lead the charge, putting email and other forms of digital marketing to use not only to publish their own content, but to form a deeper understanding of the needs and perspectives of their audience.
3 key digital marketing trends for 2019
1) Email campaigns and educational content win the day.
The majority (58%) of CMI’s survey respondents report that they have successfully used content marketing to nurture subscribers, audience, or leads within the past year. Their most successful methods were email (87%) and educational content (77%).
[bctt tweet=”When it comes to building trust among your audience, and nurturing relationships with prospects, educational content can be your best friend.” username=”Fronetics”]
We’ve written before about the overwhelming preference among B2B buyers for educational content like case studies. When it comes to building trust among your audience, and nurturing relationships with prospects, educational content can be your best friend. Similarly, email marketing, when used strategically, is an ideal way to usher prospects down the sales funnel with your content. For more insights, take a look through our top 7 email marketing posts from 2018.
2) Video continues to gain popularity.
We talk a lot about the value of video marketing for the supply chain. Once again this year, video has continued to increase its popularity. More than 50% of survey respondents increased their use of video marketing. Interestingly, a majority also bumped up their use of text-based digital marketing, as well as images (such as infographics, photos, and charts).
Video is on the rise all over the internet, and it gets easier all the time to create focused, engaging, and creative video content to market your business. That being said, successful B2B companies in the supply chain are increasingly outsourcing tasks like videography in order to ensure optimal video strategy, creation, production, and distribution across social media and content platforms.
3) SEO and search algorithms are a concern.
CMI’s survey asked about content marketing issues that organizations are concerned about and found that 61% are worried about changes to SEO/search algorithms. A significant minority (45%) are also concerned about changes to social media algorithms.
It’s true that just as people are changing how they search, search engines themselves are shifting their algorithms, becoming more sophisticated, and making the simple keyword model rapidly outmoded. Keeping up with the change can be overwhelming, but resources exist to help you. Our four-part series on writing for SEO can help you adjust your strategies and provides guidance on topic clusters and pillar content, as well as how to evaluate the success of your content.
What other digital marketing trends are you looking out for in 2019?
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by Fronetics | Jan 22, 2019 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Marketing, Social Media, Supply Chain
Social media is an ideal way for supply chain and logistics companies to reach their audience. But too many businesses are still making these basic social media mistakes.
Highlights
- Social media only works as a marketing tool if you have a documented strategy.
- Don’t try to use every popular platform. Find where your target audience spends their time and focus on that platform.
- Don’t promote your brand. Engage with customers to build long-lasting relationships.
Video transcript:
I’m Kettie Laky. I’m the director of social media at Fronetics, and today we’re going to be talking about the basic mistakes that companies still make with social media.
As of 2019, there are approximately 2.8 billion social media users around the globe. So there’s no denying social media is a powerful tool for businesses to create brand awareness and generate leads. But it’s not going to be effective if it’s not done correctly.
There are three mistakes that businesses tend to make on social media still.
The first one is using objectives instead of strategy to drive their social media. Social media platforms are making updates and changes all the time to improve the customer experience. To weather those changes and to keep your customers engaged, it’s important that you have a strategy behind what you’re doing. The strategy should include content, the frequency of posts, and pillar content. A strategy’s also going to help you prove ROI.
The second mistake that companies tend to make is using all the most popular social media platforms. Social media platforms have differentiating qualities that appeal to different audiences. So get to know where your audiences are spending their time. For instance, if you’re marketing to millennials, you’re going to want to be on Twitter.
The third mistake companies tend to make on social media is by promoting rather than engaging. The companies that are having success with social media are finding innovative and creative ways to relate to their customers. So get your customers engaged, get them involved in your story, and you’re going to create long-lasting relationships with them.
If you need help with your social media strategy, give us a call or visit us at Fronetics.com.
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by Fronetics | Jan 3, 2019 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Marketing, Social Media, Supply Chain
Live video streaming helps businesses promote transparency, good communication, and relatability.
Live video is one the biggest trends in social media marketing right now. According to the 2018 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, 77 percent of marketers plan to increase their use of video this year and 68 percent want to start using live video.
[bctt tweet=”77 percent of marketers plan to increase their use of video this year and 68 percent want to start using live video.” username=”Fronetics”]
It’s really no surprise video has gained such traction. Platforms like YouTube made the transition from watching TV in your home to watching videos on your phone seamless. And live streaming fits in with today’s emphasis on corporate transparency and putting a real, human face to business social media accounts. It allows brands to drop their corporate façade and connect to users in a more human way.
Before you ask, let me say it again: Yes, video can work for the supply chain.
Starbucks and live streaming
You don’t have to take our word for it. Look at the success of Starbucks. Back in 2016 the coffee giant tried their first live feed at an event in Queens, New York, to promote National Voter Registration Day. The live video showcased Starbuck’s involvement in the community and their dedication to social events. It was a huge success. The streaming content allowed viewers who wouldn’t otherwise be able to make the event learn about the cause and its importance.
Still not convinced? Check out this infographic with 4 reasons why the supply chain needs to try live video.
Infographic: 4 reasons the supply chain needs live video
(Made with Canva)
Live streaming platforms
Want to dive into live video, but don’t know where to start? Here’s a few of the most popular platforms.
- Facebook Live: Facebook Live lets you broadcast in real time for up to 90 minutes per session. Users who have recently engaged (or who frequently engage) with your page will receive a notification that you are streaming live, and they can go to your page to view the video. Viewers can comment and react during the course of your broadcast, allowing you to read their remarks and respond immediately.
- Periscope: Twitter-owned and run, Periscope is a standalone platform but integrates seamlessly with Twitter. It has more than 10 million users, more than two million of whom log in daily. The service lets users live stream from their mobile devices and push out those streams on Twitter.
- YouTube Live: YouTube Live enables YouTube to utilize its expansive creator and advertising network to generate even more video to be hosted and monetized. YouTube makes it incredibly easy to aim, shoot and post live video.
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by Fronetics | Jan 2, 2019 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Marketing, Social Media, Supply Chain
It’s time to cast your vote for the top logistics and supply chain blogs of 2019!
We love hearing about your favorite logistics and supply chain blogs. We’re conducting our 5th annual survey to uncover the top industry blogs of 2019. Help us by voting for your favorite. Responses will be collected through Friday, January 25, 2019.
All responses are confidential and will be reported in aggregate. No identifiable information (individual or company) will be attached or included. Please contact [email protected] with any questions.
Interested in our past winners? Here they are!
