by Fronetics | Jun 27, 2019 | Blog, Current Events, Marketing, Social Media
Also this month in social media news: Facebook releases details of its forthcoming cryptocurrency, and Instagram Pushes IGTV With Horizontal Video LinkedIn updates ad features.
Highlights:
- Facebook is removing several Information sections from business Pages, while also testing a feature that lets users preview posts.
- LinkedIn is increasing transparency for native advertising and boosting its data personalization capabilities with the acquisition of Drawbridge.
- Facebook’s new cryptocurrency, Libra, will enable fee-free fund transfers.
This month, Facebook is dominating the headlines when it comes to social media news. On the heels of its annual F8 developer conference last month, the social media giant is making several changes to its Business Pages, removing certain info sections and reportedly working on a new “Preview” option.
Meanwhile, LinkedIn is updating its ad features in several important ways for businesses. In addition to bringing more transparency to native ads, the social media site has acquired data personalization platform Drawbridge in a push to improve its ad targeting. In the world of Instagram and video, IGTV will now support horizontal video, as the platform seeks to make its IGTV feature increasingly appealing for users. Keep reading for more on these social media news items from June 2019.
Facebook makes key changes to Business pages
Facebook marketing has always been full of constant changes, but lately, as the platform responds to the fallout from Cambridge Analytica and other confidence-shaking scandals, it’s becoming increasingly more challenging for businesses.
Information sections are being removed
This month, changes to business Pages include the removal of certain information sections, effective August 1, including Company Overview, Biography, Mission, Affiliation, and Personal Interests. Prompts to Page admins inform them of the removals and encourage them to “consider adding this info to your Page’s description.” Theories abound as to why the social network is making this change. We think it’s likely that, as Social Media Today posits, Facebook is attempting to “reduce any unnecessary data collection in order to lessen its potential tracking and targeting issues.”
New “Preview” option is being tested
Meanwhile, Facebook is reportedly also testing a new “Preview” option for business Page posts, enabling marketers to see what a post will look like before hitting “Share,” with options to view in mobile or desktop format. In the flurry of more dismal news for businesses on Facebook, this feature would be a welcome bit of good news for social media managers. Being able to see exactly what your content will look like before you post it can help optimize your efforts on the platform and give you an extra failsafe when it comes to catching errors and typos before content goes live.
Instagram announces that IGTV now supports landscape videos
It’s been just over a year since Instagram rolled out its IGTV feature, making tweaks along the way, most notably allowing users to publish previews of IGTV content in the main Instagram feed. Instagram reports that since the launch of the improved publishing feature, “We’ve seen viewers spending more time with IGTV and a surge of new original content from creators of all sizes.”
IGTV is getting another makeover, as the platform responds to user requests to be able to upload landscape videos. Horizontal videos will now be supported in addition to vertical videos, both in the Instagram app and the IGTV standalone app. Viewers will be able to turn their devices sideways and view the content full screen. This is good news for marketers, as publishing video content on IGTV just got a little easier and more flexible. Rather than needing to adapt videos for the vertical format, marketers will now have an easier time integrating content straight from YouTube, for example.
Facebook releases details of its new cryptocurrency, Libra
This month, after extended speculation, Facebook has released the official outline and documentation for its forthcoming cryptocurrency, Libra. There aren’t a lot of surprises in the release. Libra will enable fee-free transfer of funds through Facebook’s “Calibra” crypto subsidiary.
According to Facebook, “From the beginning, Calibra will let you send Libra to almost anyone with a smartphone, as easily and instantly as you might send a text message and at low to no cost. And, in time, we hope to offer additional services for people and businesses, like paying bills with the push of a button, buying a cup of coffee with the scan of a code, or riding your local public transit without needing to carry cash or a metro pass.”
LinkedIn makes two updates to its ad features
In an effort to provide to bring more transparency to ads on LinkedIn, engendering trust among users, the network is introducing a new Ads tab on LinkedIn Pages. According to the platform’s announcement, “In this tab, members will be able to view all Sponsored Content (native ads running in the LinkedIn feed) that advertisers have run on LinkedIn in the past six months.” Clicking on the ads through the new tab won’t charge advertisers, and these engagements also won’t impact campaign reporting.
LinkedIn is also upping its game when it comes to data personalization. To help businesses better reach their audiences on the platform, LinkedIn is acquiring Drawbridge, Inc. “We believe Drawbridge’s team and technology will allow us to accelerate the capabilities of our Marketing Solutions platform, helping our customers better reach and understand their professional audiences and measure the ROI of their campaigns across mobile and desktop,” says LinkedIn’s Tomer Cohen.
What social media news are you following this month?
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by Fronetics | May 30, 2019 | Blog, Current Events, Marketing, Social Media
Also, this month in social media news: Facebook shows marketing decline; Instagram introduces unfollower statistics for creators; and YouTube adds still-image ads.
Highlights:
- Facebook announces a new redesign that puts Groups at the center – and brands on the outskirts.
- For the first time in 5 years, Facebook marketing is in decline.
- Instagram is testing small changes that could make a big difference for brands.
It’s been a big month in social media news. Kicking things off, Facebook held its annual F8 developer conference, giving the world some insights into the platform’s future, including long-term goals. Just one week later, Social Media Examiner released its annual Social Media Marketing Industry Report, which showed a decline in Facebook marketing in general.
In the meantime, YouTube is rolling out a new development for advertisers: still image ads. LinkedIn has updated its Job Search tools, and Instagram is empowering creator accounts with data about unfollowers and new likes. Read on for a roundup of social media news from May 2019.
Facebook Holds Its Annual F8 Developer Conference
From April 30-May 1 in San Jose, CA, Facebook gave developers some glimpses into its long-term goals and strategies. Perhaps the biggest news from the conference is the complete redesign of both its desktop and mobile versions. While the redesign has some aesthetic changes, the important thing for marketers to know is that Facebook is now structuring itself around Groups. As Facebook reported, the new design “puts your communities at the center.”
It’s official: Facebook is departing from the News Feed focus, and instead continuing to turn toward being a more friends-focused platform. In the wake of Cambridge Analytica, Facebook is continuing its push to restore user confidence — and in doing so, it’s clearly demonstrating that Facebook is a decreasingly friendly place for brands. Marketers need to stay abreast of the ongoing changes and shift their Facebook strategies accordingly. Keep an eye on our monthly social media news roundups for updates.
New Report: Facebook Marketing Decline
The Social Media Marketing Industry Reportis out, and its findings offer some surprises — at least on the surface. In a reversal of trends from the past 5 years, there is a clear indication that marketers are turning away from Facebook. While this doesn’t mean that marketers are turning away from Facebook entirely, it does mean that they are diversifying their social advertising. One in 10 marketers indicated that they’ll be decreasing their organic marketing on Facebook, and only 51% plan to increase their organic activities, down from 62% in 2018.
LinkedIn Updates Its Job Search Tools
LinkedIn is continuing to build quietly on its success as a highly respected, professional platform. According to LinkedIn’s announcement of recent changes to its Jobs tools, “We’ve grown from 300,000 to 20 million job postings in the past five years, with members applying to 25 million jobs every week and a new hire made every 8 seconds using LinkedIn.”
The network has redesigned its Jobs section, with the goal of catering better to user needs. The homepage is now more streamlined and less cluttered, and more focused on advertising roles, making it easier for users to scan quickly through available opportunities. The platform is also revamping its job alerts system, giving users instant, personalized alerts about available opportunities. It’s also making its Salary Insights data available to all members.
Instagram Separates New Likes on Posts and Adds Unfollower Stats for Creator Accounts
Instagram is testing out some options that will help businesses easily see activity and take actions based on it. The platform is now sorting the Likes section for creator accounts into “Earlier” and “New” sections, helping businesses easily distinguish the latest activity. The feature has been on Android for several months but is new for iOS.
Similarly, Instagram creator accounts now have access data on followers and, notably, unfollowers. This is valuable data for marketers, as it provides context on content and overall account performance.
YouTube Adds New Still Image Ads
YouTubehas announced that it will soon begin providing non-video advertisers with a new still-image option that will appear within YouTube home feeds. “For a long time, advertising on YouTube meant your brand had to have a video or app ad,” says the announcement. “We’re excited to announce today that’s no longer the case.”
YouTube is calling the feature Discovery Ads, and it will use audience targeting to display ads to relevant users based on their activity. “Discovery ads are a simple and effective way to tap into the power of YouTube — and you don’t even need a video. Just upload your best images from your social campaign, then we’ll optimize your media mix for maximum performance across Gmail, Discover and the YouTube Home feed.”
What social media news caught your eye this month?
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by Fronetics | May 1, 2019 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Manufacturing & Distribution, Marketing, Social Media, Supply Chain
We get many queries from manufacturers about social marketing — mostly, why and how should I use it — so here are our answers to the most-popular questions manufacturers ask about social media.
Highlights:
- Facilitate networking opportunities, thought leadership, and prospect/client relationships.
- Consider using popular platforms like YouTube and Instagram to engage users and drive website traffic.
- Don’t use social media to push your products.
(Made with Canva)
B2B operations have increasingly embraced social media as a strategic marketing tool. In fact, 9 out of 10 companies are active on at least one platform. But manufacturers, in particular, have been reticent to jump on the social media bandwagon.
If your manufacturing operation isn’t making use of social media as a tool to engage with your audience, you’re missing out on big lead generation potential. Manufacturers like the Dow Chemical Company, ArcelorMittal, and CAT Products are among those that have figured out how to harness the power of social media.
To help you launch or refine your efforts, we’ve put together the following answers to the most-popular questions manufacturers ask about social media.
Why should manufacturing companies be on social media?
There are three major reasons that manufacturing brands should be all over social media:
- Establish thought leadership
- Network within the industry
- Develop and sustain client relationships
Notice that none of these involve selling products. As with content marketing in general, good social media marketing isn’t about pushing your products.
[bctt tweet=”The value of social media for manufacturers is in its potential to establish and expand thought leadership and to cultivate meaningful and fruitful relationships within your industry and among prospects and clients.” username=”Fronetics”]
To make the most of social media as a marketing tool, abandon the idea that it’s about blatant sales pitches. Instead, approach it from the perspective that it’s an inherently social tool – that is, its value for manufacturers is in its potential to establish and expand thought leadership and to cultivate meaningful and fruitful relationships within your industry and among prospects and clients.
Which social media platforms should manufacturers be using?
Not all social media platforms are created equal. Each requires its own strategy, content format, and media. We recommend that manufacturers consider these five platforms:
1) Facebook
Facebook is an excellent place to share content with a wide segment of your audience, to promote engagement (through likes, comments, and shares), and to engage with peers and prospects. Not only that, the savviest marketers are using Facebook to understand their industry better – everything from strategies of peer brands to a fuller picture of your target buyer persona to the informational or product needs of your prospects.
2) Twitter
Twitter’s format is about brief, pithy content, used to engage with and inform your audience. This is an ideal place to let customers know what you’re planning next, to establish your corporate personality, and to let your audience in on a slice of your day-to-day operations and values.
3) YouTube
Video marketing for manufacturers is skyrocketing. With video being the most popular form of content online today, YouTube is an obvious choice for marketers. Whether it’s “how to” videos, footage of your operations, or interviews with subject-matter experts, your brand should be using YouTube to drive search traffic and educate prospects.
4) LinkedIn
B2B marketers unequivocally rank LinkedIn as the most effective network for lead generation, follower engagement, and traffic to their websites. An ideal place to engage with industry leaders, LinkedIn is also great for distributing content to a focused audience.
5) Instagram
The popularity of this highly visual platform has continued to skyrocket – it’s currently the second-most-used social media platform (up from fourth just two years ago). And believe it or not, this picture-based network is a powerhouse for B2B brands. We’ve written extensively about how brands can leverage Instagram and Instagram Stories. Suffice it to say, this is a perfect place to post your most engaging visual content and actively engage with followers.
How can manufacturers be effective on social media?
As with any content marketing effort, a well-thought-out social media strategy is a big part of success. As you create and begin to implement your strategy, start with these five tips.
1) Listen.
Before you post even a single piece of content, start by listening to your audience. In the days before social media, marketers had it much harder when it came to determining audience needs and preferences. Use these platforms to research your target prospects, as well as how competitors are engaging followers. Make note of the questions your target audience has, frustrations or challenges they express, and what types of content they engage with.
2) Focus on offering value.
You’d be surprised how many manufacturers neglect to place a premium on simply being useful with their social media content. It’s not complicated: If you post relevant, valuable content for your target audience, you’ll boost engagement, grow brand awareness, and generate and convert more leads.
3) You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time you post.
One of the great things about social media is that it rewards not only content creation, but content curation. While you do want to be posting original content most of the time (experts recommend about 60%), a good chunk of your posting activity should include curating relevant content from third parties to share with your followers.
4) Be creative.
Separating yourself from your competitors can be a challenge, but it’s one worth striving toward. Start by asking yourself what makes your operation unique, what’s special about your process, what industry-leading expertise does your executive team have, what unusual perspective can you offer? Next, start breaking these four rules.
5) Learn from your successes and setbacks.
There are many tools out there to help you track the results of your social media efforts. Determine the right KPIs for your business and keep track of your results relentlessly. These metrics will allow you to study your impact and frequently tailor your strategy accordingly.
It’s time for manufacturers to fully embrace the marketing potential of social media. Whether you create and implement your own strategy, or decide to outsource your social media efforts, social media is a powerful set of tools that manufacturers should be harnessing.
Are there other questions manufactures ask about social media that we missed? Let me know in the comments.
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by Fronetics | Apr 30, 2019 | Blog, Current Events, Marketing, Social Media, Video Marketing
Also, this month in social media news: LinkedIn adds a “Teammates” option to facilitate connections among colleagues, and Facebook is testing a Stories-like newsfeed.
Highlights:
- Facebook is giving users increased access to what information advertisers have on them.
- Instagram is considering joining Facebook in promoting communal video experiences.
- LinkedIn’s “Teammates” feature helps users prioritize content from close connections.
This month in social media news, Facebook is continuing to combat user privacy concerns by introducing a tool to provide greater transparency about the content they see on their Newsfeeds, both from connections and from advertisers. The platform is also continuing to explore the Stories trend, as it conducts early-stage testing of a layout that resembles the Stories feature more than it does the existing Newsfeed.
Both Instagram and LinkedIn are promoting greater community among users. Instagram is testing a group video viewing option, joining Facebook’s Watch Party, introduced last year. LinkedIn is rolling out a feature which allows users to prioritize content from their closest connections. Read on for a round-up of social media news.
Facebook Introduces a Feature to Assist Users in Understanding the Context of Content Appearing on the Newsfeed
Having been embroiled in ongoing privacy-related scandals, Facebookis making users’ safety and comfort using the platform a priority. To that end, the company has announced that it will be giving users greater control over the content that appears on their Newsfeeds, through the “Why am I seeing this post?” feature.
[bctt tweet=”Facebook has announced that it will be giving users greater control over the content that appears on their Newsfeeds, through the “Why am I seeing this post?” feature.” username=”Fronetics”]
In 2014, the social media giant launched its similar feature, “Why am I seeing this ad?” which was geared toward projecting transparency in the company’s embattled relationship with users and their advertising content. Facebook announced simultaneously that it will be “making improvements” to the older feature. The new “Why am I seeing this post?” feature aims to help users understand the context for what shows up in their Newsfeeds, and it also allows them to control and manage content.
Marketers should be aware that users will now be able to find out when their profile information matches with the information on an advertiser’s list, as well as when an advertiser “saves their personal information in their database and other details such as if they (the users) were targeted by the advertiser through another marketing partner of theirs (advertisers).”
Instagram Tests a Communal Video Viewing Option
Social media platforms are continuing to push the boundaries of social experiences that are possible for users not in physical proximity. Back in 2018, Facebook rolled out its “Watch Party” option, and now Instagram is exploring jumping on the bandwagon, testing a similar function in its app.
The feature would allow users to view video content on Instagram with a friend, while simultaneously seeing their reactions on screen, using the phone’s camera, in a split-screen view. Users can also apply face filters and other visual tools to the personal feed. Instagram and Facebook’s features are part of a larger trend toward “multi-participatory consumption.”
LinkedIn Adds a New “Teammates” Option to Maintain Connections Among Colleagues
In an ongoing attempt to boost on-platform engagement, LinkedIn has introduced a new feature called “Teammates.” It enables users to put a priority on updates from immediate connections, content with which LinkedIn has found that its users are 60% more likely to engage than more distant connections. As users place a priority on updates from teammates, it will appear higher in their feeds.
The network is pushing the feature as promoting community within the workplace: “95% of working professionals think it’s a good idea to have friends at work, and 63% say they have relationships with their co-workers outside the office. Based on a recent study we shared last month, having friends at work can also help you advance your career.”
Marketers should take note, since it’s not immediately clear what the impact of this feature will be on branded content. Nonetheless, it emphasizes the value of cultivating meaningful connections on the platform, as potential clients will be more likely to mark these types of connections as “teammates,” placing a higher priority on their content.
Facebook is Testing a Stories-Like Swipeable Newsfeed
Stories features across the social media landscape continue to grow in popularity. In keeping with the trend, Facebook is experimenting with a Newsfeed layout which allows users to side-scroll or swipe between posts in their feed, rather than scrolling down. This is a potential significant re-design for the platform, and points to the fact that the Stories trend is here to stay.
If Facebook adopts the design, it would merge Stories and Newsfeed content into a single stream. The network emphasized to TechCrunchthat it is “in the very early stages of development,” and “still needs to conduct a lot more user research before any public experimentation can take place.”
Therefore, while it’s unlikely that a new Newsfeed is coming soon, what is clear is that social media platforms are experimenting with increasingly integrating Stories-style content into every aspect of the user experience.
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by Fronetics | Mar 28, 2019 | Blog, Content Marketing, Current Events, Logistics, Marketing, Social Media, Supply Chain
Also, this month in social media news: Twitter launches new camera tools to increase visual focus; and Pinterest introduces Catalogs and expands shopping ads.
This month on social media news, we’re seeing a few trends continuing. Platforms are increasingly offering robust analytics tools to content creators in an effort to boost engagement. This time, it’s Twitter rolling out a new tool that gives video publishers insights on optimal post timings. Twitter is also jumping on the “Stories” bandwagon, with its own answer to the trend: a camera feature that allows users to create images similar to Instagram and Facebook Stories.
Also this month, we’re seeing good news for brands when it comes to advertising on social media. Facebook is introducing a feature for premium video advertising, while Pinterest is rolling out multiple tools to help brands sell directly from the platform. Read on for a round-up of social media news.
Social media news for March 2019
Twitter Debuts a New Analytics Tool for Video Publishers
In an effort to provide video publishers with increased data to aid in performance improvement on Twitter, the platform has released the first in a new series of publisher insights tools: Timing is Everything. According to Twitter, the tool “displays historical data showing when audiences are on Twitter watching and engaging with video. This data highlights the best time(s) to Tweet video content with an aim to maximize engagement, conversation, and viewership.”
This is big news for video publishers, including content marketers. Twitter is offering key insights on one of the most important factors in determining social media marketing success: timing. Of course, increased engagement is in the platform’s best interest — and it’s in yours as well. Stay tuned for the release of more insight tools from Twitter in the coming weeks and months.
Facebook Announces Facebook Showcase for Premium Video Advertising
Facebook has debuted Facebook Showcase, a new premium video ad program that gives online video and TV ad buyers participating in the upfront selling cycle new opportunities to reach their target audiences on the platform. Showcase is currently available for campaigns targeting U.S. audiences and includes In-Stream Reserve, In-Stream Reserve Categories, and Sponsorships.
Facebook’s announcement is another big one for advertisers. Showcase will help advertisers connect with people through premium content and unique video experiences and can help reach younger-skewing audiences that are increasingly difficult to reach on TV.
Twitter Launches New Camera Tools to Increase Visual Focus
While platforms like Facebook and Instagram are increasingly ushering users towards their respective Stories features, Twitter is introducing a camera tool which will let users capture Stories-like images, including overlays and a searchable element. In addition to bringing the platform on board with the Stories trend, it ushers in more visual content options.
[bctt tweet=”Twitter is introducing a camera tool which will let users capture Stories-like images, including overlays and a searchable element.” username=”Fronetics”]
Swiping left on your Twitter timeline from your mobile device will take you to the new camera. There you can capture an image or video, or even go Live straight from Twitter, rather than having to be routed through Periscope. Next, users have the option to add details to the image, including hashtags suggested based on location. Stickers and filters aren’t here yet, but no doubt they’ll be coming soon.
Pinterest Introduces Catalogs and Expands Shopping Ads
Pinterest has rolled out a series of new tools and products to help brands sell their products directly on the platform. The company has debuted Catalogs, which allows brands to upload their full product portfolios to Pinterest and easily turn each item into dynamic, shoppable product pins. In addition, Pinterest has introduced personalized shopping recommendations for style, home, beauty, and DIY boards.
The platform’s rollouts are good news for brands and speaks to the company’s pro-business corporate mindset: “People come to Pinterest in a shopping mindset open to discovering products, which creates a great connection between Pinners and businesses. Pinners are looking for inspiration, and brands help make that inspiration a reality.”
What other social media news has your attention this month?
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