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POTUS On Twitter: Social Media Enters the Oval Office

(Disclaimer: this is not a political blog post) For those who haven’t heard, President Barack Obama sent out his first tweet from the official @POTUS Twitter account on Monday. Yes, the President of the United States will now use Twitter as a way to directly communicate with with fellow Americans. The verdict is still out on whether this is a good idea and perhaps only time will tell. Shortly after the President sent out his first light-hearted tweet, the majority of people responded with support. The supportive responses were quickly overshadowed by  some pretty horrific posts and replies. The posts ranged from racial slurs to serious threats and the New York Times reported that a Minneapolis man received a visit from the Secret Service after addressing an alarming tweet to the President. This particular incident got me thinking about the pros and cons of the @POTUS account and I came up with the following list:

Pros

  • Engagement. In marketing, we use Social Media as a way to engage with customers and build relationships. Will the same theory apply to President Obama on Twitter?  Of course it’s unrealistic to think that the President will be able to respond to everyone’s tweets and messages but for the few that he does, I can promise it will be a big deal. It will be interesting to see just how much engagement the President commits to on Twitter.
  • Quick Information. There’s no better way to send a quick, informative message than on Twitter! I doubt  there will be a lot of hard news that the President breaks on Twitter but it will be exciting to see just how much he does share with us. Will we get a glimpse inside the life of Mr. Obama or will his account remain strictly business?

Cons

  • Too Much of a Threat? Does a personal Twitter account leave the President over exposed? Will the Secret Service have to dedicate more of their time investigating people like the man from Minneapolis mentioned above because of Twitter? The President is already open to Internet threats and comments so is Twitter really any different?
  • Archives. The Secret Service already scans the Internet for threats so Twitter is no exception but did you know that every tweet or message sent to @POTUS, or any official White House account for that matter, is permanently archived? Should this kind of information really be part of our nation’s history for our grandchildren to read in years to come?

What do you think?

The Oval Office via photopin (license)
The Oval Office via photopin (license)

 

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The #Hashtag

The pound sign is one of the most identifiable symbols on our keyboards today. My joke is that the hashtag was invented by the “shift” key so it could stay in business… funny, right? All joking aside, the pound symbol has become so popular that people are intentionally misusing it. The hashtag is a brand of its own- a universal symbol. It was created to connect users with common interests. When done properly, small businesses can use hashtags to unite people all over the world under the same topic.

Let’s start by identifying the best Social Media network for hashtags and that’s Twitter. The entire concept of Twitter operates around hashtags. The short 140-character messages (tweets) keep us updated on live events and connect people by searching for keywords. People can discuss major social events and breaking news all by using the same hashtag. Other major Social Media networks like Facebook, Instagram, Vine, YouTube and Pinterest all use hashtags to connect users as well. The hashtag is truly a universal symbol in every sense of the word.

One of the easiest ways for small businesses to increase their brand visibility is to use “trending” hashtags. Twitter does a great job of displaying current “trending” hashtags so they are never hard to find. As you can imagine, they change often so the window of opportunity does not last long. As a small business, you can look for ways to relate to “trending” hashtags and topics to see if they are relevant to your brand. Even if you aren’t lucky enough to  find a “trending” hashtag, chances are you can cash in by finding a popular hashtag. Did you know there is a hashtag for every day of the week? It’s true! In honor of Wednesday, also known as #WayBackWednesday, here is a picture of me from 1985. Now that’s way back!

wbw

 

Does the idea of a “trending” hashtag have you feeling lucky enough to create your own? I say go for it if you are a small business but have reasonable expectations. Chances are that your local hashtag won’t start trending (fingers crossed that it will) but hashtags can still be successful on a much smaller scale. They still unite people and develop an audience which can be a valuable way to promote your brand. I use hashtags in a lot of my creative work on the promotional side of things. I think they are a great way to create uniformity and organization when running a contest or giveaway. I recommend incorporating those “trending” or popular hashtags into your campaigns whenever possible as a way to optimize your potential visibility.

Join me today on #WayBackWednesday and post an old picture that will generate a laugh or two from your coworkers. Remember that hashtags were created to unite people with common interests. At this stage in the game you are probably well aware of your target market’s interests. Follow those interests and find a hashtag to increase your brand visibility today.

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The Facebook ‘Free Lunch’

A college Philosophy Professor once told me, “There is no such thing as a free lunch.” It seemed like a silly piece of advice at the time, but now I realize the deeper meaning of his advice. As I transitioned my career into the marketing field, I really started to notice the ‘free lunch’ aspect of many marketing campaigns. From giveaways to discounts, everyone seems to be offering something for free these days which left me wondering…are these things really free? Enter Facebook.

Every month, nearly 1.39 billion people from around the world log into Facebook without spending a penny. All it takes is an active e-mail address and password. Over the years, Facebook has reassured us that the popular Social Media outlet will remain free (for now). So, with that being said, did Facebook prove my professor wrong? Is it actually an example of a free lunch?! With changes to the algorithm, many business large and small believe Facebook is not really free anymore.

Facebook created the new changes with its users in mind. With all of the connections to friends, family and even businesses sharing content, Facebook did not want users to feel overwhelmed so it came up with a way to control what shows up on your News Feed. Facebook wants to provide you with timely content that is relevant to your interests in hopes that you will never delete or stop using your account…gasp!

For many businesses large and small, the new algorithm brings with it a hidden price tag found in the number of organic reaches. Organic reaches are the number of users who see a post without paying to boost it. There has been a lot of buzz surrounding the changes and businesses are scrambling to find new ways to promote their brands on Facebook. The decrease in organic reach is especially crippling to smaller businesses and non-profits who may not be able to incorporate Facebook into their monthly budgets. Many of these businesses are noticing a dramatic reduction of almost 50% in organic reach.

Before you pull out your credit card or delete your Facebook Business Page, here are some ways to help you maximize your posts.

  • Use the Facebook Insight feature to see when people are most likely to engage in your content. Is it before work, during lunch or maybe even while laying in bed at night? Learn what time of day your followers are most likely to engage and post then! Hint: scheduled posts are a great way to stay on track.
  • Get people to engage. Engagement increases your popularity. Review your post history and see what gets your followers clicking. Remember, as I talked about in a previous post, keep your posts visual and your text short to maximize your News Feed optimization. Use high-quality content to get people clicking without having to ask them.
  • Stick to your roots. Review your mission statement and stay true to your message. Share information that is relevant to your brand even though it may be tempting to share a popular viral video. Give your followers posts that relate to the reason why they signed up for your page in the first place.
  • Stay away from traditional marketing. Social Media marketing is a completely different ball game. It’s a two-way street and not a one-way announcement. Use Social Media to create authentic relationships that turn into loyal costumers. Interact with followers, respond to messages and provide costumer service.

Happy Facebooking!

photo credit: 5th grader school lunch in Lunchbots Quad box via photopin (license)
photo credit: 5th grader school lunch in Lunchbots Quad box via photopin (license)

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Social Squeak

Cool Kid in School

Facebook News Feed Optimization (NFO)

When it comes to your Facebook News Feed, popularity is the name of the game. Simply put, businesses have to find a way to make their content as popular as the high school homecoming queen to get more clicks, likes, comments and shares. Facebook uses a highly-researched (and often changing) algorithm to determine the order in which stories appear on your News Feed. Facebook takes note of all personal activity and uses that information to provide a customized News Feed known as the “Top Stories” Feed. Many people do not realize that Facebook defaults to the “Top Stories” Feed instead of the “Most Recent” Feed. So what does that mean? It’s simple. Just because you are posting content does not mean it appears at the top of everyone’s News Feed.

Before you panic, rest assured that there are a few easy ways to help your posts find their way to the top of the Feed.

Lead with a question. Questions encourage user engagement and engagement improves your popularity. Keep your questions at the beginning of your post so users can see it without having to click. Keep your questions short and stay away from questions that yield “yes” or “no” answers. Example: (WRONG) “Are you watching the big game this weekend?” (RIGHT) “What are your plans for the big game this weekend?”

Be visual. Use pictures and videos to get people clicking. Recent studies show that visual posts produce almost 50% more engagements than all-text posts. My general recommendation is to keep your all-text posts around 30 characters or less (around two sentences).

Post often. Businesses should be posting a minimum of four times a week. Few things are worse than having an inactive Facebook page. Be sure to include all useful information on your page including things like your phone number, address, business hours etc.

Provide relevant content. Be sure to provide followers with relevant information. Think about your target market.Who are they and why are they following your page? Give them useful content to keep them coming back for more. Provide external links to help increase your popularity.

Engage. Be an active part of your Facebook page. Log on daily and respond to comments, questions and concerns. People appreciate being heard. Facebook is a great way to build your company’s image and reputation. A quick response can go a long way.

Giveaway/Contest. What better way to create a buzz than a giveaway? Encourage users to like and share your content then reward them with a prize- just be sure to follow Facebook’s rules regarding promotions ( https://www.facebook.com/page_guidelines.php)

Happy Facebooking!

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Bigar Creative is a digital marketing agency specializing in maximizing the effectiveness of your business through the use of Social Media.

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