Yet again a New Year and yet again the resolutions get us fixated! Three weeks into the New Year and we wonder how many of you all are still adhering to your resolutions. It is reasonable to let go of personal resolutions at times, nevertheless it may be tad tricky if they are professional, especially if these were woven around Social Media platforms for your brand/business.
There is no debate that most brands today reach its audience via Facebook and Twitter with limited exposure to Google+. Hence it is proper to state that Google+ is the ugly duckling of Social Media. Wait a minute did I just say ugly? Take a moment to ponder and you would realise that we are clearly hinting at the transformation Google+ is going through to be able to turn itself in to a beautiful swan. If you have read our previous story on its emergence you would agree for sure!
A Google+ page increase the chances of a brand’s visibility, better customer engagement and needless to say better analytics. Google+ enjoys the repute of a being the medium used by a savvy audience and hence the Social Media strategy on Google+ should be nothing short of being unique. Before we dig deeper into this here’s a sneak peek on what the world did on Google+ in 2013.
We have already given you insights on Social Media resolutions for Facebook and Twitter and it’s obvious that we complete the trilogy with Google+. Here’s our take on what should your resolutions for 2014 on Google+ be.
Drive traffic to Google+:
Driving traffic to Google+ page should be the most important resolution that a brand should make in 2014. Brands should use their active pages on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest to achieve the same. This task would help your followers to connect with your brand in a more holistic way. If your brand does not have a presence on Google+ yet, this would also act as an initial seed and the brand managers can take it forward and can grow from there. Many small and big businesses have followed this approach and have benefitted from the same. This is what the famous band Back Street Boy’s did to reach out to a larger audience and utilizing their Twitter account.
We can’t wait to Hangout with you on Google+ in just over an hour!!! Make sure you join us here
Connect people in Real time:
One of the key features of Google+ is Google hangout. Apart from the regular update brands should utilise this option to communicate better with their audiences. There is no better joy than to experience things in real time mode. Google+ hangouts also minimize marketing budgets since it is a free medium. Celebs can use it to launch albums or movies, brands may utilise it for Q&A sessions or other important announcements and politicians for mast canvassing and ideating their thoughts on causes of national concern.
Brands like National Geographic and Lonely Planet use this feature for live interaction with its audience sharing with them interesting travel trivia, connecting its audience to explorers, mountain climbers and celebrating events. National Geographic’s hangout celebrating its 125th anniversary recently was a huge success. Its Google+ page also updates its audience about the upcoming hangout adding on to more conversations about the brand.
Brands can also utilize this aspect to host an in house meeting especially if the business is spread across the globe! Google+ also adds to the digital footprint of the brand and can be saved as you tube video for future reference by the audience.
Build admirable content:
We have emphasized on content being the hero, time and again. However the dynamics change on Google+ entirely. Unlike other platforms Google+ offers the maximum space for a brand to express itself, in other words- 100,000 characters. Brands need to have unique and engaging content to woo its audience on Google+. A good Google+ post content could include a good mix of product updates, product launch, and exclusive interviews.
Make Google+ the platform to share behind the scene stories, also a platform to announce “never heard before” scoop and exclusive contests or promotions. These tactics would make your audience visit your page more often, simply because of the exclusivity they get there. A good content strategy may include tips and short learning tutorials. Toyota today is by far the best brand on Google+.
Apart from the exemplary content strategy its USP lies in the audience engagement that it brings about. Toyota brought about ‘Toyota Collaborator’ feature that helped potential customer take a tour of Corolla’s (the brand’s top selling sedan) interiors, choose accessories, take a virtual tour and even interact with a Toyota dealer exclusively on its Google+ page.
Audience Interaction:
Audience interaction is the key to any Social Media platform. Create your content strategy that evokes your audience to interact with your brand. Engaging posts usually as questions get better response. Resolve issues and build camaraderie between the brand and its audience. This can be done by posting in the community, again a powerful tool on Google+ page.
‘Smart’ Hashtagging:
Twitter revolutionized it, Facebook followed it as well – although it’s failed so far. The question is how good is it to use hashtags in your Google+ posts? This has a one word answer –Excellent, especially when your brand has an active Google+ page. Apart from the relevant hashtags that pop up on Google+ page (Smart tags) incorporate your brand name as a hashtag as well, it increases your chances of visibility many folds.
This is what we discovered when we searched #Cocacola on Google search. Not only did it populate the Google+ page of Coca-Cola it also gave real time interactions happening around the brand, something on the lines of twitter!
Get smart with Images:
Image sharing plays a crucial role on Social Media. According to studies an individual spends anywhere between 3minutes-7minutes on a Google+ page on a given day. This is a very small window to create an impact, and what better way to do it than including images as a part of content strategy. Google+ has incorporated certain unique features that would make image sharing a far better user experience. These include Auto Enhance, Auto Awesome and Auto Highlight features that would increase the image quality. And didn’t someone say that a picture is worth a thousand words!
Keep an eye on trends:
When we say keep eye on trends we just don’t mean Google+ trends alone. Apart from technology aiding how we handle social media, use experience to keep a tab on how things are changing, how companies are engaging its audience, what strategies can make an impact. We observed that T-Mobil responds to every post, that you mention them in!
The world of Google is changing and re-inventing itself quite quickly. We recommend that you ride on this wave and make the most for your business through the Google+ page.
For most of us “Keeping up with the New Year Resolution” is similar to watching “Keeping up with the Kardashians” (at least for some, if not all). There is an initial excitement around it nevertheless it fades away with time. With the advent of New Year, we wonder what your resolution with the little birdie is. Twitter, in case that wasn\’t clear enough.
As an online community manager you would have witnessed the changes and trends across Social Media platforms especially, Twitter. Twitter has come of age and in all practicality become the new best friend for individual users, brands, businesses, celebrities and media alike. It’s quite interesting to notice how brands have been creating buzz around their products through Twitter. Twitter campaigns and Twitter contests have become the sought after marketing technique in today’s time.
Most brands today recognize the reach and impact of Twitter conversation and hence marketing techniques involving Twitter need to be innovative and be able to evoke interest for the user. Brands earlier worked around specific hashtags to promote, talk about or create trends on Twitter. This strategy helped them target and impact more and more users. Innovation is the key and brands today are experimenting with new ideas on Twitter. One such example is what Starbucks did with its “Tweet-a-Coffee” Campaign. The idea of spontaneous gifting was a hit with the masses.
Media channels use Twitter to quantify the news circulation; celebrities use it to reach out to its fans. Different channels thus have different interests they fulfill through Twitter.
Nokia created a stir with its Thanks #Apple tweet and garnered almost 40,443 retweets!
The Social Media space is evolving, and Twitter is not behind. It\’s pretty much leading it, in sorts. In 2014, Twitter is bringing about some subtle changes on its platform especially on its mobile interface. A recent tweet unfolded the series of events.
At refreshed, personalize your profile w/ accent color web design.
So what should you resolutions for 2014 on Twitter be?
Tweet and Re-tweet: Twitter is all about real time happenings, and therefore a prompt response is always appreciated. Make a resolution to react and interact with your followers. Brands should aim at reaching out to the users in less than 12hrs more so in case of any grievance. Also Twitter is not just about posting tweets and links about your brand’s products. Emphasis should also be given to interact with users’ which aids in brand building. Make a resolution to tweet effectively, and not for the sake of tweeting. Attempts should also be made to understand your users. Recent reports confirm ‘young adults’ favoring Twitter over Facebook If your brand is one of them use this data to maximize revenue.
Make Videos your Friend: Twitter’s tie-up with Vine has made the platform quite interesting. Apart from the normal tweets, utilise this aspect and introduce videos to say things that cannot be restricted with just 140 characters! Make a resolution to have at least one weekly video shared with your users.
What happens when you combine milk, food coloring and dish soap? #howto#6secondscience
Plan Content, Schedule Tweets: Users today follow brands on multiple Social Media platform, hence repeating the same content is not a great idea. This is possible only when the content is thought through. Working around pre-planned content is the key. The tweet content should be informative and usable and should be in sync with the brand image. Work with TweetDeck, Buffer and Hootsuite and figure out which tweet scheduler works the best for you.
Hashtag Appropriately: Use of hashtags is the key to twitter, however they should be appropriately used. Hashtag the ‘keywords’ that define your brand and are relevant to your brand. #No #One #Likes #A #Tweet #Like #This, so avoid going overboard with it. At the most – 3 hashtags. Stick to 2, just to be safe. Like this:
Use Apps and Play Smart: Twitter provides an open environment not only to the users but also to the application development fraternity. Make use of applications such as HootSuite, Topsy, TweetDuck and Twitter Counter to simplify your tasks. It is also a great idea to have multiple Twitter profiles if your brand demands the same. This would help the brand to have a specialised Twitter handle for a specific purpose. Many major companies like Vodafone have done the same. Vodafone not only has country-specific handles, but also specific handles for Customer service, marketing, and so forth.
Engage with Influencers: Leverage on the fact that an influencer\’s tweet will be seen 500,000 times and that if you piggyback on it with a reply that’s smart enough – it might show up right below the tweet when expanded. Better yet – a good enough reply to a tweet might get you mentioned by the influencer.
The year 2014 embarks a new chapter in Social Media, having said that smaller and larger businesses should use this opportunity not only for revenue generation but also reaching out to the audience effectively and Twitter in all its capacity is the ideal solution for this need.
New Year’s eve is incomplete without making resolutions and we are sure that most of you would have begun this year with at least one, if not many. With all the merrymaking, there were timeline’s flooded with “check-ins” and “comments” and the photos “tagged” like never before. There has never been a moment in recent times, when Facebook has not impacted our lives or a business.
As Facebook community managers or Facebook page managers, we all are accustomed by now with the periodic changes that Facebook brings about on its platforms. These changes can get in the way of everyday management and the businesses have to completely revamp its strategies around it. Also, these changes take a mammoth size when the strategies are unplanned or unorganized.
In 2012 Facebook introduced direct messages amongst its users and the community page. It introduced ‘Featured Stories’, ‘Cover photos’ and ‘Highlight posts’. It also introduced ‘Real time page insights’, much as Google in the same year. The most important change that Facebook brought about in 2012 was the increased reach of its Ads from 16% to 50%.
Realistic Resolutions.
Facebook brought about more changes in 2013. It began with improved ‘Schedule Post’ option, ‘Star rating for the businesses was one more addition that Facebook enabled. It also introduced ‘Facebook hashtags’, a concept that is still debatable by many, including us. Another concept that Facebook borrowed from Twitter was ‘Verified Pages’. It also put a full stop to sponsored stories that was introduced in 2012 and made modifications with the Page Insights.
With so many modifications the question here is: What are your Social Media Resolutions to better your Facebook Page in 2014?
Having listed the numerous changes that have taken place in a short span of two years, it is quite understandable to gear up for 2014. The New Year is here to stay and a Facebook strategy to compliment 2014 is the best gift that you can give your business.
Here’s a quick list of 5 Social Media Resolutions for Facebook 2014 that would help your business to be on track:
1)Create Facebook Content Calendar:
Take a resolution to plan relevant content for your Facebook Posts, in advance. As a Facebook page manager it should be ensured that the content is evergreen and can be tweaked without much trouble. While formalising the Posts Calendar ensure that significant posts around important events and festivals are taken care. It’s not a great idea to miss a Christmas day post when the world is celebrating the festival, isn’t it?
Take a resolution to schedule Facebook posts in advance. Once the content and visuals are in place, this should not be a task. It would also let enough time for the page manager to be available in case of any last minute challenges.
3)Track and Monitor Facebook Pages:
Take a resolution to track and monitor Facebook page regularly. The ultimate target for any brand to be on Facebook is not only visibility but also contribute to its business revenue. However this exercise is futile without tracking and monitoring this data effectively. Planning your content strategy in sync with the response on the posts is a great start. This will help understand the engagement level of audience through each post. Also a yearly or monthly comparative analysis would help improve the strategies better.
4)Build a tribe on Facebook Pages:
Does the feeling of not being heard excite you? The answer would most definitely be a big NO. The same is true for brands too. Respond to queries and comments instantly, whether positive or negative .Take a resolution to be interactive with your followers, engage them by means of contests, freebies (as a part of marketing allowance, of course) and most importantly listen and not just hear. Tribe building is the key to a great year on Facebook, in today’s age and time word of mouth travels much faster.
5) Keep Buffer Budgets for Facebook Pages:
Remember that piggy bank, as a kid? Now, it’s quite certain that the brand would have pre-assigned budget for its marketing through Facebook, however take a resolution to have minor budget as a buffer. Facebook page managers would realise that Social Media is an emotional concept and is quite personal and may open opportunities that may sound impulsive but in all practicality would help the business to get momentum. This may be either a certain trend or data that can adversely affect the brand positioning. Such scenarios don’t wait for approvals, hence a buffer budget in such scenarios would help brand to cash on unplanned events.
It is rightly said “Change, is the only constant” and Facebook has obviously more plans for the New Year. It is in midst of testing auto play video ads and has made changes on its news feed tab. If your brand revolves around “Young Adults” you might want to re-look at your strategy since more teenagers are moving away from Facebook according to latest company reports.
Needless to say that Facebook’s impact has been a mix of challenges as well as acceptance and hence we propose you to take a final resolution to actually stick to them and make the most of Facebook in 2014.
Marketers today realise the importance of their visibility on Social Media platforms. No wonder more and more brands are proposing the same , as a part of its core marketing strategy.
Brands today connect to their audience on popular social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Apart from the seamless conversations, these networking sites also help in generating ROI through various advertisements, making it a profitable call for businesses today.
A lesser experienced social networking site by businesses today is Google +.
The Good News: Google+ today is all set to revolutionize this space with a head-on by introduction of Google+ Ads recently announced by the company.
The Bad News: Your brand does not have a presence on Google+, yet.
For starters let’s have a sneak peek into why should your business have visibility on Google+?
Google+ today has more than 500 million members (second only to Facebook). For companies looking at boosting their businesses, this comes as a great opportunity.
Google +, being a proprietaryof Google Inc. sure has it\’s benefits. Google + pages are automatically indexed by Google, hence working as a parallel SEO strategy with more visibility for your company, without shelling the extra bucks. Also, the seamless nature of Google helps the businesses to rank higher in local searches as well.
As a business, it is critical to interact with customers. Google Hangouts, a feature of Google+ aids in quality interaction with customers in a real time interface with live chat.
Apart from the many other benefits, the most important reason for the business to have it\’s presence on Google+ is the presence of your followers, however small or large.
With the advent of Google+ Ads any post on Google+ can be transformed into an Ad conveniently. Google + would offer it’s “+Post” ads outside its network which implies that though the Ads would be similar to a Google post it would be seen only on Google’s Ad network on web, on various sites or as a recommendation if the post is public, thus showing the Ads only when they are relevant to its users, far from popping up between two posts! And all likelihood adding an “actual” follower or fan to the business/brand.
Launched on June 28, 2011 – Google+ has come a long, long way in social media.
The “+Post” ads show uniqueness in the fact that a user could leave comments, join a hangout, follow your business or simply give +1 from the ad itself thus making it an authentic conversation with the brand. This strategy also opens content to more realistic and bigger audience.
Companies thinking of the budgets here may breathe an air of respite here. The business need to pay only in case of an engagement; also post the campaign is completed the Ads are still viewable on search engines as well as Google+.
Key Parameters for Google “+ posts”:
Though this is not exhaustive by any means, the listed parameters should definitely help you choose the right kind of Google+ posts that should be promoted as ads. Before we dig deep it is extremely critical to understand that ‘Content’ is the key to any ad. Apart from being meaningful they should be able to evoke curiosity & emotions. Ads should be demonstrative as well as interactive hence:
Promote posts with information: Every buyer wants information about the product, promoting such posts will be useful, since it should help buyers make an informed decision.
Promote posts / Run ads with posts that talk about offers: Buyers today are always on look out for special offers, this strategy shall help you connect with this target audience. Such ads should be linked back to the landing page that offers sales.
Promote posts that list the brand USP: In a time when markets are filled with options, posts that highlight the USP of the product should help buyers come back to your page. This could include stats or unique features of the product
Promote posts that aim at engagement:
We are in a world where sharing by a ‘click’, is the new age ‘word of mouth’. Posts which are engaging will help your brand gain momentum.
The Final Verdict: It’s time for a quick makeover in your Social Media Strategy if your business doesn’t have a presence on Google+ yet .All we can suggest is hop on the bandwagon and make the most of it!
