Got a minute? Check out our quick update on what's new in the industry.
Instagram
Instagram is testing out a new function that would allow users to follow specific hashtags in addition to profiles. Related posts would appear in the home feed based on the hashtags a user follows. Instagram hasn’t announced yet when or if we’ll see this function rolled out to everyone.
Our Take:
Got a minute? Check out our quick update on what’s new in the industry.
YouTube
Currently, YouTube creators have the option of promoting their other videos or livestreams through suggested links that pop up mid-clip, but not for long. YouTube announced they'll be getting rid of these links on December 14th and they were very straight-forward about the reason why: no one clicks on them. The company claims that cards and end-screen video links are much more effective.
Got a minute? Check out our quick update on what's new in the industry.
Instagram
Instagram quietly released a color-matching tool for Stories users recently. You may have noticed the teardrop-shaped tool appear the bottom left corner when you’re adding text to a Story. By dragging the tool around your image, you can pick out an existing color in your image to write or draw with. Sticking to the coordinating colors theme, Instagram also updated the look of the “Learn More” bar that appears at the bottom of Instagram ads. The bar now appears in a color that coordinates with the ad image. Unlike the Stories color-matching tool, though, users don’t yet have control of choosing which color will appear.
Got a minute? Check out our quick update on what's happening in the industry.
Facebook
Facebook Ads Manager is rolling out split-test options to all advertisers this month. Facebook will give users the ability to run A/B testing on different creative formats and then provide data on the results. To further help pinpoint effective ads, they're also adding a new feature called "Test and Learn" which helps advertisers answer certain questions about their ads' effectiveness.
Here's what Facebook has to say about the function: "Test and Learn answers your toughest marketing questions and pinpoints the strategies that drive the best results for your business. Simply identify a question you want to answer, such as "Which campaign causes the lowest cost conversions to occur?" or "How many conversions are all of my Facebook ads causing?" and Test and Learn will determine which test you should run to answer your question."
As the holidays approach, we wanted to share a few social media do's and don'ts to remember during this time of the year. Social media is a great place to share the joy of the holidays with your customers, but it's also important to remain "on brand" throughout the season.
Got a minute? Check out our quick update on what's happening in the industry.
Facebook
Facebook is testing the idea of dividing its newsfeed in half, separating commercial posts from personal news. The test is currently being done in six countries across the world. Depending on how people respond, two newsfeeds could mean that they see fewer links to news stories.
Got a minute? Check out our quick update on what's new in the industry.
Facebook
Not so long ago, Facebook rolled out a very visible feature at the top of users' newsfeeds: Facebook Stories. Despite their visibility, they haven't been nearly as popular as Instagram Stories but that may be about to change. Facebook has just announced they will soon be allowing users to cross-post their Instagram Stories to Facebook, via the Facebook Stories feature. This means that Stories shared on the Instagram platform can also be shared in your Facebook Story as well.
It is no secret that social media influences shopping decisions – especially among millennials. In fact, one report found that 47% of millennials say their purchasing decisions are influenced by social media. What might surprise you though is that this influence isn’t coming from the marketing messages brands are posting. Instead, it’s stemming from what millennials see their peers posting and sharing on social media.
Nearly 9 in 10 consumers view an online review with the same importance as a personal recommendation.
We’ve all been in the place of struggling with what to post on social media. You know it’s an important marketing tool for your business and you understand the benefits of using it, but when it comes down to clicking the “Publish” button, you’re having a complete mind blank.
If this sounds like you, we're here to offer a simple piece of advice: Put yourself in the customer's shoes.
It’s not an impossible task because we’re all consumers. Think back to the last time you clicked over to a business’s social media feed. What caught your attention? What made you leave?
In the end, consumers are just looking for value. Luckily, you can provide that in a myriad of ways on social media. Here are just a few examples:
Facebook business pages have been around for years now. As of last year, there were over 60 million Facebook business pages and over 41% of U.S. small businesses on the platform. It's easy to see how Facebook can start to feel like old hat.
Most businesses are fairly savvy when it comes to Facebook -- posting regularly on their pages, responding to customers, and running ad campaigns. While some things may switch up every now and then, the basic principles of the platform stay the same. But before you become too relaxed with the platform, consider these 3 things that could take your Facebook business page to the next level.
Like what you read? Want to see more blog posts?
Have a marketing question? Want to talk?