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A recent CMO Survey indicates that marketers plan to double their spending on social media in the next five years. Yet IBM’s C-Suite Study reports that nearly half of CMOs believe they are not prepared to manage the challenges of social media. This disparity highlights an important, and potentially costly, problem: Marketers continue to increase social media spending, yet many are still uncertain about management, strategies, and integration. A quick Google search returns 140 million results for “social media marketing tips,” but no matter how many headlines promise it, there really is no one-size-fits-all social media strategy. Some articles indicate that stories are an effectivemarketing and advertising tool. But what story will you tell? How will you integrate it with your traditional efforts? Other articles advise using social media networks, such as Pinterest. But what will your brand post? Is your target audience even on Pinterest? Still more articles offer a glimpse into other brands’ social media strategies. But what worked for Comcast or Best Buy or Universal Studios probably will not work for a bank, tech startup, or retail company. What marketers need is a process that leads to individual solutions. They must use fundamental marketing concepts and modify them for this new two-way, consumer-empowered medium of social media. Here’s a framework for doing that, adapted from my book Social Media Strategy....
One of the major theses we employ in our social media strategy process is this: Companies should focus more on how to BE social, and less on how to DO social media.
With all the new tools and platforms constantly emerging, it’s very easy to fall into the trap of thinking about social media through a tactical prism instead of a strategic one. The best social media strategic plans are tools-agnostic, and set forth objectives and metrics that supersede any particular social venue....
The vast majority of working journalists, even those covering politics, have not sat down with a president of the United States for an interview. But in January 2015, three YouTube stars got that opportunity. They asked about drones, net neutrality and what super power the president would like to have. And then there was the moment when GloZell Green (3 million followers) handed a tube of her signature green lipstick to the leader of the free world. “For your first wife,” she said. Barack Obama was nonplussed. “You know something I don’t?” he asked.
To Dan Pfeiffer, the outgoing Senior Advisor to the President in charge of White House communications, the awkwardness was part of the lure: a moment of authenticity that helps a sometimes distant chief executive connect with his huge base of supporters. Pfeiffer, who has been with Obama since his first run for the White House, has been a key force in expanding the range of venues in which his boss can communicate with the American people. To the chagrin of a White House press corps accustomed to special access, the president has traded jibes and plugged Obamacare with Zach Galifianakis on Funny or Die, chatted about the climate with local weather anchors, and made faces in the mirror on a Buzzfeed video. The White House has also established a huge presence on Facebook, Twitter and Medium (yes, us), using the latter to break precedent and publish the State of the Union speech before the president delivered it....
So Buzzstream and Fractl got together to survey close to 900 people to understand why they unfollow brands on social media.
Let’s consider the data together. Are you ready?
Who unfollowed me on Facebook: THE STATS - 25% said they unfollowed at least one brand in the last month - 20% said they unfollow if posts are too repetitive or boring - 19% said they unfollow if brands post more than 6 times per day - 7% unfollow after finding a competitor’s page - 20% went as far as to hide posts from the pages they unfollowed...
When Caitlin McNeill and her friends couldn’t agree upon the color of a dress, she posted the innocuous photo, seeking the opinions of her Tumblr-sphere, but she never imagined what would happen next.
BuzzFeed kindly decided to help out by asking the world to settle the debate, and by Friday morning, it seemed you could mention the dress to any stranger on the street to be instantly met with a firm opinion that the dress is, in fact, white and gold black and blue.
Though this debate has thrusted remarkable truths scientists have known about our brains for decades into the spotlight, it has also shown us how even the most frivolous of topics could captivate billions of Internet users’ attention....
Do you want to improve your social media marketing? Are you curious about what works for large companies? The best way to add techniques to your repertoire is to look at what brands with high levels of engagement are doing.
In this article I’ll share 26 tips, an A-Z guide, from brands doing an excellent job of social media marketing and getting results to match.
One in five consumers say reflecting their identity—who they are—is the most important reason they share content online, according to a recent report from Fractl.Overall, identity ranked as the third-most important reason for sharing content, after wanting to entertain (44% of respondents) and wanting to educate (25%)....
...An intriguing metric—even the name sounds like we’re headed down the right path!
An intriguing metric is unique in how it can directly relate to growth. There’re tons of metrics out there: followers, likes, clicks, impressions, etc. How do you know which social media metrics are worth pursuing as goals?
Here’s the test that we use at Buffer, thanks to some awesome advice from KISSmetrics cofounder Hiten Shah.We view our metrics as fitting into one of four buckets....
...In much the same way that a mission statement provides overall direction for a company’s strategic decisions, and a style guide directs the way that your brand is presented visually to the public; a social media policy establishes a set of guidelines that govern how various company stakeholders represent your brand on various social networks.
Here are some practical considerations to have in mind when writing a social media policy for your organization....
So let’s get this out on the table. Trying to make a name for yourself in this social media world can hurt.
The angst of wanting to be heard felt familiar again last week when I posted the list of 70 Rising Social Media Stars. It was a strong post, a nice way to shine a light on a few worthy people. I’m proud of it and it made me feel good to see the authentic emotions that came from the great folks being recognized. One fella tweeted “Look ma! I’m on a list!”
But it also hurt to see people disappointed they were not on this list. Obviously I could not list everyone (and the selection panel doesn’t KNOW everyone!) but I remember that feeling of being left out of the social media scene. In fact, I was left out at every turn for years. This is what I did about it....
Like millions of other people today, I spend a lot of my time learning, shopping and interacting online.
Visiting and using Google, Twitter, Facebook and other online apps and platforms throughout my day. Most of the time it's done on my mobile phone and it's all customized to me and my needs.
The mass marketing strategies that worked for my parents generation have turned our world into a noisy one where we're bombarded by somewhere between 5000 and 10,000 messages per day trying to sell us something. The result is that we're so sick and tired of it that we’ve simply evolved to tune it out....
.So what does this mean for the 90-9-1 rule? Is the 1 percent still a realistic number and target for marketers?
With the estimated 6.7 million people posting to blogs and 12 million people blogging on social networks – not to mention the even greater number that comment and share this content – the 1 percent category certainly doesn’t seem a big enough container for active users. Paul Schneider presented an alternative representation of this rule based on his research of online communities; he suggests that it’s more 70-20-10.
Assuming that the entire target audience is online, more people are becoming “active” or “somewhat active” because those that were not comfortable creating content are comfortable commenting on other people’s content or sharing that content. Those who did not see themselves as thought leaders are becoming thought leaders – or at least influencers in some form – by virtue of the content they share or comment on....
Overwhelmed with the myriad of social media activities such as Facebook insights to interpret and topics to Tweet? Then it’s high time to take advantage of ways to simplify with some popular management tools.
Social media management tools can help us get (and stay) in control of our marketing efforts. Here’s a list of the Top 10 (in no particular order) and an explanation of each to show what they do and which ones may be a good fit....
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Wow, how time flies! It’s been just over a year since we shared a behind-the-scenes look at Buffer’s social media strategy and stats. The feedback from the community on that post was amazing, and we learned so much from the comments, many of which ended up shaping future Buffer articles like “How to Create a Social Media Report and Explain It to Your Boss or Client” and “What $5 Per Day Will Buy You on Facebook Ads.” Since then, we’ve tried our best to learn about what’s working well for us on social media and what’s not. Some of these discoveries led us to change directions on particular social platforms, drop others entirely, and experiment with new ideas and strategies along the way. Now that we’re nearing the end of Q1 of 2016, we thought it would be a great time to share our latest social media stats, what we’ve learned, and what our strategies look like for the future....
Think about your social media strategy in the context of the seven Cs.
A lot of people and companies decide, after using social media for a while, that they need a strategy. Of course, that approach is like putting the cart before the horse.
To ensure success, you should think about your social media strategy in the context of the seven Cs....
Understanding the art of social media. Bryan Kramer joins #bufferchat to share his thoughts on social media success, plus books and inspiration.Marketer, speaker and author, Kramer talks about the art (and impact) of sharing...
We Are Social published a report titled Digital, Social and Mobile in 2015, documenting interesting digital trends of the year 2014 and predicting those or this year. Covering 240 pages and compiled into 376 pages, it provides us with valuable information....
So how are you expected to out social-media half the U.S. teen population, and create a winning strategy you can be really proud of?
The good news is: there is a way. The key is that you’re creating a strategy, not just flying by the seat of your pants. I dove into the statistics provided by HubSpot’s Social Media Benchmark Report, and provided careful steps of my own, to help uncover what a great strategy involves.
If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by the demands of social media for your business, follow this simple guide. You’ll be well on your way to a social media prowess that makes your competition cower....
Marketing has shifted. It’s shifted from talking at people, or focusing on transactions, to engaging with people – building meaningful, life-long, and personalized relationships.
The seven principles of engagement marketingThe term engagement is a popular one today. It’s used in a lot of different contexts — in marketing, support, customer success, gamification, and others. To define engagement in a marketing context, we’ve talked to hundreds of marketers, including our own prospects, customers, and experts in our industry. The result? Seven key principles that define engagement marketing....
In thinking about social media marketing, you have to remove your corporate cap and instead think like a fun party guest, focusing on how you can develop relevant, interesting, enjoyable, and ultimately share-worthy content. From there, a following and uptick in sales are only natural.
What do great party guests have? First of all, they look sharp and presentable. That’s where a good social media page design comes in handy. You don’t want your looks to deter potential fans. Secondly, they are polite and warm. You want your social media messages to have a positive, engaging tone. Thirdly, they illuminate a room with sparkling conversation. They bring a dish to pass or a gift for the host. You can achieve these objectives by crafting thoughtful blog content to share and offering special deals for your social media audience....
...I admire NPR because it is an ever-flowing source of great content. Its content is so good that it can run a pledge-drive every few months. This promotion is heinous because it interrupts programming to do the most pedestrian of things: ask for money. And yet we tolerate, if not participate in, the pledge drives!
NPR earns the right to promote its need for money, and this is a beautiful and enviable scheme. My adaptation of the NPR Model is to provide good content that people would not have found, or would have found at great effort, without me. By doing so, I earn the right to sporadically promote Canva, my books, or anything else that I please....
... Now, I admit, we expected the variant that mentioned research to win.
But we didn’t expect the delta to be more than 40%!ç
For us, that small test shaped a new way of thinking about what makes content effective.Why you should write research-backed content...
Do you want to get more business through social media?
Are you looking for new ways to generate leads?
As marketers and business owners, you’re constantly looking for potential customers.
In this article you’ll find 16 resources to help you generate leads with social media ...
Are Social Media strategies part of your overall marketing plan? These recent facts show how many opportunities there are right now.
Just when you thought you couldn’t be blown away by another Social Media statistic, along come the latest facts that are even more incredible. Businesses who are relentless in building a following on social media are in fact creating their own publishing platforms, growing their marketing channels and content distribution networks. You’re building a digital asset that grows year over year.
Social Media is how we communicate now. As a marketer for your business (or for yourself as a sales professional), this list of 12 mind-bending Social Media facts (with strategies on how to leverage them) should help you find your way...
...If you are employed in social media marketing, it is time for a healthy dose of reality followed by some serious soul searching and career planning. Some of you are lucky enough to work in the rare companies that create advocates with great products, service and mission and thus are equipped to leverage social media for marketing gain; most work at companies that have inflated their opportunities in the medium and are floundering with their social media marketing and content strategies.
Here's the way a large number of social media professionals today go about justifying their programs, along with some recent data that may (and should) scare the hell out of you if you work in social media marketing...
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According to Harvard Business Review, here’s where to start in taking your social media back to basics.