The Latest In Social Media
We are 3 months into 2018 and a lot has happened with social media. From Kylie Jenner costing Snapchat $1.3 billion to Facebook potentially slapping businesses in the face with its new algorithm. Let’s look at what’s been going on in the world of social media marketing. And I promise to make no more Kardashian/Jenner references.
Facebook Algorithm Change
Mark Zuckerberg wants to get back to the roots of Facebook. Connect people with people. Several users have been frustrated with the number of posts from brands, businesses, and media so Facebook is changing its algorithm. Users will now see fewer posts from pages and more posts from friends and family.
So what does this mean for marketers? Everyone is still unsure of the new algorithm’s impact on business but here are some ways to continue standing out.
- Quality content has always and will always be king. Facebook wants “meaningful interactions” which means, comments. When brands and businesses post on Facebook, share content that is engaging. Facebook will prioritize these posts.
- Facebook loves video content and will continue to include them on user’s homepage. But Facebook loves live content even more. In his post in January, Zuckerberg said, “Live videos often lead to discussion among viewers…live videos on average get six times as many interactions as regular videos.” Live videos create a conversation and that’s what Facebook wants.
- Brand ambassadors have been trending for social media marketers. Instead of focusing on the “big fish,” start connecting with real people. If a brand ambassador has a personal Facebook page, ask them to share content on there. Have a diehard fan with a lot of Facebook friends? Surprise them with a bunch of free stuff and have them review it on their personal page.
Other News for Facebook
- Facebook is seeing a decline in users. Last year, they lost 2.8 million users under the age of 25! Social media platforms like, Snapchat, are swooping up Gen Z.
- And finally, some good news. Facebook is making it easier for businesses to see how their Page is performing. Post views will now be based on viewable impressions. Previously, reach was defined as a post showing up in a users News Feed. Post views will now only count when the post enters the user’s screen. This will give businesses a more accurate view of their post views even though they might see a dip in reach.
A decline in daily and monthly active users has plagued Twitter for a while but there might be some bright light. Even though the US has seen a 2% drop in daily active users, people who use the app are spending more time on it and engaging more. Why? In November of 2017, Twitter upped its character count in a tweet from 140 to 280. This has made it easier and faster for users to tweet. Tweets that reach the 280 character limit are also being liked and retweeted more often. These users also have more followers and mentions.
Twitter has also improved their ads which has seen a 75% increase in engagement from 2016 to 2017. Rumors of Twitter being on its deathbed have echoed around Silicon Valley but businesses looking for quality engagement with their fans might want to think twice. There are over 67 million Twitter users in the United States. Majority of those users are 18-49 which means they have buying power. While other businesses are pulling back on Twitter, we’ll stay in the conversation with the apps engaged Tweeters.
Anything Else?
The world of social media is evolving for better or worse. One of the better changes is Hubspot’s new integration with Instagram. As a valued Hubspot Partner, we are ecstatic about this!
And as an inbound marketing agency, we want to help your business attract the ideal customers and convert, close, and delight them so your outdoor business can prosper. Social media is an amazing tool and we understand the work that goes into it.