Social Media Platforms: differences and best practices.

From my own experience launching, and managing, both a Facebook page and a Twitter page for a client I got a few good ideas. This client was an online media audio venture so, for us, Facebook posts were a great way to share interesting content and build conversations around the topics that were being discussed in their audio operation. We used plenty of rich media aids in our Facebook posts and the posts with pictures, audio and/or video attached got way more shares and likes than just plain text ones.

Twitter was great to get the “in the moment” feel of the audience and run fast contests with our followers (like guess which movie this song playing live is from), as well as get questions in for audio q&as what were going on live.

We grouped our actions to follow this pattern. Facebook for shares about stuff that happened, to increase the reach of the content and get more eyes, ears and hands involved with it. In other words: build conversations around our pieces and increase their reach like this. Twitter to get fast responses on things that were going on right now and direct people to what was happening in the moment.

Of course we cross posted on both platforms sometimes, but we always went the extra mile to customize the posts to fit in with each platforms strengths. Examples: hashtags, pictures and links in Twitter; pictures, audio and video more on Facebook.

We used Hootsuite to manage both of our accounts and schedule posts so they could happen in hours were people’s timelines were probably less crowded or to coincide with specific content being featured on the audio website live. Tools like this made our lives easier and also allowed us to follow up on our posts and engage with users answering questions and acknowledging comments to keep the conversation going (and take advantage of the “two-way” channel that both these platforms represented.

Time Magazine published a few best practices for Facebook and I’m happy to see that some of the ideas we used with our client hold true. They recommend: 1) Target your Posts (choose audience that will see them), 2) Use photos, but make them original, 3) Post at Odd Hours, 4) Start a Conversation, 4) Be engaging, 5) Cross-promote with other pages, 6) Hop on a trending topic and 7) Buy an ad.

Nimble also suggests a few Facebook strategies. Among their recommendations: 1) Post engaging images, 2) Include a photo album, 3) Post a video, 4) Use short text, 5) Analyze data about your top posts to see why they achieved such great results.

Coca-Cola using “fill in the blanks” riddles to engage users.

Mashable also jumped in with a few tips of its own. 1) Embrace images, 2) Make the most of your cover photo, 3) Learn using Facebook insights, 4) Highlight or pin your best posts, 5) Get your apps in a row, 6) Run contests to boost engagement, 7) Drop in those milestones and 8) Embrace your fans. They even highlight a few great ideas they’ve seen brands use on Facebook: Red Bull launching a scavenger hunt game on Facebook, Old Spice doing status updates that are funny and quirky just like their brand image, ESPN’s use of “fill in the blank” posts to engage fans and Coca-Cola encouraging fans to solve riddles on their timeline.

Red Bull – game on Facebook.

My own compiled list of Facebook best practices:

1) Groom your page, change your images to reflect your current ideas and content. Be impactful. Also, be respectful.

2) Fill in the information on your page. Have a YouTube page, link it there, have an App link it there, have a homepage link it there, make your relevant information easy to access.

3) Use photo albums, organize your content and tell your story.

4) Be brief, use short phrases and make use of this “brevity” challenge to be great at copyrighting.

5) Use images, audio and video, original ones, great ones, impactful ones.

6) Read up on the Facebook insights (data) about your page, know what works (and what doesn’t) for you. Learn from your successes and from your mistakes.

7) Start debates with a short question and keep things moving on the comments.

8) Ask questions, important ones, fun ones, and turn your comment section into a virtual coffee shop.

9) Post in a timely fashion, not too much and not too little. Use your own team to follow your page and see how your posts fare on their timeline. Don’t overload, but also don’t let cobwebs grow on your timelines (stale content is the worst).

10) Last, but most definitely not least, answer back to people. Don’t leave those that engage with you in a void. If people take the time to talk to you, answer back and keep the ball rolling.

Sources: http://time.com/48358/facebook-marketing-eight-ways-to-get-posts-seen-more/

http://www.nimble.com/blog/posting-and-analyzing-on-facebook/

http://mashable.com/2012/05/17/facebook-timeline-brand-tips/

Social Media: Good or Bad for Relationships

Social media usage is here to stay, it’s not going anywhere and I think that communications among people are going to happen more and more through social media websites (and tools). It will be the main form of human interaction.

Quality time.

Is this a good thing? It is an inevitable thing in my opinion, but it is not necessarily increasing the quality of human interactions. For one, face-to-face time seems to be diminishing. All around us we see people more absorbed into looking at their mobile phone screens then they are into looking at each other.

Time out with friends.

Texting (WhatsApp), sending pictures (Snapchat) and commenting (Blogs, Facebook, Twitter) are the preferred way of interacting with friends and others who share our interests. People congregate around shared content, with less space given to voice talks and offline talks.

Immersed in social media.

People generally refer to the intrusion of social media upon their social lives as a positive influence. They can get in touch with way more people this way, and share more content and information.

Top reason to use social media is staying in touch with friends.

A few numbers (from PewInternet.org):

– 74% of the adult Internet users who report that the internet had an impact on their marriage or partnership say the impact was positive. Still, 20% said the impact was mostly negative, and 4% said it was both good and bad.

– 25% of married or partnered adults who text have texted their partner when they were both home together.

– 21% of cell owners or Internet users in a committed relationship have felt closer to their spouse or partner because of exchanges they had online or via text message.

– 25% of cell phone owners in a marriage or partnership have felt their spouse or partner was distracted by their cell phone when they were together.

– 41% of 18-29 year olds in serious relationships have felt closer to their partner because of online or text message conversations.

– 42% of cell-owning 18-29 year olds in serious relationships say their partner has been distracted by their mobile phone while they were together (25% of all couples say this).

Brands talk about using social media to build relationships with consumers and create two-way conversations, so it is ironic that I think its use negatively impacts actual human-to-human interactions.

From the control and information production side of things I think social media create conversations around content and widespread sharing. People in social media are actors and not passive receivers of information, that’s a positive development in my opinion (even though a few trusted curators of information could still go a long way, a tale well told by all those shares of misinformation we see everyday). On the other hand all this involvement and availability of access creates an environment ripe for absorbing the users time and stealing it away from face-to-face off line interactions.

People leading the conversation is a positive development.

I don’t see this trend going anywhere but up, with mobile broadband becoming cheaper and widespread people will only increase the time they spend interacting with each other through social media. We have to get used to it and develop ways to foster intimacy and true connections in a world that clamors for quantity over quality.

Final words of wisdom to consider.

Cited sources: http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/02/11/couples-the-internet-and-social-media/

Hello fellow Social Media classmates!

Hi Class, I’m a soon to be Psych major grad at NYU.

Not really big on social media usage, or blogging for that matter, but I do like to understand what it is all about. Let’s say I’m a tourist in the social media universe with deep interests in sampling the authentic local cuisine and seeing the off-the-beaten-path sights. I want to know what is not easily grasped and understand the nuances and subtleties that make this such a prominent arena for connecting with others. I’m also interested on how it can be used by brands to engage with their customers.

I’ve used social media quite a bit as a tool for clients in the corporate world, managing and setting up online profiles and other web based stuff. And I would like to know more, this is one area of communication that keeps evolving and changing every single day so staying current is both hard and desperately needed.

Social is where it’s at today. It is where we complain about that product that failed to deliver, rave about the great concert we attended, recommend the fish taco that can only be found in that obscure dive near the square and make new childhood friends at the speed of light. It is where pictures are posted and reputations are lost (corporate and personal) or made. Where new influencers are born and where you decided if that new laptop is really worth buying. Sharing is the new normal and I would like to know more about how it is being done, why it is being done, where it is being done and how to do it in a meaningful way.

I wish us all a great class and welcome to my blog!