Category: social media marketing

Is Facebook Still a Strong Marketing Tactic for Your Business?

If your Facebook page and program is still one of the key tactics for communicating with your customers and potential customers, it may make sense to re evaluate it with the recent updates.

Depending on your target market, some of the key demographics are starting to abandon Facebook.

While Pew Research Center’s Social Media usage data from December 2012 shows that Facebook is still tops in terms of social media usage at 67%, just five months later there are signs of Facebook abandonment.

For example, when a video that makes fun of the unwanted Facebook Updates gets more than 2 million views in just 3 days, you know something is up.

This video provides an analogy of an apartment make-over to the Facebook update.

If your Facebook page and program is still one of the key tactics for communicating with your customers and potential customers, it may make sense to re evaluate it with the recent updates.

I know it captures some of the feelings I’ve had lately when unwanted ads or individuals have appeared, seemingly out of nowhere on my timeline.

Content Chemistry - Great Content for Marketing and Branding Professionals

content chemistryAndy Crestodina, Strategic Dirctor of Orbit Media Studios,has created a terrific resource for branding and marketing professionals who are looking for a way to blend SEO, Email and Social tactics to attract visitors to a website and convert those visitors into leads and customers.

Andy shares the most important and effective lessons he’s learned about content marketing.

“My hope is that new insights into web marketing will motivate you to get started and stay active. I hope you realize that web marketing is enjoyable because it’s creative, something both social and analytical.”

Chemistry of email social and seo in Content ChemistryIt’s an easy read. Every time I open the book, I learn something and find that I’m nodding my head in agreement. Well written, with 54 diagrams, 33 quick tips and 16 warnings, the book is very digestible.

Snag a copy here.

 

FULL DISCLOSURE: Andy sent me a free copy to review but I am not being paid to review this.  However, Orbit Media Studios has provided services to a nonprofit organization that I serve on the board of directors, but that has not influenced my review.

Pinterest is Predicted to Drive more Business than Facebook

If you have been using Pinterest as a marketing website, you may be on to something. At least as compared to marketing with Facebook.

How are you using Pinterest to promote your products or services?

For service professionals, I see an opportunity to promote workshops, seminars and programs on pinterest. Selling a product? For those that sell craft type items, it’s probably a no brainer to have an attractive pinterest pin and/or board that leads to your etsy site. But for those who sell b-b items for a primarily male audience, it’s probably not the best place to spend your efforts. Like anything, look at your target market!

On the other hand, if you’re in the wedding business, home decor or food industry, Pinterest is a hot media.

Here’s how some brands are building awareness of their cause marketing on Pinterest. Use this tool to measure your Pinterest reach. (Hat tip Beth Kanter, Joe Waters & Deanna Zandt.)

The 30 days of Pinspiration
For 30 days, pinners, non-profits and brands share what inspiration means to them at http://holidays.pinterest.com

Meanwhile Microsoft has expanded their Pinterest-like site So-Cl (pronounced social.) I haven’t experimented with it yet.

If you’ve used Pinterest or So-Cl to drive sales, do you think they have value for branding and marketing a product? I’m interested to find out.

When Should You Advertise on Facebook Over Google?

In an advertising discussion the other day, the question of click-thru  or pay-per-click advertising came up:

“Facebook Ads  or Google Ads?”

Each has their strengths and weaknesses

Facebook ads are postage stamp size, but unlike adwords, at least there is a photo. Google display ads offer better visuals for larger content. Facebook allows you to present impressions to very targeted group.  (You can narrow down by zip code and age for example.)  Google ads work better for business-to-business advertising than Facebook ads. Many businesses block Facebook from work computers.  Facebook ads don’t show up on my smartphone, but I’m not seeing Google ads when I search on the phone either..  Maybe that will change after the IPO and Facebook is looking at quarterly profit reporting to shareholders…

With Facebook’s IPO set to launch tomorrow, I though this might be a timely topic. I even found this infographic that presented some of the pros and cons of Facebook vs Google advertising from a graphic perspective:

So tell me.  Which do you choose and why?  What do you think? Leave a comment below.

Facebook Pages Go Live on Timeline at the End of the Month


I knew it was coming soon! Facebook pages for business go to the Timeline format on March 30th.

Do you have your cover image ready? Time to get moving!

  • I like the way the Today Show used the cover photo for the people and the profile photo for their logo.
  • I like the way Coca Cola has a full timeline of things happening over the years.
  • But I dislike the cover image that Red Bull uses on their timeline. Looks like bloody hands to me, but I’m not the target market, right?

How to navigate these changes?   Mari Smith, the Facebook expert, recommends reading HyperArts Web Design‘s post about Timeline for Fan Pages.

My advice this next week, get your cover image created and select the photos with captions you’re going to post — at least one for each year your brand has been in business. But don’t go live with it just yet… I understand there are still a couple of serious bugs in the programming.

In the next week, I’m going to be working on the one I use for my blog, the one for my business and also one of the nonprofit charitable organizations that I help promote.

Have you seen some other great examples of Timeline pages for business — a product, service, consultant or other? Leave a message with a link below.  I find seeing examples is a great way to get new ideas.