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By: Alex Fernandez
Internet Marketing Strategist
Okay, bear with me. The title has some big words, but trust me – I’m going somewhere with this…
Figuring out the “right” mix and frequency in for your brand’s social media posts can be a tricky business. The word “right” is in quotes, because it’s such a subjective term. My definition of “right” is when you find consistent engagement levels along with a consistent rate of growth in engagement levels, month after month.
Engagement, in the most basic terms, means that people are liking, commenting and otherwise interacting with your brand when you’re posting. If you’re hearing crickets chirp after your social media posts – it would be wise to put some thought into what you’re sharing.
In economics, the equilibrium point, or “Market Equilibrium,” is the point where market forces meet. It is the point where the supply and demand curves intersect. Perhaps you’ve seen a common supply and demand model:
The basic idea is that supply and demand are inversely related.
A common example is with a commodity, such as apples, for example. If the supply of apples decreases (moving the supply curve left) then the demand for apples increases, raising the equilibrium point (or market price).
- Supply UP = Demand DOWN, Price DOWN
- Supply DOWN = Demand UP, Price UP
- And vice versa…
In social media, post activity and post visibility are inversely related. If you seldom post, you have a good chance of users noticing your posts in their social accounts (whether it be a Facebook news feed, Twitter stream, etc). If you post too often, users will either tune your posts out or opt-out from your brand (un-follow or hide posts). In the case of Facebook, the social network will actually cut your visibility for the user if your posts are published too frequently.
Thus, the supply and demand model can actually be adapted to describe this relationship. As illustrated below, post activity replaces “Supply,” and post visibility replaces “Demand.”
ENTER: Engagement!
Social media isn’t as two dimensional as the law of supply and demand. The bell shape curve in the visual represents engagement. Engagement is a bell shaped curve it’s non-linear. It’s very sensitive to extremes; if you do too much OR too little, it actually tapers off.
There’s a “sweet spot” with social media engagement that you have to hit just right.
Post too infrequently, and you’ll lose your audience. Sure, your posts will be visible, but no one will care what you have to say, because you’ll have no rapport with them.
Post too often, and you’ll over load your audience, not giving them enough time to enjoy your wonderful posts. They will either miss most of what you send out or get sick of you, very quickly.
Post at the right frequency, with the right kind of content, and you’ll hit the sweet spot, the Engagement Equilibrium.
I’d like to know what you all think. Crazy talk? Some substance to all of this? What I like about merging these two worlds, is that economics and social media marketing are both applied sciences. Both would be nothing if it weren’t for the masses and how they react to things. Please leave a comment below with your thoughts!
Should you need an Engagement Equilibrium for your social media presence, email us at info(at) getpushing.com or give us a call at 239.221.2858.
By: Alex Fernandez
Internet Marketing Strategist
Over the past few weeks, many of us have seen business timelines posting something to the effect of “adjust your interest lists because Facebook is pushing people to paying to promote posts.”
First, this is a completely false rumor, and we’ll explain why – but more importantly:
The visibility of your brand’s social media posts is up to you!
So, about these silly posts (that will make your brand look silly if you share):
“Add to Interest Lists” is not a ploy that Facebook has developed to gain more advertising dollars. It’s a feature that allows users to conveniently organize their connections into different interests. This was necessary in order to remain competitive to popular features of Twitter and Google+. This is a convenient feature for users, and it’s completely optional.
You can also check out Facebook’s official explanation of Interest Lists, here.
One thing that Facebook openly admits is that the news feed is discriminating. A minority of posts actually find their way into a users news feed, because every past user action is taken into consideration when news feed content is generated: Who the user “likes,” what posts they “like” or comment on, or anything they click on in general. Another thing worth mentioning is yes, you can advertise to increase visibility via promoted posts, etc. There’s nothing wrong with that approach.
SO! How can you appear in your audience’s news feed more often, without paying for ads? Many companies are beginning to offer a service called “News Feed Optimization.” What this boils down to is posting engaging content that encourages user action – something we’ve always promoted and adhered to. Here are few tips, without “giving away the farm” as they say 
.
- Engage your audience with your posts, by ASKING them for a reply or action.
- Like or Share
- Enter a caption for an image
- Social media is becoming more and more visual!
- Photos and videos get more engagement than text
- Consider incorporating Instagram and/or Pinterest in your social effort
- Time your posts to when your audience is online.
- “Dead times” or “slow times” for B2B audiences
- Nights and weekends for certain consumer audiences
- Publish simple posts that can easily be shared.
- Images, memes, and other visual content with mass appeal
- Use questions and surveys
- Leverage contests or sweepstakes that encourage viral sharing.
- Voting contests
- Contests offering additional incentive to share
At PTE – we do not offer a service called “News Feed Optimization”. That would be a disservice to you. We do everything we can to improve news feed visibility for all of our social media clients, all the time. That’s the way it should be.
I’ll end with a question: Are you doing all you can to get noticed in your audience’s news feed? Contact us if you have any questions about social media marketing at 239.221.2858 or Info(at)getpushing.com.
By: Susan Frantz
Online Communication Assistant
It’s beginning to feel a little bit spooky over here at PTE! Since we are in the Halloween spirit we thought we would share with you some “scary facts” about Social Media
3 Spooky Social Media
Negative reviews really impact the consumer.
Did you know that about 80% of consumers will change their mind about purchasing, booking, scheduling, etc. if they see even a single negative review? This is why it is so important to constantly manage all of your social media channels in order to respond promptly and address what ever issues the negative reviewer might have.
Social media leads to lead generation for B2C and B2B.
You may already know that Facebook is the largest and most effective social media channel, but did know that 77% of B2C marketers have gotten customers through Facebook. For B2B companies, it was reported by marketing charts that 65% companies who used LinkedIn acquired customers. This is scary good news.
Tweet it out.
Twitter is one of the fastest growing social media outlets. 8% of the United States uses Twitter with 460,000 people creating a new account daily. There are 200 million members of the “twittersphere” and 24% of those users are checking their tweets several times per day. With numbers like these it’s no wonder that 72% of U.S. companies are tweeting!
We hope these spooky facts have helped you to understand just how global social media is. One small review can affect what millions of people are seeing, and one fan can help to draw in multiple more.
References:
By: Annette Venditti
Communications Ally
Remember the famous quote by Napoleon Bonaparte, “A picture is worth a thousand words?” Napoleon was a man before his time as this holds true today as you are somehow moved on a daily basis when you see an amazing photograph or piece of fine art that just leaves you breathless… and you finally walk away knowing that you are the better for having viewed it.
How do photography and art (graphic design) come into the workplace as you market and communicate using tools like print, video and the ever-changing social media sites? Your goal should be to reach your researched target audience and make them trust, feel and connect with the brand, product or service you represent and really understand who the company is and what they stand for.
I want to share a few key points on how to correctly use photography, art and graphic design in your public relations and marketing mix. These tips will give you the tools you need to look at each project and create the best end product and message for your intended audience.
1. Think. Brainstorm. Create. This basic process must never be skipped if you want your message to be the best it can be. Ask your team to participate in a brainstorm session and let them go back and think about the task at hand, process overnight, etc. Compare ideas in an open discussion and see whether photography, art or a combination of the two is the best path to take. Think beyond the obvious and you and your client will be happy you took the time when you see the results.
TIP: As you develop concepts and ideas sketch them on paper. Really look at the text and image mix and be sure it’s simple, crystal clear and wildly creative. Too much of any of these elements in the mix will add up to a catastrophe that will confuse your audience and not win you any design awards. Research top rated print and social media advertising and campaigns and see what makes them stand out from the crowd!
When the chosen photograph, art or graphic combination hit the mark, you will need very little text to support the message and your audience will love you for it!
2. Hire a Pro. Please. When you need photography or art/graphic design (for an ad or for an event) do your research and hire a true professional to work with you and create the best possible images and designs for your needs. Don’t rely on friends or family to supply what you need, the cost of your initial investment will be more than obvious when you compare the finished product to a less expensive version created by your sister-in-law who “knows how to use Photoshop”. Yikes.
3. The Social Mixer. Social media has given us a vast variety of ways to share photography, text, videos and art/graphics on sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube as well as Pinterest and Instagram, two image social channels that have changed how you and I see photographs, graphics and personal inspired interests shared. The same principles apply here, use professional images and graphics and be sure they are clearly stating your intended message before you share with your audience. Facebook Ads is another social media tool that allows you to share brand information and connect with potential customers. Take the time to research this ad platform and see if it might work for you and your client’s needs.
Keep in mind that every client (their brand, product or service) and every project you work on is truly unique unto itself. Challenge yourself and your design team to develop and create innovative solutions for every element and I can assure you this will keep your clients happy as larks and your team will walk away reveling in their hip new “creative genius” status.
By: Alex Fernandez, Internet Marketing Specialist
Facebook business pages will be undergoing yet another transformation in late March. The transformation from Facebook “Fan” Pages to Facebook “Business Timeline” Pages will spur some of the most dramatic platform changes that have occurred at any one time, since the idea of marketing on Facebook came about in the mid 2000s. As always, we’re keeping a close eye on what’s going on in Facebook-land, and we bring to you our insights into Facebook’s Business Timeline Pages.
More control over page content
Highlight
There are a couple of new ways to feature posts. The “Highlight” feature (a clickable star that appears when you hover over a post) allows you expand any story on your wall to the full width of your Facebook Timeline. This allows businesses to dedicate more page real estate to one story over another. Page admins can also select “Pin to Top” on any story, which moves the selected story
Pin to Top
to the very top of the page, no matter when it was posted! The beauty of these two features, especially when they’re used in tandem, is in the new level of control that businesses will have over their page content. ANY time a user visits the Business Timeline, they receive the most important information first!
Tip: “Highlight” and “Pin to Top” any ongoing social media contest information posts or promotional posts before and leading up to special events. Remember to use third party Facebook applications like involver and wildfire to host these activities.Increased Branded Real Estate
Another big improvement is the amount of branded real estate that Business Timelines offer. Rather than the square or vertical profile picture that is currently offered, businesses can now have a square profile image in addition to a very large,rectangular “Cover Photo”. The ideal size for the cover photo is 851px
PTE Photo Cover
by 351px and there are already several brands that have developed innovative designs! It’s important to note that this will be the first impression that your fans get about your business, so cover photos should not be used for purchase information, download information, or anything that looks like a banner ad. Rather, use the space for what it was built for, brand identity, photos recent events, featuring your fans, etc.
Tip: Reach out and ask your fans for design or concept ideas for your new cover photo!More exposure for past content
Another beautiful thing about Facebook Timeline, is increased return on investment for past activities. Social media is free aside from time spent. Well, now with Timeline, businesses can continue to receive return on that time spent – year after 
year! Users can easily browse by year on the right side of the page, to view past content. It is now much more likely that past content will engage current users.
Tell the story of your business
Perhaps the coolest feature of Timeline for Businesses, is the Milestone Feature. Business’ can add their own milestones, as they happen, or dating back before Facebook existed. For example, if you broke ground for one of your business locations in 1970, you can add a milestone, and it will back-date itself to 1970, but also post in your current timeline! Cool, right?!
Think of all your accomplishments over the years: Opening your business locations, receiving awards and recognition, hiring key employees, starting your website – all can be added to your timeline, and easily accessed by your fans!
If these changes are causing you to experience heart palpitations or discomfort of any sort, please do not panic. We are here to help! For any of your social media needs, Facebook or otherwise, we have a staff dedicated to all things web-geekery for your business’ online needs! Call us today at 239.221.2858 or email Alex (at) GetPushing.com.
By: Annette Venditti, Communications Ally
I must confess that I am a product of the 90s, a time in my early career when networking and communication of the services my employer offered took the traditional path of print advertising and brochures, direct mail, local/national trade shows, etc. These forms of communicating your brand/business still exist and, but more often they are used in balance with modern forms of networking and sharing information about you and your business.
Today, we have a more interesting challenge as the World Wide Web has offered us massively popular channels to connect with friends, other businesses as well as current and potential clients. I will, however, tell you that some of the same rules apply – especially when we speak of the human or personal connection. Here are some guidelines I have learned to follow in today’s world, which have helped me build relationships and make the long-term connections I was looking to gain.
Make the Connection
Seek out local networking groups and organizations where a diverse collection of businesses attend on a regular basis. Make the time to attend these events on a regular basis as this is your opportunity to listen to others about their business and their personal experiences. These events will give you the chance to share your own story and the passion that drives you towards your own business goals. Also keep in mind who else will be attendance so you can be sure to reach your target audience (i.e. If you want medium to large business decision makers, going to a business card exchange may not be right.)
TIP: Set the standard in your networking process and offer newly made connections information and, if you can, do something for them like introducing them to someone who may be interested in their product or services. This trust- building activity will afford you positive results as I have not met anyone yet who did not appreciate some friendly guidance and professional help and had them NOT remember me for it.
Be “Professionally” Social
Use social connections intelligently and professionally. Facebook and LinkedIn are great ways to connect with other related businesses from which you can benchmark or that you can connect with, as well as to multiple individuals from all over the world who have the same interests and “likes” (Hint: These are your potential clients!). Facebook allows you to set-up a business page vs. a personal page making your company brand more trust worthy and believable. Share information on these social channels that is both informative and educational on a consistent basis and you will see your connections come to life.
Get Involved and Give Back
Are you actively taking advantage of the philanthropic side of your business? Give back any way you or your company can afford, get connected with local non-profits that make sense to you and to your business message while helping those who need it most. Community involvement is a perfect way to create goodwill opportunities and to show your community what you, personally and professionally, stand for. This will serve your public relations efforts well too.
The Bottom Line
Do your homework, get out there and make an effort to create new connections. It’s not often that new relationships are made by someone coming to your front door. You have to make the effort – on your behalf and your company’s. Good luck!
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