Do you make resolutions? I do not. I work on learning more and becoming better every single day.
Curiosity. New perspectives. New ideas. New podcasts.
In 2017 my single most important new way to learn new ideas and to listen to new voices was introducing podcasts into my daily routine. See the article below to discover some good ones. My end of year favorite was “Slow Burn” about Watergate. I wonder why? 🙂
+2018 and Social Media Thoughts+
1) Facebook attempts to rid the platform of “fake news.”
After the 2016 election, it became clear that Facebook wasn’t merely a neutral platform where friends connected and found love. Russia weaponized the platform (twitter as well), and Facebook was not prepared to combat how Russia manipulated almost everyone who uses the platform.
Over the past year, we have seen several attempts by Facebook to do something about fake news. The most visible was slapping a red flag on articles that were suspect. The result? More people read the articles! More fake news was spread by people curious about the red flag.
What this means: Facebook is testing two separate news feeds. One for you and your friends and family and one for everyone else (publishers, brands, non-profits, etc.). So far this is only in a few small countries, and there is no indication it will be rolled out.
I think that it will be rolled out.
What you need to do: Pay attention to what Facebook is doing. Figure out how to move people to your email list and website on a daily basis. For example: Click here to learn more! Sign this petition! Read this amazing piece on our site! Etc… 2) Ads: Paying to play becomes more critical than ever to ensure your brand and content is shown to your audience.
The age of organic content being shown to all your fans/likes/followers is long gone. Unless you are Star Wars or Disney or the New York Times, it is becoming almost impossible for any other organization to have their message to be shown for free on Facebook.
All my clients have a regular budget dedicated to social media and online ads. A budget that is dedicated to paying for awareness as well as click-through conversions (sales, petition signing, etc.).
What you need to do: Ensure that you have a dedicated social media ad budget. Think about your goals and objectives. Engagement? LIkes? Shares? Petitions signed? Products purchased? Website visits? All are important. What are your conversion goals?
3) Video Video Video.
Facebook is making a real play to compete with YouTube. Pay attention. I’ve included a video on facebook below that has received over 50 million views in less than four days. It is magical.
What you need to do: Ensure that you are embedding video into everything that you do. Do you organize events? Make sure that you are thinking ahead about who you are going to interview and video. Think about live streaming the event for your customers or members. Think about having a professional videographer on hand to create a wrap-up or summary of the event for posting after.
Make sure you caption evergreen video as most videos on social media are watched with the sound turned off!
“Are you wondering how social media marketing will change this year? The social platforms are constantly changing, and that means marketers need to change as well. To find out how marketing on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest will change in the coming year, we reached out to expert social media professionals.”
