Friday, April 29, 2016

This Week in Social: The Latest News, Trends and 5 Eye-Opening Stats You May Have Missed


The social media world moves incredibly fast and to help you stay up to date, we thought we'd round up some of the latest news, trends, research, and statistics that caught our attention this week.


From Twitter redefining itself and some big news from Facebook to new features on Pinterest and Periscope, it's been an exciting week.


Let's get started!



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What's new in social this week


Want to jump to a particular story? Try clicking one of the headlines below:




Facebook reaches 1.65 billion monthly users


facebook-mau


In its Q1 2016 earnings report, Facebook announced it has now reached. 1.65 billion monthly users. That figure means Facebook grew 3.7%, from 1.59 billion monthly users last quarter (Q4, 2015).


The social network's daily active user count has also grown significantly. It reached 1.09 billion daily active users in Q1, compared to 1.04 billion in Q4 2015, a 4.8% increase.


fb-dau


Twitter is no longer a social network


Highly alert Twitter users noticed it's now categorizing itself very differently. In an update on April 28th, Twitter now sits in the News category rather than Social Networking.


This change moves Twitter away from apps like Snapchat, Facebook and Messenger in the App Store and the switch also boosted the app to the #1 spot in the News category (it was previously sat 6th in Social Networking).


twitter


Ranking #1 in a category could be a nice boost for Twitter, and could help attract new users who want to keep up with the latest news on mobile. Being ranked #1 will also help with App Store visibility and could lead to more organic downloads.


Could this be a sign of a significant shift for Twitter? Or maybe an experiment to see how App Store categories and rankings affect downloads? Keeping an eye on this over the coming weeks will be interesting.


Video consumption on Snachat has doubled


Daily video views on Snapchat have now hit 10 billion. TechCruch reports that the new numbers represent a 150% increase in video consumption on Snapchat in just under a year.


In February 2016, Snapchat reported 8 billion daily video views and in November 2015, 6 billion views. That's incredible growth.


➤ For more on Snapchat, check out our 'Complete Guide to the Ghost' here.


Pinterest Featured Collections


pinterest


Pinterest has released Featured Collections, a way to keep tabs on trending topics and content. Every day, the brands, celebrities, and influencers, and Pinterest's own editor's will curate popular pins, users, boards, and searches within Featured Collections.


The Featured Collections will be localized to the UK, France, Germany, Brazil, and Japan, further strengthening the network's relationship with international users.


Periscope launches sketch feature and deeper analytics


#SocialSkim: What Facebook's Algorithm Change Means, Plus 12 More Stories in This Week's Roundup

This week's all about optimization and user experience–from the social network and brand perspectives. Facebook grabbed headlines with a big algorithm change that aims to reward high-quality content, and social media industry leaders united to stress the gravity of live video. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

#SocialSkim: What Facebook's Algorithm Change Means, Plus 12 More Stories in This Week's Roundup

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Thursday, April 28, 2016

CEOs and Social Media: What the Public Expects of Leaders [Infographic]

Nearly two-thirds of Americans say senior business leaders should have public-facing social media accounts, according to recent research from G&S Business Communications and Harris Poll. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

CEOs and Social Media: What the Public Expects of Leaders [Infographic]

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11 Ways To Engage Influencers Before Asking For Something


11 Ways To Engage Influencers Before Asking For Something


You want to get noticed by influencers don't you?


The trick is not to yell “me, me, me” over the rooftops.


Unfortunately, I see exactly this tactic nearly every day. Here's a recent email I received:


get noticed image for engage influencers


I get this exact template ALL THE TIME. It reads like this:



  1. Hey Dave – you wrote a great article (which I probably didn't read)

  2. But you forgot to link here, or linked to a poorer resource

  3. How about linking to mine, instead?


From people I have never met, who offer me nothing in return.


Now to be honest, sometimes the resources they send are great, and from time to time I'll even link to them.


But what would go SO much better would be if someone offered me something, anything related to what I'm working on.


So, in light of this movement towards depersonalization, I'm going to pitch you all on how you can engage with people BEFORE demanding something from them, as well as give you some ideas for what you can offer in that outreach email.


Here are 11 ways to build a relationship before asking for something in return.


1. Respond to their audiences' questions in comments


What do influencers value most?


Their audience, of course!


What I love (love!) is when someone sparks a discussion on my blog. Afterall, the point of writing content, lest we forget, is to spark conversation.


For example, here's a great discussion that took place on BareMetric's blog not that long ago.


great discussion on BareMetric's blog image for engage influencers


The question was originally to Josh, but the first person to answer was actually another member from the audience. Once the ice was broken, more comments flooded in.


Influencers love to see this! Do this just a few times on their blog, and they will remember you.


2. Invite them to a podcast or interview


My most successful outreach campaigns (by acceptance rate) are always requests to interview someone on our podcast.


And, not surprisingly, these are the outreach campaigns I respond to the most as well.


Invititation podcast or interview image for engage influencers


Does it surprise anyone that I have much better luck featuring someone on my podcast than asking a stranger for a link?


Probably not. In fact, I don't think I've ever turned one down myself.


People like to be featured, influencers especially. It's what got them there in the first place after all.


And afterward, you can capitalize off that new personal relationship to maybe get a link (possibly even to that very same podcast – see how it works?).


3. Send them a gift (ex. an amazon book)


Send them a gift image for engage influencers


Let's stop thinking digitally, just for a moment. We tend to default there automatically since we all work online.


But it's not all that hard to transition out of it, we just have to ask for someone's phone number, or physical address.


Here's an email I received from Sara at Socially Stacked, in which she offered me a free t-shirt in exchange for changing my link (which was already to them, she just wanted an update).


email I received at Socially Stacked image for engage influencers


Everyone loves free t shirts – especially people who went to college and lament the fact that post college they are so hard to get!


P.S. – You know what I love most about this shirt – my girlfriend likes it. Yes, it's actually a quality shirt, and it's the first time someone ever sent me a physical gift for a digital action. #remembered.


4. Buy them lunch (or offer to meet in person)


Sticking with our recent theme of non digital acts of affection, let's move onto buying launch, which I've seen recommended by not just one but two great entrepreneurs (Ramit Sethi and Neil Patel).


Buy them lunch image for engage influencers


Now you might be wondering if they have so much money and you, potentially, don't – why would you buy them lunch?


Remember, it's not about the money, it's about the gesture.


Offering to buy someone lunch is like saying, “I know your time is valuable. I'd like to treat you in exchange for spending it on me”.


This tactic will allow you to move levels above your traditional social / entrepreneurial class, and the cost of lunch (<$30) is well worth the advice (which usually costs hundreds per hour).


5. Leave them a review on Amazon or iTunes (or give them a testimonial)


Positive reviews are how many search engines work, such as iTunes, Amazon, and TripAdvisor.


Positive reviews image for engage influencers


Unfortunately they're a pain in the butt to get, because they require the person to create an account, log in, and post something after they've already received all the value there is to get.


They have no incentive to leave a review, which is why so many great products and podcasts have relatively few reviews.


So if you want to stand out in the crowd, a relatively easy way (5 minutes, seriously), is to write someone a review.


A spin on that is to send someone an offer for a testimonial. I used this recently myself by offering Drip, the email marketing software I use, a testimonial solely because I like their product so much:


send someone an offer for a testimonial image for engage influencers


About a month after I provided them with the testimonial, they demonstrated our blogger outreach software and became a customer. An unintended but welcome consequence!


6. Offer them your product for free


Speaking of products, have you considered offering yours for free?


If your product is inexpensive, or digital, this is a super simple way to get a few folks on board.


People love free swag (remember the t-shirt example).


This works great in tandem with a product review if you're marketing an eCommerce website or SaaS!


7. Endorse them on LinkedIn


The other day my partner met with a potential client. He didn't close the deal.


The reason, the client said, was because his LinkedIn profile was lacking connections.


Now, this might seem like a very arbitrary reason to ding someone (to us it did), but the point is that your online profiles matter.


They're your reputation.


And when it comes to LinkedIn, one of the ways to make it sparkle is through Skills & Endorsements.


Skills & Endorsements image for engage influencers


So, spend some time and hand out a few recommendations. It's free, and the person gets a notification when you do it!


8. Join their newsletter and respond to their questions


A tip that Brian from VideoFruit recommends is to join someone's newsletter and answer their first email.


tip from VideoFruit to join someone's newsletter image for engage influencers


As someone who has a newsletter and in whose first email is a question, I can say that people rarely take the time to answer this question and engage with me.


But I always respond when someone does.


Sign up for the newsletters of your favorite influencers and actually let them know you're following along.


9. Introduce them to someone (a potential customer, or a connection)


This is by and large the most valuable thing you can do for someone.


A valuable introduction, is, well, invaluable.


Here's an example of this happening to me just the other day:


Introduce to a potential customer image for engage influencers


In addition to helping two people at the same time, you'll also be helping yourself by tightening your own network.


And trust me, if the two people get major value out of meeting each other they will NEVER forget who made that introduction.


10. Become a case study for them


Another thing I'm looking for is successful case studies that prove the points I try to make elsewhere.


For example, if I write and publish this article about building relationships, I'd love for someone to put it into action and use one of the techniques and then let me know.


Another example is with my software – we're constantly on the lookout for success stories, and when one comes my way, you're guaranteed to get featured with a link.


successful case studies image for engage influencers


I did this recently as well with Drip in an article I wrote about how we achieved nearly 1000% ROI on Black Friday with Drip. In turn, they featured us on their blog and on Medium (note how in this example we've used multiple techniques including the testimonial and the case study to build a relationship with another software tool in our niche).


11. Send them birthday wishes on G+ or Facebook


Send birthday wishes on G+ or Facebook image for engage influencers


This last one is a fun one, but why not wish someone a happy birthday, which you can do on FB and G+.


It will make you feel good, try it!


Wrap


We've been way more successful at getting links (and many more things much more valuable than links), when we thought first about what we could give and thought last about what we could take.


I've also been much more generous giving out links and other things when the tables were turned.


How do you like to build relationships with influencers?


Guest Author: Dave Schneider is the co-founder of NinjaOutreach an all in one Prospecting and Outreach tool which was created to streamline the process of connecting with influencers. He can also be found @ninjaoutreachand his business blog SelfMadeBusinessman.


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Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Social Media Marketing World 2016: Tips and Reflections #SMMW16


Highlights from Social Media Marketing World


Social Media Marketing World is one of my favorite conferences of the year and a must-attend for social media marketers.


We had some fun on our #SocialTalkLIVE show talking with Mike Stelzner and some of the attendees as well as Ali McGee, Social Media Examiner Society Manager.


This was the 4th year for Social Media Marketing World and it has grown from 1100 attendees to 3000.  This was the first year it was held in the San Diego Convention Center which is 1/6 of a mile long.  So there was a lot of walking.


Statistics from Mike Stelzner:



  • ~3000 attendees

  • 84,500 tweets

  • 1 Billion Reach Twitter

  • 5,400 Instagram Pictures

  • Over 100 sessions during the 2-1/2 day event

  • 100+ volunteers to help run the event


New this year:



  • Geofilters on Snap Chat

  • Deep dive 90-minute workshops on Sunday and throughout the event

  • At the San Diego Convention Center (and it will be there through 2019 at least)


Another technique that they use to be able to start conversations with people was the different color lanyards and flags.  The orange lanyards were for people who had attended 3-4 years. People got an Alumni flag if they had attended 1 other year.  White lanyard new attendees.  Pins were for Society members. So now the volunteers or the staff could easily start a conversation with someone saying “Oh I see this is your first year” and make sure they felt welcome or know that they had come before.


Watch the SocialTalkLIVE session to hear feedback from the attendees – and in case you've never attended our Friday afternoon live stream before, we like to have a little fun with hats and wigs on a Friday afternoon.





Highlights mentioned


Michael Port Workshop – Heroic Public Speaking


Joe Pulizzi – Content Marketing in 3s – Do 3 amazing pieces of content to reach out to your audience (a great e-mail, a helpful pdf, or something else) – you don't have to do everything


Focus on Live Video in 2016 and beyond – especially Mari Smith's tip that Facebook gives more preference to live video in the News Feed while you are live


Darren Rowse tip – Giving answers with steps in your blog posts because Google is presenting his steps in search results


Holly Homer – Organic engagement on Facebook and how Quirky Momma does it


But a common theme with all the attendees is how wonderful the connections were.  Everyone was so friendly and if you had attended before, it felt like a reunion.


People come to the conference the first time for the content and they come back for the relationships #SMMW16



I am a big believer in attending conferences to take your online relationships into the real world.  So many partnerships, clients, and good friends develop from those conversations over dinner or in the hallways.


Social Media Marketing World fun               Andrea with Mike and Jon


 


Social Media Manager group


And I always love connecting with my Social Media Manager School group and my Facebook Advertising Secrets group!


Facebook Ads group at SMMW


 


Highlights from Social Media Marketing World


Here's a great video summary of the event.





If you are thinking about going to Social Media Marketing World 2017, I highly recommend it!  It's worth every penny.


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Tuesday, April 26, 2016

How To Guarantee Your First Impression In Search Results Is A Winner


How To Guarantee Your First Impression In Search Results Is A Winner


How long ago did you Google yourself?


Did you think your name search results were making a good first impression?


Many people won't even scroll, the first thing they see when searching for you (or your business or your product) in Google is what they go away with.


7 in 10 internet users search online for information about others image for search results


Did you know that 7 out of 10 of your perspective clients would Google you before even considering your product or your service? Did you know that most people would type your site name into Google instead of your browser address bar?


In the era of Google becoming a common verb, is it a smart idea to neglect your branded search results?


Probably, not…


What if you begin to be associated with a negative search phrase? What if a fake negative review ranks on top of your search engine results? What if people searching for you are driven away to your competitors?


Think of your search engine results page (SERP) as the first impression via search that a potential visitor to your website is going to have. It is important that it is a positive one, otherwise it could become a huge hurdle to your business success.


So, what creates a negative impression?


Common Reasons For a Bad First Impression


1. Auto-suggest provides a less than flattering option


A cringe inducing scenario for you – someone is disgruntled with your brand and they decide to trash talk you. A lot.


Before long, your name starts to be associated with those insults and auto-suggest immediately offers up “[Your Name] sucks!” as a possibility when you start putting in your name.


It could be better. Instead of suggesting that you or your business might be a bad choice, Google may simply recommend checking out for alternatives;


Auto-Suggest provides a less than flattering option image for search results


How many potential customers who were actually heading your direction will be driven away by this?


Plenty of companies have faced this very headache, especially giant corporations.


2. The image results look weird


When you put your name into Google, does it show “blended” image results as one of the first results? In many cases, those images could be embarrassing!


You want better control over how your brand is portrayed, both personally and professionally. You don't want any confusion. Or anything offensive, which can happen from time to time.


The tricky thing about these onebox search results is that they are attention grabbers! According to the most recent Google SERPs eye-tracking studies, when a a visual is located on a page, natural human behavior will make your eyes go to that image first.


We're naturally programmed to look at images: Your photos within your name search results will draw attention and influence to people's opinion. There's no way around that.


In some cases, that box may include some images misrepresenting your personal brand and creating a negative first impression:


The image results look weird image for search results


3. Your business reviews aren't favorable


Negative reviews high up in search results can become a sure-fire way to lose interest before you have even gained it.


What's more, Google will highlight those reviews with stars making them stand out in search results.


Your business reviews aren't favorable image for search results


Easy Fixes For These Common Pitfalls


Now that we know what issues may be creeping up on you and your SERP, it is time to look at how to fix them. The good news? They are all pretty simple, even if a few may take some time to work on.


1. Auto-suggest provides a less than flattering option


Unfortunately, this problem is not easy to deal with. Google Auto-Suggest results are fast to appear and slow to go away.


Google Suggest is powered by what people type into search results and thus can:



  • Manifest a real problem that needs to be fixed

  • Signal a competitor's negative campaign

  • Show you more phrases you need to be ranking for

  • It could be all of the above.


So your steps to address the issue will be:



  • Fixing the problem your customers are telling you about by searching it in Google

  • Using Mechanical Turk to push other suggestions into the box (This should be your last resort!)

  • Creating and optimizing landing pages to rank for those suggested queries (Both organic and PPC)


Creating and optimizing landing pages to rank for those suggested queries image for search results


A preventative measure is to keep an eye on your competitors, because it's always easier to handle before it becomes a search suggestion. Monitor comparison sites in your niche to make sure your product is always ahead. Most popular examples of those comparison sites are SimilarWeb, SiteGeek, G2Crowd, etc. Establishing your presence on those sites will help you more easily handle the problem when it's in search results.


2. The image results look weird


You can't actually choose the pics that show up in an image result one-box. But you can provide multiple images that differ from one another. Make sure you match the metadata to your name, so Google will immediately recognize it upon searching.


Publish varied images to varied platforms. The more images it can pull for your name, the better. Google seeks variety in image search results. Unless they find diverse images of you, your brand or your product, the more they'll have to “make up”.


Variety is one the key Google image search rankings factors.


To get better control over your image search results;



  • Use more visual sharing platforms (Instagram, Pinterest, Flickr, Facebook, Google Plus, etc) and upload different photos of yourself there. Here are more ideas to diversify your visual marketing channels.

  • Use folders, tags, and albums… as well as solid original descriptions to give Google more context and surround your photos with original text about you.

  • When you are invited to do an expert interview on someone else's blog, consider providing a unique photo of yourself to go with that interview.

  • Use Cyfe to monitor all these multiple visual channels you set up:


Cyfe to monitor all these multiple visual channels you set up image for search results


The more visual context you provide for yourself and your brand, the better!


3. Your business reviews aren't favorable


In many cases, you'll need to track down the original source, so follow the unflattering suggestions to their results pages. Sometimes it will be reviews on official sites like Yelp, and you can comment to tell your side and to offer a solution to the poster.


Other times it may be a blog, and that is when you have to contact them directly. Ask them to take down the review in exchange for offering up a solution to whatever is bothering them. Ask them to try working with you, your service or your brand again, then writing a second review mentioning the first and how things may have been different this time.


If it is a reasonable person they should have no trouble doing this. Occasionally you may come across a troll, in which case legal action may be required.


In the meantime, or if this isn't possible, you can bury those results with plenty of varied and high quality content and mentions across the web. Include a lot of social posting mentioning your name in that campaign.


Tip! Use Facebook pages to move negative reviews down and replace them with positive ones!


Facebook pages have become a great way to improve your business standing. They rank high fast and if you request friends and happy customers to review your business on Facebook, you'll have plenty of 5-star reviews to show off in search results.


Tip! Use Schema.org on your site to optimize your site for rich snippets (starred ratings in Google search results). Here is how;



Have any SERP tips for a good first impression? Let us know in the comments!


Author Bio: Ann Smarty is a marketing blogger and community manager for Internet Marketing Ninjas. She is author of reputation management course.


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