How B2B brands perform on social (spoiler: better than you think)

In B2B social media there are a few accepted 'truths'. B2B can't work on Facebook or Pinterest. Instagram is a waste of time. LinkedIn is the only place for us (and we should set up a group, not a page).

All of these are total claptrap of course. B2B works just as well (or better than) B2C, because the content and information they have to share is incredibly deep and engaging.

Things have changed a bit recently of course. One only has to look at giants like GE or Maersk to see incredible work, but just in case, how about a few stats to clear things up once and for all?

TrackMaven has compiled an overview of content from 300+ B2B brands across Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest to see which verticals were performing well. 508,060 social media posts and more than 100 million interactions make for some fascinating insights…

Firstly, the old adage about B2B needing to stick to LinkedIn can be put to bed. B2B brands on Instagram saw engagement levels more than 20 times higher than on LinkedIn, with median engagement rates (defined as “Interactions per post, per 1,000 followers) at 22.53 on Instagram, compared to just 1.09 on LinkedIn (Twitter bought up the rear, with an engagement rate of just 0.86).

With that said, the hierarchy of familiarity clearly plays a part here, as B2B brands had an average of 109,000 followers on LinkedIn, almost 36 times more than Instagram, with just 3,000.

Engagement rates vary wildly by sector and platform:

Of course, these topline figures don't take into account the type of content being shared by different sectors. the aerospace and defense industry performs incredibly well on Instagram, with an average engagement rate of 29.10.

Because, well, this looks amazing:

Over on Twitter, it's an entirely different story. Engagement rates for the same industry are just 0.54. There are two obvious reasons for this: Firstly, Aerospace news tends to surface on Twitter, so rather than images of jets launching missiles, you get press releases informing you of… less interesting developments.

The other reason may be the nature of the platforms themselves. Twitter's most engaged users are usually part of small niche communities, whereas it's larger user groups are less engaged with brand updates. A digression, but an important one.

While overall follower numbers don't tell us a huge amount, the rate of growth from different industries is more illuminating:

Comparatively 'new' industries like Biotech are flying ahead, with small but very engaged followers. Similarly there's an interesting split between 'Professional Services' and 'Financial Services'. The former has a huge audience but they are less likely to engage.

In the past I've experienced engagement as sluggish in this sector partly due to a glut of lightweight content that is often hidden behind registration walls, but also because regulation has discouraged individuals from sharing information without consent.

This should of course, also be true of finance, but it's inherent newsworthiness, combined with a love of data viz and stats (not to mention the rise of the Fintech sector) seems to have overridden this, driving average annual growth of 81.77%.

Overall, finance, biotech and engineering saw the best performance, with consistently high engagement across channels. This is of interest as it indicates a dedication to content marketing and (hopefully) some awareness of extended attribution models – it is after all, rather difficult to sell complex financial products in 140 characters.

The results also show the importance of relevance by channel. Software brands have seen phenomenal growth (an 82% average increase) but very low engagement, possibly indicating an over-reliance on glossy product photography and traditional PR techniques that don't engage users.

Overall these figures show that there is a place for B2B on newer, more visual channels and it's a mistake to assume that you are dealing in 'boring' content that won't appeal to users on those channels.

How B2B brands perform on social (spoiler: better than you think)

from Social – Search Engine Watch http://ift.tt/1Vao14q

via
rgh–

How B2B brands perform on social (spoiler: better than you think)

In B2B social media there are a few accepted 'truths'. B2B can't work on Facebook or Pinterest. Instagram is a waste of time. LinkedIn is the only place for us (and we should set up a group, not a page).

All of these are total claptrap of course. B2B works just as well (or better than) B2C, because the content and information they have to share is incredibly deep and engaging.

Things have changed a bit recently of course. One only has to look at giants like GE or Maersk to see incredible work, but just in case, how about a few stats to clear things up once and for all?

TrackMaven has compiled an overview of content from 300+ B2B brands across Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest to see which verticals were performing well. 508,060 social media posts and more than 100 million interactions make for some fascinating insights…

Firstly, the old adage about B2B needing to stick to LinkedIn can be put to bed. B2B brands on Instagram saw engagement levels more than 20 times higher than on LinkedIn, with median engagement rates (defined as “Interactions per post, per 1,000 followers) at 22.53 on Instagram, compared to just 1.09 on LinkedIn (Twitter bought up the rear, with an engagement rate of just 0.86).

With that said, the hierarchy of familiarity clearly plays a part here, as B2B brands had an average of 109,000 followers on LinkedIn, almost 36 times more than Instagram, with just 3,000.

Engagement rates vary wildly by sector and platform:

Of course, these topline figures don't take into account the type of content being shared by different sectors. the aerospace and defense industry performs incredibly well on Instagram, with an average engagement rate of 29.10.

Because, well, this looks amazing:

Over on Twitter, it's an entirely different story. Engagement rates for the same industry are just 0.54. There are two obvious reasons for this: Firstly, Aerospace news tends to surface on Twitter, so rather than images of jets launching missiles, you get press releases informing you of… less interesting developments.

The other reason may be the nature of the platforms themselves. Twitter's most engaged users are usually part of small niche communities, whereas it's larger user groups are less engaged with brand updates. A digression, but an important one.

While overall follower numbers don't tell us a huge amount, the rate of growth from different industries is more illuminating:

Comparatively 'new' industries like Biotech are flying ahead, with small but very engaged followers. Similarly there's an interesting split between 'Professional Services' and 'Financial Services'. The former has a huge audience but they are less likely to engage.

In the past I've experienced engagement as sluggish in this sector partly due to a glut of lightweight content that is often hidden behind registration walls, but also because regulation has discouraged individuals from sharing information without consent.

This should of course, also be true of finance, but it's inherent newsworthiness, combined with a love of data viz and stats (not to mention the rise of the Fintech sector) seems to have overridden this, driving average annual growth of 81.77%.

Overall, finance, biotech and engineering saw the best performance, with consistently high engagement across channels. This is of interest as it indicates a dedication to content marketing and (hopefully) some awareness of extended attribution models – it is after all, rather difficult to sell complex financial products in 140 characters.

The results also show the importance of relevance by channel. Software brands have seen phenomenal growth (an 82% average increase) but very low engagement, possibly indicating an over-reliance on glossy product photography and traditional PR techniques that don't engage users.

Overall these figures show that there is a place for B2B on newer, more visual channels and it's a mistake to assume that you are dealing in 'boring' content that won't appeal to users on those channels.

How B2B brands perform on social (spoiler: better than you think)

from Social – Search Engine Watch http://ift.tt/1Vao14q

via
rgh–

3 (Seasoned) Tips to Starting a Part Time Business as a Social Media Manager

One of my passions is helping people start a part time business as a social media manager.  Because that's how I started and I think it can be such a great way for moms (or dads) to stay home with their kids and provide some extra income to the family.

On our recent #SocialTalkLIVE video we talked about some of the keys to starting a part time business as a social media manager or consultant and working out of the home.  It's a challenge sometimes!

If you are not familiar with our SocialTalkLIVE show, we like to have a little fun.  It's Friday afternoon and we wear hats and wigs and get a little silly while talking about serious topics.

This week I was calling in from my family's house in Chicago and luckily I was able to borrow one of my mom's wigs – so now you know where I got it from.

Here are the major points we covered.

Tip #1 Understand your schedule and create your boundaries

When you have children at home and you are trying to work on the side, it's challenging.  I know when my kids were small, I only had nap times and some odd moments here and there to get things done.

So there was a lot of evening work and when I did have time, I had to be extremely focused at what I did.

A calendar management system helps.  Schedule your time and don't get distracted with other issues that crop up.  Also use good tools to help you save time.

Phyllis has a great system around using your Google Calendar to really focus your time called Timebliss.me.

Obviously when you are starting out part time, you can't get quite as much into your day.  But making your kids a priority first helps you focus on your own priorities later when you need to get things done.  I share a few stories about that in the video recording.

 

Tip #2 Figure out your niche and work in your passion!

When you niche you will naturally attract new clients.  We talked about 3 ways to niche:

• Industry – health care, authors, restaurants, etc.


• Platform – Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.


• Skill – social ads, image creation, blogging, analytics

One of our students from Social Media Manager School, Janet Kennedy, has done a great job niching into the Health Care business and focusing on social media.  She started her business part time and it has grown tremendously with a new podcast Get Social Health and she has become a real go-to expert in her field.

 

Tip #3 Work with people you love – especially since you have limited time!

Make sure you are working with the right customers who respect and appreciate what you do.  It's important to find the right clients as a social media manager since you have limited time.

If a client isn't a right fit for you, it's ok to say so.

We live in an exciting time.  We can create a business that fits our schedule, working from home, and being with our kids!  I wrote a post about why I do what I do – even with the late nights, some guilt, and some frustration – it's totally worth it.

 

 

Social Media Manager School is OPEN until April 14th!

And if you are looking for a great place to learn how to be a social media manager I highly recommend our online course that is now open until April 14th.  We open up the school twice a year and it's one of the best places on the planet to grow, start a business, and be with a fabulous group of 1000 other people doing the same thing.

Get all the details here:  http://ift.tt/WtCopL

A group of us at Social Media Marketing World 15

The post 3 (Seasoned) Tips to Starting a Part Time Business as a Social Media Manager appeared first on Andrea Vahl.

from Andrea Vahl http://ift.tt/1VVIFFU

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Make Money Online posting articles, videos like this
3 (Seasoned) Tips to Starting a Part Time Business as a Social Media Manager

3 (Seasoned) Tips to Starting a Part Time Business as a Social Media Manager

One of my passions is helping people start a part time business as a social media manager.  Because that's how I started and I think it can be such a great way for moms (or dads) to stay home with their kids and provide some extra income to the family.

On our recent #SocialTalkLIVE video we talked about some of the keys to starting a part time business as a social media manager or consultant and working out of the home.  It's a challenge sometimes!

If you are not familiar with our SocialTalkLIVE show, we like to have a little fun.  It's Friday afternoon and we wear hats and wigs and get a little silly while talking about serious topics.

This week I was calling in from my family's house in Chicago and luckily I was able to borrow one of my mom's wigs – so now you know where I got it from.

Here are the major points we covered.

Tip #1 Understand your schedule and create your boundaries

When you have children at home and you are trying to work on the side, it's challenging.  I know when my kids were small, I only had nap times and some odd moments here and there to get things done.

So there was a lot of evening work and when I did have time, I had to be extremely focused at what I did.

A calendar management system helps.  Schedule your time and don't get distracted with other issues that crop up.  Also use good tools to help you save time.

Phyllis has a great system around using your Google Calendar to really focus your time called Timebliss.me.

Obviously when you are starting out part time, you can't get quite as much into your day.  But making your kids a priority first helps you focus on your own priorities later when you need to get things done.  I share a few stories about that in the video recording.

 

Tip #2 Figure out your niche and work in your passion!

When you niche you will naturally attract new clients.  We talked about 3 ways to niche:

• Industry – health care, authors, restaurants, etc.


• Platform – Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.


• Skill – social ads, image creation, blogging, analytics

One of our students from Social Media Manager School, Janet Kennedy, has done a great job niching into the Health Care business and focusing on social media.  She started her business part time and it has grown tremendously with a new podcast Get Social Health and she has become a real go-to expert in her field.

 

Tip #3 Work with people you love – especially since you have limited time!

Make sure you are working with the right customers who respect and appreciate what you do.  It's important to find the right clients as a social media manager since you have limited time.

If a client isn't a right fit for you, it's ok to say so.

We live in an exciting time.  We can create a business that fits our schedule, working from home, and being with our kids!  I wrote a post about why I do what I do – even with the late nights, some guilt, and some frustration – it's totally worth it.

 

 

Social Media Manager School is OPEN until April 14th!

And if you are looking for a great place to learn how to be a social media manager I highly recommend our online course that is now open until April 14th.  We open up the school twice a year and it's one of the best places on the planet to grow, start a business, and be with a fabulous group of 1000 other people doing the same thing.

Get all the details here:  http://ift.tt/WtCopL

A group of us at Social Media Marketing World 15

The post 3 (Seasoned) Tips to Starting a Part Time Business as a Social Media Manager appeared first on Andrea Vahl.

from Andrea Vahl http://ift.tt/1VVIFFU

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Make Money Online posting articles, videos like this
3 (Seasoned) Tips to Starting a Part Time Business as a Social Media Manager

Remembering Klout: how 'influence' has changed over the years

I came across a tweet the other day from a follower giving a +K to another user, which serves as a reward for someone's expertise, and it reminded me that Klout is still out there, although I haven't visited it for years.

What is Klout?

It was back in 2008 when Klout was introduced to everyone as an online platform measuring social media influence. Klout aggregates a user's performance (ranging from followers to engagement) among several social networks in order to calculate the Klout score, counting from 0 to 100, depending on the online influence someone has.

Although it wasn't the only site that attempted to measure online influence, Klout quickly became popular for its measuring algorithm, which was a mystery for many years.

Image source: Garry McLeod

How we became obsessed with our score

It was in 2012 when Klout reached its peak popularity, as passionate social media users became obsessed with their Klout scores, looking for ways to improve their numbers and then use them accordingly as a way to prove their online credibility.

In fact, it was believed back then that a high Klout score could lead to great rewards, both in the online and offline world, and a new form of rising influence with endless opportunities.

Many companies were fascinated by this measurement platform that allowed them to separate the influencers from the average Internet users and they even turned a high Klout score into a job requirement for their hiring process.

Klout realised its rising power and launched 'Perks', a service that rewards influencers with perks coming directly from companies that joined the program.

It was the first time that users could officially monetise their online influence with actual rewards, and they were happy to do so.

However, Klout Perks disappeared at the end of 2015, as Lithium Technologies, the company that bought Klout in 2014, decided to focus mostly on the algorithm and its powerful social data.

Why we moved beyond the Klout score

Klout recently released a paper analysing how its score is calculated and all the factors that determine the measurement of a user's influence.

According to Klout, its scoring system processes 45 billion interactions daily and analyses 3,600 different actions that define the score that is assigned to its 750 million users from nine networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Youtube, Lithium Communities and Wikipedia).

Image source: Klout

Although the algorithm takes into consideration many factors to determine a user's influence, it still doesn't include rising social networks, such as Snapchat and Vine, or it doesn't consider Pinterest and blogging platforms, despite the fact that a user may connect these to a Klout profile.

Thus, Klout struggles to keep up with all the changes on social media and this inability to include the rising social networks on its measuring algorithm makes its score incorrect, or at least, not as relevant as it hoped to be.

the worst class i took in college was a social media class. we got graded based on our klout scores. i can't believe someone approved that.

- Maya Kosoff (@mekosoff) March 28, 2016

It's not that we got past our vanity to measure our social presence, as it may still serve as an indication of someone's influence, but we now seem to realise that we can't take it as seriously as we did, if we ever did.

How do we define social influence today?

Klout might not be the primary measurement of influence anymore, but social influencers  gained significant power lately, turning their social recognition into a profession.

Many brands seek online ambassadors to promote their products and Instagram appears to be their most popular choice, as it blends the visual appeal and the increasing engagement with the business leads.

Although the number of followers is still important in many cases, it's certainly not an indication of a user's influence, as a number may be misleading (and that's also the case with Klout and how we stopped relying on just a number).

Tyler Oakley started creating videos while he was in college and he counts today more than 8 million subscribers, turning his hobby into a profitable job.

It's the engagement an influencer creates and the ability to affect users that matters most to brands, and this can be analysed today through numerous platforms, or simply by taking a closer look at a user's online presence.

What's more, what Klout failed to depict was the fact that every platform is different, which means that it also leads to a different type of influence. Social influencers nowadays may focus on a specific platform, or they may create a unified social presence, which requires the necessary attention on each social network separately.

For example, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Kim Kardashian and Justin Bieber, who all have a Klout score higher than 90 out of 100, belong to the social influencers that are all over the web and may use their social power every way they want.

However, the freedom of social media and the call for authenticity created a new type of influencer, the self-made ones that usually focus on a single platform and create an engaged community who is ready to listen to their suggestions and their reviews. Though they cannot be compared (yet) with the influencers mentioned above, as they don't have the same exposure to media, they still manage to build a solid presence, which makes brands chase a collaboration with them.

Natasha Oakley is considered one of the biggest influencers in the swimwear fashion industry in 2015 and counts 1.7 million followers on Instagram, also promoting her own swimwear brand.

Yes, social influence gets more complicated day by day, but it's another sign how social media is maturing and so does the users' influence.

It may not be easy to consider yourself a social influencer, but this makes it more challenging, and usually more rewarding.

Remembering Klout: how 'influence' has changed over the years

from Social – Search Engine Watch http://ift.tt/1RqxROm

via
rgh–

Remembering Klout: how 'influence' has changed over the years

I came across a tweet the other day from a follower giving a +K to another user, which serves as a reward for someone's expertise, and it reminded me that Klout is still out there, although I haven't visited it for years.

What is Klout?

It was back in 2008 when Klout was introduced to everyone as an online platform measuring social media influence. Klout aggregates a user's performance (ranging from followers to engagement) among several social networks in order to calculate the Klout score, counting from 0 to 100, depending on the online influence someone has.

Although it wasn't the only site that attempted to measure online influence, Klout quickly became popular for its measuring algorithm, which was a mystery for many years.

Image source: Garry McLeod

How we became obsessed with our score

It was in 2012 when Klout reached its peak popularity, as passionate social media users became obsessed with their Klout scores, looking for ways to improve their numbers and then use them accordingly as a way to prove their online credibility.

In fact, it was believed back then that a high Klout score could lead to great rewards, both in the online and offline world, and a new form of rising influence with endless opportunities.

Many companies were fascinated by this measurement platform that allowed them to separate the influencers from the average Internet users and they even turned a high Klout score into a job requirement for their hiring process.

Klout realised its rising power and launched 'Perks', a service that rewards influencers with perks coming directly from companies that joined the program.

It was the first time that users could officially monetise their online influence with actual rewards, and they were happy to do so.

However, Klout Perks disappeared at the end of 2015, as Lithium Technologies, the company that bought Klout in 2014, decided to focus mostly on the algorithm and its powerful social data.

Why we moved beyond the Klout score

Klout recently released a paper analysing how its score is calculated and all the factors that determine the measurement of a user's influence.

According to Klout, its scoring system processes 45 billion interactions daily and analyses 3,600 different actions that define the score that is assigned to its 750 million users from nine networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Youtube, Lithium Communities and Wikipedia).

Image source: Klout

Although the algorithm takes into consideration many factors to determine a user's influence, it still doesn't include rising social networks, such as Snapchat and Vine, or it doesn't consider Pinterest and blogging platforms, despite the fact that a user may connect these to a Klout profile.

Thus, Klout struggles to keep up with all the changes on social media and this inability to include the rising social networks on its measuring algorithm makes its score incorrect, or at least, not as relevant as it hoped to be.

the worst class i took in college was a social media class. we got graded based on our klout scores. i can't believe someone approved that.

- Maya Kosoff (@mekosoff) March 28, 2016

It's not that we got past our vanity to measure our social presence, as it may still serve as an indication of someone's influence, but we now seem to realise that we can't take it as seriously as we did, if we ever did.

How do we define social influence today?

Klout might not be the primary measurement of influence anymore, but social influencers  gained significant power lately, turning their social recognition into a profession.

Many brands seek online ambassadors to promote their products and Instagram appears to be their most popular choice, as it blends the visual appeal and the increasing engagement with the business leads.

Although the number of followers is still important in many cases, it's certainly not an indication of a user's influence, as a number may be misleading (and that's also the case with Klout and how we stopped relying on just a number).

Tyler Oakley started creating videos while he was in college and he counts today more than 8 million subscribers, turning his hobby into a profitable job.

It's the engagement an influencer creates and the ability to affect users that matters most to brands, and this can be analysed today through numerous platforms, or simply by taking a closer look at a user's online presence.

What's more, what Klout failed to depict was the fact that every platform is different, which means that it also leads to a different type of influence. Social influencers nowadays may focus on a specific platform, or they may create a unified social presence, which requires the necessary attention on each social network separately.

For example, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Kim Kardashian and Justin Bieber, who all have a Klout score higher than 90 out of 100, belong to the social influencers that are all over the web and may use their social power every way they want.

However, the freedom of social media and the call for authenticity created a new type of influencer, the self-made ones that usually focus on a single platform and create an engaged community who is ready to listen to their suggestions and their reviews. Though they cannot be compared (yet) with the influencers mentioned above, as they don't have the same exposure to media, they still manage to build a solid presence, which makes brands chase a collaboration with them.

Natasha Oakley is considered one of the biggest influencers in the swimwear fashion industry in 2015 and counts 1.7 million followers on Instagram, also promoting her own swimwear brand.

Yes, social influence gets more complicated day by day, but it's another sign how social media is maturing and so does the users' influence.

It may not be easy to consider yourself a social influencer, but this makes it more challenging, and usually more rewarding.

Remembering Klout: how 'influence' has changed over the years

from Social – Search Engine Watch http://ift.tt/1RqxROm

via
rgh–

5 “Must Haves” To Build A Successful Online Business

There is SOOO much information out there now. It is incredibly easy to miss the forest for the virtual trees, isn't it? Wouldn't it be refreshing if someone just told you, in plain English, exactly what you needed to successfully build an online business? I have built several successful 6 and 7-figure business online over the last […]

The post 5 “Must Haves” To Build A Successful Online Business appeared first on Kim Garst Boom Social – Social Selling Strategies That Actually Work

Kim Garst

from Kim Garst Boom Social – Social Selling Strategies That Actually Work http://ift.tt/1qiYjiJ

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Make Money Online posting articles, videos like this
5 “Must Haves” To Build A Successful Online Business

Adobe Summit: 'If An Experience Isn't Shared, It Didn't Happen,' Says Solis

by Steven Cook, CMO.com

Brian Solis is one of the leading authorities on why delivering a relevant customer experience is the next brand differentiator. So who better to talk at Adobe Summit about the future of brand is experience than Altimeter Group's principal analyst?

Here are some of Solis's key points from Tuesday's session.

Definition of a great CX: “We live in a tremendous time and a new era of business in which your brand is defined by those who experience it. I've been studying what 'experience' means the past several years. A great experience is something that you feel, sense, crave, and share as a human and causes you to do something. In our connected society, if an experience isn't shared, it didn't happen. Experience can be brand, product, service–it is everything. But, today, we generally operate with experiences happening disparately throughout the organization, and we are measuring them disparately. Experience only counts when it is whole–when it is one thing.”

Be honest: “Ask yourself these questions. Do you know how your customers experience your brand today? Do you know how they really feel? Do you know what they say when you're not around? In an always-on world where everyone is connected to information and also one another, customer experience is your brand. And without defining experiences, brands become victims to whatever people feel and share.”

CX math: “X, or experience, is the sum of all engagements and memorable moments a customer has at every encounter with your brand–all day, every day–during the entire customer lifecycle. With the rise of the digital transformation, there is an opportunity to realign, or make new investments in technology and business models, to more effectively engage digital consumers and create new value at every touch point in the customer journey.”

Me, me, me: “Customers today are 'accidental narcissists.' Think about just about any tech or app today–whether it is Uber, Tinder, Instacart, Gilt–every bit of tech reminds you that you are at the center of the universe. I've studied patience levels of Uber users. If the car is over four minutes away, they have lost patience. We want things now. Every new app, like Snapchat, shortens attention spans and reprograms expectations. These are the new standards and customer expectations on how they want to engage with brands now, regardless of what business you are in. This is who your customer is becoming. This is who your employees are becoming.”

Gen C: “This change is not just about younger people. I've done research and concluded that there is a new generation of people I call 'Generation C,' 'C' standing for 'connected.' They are not grouped by age or any demographic. They are grouped by lifestyle. I found that 55-year-olds who live a hectic, digital lifestyle and are very active on their smartphones, tablets, social media, and apps were making similar decision patterns as a 25-year-old. We look at our smartphones 1,500 times a week, on average, which adds up to 177 minutes every day. It is a lifestyle demographic. So your customers are rewiring every single day and reprogramming their expectations every day.”

Disrupt yourself: “Tomorrow is an entirely new game. Disruption is a gift either given to you or by you. This is the time to think about how to disrupt yourself. What does that look like? Who are our competitors? Is it the companies that we look at every day and measure ourselves against, or is it brands who are really engaging people the way we want our customers to engage with us? What can we learn from them? What would my digital customer do, and how is it different than what I have in place today? How is it different than how I think today?”

Mobile matters: “Create experiences that talk to and through all of the people with their smartphones. If you can design a shareable and meaningful experience, you are now engaging with an audience of an audience of an audience, and you make it much more profound. This takes design.”

New foundation: “We make mistakes in creating experiences by applying legacy thinking, principles, and metrics to all of the new digital opportunities. We need new processes, new models, new metrics, and new risks. It all starts with learning to unlearn. To move forward and create experiences that matter at every moment of truth, we've got to learn new things. This is what will give you a competitive advantage.”

Experience architecture: “The future of business lies in experience architecture, and you are the architect. It has to start somewhere. That takes your role and ladders it up, all the way to the top. It's more important than it has ever been, especially for omnichannel. This takes re-engineering, and it starts with rethinking what's possible. How amazing is that? There never has really been a time where we had to reinvent everything. This is your time.”

How does all of this apply to CMOs, specifically? I asked Solis after his talk. His response: “The idea of what a CMO stands for is going to be closer to chief innovation officer. There's how you market, and there's how you innovate. Somebody has to drive both; I believe the future of marketing actually starts with innovation. CMOs need to think about the future of consumers and take that all back to change their businesses to be more human-centered.”

 

 

The post Adobe Summit: 'If An Experience Isn't Shared, It Didn't Happen,' Says Solis appeared first on Brian Solis.

Adobe Summit: 'If An Experience Isn't Shared, It Didn't Happen,' Says Solis

from Brian Solis http://ift.tt/1RL1HJ7

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5 “Must Haves” To Build A Successful Online Business

There is SOOO much information out there now. It is incredibly easy to miss the forest for the virtual trees, isn't it? Wouldn't it be refreshing if someone just told you, in plain English, exactly what you needed to successfully build an online business? I have built several successful 6 and 7-figure business online over the last […]

The post 5 “Must Haves” To Build A Successful Online Business appeared first on Kim Garst Boom Social – Social Selling Strategies That Actually Work

Kim Garst

from Kim Garst Boom Social – Social Selling Strategies That Actually Work http://ift.tt/1qiYjiJ

rgh–

Make Money Online posting articles, videos like this
5 “Must Haves” To Build A Successful Online Business

Adobe Summit: 'If An Experience Isn't Shared, It Didn't Happen,' Says Solis

by Steven Cook, CMO.com

Brian Solis is one of the leading authorities on why delivering a relevant customer experience is the next brand differentiator. So who better to talk at Adobe Summit about the future of brand is experience than Altimeter Group's principal analyst?

Here are some of Solis's key points from Tuesday's session.

Definition of a great CX: “We live in a tremendous time and a new era of business in which your brand is defined by those who experience it. I've been studying what 'experience' means the past several years. A great experience is something that you feel, sense, crave, and share as a human and causes you to do something. In our connected society, if an experience isn't shared, it didn't happen. Experience can be brand, product, service–it is everything. But, today, we generally operate with experiences happening disparately throughout the organization, and we are measuring them disparately. Experience only counts when it is whole–when it is one thing.”

Be honest: “Ask yourself these questions. Do you know how your customers experience your brand today? Do you know how they really feel? Do you know what they say when you're not around? In an always-on world where everyone is connected to information and also one another, customer experience is your brand. And without defining experiences, brands become victims to whatever people feel and share.”

CX math: “X, or experience, is the sum of all engagements and memorable moments a customer has at every encounter with your brand–all day, every day–during the entire customer lifecycle. With the rise of the digital transformation, there is an opportunity to realign, or make new investments in technology and business models, to more effectively engage digital consumers and create new value at every touch point in the customer journey.”

Me, me, me: “Customers today are 'accidental narcissists.' Think about just about any tech or app today–whether it is Uber, Tinder, Instacart, Gilt–every bit of tech reminds you that you are at the center of the universe. I've studied patience levels of Uber users. If the car is over four minutes away, they have lost patience. We want things now. Every new app, like Snapchat, shortens attention spans and reprograms expectations. These are the new standards and customer expectations on how they want to engage with brands now, regardless of what business you are in. This is who your customer is becoming. This is who your employees are becoming.”

Gen C: “This change is not just about younger people. I've done research and concluded that there is a new generation of people I call 'Generation C,' 'C' standing for 'connected.' They are not grouped by age or any demographic. They are grouped by lifestyle. I found that 55-year-olds who live a hectic, digital lifestyle and are very active on their smartphones, tablets, social media, and apps were making similar decision patterns as a 25-year-old. We look at our smartphones 1,500 times a week, on average, which adds up to 177 minutes every day. It is a lifestyle demographic. So your customers are rewiring every single day and reprogramming their expectations every day.”

Disrupt yourself: “Tomorrow is an entirely new game. Disruption is a gift either given to you or by you. This is the time to think about how to disrupt yourself. What does that look like? Who are our competitors? Is it the companies that we look at every day and measure ourselves against, or is it brands who are really engaging people the way we want our customers to engage with us? What can we learn from them? What would my digital customer do, and how is it different than what I have in place today? How is it different than how I think today?”

Mobile matters: “Create experiences that talk to and through all of the people with their smartphones. If you can design a shareable and meaningful experience, you are now engaging with an audience of an audience of an audience, and you make it much more profound. This takes design.”

New foundation: “We make mistakes in creating experiences by applying legacy thinking, principles, and metrics to all of the new digital opportunities. We need new processes, new models, new metrics, and new risks. It all starts with learning to unlearn. To move forward and create experiences that matter at every moment of truth, we've got to learn new things. This is what will give you a competitive advantage.”

Experience architecture: “The future of business lies in experience architecture, and you are the architect. It has to start somewhere. That takes your role and ladders it up, all the way to the top. It's more important than it has ever been, especially for omnichannel. This takes re-engineering, and it starts with rethinking what's possible. How amazing is that? There never has really been a time where we had to reinvent everything. This is your time.”

How does all of this apply to CMOs, specifically? I asked Solis after his talk. His response: “The idea of what a CMO stands for is going to be closer to chief innovation officer. There's how you market, and there's how you innovate. Somebody has to drive both; I believe the future of marketing actually starts with innovation. CMOs need to think about the future of consumers and take that all back to change their businesses to be more human-centered.”

 

 

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Adobe Summit: 'If An Experience Isn't Shared, It Didn't Happen,' Says Solis

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Our Favorite Facebook Tool + 16 Amazing Pages That We Draw Inspiration From Every Day

The truth is, there's so much to do on social media that, as a social media manager, I have to choose my battles wisely when it comes to steering my time and deciding which creative strategies to pursue. 

Luckily, there are an unlimited amount of resources out there to help social media marketers like us to decide which strategies will provide the biggest payoff when it comes to Facebook marketing.

But, more often than not, those resources give a general overview of various social media strategies and high-level tactics, leaving us wondering where we can turn to for ideas for specific images, copy, hashtags, videos and content that is working right now for top brands. 

That's where my favorite Facebook tool comes in – A tool that is 100% free to use.

The Facebook “Pages to Watch” feature has completely changed the way I go about Facebook marketing on a daily basis. Many of you probably know about and use this tool regularly, but I'd love to provide a brief guide on where to find the Pages to Watch feature and how you can use it to improve your Facebook marketing. 

After that, we'll get into some good stuff and I'll share with you the 16 Facebook pages that we watch like a hawk and draw inspiration from every day.

Ready? Let's jump in!

How to Find and Use Facebook's “Pages to Watch” Feature

For Facebook pages with more than 30 likes, Facebook offers a robust Insights tool that gives social media marketers the ability to analyze a ton of great data from their page. 

From there, you'll be taken to your page's Insights dashboard where you'll find the tool of all tools – Pages to Watch – directly under the “5 Most Recent Posts” section.

Next, simply click “Add Pages” and begin adding pages by typing their brand name into the search box. Once you've added a brand page to your list, you'll be able to see the following stats:

• Their total page likes (and the % +/- change from the previous week)


• How many times they've posted to Facebook this week


• Their total engagement count for the week

Pretty cool!

Where it gets even better is when you click on a specific brand's icon in your list. Facebook provides a detailed view of every one of their posts from the current week – ranking them from the “most engaging” to “least engaging.” This allows you to quickly check the top posts from every page you follow in a matter of seconds.

So you're all set to go with the Pages to Watch feature, but which pages should you follow?

My first instinct was to follow all of the pages that I follow personally on Facebook, which was a perfectly fine route to go for me as a beginner. However, I quickly realized that a lot of the pages that I follow personally are not relevant to Buffer's audience.

Here are a few ideas to develop a relevant watch list: 

• Top peers in your space


• Brands that you admire in your space


• Brands that have a strong social media presence in your space


• Influencers in your space


• Top brands from around the world (this one's for fun)

How I utilize Pages to Watch

I like to go in and quickly check the pages that we follow 3-4 times per week to make sure that I have my finger on what's trending in the industry. What I am looking for are posts and content that have major potential to be successful on Buffer's social media. The are 3 key factors that I consider when browsing pages: 

1. Posts with high engagement (50+ likes, 15+ shares, and 10+ comments)


2. Posts with low engagement, but contain beautiful images, awesome copy, or great content. I love these because it allows us to improve upon content that has potential to be engaging


3. Specific trends across the board. In social media, things tend to pop up and fade quickly and so it's always fun to jump on trending topics that are relevant to Buffer

Another key factor that I take into account is a brand's overall engagement per post and if they're trending upward or downward. To so do, I quickly divide their total weekly engagement by the number of posts. If a brand with a similar audience size to Buffer is averaging a lot more likes per post, I'll try to dig in and study the images, content, and copy they are using to see how we may improve on our own.

I recommend that you follow around 12–16 pages so that you're not overloaded with content, but that you get a nice variety of brands and creative ideas to pull from.

If you're looking for a good place to start with pages to watch, here are 16 amazing pages that we draw inspiration from every day. In other words, they are crushing it on Facebook!   

16 Amazing Facebook Pages that Inspire Us

1. Netflix U.S. 

Why it Rocks: Netflix is a great example of a brand page that speaks in the language of their audience. They post high-quality images with captions that resonate well with their core users. Netflix understands the fine art of brevity and isn't afraid to “go there” from time to time. If you're looking for quippy, clever captions, then Netflix may just be your daily inspiration. 

2. Shopify 

Why it Rocks: Shopify has the art of video marketing on Facebook down to a science. They post a great mix of original video content that points to their blog along with fun, light-hearted videos that are meant to simply delight their audience. They're also a great example of a brand that is using the Facebook “Shop” feature on the top of their page – driving sales directly from social media. 

3. Square

Why it Rocks: Square is an awesome example of a brand page that proves you don't have to post several times per day to receive a huge amount of engagement on Facebook. They only post the “best of the best” of their content and it really pays off for them. Square also has a great sense of who their audience is – sharing photos and videos that are highly relevant, speaking to the finance-minded user. 

4. The Next Web

Why it Rocks: The Next Web has really burst on the scene as huge player in the Facebook space – Covering everything in the world of “Internet Technology.” Not afraid to post multiple times a day, The Next Web makes a strong case for the power of putting your content out there as often as possible. What makes The Next Web notable is their ability to summarize major stories in just a few, catchy words. 

5. WeWork

Why it Rocks: WeWork is a fabulous example of a brand page that does a solid job of mixing up content types and posts. Scrolling through their Facebook page you'll find a variety of links, photos, and videos. It's also fascinating to see the how they are able to tell stories about the people in the WeWork community and around the world. 

6. Creative Market

Why it Rocks: Creative Market does an incredible job of finding and producing the best “creative” content to share with their audience on a consistent basis. Looking at their top posts week after week, it's a mix of original and curated video content that is highly relevant and shareable. The shareability may be part of the reason why they've just passed the 215,000 fan mark. 

7. Social Media Examiner

Why it Rocks: Many of us know Social Media Examiner's blog as a leading resource in social media news and know-how, but their Facebook page is also a wonderful example of how to be successful with sharing top social media content from around the web. I like to think of it as similar to an RSS feed of popular and useful articles. SME also puts their cover photo to good use by promoting their major annual event – Social Media Marketing World.

8.  REI

Why it Rocks: REI does a wonderful job of promoting beautiful fan content across all social media channels – With their Facebook and Instagram pages as the hubs. Their hashtag campaign, #OptOutside, has been used more than one million times on social media and connects people from across the world, people who love the outdoors. If you're looking for ideas for a user-generated content campaign, REI is a great place to start. 

9. Neil Patel

Why it Rocks: Neil Patel does an amazing job of studying his audience and knowing exactly what they love on Facebook. He's not afraid to experiment either – Sharing everything from quote graphics and curated content to text and picture-only updates. If you're looking for actionable insights and ways to shake things up, then look no further than Neil Patel. 

10. Brain Pickings

Why it Rocks: Brain Pickings' Facebook page is the poster child for super interesting content and perfectly branded updates. They've found a unique niche in the market that a massive audience has embraced with open arms. I love their About section as well: “A cross-disciplinary library of interestingness culling ideas that shed light on what it means to live a good life.”

11. Livescribe

Why it Rocks: As social media customer support becomes more and more critical for companies, those who have already been experimenting with different ways to support their customers will be well-ahead of the curve. Livescribe's “Customer Service” tab is one of the first things you see when you arrive on their page. From there, customers can ask questions, share an idea, report a problem, or simply give praise.

12. Spotify

Why it Rocks: What I love about Spotify is that they're not afraid to speak in the language of their users. They'll often be found using words and phrases like “dope,” “epic,” “ridiculous,” “peep it,” etc. While this may not be a viable strategy for a lot of brands, it definitely works for Spotify. They also do a great job, like REI, of featuring and sharing their audience's stories on social media. 

13. Robinhood

Why it Rocks: Quirky, yet beautiful graphic design and insightful articles on investing, Robinhood App has exploded onto the Facebook scene in 2016. 19,000 Facebook fans and counting, Robinhood boasts an unusually high engagement rate for a brand – averaging several hundred likes, comments and shares per post. This is a great page to watch in the coming months as they continue to grow as a company and their Facebook strategy evolves. 

14. Gary Vaynerchuk

Why it Rocks: You may know Gary Vaynerchuk from his podcast and book “#AskGaryVee,” but did you know he has a rockin' Facebook page as well? Gary shares an engaging mix of business and personal content – Giving us all a look inside what it's like to live the life of an entrepreneur. I find it very inspirational because it demonstrates the power of authenticity and personality on social media. No frills, no fluff, just the real Gary Vee. 

15. Lyft

Why it Rocks: Lyft does a wonderful job of harnessing the power of word of mouth when it comes to Facebook marketing. Scattered throughout their feed are contests, big announcements, coupons, deals, partnership celebrations, user stories and more. They make it really easy for their audience to want to share their content. It's straight forward, well-designed, and often includes a relevant call-to-action.

16. Duolingo

Why it Rocks: I love going to Duolingo's Facebook page for inspiration because of their high-quality content and simple graphic design. They are very much focused on quality over quantity – only sharing to Facebook a few times per week. Like other successful Facebook pages, they utilize catchy captions and design to encourage users to share their posts with their friends and family. 

Over to you

Which Facebook pages do you follow for creative inspiration or just simply LOVE? Please feel free to let me know in the comments below so that I can add them to our list!

The post Our Favorite Facebook Tool + 16 Amazing Pages That We Draw Inspiration From Every Day appeared first on Social.

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Our Favorite Facebook Tool + 16 Amazing Pages That We Draw Inspiration From Every Day