Remember when social media was easy?

Staying Up To Date on Social Network Changes

by Jeff Howland

Remember when your business could post to Facebook and the majority of your fans would see it? Remember when LinkedIn was behind the times? Remember when Twitter was a bunch of tech nerds talking about the next big thing?

If you are up to speed on what’s changing with social media, you’re really good or you’re wrong.

The problem is, it’s easy to fall behind. This isn’t just normal change. Social media and online marketing are changing at an unprecedented rate. We’re in the middle of a massive transition between the traditional marketing model and the new marketing model.

Social media is so dynamic, partly because nobody is sure exactly where it’s going. However, for those of us on the cutting-edge, doing this every day, there are industry signals early on that help drive the future direction of marketing. This has been seen with image based marketing, real-time marketing, mobile advertising, and video, to mention a few.

Before these things became “mainstream” they were experiments. We’re watching these dynamics play out on a daily basis and we’re adjusting our tactics as we go. Our clients benefit from knowing that someone out there has the time to actually read all of this stuff and keep their social media channels and marketing on the leading edge of change.

Social media trends to help your business stand out

Below I’ve listed some of the ideas that have been pushing the envelope recently; changes that your business needs to be on top of, in order to stay on your customers’ radar.

• Google+ is still a bit of a mystery to the average user. Frankly, it’s been a little up-and-down for us too. However, for businesses, it’s becoming increasingly useful as a brand builder. What started out as a Facebook competitor in the social media arena, has now shifted to serve as an “online brick and mortar” presence for businesses. With new products rolled out in recent weeks, and continued development with a business focus, you don’t want to mess around with the power that Google has to lift your online presence. Google+ is built on the backbone of the #1 place people find businesses on their computer or on their phone.

• Facebook ads enhanced targeting: New sidebar ad configuration increases cost and effectiveness. Custom audience and lookalike audiences can be developed from your existing contact lists as well as those who visit your website.

• Twitter going mainstream: Since Twitter went public, the company is regularly releasing new functionality to help broaden the reach of the platform. While the user population is relatively small right now, as the channel grows, it is increasingly important for businesses to have a presence and established voice.

• LinkedIn is suddenly the place to be: Let’s be honest, not many people are reviewing their LinkedIn news feeds on a daily basis. However, as new functionality, such as LinkedIn Publishing, is rolled out, the ability for influencers to reach a broad audience of industry peers and B2B prospects has blossomed. With enhanced advertising in the works, LinkedIn is becoming a hot spot for finding connections with potential business partners.

• Content marketing: Businesses are developing their own ‘stories’ and also building off others’ content, to help shape a compelling story around their business. People don’t want to be sold to like they have been in the past. It is increasingly important to develop a narrative around your business and use unique content to connect with your audience.

Wouldn’t it be great if someone would just take care of this for you? And, wouldn’t it be great if that someone didn’t break your budget?

We serve as your marketing department. As more and more advertising and marketing dollars shift online, it’s critical to have resources in place that are ready to handle it.

In the early days of social media, you could probably handle it yourself. Things have changed, and as online marketing begins to take on a greater role (and greater part of business budgets) you can no longer afford to manage it as a side-job.

It is a primary part of your business strategy and it’s not going anywhere. It will change significantly from month to month and you need to keep up.

We will take a snapshot of where you are now and make recommendations on what you could do better. Our team manages clients across a broad range of industry categories, and is comprised of specialists within key areas, who know the best practices of particular business types, and use that knowledge to maximize your results.

Interested in keeping up to date with the latest trends in tech and social media? Get in touch with us today to learn more.

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