Facebook Algorithm Updates Again: Focus on Media & News

According to Facebook, traffic to media and news sites increased over 170% in the last year.  So, Facebook is taking this insight to make another update to the News Feed Algorithm which recognizes that people want to see more news content. (As a reminder, these algorithm and overall Facebook functionality updates further move Facebook into becoming an even more open forum, globally).

The updated algorithm plans to show: 

• More relevant articles in the feed: The feed will now include more article links along with suggested articles for continued reading.
• More comment stories: Articles will resurface in the newsfeed if friends have also read and commented on it, leading to more conversations between people and their friends.

To further optimize your content strategy, you can use this as an opportunity to curate more content for fans in order to ensure we continue to appear in the News Feed. Also, if your brand has any additional resources, news articles or even a blog, it may be a great time to further test this content on the platform.

 

For the full release and other related articles, please see below:  

News Feed FYI: Helping You Find More News to Talk About
Facebook Tweaks News Feed for More 'High Quality' Content
Facebook: Here's How Your News Feed Works

LinkedIn Launches Showcase Pages

Image fromTNW.

LinkedIn is looking to help companies get the right content in front of the right users with their latest addition to the site, Showcase Pages.

Showcase Pages will allow companies to control and share content to a more focused and interested audience. As a result of this new publishing tool available to businesses, LinkedIn users will soon have access to a wider range of professionally curated content.

With Showcase Pages, companies can now:

·         Create custom pages for niche divisions or business units

·         Focus content to specific audiences, who have already shown interest in the company and/or related products

·         Businesses can monitor the performance of their page through LinkedIn’s analytic tools

·         Participate in advertising opportunities that aim to increase the Showcase Page’s total followers as well as promoting posts and content in from of others who aren’t following the page, similar to other platforms like Facebook & Twitter.

To learn more about this announcement, please click here.

Facebook Like & Share Gets Redesign

According to Facebook, the Like and Share buttons appear on over 7.5 million websites and are seen 22 billion times per day. They are also important drivers for Facebook referral traffic. For the first time since their inception, the Like and Share buttons have a new design.

The new design utilizes the Facebook “F” icon, instead of the thumb. They will automatically updated across the web, meaning no additional work will be needed for website owners. But, a Like and Share combo button is available for embedding on websites.

Further details can be found in the links below:

Introducing new Like and Share buttons

Facebook Like Button Gets a Redesign

Foursquare Announces Advertising for All

Today, Foursquare announced that all businesses can now advertise on the platform using the self-service page.

Businesses, large and small, will share their needs and projected budget for these efforts on Foursquare’s self-service page – Foursquare will do the rest.

What are the benefits of partnering with Foursquare?

• Foursquare can become a resourceful tool for reaching consumers who actively ‘check-in’ using the platform via paid advertising.
• Metrics will be provided by Foursquare including number of views, actions, action rate and cost per action.
• Geographically targeted advertisements, which help increase local traffic to businesses who run ads that target people near their locations.
• Advertisers can now employ Foursquare ‘tips’ left by users about the companies as user-generated content in future creative.

Advertising on platforms like Foursquare helps brands connect with consumers within a select community of users – becoming a part of the user experience on such platforms increases brand awareness and reach in the digital sphere.

For more information see:

Mashable article: here

AdWeek article: here

Foursquare announcement: here

For Brands: Now is the time for Holiday Communications

According to a study by Crimson Hexagon, 2012 saw a 30% lift in holiday shopping communications on Twitter over 2011. Surprisingly, those conversations are starting before October.

An infographic from Crimson further reveals:

·         Holiday shopping conversations on Twitter start early.

o    30% of Twitter users begin thinking- and tweeting- about holiday shopping before October

·         Twitter influences product consideration, discovery and purchases.

o    55% of users discussed gift ideas on Twitter

o   64% of users have purchased a product because of Twitter

·         Twitter plays a key role in how and where people shop.

o    57% of shoppers use Twitter to determine what stores to visit

o    62% of shoppers tweet about the purchases they’ve made

o    45% of shoppers would rather take Twitter shopping with them than their husband or wife

Most brands will begin trickling in their holiday messaging now, but for B2B customers, time is of essence. 

For more information, please see the full study below:

Study: Twitter’s influence on holiday shopping

Instagram Announces Ads

Instagram finally announced plans to roll-out advertising to US users over the next few months.

The Ads Will:

• Focus on delivering a small number of beautiful, high-quality photos and videos from a handful of brands that are already great members of the Instagram community
• Appear in users’ feeds that do not currently follow that brand on the platform
• Give users will have the option to hide the post as well (similar to Facebook)
• As a user, you will still own your photos and videos (only brands' content can leverage paid promotions)
•  Create the need for brands to develop even more beautiful, compelling custom content that feels consumer-centric

Ads here present a big opportunity for real-time marketing for brands.  It will be interesting to see how the analytics tracking, and user behavior will evolve around this new initiative as well.  Stay tuned!

For More Info

Business Insider Article

Instagram's Official Announcement

Storytelling in the Age of Digital, Mobile and Social

The best stories are the ones that have not yet been told.  And, regardless of how, a great story is always shared.

During Advertising Week’s “Storytelling in the Age of Digital, Mobile & Social,” Buzzfeed uncovers insights into great storytelling that will further compel people to share our content. Below outlines key insights from the keynote.

Think of Advertising Beyond an Ad Message

·         Consumers receive more and more ads and messages each day – consider ways to break through that feel like a part of the customer’s daily activities through telling a story versus sending a message

·         Storytelling is now two-way:  we are just shouting if we aren’t having a conversation

 

Stories are Not Technology Dependent

·         Evaluate the story we as a brand want to tell

·         Then think about the audience of the story – where are they? What is their behavior? How do they share

Stories are Not Platform Dependent

·         Different platforms should continue the same story

·         Each technology and platform serves its own purpose serving a different chapter in the same story

o   Banner ads focus on the quick click and engagement

o   TV can focus more on emotion and visuals

o   Social can be more targeted and personal

3 Principles of Great Brand Stories:

1.       Inspired by Insights

a.       Know the “why” of the brand (see this TedX video for the “Why”) and the audience

b.      Balance the intersection of brand needs and consumer wants

c.       Be authentic and transparent to truly bring out the human insight and brand truth

2.       Social at the Core/Social by Design

a.       Stories are not about You, not about us, and not about the brand.  Stories are about the audience

b.      Maintain an “always on” storytelling strategy (not just on social.. but balancing all mediums) as shareable and shapeable experiences

c.       Surprise and delight

3.       Fearless (they are not reckless)

a.       Keep the story at the heart

b.      Amplify and surround the story

c.       Own it, champion it and stand behind it (knowing it may fail)

                                                               i.      Take risks – the best stories are the ones that haven’t been told

For additional reference,  “Why Agencies and Brands Need to Embrace True Storytelling” .