NEWS from Facebook: Cleaning up News Feeds

We shared with you last week that Facebook was making changes to reduce spam. This means it’s vital to have relevant & fresh content, visuals & media to not only tell your unique story, but to engage & interact with your customers, followers & supporter.

The bottom line is this… “Develop a publishing strategy that uses original content and is not copied from other sources AND Marketers who are linking to their own legitimate websites will not be affected by this update.” Good news: we specialize in real, raw, authentic & HONEST organic marketing, therefore our clients will thrive more than ever on facebook!

Here are the changes from Facebook:

*click on image to view original post from Facebook*

Cleaning up News Feed Spam: What it Means for Businesses

Earlier today we announced a series of improvements to News Feed to reduce stories that people frequently tell us are spammy and that they don’t want to see. The goal of these changes is to make sure that News Feed delivers the right content to the right people at the right time, so everyone on Facebook sees the stories that are important to them. We’d like to now explain how these improvements will impact businesses on Facebook.

First, a bit of context. Many of these spammy stories are published by Pages that deliberately try to game News Feed to get more distribution than they normally would. The vast majority of publishers on Facebook are not posting feed spam, so should not be negatively impacted by these changes. If anything, businesses may see a very small increase in News Feed distribution.

Publishers who are frequently and intentionally creating feed spam will see their distribution decrease over the next few months. In particular, we’re targeting three broad categories of feed spam:

Like-baiting

“Like-baiting” is when a post explicitly asks News Feed readers to like, comment or share the post in order to garner additional distribution.

People often respond to posts asking them to take an action, and this means that these posts get shown to more people, and get shown higher up in News Feed. However, when we survey people and ask them to rate the quality of these stories, they report that like-baiting stories are, on average, 15% less relevant than other stories with a comparable number of likes, comments and shares. Over time, these stories lead to a less enjoyable experience of Facebook since they drown out content from friends and Pages that people really care about.

The improvement we are making today better detects these stories and helps ensure that they are not shown more prominently in News Feed than more relevant stories from friends and other Pages. This update will not impact Pages that are genuinely trying to encourage discussion among their fans, and focuses initially on Pages that frequently post explicitly asking for likes, comments and shares.

What this means to businesses: Focus on posting content that is relevant and interesting to your target audiences. It’s OK to encourage discussion about your posts’ content, but you should avoid asking for likes or shares to get more distribution.

Frequently circulated content

People and Pages on Facebook frequently reshare great content, but people tell us there are occasionally instances where photos or videos are uploaded to Facebook over and over again. We’ve found that people tend to find these instances of repeated content less relevant, and are more likely to complain about the Pages that frequently post them. We are improving News Feed to de-emphasize these Pages, and our early testing shows that this change causes people to hide 10% fewer stories from Pages overall.

What this means to businesses: Develop a publishing strategy that uses original content and is not copied from other sources.

Spammy links

Some stories in News Feed use inaccurate language or formatting to try and trick people into clicking through to a website that contains only ads or a combination of frequently circulated content and ads. Often these stories claim to link to a photo album but instead take the viewer to a website with just ads.

We’ve been able to better detect spammy links by measuring how frequently people on Facebook who visit a link choose to like the original post or share that post with their friends. The update we are making today reduces cases of these spammy links. In our early testing we’ve seen a 5% increase in people on Facebook clicking on links that take them off of Facebook. This is a big increase in the context of News Feed and a good sign that people are finding the remaining content in their News Feed more relevant and trustworthy.

What this means to businesses: Marketers who are linking to their own legitimate websites will not be affected by this update.

Facebook Ads & Changes

Social Media & Facebook are amazing marketing tools for small businesses & non profits, however you must stay a head of the curve, trends & constant changes. Once again, Facebook is changing everything! Yep, your live feed & pages will be changing along with advertising. We specialize in organic, real, raw & authentic social media marketing, however Facebook Ads can help get you noticed & attract new customers when done correctly.

Love this from Mashable by Todd Wasserman…

“When Facebook rolled out its last desktop redesign last month, it left the right column — the home of many dodgy direct-response ads — alone. Now, however, it’s gotten around to cleaning them up as well.

The company announced on Wednesday that it will roll out an updated design for right-column ads in the “coming months.” The new units will have the same proportions as desktop news feed ads, which means they will be bigger. There will also be fewer of them.

“For advertisers, this means a simpler way to create ads and an enhanced visual creative canvas on the right-hand column of Facebook,” the company wrote in a blog post. In addition, marketers can use the same image in the right-rail ads that they use in their news feed ads.

Here’s a look at the new ad unit:

And here’s how they currently look:

Facebook claims in tests the new units received up to three times the engagement of the old ads.

Dan Slagan, SVP of marketing at Nanigans, a marketing firm that resells Facebook ads, says he thinks advertisers will like the larger ad units, even if they’re more expensive. Slagan says the right-rail ads have been attractive because of their low prices. Such ads have CPMs (cost per 1,000 viewers) of around $.30 vs. $5 for news feed ads.

Right-rail ads accounted for almost all of Facebook’s ad revenues until 2012. After that, the company phased in news feed ads and mobile advertising. J.P. Morgan analyst Douglas Anmuth estimated last July that right-rail ads still accounted for 53% of Facebook’s ad revenues at that time. Anmuth could not be reached for comment on Wednesday’s upgrade.”

View original blog here… http://mashable.com/2014/04/09/facebook-right-rail-ads/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-main-link

Want to learn how to place Facebook Ads? We think Sandi Krakowski is the BEST in the BIZ! She recommends spending $10 a day & has a proven system. *click on image above to learn more from Sandi*or give us a call at 214-494-1946 to get your social media working for you so you can focus on what you do best!

Happy 10th Birthday Facebook

Happy 10th Birthday to Facebook! What an amazing story! We love this from Marc Zuckerberg, their founder, who gave everything he had to what he was called to do & how he serves others through sharing his gifts & talents…. “Why were we the ones to build this? We were just students. We had way fewer resources than big companies. If they had focused on this problem, they could have done it.

The only answer I can think of is: we just cared more.

While some doubted that connecting the world was actually important, we were building. While others doubted that this would be sustainable, you were forming lasting connections.

We just cared more about connecting the world than anyone else. And we still do today.

That’s why I’m even more excited about the next ten years than the last. The first ten years were about bootstrapping this network. Now we have the resources to help people across the world solve even bigger and more important problems.

Today, only one-third of the world’s population has access to the internet. In the next decade, we have the opportunity and the responsibility to connect the other two-thirds.

Today, social networks are mostly about sharing moments. In the next decade, they’ll also help you answer questions and solve complex problems.

Today, we have only a few ways to share our experiences. In the next decade, technology will enable us to create many more ways to capture and communicate new kinds of experiences.

It’s been amazing to see how all of you have used our tools to build a real community. You’ve shared the happy moments and the painful ones. You’ve started new families, and kept spread out families connected. You’ve created new services and built small businesses. You’ve helped each other in so many ways. “

We believe facebook has changed our world for the better! We can be the light to others & share live saving information in seconds. Facebook & social networking is here to stay, however it will forever be evolving & changing. The buttons will move to better serve it’s users. Facebook works because they have so many users & it’s an amazing platform. It’s no longer about reuniting with lost loved ones & high school friends, it’s about connecting & networking. Social media has allowed anyone to get in front of their audience & share their story. Businesses have started thanks to Facebook providing this unique platform for our voices, products & services. Social Media for GOOD is here to stay! So embrace it & make it a positive environment & experience.

Have fun getting social & get noticed in the process! Keep it relevant & ride the social wave through a plan of action & consistent posting of engaging & informative information, images & links. Make it more fun & network with others online like us!

Read entire facebook post from Marc…

“Today is Facebook’s 10th anniversary.

It’s been an amazing journey so far, and I’m so grateful to be a part of it. It’s rare to be able to touch so many people’s lives, and I try to remind myself to make the most of every day and have the biggest impact I can.

People often ask if I always knew that Facebook would become what it is today. No way.

I remember getting pizza with my friends one night in college shortly after opening Facebook. I told them I was excited to help connect our school community, but one day someone needed to connect the whole world.

I always thought this was important — giving people the power to share and stay connected, empowering people to build their own communities themselves.

When I reflect on the last 10 years, one question I ask myself is: why were we the ones to build this? We were just students. We had way fewer resources than big companies. If they had focused on this problem, they could have done it.

The only answer I can think of is: we just cared more.

While some doubted that connecting the world was actually important, we were building. While others doubted that this would be sustainable, you were forming lasting connections.

We just cared more about connecting the world than anyone else. And we still do today.

That’s why I’m even more excited about the next ten years than the last. The first ten years were about bootstrapping this network. Now we have the resources to help people across the world solve even bigger and more important problems.

Today, only one-third of the world’s population has access to the internet. In the next decade, we have the opportunity and the responsibility to connect the other two-thirds.

Today, social networks are mostly about sharing moments. In the next decade, they’ll also help you answer questions and solve complex problems.

Today, we have only a few ways to share our experiences. In the next decade, technology will enable us to create many more ways to capture and communicate new kinds of experiences.

It’s been amazing to see how all of you have used our tools to build a real community. You’ve shared the happy moments and the painful ones. You’ve started new families, and kept spread out families connected. You’ve created new services and built small businesses. You’ve helped each other in so many ways.

I’m so grateful to be able to help build these tools for you. I feel a deep responsibility to make the most of my time here and serve you the best I can.

Thank you for letting me be a part of this journey.” ~ From Marc Zuckerberg posted on facebook

Get Noticed in 2014

Happy New Year!

New Year means new beginnings & fresh starts.

How will you write your story in 2014?

The starting point of great success & achievement has always been the same. It’s for you to dream big dreams & get creative in telling your story! There’s nothing more important or works faster than for you to cast off your own limitations & for you to begin dreaming & fantasizing about the wonderful things that you can become & DO!

We’re social entrepreneurs & creative marketing architects that love social media & getting social locally in Dallas Fort Worth & Globally around the World! We get our clients noticed online through effective social media marketing, organic SEO, relevant content, & fresh media! Let’s magnetize customers & supporters around the clock while you focus on running your business, group or organization in 2014!

Not every dream is like the field of dreams… “if you build it they will come” is not reality for most business owners or non profit directors. In fact, marketing most any dream, invention or talent requires a plan of action, dedication & follow through. You have to draw customers to you. We fine tune your story & find a way to tell, write, sing, paint or dance your story! We help you to be the best you, you can be then we share that with your target market through effective online marketing & magnetize customers & supporters 24/7!

We custom create a plan & package that best fits you & your company. After we chat by phone we can custom create a plan & pricing for you, based on your needs. We have “set up” only services for those who want or need a 1 time set up or revamping of their social media platforms & profiles. We invest our time & talents in those who commit to our 12 month plan & packages. We come along side of you & your business to help create & share your unique story. We believe in the concept of social media & the power of the LIKE, comment, & share button! Tweeting is what we do best! We get social & get you noticed online through relevant content, visuals & call to action. Everything we do is raw & organic, real marketing, not spam or paid ads & promos. We can buy some paid ads for our clients, however we build & grow your brand by sharing & telling your unique story. We engage & interact to grow a community of followers, supporters & customers.

No matter YOUR Dream or Story, we can share it! Let’s get social in 2014 & get YOU noticed so you can live your dream!

Keep IT Simple.

Thank you to the creator of this incredibly relevant image & quote by one of our beloved characters Don Draper from Mad Men. Amazing TV series that delves into the history of business, marketing & advertising in a dramatically addictive way.

“Make IT Simple BUT Significant”

Says a LOT in 5 words!

Make = Create… create your own IT = story, message & brand, your CONTENT & Visuals

Create Relevant Written Content, Images, Graphics, Logos, Photos &/or Videos. To be used for both physical & virtual (online/internet) MARKETING. Marketing is the Art & Science of Telling YOUR Story or Communicating YOUR Message.

SIMPLE = Keep it Simple! Don’t over complicate or create too many steps. YOUR “Call To Action” or message needs to be easy for as many people to understand as possible Especially YOUR Target Market & Audience. Don’t be too abstract that people don’t “get it” or what you do or what service you provide. Make it EASY to contact, connect or BUY online. We have 15 seconds online to catch our audience, yep 15 seconds, that fast! Most want 1 easy button, 1 easy step. Simple message, Easy Call To Action for ROI.

BUT = Wait a minute – HOLD – PAUSE – STOP & Think it through, Test the Market or do your research or homework. Know what YOUR message is & how YOU want to DRIVE your audience. Think about key words & trends. Don’t rush out of panic or because you’re feeling desperate. Get quiet, breathe & review before blasting.

SIGNIFICANT = Relevant! Does YOUR story, message, product, program, event, service, whatever IT is have a WHY or how is it Significant to others… YOUR Target Market???

When you & I share relevant content & visuals online through effective Social Media Marketing using a complete online Marketing Strategy, we get Social & get Noticed locally &/or globally! Online Marketing MUST be Simple & we must make it EASY for our audience & supporters to become customers & follow through on the CALL TO ACTION.

So step back & ask yourself… Is IT Simple BUT Significant?

Is your Bait in the water? Are YOU Ice Fishing during this Winter Storm?

Yep, we’re working non stop for our clients & everyone has bait in the water during this online marketing opportunity! When the weather is bad people are online. Go look on facebook & instagram, see all the local ICE & snow photos? You, me, we have a captive audience TODAY! So get out there & start Fishing! Engage, Interact… don’t just post, like others post, retweet, pin others. Pinterest is on fire right now with tons of traffic while moms can’t leave their homes & many are most likely making online purchases. Are YOU getting Noticed TODAY? Get Social, but don’t spam or vomit on people, post relevant on trend content & visuals.

Weather, seasons, holidays & other occurrences & events are the prime time to Engage & Interact online through Social Media! Use relevant #Hashtags, but don’t over use. Post, but don’t OVER post – spread it out over the day or weekend. Stop by your platforms every few hours on days like this or during prime opportunities to see if you got a bite! Then interact. Remember to have a CALL TO ACTION or ask your followers to like, comment or share for more views. Always leverage your personal social media accounts to like, comment, share, retweet, etc. from your personal profiles. The more interaction you have the more views you receive & it’s all FREE! 100% Organic, raw, real, authentic marketing done right! The whole point of social media is for friends to share, not for advertiser’s to SELL us! We HATE all the ads, & want to hear from our friends. So be real, be you, be authentic. When you have a valuable or relevant message or story YOU will get Noticed & you will magnetize followers & supporters.

So get out there & start Fishing! Bait your Hook with relevant content &/or visuals. Ask questions, engage, be witty, be smart, be creative, be you! Share from your heart & start catching new followers!

Are YOU getting Noticed? Check out our NEW online videos…

Check out a few of our NEW online Videos we created for some of our Social Media Marketing Clients! We’re not a video company, however Videos are vital to Story Telling & Online Marketing. *Click on image to view our youtube video gallery, then give us a call 214-494-1946 for Custom pricing based on your needs.

SociallyDFW@gmail.com

Get Social. Get Noticed. Locally & Globally.

What is Socially?

We’re social entrepreneurs & creative marketing architects that love social media & getting Social Locally in Dallas Fort Worth & Globally around the World! We get our clients noticed online through effective social media marketing, organic SEO, relevant content, & fresh media! Let’s magnetize customers & supporters around the clock while you focus on running your business, group or organization!

Not every dream is like the field of dreams… “if you build it they will come” is not reality for most business owners or non profit directors. In fact, marketing most any dream, invention or talent requires a plan of action, dedication & follow through. You have to draw customers to you. We fine tune your story & find a way to tell, write, sing, paint or dance your story! We help you to be the best you, you can be then we share that with your target market through effective online marketing & magnetize customers & supporters 24/7!

Call us at 214-494-1946 or email us at SociallyDFW@gmail.com.

Is YOUR Content Relevant? Are YOU magnetizing customers & supporters?

What exactly is content marketing?

Content marketing is a marketing technique of creating & distributing relevant & valuable content to attract, acquire & ENGAGE a clearly defined & understood target audience… with the objective of driving profitable customer action!
Content marketing’s purpose is to attract & retain customers by consistently creating & curating relevant & valuable content with the intention of changing or enhancing consumer behavior. It is an ongoing process that is best integrated into your overall marketing strategy, & it focuses on owning media, not renting it.

Basically, content marketing is the art of communicating with your customers & prospects without selling. It is non-interruption marketing. Instead of pitching your products or services, you are delivering information that makes your buyer more intelligent. The essence of this content strategy is the belief that if we, as businesses, deliver consistent, ongoing valuable information to buyers, they ultimately reward us with their business & loyalty. And they do. Content marketing is being used by some of the greatest marketing organizations in the world! It’s also developed and executed by small businesses and one-person shops around the globe.

We have found Content Marketing to be the #1 force in driving organic SEO through effective Social Media Marketing. When you have a story to share & you ENGAGE your audience you will most likely succeed!

All the little things matter in Marketing! When you follow a plan of action & start accomplishing goals you generate momentum that leads to ROI … it’s all about the tracking & measuring in the end & it always come done to RETURN on INVESTMENT! Your time = $ & you need to know how to either spend your time or your budget to have a successful marketing strategy.

We help individuals, businesses & causes create their own unique Brand & Online Marketing Strategy. Engage your audience & share relevant content with our Marketing Services.

Let’s Tell YOUR Story & Magnetize customers & supports!
Social Media & Email Marketing, Organic SEO

*Specializing in; Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, WordPress, YouTube, Google+, LinkedIn, about.me, Constant Contact, Mail Chimp, Survey Monkey & more!

GET NOTICED & take YOUR place as the Leader in your industry Locally or Globally with Socially!

214-494-1946

To Engage or not to Engage is the core of any Social Media Marketing Strategy

Let’s be honest, everyone’s ultimate goal is more likes & follows when it comes to social media marketing. There are 2 different social media marketing strategies…

1 – Take your place in the market, post relevant content to build organic SEO & a loyal following. Make it easy for your target market to find you online & follow you on social media. Build your brand & brand recognition.

2 – Take your place, build your brand & ENGAGE! Get to know your customers & target audience. Post, tweet, share relevant, inspiring & thought provoking content & media that speaks to a large audience. Use all platforms to tell your story & magnetize customers, patients & clients.

We’ve had many different clients over the years. Some get the value of social media marketing & ENGAGING their audience, supporters & loyal customers. Some get it, & make the investment whether it be a time or budget commitment. Some have the budget & time, yet opt for number 1. There’s no industry standard, some of the big brand dogs engage & some don’t. It’s a matter of your personal business plan & marketing strategy.

*we personally think just like any other area of your business, you should outsource what you’re not good at or don’t have the time to follow through on. Well done social media marketing can be powerful, just like a good website, however a mismanaged, unprofessional or spamy facebook, twitter, or any other social media platform can be harmful to your business & growth.

Engage your audience through Social Media!

There has never been a time when a small business owner, inventor, creator or home based business has been able to get in front of their target market like they can through social media… and it’s FREE! Yep, facebook, twitter, pinterest, youtube, linkedIn…. all free! Yes, you can pay for ads, promos or better this & that, but the platforms are FREE! No investment to get in, but there’s an investment to be successful & to have ROI (return on investment). Most clients can manage their social media, but they quickly realize it takes a commitment to experience growth & ROI. Like with any marketing strategy, you have to drive traffic & stay in front of your audience. “Build it & they will come” is not reality in marketing, unless you’re big brand or celebrity. Anyone can build a following & create ROI through facebook ads & paid promos when set up correctly, but that’s for another blog… There’s an Art to marketing & social media is no different, when done correctly you grow SEO organically & a loyal following.

*it takes at least 3 months to build an online marketing foundation & when done correctly you drive traffic to your website & social media along with building &/or strengthening your brand.

Get Social & Use Media on Social Media!

Call us at 214-494-1946 or email SociallyDFW@gmail.com for our online marketing package pricing. We serve all size businesses, non profits, causes & professional athletes, artists, writers, you name it! We specialize in helping small local business in Dallas Fort Worth. Let Socially GET You NOTICED today!