The easy answer is – no one really knows. The process contains a lot of trial and error and experimentation. However, a new study may point you in a direction…which is better than having no direction at all. You can read about it here.

The point of the article is that you attain your maximum reach of any Facebook post within thirty minutes of posting. This is strictly a percentage. It does not take into account the size of your audience or the quality of your content. It merely states that the half-life of a Facebook post is pretty darn short.

This makes logical sense. Your brand fans are not sitting on their newsfeed just waiting for you to thrill and amaze them with your content. And, they are certainly not going to your Facebook page to see all the great stuff you posted over the last 24 hours. You are, essentially, shooting arrows in the dark hoping to hit something.

This is not to say you can’t be smart about it. Here are a few things you can do:

Monitor Your Metrics – every time you post you will see how many of your fans saw it. Experiment with your posting times. Look for the higher numbers and feed the bulge.

Promote Your Posts – If you think you have something that will really pique the interests of your base use the Facebook “promote” feature. It is extremely cost-effective and can dramatically increase how many people “see” the post. By the way, it works.

Generate interaction - the more your fans comment, like or share a post the more people will see it. Yes, this is a “duh” comment. It is far easier to make this a part of your Social Media strategy than it is to make it a regular and actionable tactic.

These tactics are smart and useful but they ALL derive from the ability to post meaningful, interesting, compelling, emotional, worthwhile content. Your fans do not live in a world that is focused on you. They are living in a Social Media universe they have designed to entertain themselves. Your mission is to cut through all that clutter and deliver something that will cause them to remember you. And, you need to do that on a consistent basis.

What the above study shows is that you should be posting frequently. If you think one post a day is sufficient – you’re wrong. Most of your fans will never see it. That said, is there a maximum limit on posts? That really depends on what you are posting. If all you’re doing is “selling” then the answer is no. However, if you are “entertaining” – then there is no limit on how often you can post.

Facebook is show business and you are a performer. Dazzle, delight and deliver. The more often you can put your name in front of them the better chance you have of them remembering you positively. That can come in quite handy when they are ready to spend some money.

Your thoughts?

Steve Allan, Social Media Specialist

SMThree

It goes without saying that click-thru rates are at an all time low when it comes to digital display. Much like newspaper ads – we just are not seeing digital advertising (with the exception of search). Consumers have trained themselves to filter these out because they are just so much background noise. (Don’t believe me? When was the last time YOU clicked on an ad.)

Of course, the key to making this work, according to the digital experts, is through content marketing. Create compelling content that just so happens to contain some sort of product/brand message and people will come flocking to buy your stuff. Tell stories, engage, start a conversation – these are the keys to advertising success.

Except when they aren’t.

According to this study as reported in Ad Age, so-called “contextual” marketing is actually perceived as negative. Why? The answer is simple – it is sneaky.

Consumers understand advertising. They know they will have to watch or hear commercials to get content they enjoy. And, they know what the commercials are because the messages are obvious. (Forget for a moment that the FCC and the FTC require commercial content to be – essentially – labelled as such). Consumers can choose to ignore or “engage” these commercials but they are not under the mistaken assumption that these messages are nothing more than attempts to sell them something. That’s OK. It’s fair game. And, for the most part – it works.

People see a TV commercial or hear a radio spot and use that information to make a decision on what they need to buy. Sometimes these messages have timely information (“40% off this Friday only!”) and sometimes they are just there as a reminder (“Drink Coke”). The consumer-advertiser relationship may be love-hate (or is it hate-love) but it works.

So, why would you want to disguise your messages as “real” information. Despite what you may think, consumers are not stupid. They can usually smell the sell from miles away. What’s worse, if you actually pass off your “content” as real and then they find out you’ve been tricking them – they get pissed.

Do you really want the words “sneaky” and “tricky” attached to your brand? We have been told that the digital era has ushered in a new wave of transparency. Why disguise your advertising as content?

I am not against advertising in the social space. I think brands should create stories – about themselves – as a way of creating a deeper understanding of what they offer. Use Facebook or Twitter to post interesting tidbits that relate to what you are and what you offer. By all means, let your fans respond and contribute. But, don’t sneak up on them and pretend you are trying to do anything else but sell your widgets.

We understand that is your mission and we respect you for it.

Your thoughts?

Steve Allan, Social Media Specialist

SMThree

These are more than “vanity” pictures as each post includes a reminder that I can get a free “small” cup of McDonald’s coffee this week.

To this I say – brilliant! I know that these people are not just posting these pictures and accompanying “sales” messages because they think its funny. There is no doubt this is part of some overall promotion their radio stations are doing for McDonald’s. However, the pictures are fun and the message is unobtrusive enough to not bother me.

McDonald’s has succeeded in infiltrating personal social networks…all for the price of creating a prop.

This is how you get people’s attention in Social Media. Be different. Be clever. Be interesting. And, be personal.

Well played, Mickey D’s.

Your Thoughts?

Steve Allan, Social Media Specialist

SMThree

However, in the rapidly changing wild west world of chaos known as Social Media it is probably a good idea to have a starting point.

The folks at Fast Company have produced a very good infographic that lists the 36 rules of Social Media. They might not all apply to your situation but they are a good starting point when you are defining your Social Media strategy.

Your thoughts?

Steve Allan, Social Media Specialist

SMThree

Now, ALL of your buying decisions are influenced by what your friends tell you and what you find on-line. The new and undisputed champion of all things marketing is – once again -Social Media (cue roaring audience).

Except that this is total bullshit.

According to Bill Lee (who is a consultant, not the former Red Sox pitcher) there are several reasons we are sitting Shiva for marketing. Of course, he cites some serious sounding surveys and studies that back up his points. He is writing for the Harvard Business Review so he can’t just pull this stuff out of his…thin air.

He gives two reasons for Marketing’s untimely demise. First, we are no longer paying attention. We are making decisions by doing our OWN research. Look, there is no question that we are now able to find out more about the products and services we purchase by searching the web. But, what is the spark that ignites that search? WHY do we do our due diligence before we buy? Could it have something to do with awareness? And, could awareness have something to do with marketing? It’s a thought.

Second, he cites a study that says a whopping 73% of CEOs think their CMOs are idiots (or the equivalent). THAT is a reason for the death of Marketing? Perhaps those dissatisfied CEOs need to hire better CMOs. Again, just a thought.

The article then goes on to sell us on the fact that the “new” marketing is all about…wait for it…influencers, engagement, etc, etc, etc.

You see, all that money you are spending on TV or radio creative is just a waste of time. What you need to be doing is finding your most passionate customers and convert them into evangelists. There is no question that word-of-mouth advertising is powerful. And, in today’s connected age consumers are more willing to believe reviews they read on-line from total strangers than they are anything you tell them.

Unfortunately, Mr. Lee leaves out a very important part of this equation – motivation. What motivates people to talk about your business? Two things – money and emotion.

On the money side you can give your customers amazing deals. They might talk about that. Or, you can pay them to spread your word. While that will undercut their credibility because they are now working for you – it will ensure that they actually post, blog and tweet about how great you are. Either way, this requires an enormous amount of work to accomplish. Besides the difficulty in identifying these “influencers”- you have to convince them to speak on your behalf. In essence, you are asking them to work for you.

You have a better chance to get customers to talk about you by playing to their emotions. This is a double-edged sword because people are much more likely to complain than praise.  Think of your own experiences. When you go into a Starbucks or your local dry cleaner you EXPECT a certain level of service. If that level falls below your expectations you are likely to complain because you paid for less than what you got. This process is IMMEDIATE. You’re pissed off and want someone to do something about it – right now! If you are not given satisfaction you now have avenues – Yelp, Angie’s list, foursquare, etc – where you can vent away.

On the other hand, when service or products EXCEED your expectations you are left with feeling good about the experience. You will continue to patronize that business and if they CONTINUALLY exceed your expectations (a bar that will raise over time) you might be motivated to talk about it – in real-time or via your social networks. This process is evolutionary.

The key to getting people to talk about you is to under promise and over deliver – all the time. Great customer service needs to be part of your business’ DNA. (to see an example of this click here).

Marketing is a part of everything you do. From your logo to how your receptionist (or automated phone system) answers calls to the look of your website to the message you are sending to current and potential customers. It is also a system by where you make people aware of you. Yes, people will search a particular business category to see how good you are compared to your competition. But, effective external marketing will pre-sell them. People like to deal with businesses they are familiar with. THAT is what traditional, old-fashioned, intrusive marketing does. It introduces you to people.

What you do beyond that is up to you.

Your thoughts?

Steve Allan, Social Media Specialist

SMThree

But I digress.

One of the challenges facing any company as they begin their Social Media journey is – content. Yes, we know that “content is king” and that every single stinkin’ day someone writes a blog about the need for “engaging” content that gets your followers to participate and share. All top line advice that ignores the real need – WHERE to find that content.

Great content is all about your audience. You absolutely must be focused on them-not on you. There is no secret sauce here. No magic wand you can wave that will automatically generate fountains of great content.

However, there is one thing you can do in your organization that will help. Get everyone involved. From the CEO to the support staff – everyone has a story to tell, an anecdote, an insight. And, everyone likes to see themselves in the spotlight. To be recognized for a job well done. (OK, not everyone….absolutes never work, but you get the idea…)

This starts at the top. If the bosses, managers or leaders do not believe in Social Media no amount of cajoling will get them to participate. However, if your organization believes that the successful use of Social Media is important to your long-term success then you need to make it a part of your corporate culture.

Here are a few tips on how to do that:

Ask, Don’t Tell – You cannot force your employees to generate content for Social Media. In their minds they are already overworked and adding this to their daily tasks will just cause resentment. Start small. Get every department to contribute one piece of content a week. A picture, inside story, idea – whatever.

Show them the value – Explain what you are trying to accomplish and why. Is this about customer service? Making your company more accessible? Getting more people involved in your cause (for non-profits). In the end everyone realizes this is about making money but you don’t lead with the sales pitch in Social Media. The goal here is to personalize what you do by revealing the human beings (and nature) behind who you are. Your people are your greatest asset.

Reward them – Can you incentivize your staff for contributing content? Absolutely! Gift cards, better parking, a day off-  all are inexpensive ways to motivate behavior. Be careful on rewarding based on the “best” content as that becomes subjective and can lead to resentment. Initially, you are looking for quantity. Your marketing gatekeepers can determine quality.

Brainstorm – This is a great opportunity to find out what your staff deals with every day. They know what your customers or donors are saying. Have a big free lunch in the conference room and ask them to tell you what they think is interesting and post-worthy.

Ask for the order – Request that everyone like the company Facebook page, follow it on Twitter, subscribe to the You Tube channel, follow you on Pintrest, etc. Recognize that you will not get 100% participation. Don’t judge them for this. Some will be concerned about privacy, others are Social Media neophytes and just don’t get it and there is always that small percentage that just doesn’t give a damn about the company. You can also offer basic training in how to use Social Media for those who are interested but are challenged by technology.

Be patient – Culture change does not happen overnight. It will take months to really get people to make this habitual.  And, even after they get into the groove they will lose interest – especially if their content suggestions are ignored. You will have to remind them over and over of the value they bring to this project. And, then you’ll have to remind them again. Once the newness of Social Media wears off it will become just another item on their to-do list.

Use the spotlight- Let your team know when someone scores. Do not be afraid to do this  on your Social Media platforms. Everyone likes an “atta boy” now and then.

Restrict access – The goal here is participation, not anarchy. You should NEVER give all your employees unfettered access to your Social Media platforms. That should remain firmly in the hands of your marketing team. You are looking to generate raw material, not a polished, finished product.

I have seen first-hand how getting the entire team involved has led to a significantly better Social Media presence. It can generate more likes & followers. It will spark more comments, shares and re-tweets.

It takes time but the effort is worth it.

Your thoughts?

Steve Allan, Social Media Specialist

SMThree

First, the folks at Nielsen give us their April 2012 Internet usage report. The numbers do not vary much on a month-to-month basis so you can assume what you see here will continue for the foreseeable future. As always, Google gets the most traffic and Facebook gobbles up the most on-line time. The average US Internet user spends about 28 hours a month on-line – about 25% of that time on Facebook!

Yes, with the recent IPO fiasco and the gloom-and-doom reporting of the inefficiency of Facebook advertising you could come to the conclusion that Facebook is a waste of time. Wait, that didn’t come out right. Facebook IS a waste of time but there are a lot of people wasting a lot of time with it. A lot of pundits are quick to rush into the “death of Facebook” conversation. Don’t buy into that. The numbers do not lie. Over 151 million Americans spent the largest share of their on-line time with Facebook.

The trick here is for you to figure out how to capture their attention. Regardless of your message there is an audience on Facebook that is interested in hearing it. You need to figure out a way to deliver what they want. Simple to say, difficult to accomplish. Facebook is a viable way to market your message because the audience is so large.

The second report, in the form of a survey, comes from the folks at Pew Internet – Twitter Use 2012.  It appears that Twitter continues to grow. While the percentage of adults who use Twitter has remained relatively static for the last year, their usage patterns have doubled. So, the Twitter devotees have become even more addicted to the platform.

This could lead one to come to the conclusion that Twitter’s importance as a marketing tool has dramatically increased. I say -not so fast. Though the amount of Twitter users numbers in the millions they pale in comparison to those that use Facebook. Because of the 140 character limit it is very difficult to create content that will attract an audience. You’re casting bait into a wide ocean hoping for a bite. It can be done but requires much more effort and deft than Facebook does.

One thing about Twitter that differentiates it from Facebook is the passion. Though Twitter’s audience is smaller they are much more wrapped up in the platform. True Twitter devotees are addicted. This is great for spreading your message because those that Tweet are always looking for something to say.

What you need to do is figure out how to message and connect in brief – but frequent – bursts. If you think coming up with two or three solid Facebook posts a day is challenging – -what do you have up your sleeve for 5 or 6 or more daily tweets?

This is not to say you should not ignore Twitter. Quite the contrary, even if you do not have the time or the content to be a regular Twitter feeder you can still make excellent use of the platform as a listening device. Twitterers love to talk. Listen to them. You may learn something.

All these numbers help put Social Media as a marketing tool into perspective. Spending 28 hours a month on-line is certainly huge. But, remember, the average American spends over 50 hours a month listening to old-fashioned over-the-air radio and over 100 hours a month plopped in front of a TV. Not to mention that more people read email everyday than visit any Social Media site.

It is easy to get blinded by the hype of Social Media. I do believe it is an essential part of any marketing strategy. And, despite the naysayers, has become an integral part of our daily lives. The more facts we can gather on this “new” marketing platform, the better we can use it to our advantage.

Your Thoughts?

Steve Allan, Social Media Specialist

SMThree

Facebook users can reach a mean number (average) of more than 150,000 other Facebook users through Facebook friends of friends. A typical or median user can reach over 31,000 people.

That is staggering. That means that every piece of content you post has the ability to be multiplied by 31,000! More importantly, that multiplication comes with a shred of credibility. If you are providing content that elicits any sort of emotional response – like, share, comment – from your fans you are tapping into their “preferred” network. You are receiving an actual endorsement from them. Brands spend millions of dollars hiring celebrities to hawk their wares – to limited success. (Seriously, are you buying anything endorsed by Kim Kardashian?) But, for the cost of some well crafted, meaningful content you could potentially get your message – or at least your name – in front of 31,000 “trusted” friends.

Look, I know this number represents a maximum in a perfect engagement world- but even if you could get a fraction of that number – what would that be worth to you, your business or your non-profit? Two things spring to mind.

First, if you are using Facebook ads take a serious look at sponsored stories. Yes, most people realize they are a plant and paid for but on some level, seeing something “endorsed” by a member of my network lends it a bit more credibility, if not visibility. Of course, in order to generate sponsored stories worth sharing you have to, well, create stories worth sharing.

Which brings me to the second thought: How’s your content doing? No one really knows how many page fans see a particular piece of content. Intuitively, we know that whatever we post at 9AM will not be seen by someone logging in after lunch. It makes sense that you need to post frequently – but with relevance. Writing compelling content is hard work. If you’re posting 15-20 times a week on your Facebook page you are not going to score 100 on the compello-meter every time. You just have to hit enough home runs to raise the expectation level of your audience. In baseball, a hitter is a resounding success if they fail 7 out of 10 times. In Social Media ball, you should strive to make one out of every three posts something worth mentioning. You can fill in with stuff that keeps your awareness high but if you’re not giving them something that will grab their attention in some way you will eventually lose them to the next shiny object.

Remember that people participate in Social Media because it is fun, it is a diversion from the routine – it is entertainment. Tapping into that emotion is the key to accessing their network. We already knew that Social Media is the driving engine behind virality – this just puts a quantifiable number on the possibilities.

Your thoughts?

Steve Allan, Social Media Specialist

SMThree

That is the least of Facebook’s concerns as they move forward in the public eye. Wall Street is a harsh mistress. The demands of being a publicly held company are many and will inevitably change how Facebook operates.

I am not a financial expert (but I play one on the radio) but recent history tells us that the Facebook we know today will not be the Facebook of the future. Two examples spring to mind – Starbucks and the entire radio industry.

Starbucks – the company that single-handedly changed our coffee consumption habits –  built themselves upon a smart and meticulously crafted strategy. The were very rigid in planning their expansion – down to which side of a street to locate their stores on. Then, they went public. To satisfy Wall Street growth demands, Starbucks abandoned their strategy and started opening more stores. This was not a retail decision – it was one forced upon them by Wall Street analysts. Of course, the strategy failed and they had to close stores and get back to where they once belonged.

Remember radio? Those local stations that talked about local events and were tied into your local community? This was an industry that routinely had 50% profit margins! Well, the Telecom Act of 1996 changed all that. Stations were gobbled up en mass by large conglomerates. They went public. Despite huge profits they could not afford the payments on their notes. Worse, they could not satisfy Wall Street’s insatiable demand for dramatic growth. A succession of bankruptcies and dramatic cutbacks have left this industry a shell of its former self.

How will this affect Facebook? What kind of changes can we expect to see in the coming months and years?

At its core, the product won’t change much. Despite their stock market woes, Starbucks still made great coffee. The actual user experience did not change. Expect the same for Facebook. They will continue to evolve, add and subtract features and make the kinds of changes people will bitch about. More importantly, our need for connections that Facebook has mined will not go away. While the folks at Google+may see this as an opportunity, the reality is that our Facebook experience will continue on its current course.

But, Wall Street’s demands for growth will be satisfied. Analysts – those people on the outside looking in – will start opining about what Facebook is, should be, needs to be, etc. The first time Facebook’s quarterly statement does not meet analyst’s projections (read: guesses) – Facebook will be forced into scramble mode in order to maintain their stock price. Like Starbucks, they will have to invent a new strategy that looks good on paper and bolsters analysts’ confidence -  which is usually a recipe for disaster.

Facebook built itself on a cowboy mentality. Mark Zuckerberg had a vision and because he was “the man”,  that vision was fulfilled. Now, he will have hundreds of bosses. Watching that battle will be entertaining.

While I’m not in the prediction business – here is one I will lay out there: Facebook advertising WILL change. Once they go public we will see how much revenue Facebook really generates and – more importantly – how much of that revenue goes to the bottom line. Facebook will then have to prove it can grow that pie. Not just grow it but grow it in a sustainable, quantifiable way that the analysts will believe.

Wall Street does not care that 850 million people use Facebook. They care about how much  money Facebook makes off those 850 million people. The growth they are seeking will not come from more people joining Facebook. Facebook’s goal may be total world domination but their audience growth curve is already plateauing. Sure, they’ll pass a billion – and probably more. But, those are just numbers on a page. Wall Street cares less about audience growth and audience share. They want you to “show me the money.” This is part of what happened to the radio industry.

So, expect to see Facebook ad rates change. Like gas prices, they will not be going down.

Expect to see more and different types of ads. Hello flash and leader board.

Expect to see Facebook become much more aggressive in selling and promoting those ads. Messages in your in-box promoting ads?

And, expect to see them try to branch out into other areas that are not currently part of their core business. as Google is trying to establish a beachhead in social, Facebook will get more aggressive in search (where the real money is).

This week’s IPO will not kill Facebook. However, unless Mark Zuckerberg decides to take his billions and go away – Facebook will change. Again.

Your thoughts?

Steve Allan, Social Media Specialist

SMThree

Don’t take my word for it. This has been proven in a study by the market research firm Penn Schoen Berland for the Hollywood Reporter.

Fully 88% of the participants in the study viewed Social Media platforms as just another – albeit new – form of entertainment. The sample was based on a demo of 13-49 so its pretty comprehensive. While there are variations in how each segment of that demo views and uses Social Media (after all, a 13-year-old shares few of the same traits of a 49-year-old) – the end result is that social Media is yet another pleasant form of diversion.

Personally, I have been preaching this mantra for years. However, it is nice to finally have some data to back this up.

For marketers it points out a not-so-startling fact – customers are NOT hanging out on Facebook or following tweets with the express purpose of interacting, engaging or joining a community that is associated with any business. Unless, of course, that business happens to be in the entertainment industry or deals with something that people are personally passionate about. We see great Social Media involvement when it comes to movies, music, cars, food, shopping, fashion or nerve-touching causes. Not so much when it comes to carpet cleaning, lawyers, tires or plumbing.

Entertainment is all about emotion. Be it comedy or drama – it is the emotional connection the content makes with the audience that creates (and completes) a relationship. If this study is to be believed, people are using Social Media as a diversion from their daily routine. This is something they do to connect with people they have an emotional connection with or to find something that will amuse them.

Yes, this is an oversimplification of the psychological need fulfillment that Social Media provides. But, we do not have to dig too deeply into the human psyche to see why the entertainment value of Social Media is so important to marketers.

Entertainment is all about “what’s in it for me.” Think of your own Social Media habits. Are you spending your time on Facebook looking for brands to connect with? Do you think the “general public” is any different?

So, how do you use this to become a better Social Media marketer?

First and foremost – be interesting! Provide something about your business, charity or brand that will get people to react in some sort of emotional way. Make them laugh, make them cry, make them think, surprise them, tell them something they did not know, reveal a hidden truth. The tactical application of creating an emotional reaction is part of the creative process. There is no one-size-fits-all here. It is the end-game you are searching for. There is an old adage for performers – love me, hate me but don’t ignore me. Indifference kills and the best way to create an audience is to strike an emotional chord with them.

Second, be wary of humor. Being funny is a hard. There is nothing worse than humor that falls flat. All too often, marketers think that “fun” means “funny”. They are two different emotions.

Third, be real. Social Media is about conversations. Truncated though they may be, anyone that reads your post or your tweet (or this blog) reads it alone. While you may be broadcasting that message to millions it is being read by individuals. There is a difference between having a conversation and giving a speech.

Striking an emotional chord with someone is damn hard. It is even more difficult when you are attempting to forge a human connection while masquerading as a “brand”. That is why you have to view your Social Media interactions in human terms.

Entertainment is a messy business that is built upon expectations. And those expectations are set even before your fans meet you. If you don’t “have them at hello” you will rarely get a second chance to impress them. Make sure your content passes the “who cares” test. Deliver emotion eliciting content on a regular basis. you don’t have to do it 100% of the time. Just often enough to create the feeling that you are worth my time.

In the end it is not about engagement or conversations or community building. It is about being remembered.

Your thoughts?

Steve Allan,

Social Media specialist

SMThree