TwitterToolsReviews |
- How to Use Facebook Voice Messages for Your Business
- Cheer Up and Don’t Be Such a Debbie Downer
- present future twitter infographics
- New Data Shows the 7 Most Powerful Calls-to-Action for More Retweets
- 6 Simple Photo Tools for Creating Social Media Visuals
- 7 Niche Social Networks for Strategic Networking
- Instagram Direct: This Week in Social Media
- 8 Ways to Improve Your Facebook Engagement
| How to Use Facebook Voice Messages for Your Business Posted: 23 Jan 2014 12:54 AM PST By Christian Karasiewicz
Have you considered using Facebook voice messages to connect with your customers? If you connect with customers on your personal profile, you can use Facebook voice messages with great success. In this article, I'll show you four ways Facebook voice messages can benefit your business. What are Facebook Voice Messages?Facebook voice messages are 60-second audio messages you record from an iOS or Android smartphone/tablet and send to friends and followers whom you've followed back. To send Facebook voice messages, simply open a new message using the Facebook mobile app or the Facebook Messenger app.  Recording a Facebook voice message to Mari Smith. From an Android phone, press the paperclip to open a blank voice message. From an iOS device, press the microphone. When your blank message is opened, press and hold the red button to record. When you're done recording, let go of the button and click Done to send your recording. When a voice message is received, a playback box appears in the recipient's Chat or Message window. They just click the arrow to listen!  Example of a sent Facebook voice message. Now that you have a better understanding of what Facebook voice messages are and how you access them, let's see how you can use them to benefit your business. #1: Build Relationships When You Welcome New Followers PersonallyWhen you've hit the magic 5,000-friend limit, the only way to connect with more people from your profile is to allow them to follow you. One way to leverage personal connections with Facebook voice messages is to follow your followers. To find your followers, go to the About tab on your profile. Scroll down to your Friends box and click on Followers. Follow a few of your newest followers, then thank each of them for connecting with you with a short voice message. You might also use the opportunity to let them know about your website, Facebook page or any of your other social media channels.  Find your followers on the About tab of your profile. Sending a personalized voice message to new followers will let them know you notice them and help you develop a deeper relationship with them. #2: Become a Recognized Information ResourceIf you receive a lot of questions, it can be difficult to keep up with the volume that comes through. When you receive the same question from several people, use Facebook voice messages to record the answer once and deliver it to each person at the same time. Not only is this faster than typing individual text-based replies, it makes things more personal and you solve their problem with one effort! If someone posts a question about something you answered in your ebook, send a Facebook voice message with a link to a free version of the ebook and mention where the answer is located. It's easy to become a go-to resource when you use personal voice messages to answer questions from your community. #3: Create Brand AmbassadorsIf you're a public figure, most of your fans rarely get the opportunity to connect with or meet you in person. Facebook might be the closest they get to interacting with you. Use voice messages to surprise a few of your business connections with a free product and a personalized recording from the CEO.  Personal voice messages have greater impact than generic emails or posts. Image source: iStockphoto A series of surprise voice messages to share free products with people helps you create enthusiastic brand ambassadors. #4: Reward Loyalty With Targeted DealsNobody feels special when they receive a discount that's offered to everyone, but they do feel special when they receive a personal offer that's created just for them. Send targeted Facebook voice messages to promote exclusive deals to your community members. When you notice a particular customer has longstanding loyalty to a product or service you offer, send a voice message and offer a truly exclusive discount on that product. Or a sneak preview of a new product! Not only does this keep your customer excited about your products, but it also empowers him or her to tell friends about your business as well.  Personalize exclusive offers for specific voice message recipients. Image source: iStockphoto Targeted deals are a great way to reward your loyal customers and drive awareness for your business at the same time. Use Facebook Voice Messages Wisely Remember, just because you can send Facebook voice messages to all your connections doesn't mean you should go overboard. Send out too many and you risk being viewed as a spammer and that bad reputation will reflect negatively on your business and the services you provide. Instead, use Facebook voice messages strategically to make a good impression with individual members of your community, become a valuable resource and build loyalty with your fans. What do you think? Have you used Facebook voice messages for business? What tips can you offer? Leave a comment below on how you have used Facebook voice messages for your business or how you plan to use it. Images from iStockPhoto.This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. The post How to Use Facebook Voice Messages for Your Business appeared first on TwitterToolsReviews. |
| Cheer Up and Don’t Be Such a Debbie Downer Posted: 22 Jan 2014 05:52 PM PST Building on my cocktail party analogy, imagine yourself at a networking event deep in conversation with a new bunch of friends. One of them is a total bummer and is constantly negative. How much do you really want to be talking to that person? Social media is no different than that party. Both on Facebook and Twitter, people don't like spreading bad news. And the data bears this out. For instance on Twitter, accounts that make many negative remarks tend to have fewer followers.
And on Facebook, while sex is the most "shareable" content type I found, "positivity" is number 2 and "negativity" is the least shareable.
There is no lack of negative news on the web and if I want to get bummed out all I have to do is turn on one of the 24 hour news stations. People don't go to social media to feel bad, they go to social media to talk to their friends, make new ones and generally have a good time. So cheer up, and stop being such a Debbie Downer. The post Cheer Up and Don't Be Such a Debbie Downer appeared first on TwitterToolsReviews. |
| present future twitter infographics Posted: 22 Jan 2014 11:00 AM PST Twitter is still growing by leaps and bounds. Although you can use Twitter Marketing Tools to focus your network building, if you are using Twitter to grow your network and spread your message in any way you should be aware of the types of the people you will be dealing with. This post shares three infographics that give you some insight into what people are on Twitter currently, and then shows that there is still a largedegree of interest in Twitter, so I project that the growth of Twitter is only likely to continue around the globe.
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| New Data Shows the 7 Most Powerful Calls-to-Action for More Retweets Posted: 22 Jan 2014 03:42 AM PST I'm a big fan of social calls-to-action. Previously, I've found evidence that they work on Facebook and Twitter. So I wanted to expand my research and see if I could find more words and phrases that were good at spurring people to social action. Using a huge data set of more than 2.7 million Tweets provided to me by the awesome folks at Buffer, I analyzed the use of calls-to-action (like "please retweet") and their relationship to retweets. To control for number of followers, I used a retweets-per-follower ratio. I found that there are 7 words and phrases that when included in a tweet are correlated with that tweet getting more retweets than those that did not include those words. The expected CTAs are on the list: "please retweet" and "please rt" but leading up the list is the somewhat surprising "please help."
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| 6 Simple Photo Tools for Creating Social Media Visuals Posted: 22 Jan 2014 03:00 AM PST By Jill Celeste
Looking for easy-to-use tools to help you create images for your content strategy? If the idea of using Photoshop makes your head spin or hiring a graphic designer isn't an option, there are many easy-to-use, low-cost alternatives available to you to create social media graphics. In this article, I'll show you 6 easy tools that will help you create compelling graphics for social media. #1: Use PicMonkey's Online Photo Editor to Take Your Images From Good to GloriousPicMonkey's free option has a wide variety of frames, special effects and font types to choose from. With a touch of a button, you can crop and resize your photo, and add text to your images.  Choose from a wide variety of free fonts on PicMonkey to create appealing images like this one with PicMonkey. The paid option offers additional features that include more frames and photo effects. PicMonkey is a great solution for all types of social media images. Not only can you create graphics for your posts, you also can make banners and buttons for your social media accounts, such as Facebook. #2: Express Yourself Through Photos and Creations on LiveLuvCreateLiveLuvCreate is an image-creation website most anyone will find easy to use. With LiveLuvCreate, you pick from a variety of design layouts—from one image as a background to a collage of graphics. You can use images from your computer or choose from LiveLuvCreate's library. Choose up to three text areas with a range of font types, colors and styles. You may also select borders, filters and photo effects for additional image enhancements.  An example of a social media graphic you can create on LiveLuvCreate.com. Once you complete your graphic, you can share your creation on Pinterest, Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook, or download the image to your computer. #3: Create Your Own Designs With CanvaCanva is a free application that offers a myriad of graphic types for use in everything from presentations and posters, to business cards and invitations. For social media use, consider Canva to help you design Facebook cover photos and blog images.  Canva offers many different layouts to help you create compelling and shareable social media images. If you're signed into Facebook, Canva can pull in your photos. You can also upload your own graphics from your computer, or purchase from Canva's stock image library (most images are only $1 US). Additionally, Canva has a unique feature where you can collaborate with other users, which is great if you need to share or edit your images with someone else. Canva is currently under closed beta, but you can reserve your username and be placed on a waiting list. Then, you can try Canva out once you gain access to the beta version. #4: Use Image and Photo Editing Software From Paint.NETIf you want some of PhotoShop's capabilities, check out Paint.NET as an alternative. Paint.NET is a free download for PCs and offers many of the same features available in PhotoShop. It supports layers, has unlimited undo capability and offers special photo effects, including red-eye removal. You can also draw shapes, add text and recolor your images with Paint.NET.  You can easily crop any image on Paint.NET and then resize to your specifications. Because Paint.NET is a free download, tapping into the user community is the best way to get help with how to use it. Check out Paint.NET's online forum for help, tutorials and plugins. #5: Design Unique and Compelling Presentations With PowerPointIt may come as a surprise to see PowerPoint on this list, but it offers another easy way to create social media images. Any PowerPoint slide can be saved as a JPEG or PNG. Just click on Save As, and then select JPEG or PNG from the Save as Type drop-down menu. PowerPoint then asks if you want to export every slide or just the current slide. Select Current Slide Only, and you have an image file of your PowerPoint slide. If you're comfortable using PowerPoint, take advantage of this capability to create social media images. And if you're looking for an easy way to make Facebook cover photos, be sure to check out Tabsite's PowerPoint Template for Facebook Cover Photos.  Use Tabsite's PowerPoint template to create eye-catching Facebook cover photos. Photo courtesy of Tabsite. Tabsite made a free, easy-to-use template that even shows where your profile photo appears on a cover photo so you can design around it. #6: Make Awesome Collages With PicCollageDon't forget that compelling social media images can include snapshots, and when you want to creatively display these types of photos, check out PicCollage. PicCollage is an app for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. Once you download the app, use photos from your Facebook account or camera stream to create collages. Select a background on PicCollage, add your photos, then text and stickers to your image. PicCollage also allows you to resize, rotate, edit and delete any of your creations. When you complete your collage, you can share your image on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  You can choose from many different layouts for your collage. Photo courtesy of PicCollage. Use PicCollage to creatively display photos from a client event, office party or conference. Or pull in a favorite quote and surround it with images. With a little creativity, PicCollage helps you create social media graphics that show a more personal side to your business. Final Thoughts While hiring a graphic designer or learning to use PhotoShop may be the best solution, it's nice to know you have alternatives to help you design graphics to share on social media. When you need help to create social media graphics, consider any of these tools to help you get the job done. Do your research. Finding the right image design tool is a bit like trying on shoes; you need to choose the best one to fit your needs. You may find that it's best to use multiple platforms to create your social media graphics, like KJ Ammerman who likes to use Picmonkey and Canva.  KJ Ammerman likes to use Picmonkey for backdrops, Canva for layout and then back to Picmonkey for text. What do you think? Do you use other image-creation tools besides PhotoShop? What other sites or apps would you recommend? Share your comments and suggestions in the comments box below. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. The post 6 Simple Photo Tools for Creating Social Media Visuals appeared first on TwitterToolsReviews. |
| 7 Niche Social Networks for Strategic Networking Posted: 21 Jan 2014 09:21 PM PST By Kerry Butters
Have you considered a smaller social network? In this article, you'll find 7 niche social networks built to serve specialized markets. Why Niche Social Networks?Ask almost anyone what to include in your social media strategy and you're likely to hear Facebook, Twitter or Google+ in the response. But you may find it useful to tap into a specialized network. Use a niche social network to reach a narrowly targeted audience where strategic networking can help you connect with potential customers and business partners of all kinds. A niche social network within your industry can work wonders to reach people of interest there. You can also look for niche sites where people come together around one of the core values or interests of your business. It's an easy way to find and connect with like-minded people for more strategic networking. The easiest and fastest way to find these niche sites is likely to be a good old Google search. For example, see below:  Use a Google search to find niche social sites relevant to your business. Use the examples below to inspire you to connect with niche social networks for more targeted networking. #1: Build Sustainable Relationships on Wiser—The Social Network for SustainabilityIs your business actively involved in sustainability and environmental topics? This is something that's becoming very important to many businesses and Wiser is a network built specifically to encourage dialogue about all things environmental. If your company is green, you can use Wiser to add partner organizations, promote events and share resources that raise your company's profile where it counts.  Adding an organization in Wiser. Much like with LinkedIn, you can also add groups where you can discuss issues close to your heart and propose solutions. Create a profile on Wiser today and start to network with people whose values align with yours. #2: Promote Your Books on LibraryThingAre you a publisher, literary agent or author? In addition to Goodreads, give LibraryThing a try. You can join as an individual or an organization, then upload your own books with their covers. You can also add books by capturing ISDN from web pages and use universal import to upload several books at once. This can also be done with .CSV files.  Quickly add your books to LibraryThing with the import feature. LibraryThing is ideal for companies that produce eBooks, as well as blossoming authors who want to cultivate social relationships with their readers. #3: Reach Alternative Audiences With Vampire FreaksMainstream networks don't always work well for independent bands, tattooists, gothic clothing retailers and so on. VampireFreaks is a community made of people who share news, images and music from the alternative scene.  Vampire Freaks social network. Once you've joined the Vampire Freaks, you can add events, upload videos and join in discussions to create ties with others who share your same interests. #4: Share Your Style and Designs on KaboodleIf you're in the fashion industry, Kaboodle is full of opportunity. It's similar to Pinterest, in that it presents posts in image form. Kaboodle allows you to create style boards with different items of clothing and accessories, making it ideal for fashion retailers.  Kaboodle—fashion, makeup and accessories. Organize your products by creating lists, carry out polls to see what your connections love the most and create a blog magazine for your business on the site.  Install the browser button for easy addition of images. Kaboodle is a powerful and aesthetically pleasing site that gives you plenty of opportunity to connect with your audience so you can learn more about their preferences. #5: Talk to the Man on GentlemintDo you produce manly products? Then Gentlemint is the place for you. From cars to food and pop culture, there are plenty of opportunities here to reach your audience. Like Kaboodle, Gentlemint is presented much like Pinterest in that it tiles images on the front page and is very visual.  The Gentlemint home page. From fashion-forward items to tongue-in-cheek products, if you target the 'gentleman audience,' then you need to join, get those manly products uploaded and get involved.  Manly deals on Gentlemint. #6: Showcase Your Creative Works on BehanceBehance features creatives in everything from web design and advertising to music and food. The site features a serious amount of talent from a range of industry sectors and, as it's dedicated to creative people, it's bursting with original posts and jaw-dropping artistic designs. Behance is a perfect place for you to build a following by featuring your work, or to network with other creative types for inspiration and collaboration.  Behance, the creative community. If you're in the creative industry, you must give Behance a go. #7: Serve It Up on AllrecipesAll things relating to food and drink belong on this fabulous site, which is lovely looking, so if you're a caterer, nutritionist or personal chef, Allrecipes will put you in front of your target audience.  Pro membership on Allrecipes. You can make shopping lists, plan a menu, answer questions and post recipes. There is a mobile version of the site and a YouTube channel, so your followers will be able to access your advice in numerous ways. It's simple to create recipes and menus and there are plenty of options. You can also get your recipes approved by the 'kitchen staff' so it's high-profile on the site. Allrecipes allows you to add nutritional information and provides more useful tools.  Allrecipes—My Recipe Box. As an added bonus, Allrecipes allows you to create your own URL, which is ideal for strengthening your brand. Final Thoughts Use these examples to inspire you to find like-minded people who fit well with your business audience. The major social networks are great for reaching broad markets, but there are thousands of niche social networks out there that cater to groups with more focused interests. Do some research, then join one that's highly relevant to your target audience to begin networking. Build visibility on the right platform to help you raise brand awareness, build your reputation and create a loyal following with people who share your interests and values. What do you think? Do you use niche social networks in your marketing? Where have you had success? Share your comments and suggestions in the Comment Box below. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. 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| Instagram Direct: This Week in Social Media Posted: 21 Jan 2014 01:33 PM PST By Cindy King
What's New This Week?Instagram Introduces Instagram Direct: Instagram Direct gives you "a new way to send photo and video messages to friends."
Twitter Enables Photos With Direct Messages: With Twitter's latest iOS and Android app updates, you can now "send and receive photos via direct messages and swipe back and forth between timelines."  You can now share and view photos via direct message (DM) on your Twitter mobile phone app. Twitter Introduces Broad Match for Keyword Targeting for Ads: Twitter advertisers can use the new broad match, sentiment filtering and negative keyword match feature "to support the increasingly sophisticated needs around keyword targeting."  For example, a coffee shop that wants to reach coffee enthusiasts can run a campaign targeting the broad match keywords "love coffee." Facebook Rolls Out Full Availability of New Like and Share Buttons: After testing, Facebook rolled out the new Like button and extended it to the Follow and Like Box plugins as well.  In early tests over the past month after launching the new Like and Share buttons, Facebook has "seen more than a 5% lift in likes and shares across the web." Google Is Testing +Post Ads: "+Post ads allow a brand to take a piece of their public Google+ content, like a photo, video or even a hangout, and with a few clicks, turn it into a display ad that can run across the more than 2 million sites in the Google Display Network." This new feature is currently only offered to a select group of partners.
Your LinkedIn Inbox Gets a New Look: LinkedIn "started to roll out a new, freshly redesigned and easier to navigate inbox experience to help you better manage and build your professional relationships on LinkedIn."  LinkedIn's new inbox gives you a "cleaner and more streamlined design with larger pictures to make it easier to follow and manage your professional conversations." Foursquare No Longer Allows Private Check-ins on iOS7: In the latest iOS7 app update, Foursquare decided to remove the ability to privately check in. Private check-ins are still available on other platforms. Here's a cool social media tool worth noting: Circle: An app to show you local news and events from helpful and positive people who are near you right now.  Use Circle to find out what's happening near you. Weekly Marketing TipHere we bring you weekly marketing tips from Michael Stelzner, founder of Social Media Examiner:
Other MentionsIntroducing Social Media Marketing World: 60+ pros help you master social media marketing! Join Chris Brogan (co-author of The Impact Equation), Mari Smith (co-author of Facebook Marketing: An Hour a Day), Michael Hyatt (author of Platform), Jay Baer (author of Youtility), John Jantsch (author of Duct Tape Marketing), Amy Porterfield (co-author of Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies), Mark Schaefer (author of Tao of Twitter), Michael Stelzner (author of Launch) and experts from more than a dozen brands as they reveal proven social media marketing tactics at Social Media Marketing World 2014—Social Media Examiner's mega-conference in beautiful San Diego, California.
What do you think? Please share your comments below. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. The post Instagram Direct: This Week in Social Media appeared first on TwitterToolsReviews. |
| 8 Ways to Improve Your Facebook Engagement Posted: 21 Jan 2014 06:35 AM PST By Krista Bunskoek
Are you looking for fun ways to get your Facebook fans engaged? Wondering how other pages are developing their posts to increase likes, shares and comments? In this article I'll show you eight examples of how to create Facebook posts that drive more engagement on your Facebook page. #1: Solve Problems With PhotosPosts with a simple image and a caption that shows fans the solution to a problem or a way to improve their daily lives receive marked engagement. Whole Foods uses this post tactic to encourage fan discussions about product-related solutions to common problems.  Whole Foods boosts engagement by sharing lifestyle tips. Tips for posting images to Facebook:
Find a great selection of socially recommended how-to's on Snapguide or Reddit's Life Pro Tips. #2: Give a Shout-out to Your CustomersPeople love to see their content and their friends' content shared by brands. Use your fans' content instead of your own to give your post a viral push through specific communities that are close to the content creator. Starbucks showcased a talented customer's drawing as their cover photo, then provided a shout-out to this dedicated customer by including a link to the artist's Instagram profile in the image description.  Starbucks uses customers’ art in their cover photo. Every few weeks, Walmart creates a new seasonal cover image with photos of real people from their fan base. Check out a recent one below:  Walmart using fan photos for its cover photo. Tips for customer shout-outs:
#3: Involve Customers With a QuestionEvery customer wants to be heard and questions let them use their voice in the form of comments. Ask your fans to share about consumer preferences, help you name a product or describe memories and moments associated with your brand. When Skittles asked fans to describe the moment they opened a pack of the candy, the post received over 5,000 interactions.  Skittles asks questions to engage their Facebook fans. London Drugs asks their fans to weigh in on either/or questions.  London Drugs’ “Crafty or Tacky” photo. Tips for asking questions on Facebook:
#4: Let Them Fill in the BlankUse a short sentence with one word missing to generate a significant amount of comments, likes and shares. Pringles used a fill-in-the-blank post to connect their chips with a relaxing summer holiday. A bonus of this tactic is that Pringles got a snapshot of their fans' product preferences by monitoring the comments.  Pringles markets using fill-in-the-blank posts. Tips for fill-in-the-blank posts on Facebook:
#5: Crowdsource Photo CaptionsPhoto caption posts combine the allure of photos with people's love of interacting with brands they identify with. Think about the emotion you want to trigger and choose an image that makes participating irresistible. Upload your image and write a short description that invites fans to provide a caption. In keeping with their core 125-year-old brand, National Geographic posts the world's best photos from experts and amateurs alike. They interact with their Facebook fans by asking for captions. This one post had over 250,000 interactions.  National Geographic invites us to do what we’ve always dreamed of—contribute to its photos. Tips for photo captions on Facebook: #6: Share QuotesQuotes are great for engaging people's "Me, too!" feelings. On Facebook this is especially powerful as the Like button makes it easy for fans to express that feeling. A quote can associate your brand with good feelings and create a deeper connection with your market on Facebook. Just like Apple used imagery of iconic 20th-century personalities in its "Think Different" campaign, you can use quotes from icons to reinforce your company's brand. Disney uses quotes from their feature films to inspire, relate to and create funny moments with their audience. Each quote is posted with a full image to increase engagement.  Disney shares a classic quote to connect emotionally with their audience. Tips for quotes on Facebook:
#7: Gather Votes With Like vs. ShareAsk your fans to like a post to vote for option A, or share the post to vote for option B. Because vote counts are visible, fans are motivated to participate. Walmart frequently uses the like vs. share post with a mashup of two competing images and a small graphic overlay of a like vs. share icon. They post the full image with a brief description that tells fans how to participate.  Walmart directly asks for likes and shares by giving their fans a face-off. Tips for like vs. share posts on Facebook:
#8: Use HashtagsA relatively new addition to Facebook, hashtags use categorized terms behind a # symbol to increase brand, product and campaign awareness to wider audiences. Sephora uses the hashtag "#OneQuickQuestion" to open up engagement for a campaign beyond the reach of their current fans.  Sephora spreads its reach with #hashtags. Tips for #hashtags on Facebook:
Your Turn These are just a few examples of posts that can be adapted to help you connect with your customers and drive engagement on your Facebook page. Incorporate them to help you build long-lasting relationships, extend your post visibility and learn more about your customers' preferences. What do you think? How do you intentionally create interactive posts on your Facebook page? What successes have you had? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends:
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