Brian Meert's Blog, page 125
March 15, 2018
10 Hacks to Make Your Facebook Video Go Viral
March 15, 2018Kaila Yu
10 #hacks to make your #facebook video go viral. #socialmedia #socialmediahacks #videomarketing
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Video marketing is an important marketing strategy that no business owner can ignore in 2018. Facebook is one of the top social media platforms for video: Tech Crunch reported that 100 million hours of Facebook videos are watched on a daily basis, and this number keeps increasing.
Getting a video to go viral on Facebook is a marketer’s dream, but how do you stand out from the crowd? Video production takes a significant investment in time, so it is crucial that you optimize your video and campaign.
Here is an infographic that breaks down the 10 hacks to make your Facebook video go viral.
This infographic originally appeared in nohatdigital.com.
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March 14, 2018
Instagram Voice and Video Calling May Be on the Horizon
March 14, 2018Anna Hubbel
@Instagram #Voice & #VideoCalling may be on the horizon. #unreleasedproducts #instagramphone
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It appears Instagram wants to be more than just a camera app. Files hidden within the Instagram app and Android Application Packages (APKs) for Instagram Direct reveal code for calling and video call capabilities.
Tech Crunch explained that this uncovered code indicates features that have yet to be released, as APKs often contain files of features the company intends to eventually launch.
APK files showing calling and video calling functionalities for Instagram. Photo Courtesy of Tech CrunchAllegedly, the company is currently not commenting on inquiries to confirm or deny the existence of the uncovered code. However, it’s quite clear that “Call” and “Video Call” features are on the horizon.
But why haven’t these features been released sooner? Especially since Snapchat already has a video call feature?
The reasoning isn’t certain, but perhaps it has to do with Instagram making augmented reality and Stories features more of a priority. After all, those are the features making Snapchat a worthy competitor.
Additionally, Facebook’s Messenger app already offers users the video calling feature. Perhaps Facebook felt safe leaving calls in the hands of Messenger while Instagram handled augmented reality and photos for the time being.
Although Instagram is beloved primarily for its prominently visual elements, putting everything into one platform—including phone calls—could be laying the way for an all-Instagram phone experience.
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March 13, 2018
Snapchat’s Product Updates for App Ads Include Deeplinks and More Granular Reporting
March 13, 2018Anna Hubbel
Getting users to download your app, much less make an app purchase, takes a lot of tries, re-tries, and patience. Last month, Snapchat introduced app ad product updates to help you attract new users, re-engage with existing ones, and reap the benefits of in-depth performance measurements to see how your campaign is doing. Specifically, Snapchat rolled out Deeplinks and increased granular measurement for Ads Manager.
@Snapchat's latest product updates for #AppAds Include #Deeplinks & more #GranularReporting. #SnapchatAdvertising #appinstalls
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Re-Engaging through Deeplinks
Deeplink attachments allow you to include links in your app ads that, when swiped up by the user, transfers them to a specific place (that you’ve specified) within the app. So with users who’ve already downloaded your app, you are re-engaging and giving them more reason to explore parts of the app you want them to see. For example, if your app is a game and the user has played up to a certain level, a deeplink could direct them to the start of the next level. If you are a retailer and users added a few things to their cart within your app but haven’t made the purchase yet, a deeplink could direct them to the point of purchase.
For users who have yet to download the app, they are prompted to download your app before they can be directed to the location of the deeplink.
Deeplinks offer better app install targeting, which will overall help you improve your Snapchat campaign.
More Granular Measurement
Ads Manager now allows you to track post-install activity for users who’ve downloaded your app through Snapchat. Whether it’s purchases, level achievements, or sign-ups, you can track any event or behavior relevant to your campaign goals with these improved metrics for app ads.
Photo Courtesy of SnapchatAdditionally, for improved insights on the ways Snap Ads help drive downloads for your app, Snap introduced better flexibility for attribution windows. For instance, to gather information about users’ views of your ad, you have attribution options between one hour and 28 days. To gather information about swipe-ups on your ad, you have an attribution window range from one to 28 days.
Photo Courtesy of Snapchat“Today’s update marks an important step in our efforts to make Snapchat the best place for app developers and marketers to advertise,” Team Snapchat said in the update announcement last month. Developers and marketers aren’t the only priority on Snapchat’s list, however. The company recently offered free ads to small business startups to earn their business as well.
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March 11, 2018
Snapchat Is Copying Instagram’s Hands-Free Mode in a Secret Test
March 12, 2018Anna Hubbel
@Snapchat is copying @Instagram's #HandsFree mode in a secret test. #productupdates
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Snapchat is breaking barriers hands-free (well, not literally). According to Mashable, the social app is secretly testing a hands-free mode for the latest Snapchat beta app (version 10.27.0.18). The mode allows users to record a maximum of 60 seconds of video hands-free.
The mode is activated by pressing the record button and swiping downward. The hands-free mode lasts up to one minute.
Photo Courtesy of MashableThe hands-free mode is not included in Snapchat’s app notes for beta users. However, when a user starts to record a video, the prompt “Drag down to go hands-free” appears above the record button.
Although an uncharacteristic feature of Snapchat, an app typically associated with a short, one-time-then-gone mentality across its features, hands-free is a convenience that users have wanted for a while. This functionality simply makes sense as the next progressive step for Snapchat, especially since big-time competitor Instagram Stories already offers such a capability.
Full-Body AR Camera
On top of the secret hands-free test, Snapchat also snuck in an update to its World Lens feature on the official version of the app (10.26.1.0). Specifically, a full-body AR camera that allows users to virtually attach Snapchat animations to real-life objects, such as a human body. Mashable demonstrated the feature using a storm cloud to follow a moving person.
This latest update indicates Snapchat’s continued dedication to augmented reality as its niche.
Little tweaks and improvements such as these may help users forgive Snapchat for its redesigned interface. Users have been somewhat miffed at the app for the new changes, but Snapchat continues to carry on. It is also unlikely that the updated interface will negatively affect Snapchat’s overall appeal to younger users, as the app continues to win in its popularity across younger demographics.
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Twitter’s New Bookmarks Feature Allows Users to Save Tweets
March 11, 2018Anna Hubbel
@Twitter's new #Bookmarks feature allows users to save #tweets. #twitterchanges #saveforlater
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Ever have that one tweet you find interesting or noteworthy, but you don’t necessarily want to let everyone else know by liking it? According to The Verge, Twitter recently rolled out its Bookmarks feature, which allows you to do just that: bookmark tweets you want to revisit later.
What makes this feature different from simply liking a tweet is that it doesn’t notify the tweet’s composer that you’ve saved it. Your followers can’t see that you’ve saved it either.
Three ways to share a tweet are now located in one place. Simply click the icon to the right of the like icon. You then have three options: to share the tweet in a Direct Message, share it outside of Twitter, or bookmark it for later.
To access your saved bookmarks, navigate to the main slide-out menu in your profile.
The Bookmarks feature, according to The Verge, is a product that Twitter has been testing in response to users’ requests for a way to save tweets for later.
You can now access the new feature on the Twitter platform across Android, iOS, Twitter Lite, and the network’s mobile site.
Twitter also listened to the voices of its users when it increased its character limit for tweets.
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March 10, 2018
Study Reveals That Marketers Plan to Invest More in Influencers
March 10, 2018Anna Hubbel
Study reveals that marketers plan to invest more in #influencers. #2018campaigns #influencermarketing
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They don’t call them influencers for nothing. Marketing firm WhoSay recently conducted a study that revealed the influence this market is having on advertisers.
According to Emarketer, the study found that 70 percent of US agency and brand marketers plan to increase their investment in influencer marketing in 2018. Additionally, 89 percent of the participating marketers indicated a belief that influencers primarily have a positive impact on consumers in regards to their brand. But can influencer marketing be measured? According to 82 percent of the respondents, the answer is yes.
Photo Courtesy of EmarketerMeasurability of Influencer Marketing
According to Emarketer, marketers primarily measure the effectiveness of influencers in their campaigns through press coverage. Specifically, press mentions, as a September 2017 Celebrity Intelligence poll indicated.
The poll revealed that 62 percent of respondents said they used press coverage to measure influencer success, whereas 59 percent said they used generated web traffic; 54 percent used generated revenue; 51 percent used online mentions; and 46 percent used the number of times content is shared.
Emarketer explained that revenue generated came out lower than press coverage and web traffic because it is challenging to measure revenue that specifically comes from influencer campaigns.
Photo Courtesy of EMarketerFinding the Right Influencer
Although the potential for success with influencer campaigns is very promising, there is still the issue of finding the right influencers to work with. Whether it’s finding the best match or getting influencers to agree to work with a brand, it can be difficult to get an influencer campaign up and running.
But it appears that brands and agencies are willing to put in the effort to make it happen.
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March 8, 2018
Facebook to End Its Test of Explore Feed
March 7, 2018Anna Hubbel
@Facebook is discontinuing its test of #ExploreFeed because users don't want 2 feeds. #newsfeed #pagecontent
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The people have spoken: Explore Feed is out. Adam Mosseri, Facebook’s head of News Feed, announced in a Newsroom post that Facebook is ending its test of a second feed (Explore) as a result of feedback from users who indicated that they prefer only one feed.
Back in October 2017, Facebook tested Explore, a second feed designated only for page posts, not for posts by family and friends in the regular News Feed. Explore was intended for users who may want to switch between the type of content available to them based on their interests.
When Facebook first announced that News Feed would primarily show meaningful posts by family and friends, businesses were of course concerned about how that would affect content shared by their pages and if their content would be able to reach intended audiences. Explore Feed may have resolved that issue if the test had generated positive feedback.
However, Mosseri says users indicated in surveys that they do not want two separate feeds.
“We also received feedback that we made it harder for people in the test countries to access important information,” said Mosseri in the announcement, “and that we didn’t communicate the test clearly. We’re acting on this feedback by updating the way we evaluate where to test new products, and how we communicate about them.”
Additionally, Mosseri said Facebook is globally discontinuing the Explore Feed bookmark, which was intended to provide users a way of discovering new pages, celebrities, and other public figures.
Although the Explore Feed test did not end successfully, there are still ways businesses can boost reach organically.
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March 7, 2018
Facebook Connected TV Ads: What You Need to Know
March 7, 2018Anne Felicitas
Facebook is testing connected TV ads. #facebookads #connectedtv #advertising
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For years digital advertisers have fantasized over the amalgamation of social media and TV advertising. Wouldn’t it be great, they mused, if we could harness the power of Facebook’s superior ad targeting and measurement capabilities in TV commercials? This once seemingly implausible hybrid is now a reality, thanks to Facebook’s product update. Recently, Facebook added connected TV on its list of placement options, allowing advertisers to serve video ads to users’ TV screens.
Advertisers can choose connected TV as a placement option.What Is Connected TV?
Connected TV, also known as a smart TV, uses the internet to access content that is not included in a user’s cable package; for example, content from OTT (over-the-top) services such as Netflix, HBO Go, Hulu, and Amazon. The types of connected TV that currently exist include Apple TV, Roku, Samsung, and Amazon Fire TV. Connected TV is particularly popular among viewers who prefer to stream their shows and movies. For some who prefer to only subscribe to OTT services, connected TV provides an inexpensive alternative to cable packages.
What You Need to Know About Facebook’s Connected TV Ads
When advertisers choose connected TV as their placement option, their ads will appear within the apps of Facebook’s Audience Network partners such as A&E, Lifetime, and History. Although Facebook has a Facebook TV app, which saves and plays videos users post to its platform, Facebook’s connected TV ads will not appear in Facebook’s TV app.
To run a connected TV ad, advertisers must choose either the video views, brand awareness, or engagement objectives. They must then either choose Automatic Placements or Edit Placements. If the latter, they must check the devices connected TV and mobile with the placement option Audience Network.
Advertisers may feel apprehensive about the type of content their ads will appear in. An advertiser may not want her brand dedicated to veganism to appear in a show about meat eating. Or a business owner selling children’s apparel may not want his ads to appear within an episode of Game of Thrones. Advertisers who worry about brand safety can use Facebook’s category blocking and block lists to prevent ads from appearing in content that could jeopardize their brands’ images.
Advertisers can use category blocking and block lists.The new connected TV placement option is currently a test only available in the US. Although available in that country, the placement, because it’s still a test, may not be available to all advertisers. The advertisers to whom it is available can place their videos on connected TVs in the form of in-stream video ads, ads that appear before or during a video. Because the video ads are in-stream, advertisers must ensure that their videos run 15 seconds at most. Additionally, they must comply with Facebook’s ad specs and creative requirements, including a resolution of 1080 pixels at the maximum and an aspect ratio of 16:9.
Facebook requires advertisers to follow the creative requirements for Connected TV ads.Announcements that Facebook will allow ad placement to connected TVs first hit headlines in 2016 when Facebook revealed ads will appear in Apple TV and Roku. However, the placement was not yet available to advertisers during that time.
The Benefits of Connected TV Ads
With Facebook’s connected TV ads, advertisers can bring Facebook’s measurement and targeting tools to TV advertising. As they would with regular Facebook ads, advertisers use Facebook’s targeting options to target their desired viewers. Facebook will then attempt to match the targeted viewer in the house with the connected TV. After advertisers run the ad, they will receive a report called Connected TV for all standard video metrics available, such as impressions, in their Business Managers. This report is accessible by choosing placement and device when breaking down results.
Additionally, with connected TV ads, advertisers can target an attentive lean-back audience comprised of viewers most likely to watch the video in its entirety. These viewers are most likely sitting on their couches, waiting for the ad to finish and their shows to resume.
Connected TV: An Alternative to News Feed
During the past two years, Facebook has been exploring placement options outside of News Feed. Before connected TV, Facebook opened advertising to Instagram Stories, Watch, live videos, Marketplace, Messenger home, and Audience Network. These efforts came after it became apparent to the social media company that News Feed is becoming overpopulated and cluttered, resulting in higher bids for ad spots and more distractions from the coveted users’ attentions. The new placement, connected TV, will hopefully free up ad space.
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March 5, 2018
Do Not Overlook Social Media Marketing. Here’s Why (Infographic)
March 6, 2018Josh Wardini
This infographic shows you everything you need to know about social media. #socialmediamarketing #socialcommerce #facebookads
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As much as we don’t want to admit it, most of us are very close to becoming social media addicts. And why not? There are endless possibilities that the internet offers, and we are not shy to use them. A social media account has many purposes. Got promoted? Tell your friends. Are you bored? Browse through your Facebook feeds.
Today, however, social media is increasingly used for a different cause. Business owners are finally using social media marketing to promote their services and facilitate the way people buy. With helpful features such as Facebook Marketplace, Ebay Daily Deals, Pinterest Buyable Pins, and Sponsored Tweets, social commerce has brought business owners a world of opportunities. Shopping has never been easier.
I’ve said it once. I’ll say it thousand times more: social media is your ticket to reaching the right audience most likely to convert. Social media influences customers to buy. In fact, 87 percent of shoppers have bought something after consulting social media.
Not only does social media influence customers’ purchase decisions, but it also creates a platform where brands and customers can interact, with brands listening to their suggestions and integrating new ideas into their business plans. Fifty-nine percent of US shoppers acknowledge that customer service through social media has answered all their doubts and made it easier to resolve any issues.
Social media marketing is a relatively new trend which continues to break records.
The infographic below shows you why incorporating social media into your digital marketing strategy can drastically improve your business.
This infographic was provided by Josh Wardini, the community manager at Webmastersjury.
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March 4, 2018
Twitter Is Changing Platform and API Rules to Prevent Misuse
March 5, 2018Anna Hubbel
@Twitter is making platform & API rule changes to prevent misuse & the spread of #FakeNews. #TwitterChanges #TwitterAccounts
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Fake news appears to be everywhere lately, especially during investigations of Russian troll Facebook accounts linked to politically divisive ads distributed during the 2016 US presidential election. In response, social networks like Facebook have been taking measures to prevent the spread of fake news and overall account misuse.
Twitter is also taking action in the fight. To deter the misuse of bots and automated systems to boost follower numbers and spread fake news, the social networking site recently announced some changes in its platform and rules. A Twitter blog post announced some new changes to the Twitter system and API usage rules.
Rule Change #1
“Do not (and do not allow your users to) simultaneously post identical or substantially similar content to multiple accounts. For example, your service should not permit a user to select several accounts they control from which to publish a given Tweet.”
This change applies to both Tweets published simultaneously and those that are scheduled. Twitter said retweeting posts between accounts is permissible but should not be done excessively or in high volumes.
Rule Change #2
“Do not (and do not allow your users to) simultaneously perform actions such as Likes, Retweets, or follows from multiple accounts. For example, your service should not permit a user to select several accounts they control to follow a specified account.”
This rule is intended to prevent spammy behaviors.
Rule Change #3
“The use of any form of automation (including scheduling) to post identical or substantially similar content, or to perform actions such as Likes or Retweets, across many accounts that have authorized your app (whether or not you created or directly control those accounts) is not permitted. For example, applications that coordinate activity across multiple accounts to simultaneously post Tweets with a specific hashtag (e.g. in an attempt to cause that topic to trend) are prohibited.”
This rule further discourages spammy behavior in preventing accounts from manipulating trends rather than allow them to trend organically. This rule stands unless the behavior is performed by an authorized app to disseminate emergency or public service announcements.
The aforementioned rules are now in effect for Tweet Deck users. All users who engage in any of the now-restricted behaviors across multiple accounts need to comply with the new rules by March 23, 2018. Users who don’t comply with these rules will face consequences such as suspensions of associated applications and accounts.
Cracking Down on Fake News
According to Social Media Today, there are approximately 49.5 million fake Twitter accounts. The problem that Twitter is going to face in light of its crackdown on fake accounts is a drastic decrease in users across the platform. Social Media Today says Twitter is going to need to prove to users that they don’t need to falsify accounts and misuse the platform to build a strong following.
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