Five Facebook Tips 12

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Fred van Schie

Here we go again. Five more Facebook tips for you and yours on this Friday.

So social media is NOT about ME (=you/your brand) or being the media (all the time), the focus is on being social. Having a conversation with someone (online or offline) creates a relationship. And since “people do business with people they know, like, and trust”, building a relationship with your past/current/future consumers is key. Otherwise each sale is just “buy”, or “goodbye”. Selling a product once to one consumer is nice, but wouldn’t it be much better if that consumer stays with you for a long(er) time?

1. Keep your Post By Others wall as open as possible
Seeing big (and small) brands turning the “Post By Others” wall off is something I can not comprehend. Ignoring your past/present/future customer, in public, isn’t good marketing in my eyes.
So open up the “Post By Others” wall and then open it up all the way (see screen shot below). You want your fans to be able to tag their friends in your photos, so your content gets spread whenever possible. Having your current fans telling their friends about you is super valuable. We all trust our friends more then anything, and social media is word of mouth on steroids. Why would you try to stop that?

2. Add other Facebook Pages to your Page (that you’d recommend)
As a Facebook Page you can “like” other Facebook Pages, which displays in the right colum on the top of your Page. This is basicly a list of other Pages that you think your fans should “like” as well. So you would add brands, retailers, and athletes on this list that you want to align yourself with. So don’t try to make this list endless. Less is more. I think anywhere from 5 to 50 could be a decent size list.
To add another Facebook Page to your list just go to the Facebook Page you want to add, and click on the “wheel” below the cover photo (on the right) and click “Like As Your Page”. If you handle multiple Facebook Pages you get the option to pick the Page you want to add it to.

3. Display 5 other Pages for people to Like (Featured Likes)
So now that you have a list of Pages added to your “Recommend Likes”, the “Likes” box will display up to 5 Pages that your Page likes. This list will change with every refresh, so each one on the list gets displayed at random. If you “like” more then 5 Pages you don’t control which Pages get shown. But you can set certain “Featured Likes”, so those will show up every time. I don’t recommend locking in all of the 5 spots, as then the others Pages will never show up. So maybe lock in the first 2-3 spots makes the most sense.
To set the Featured Likes go to “Edit Page” and “Edit Settings”. On the left click on “Featured” and then click on the box “Add Featured Likes”. Now the list pops up of all the Pages that you like with your page. Select the ones you want to lock in.

4. Who to make an admin of your Facebook page
For a while now there a 5 different degrees of admin roles. Only the “Manager” can add and delete others. Best is to have 2 people be an manager, in case something happens to one of the profiles from the admin. (Hacked, banned, etc) If someone has a fake (personal) profile you want to be extra carefull, as Facebook can at any time delete that profile. And if that’s the only admin of the Facebook Page you’re screwed. As far as adding any others admin, once again, less is more. If you add more people to your Facebook Page, to post (in specific territories) make sure they now how to post, respond, and tag right.

*Please note that any manager can hijack the page and kick everyone else out. It all comes down to trust, and maybe adding something in the contract of your social media employees.

5. Check the comments after you do a Facebook post
I see a lot of people just post stuff, and not interact. They turn their “Post By Others” wall off and just do one-way traffic. Being anti-social on social media, wtf!
When some people constantly question the ROI of social media, it blows my mind that most of them don’t interact. So when you post something, check back after a few minutes, a few hours, and the next day(s). See if people have questions about the product or anything else. And delete spam comments and approve the comments that were flagged as spam (incorrectly).
More then 60% of the time people check Facebook from a mobile device and most people having notifications turned on, they can and will respond quickly. Keep the momentum going and talk back to them, and more importantly, have a conversation with them. In the first 30-60 minutes you can really help increase the reach of your post by doing this. And you might be able to sell some extra product while being at it.
Are you ready for 1-on-1 marketing yet?

Hope this is once again helpfull.

Check out Facebook tips part 11 from last week for more tips and tricks. Questions or comments? Drop ‘em below! You can of course post them on my Facebook Page or shoot me an email at [email protected]

Twitter is a conversation not a dictation

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Fred van Schie

I often hear people say “I don’t like Twitter”, or “I don’t really get Twitter”. And I understand that. It’s not as easy to use as Instagram or Facebook, and it takes a little bit more time to understand how it works. It’s my favorite social media platform lately, but it does takes some work. And if you don’t want to use it, personally, that’s totally fine. No one is forcing you to be there.
But as a brand, a retailer, or a celebrity (big name or up-and-coming) this is a little different. People are already on Twitter talking about you, so why not jump into the conversation with them? See what they have to say about you. Cause it might now all be as amazing as you think. And if it is, the least you can do is high five them!
If you don’t have an active presence on Twitter (yet), someone else will do it for you, whether that’s a fan that creates a fake account under your name or one of your retailers/reps/distributors. This might sound like a solution, but this also means someone else controls your message.
Ow, and your competitors are most likely on Twitter, just in case you needed more any more reasons. So you don’t like Twitter? Too bad for you, as the audience is already there. Meaning your past/present/future consumer.

Twitter has 500 million users and 200 million of them tweet at least once a month. On average they sent out 400 million tweets a day and have, and they have on average 208 followers.

So you have a Twitter account, or want to create one. How do you go about it? Do you know those people that love to talk about themselves. All the time. And don’t give you a chance to talk or don’t listen to you when you talk? Do you like those people? Or are they just straight up annoying? I’m sure we can all agree that those type of people aren’t really the ones you want to spent time with, right?

Making Twitter a conversation is very important for it’s success. This means that 50-75% of your tweets should be an “@ reply”. So 2-3 out of every 4 tweets should be an @ reply. Still with me here? This still make sense right? You want to talk with people, not constantly talk at them. Right?

And I get it that you can’t be everywhere at once. When people ask me what they should focus on if they had to pick I always tell them Facebook and Instagram, and of course YouTube. But that doesn’t mean you past/present/future consumers aren’t on Twitter. And if most brands don’t really pay attention, that means there is a lot of room there to jump in and make a difference.

I thought I would do some research in the world of skateboarding (shoes), as that’s the world I’m in and and I’m always interested in how brands in skateboarding use social media. A little while back I found out about Twitonomy, based out of Australia. Anyone can go to their site, login with a Twitter account, and look up stats from any Twitter account out there. And not just a few stats, but a whole breakdown.
So I looked at the various skateboard shoe companies to see how they are doing on Twitter. Again, I focussed on the reply %, I do know that they are some more stats to look at to see how an account is doing things…. (but I do think the @ reply % is the most important one)

@ replies % on May 1st 2013 + total followers:
Vans – 38% (178k followers)
Osiris – 22% (16k followers)
Dekline – 19% (700 followers)
Lakai – 16% (35k followers)
Fallen – 15% (7k followers)
HUF – 15% (48k followers)
DC Shoes – 11% (206k followers)
DVS – 8% (36k followers)
C1RCA – 8% (9k followers)
etnies – 8% (37k followers)
DC skateboarding – 7% (55k followers)
Emerica – 5% (43k followers)
Nike SB – 5% (117k followers)
Globe – 3% (15k followers)
Supra – 2% (97k followers)
Vox – 2% (2k followers)

Adidas or Converse do NOT have a Twitter account for the skate line. Their regular accounts both had 29% (@adidas & @converse).

Twitonomy provides analytics on up to 3,200 tweets and 800 mentions. It depends on how active an account is.

*Please note that quite a few of the brands above feed their Instagram photos into Twitter. When they start an Instagram post with “@username” and feed that into Twitter it looks like an @ reply to Twitonomy. So for most brands the actual reply % is lower. Another reason to take 1 minute extra and post individually on each platform. Another thing I noticed is that some brands retweet a few tweets every now and then, but only the ones that talk positive about them. So no one complains? Or you just want to brag???

Here’s a screen shot of the Vans Twitter stats (via Twitonomy)

So Vans is doing a decent job on Twitter, with 39% of their tweet being @ replies. After doing this research I started looking at some other brands too. I was shocked when I got to the Nike Twitter account. Not the SB one, but the regular (runner) one. 93% of their tweets are @ replies! Damn, talking about having a conversation! So out of every 10 tweets they do, they talk TO people in 9.3 tweets. That’s an insane number!

And then I also looked at what Nike was tweeting. Again I was impressed. Most of their @ replies to people are super motivational and inspirational. You think people get stoked to see those responses?

The thing I like so much about social media is that it’s public. You can ignore phone calls and not respond to your email to a certain degree. You would suck at customer service but you might be able to get away with it if your product/brand is hot.
All this social media information is out in the open. Anyone can go to a Twitter account on a computer or mobile device and see what people are posting, and if they reply to people. I stopped following brands that just feed Twitter from Facebook or Instagram. Or if I find a Twitter account and I just see one-way traffic I don’t even follow them. What’s the point? Let’s have a conversation! Once we start to talk we create a relationship, and that will benefit you (and me) in the long run.

How I am doing on Twitter? After seeing Scott Stratten speak at a LInked OC event in mid November I changed up my Twitter game. I started having more conversations with people, not just tweeting a bunch of crap. In less then 6 months I went from 200 followers to over 500. Was it a lot of work? Yes. Was it fun? Yes, it was. And it still is. And if I can do this, you can for sure. My @ replies are still just below 50%, but that’s because I didn’t really do @ replies before November last year. So my @ reply % is slowly going up.
As you can see below I started tweeting way more in mid November, but I was doing a lof of @ replies, which only show up to the people I reply to, and the people that follow both me and that account.

REMEMBER: When you start a tweet with @username, your tweet only shows up for the people that follow both you and the “username” you mentioned (tagged). This also includes if you start an Instagram post with with “@username”, and then feed it into Twitter….

Hope this gives some good insight on how to use Twitter (better). I strongly recommend reading the 2 books from Scott Stratten, Unmarketing and The Business book of Awesome. And if you have some time watch this Vimeo video from Scott.

Have a question? Feedback? Drop a comment here or tag me (@fredvanschie) onInstagram or Twitter. Or shoot me an email at [email protected]

For more Twitter tips see part 5 from last week.
Thank you!

(FYI: I currently work with DVS Shoes, C1RCA, and Globe.)

Five Instagram Tips Part 10

Posted on May 5, 2013 by Fred van Schie

Let’s try to keep this going (talking to myself). Weekly Instagram tips are back on the top of my list, so hope these ones are once again helpful/useful for you.

Instagram has gained a lot of traction in the past year. And even though I’m still a big fan of the platform, I also notice how hard it is to interact with your audience on Instagram. And even though that might be just what some are looking for, being social on social media is key to it’s success for most. Or ROI as you will, as most companies have to make sure they see a Return On Investment (of time/manpower). While people most of the time people hardly question the use of the telephone or email, they do with social media, as most of it see it as another marketing tool. But how priceless is it really to interact with your fans and followers? Here’s a tool that let’s you interact with your past/present/future consumers, isn’t that good for your business/brand in the long run? And a picture tells a 1000 words, so let the photo do the initial talking, and then jump in later for the interaction.

1. Promote your name/brand hashtag & the other “branded” hashtag

Assuming people will find you and know what hashtag(s) you want them to use is not easy in a day and age where so much is going on. You can blame that on the smartphone and social media for most of it, but you can use this in your own advantage. Adapt or die right?

So promote your brand name as as hashtag in all your other marketing efforts (print ads, back of a sticker, on a sign during events, via your sponsored athletes, your employees, retailers, etc) and of course in your Instagram (and Twitter) profile. This is the gateway to your brand/name for most people. So at the first point of contact you have a change to explain who you are, and what you want your audience to use when the post something about you.

Since you can only see the last 50 likes/tags on Instagram, it’s hard to keep track of the people that tag you. So here is where the hashtags come in handy. I totally get that you want to promote #yourbrand, but most people might now want to use that all the time. This is where your slogan or campain tagline comes into play. Make sure the 2nd hashtag does NOT contain your brand name. It looks tacky and it shows that you are trying to hard. When people really start to use this it will become synonymous with your brand name.
Best example, in skateboarding, is the Nike SB hashtag #skateeverydamnday. Other good examples are #theyturnandstuff (from Krux trucks) and #skatemore (from DVS Skateboarding).
As I’m writing this (May 2013) the hashtag #skateeverydamnday has been used more than 300,000 times on Instagram. It’s used by a lot of skateboarders around the world, even by some who are sponsored by other shoe brands. That’s when you known it’s a real success. Which die hard skateboarder wouldn’t want to tell the world he/she is skating “every damn day”?

2. Interact with your 2 main hashtags
So now that you have people using your #notthebrandname hashtag, as well as the #brandname hashtag, you have a chance to reach out and interact with these people. And I know this might get full-time job (hint?), but people will go crazy if their favorite brand/famous person will “like” their photo. Or even better, will leave a comment on the photo. Chances are they will take a screenshot of your like or comment, so all their followers see that you actually talk back. How rad would it be if the brand of the product you just bought, and posted a photo about on Instagram, comes back to you and says thank you for buying the product? Think that will have an impact on the brand perception? Think the chances just increased that you will buy that brand again? I think so too.

3. Don’t abuse the hashtags
One of the problems with hashtags that become popular is that people start using them to get more followers, and adding them to photos that have nothing to do with the subject. This is where the term “MySpace photo” pops back up. Lots of selfies and other bullshit now comes up in the feed when you look up certain hashtag. Best is obviously to not do anything with these photos. I guess if you have lots of time on your hand you can start to comment on them and saying the need to chill out, but you’re never gonna win that battle…. Just stay away from it yourself. 13 years olds grow up eventually and they will get it someday. But don’t bet on that.

4. Stay away from the most used hashtags
Yeah, I know, we all want to get more followers right. Justin Bieber has 8.3 million Instagram followers (May 2013) and it’s totally reasonable for you to get at least half of that. Within the next month. Yeah right. And the trick to your followers explosion is more hashtags. Especially the ones that everyone uses.
How many friends can you really have if you’re not famous? Best trick on getting more followers? Post great photos. Good content always wins. And of course make sure other people, preferably those with a lot of followers, tag you (more then once).

The no go hashtag list for me contains of #followme #swag #lol #instagdaily #popularpage #like #picstitch #10likes #20likes #30likes…. yeah you get it…. Embarrassing.
Huffington Post made a top 100 of most used Instagram hashtags, and I’m glad to say I’ve never used most of them….. #tbt and #friends might be the only 2.

5. Tag others when you can (as they most likely will do the same)
Tagging others in an Instagram post is a way of letting your followers know who else they should follow. It’s a stamp of approval more or less. And once they see that you tag them they will most likely do the same in the future. It’s all about supporting those who support you right?

Have a question? Feedback? Drop a comment here or tag me (@fredvanschie) on Instagram or Twitter. Or shoot me an email at [email protected]

For more Instagram tips see part 9 from a while back. Until next time! Quite possibly next week….

Five Facebook Tips 11

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Fred van Schie

Here are some more Facebook tips and tricks that could help your Facebook Page grow and also reach more people. On average 8% of your fans see your updates, but there are some easy ways to increase this number. And with that reach more past/present/future consumers.

1. Your “Talking About This” number is more important then your “Likes”
So you have all these likes/fans on your Facebook page, but what are these users doing with your posts? And how are you interacting with them? Being social is key in social media!
The goal I’ve set (for my clients) is to get the “Talking About This” number up to 10-15% of your total amount of likes/fans, as this has a big impact on how many fans see your posts (Post Reach). And this is not easy. It also requires work. And time. And patience. This is a marathon, not a spring, and I know you can do it.
The “Talking About This” number measures the amount of people that have interact with your posts in the last 7 days. So it changes daily. And if people don’t like, comment, or share your post, the chance that they will see a future post goes down too. Facebook thinks that if fans not interact with a post now, they must not like the stuff you are posting. So why would they want to see you’re next post if your current one doesn’t interest them?

2. Turn-off your messages
There is no need for your social media person to start messaging/emailing back with single fans on a daily basis. Turn off your messages and make sure your “Post By Others” wall is turned on. Now your fans can post questions/comments/complaints on there, and you have a chance to respond to them in public. So there’s less chance you get asked the same things on a daily basis, cause you already posted the answer on a similar question earlier. You will have to reply to the same questions over and over again, but less then if you leave your messages on. People also won’t go back and forth with you in public (on the “Post By Other” wall) then in a private (Facebook) message.

3. Keep your “Post By Others” wall on
This is a big one for me. Giving people a chance to talk to you (and about you) gives you a chance to interact with them. And built a relationship, so it’s not just a one-off type of thing.
And yes, not all the stuff people say about you is pretty. The “Post By Others” wall will show the good, the bad, and the ugly. So be ready, but don’t be afraid.
“Do I delete complaints?” some of you might ask? Hell no! Man the fuck up! For everyone to see! What are you trying to hide otherwise?
The only things you want to delete of the “Post By Others” wall is spam and discriminating stuff of any kind. For any type of reasonable complaint, just man up, apologize, and offer a solution. If needed you can give them an email address to take it offline. Saying sorry and showing that you care means a lot to people.
People know things go wrong, whether it’s shipping or product failing. Showing, in public, that you are taking care off these issues will only improve your brand image.
Turning off your “Post By Others” wall will force people to go somewhere else (forums/websites/Yelp/etc…) where you might not be able to contact them as good as on Facebook. And what does tell about your brand anyway? “We don’t like to interact with our past/present/future consumers.” Who would want to send out that message?

4. Respond to all the things people post on the “Post By Others” wall
It’s not really about what you post, it’s how you interact. Having the option to interact with your past/present/future consumers is what makes social media such a valuable tool. Again, it gives you a chance to built a relationship, and you can turn a one-time buyer into a lifetime consumer, and, even better, a brand advocate.
So reply to all the things people post. Whether they posted a photo showing they just bought your product, or if they’re asking for stickers/advice, or if they shared a video with you. Keep it short and simple. Saying “thank you (for the support)” goes a looooong way!
And your “Post By Others” wall also shows who has tagged you on Facebook, from another Page and from a personal profile. See you know who’s sending their fans your way, and who you have to email/call to make sure they tag you next time!

5. Post interactive posts
In order to increase your Post Reach, and your “Talking About This”, you need people to like, comment, and share your posts. If they do that the chance that they will see your future posts will increase as well. So ask them a question, show 2 different products, ask them for feedback, etc. And with your current fans interacting with your post, their friends will notice that too, and then they’ll come over to check out your page, and possibly become a fan.
Our friends are always are best filter for thing, especially in a time where we get overwhelmed with content, ads, emails, text messages, billboards, etc. So have your current fans tell their friends about you, and you’re golden. Word of mouth still is the best form of advertising. And social media puts word of mouth on steriods. The average Facebook fan has 229 friends, so think about how many people you can reach through your current fans.
And of course you want to make sure your posts are a mix of things. Don’t just posts questions, don’t just post photos, and don’t just post links to your blog.

Good luck and have fun being social. It really should be fun to run a Facebook page. If not you should have someone else do it for you, cause your fans love to interact with you!

Hope this is once again helpfull.

Check out Facebook tips part 10 for more (Timeline) tips and tricks. Questions or comments? Drop ‘em below! Or post them on my Facebook Page at Facebook.com/FredvanSchie. Or shoot me an email at [email protected]

Fred van Schie

Social Media consultant

Monthly Archives: May 2013