Archives for August 2016
Why is Post Interaction Down In Social Media?
In the past year post interaction rates have declined on social media. Although Instagram is still in the lead, they took a drastic dive in post interaction rate in the first half of the year. Their interaction rate dropped 26%. This comes after a big drop in 2015. According to a study done by Quintly, they went from 4.96 in the beginning of the year to 3.10 at the end.
Which social media platform is best for which industry? What has caused the drop in engagement on social media?
The drop in Interaction Rate was caused by two main factors:
- During the year of 2015, there was a high increase of post frequency for the average profile causing timelines to be crowded. More posts don't necessarily equal more interaction.
- Formula to calculate Interaction Rate. IR = (All Interactions) / (Posts + Followers) This means that the more followers each profile has the smaller the interaction rate will be.
At the start of 2016, Facebook launched Audience Optimization. This new tool is one for publishers to keep their eye on â especially as it grows from its infant phase. Audience Optimization was built to help publishers specifically target and engage their audience. By using the tool, page administrators are able to identify users most likely to interact with a post, and in turn, craft posts more relevant to those users. What does Facebook Audience Optimization do?
The interaction rate on Instagram has levelled out in June after updating the newsfeed algorithm. Instagram's average engagement rate was 10 times higher than Facebook's for the first six months of the year.
Facebook and Linkedin have both seen an interaction rate drop of 8%. Twitter, on the other hand, has gained a small 1% increase even though it still has the lowest interaction rate of them all.
So which industries are getting the best interaction and on which social media platform? Well, a study done by TrackMaven gives us the details. When it comes to the highest number of interactions per post, most industries do better on Instagram. They are: (all interaction numbers are per 1000 followers per post) Apparel & fashion (14,866), automotive (7,620), broadcast media (11,180), consumer electronics (30,845), entertainment (48,088), food & beverage (5,190), marketing & advertising (1,483) and retail (5,408). Coming in second with interactions per post is Facebook. Those companies that are doing well on Facebook are banking (550) and newspapers (641).
The social media world is always changing. Always remember to keep a close eye on what is happening to maximize your ads in the various platforms.
What can your small business do about dropping engagement rates on social media?
According to Russ Henneberry at DigitalMarketer and our experience with our clients at Viral Solutions success comes through social listening. Henneberry describes social listening as the monitoring of and the act of responding to customer service and reputation management issues on the social web. Social listening success is about assigning a community manager and building an internal process called a feedback loop. Great small businesses recognize that social media is just another phone on the desk and somebody needs to constantly monitor it. Each social media platform must have a community manager that listens for customer service issues and chooses to immediately respond or to route those conversations to a customer care team. Furthermore, social listening involves using tools that can listen for discussion about competitive brands, topics of interest, competitor brands, influencers in your area of expertise and other people mentioning your organization.
No longer can your small business afford to post and ghost! In order to achieve success with social influence and social selling you must engage your social media audience members that like, share and engage with your content immediately!
Copyright 2016 Viral Solutions LLC
We help overwhelmed small business owners duplicate themselves – so business can be fun again
Viral Solutions LLC is a Digital Marketer Certified Partner, an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant and a Google Partner – Certified in AdWords.
Facebook Fighting Back Against Clickbait with Latest Algorithm Update
In what will surely be a welcome update for internet users who are sick of misleading and emotionally manipulative headlines and links, Facebook has announced a new change to its News Feed algorithm that will fight back against the proliferation of clickbait.
Even if you are unfamiliar with the term âclickbait,â you have likely seen it in action more times than you care to remember. A few examples:
- âPolice officer pulls over teen driver⊠and you wonât believe what happened next!â
- â27 Times Katy Perry Was Just Like Us. Number 4 is My Favorite!â
- âWe Put Five Digital Marketers in a Room for 10 Hours. What We Learned Was Shocking!â
Essentially, clickbait headlines come off as extremely desperate to get people to click through to their site, and in most cases, the content isnât even worthwhile. It is an emotionally manipulative practice that cheapens content marketing, paints all digital marketers with a bad brush and generally ruins user experience on social media.
Now, for the first time, a major web corporation in Facebook is coming out to try and put an end to the clickbait phenomenon that has dominated the internet in recent years.
How it works
When the team at Viral Solutions brings their minds to your business, you are getting all of our collective experiences. We will never sugar coat the reasons behind our input. We will not withhold our best solutions. We will not limit our implementation strategies. Instead, we tell you exactly how we see it and how you can proceed with your digital marketing to experience the best results. These results will be the sum of your strategy, your defined target audience, your commitment to serve your customer and our process of delivery. That means we are an integral part of your team!
While this is not the first time Facebook has made its feelings about clickbait known, this is the first time it has released algorithm updates specifically targeting clickbait content pushers.
Previously, methods for discerning what is and is not clickbait had been primarily based on guesswork. Now, however, its methods have become significantly more advanced.
In conducting research for its new algorithms, Facebook analysts combed through trends of thousands of headlines, analyzing patterns and comparing these patterns to the type of content they led to. Using this information, the company developed a system that will automatically read and scan headlines and links for tell-tale clickbait language like that shown above. Any links that do not meet Facebookâs new quality standards will get punished in terms of their visibility. Either they will get ranked lower on peopleâs news feeds, or they will not get ranked at all. Think of it as an email spam filter, but for content sharing on social media.
Whatâs particularly interesting about this new plan is that the analysis does not occur on a post-by-post basis. Repeat offenders who have their content regularly flagged by Facebookâs system will have all of their content punished, not just offending posts. These restrictions will only be lifted once the offender has stopped posting clickbait and is regularly producing and sharing content that once again meets Facebookâs standards.
What exactly is Facebook looking for?
To remove some of the subjectivity from its analysis of shared content, Facebook has announced what it believes to be the two primary signs of clickbait.
The first sign is withholding important information from readers. This would include examples like âWhat happened next was amazing,â or âI cried at 30 seconds into this video,â or âWhat this police officer did will restore your faith in humanity.â These are headlines specifically designed to create curiosity, but in a dishonest and manipulative way. Rather than letting the quality of the content draw viewers in, these headlines are attempting to play off of psychological triggers that trick you into clicking through.
The second sign is headlines that intentionally mislead readers. This includes quotes taken out of context or contorted to fit an agenda, information or quotes that are completely made up, headlines that push a misleading narrative, headlines that are made to shock readers rather than provide accurate information, etc. This type of clickbait is a little harder to spot, but itâs just as effective and just as dishonest.
Facebook has not expressly indicated any particular phrases it is searching for in headlines, it likely will never do so. But most people will know clickbait when they see it, and these clear definitions issued by Facebook give some guidelines to digital marketers who rely on click-through traffic from social media to garner attention for their companies.
What is the endgame?
Ultimately, Facebook simply wants publishers to create and share better content. Users are sick of being flooded with manipulative, low-quality content on a regular basis. The more publishers continue to push this content, the more it will drive users away from Facebook, which is the last thing the social media giant wants.
It is also a sign that more changes could potentially be on the way from Facebook in terms of its advertising guidelines. If it is taking a no-clickbait stance with its news feed algorithms, it would not be entirely surprising to see Facebook implement a âno clickbaitâ warning in its actual rules it lays out to advertisers.
While these changes will not prevent regular users from finding and sharing clickbait stories to their timelines (and thus having them show up in their friendsâ newsfeeds), they will be effective in curbing the amount of clickbait published by brands and instantly shared by users.
Going forward, then, digital marketers should be mindful of the headlines they are creating for their videos, blog posts and other content. There are plenty of ways to write engaging, interesting headlines without having to resort to cheap clickbait tactics. Focus on creating high-quality content, and let that be the most compelling factor for people who see the content you have shared.
If you had previously relied on clickbait-style headlines to get views, this doesnât necessarily mean you are in trouble. If the content you had was good, you can simply go back, edit the headline according to Facebookâs quality standards and re-share it on the social network.
Copyright 2016 Viral Solutions LLC
We help overwhelmed small business owners duplicate themselves – so business can be fun again
Viral Solutions LLC is a Digital Marketer Certified Partner, an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant and a Google Partner – Certified in AdWords.
What Analytics Skills are Most Desired by Marketers?
A new study by Econsultancy and Lynchpin asked 350 company marketers which analytics skills were most desired in employees.
These are analytics skills that are most desired by digital marketers:
- Producing reports (77%)
- Using digital analytics tools (70%)
- Conversion rate optimization (66%)
- Project management (60%)
- Using business intelligence tools (58%)
- Stakeholder management (55%)
- Querying database (51%)
- Requirements gathering (49%)
- Quality assurance (38%)
- Statistical modeling (34%)
- Javascript programming (24%)
The effectiveness and user experience of a website is paramount to graphic design, yet design is a factor in conversion rate optimization. This has been an art form for digital marketers for many years now. However, structured testing has recently been kicked into high gear by the likes of Google and many other digital behemoths. That is evidenced by the move away from simple conversion rate optimization to the art of driving incremental revenue and profit.
The percentages indicate the amount of respondents who classified a skill as being in âhigh demand.â Producing reports was top of the list by quite a bit in terms of skill necessity. However, while they are in the most demand, they were also the skill that had the smallest skill gap among workers, according to those same respondents.
The largest skills gaps were in skills such as statistical modeling, business intelligence tools, conversion rate optimization, and digital analytics tools. In these skills, marketers had the greatest consensus that there is a significant gap between the top and bottom of the spectrum.
Other interesting trends were noticed in comparing this yearâs results to previous years. The use of digital analytics tool was the only skill out of the 11 measured in the list that had fewer respondents say there was a âhighâ demand in house. There was also a decline in the amount of respondents who noticed a significant skills gap in this particular area. So based on this information, it would seem marketers have become more successful at finding digital analytics specialists.
However, the opposite trend is seen in other categories on this list, such as the use of business intelligence tools. About 58 percent of this yearâs respondents listed this skill as being in high demand at their company, a significant jump from last yearâs 44 percent. Additionally, 44 percent of respondents ranked the use of business intelligence tools as an area in which there is a major skill gap, which is up from the 38 percent response rate last year. This could be explained in part by the overall rise in use of such tools. This year, 64 percent of companies reported using them, compared to just 54 last year.
Finally, 51 percent of respondents said they expect to have more money budgeted toward analytics technology, but this is down from 56 percent in 2015 and 61 percent in 2014.
For more information about getting the most out of your analytics, contact us at Viral Solutions.
Copyright 2016 Viral Solutions LLC
We help overwhelmed small business owners duplicate themselves – so business can be fun again
Viral Solutions LLC is a Digital Marketer Certified Partner, an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant and a Google Partner – Certified in AdWords.
Up Your Blog Game: Following Through On the Headline
When you write a headline for a blog post, you are making a commitment to deliver a message or information to the reader. You must take this seriously and stick to it until the last word is written. The introduction is an affirmation of this commitment. When you state your main ideas in the intro it is as if you are plotting goals or stepping stones that will ultimately lead to explaining the overall subject of the article.
This blog article, “Following Through On the Headline” will tell you how to fully expand your ideas to complete these goals, and deliver your message to the reader.
Want to educate, entertain, and inspire your audience with well-written and researched blog posts that keep you at the top of prospectsâ and customersâ minds? Contact us to get quality, done-for-you content delivered fast.
Expanding Your Ideas to the Max
Look at your ideas like a cozy cottage. A cottage that needs to be filled. But not with junk. No, no, no. Fill it with wonderful information that relates precisely to the point of the paragraph and conclusively to the title. You need a few good sentences of quality content per paragraph to get your point across. This relevant content is like soft but sturdy furniture, to make your reader comfortable and confident that their time is being well spent. As always be sure to stay on subject. Do not veer off the path.
Insert Media and Links
You can prop up a wobbly coffee table of ideas with images and links. A visual always helps explain a complicated point, or to just liven up the paragraph. The use of links gives the reader another room to explore at their own leisure.
For example: Letâs say you are writing about the latest web conference tools. After you give the important details on each product you can list a link to that products website. For instance: For more information about this great tool go to WebEx.com (actual website). The reader can then search and get more details that you might not have been able to fit into your blog.
Get to the Point
When writing the body of your blog remember to elaborate your main points with the important facts, leave out the weaker info. You want to fill your readers mind with the facts that will enable them to accomplish what they set out to do when they searched and read your article. You can use links and media to help emphasize your thoughts. Your readers will appreciate the knowledge they have gained and be confident that you can deliver with every post.
Over 600 articles written . . . just for ourselves
At Viral Solutions, we believe all small business owners deserve a shot at making it big. While we made our name as an Infusionsoft provider, we also provide a wide variety of high-quality digital marketing services, from web and graphic development to social media and copy-writing. We have helped clients in a number of industries to dramatically improve their digital marketing results over the years. Since our founding, we have been featured in the New York Times and the Huffington Post and have become a certified partner of both Infusionsoft and Digital Marketer. FEELING OVERWHELMED? We help overwhelmed small business owners duplicate themselves â so business can be FUN again.
Queen of the Machine for Viral Solutions LLC
“If a brand genuinely wants to make a social contribution, it should start with who they are, not what they do. For only when a brand has defined itself and its core values can it identify causes or social responsibility initiatives that are in alignment with its authentic brand story.” ~ Simon Mainwaring
2016 Summer Games: Who's Watching?
Another four years have past and the Summer Olympic Games are back. This time, they are in Brazil, Rio to be exact. A beautiful city full of culture, and a people who seem to love to celebrate! The heat of competition is in the air, history will be made and records are sure to be broken. But how many Americans are planning on watching this great event? In this article, we'll go over the stats.
There will be a number of people zoning out in front of the tube to watch some exciting Olympic Sports action this month. This year they are bringing back a truly amazing, fast pace, non-stop adrenaline filled sport to the competition; Rugby. Which in my biased opinion should increase the number of viewers. But back to the main point of the article. Recent polls show that about 17% of American adults(998 participants) will absolutely be watching the games and 32% are most likely to tune in.
Out of the 998 people surveyed, 485 of them are men, and 513 are women. Only 18% of the men are defiantly watching the games and 35% probably will. The women's stats are almost the same; 16% committed and 31% maybe viewers.
When it comes to age brackets the highest percentage of definite couch spectators are the 30 – 44-year-olds at 19%. As age increases the “for sure” watchers declines slightly but the numbers of “most likely's” go up. In the 45 – 64 age group 18% are committed to watch and 26% are probably going to. The 65 and older range will only have 15% definite viewers but 35% will most likely watch.
While looking at race demographics out of the total adults surveyed 699 are white, 124 are black, 116 are hispanic and 59 are of other race. 15% of whites will definitely be watching the games with 34% probably. 23% of blacks will be tuning in with 21% most likely to be. The hispanics show 27% of committed viewers while 32% of them said they would probably watch.
Looking at income ranges we find that the richest US adults are the most committed viewers with 24% of the 100K or more/year being definite viewers and 31% probably. But of course, they are the lowest percentage of Americans, of the total surveyed (124 out of 998). Falling in the middle are the 50 – 100 K/year group with 19%Â committed viewers and 29% of them most likely to watch. The largest group of the total surveyed (477 out of 998) make 50 K or less per year. Only 16% of this group plans to definitely watch the games and 34% probably will.
Copyright 2016 Viral Solutions LLC
Prior to joining Viral Solutions, Christine held executive leadership roles at some of the largest small business consulting firms in the USA. Her experience includes leading direct reports of over 130 remote sales agents who generated $38mm in annual revenue. She obtained her Marketing degree from British Columbia Institute of Technology. Bring her C-Suite experience to your small business. Although our company is virtual, and we can work with you wherever you are located, she is located in Denver, Colorado and owns a second home in Vancouver, BC Canada.
Viral Solutions LLC is a Digital Marketer Certified Partner and an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant.
We help overwhelmed small business owners duplicate themselves – so business can be fun again.