Archive for October 2012
7 Social Media Mistakes that Can Keep Your Content from Going Viral
Social media marketing may not be rocket science, but there is still a large science component to it. If you want your content to spread, you have to look at the numbers and stop making gut decisions.
Over the last 5 years I’ve learned how to successfully push content out on through social media so that it spreads virally. And more importantly I’ve learned what not to do.
So if you want to ensure that your content spreads, avoid the following 7 mistakes:
Mistake #1: Timing doesn’t matter
You can’t write content and publish it in the middle of the night, and expect it to spread virally. Social sites like Twitter and Facebook have peak usage times and if you can submit your content to those sites during the ideal days and times it will be more likely to spread.
48% of Twitter users are on Eastern Standard Time, they are most likely to retweet on Wednesdays, around 5pm. Links on Twitter tend to get clicked on the most within the first hour of them being posted.
So if you want to share something on Twitter, tweet it on Wednesday at 5pm EST.
And if you want to share something on Facebook and get the most amount of likes, don’t post more than once every 2 days. Also to get the most likes, post on Saturday at noon EST.
Mistake #2: All social buttons are the same
On Quick Sprout I tested the placement of social media buttons at the top and bottom of my blog posts. Surprisingly, people have a tendency to share posts before they read them as the social media buttons at the top of the post got 117% more clicks than the ones at the bottom.
In addition to that, I tried using scrolling social buttons such as theSharebar, which got 226% more clicks than the social media buttons at the top of the post.
When I tested the combination of the scrolling social buttons with social buttons at the top, it underperformed by 29% compared to scrolling buttons in combination with buttons at the bottom.
If you want to get the most social shares, consider placing social media buttons at the bottom of your blog post in combination with scrolling social buttons like the Sharebar.
Mistake #3: Shares matter, not traffic
Most bloggers and content marketers focus on how many likes their content gets on Facebook or tweets they get on Twitter. In theory, if you have more shares, you should get more traffic, but that isn’t always the case. If no one clicks through from Facebook or Twitter to your website, you won’t get any visitors.
Instead of just focusing on the pure number of social shares, you should also be looking at traffic. A good way to boost your traffic from these social sites is to analyze your click through rate.
According to this blog post by Dan Zarrella, the optimum place to leave a link on Twitter is right at the 25% mark. So not at the beginning, end or even middle… make sure you add it right on the 25% mark if you want to boost your Twitter traffic.
Mistake #4: People read content during the same peak times they share it
There is a huge timing difference between when people prefer to read content versus sharing it. Based on mistake number 1, you know people prefer Wednesday for Twitter and Saturday for Facebook.
People prefer to read blogs on Monday at 11am EST. They prefer commenting on blogs at 9am EST on Saturday.
If you are also targeting a female audience for your blog, never post during the evening or night; women prefer to read blog posts before noon EST.
Mistake #5: Focusing on all social channels
I talked about placement of social media buttons earlier, but I didn’t talk about the number of social sites you should promote. On Quick Sprout I tested placing buttons for 3, 4 and 5 different social media sites. No matter how many social media buttons I used, less than 9% of people clicked on more than one social button.
But, there was a huge difference on how many people clicked on the social media buttons when there 3 buttons versus 5. Although there were fewer options when I just placed 3 buttons, there was an increase in click throughs by 11%. As for click through percentage difference between 4 buttons and 3, there wasn’t statistical significance between the two.
People have a tendency to only share your content on 1 social site, so ideally you shouldn’t have more than 3 social media buttons. If you have over 50,000 monthly visitors, consider placing 4 social buttons.
Mistake #6: Tweeting your content once
Even if you tweet during optimal days and times, it doesn’t mean that everyone is going to see your tweet. Although 82% of Twitter users have less than 350 followers, 18% still have more than that. And just because that 18% number is small, you shouldn’t ignore it as Twitter has over 500 million users.
Out of all of your followers, the ones who also follow thousands of other people, probably won’t see most of your tweets. And if they don’t see your tweets, they won’t be able to retweet them or click through over to your website.
According to a test Mark Suster ran, you should consider tweeting your blog posts at least twice. He got an extra 56% more visitors from Twitter by just tweeting a blog post again. You can also tweet your content 3 or even 4 times, but the more you tweet the same post, the less clicks each one will receive as many of your followers would have already seen it.
Mistake #7: Slow and steady wins the race
In the social media world, it is all about speed. The more shares your content gets within a short period of time, the better off you are…especially on Facebook.
Facebook takes momentum into account, so if your content is gaining a ton of likes at a quick pace, more people are going to see it within their feeds.
I did a quick test in which I bought 50 likes within the first 30 minutes to one content piece and I bought 50 likes spread over 8 hours to the second content piece. Both of the content pieces where the same, but the one that got 50 likes within the first hour ended up with a total of 142 likes and 10 comments. The second variation ended up with 95 likes and 7 comments.
If you want your content to spread on the social web, you need to get a lot of shares within a very short period of time.
Conclusion
If you avoid the 7 social media mistakes above, your content is more likely to flourish and spread. Now when you decide to leverage the above tips, don’t just assume they are going to work for you, make sure you test them out with your content. Based on where most of your website visitors live and the demographics of your audience, the results maybe different for you.
That tablet is killing your back
Hello it's tuesday here and i found this very interesting article for all you people who love using tablets.....
For us humans, it seems there’s always something new that is negatively affecting our health. Now it’s your iPad (or any other tablet device that you may be using).
A Harvard study outlines the various ways these nefarious devices are plaguing us. Basically, users tend to bend their necks more while using a tablet than with a laptop or desktop. Because tablet use can change your posture, this can “cause extra strain on the neck and shoulder muscles,” according to the study.
For us humans, it seems there’s always something new that is negatively affecting our health. Now it’s your iPad (or any other tablet device that you may be using).
A Harvard study outlines the various ways these nefarious devices are plaguing us. Basically, users tend to bend their necks more while using a tablet than with a laptop or desktop. Because tablet use can change your posture, this can “cause extra strain on the neck and shoulder muscles,” according to the study.
21 Social Media Statistics That May Shock You
- Online adults aged 25-54 are 23% more likely than the average U.S. Internet user to follow a brand via social networking. (source: Nielsen) Think about your audience and see where they are most likely to follow your brand. Tweetthisstat
- Failure to respond via social channels can lead to up to a 15% increase in churn rate for existing customers. (source: Gartner) Customers are turning to social media outlets to unleash their frustration or questions. Make sure you are actively engaged on your social networks. Tweetthisstat!
- 49% of the top 20% of B2B marketers in generating leads through social media integrate online video with social media, compared to the industry average of 32%. (source: Factbrowser) Videomarketing is a powerful tool that personalizes your brand and increases conversions. Tweetthisstat!
- Social technologies could potentially contribute $900B to $1.3T in annual value across four industry sectors. (source: McKinseyGlobalInstitute) It’s no longer a buzzword; social media is changing how brands interact with their customers. Tweetthisstat!
- People are most likely to engage with branded content on social media that contains pictures (44%), status updates (40%) and videos (37%). (source: Performics) Lujure has a great post about how to increase engagement on your fan page. Tweetthisstat!
Facebook-connected shoppers are 9 times more likely to share content with friends.(source: SociableLabs) Give your Facebook Connected users ample ways of sharing your content or product. Tweetthisstat!
- Users who log into third-party sites with Facebook Connect spend an average of 50% more time on those sites and view twice as many pages. (source: Gigya) When people login with their Facebook account, there is a sense of trust that they are giving you. Use it wisely and give them a good conversion path to follow. Tweetthisstat!
- 20% of Facebook users have purchased something because of ads or comments they saw on the site. (source: Factbrowser) A combined effort of social media campaigns along with ads can yield great results. Tweetthisstat!
- Facebook links posted from 1pm to 4pm EST result in the highest average click throughs.(source: Bitly) Consider using an image or video with each post to drive engagement. Tweetthisstat!
Tweets with one or two hashtags receive 21% higher engagement than those with three or more hashtags. (source: BuddyMedia) Make sure you are utilizing relevant and trending hashtags in your tweets. Tweetthisstat!
- U.S. consumers who use Twitter follow an average of 8.5 retail companies on the site.(source: Shop.org) Figure out what your followers want from you and keep them engaged.Tweetthisstat!
- Tweets containing less than 100 characters received 17% higher engagement than longer Tweets. (source: BuddyMedia) Even with just 140 characters, shorter relevant content performs best.Tweetthisstat!
- Twitter posts from 1-3pm EST Monday through Thursday get the highest average click throughs. (source: Bitly) Try using tools like Buffer or Timely to auto schedule your posts.Tweetthisstat!
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Pinterest generates over 4x as much revenue per click (attributable to first touch) as Twitter and 27% more revenue per click than Facebook. (source: VentureBeat) Now that anyone can join Pinterest, there are no more excuses.Tweetthisstat!
- 57% of Pinterest users interact with food-related content, the #1 category of content.(source: Compete) Bonobos sells men’s clothing, but has a pinboard of ShitNinjasEat. Lesson is to get creative with your Pinterest presence.Tweetthisstat!
- Pinterest buyers spend more money, more often, and on more items than any of the other top 5 social media sites. (source: comScore) Airbnb does a great job of posting great photos to inspire new travel destinations. Tweetthisstat!
- The average order on Shopify by customers referred by Pinterest is $80, compared to $40 for Facebook. (source: Shopify) Consider pinning items currently on sale or seasonal pieces to drive engagement and conversions. Tweetthisstat!
Google+
Google+ pages appear in search results for 30% of brand term searches for brands with G+ pages, up from 5% in February 2012. (source:BrightEdge) It’s no secret that search is becoming more social. Make sure your brand has a presence on Google+. Tweetthisstat!
- The most commonly circled brands on Google+ are in the electronics industry, followed by beverages, internet services, and apparel.(source: SimplyMeasured) If your brand falls into any of the above categories then increase your Google+ activity. Tweetthisstat!
- 40% of marketers use Google+, 70% want to learn more about it and 67% plan on increasing Google+ activities. (source: SocialMediaExaminer) Google+ will remain an integral part of social media and organic search. Tweetthisstat!
- The leading occupation among Google+ users is student, with 20%. (source: WebsiteMonitoring) Even more reason to be on Google+ especially if your target market is students. Tweetthisstat!
Facebook surpasses one billion users as it tempts new markets
Facebook now has more than one billion people using it every month, the company has said.
The passing of the milestone was announced by founder Mark Zuckerberg on US television on Thursday.
The company said that those billion users were to date responsible for 1.13 trillion "likes", 219 billion photos and 17 billion location check-ins.
The site, which was launched in 2004, is now looking towards emerging markets to build its user base further.
"If you're reading this: thank you for giving me and my little team the honor of serving you," Mr Zuckerberg wrote in a status update.
"Helping a billion people connect is amazing, humbling and by far the thing I am most proud of in my life."
Statistics released to coincide with the announcement revealed there were now 600 million users accessing the site via a mobile device - up 48 million from 552 million in June this year.
Since its early beginnings at Harvard University, Facebook users have befriended each other 140.3 billion times.
Sustained growth is seen as crucial if Facebook is to maintain its value - the company has seen its share price drop to about $22 (£17) from a starting price of $38.
Investors will expect the company to look at ways to make more from the users it already has as well as seeking to attract new users in areas of the world where it does not yet dominate.
"For Facebook the main challenge is not just to grow in terms of numbers, but more importantly to deepen and enrich engagements," said Eden Zoller, principal analyst at tech research firm Ovum.
TV chat show
Although the service is by far the world's biggest social network, there are key areas, such as China and Russia, where local competitors still remain the online networking tool of choice.
Last month, Mr Zuckerberg visited Moscow, where he made his first TV chat show appearance, as well as a highly publicised meeting with the Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev.
It was a public-relations exercise designed to unsettle VKontakte - a network that boasts in excess of 300 million members, compared with Facebook's seven million, in the country.
In the same trip, Mr Zuckerberg made a "surprise" visit to one of the company's arranged hack-a-thons to meet local developers.
Other trips include to China, where the company said it was busy "watching and learning" from other internet firms.
Google, which launched in China in 2005, faced fierce criticism when it agreed to allow censorship of search results. It later changed its stance, and now directs all of its traffic through its Hong Kong-based site.
Success for Facebook in China would mean unseating RenRen (more than 30 million users) and possibly the Twitter-like service Sina Weibo (more than 300 million users).
'Every phone'
In Africa, Facebook has targeted the use of basic phones - known widely as "feature phones" - which are unable to display the full-featured site, but instead can use specially created variations of the network.
Specifically, a project called Facebook for Every Phone, which was launched following the company's acquisition of feature-phone specialists Snaptu, is central to its growth strategy in the region.
"Facebook is doing very well in Africa," said Erik Hersman, a Kenyan-based blogger.
"You even see people using it in the rural areas - often people will ask for a phone with Facebook on it, not caring/knowing about the internet at all."
There are considerable monetisation opportunities too. The continent has, at a pace far outstripping the west, adopted mobile payment systems in huge numbers - more than 15 million in Kenya alone.
In developed markets, one path to better engagement with users could be through new features that make use of Facebook's vast quantities of personal data about each of its members.
In recent weeks, Facebook has been looking to monitor the real-world effects of advertising on the platform.
These efforts are key if the company is to convince businesses that investing in the platform is not a waste of money - recent admissions over "fake" users and have dented the site's credibility.
It has enlisted the help of US market research firm Datalogix to try to produce evidence that seeing an advert on Facebook - without necessarily clicking on it - is enough of an engagement to get people buying products in shops.
Data 'goldmine'
However, this vast data bank is tricky to utilise, according to Ovum's Ms Zoller.
"There's no doubt that Facebook is sitting on a potential goldmine of customer data," she said.
"But that goldmine can also be a minefield. We know that Facebook, despite its claims to the contrary, constantly pushes the boundaries of what's seen as acceptable in regards to data privacy."
This goldmine could swell further. In the UK,ministers are said to be considering using Facebook, among other services, to act as official identification for accessing public services online.
Such advancements are being noted by data regulators. In Europe in particular, Facebook has been faced with increased demands to tighten data privacy practices.
The company, which has based its European headquarters in Ireland, was last month told by the Irish Data Protection Commissioner, Billy Hawkes, that it must amend its Phototag feature - a tool powered by facial recognition software.
Following an extensive audit, the commission also sought extra assurances from Facebook over issues surrounding account deletion and targeted advertising.
As it continues to innovate and evolve, the company would need to get used to finding itself audited and investigated, said Ms Zoller.
"They're so high-profile," she said.
"They're a bit of a poster boy, but they could be a whipping boy if they're not careful."
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facebook,
social media
