Facebook promoted lies and conspiracy theories following Amtrak crash

1/31/2018

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Facebook promoted lies and conspiracy theories following Amtrak crash

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Facebook promoted lies and conspiracy theories following Amtrak crash

Same old.

Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

By Jack Morse2018-02-01 01:54:03 UTC

Facebook just can't help itself.

Following news Wednesday morning that an Amtrak train full of Congressional Republicans crashed into a truck, the social media site was soon promoting conspiracy theories and lies purporting to explain the sinister forces behind the tragedy that left one person dead.

For a company that has publicly and repeatedly been accused of enabling the spread of so-called "fake news," this is just yet another major misstep in a long line of missteps.

First spotted by The Daily Beast's Ben Collins, Facebook's screw up du jour involved the "People Are Saying" section of Trending Topics. The phrase "Charlottesville, Virginia," which is near where the train wreck occurred, was trending, and clicking through brought a Facebook user to a page with information about the incident.

Scrolling down the page just a bit would get you to the "People Are Saying" section — a collection of theoretically on-topic posts by Facebook users. Unfortunately, the posts Facebook chose to highlight promoted outlandish conspiracy theories and straight up blamed Democrats for the crash.

Interestingly, Collins and this reporter were shown many of the same conspiracy-promoting messages.

One such post read, in part, as follows: "The amount of vitriol the 'left' had about the Presidents [sic] address, and even people on the internet calling for his death (probably paid agitators), this could be a either a false flag or inside job."

And Facebook selected that post to feature, along with another which claimed the crash was "something like radical liberal Democrats would do."

The very top People Are Saying post wasn't much better and implied that Democrats might have somehow been involved in the wreck.

We reached out to Facebook to determine how posts are selected to be featured in People Are Saying, and how the above posts were selected. And, shocker, the long and short of it is that no people are involved in the process on Facebook's end — suggesting that like many things at the company, it's automated.

“Trending includes a separate section of people’s individual posts related to the news event; it’s essentially a comments section," explained a Facebook spokesperson. "We built this as a way for you to easily see what others are saying around a topic. The type of stuff we're seeing today is a bad experience and we're going to work to fix the product."

A bad experience, indeed.

Facebook has one of the largest megaphones on the planet, and what it chooses to do with it matters. Abdicating the selection process for People Are Saying to an algorithm does not absolve the company of responsibility when said algorithm spotlights conspiracy theories and lies.

When Facebook promotes a post that claims "Democrats just sabotaged a train full of Republicans and made it crash into a garbage truck," it's doing all of us a disservice. Which, in the end, this coming from a company that has struggled to come to terms with its effect on everything from our democracy to users' mental health, shouldn't be much of a surprise.

But that doesn't make it OK.

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January 31, 2018 at 08:00PM

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Twitter now says 1.4 million people interacted with Russian trolls during 2016 presidential campaign

1/31/2018

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Twitter now says 1.4 million people interacted with Russian trolls during 2016 presidential campaign

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Twitter has now updated the number of people engaging with Russian trolls during the 2016 presidential campaign to 1.4 million. That’s more than double the initial 677,775 Twitter originally said had seen, followed or retweeted one of these accounts earlier this month.

The new number reflects those who may have also replied to or @ mentioned these accounts.

“We have expanded the number of people notified about interactions with Twitter accounts potentially connected to a propaganda effort by a Russian government-linked organization known as the Internet Research Agency,” Twitter said in the update. “Our goal in providing these notifications is to advance public awareness of and engagement with the important issues raised in our blog post, and provide greater transparency to our account holders and the public.”

Twitter also said it would only notify these people of certain interactions but that it would not be notifying everyone who ever saw one of these accounts on its platform.

However, Twitter also noted it may notify more people in the future. “As our review continues, we may also email additional users,” Twitter said. “If and when we do so, we will do our best to keep the public updated.”

The total number of Russian-linked troll accounts, as we reported earlier in January, is over 50,000, of which 3,800 were thought to be from the Internet Research Agency (IRA).

The IRA is a Russian company with Kremlin ties that has been exposed as organizing purposeful disinformation campaigns in the U.S. and elsewhere — including attempting to influence the 2016 presidential election.

The news furthers the perception that social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, which has acknowledged its own Russian troll army problems during the election, are not making enough of an effort to shutter disinformation campaigns that have contributed to swaying the voting public.

Further — and despite a promise of more transparency — the notification seems to have added to the confusion. Ars Technica’s Cyrus Farivar, who was sent one of the notification emails lamented that Twitter didn’t name names. “What exactly am I supposed to do with this email?,” Farivar asked.

.@twitter just told me that I followed/replied/mentioned/retweeted a Russian bot account. But which one was it?

It’s not saying.

What exactly am I supposed to do with this email? pic.twitter.com/C2saIFZXqU

— Cyrus Farivar (@cfarivar) January 31, 2018

Here’s the full update from Twitter’s blog:

Updated on January 31, 2018

We have expanded the number of people notified about interactions with Twitter accounts potentially connected to a propaganda effort by a Russian government-linked organization known as the Internet Research Agency. Our notice efforts are focused on certain types of interactions, and they will not encompass every person that ever saw this content. Our goal in providing these notifications is to advance public awareness of and engagement with the important issues raised in our blog post, and provide greater transparency to our account holders and the public.

We have now sent notices to Twitter users with an active email address who our records indicate are based in the US and fall into at least one of the following categories:

People who directly engaged during the election period with the 3,814 IRA-linked accounts we identified, either by Retweeting, quoting, replying to, mentioning, or liking those accounts or content created by those accounts;

People who were actively following one of the identified IRA-linked accounts at the time those accounts were suspended; and

People who opt out of receiving most email updates from Twitter and would not have received our initial notice based on their email settings.

Approximately 1.4 million people have now received a notification from Twitter. We will be sending a short survey to a small group of people who received our notification to gain feedback on this process. As our review continues, we may also email additional users. If and when we do so, we will do our best to keep the public updated.

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January 31, 2018 at 04:38PM

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This family took on the TidePod challenge and it's not what you think

1/31/2018

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This family took on the TidePod challenge and it's not what you think

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The Oribello family in Colorado pretended to take part in the Tide Pod Challenge by swapping out the detergent pods for frosted treats. The family claims to have posted the video to raise awareness of the dangers of eating TidePods. Some in the comment section praised them for their successful prank, while others criticized their actions. Read more...

More about Watercooler, Twitter, Youtube, Viral Videos, and Home

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January 31, 2018 at 10:44AM

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8 CRO Quick Wins for Ecommerce Sites

1/31/2018

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8 CRO Quick Wins for Ecommerce Sites

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How well does your ecommerce website convert?

On average, ecommerce sites in the United States convert at about a 3% rate.

If you’re hovering somewhere around that number, you might think your website is already optimized for high conversions.

Even if you think you’re doing well, there’s always room for improvement.

In fact, some of the top performing websites, such as the Google Play Store, have a conversion rate close to 30%.

Companies such as the Dollar Shave Club have roughly a 20% conversion rate.

Do you still think 3% is sufficient?

I don’t.

If you have an ecommerce website, you need to constantly make improvements that add credibility to your website. This will help you get more conversions.

For the most part, these changes won’t cost you much money but will bring a massive return.

You could double or even triple your conversion rates in just a few months by implementing some of these conversion rate optimization (CRO) strategies.

Those of you who don’t know how to optimize your ecommerce site for conversions are in luck.

I’m an expert in this space and have plenty of experience consulting businesses about their CRO.

I’ve come up with a list of the top eight ways for ecommerce sites to increase their conversions.

Here’s how you can get started right away.

1. Simplify the checkout process

How long does it take for someone to complete a purchase once they’re done browsing on your website?

Studies show 27% of shoppers abandon their carts on an ecommerce website because the checkout process is too long and complicated:

On average, the number of steps to check out on an ecommerce website is 5.42.

If you’re somewhere in that average range, nearly 30% of your prospective customers think your checkout process is too long.

Think about how much money you’re leaving on the table.

The more steps a customer has to take to complete the checkout, the more likely they’ll abandon the cart.

It gives them too many reasons to back out.

Don’t give them an excuse. Finalize your sale.

Get back to the basics, and narrow down the information you actually need from the customer:

shipping information
payment information
email address to send a receipt.

That’s really it.

You don’t need to know their favorite color or who referred them to your website.

While additional insight may be beneficial to your marketing department, you still have plenty to work with from just those few pieces of information.

Based on the shipping location, you know where the customer lives. You have their name from their payment information. And you have a way to contact them via email.

Now you can send them a confirmation email as part of an actionable drip campaign to try to cross-sell and upsell products based on the customer’s current order or location.

You can even personalize that message since you know the customer’s name.

Don’t force your customers to fill out a form that’s longer than paperwork at the doctor’s office.

Simplify your checkout process and only ask for essential information needed to complete the sale.

2. Highlight items that are on sale

Most online shoppers—86% of them-- say it’s important for them to compare prices from different sellers before making a purchase.

It’s no secret price is an important factor when it comes to a purchase decision.

That’s why you shouldn’t hide your discounted items.

Take a look at how Macy’s highlights markdowns on their homepage:

The website is absolutely plastered with buzz words like:

free
X% off
markdowns
sale

That’s why they are able to get higher conversions than their competitors.

Customers love to get a deal.

Buying something that’s on sale makes your customers feel better about spending money.

All too often I see companies try to hide their sale items.

They would rather sell items listed at a full price.

That’s a big mistake.

Instead, highlight discounted products and services.

You can always try to cross-sell or upsell to those customers later by enticing them to buy something else through other marketing efforts.

3. Display multiple pictures of the product for sale

You shouldn’t be selling anything based on just a description.

Your customers want to see exactly what they’re purchasing.

Make sure your images are high quality and portray the item in question accurately.

Here’s a great example from Lululemon to show you what I’m talking about:

There are six different pictures of just one pair of shorts.

They show the product from different angles and even zoom in on some of the top features like a pocket that’s designed to keep a cell phone secure.

Pictures are much more reliable in relating information about a product than a written description of it.

You can apply the same concept to your ecommerce site.

Sure, it may take you a little bit more time to set up each product.

You’ll have to take more pictures and include additional images on your website.

But I’m sure you’ll notice a positive impact in terms of your conversions after you implement this strategy.

4. Provide live chat support for customers who are shopping

Even if your website is very informative, some customers may still have questions while they’re shopping.

You should set up a live chat option for your site visitors to communicate with a customer service representative.

Imagine someone wants to buy something, but they don’t—simply because they have a question and don’t have a way to get an answer.

Try to offer an online shopping experience they would get inside a physical store, with a sales associate available to assist them.

Look at how Apple does it. They offer a live chat for shoppers on their website, and it looks like this:

They make it super easy for customers to get all their questions answered online.

This is especially important if your company sells products that may need some extra explanation.

Realize not all of your prospective and current customers may be experts in your industry.

Although your product descriptions may be accurate, it’s possible there’s some terminology the customer doesn’t understand.

Rather than forcing them to pick up the phone or do outside research, offer them a live chat. Receiving this type of help can be the deciding factor that leads to a conversion for this customer.

5. Offer multiple payment options

Imagine this.

Someone wants to buy something on your website, but they can’t because you don’t accept their preferred payment method.

This should never be the reason for you to miss out on conversions.

While I realize some credit card companies may charge you higher rates than others, it doesn’t mean you should restrict payment options for your customers.

Try to accommodate as many people as possible.

While I’m not suggesting you need to accept cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, you should be accepting every major credit card, e.g.:

Visa
MasterCard
American Express
Discover

You should even offer alternative payment options such as:

PayPal
Apple Pay
Venmo

Here’s an example from American Eagle:

They accept nine different payment methods on their ecommerce site.

You need to offer as many options as possible for your customers.

It all comes down to convenience.

Some companies may just accept MasterCard and Visa.

They figure those are popular options, so everyone must have one, right?

But here’s the thing: you don’t know everyone’s financial situation.

While someone may have a Visa, it could already have a high balance on it, forcing them to use a different payment method.

Others may want to use their American Express card or Discover card because they get better rewards there.

And some people may not want to use a credit card at all if they have a sufficient PayPal balance.

The more options you offer, the greater the chance you’ll appeal to a wider audience.

Don’t assume everyone wants to pay with the cards you accept if that selection is limited.

Assume people will find a similar product elsewhere, where their preferred payment option is accepted, which will crush your conversion rates.

6. Have clear CTA buttons

Make sure your call-to-action buttons are clear.

They should be bold, standing out from other content on your website.

You can even put a box around the CTAs, clearly separating them from other text on each page.

Take a look at how The North Face does this on their website:

It’s clear which buttons on their homepage will direct customers to the right page.

Even though they have lots of different options, their website isn’t cluttered, and it’s organized in a professional way.

This makes navigation easy.

Now their customers can find what they’re looking for faster and start adding items to their carts.

Look at how the CTA button changes when a customer views an item:

Now the button is even more apparent because it’s red.

It stands out, so it’s clear what the customer should do.

Don’t hide your CTA buttons.

It should be easy for customers to navigate and add items to their carts.

Big, bold, clear, and colorful call-to-action buttons can help improve your conversion rates.

7. Include user reviews

Consider this: 88% of shoppers say they trust online reviews as much as they trust personal recommendations.

That means nearly 90% of people trust a stranger’s opinion online as if it were coming from their spouses, best friends, or family members.

Furthermore, 39% of people say they read product reviews on a regular basis, and only 12% of customers say they don’t check online reviews.

Basically, this means customers want to see what their peers have to say.

Encourage customers to review products they’ve purchased, and display those reviews on your website.

Take a look at how Johnston & Murphy does this on their ecommerce site:

More reviews means more credibility.

Obviously, you’re going to say only great things about the products you’re selling.

But other customers will be truthful about their experiences.

That’s why consumers trust these ratings and reviews.

Customers share personal stories about the uses of the products they purchased and the reasons for recommending them (or not).

Notice I also highlighted the chat option on the Johnston & Murphy website—a topic I covered earlier.

Don’t be upset if not all your reviews are absolutely perfect.

You’ll get some negative comments.

It happens.

Those negative remarks can actually help you. It shows shoppers your reviews are legitimate.

Hopefully, the positive ratings will largely outweigh the negative ones.

This will help you get more shoppers to convert and complete the purchase process.

8. Add a video demonstration

If your products are unique, include video demonstrations showing how to use them.

Here’s an example from the Training Masks website:

They have workout videos to show people how to use their product to train harder and smarter.

Since this product isn’t something you see every day, the majority of the population may not know how it works.

But don’t think you can’t use videos even if you’re selling something simple.

For example, everyone knows how to use a piece of luggage, right?

Well, that doesn’t stop Thule from including a video demonstration on their website:

The video shows all the hidden compartments of the bag.

It also shows customers how they can adjust the handles and straps and utilize other features.

In addition, you can include a video demonstration highlighting the features that set your product apart from similar products.

Even if you’re selling something simple, like a shirt, a video can show customers the item’s versatility for different occasions, scenarios, or weather conditions.

You just have to get creative.

Conclusion

Your ecommerce site should be making more money.

Don’t settle for average.

Take steps to improve your conversion rates.

You can make subtle changes or additions to your site that will get more people to make purchases.

Start by simplifying the checkout process. You’ll get higher conversions with fewer steps.

Emphasize items that are on sale or discounted.

Include multiple photos of each product from different angles.

Allow your customers to chat online with customer service representatives to answer any questions they might have while shopping.

This will give your customers the same feeling they get whenever they are shopping inside a brick-and-mortar store.

Don’t restrict payment options. Offer as many payment methods as possible to appeal to a wider audience of prospective shoppers.

Your CTA buttons need to be big, bold, and clear.

When placed in proper locations, these buttons can help you get more conversions.

Make sure you include customer reviews for all your products.

These recommendations can encourage others to make a purchase.

Create videos showing detailed explanations of how your products work.

This is the perfect chance for you to highlight the unique features of your product.

These tips are easy to implement, and they won’t cost you much money at all.

Trust me, they work.

You can start applying some of these elements to your website right away.

What have you done to increase conversion rates on your ecommerce site?

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January 31, 2018 at 10:00AM

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How to Drive Traffic With Your Facebook Cover Photo

1/31/2018

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How to Drive Traffic With Your Facebook Cover Photo

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Want to drive Facebook traffic to your website without using ads?

Wondering how your Facebook cover image can help?

In this article, you’ll discover how to use your Facebook cover image to generate clicks that convert into leads.

How to Drive Traffic With Your Facebook Cover Photo by Marie Page on Social Media Examiner.

Why Use Your Facebook Cover Photo in a Lead Capture Campaign?

One frustration for businesses on Facebook is that they invest lots of time and resources into building a fan base, and then the algorithm takes over. According to a Locowise study from October 2017, less than 9% of fans actually see what pages post organically.

And with the Facebook Zero announcement that friends and family content will be favored over public (page) posts, businesses will likely see even less organic reach now, particularly those with content that doesn’t spark engagement. Pages will need to turn to paid ads for visibility in the feed.

But what if there was another way to get more value from your existing Facebook fan base? Your cover photo can help you capture your fans’ email addresses so you have an additional platform with more control over to communicate with them. Here’s how.

#1: Design a Cover Image to Promote Your Offer

Your cover photo is “clickable,” as is the photo in your library. So in the photo’s description, you can add copy to direct users to your freebie (via your data capture tool). In funnel marketing terms, that freebie is known as a lead magnet.

When you decide what to offer, be as generous, intriguing, and creative as you can. Make it a free offer that users simply cannot refuse to sign up for. Then create an image that shares your offer. Be sure to add a call to action (CTA) to encourage users to click the image.

For example, Musicademy uses the cover photo above to showcase a lead magnet of 40 free music lessons. The photo also includes a “Click Here” CTA.

In the description for the cover image, describe your offer and link to the landing page for the offer. This is what users will see when they click the cover image.

For instance, when users click the cover photo above, they see the following description with a hyperlink that directs them to the landing page where they can sign up for free lessons.

And while the cover image on Musicademy’s Facebook page was cropped to a letterbox shape, users see a taller version of the image when they click on it. This taller image creates room to include an additional message at the bottom: “Click on the link in the description for details.”

Note that on mobile, the cover image is always displayed at full size, and the descriptive text appears after the image is clicked.

Remember that when you change the cover photo on your Facebook page, it generates a post update in the news feed. The text that appears in the post is the text you added to the photo description. If you want more exposure, you can boost the post for a few dollars.

How to Size Your Cover Image

When sizing your cover image, I recommend that you use a 16:9 aspect ratio (the same size as HD video), which equates to 1920 x 1080 pixels. That’s a much higher resolution than Facebook recommends, but it ensures your photo will be nice and crisp when viewed on Retina displays and future-proofs it for improved resolution devices.

Tip: Consider using the 1920 x 1080 size for pages, groups, profiles, and event cover photos. Facebook has changed their recommendation for group sizes recently to a bizarre 1.91:1 aspect ratio. The 1920 x 1080 size is a one-size-fits-all approach, allowing you to keep things simple and consistent across placements.

Be aware that Facebook will crop the picture a little at the top and bottom on desktop at this size. When you upload the photo, you can drag it up or down to designate where the crop occurs on desktop.

If you’re creating the cover image yourself and don’t have access to a tool such as Photoshop, check out Canva or Shutterstock’s excellent photo editor. Shutterstock doesn’t require you to use Shutterstock photos and provides lots of options for annotation.

Shutterstock Editor

If you use pre-formatted Facebook cover templates, be aware that they could be using an outdated size. You may be better off simply creating your own custom-sized images.

#2: Set Up Your Landing Page

After you design your cover image, you need to add a data capture form to the landing page you direct users to.

Musicademy has integrated an Infusionsoft data capture form on its website. After a user fills out the form, that data is synchronized with the eCRM system (Infusionsoft). The user then enters an email funnel with free lessons and other resources relative to the information they submitted via the form.

lead capture form on website

#3: Match Your Facebook CTA Button to Your Cover Image Messaging

If you use a CTA button on your Facebook page, it appears immediately below the cover photo. You may find that some users click that button rather than the cover photo.

If this happens, no problem. Just ensure you link the CTA button to the correct landing page and use a suitable CTA message. To illustrate, Learn More makes the most sense in relation to Musicademy’s cover image messaging in the example above.

After you select your preferred button, add a URL to send users to when they click the button. When you’re finished, click Save.

Promote Your Business With Your Facebook Cover Photo

Your Facebook page is one of the first places people look when researching your business. Your cover photo is crucial because it’s your first opportunity to tell your business’s story.

In addition to using it to promote an offer (as outlined above), you can use it to describe what your business does and for whom your products and services are designed. You might even provide social proof by highlighting awards or testimonials.

Jon Loomer Digital nails the “what this page does and who it’s for” message in this cover photo.

Your cover photo is also a great way to demonstrate your product offerings or promote a sale. In the cover photo below, Environ highlights a new product using a static image and copy.

Of course, you also have the option to use a cover video. This animated CGI video tells Travelworld Motorhomes’ company story.

More recently, Facebook has introduced a feature that lets pages create a slideshow of static images as a cover image, which is a good alternative for companies who haven’t yet embraced video.

Conclusion

As you can see, your Facebook cover photo can help you drive traffic to your website and generate leads for your business. Right after you upload your cover photo, click on it and write some descriptive text to promote your offer. Also include a link to your landing page where your data capture happens and users click to get their reward (the lead magnet).

Be sure to update your cover photo regularly with a wide variety of content.

What do you think? Will you use your Facebook cover photo to promote a lead magnet? Do you have any tips for getting more out of your cover photo? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Discover how to use your Facebook cover image to generate clicks that convert into leads.

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January 31, 2018 at 05:05AM

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Instagram gave brands a hot new feature but still won't give users a chronological timeline

1/30/2018

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Instagram gave brands a hot new feature, but still won't give users a chronological timeline

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Instagram adds a feature for brands, still no chronological timeline

Instagram adds a feature for brands, still no chronological timeline

Instagram's latest update is totally here for you — as long as the you in question just so happens to be a major brand account on its platform.

That's right, as of today, businesses now have the ability to schedule posts. And new features are all good and fine, I guess, but what I'm really trying to say here is maybe Instagram could have released a chronological timeline instead?

Sure, scheduling posts will help Wendy's social media team get that definitely important burger content to the company's followers at 2 a.m. or whatever, and Instagram's developers should be praised for making this crucial innovation possible, but maybe they could have instead spent some time building a toggle switch for users to turn off the terrible algorithmic timeline?

.@instagram please for the sake of my own sanity put the timeline in chronological order.

— victoria d wells (@vickivalentiine) January 30, 2018

It can't be that difficult, right? I mean, I'm not a programmer, but the Instagram feed used to be displayed in chronological order so maybe the company has that code laying around somewhere?

Ok, yeah, possibly Kevin Systrom threw it out or whatever one does with features destined for the digital dustbin. But, even if that's the case, surely he could order his employees to whip up something new and fresh for all us little people just trying to see what exciting selfie opportunities are happening in our friends' lives today.

Right? Am I asking too much here? Again, I'm not trying to take anything away from the groundbreaking post-scheduling opportunity Instagram just changed the game with. That is an important, agenda-setting improvement, and deserves all the praise it will surely get from the group of anonymous faces managing the Nutella Instagram account or whatever.

DEAR INSTAGRAM, I NEED MY TIMELINE TO BE IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER. YOU'RE KILLING ME.

— N (@sweetmusik) January 29, 2018

But I'm just thinking that a little chronological timeline would be cool, too.

Of course, I'll be the first to admit that seeing friends' photos in the order they were posted isn't as big of a deal as the "better content planning" tools Instagram just gifted its advertisers, but it would be sort of nice.

And remember when social media was nice? That was a good time. Can we have more of that, please?

No?

Shoot. OK.

It was probably pretty silly of me to ask, anyway, not being a business and all.

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January 30, 2018 at 06:43PM

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Do You Have What it Takes to Be a Social Media Manager?

1/30/2018

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Do You Have What it Takes to Be a Social Media Manager?

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It’s easy to think that since you spend all your time on Facebook, chatting with your friends, or Instagramming your dinner, you’d be perfect as a Social Media Manager. This is a common misconception, but the truth is, being effective in this role takes a lot more than time spent sharing Lolcats and inspirational quotes.

If you’re really interested in becoming a Social Media Manager, you need to be able to plan social media channels effectively, write engaging content, communicate with customers and much more. To do all these things effectively, there are several important skills you will need to master:

1. Good Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation

It might be perfectly acceptable to use slang terms and txt spk on your personal profiles, but if you are representing a brand, you need to know where to put your apostrophes!

2. Discipline and Organization

On a personal social media account, it doesn’t matter when you update your profile, or if you get distracted and don’t post anything for a few days. If you’re managing social media for a business though, you need to not only post regularly, but also have some continuity of content. For example, you might follow a theme for a few weeks, mention celebration days, as well as come up with brand new content on a regular basis. All of this requires a discipline and organisation that’s not necessary when updating your own personal social media accounts.

3. Great People Skills

It’s easy to think that being a Social Media Manager is the perfect job for someone who doesn’t enjoy the company of others. After all, it is a job based on the Internet. However, you really do need to be good with people. Unlike your personal social media accounts, where you can respond flippantly and even argue a point with your friends if you feel like it, when you are the voice of a brand, you need to be able to keep your emotions and opinions to yourself and respond effectively and professionally to customers.

4. Good Copywriting Skills

As well as an excellent grasp of the English language, as mentioned above, you also need to be able to apply this in several different ways. This includes the obvious tasks of crafting engaging social media posts, but also populating profile pages and creating compelling ad copy to drive both engagement and clicks.

5. Graphic Design Skills

You might enjoy sharing images on your own social media accounts, but when you’re managing social media for a brand, you will need to create your own branded graphics. This is not as simple as using an app to plonk a quote on top of a photo. Your graphics need to be engaging, interesting, professional looking and on-brand. This can take a lot of work and skill!

6. Video skills

These days, social media is all about the video content, especially live video. Therefore, when you’re managing a social media account, you will need to be able to create engaging and interesting video content. This might be those clever cut-together videos showing how to make a meal or craft project, or perhaps a live video where you go on camera to explain a new product or idea for your brand. Either way, you can’t manage social media effectively without a little camera work.

Still interested in becoming a Social Media Manager? There are plenty of things you can do to help give yourself a head start:

● Invest in a Training Course

Hootsuite Academy has some great social media certifications that will stand you in good stead, and the Digital Mums social media training course is very well respected too. There are lots of different courses out there though, and it’s important that before investing in any, you investigate and make sure they are reputable qualifications which will teach you what you need to know. Check out testimonials and go by personal recommendations wherever possible.

● Sign Up for Free Webinars

There are lots of these available all the time. You’ll often see them advertised on your Facebook newsfeed, or on Twitter. Since they’re free, they will only cost you your time, and you may learn valuable nuggets of information.

● Read Articles and Blogs

Social media is constantly changing, so even if you get a good qualification, you will still need to stay up-to-date. Websites like Social Media Explorer are updated regularly with helpful and insightful articles. It’s also worth keeping an eye on sites like the Facebook Newsroom and the Twitter blog for announcements.

● Practice, Practice, Practice

Set up your own professional social media channels and run them. This will allow you to try out new approaches and ideas, as well as providing proof to prospective businesses or clients that you know what you’re doing.

Are you an aspiring Social Media Manager? Let us know if you have any additional tips that you think will help other readers!

The post Do You Have What it Takes to Be a Social Media Manager? appeared first on Social Media Explorer.

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January 30, 2018 at 11:54AM

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How to Use Facebook Lead Ads for More Prospects

1/30/2018

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How to Use Facebook Lead Ads for More Prospects

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Need more qualified leads from Facebook?

Have you used Facebook lead ads?

With the arrival of Facebook Zero, pages will effectively see little or no organic reach without some form of ad budget. The money you spend needs to show a return.

In this article, you’ll discover how to use Facebook lead ads to collect and download email and mailing contact details from Facebook users.

How to Use Facebook Lead Ads for More Prospects by Marie Page on Social Media Examiner.

How Lead Generation Ads Work

Facebook and Instagram lead generation ads are designed to deliver email addresses directly to your database. Unlike other ad types, lead ads include a contact form for people to fill out if they’re interested in your product or service. You can then use that information to follow up with them.

Facebook pre-populates the lead form with user information they already have. Because the ad does most of the work of filling in the data, users are more likely to complete the form, delivering you a new lead.

Lead ads contain two integrated elements: the ad and the lead form, which is hosted by Facebook or Instagram. On the lead ad’s contact form, you can request an email address and other contact information from the people who click your ad. When you create the form, you can choose from a variety of questions or create your own custom questions.

After leads are captured, Facebook lets you download them manually or you can connect to a CRM such as MailChimp or Salesforce.

Lead Ads Can Work for B2B

Many B2B companies are wary of using Facebook as an advertising platform. They see it as a B2C medium and therefore ignore the opportunities it offers.

But people who work in those businesses are also on Facebook, and they respond pretty well to business-related ads. In fact, when my business ran a split test campaign between Facebook and LinkedIn (using nearly identical ads and targeting) for a client recently, the results were much better with Facebook at a fraction of LinkedIn’s price.

For example, FreeAgent provides software for small businesses and self-employed people so their lead magnets are perfectly suited to address the pain points of their target audience.

It’s unlikely the ads will generate clicks from people outside the target audience, so the lead gen ads work to deliver qualified warm leads. The company then follows up with email marketing, a sales call, retargeting, or another creative approach.

#1: Choose an Offer for Your Lead Ad

People need a good reason to part with their personal information, so choose an enticing lead magnet that will appeal to your target audience. Offer something exclusive that solves your prospect’s problem.

Lead ads are typically used for the following offers:

Newsletters, white papers, playbooks, cheat sheets, free downloads, and more
Inquiry forms for membership or an exclusive offer
Applications, pre-orders, or signups
Signups for deals, coupons, or offers
Registration for conferences, events, or webinars
Competitions, votes, or surveys
Quotes (e.g., insurance quote)
Automatic quotes for a product – screening questions allowing for a solution to be proposed
Test drives – info-gathering questions aimed at providing a test drive of a suitable car, for example
Sampling – typically used for B2C product sample requests

Get creative with your lead magnet. Think beyond the classic freebie download approach to find something that works for your company and your potential customers.

Pet Emergency Service Vets Now ran a great lead gen campaign last fall. They offered a free flashing collar to dog owners. The campaign’s objective was to capture information that would help the company better target an upcoming holiday campaign. It was so successful that they ran the ad for only a few days and with a minimal budget.

The ads were targeted to a lookalike audience of Vets Now’s existing email list (mainly historic, organic signups) and a lookalike audience of those who have visited dog-related content on the website. In just 4 days, the campaign resulted in 377 leads and a reach of 11,504. The cost was $0.27 per lead form and the ads had a superb relevancy score of 9. The entire campaign cost about $100.

#2: Decide What Information to Ask For

When planning your lead gen campaign, you must decide what information to ask for on the lead form. Typically, the more questions you ask, the less likely people are to complete the form, so include only need-to-know questions on your form.

Facebook lets you choose from options like email, name, phone number (Instagram only), address, date of birth, gender, company name, and more. In addition, you can add up to 15 custom questions on the form.

Below is the lead form that Vets Now used for their campaign. The company asked for a physical address so they could mail the free collar to the user. Ask for that level of detail only if the address is essential. And, of course, you can easily target the ad to a specific geographic location so people from outside your area don’t see it.

For the campaign below, FreeAgent asked for only an email address because that’s all they needed to meet the objectives of their campaign.

After users submitted the form, the screen displayed a confirmation message that their freebie was being sent.

#3: Create Your Lead Ad

Before creating your ad, you need to pull together some information, permissions, and assets, including:

The URL for your company’s privacy policy. If you don’t have a privacy policy, write one and post it online.
An image for the ad. You also have the option to use the Shutterstock images free of charge during the ad creation process. Make sure you comply with the 20% text rule, unless you’re prepared to pay extra and get less reach.
Text for the ad.
The information you plan to ask for on the lead form.
An idea of whom you’ll be targeting. If these are custom or lookalike audiences, set them up.

You can create your lead ad either from your page or from Ads Manager. These steps walk you through how to use Ads Manager.

Create a New Campaign

In Ads Manager, click Create Campaign, name your ad set, and choose the Lead Generation objective. Select the Create Split Test checkbox if you want to do split testing.

Set Up the Ad Set

Now you’re at the Ad Set level. Name your ad set (I recommend using words to describe whom you’re targeting) and select the Facebook page you’re collecting leads for. Agree to the Terms and Conditions if you haven’t already done so. Then choose your budget and schedule.

Choose your audience and placements as you would for other ad types. Note that you must target people over 18 with lead ads. In this example, I’m including and excluding some custom audiences.

You can also layer in demographic, interest, and behavioral targeting instead of or on top of your custom audiences.

With the Connections option, you can target your Facebook fans and other variables if you want. This is helpful if you want to get email address details, too; however, this needs to be in a separate ad set from your other targets. I suggest you add a custom audience of your existing database to the exclusion list with all ad sets because you already have those email addresses.

Choose the Ad Creative

Click Continue to move on to the Ads level. Choose an ad name and under Identity, select your page and your Instagram account, if applicable.

Select an ad format and upload your videos and images. You can use a broad range of creative assets in lead ads: a static image, carousel, panorama or 360 photo, or video.

Images should be in JPG or PNG format with an image ratio of 9:16 to 16:9. Carousels can include from 2 to 10 cards, and static images and video. Remember with carousels, you get the option to write copy under each card. The usual specifications for carousels apply.

Next, add a headline and text. Headlines are limited to 25 characters and link descriptions can’t exceed 30 characters. Remember that copy can be truncated in some placements.

Also choose a CTA button. You can choose from six options: Sign Up, Subscribe, Learn More, Apply Now, Get Quote, and Download.

Tip: You’ll notice some emojis in this example. To add emojis to your ad copy, create a personal Facebook post (set the target audience to Me Only) and add your emojis. Then copy and paste the post with emojis into your ad.

You can create up to six ads at once by uploading multiple images. If you don’t have an image, you can choose one of the stock images.

Click Show Advanced Options to add the Facebook pixel.

Here’s one variant of the example ad:

Create the Lead Form

In the Lead Form section, click + New Form to create a new lead form, or click Duplicate to select a form you’ve previously created. Alternatively, select a draft and edit a lead form you’ve previously saved.

If you need to create a new form, click the pencil icon in the top left (it’s currently called Untitled Form) and give your lead form a name.

On the Content tab, click Intro (Optional) and toggle the button to add an introduction screen to your lead ad. Type in the headline, choose an image, and enter information about your product/download under Layout.

You’ll see a preview of the ad on the right.

Click Questions, and then customize the headline or use the one that Facebook suggests.

Check the boxes for the information you want to collect from users on your form. To add custom questions, click + Custom Questions at the bottom of the screen.

If you’re modifying an existing lead form, click Finish. If this is a new lead form, click Privacy Policy and add a link. Add a custom disclaimer if needed.

Here’s a variant that includes an image and some custom text. It’s a good idea to add an image of what users will receive when they sign up. You can choose a paragraph of text or bullet points in the layout field. It’s always good to reinforce the benefits of clicking the Submit button.

Click Thank You Screen to customize the screen that users see after they submit the lead form. You can choose a headline, description, button type (to send people to a website or to access a download), and the CTA.

Here’s how it looks if you’re sending people to your website:

Here’s the option to provide a Download button for your freebie:

Click at the bottom of the form preview to see how your form will look. Click Finish to complete your lead form or click Save to return to it later.

When you’re ready for the ad to go live, click Place Order. Your ad will now go into the approval process, which you’ll be familiar with from other campaigns.

#4: Download Your Data Capture

If you’ve integrated your leads with your CRM, you’ll get them delivered directly to your CRM system. If not, you’ll be able to download a CSV file from Ads Manager, which is where you can also see your results.

Facebook supports a large number of CRM and email systems: MailChimp, Salesforce, Zapier, Zoho Social, HubSpot, and more. To integrate your data capture with your CRM, return to your Facebook page, click Publishing Tools at the top, and click Leads Setup on the left.

If your CRM or email software isn’t supported by Facebook lead ads, you can either manually download the CSV file from Facebook and upload to your CRM, or use a bridging app such as LeadsBridge to sync the data. LeadsBridge is easy to use and starts at $260 a year. You can test drive it by signing up for a 7-day free trial.

Facebook Lead Ads Tips for Success

Here are some tips for getting better results from your lead ads:

Make your lead magnet irresistible to your audience.
Get your targeting right. Consider targeting fans, website visitors, competitor fans, lookalike audiences, and the gamut of other targeting options that Facebook offers.
Spend time developing your assets. Design your download to look professional and use a style that matches your brand. Choose an attention-grabbing photo.
Use video in your ad. I’m finding that videos with ads have lower costs and higher conversions; there’s an advertising algorithm with some similarities to the news feed algorithm. Don’t forget to use captions (80% of users watch video with the sound off).
Write compelling headlines and copy for the ad.
Don’t ask for too much information on the lead form.
Test, test, and test again.

Follow up your new leads with emails, phone calls, and a great set of supplementary offers, valuable information, and other relevant content.

Conclusion

Facebook and Instagram lead generation ads are designed to easily collect email addresses and other information from users. The lead ad consists of an image, video, or carousel followed by a lead form when the user clicks the ad. Obviously, you need to dangle a nice incentive to encourage users to provide that information.

Lead ads are simple to set up and with the right creative assets, they can deliver warm leads for your business.

What do you think? Have you tried Facebook lead ads? If so, how have they worked for your business? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Discover how to use Facebook lead ads to collect and download email and mailing contact details from Facebook users.

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January 30, 2018 at 05:07AM

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11 New People Join Social Media Every Second (And Other Impressive Stats)

1/29/2018

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11 New People Join Social Media Every Second (And Other Impressive Stats)

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The new 2018 Global Digital suite of reports from We Are Social and Hootsuite reveals that there are now more than 4 billion people around the world using the internet.

That means well over half of the world’s population is now online, with the latest data showing that nearly a quarter of a billion new users came online for the first time in 2017.

But what does this mean for the world of social media?

Alongside internet usage, social media use also continues to grow rapidly. The number of people using the top platform in each country has increased by almost 1 million new users every day during the past 12 months. More than 3 billion people around the world now use social media each month, with nine in 10 of those users accessing their chosen platforms on mobile devices.

You’ll find the key insights from this year’s reports in our more detailed analysis below, but here are the essential headlines for digital in 2018:

The number of social media users in 2018 is 3.196 billion, up 13 percent year-on-year
The number of internet users in 2018 is 4.021 billion, up 7 percent year-on-year
The number of mobile phone users in 2018 is 5.135 billion, up 4 percent year-on-year

Just before we dig into the key social media findings, we’d like to say a big thank you to the data partners making this year’s reports possible:

So, what does all of their valuable data tell us? Here are a few highlights.

11 new people start using social media every second

Almost 1 million people started using social media for the first time every day in 2017 — that’s equivalent to more than 11 new users every second.

The global number of people using social media has grown by 13 percent in the past 12 months, with Central and Southern Asia recording the fastest gains (up 90 percent and 33 percent respectively).

Saudi Arabia has posted the fastest individual country growth rate across our 40 focus economies at 32 percent, but India is only just behind (31 percent annual growth in social media users).

As part of this growth, we’re seeing larger numbers of older users joining social media too. On Facebook alone, the number of users aged 65 and above has increased by almost 20 percent in the past 12 months.

The number of teenagers using Facebook has also increased, but the number of users aged 13 to 17 has only grown by 5 percent since January 2017.

Gender ratios remain a concern across the internet, with the latest data from Facebook suggesting that women are still significantly underrepresented across much of Central Africa, the Middle East, and Southern Asia.

These countries are spending the most time on social media

For the third year in a row, Filipinos spend the greatest amount of time on social media. The average user in the country spends almost 4 hours on social every day.

The Brazilians are catching up though, and the Indonesians and the Thais have overtaken the Argentinians to take the third and fourth spots in this year’s rankings.

Facebook still dominates

It’s been another good year for Mark Zuckerberg and team, with all of Facebook Inc.’s platforms posting impressive growth during 2017.

Facebook’s core platform still dominates the global social landscape. Total users are up 15 percent year-on-year, reaching almost 2.17 billion at the start of 2018.

WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger both grew twice as fast as the core Facebook platform though, with the number of people using each messenger app up by 30 percent year on year.

Both apps are still tied in terms of user numbers, but the latest data from SimilarWeb shows that WhatsApp has the stronger geographic position. WhatsApp is now the top messenger app in 128 countries around the world, compared to Facebook Messenger’s 72.

There are now only 25 countries around the world where a Facebook-owned app isn’t the top messenger platform.

Despite these impressive messenger stats, Instagram managed to claim Facebook’s standout growth story over the past 12 months, with the number of global users up by a third.

To help businesses everywhere quantify the Instagram opportunity in their respective countries, we’ve included local numbers for Instagram use across more than 230 countries in this year’s regional reports. You’ll find links to those at the end of this post.

Organic reach continues to fall

For this year’s reports, we’ve teamed up with Locowise to share details of Facebook reach and engagement for 179 countries around the world.

As expected, organic reach and engagement have both dropped over the past year, with average reach down by more than 10 percent year-on-year.

Despite the depressing trends, these numbers will be valuable benchmarks for marketers everywhere – especially because they offer insights into the number of brands using paid media.

We’ve highlighted a small selection of interesting social media data for this post, but it only represents a sliver of the data you’ll find in the complete suite of 2018 Global Digital reports—which also covers global internet and mobile usage growth.

These reports provide 5,000 charts worth of in-depth data for more than 230 countries and territories, including all the essential numbers social teams need to understand current internet, social media, and mobile behaviours all around the world.

Download the 2018 Global Digital reports for free here.

If data and charts aren’t your thing, check out the 2018 Digital Yearbook for the most important local headlines.

The post 11 New People Join Social Media Every Second (And Other Impressive Stats) appeared first on Hootsuite Social Media Management.

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January 29, 2018 at 06:35PM

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