The Week’s 6 Must-Reads for Social Marketers

It’s been a big week in the world of marketing. We’ll catch you up with some weekend reading. Relax and enjoy!

Introducing Twitter Web Analytics
Marketers rejoice! Yesterday, Twitter introduced Twitter Web Analytics, a method of measuring the amount of traffic Twitter sends to brands’ websites. The tool also measures the effectiveness of the Tweet Button on websites and can help marketers see how much of their website content is being shared over the social network. Twitter Web Analytics will be rolled to the public in the next few weeks.

Facebook Advises Brands On Hashtag Usage
AllFacebook discusses how the introduction of Facebook hashtag support will affect social marketers. In a post on the Facebook Studio blog, Facebook outlined details and best practices for brands incorporating these clickable hashtags into their social campaigns to drive conversation.

#FollowMe: Create an instant Twitter highlight reel
What if you could compile your favorite twitter moments in a video in minutes? Now you can! Twitter just announced #FollowMe, a way for you to make a slideshow of your favorite Tweets, Vine videos, topics, Tweet times, and engaged followers. We had some fun making our #FollowMe. If you want to create your own video, click here to sign in to Vizify.

20 Ideas for Social Media Content That Engages
In a world where posting content to social networks is as easy as typing a sentence and clicking a button, brands need to be more strategic than ever about the content they publish. Social media strategist Jeff Bullas gives social marketers a list of content formats brands should consider publishing, including video, presentations, images, text and audio.

5 Creative Ways to Drive More Traffic to Your Blog Posts
If you are looking to increase activity and engagement on your brands’ blog, you have come to the right place. Social Media Examiner gives social marketers ideas to generate buzz about blog posts by using different types of media and expanding audience reach. Don’t be afraid to change up your daily blog routine and try something new!

Why Advertisers Need YouTube
Every month, 1 billion people visit YouTube to actively search for interesting and engaging videos. If you don’t already have a YouTube marketing strategy, check out this infographic from MDG Advertising, which outlines the consumption behaviors of YouTube viewers. It also explains how your brand can increase revenue by strategically curating video content for your fans.

Another 665 Million Reasons Hashtags Belong in Campaigns

Marketers now recognize the power of the hashtag. As a means of aggregating user-generated content on specific topics, it’s efficient, interactive, even addictive.

That’s why you see so many hashtags appearing in TV shows, ads, print and all over web – all leading the consumer to real-time conversations occurring on networks like Twitter and Instagram.

Now you can add Facebook to that list.

Today, Facebook announced it’s officially adding hashtags to its user experience. That means 665 million daily active Facebook users can now employ, share and follow hashtag content across the world’s largest social network.

This is big news for marketers. It will make congregating and tracking an audience around specific topics or campaigns easier even as the content spreads throughout the network. Brands can initiate and join in these conversations as they happen, and even curate content consumers create.

Specifically, Facebook says opening up hashtags will 

• make it easier to take part in hashtag content that originates on other social sites like Instagram;
• grant easier access to specific content by giving users the ability to search for hashtags in Facebook’s search;
• and compose posts from these search results and from the hashtag feed.

The big story is Facebook just gave marketers even more reason to add hashtags to their promotions, content and campaigns.

Are you using hashtags in your social marketing?

4 Keys to Delivering Awesome Customer Experiences

We recently hosted a webinar with Scott Stratten, author of the bestseller The Book of Business Awesome. Scott, in his emphatic and funny way, gave many real world examples of how a single customer experience can go viral, and either make or break a brand.

We compiled a list of the key takeaways from Scott’s presentation. Use these to deliver great customer experiences, make an impact and avoid social media train wrecks.

Marketing is about Action
Marketing is more than just a company’s logo. It’s all of the actions that a company and its employees take. Customers learn about brand values not through corporate websites or online ads, but by how brands interact with them. Through unique personalized interactions, you tell a story.

Scott’s Tip: Make sure all of your brand’s representatives make it a priority to treat customers well no matter their level of influence.

Social Media is a Conversation, Not a Monologue
Social media platforms are communities, so treat your fans like you would treat a neighbor. Ditch the “salesy” jargon. Engage followers and respond to their comments and questions immediately and authentically.

Scott, who has over 150,000 Twitter followers, says that 75% of his tweets are replies.

Scott’s Tip: Facebook and Twitter are like networking events. Don’t just talk about yourself – listen and respond.

Only Shareable Content Goes Viral
Going viral doesn’t mean getting a million YouTube hits. It means expanding your network beyond its current reach.

Content becomes viral when customers share stories, videos and photos that are worthy of a reaction. Powerful storytelling is “brand magic.” 

Scott’s Tip: Make your content funny or evocative, so it reaches people who aren’t fans of your brand already.

Execution is Everything
If you have a great campaign with compelling content but promote it ineffectively, you’re wasting everyone’s time. For example, don’t put a QR code on your website that leads to your website, or plastered to a moving bus. Think realistically. 

Scott’s Tip: In this case, QR codes aren’t the problem. Marketers’ executions of them are. 

Watch the full webinar recording here.

If you want to get more advice about building customer experiences that delight, join us for one of the most stimulating social marketing events of the year Winning the Customer Experience on June 26th in New York City. You’ll hear from industry leaders - including Jay Baer, author of The Now Revolution, Frank Eliason, Director of Global Social Media at Citibank, and Mark Cooper, CMO of Offerpop. Register now! 

The Week’s 6 Must-Reads for Social Marketers

It’s that time again! Here are our favorite articles and blog posts from the week. Happy reading!

91% Of B2B Marketers Now Use Social Media For Content Marketing [STUDY]
Although B2C brands still dominate the social marketing sphere, a recent study found that B2B marketers are increasingly using social to distribute their content. In fact, social media is the number one channel for content marketers to share their work – with LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter topping the charts.

Facebook begins highlighting most engaging posts in page admin panel
Facebook made updates to their Admin Panel that will help marketers easily identify their most engaging posts, the ones that (in theory) are most worthy of a slice of the marketing budget. Facebook also rolled out a new notification, which lets admins know when their campaign’s ad budget runs out.

Why You Need an Editorial Calendar (and How to Build One in No Time)
If you find yourself struggling to crank out content on a daily basis and respond to real-time news and trends, then you’re in need of a content calendar. Ben Richardson shares the steps to creating an awesome content calendar to make your daily social posts and blogs more manageable.

Geo-Targeting Can Now Be Added To Facebook Promoted Posts After Initial Posts
It’s official. Now you can geo-target promoted posts on Facebook. Get the most bang for your buck by putting ad spend behind the geographic area where you know users are most likely to convert.

Are Twitter Lead Generation Cards Email Marketers’ New Best Friend?
Twitter’s recently released Lead Generation cards allow marketers to share eye-catching offers in the native Twitter feed, where followers can enter and submit their email addresses with just one click. This is a huge step for marketers who want to increase lead generation from Twitter. Jay Baer even goes as far as to say it could be “revolutionary.”

33 Actionable Marketing Tips To Stretch Your Budget
Heidi Cohen knows that for marketers at small businesses, struggling to do more with less is simply part of the job description.  So she’s sharing 33 tips for making ever dollar count, most of which includes integrating with other marketing functions within the business.

Did we miss anything? Tweet us @offerpop and tell us what marketing news got your attention this week. 

The 4 Big Changes Coming to Facebook Ads

Marketers love Facebook ads. How else do you explain the $1.2 billion the social network collected in ad revenue just last quarter?

But one of the most common complaints about advertising on Facebook is it’s too confusing. Well, Facebook ads are about to get simpler.

Facebook plans to cut the number of available ad units from 27 to less than half that number over the next six months. They’ll accomplish this streamlining by cutting redundant products and turning many of the Sponsored Stories units into simplified ad products.

Here are the most significant changes coming to Facebook ads:

1. Sponsored Stories are out…sort of
Read the headlines around the web, and you’d think Facebook was giving Sponsored Stories the axe. Yes, Facebook is removing Sponsored Stories but what makes it a Sponsored Story is staying.

Currently, there are 13 types of Sponsored Stories and they were sold separately from Facebook ads. Going forward, Facebook plans to add the social context provided in Sponsored Stories into Facebook ads whenever that context is available.

So if you buy a page post – and someone’s friend likes or comments on your content or page – that will be layered into the ad automatically. This should cut down on confusion.

2. Offers are going away
Some marketers choose to place an offer directly into the News Feed on Facebook. But by July, Facebook intends to remove this feature, instructing advertisers to use a page post link ad instead.

3. Questions is also going bye-bye
Facebook decided that its Questions offer on pages, where a brand can ask a question and have users answer in the form of a mini poll, is out. Marketers can simply ask a question and get answers in comments.

If you want to host an interactive, multi-question Quiz or a Tug of War feature, where fans can vote between any two things, those remain available through the Offerpop platform. 

4. Ads will be more consistent
Since Facebook looks for new ways to engage marketers, they’ve built a lot of ad products. By cutting down on the sheer number of units, and mapping them to common desired outcomes, the look and feel of these ads will be more consistent across the network and on mobile.

That’s a win for social marketers. The process of creating ads will become simpler, and consumers will be less confused.

How to Get Fan Feedback That Will Make Your Marketing Smarter

Your ability to understand your customers’ needs will make or break your business. Luckily, finding out how to please your customers is pretty painless – just ask them. Social media is a great resource for collecting consumer feedback. When done right, you’ll not only get answers about what your customers want, but you’ll build loyalty by showing you value their opinion. 

Here are a few ways to get the results you’re looking for:

Multi-Question Quizzes
Ask fans questions around any topic relevant to your business, like product preferences or lifestyle. You can even ask customers to answer trivia questions about your brand for discounts or prizes. It’s a great way to identify brand advocates. As long as the quiz is short and lightweight, fans will enjoy sharing their opinions with your brand.

Tug of War Showdowns
Put two products or deals head to head in a Tug of War campaign. You’ll learn a lot about what your customers want, which can help with difficult inventory and buying decisions. Think of it as a low-cost, effective way to perform impromptu market research.

Keep the Conversation Going
Make sure your status updates include a lot of questions. These get more responses on average than other types of posts. This is key to getting to know your audience, and will also improve your brand’s EdgeRank and visibility in the news feed. Plus, they can provide insights into the topics that engage your users, which you can use to inform your content, campaigns – even your products!

The rise of social media means that gathering consumer feedback has never been easier. So tap into your fan base – it’s a wealth of knowledge for your brand that can be applied across your business.

16 Social Marketing Thought Leaders You Should Follow

Looking to beef up your Twitter news feed with useful marketing tips? Look no further.

We’ve created a list of the most influential thinkers in social marketing. These leaders offer engaging, relevant insights that shape the way digital and social marketers strategize.

So set up another Twitter list, and start collecting pearls of wisdom from these social savvy marketers.

Ann Handley  
@marketingprofs       
Follower Count: 169,700 followers
Credentials: Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs, blogger, and co-author of Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business
#whyfollow in 140: Ann is one of the leading minds in content marketing, and she curates awesome marketing case studies from across the web. 
Sample Tweet: “Good content isn’t about storytelling, it’s about telling a true story well.”

Scott Stratten
@unmarketing
Follower Count: 150,200 followers
Credentials: President of UnMarketing and author of UnMarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging and The Book Of Business Awesome: How Engaging Your Customers And Employees Can Make Your Business Thrive
#whyfollow in 140: Scott has a no-BS, customer-first approach to marketing, and he believes that “QR Codes Kill Kittens.”
Sample Tweet: “Social media isn’t new. Us geeks have been social on forums, bulletin boards, etc. for decades. And still are.”

Jeff Bullas
@jeffbullas
Follower Count: 160,200 followers
Credentials: Social media marketing strategist, blogger, speaker, and author of Blogging the Smart Way – How to Create and Market a Killer Blog with Social Media
#whyfollow in 140: Jeff frequently shares great tactical advice from his blog, including posts on using Pinterest groups, how to video blog, etc.
Sample Tweet: “14 Tips To Source and Create Great Content For Social Media http://bit.ly/doR5cf”

Ann Tran
@AnnTran_
Follower Count: 315,700 followers
Credentials: Social media consultant, travel and tech writer, frequent blogger for The Huffington Post
#whyfollow in 140: Ann is the go-to on Twitter for a jolt of inspiration – her feed features quotes from business leaders like Richard Branson and tips for building rapport with customers. 
Sample Tweet: “Social media is all about collaborating. It’s true what they say: There’s no such thing as a free lunch! http://ow.ly/l2ohQ #sm #tips”

Seth Godin                          
@ThisIsSethsBlog
Follower Count: 276,600 followers
Credentials: Founder of Squidoo.com, speaker, blogger, and author of 12 bestselling books including Tribes and Permission Marketing
#whyfollow in 140: Seth tweets about many business and leadership topics, but his great advice about delighting customers with passion is particularly resonant for social marketers. 
Sample Tweet: “The brand is a story. But it’s a story about you, not about the brand. http://bit.ly/177VXSZ”

Chris Brogan
@chrisbrogan
Follower Count: 245,700 followers
Credentials: CEO and President of Human Business Works, speaker, and co-author of The Impact Equation
#whyfollow in 140: Chris shares all kinds of digital tips and trends. Plus, the man loves a good Vine.
Sample Tweet: “Compete against yourself. It feels better when you win.”

Brian Solis
@briansolis
Follower Count: 182,000 followers
Credentials: Principal at Altimeter Group, media strategist, speaker, blogger, and author of The End of Business as Usual and Engage! 
#whyfollow in 140: On Twitter, Brian sparks conversation about social customer service, retention strategies, viral content, and the future of marketing.
Sample Tweet: “If customer retention is the new acquisition, a shift in marketing+support is desperately needed http://bit.ly/15ytfzd”

Kim Garst 
@kimgarst
Follower Count: 153,700 followers
Credentials: Branding and social media strategist, speaker, founder and CEO of Boom! Social, and author of The Quick and Easy Guide to Branding Your Business and Creating Massive Sales with Pinterest
#whyfollow in 140: Kim is a marketing powerhouse who gives entrepreneurs guidance about the power of social media to grow businesses and generate brand awareness.
Sample Tweet: “GIVE! Add your value to your social presence. It’s how others are attracted to you and what you offer the world! #smtip”

Sean Gardner
@2morrowknight
Follower Count: 447,400 followers
Credentials: Social media consultant and columnist for Social Media Week, Huffington Post, and Smedio.
#whyfollow in 140: Sean shares content about social media law, network demographics, and marketing strategies for entrepreneurs.
Sample Tweet: “5 Things Every Entrepreneur Should Know https://plus.google.com/104639046343531980960/posts/2yZQh7ZT7s4 … #googleplus #smb #in”

Jeremiah Owyang        
@jowyang
Follower Count: 131,000 followers
Credentials: Partner at Altimeter Group and well-known customer strategy analyst in Silicon Valley
#whyfollow in 140: Jeremiah is an authority on customer communication strategies, social media crisis communications, analytics, and the Collaborative Economy.
Sample Tweet: “My heartfelt letter to brands: I still love you, but I want an Open Relationship http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2013/05/13/dear-brands-our-relationship-has-changed/…

David Meerman Scott
@dmscott
Follower Count: 86,300 followers
Credentials: Online marketing strategist, speaker, and best selling author of The New Rules of Marketing & PR and Newsjacking
#whyfollow in 140: David is known on Twitter for his authentic, conversational tone and his ideas about effective storytelling and real-time content marketing.
Sample Tweet: “Social networks are like massive focus groups with uninhibited potential customers offering up their thoughts for free.”

Jay Baer
@jaybaer
Follower Count: 80,100 followers
Credentials: Founder and President of Convince & Convert, speaker, digital marketing strategist, and author of Youtility: Why Smart Marketing Is about Help Not Hype and The NOW Revolution: 7 Shifts to Make Your Business Faster, Smarter and More Social
#whyfollow in 140: Jay publishes engaging and thought-provoking content about social customer service, blogging techniques, and content marketing.
Sample Tweet: “How to Create a Social Media Strategy in 8 Steps http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-strategy/create-tools-agnostic-social-media-strategy/ …”

Mack Collier
@MackCollier
Follower Count: 34,100 followers
Credentials: Social media strategist, trainer, speaker, founder of #Blogchat, and author of Think Like a Rock Star: How to Create Social Media and Marketing Strategies that Turn Customers into Fans
#whyfollow in 140: Mack is a marketing dynamo who tweets about social media stats, mobile trends, and blogger best practices.
Sample Tweet: “Oh and the biggest lesson from rock stars? They understand that THEIR FANS are the REAL rock stars ;) #mybookclub”

Joe Pulizzi
@juntajoe
Follower Count: 29,700 followers
Credentials: Chief Content Officer and founder of the Content Marketing Institute, Chief Content Officer Magazine and Content Marketing World; speaker; writer and co-author of Managing Content Marketing and Get Content Get Customers
#whyfollow in 140: Joe is an authority on content marketing who tweets about topics like content strategy, engagement tactics, and storytelling.
Sample Tweet: “What is Quality Content and How to Help Your Clients Create It http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/04/quality-content-help-clients-create/ … via @CMIContent #cmi”

Jonah Berger
@j1berger
Follower Count: 4,600 followers
Credentials: Marketing professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, speaker, consultant, and author of Contagious: Why Things Catch On
#whyfollow in 140: Jonah is a thought leader who sparks conversation about word-of-mouth marketing, viral content, internet memes, and advertising trends.
Sample Tweet: “The Science Behind Word of Mouth http://bit.ly/10nrQTk”

Melinda Emerson
@smallbizlady
Follower Count: 224,200 followers
Credentials: Host of #SmallBizChat, co-author of Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months, speaker, and small business coach
#whyfollow in 140: Melinda is a seasoned entrepreneur and small business startup expert who tweets about social media marketing and content development.
Sample Tweet: “5 Secrets for Growing Your Business Smarter and Faster http://bit.ly/Z3u1dU”

Who are your favorite marketing influencers? Tweet us at @offerpop and let us know.

*follower counts as of June 4, 2013

How to Turn Vacation Envy Into a Social Marketing Opportunity

Summer’s here: the weather’s warm, the days are long, and your news feed is cluttered with friends’ vacation photos. It’s tough not to feel a pang of jealousy when you see pals lazing on beaches or exploring new cities.  But you can turn vacation envy into a big marketing opportunity.

Your brand’s news feed posts are like any other marketing placement: context is important. And right about now, everyone on social is talking travel.

Here are three ways to insert your brand into that conversation.

Run a Getaway SweepsNothing piques fans’ interest like a shot at winning a luxury vacation. It’s the perfect strategy for hotels, tourism boards, and other travel industry brands, raising awareness about your destination and services at little cost.

A big-ticket giveaway isn’t in the budget? Partner with a travel site to offer discounts on flights or lodging. Or put together a gift package of travel must-haves.

Try a Travel-Themed Photo ContestSocial media triggers our inner show-offs. We just have to show off that beachside watering hole or an artsy sunrise. It’s one of the reasons photo contests work so well.

Give the “Share your Travel Photos” sweeps a twist by asking fans to share their favorite vacation outfits, extreme sports moments, or culinary adventures — whatever makes sense for your audience.

Create a Vacation-Themed Look BookYou don’t need to work for a travel brand to give fans a little vacation inspiration. Curate collections of your brand’s beachwear, and include links back to the corresponding items on your site.  Or just create some shareable, on-brand editorial: like “Top 10 Secret Celebrity Vacation Spots,” or “Our Picks for Best Summer Reads.”

Smart seasonal campaigns do more than keep brands relevant. They tap into cultural trends, stoke the desire for action, and make it easy for fans to take that action with the help of their brand.  Plus, everyone loves tropical cocktail photos.

6 Twitter Lists Every Marketer Should Create Now

Got a couple Twitter lists you manage? Why not 1,000?

Last week Twitter announced an update to its List feature, allowing users to have up to 1,000 lists with 5,000 accounts in each. Until now, users have only been allowed to have a maximum of 20 lists with up to 500 names in each. The 20-list cap was a hurdle for social media enthusiasts who were interested in making their Twitter usage more efficient.

Twitter lists can actually serve as vital information sources for recruiting new customers, learning the habits of consumers, and even keeping track of competitors. Here are six lists every social marketer should create.

Competitors
Create a list of your competitors’ Twitter accounts and follow their daily activity to gain valuable insights about the marketplace. You can easily learn about their marketing strategies and how they reach and engage their followers.

Customers
Hear what your most vocal and active customers are saying about you and your competitors. You can make valuable discoveries about what your audience likes and what they need. Engage them in two-way conversations, address their concerns, and retweet their positive reviews.

Targeted Accounts
If you’re a B2B marketer, I bet you can name at least five clients your business would love to have. Create a list of the accounts you’d love to call customers, and then follow the key decision-makers you’d need to reach. Monitor their needs in real-time and build better customer personas. 

Industry Influencers
Track what thought leaders are saying and take advice from those who are making waves in your industry. Attract their attention, position yourself as an expert, and lure them to share your content with their fan base.

Publications
Keep up with industry trends and news. Utilize information that will be helpful to you in crafting and enhancing your marketing strategy. Share relevant content with your followers.

Employees
Engage your employees in conversation and keep tabs on what they are saying to the public. Encourage them to retweet your messages and represent your brand appropriately.

Do you use Twitter Lists? Tell us about your favorite lists by tweeting us at @offerpop.