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How to Choose the Best Video Channel for Your Business

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Choose the Best Video Channel for Your Business

Video should be a part of your marketing strategy it if isn’t already. If you are not in it yet, how do you choose the best video channel for your business? Of those who are already using videos in their marketing strategy, 76% report that the strategy increases sales while 47% found that it decreased customer support requests. There are a few fears that can hold a business or brand back from jumping into developing video content. Fear of being on camera and the thought of high costs are the top two concerns that I hear.

In 2017, the average consumer watched over 1.5 hours of videos online each day! I can say I enjoy a daily dose of equestrian, aviation, dance, and lots of music videos but I don’t think my watch time approaches over an hour day.

Everyone knows YouTube. Of those marketers who are already using videos as part of their strategy, 87% said they are using YouTube to share content. All but 10% felt it was an effective part of their marketing and branding plan. It’s a no brainer – there are one billion YouTube users. The channel has something for everyone, regardless of ages.

YouTube is the most popular video channel for viewers and for marketers. It is a no-brainer that if you want to be produce videos that this is channel should be part of your strategy. Remember YouTube is not just a video hosting platform, it is also the second largest search engine in North American and Europe.

YouTube isn’t the only channel to consider. You’ll get more ROI out of your effort if you can share across multiple social channel, on your website, and in email campaigns. Instagram offers a number of opportunities to share video content. Depending on which part of the channel you share on – feed, stories, IGTV, or highlights, the length of the video can vary quite a bit. Even with IGTV, most videos are under 15 minutes, averaging just a few minutes in run time. More metrics are available to Instagram business accounts.

LinkedIn also allows videos now, but the adoption rate is not nearly as good as the YouTube numbers. Much of this is because of channel age. Videos are relatively new to LinkedIn compared to YouTube. Also, the business social network does not have the global reach that YouTube enjoys. Although it is has loosened up somewhat since the sale to Microsoft, its content is still almost entirely business oriented and expected to stay that way. We don’t see the satire, gaming, and how-to videos that make up much of YouTube’s watch time. That said,, about 38% of marketers who are already using video content use them on LinkedIn. That is expected to rise to about 55% by the end of 2018.

Facebook also offers a variety of video sharing options. There are paid posts and boosted posts. We can also use videos in stories – a blatant Snapchat rip-off – and of course in organic posts. Boosting an organic video post is an excellent way to gain more insights on your audience. Sixty-eight percent of video marketers have used videos on Facebook.

Surprisingly only half of those using video on Facebook have used Facebook Live. Interactive video, like those seen on Facebook and alternative platforms like Twitch, are still not as popular. Interactive videos, where the personas in the video broadcast can respond to audience input in real time, are gowning in popularity. Channels like Twitch were once a forum for mostly gamers, but the push is on to make it more educational, information, and mainstream. Facebook Live videos are considered 81% effective by those using them for marketing purposes.

The only video channel that is not growing for marketers is Snapchat. It’s just not working for the average brand. Lack of metrics contributes to this lack of adoption.

There is a still an opportunity for brands to insert their marketing messaging into videos – ether organically on their own channels, in interactive videos, or as paid advertisements. A video strategy done well, can increase revenue and decreases some costs. Videos are effective way to connect with clients and other stakeholders. They create an emotional appeal that can raise brand awareness allowing viewers to get to know you and your company.

Data Source: The State of Video Marketing in 2018 by Wyzowl

Instagram Adds New Security Features

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Instagram Adds New Security Features

Instagram rolled out a pair of new features designed to increase the security of your Instagram account

Accounts that have a large following can request verification. Like Facebook, verified accounts will sport a blue checkmark in their profile. Instagram has not specified what constitutes a large following or large audience for the app. A verified profile on Facebook does not coordinate with a verified profile badge for Instagram. You will have to apply for it separately.

How to Apply for Instagram Verification

  1. On your mobile device, open the Instagram app
  2. Login to your account
  3. Tap your profile icon on the lower right-hand corner of the app
  4. Tap the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) in the upper-right corner
  5. Select settings at the bottom of the screen
  6. Scroll down to the Settings section
  7. Select “Request verification” (if it is there)

NOTE: You will have to supply your Instagram account name and provide the required form of identification.

Two-factor authentication (2FA)

Instagram also added two-factor authentication (2FA) to help users keep their accounts secure. This security feature adds an extra step to the login process. 2FA is used by many social channels like Pinterest, to help keep accounts secure. But like the others, Instagram also made the security enhancement optional as the users’ discretion.

Instagram users can turn on 2FA from the settings section of their apps. The steps are detailed in this blog post about enabling Instagram 2FA.

Both features are rolling out to users. Two-factor authentication should be available to all users over the coming weeks. All accounts we manage already have it enabled. Large account can apply for verified profile badges as they see fit!

About Instagram

Instagram is a popular photo and video-sharing social media channel. It was launched in 2010 by creators Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. In 2012 Facebook acquired Instagram which now has over 800 million users globally.

How to Get More LinkedIn Connections

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How to Get More LinkedIn Connections

LinkedIn, when used correctly and professionally, can lead to new business connections. If you want to meet new people and make more connections on LinkedIn, then there are a few steps to making sure your profile is updated and discoverable online. Recently, I made a vide on privacy settings. Completing or updating your profile, and changing privacy settings can help you make new connections or find a new job! Some of these settings may interfere with the you must make your profile more visible There are a few data points in the privacy section of a LinkedIn profile that make it easier for other users to find you and make a connection.

LinkedIn.com is a business-oriented social network with more than 500 million users from over 200 countries. The site was acquired by Microsoft in 2017 and has slowly been making improvements to profiles and features.

Find out how to get more LinkedIn Connections. There are a few settings changes to make to make your LinkedIn profile more discoverable. It only takes a few minutes of checking into your privacy settings. Make sure your email and phone number are saved in LinkedIn. Next, make sure they can be used to discover your profile. By enabling these settings other users are able to find your profile more easily on LinkedIn. These are three simple areas too visit and possibly enable under the privacy tab to make your profile more discoverable. They are:

  • Email
  • Organization
  • Phone number

Allow other users to find you profile using your email address. All profiles already have an associated email address. Email addresses are used to login or reset the account passwords. It’s also the email where notifications are sent to. In addition, You can choose whether to allow other LinkedIn users to connect with you using this email address. Maybe you ‘ve noticed the prompt from the LinkedIn app asking you to allow it to access your contacts and find your friends or business contacts on LinkedIn. Unless you allow access to the email address associated with your account, other users won’t be able to use their address books to find you. They also won’t be able to find you via an email search.

LinkedIn also allows you to enter in multiple email addresses that you are associated with. Many people have multiple email addresses – one for work, one for personal use, and maybe others for the organization they belong to.

Your phone number is also a data point that other LinkedIn users can use to connect with you. I have a phone number in my profile for authentication and account security.

The last one is your employer or organization you belong to and have listed in your profile. Other LinkedIn users can connect with you based on where you work. Like email address and phone number, users can use a company names or volunteer organizational names to connect. If you choose not to allow this, other users can still go to that company’s LinkedIn page, see who is an employee, and send a connection that manually

If you need more help with your privacy settings in general, then watch this video

The Best Time to Post on Instagram

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The Best Time to Post on Instagram

The best time to post on Instagram depends on your individual audience. Like any social media channels, different users are active at different times of the day. The best time to post is when your users are online and posting themselves. You may have viewers from all over the globe or if you are a local brand, then your followers may all be in the same time zone as your place of business.

Instagram has over 700 million active users. The mobile app social channel is owned by Facebook. Although it was once unique, many features have been copied from rival app Snapchat causing Snapchat usage to decline. There are two ways to post on Instagram – through stories and on a profile. Like Snapchat, stories disappear after 24 hours. Wall posts are permanent unless deleted.

To understand the best time to post, you’ll need some metrics to look at when your users are most active. It’s true, you can use a third-party app like SEMRush for example to track your audience. However, it is possible to see their active times, without paying for another service.

The first thing you’ll need to do to understand when your followers are active and when they are not. Converting your Instagram to a business account will get you the stats you need – popular days of the week and time of day. Converting to an Instagram business account is free and only take a few minutes.

After changing over to a business account, users can swipe through the account and see that stats on each post, including likes, comments, reach, engagement, and impressions. In addition, an Instagram business account also shows admins which days of the week are most popular and which hours users are watching.

Six Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Twitter Strategy

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Six Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Twitter Strategy

Twitter is still an active social media channel. Some may want to discount the platform as a dying or even dead platform. For personal brands, Twitter may be one of the best channels to make a personal connection. Twitter Corporate Stats has over 313 million monthly active users. The overwhelming majority of them, 82%, access the social media channel via a mobile device. The channel remains a valuable social media channel for those building a personal brand. Getting the hang of how to wield 140 characters can be challenging. Below are a few tips to help your brand avoid common pitfalls on the busy social media channel.

Twitter Mistake #1: Missing or Blurry Images

Social media channels all have a space for profile photos. The profile images, when left unset show the default platform specific placeholder image. On Twitter, that placeholder profile images used to be an egg shaped silhouette. Now the Twitter default profile images is a faceless silhouette with a floating head.

Not uploading your own profile image – a headshot if for a personal brand or a logo for a business Twitter account – is a mistake. Other users are unlikely to follow or retweet a Twitter account that does not have a clear profile image. Why? Missing or fuzzy images are the mark of a spammer or internet troll. Other serious social media users will simply ignore you or worse yet block your Twitter account. Gasp!

A personal brand should feature a nice, clean headshot. If you do not have a high-quality profile photo, then enlist the help of a friend or a professional photographer. Be sure to change it every year or two to keep your account looking fresh unless you don’t age for some freakish reason. Afterall, you do want people to recognize you in person if you ever meet!

Profile images serve as a first impression. They are the most important image on any social media account. A profile image is the one that appears next to every single comment and interaction. It’s truly your first impression – make it count!

Twitter Mistake #2: Missing Descriptions

In close proximity to every social media profile image, is the account description. Every social media channel gives users the opportunity to state who they are and what their mission is. The character count varies per social media channel, but the purpose is the same. Like profile images, descriptions should not remain empty.

Descriptions are an opportunity to introduce yourself and your organization. Like missing profile images, blank decryptions cause users to ignore your tweets. It is challenging to build and maintain a quality audience. Don’t give viewers a reason not to follow back.

Twitter Mistake #3: Text Only Tweets

Include an image with as many Tweets as possible. The Twitter stream is fast moving and cluttered! Tweets that only contain text get fewer retweets and engagement. They simply get lost in the crowded conversation. If you are actually conversing with someone across Twitter, then the image is not necessary. However, for an account that is posting to share helpful content, include an image whenever possible. Use large, sharp colorful images that stand out in the bust feed. Twitter accepts video uploads too!

Twitter Mistake #4: Posting Irregularly

Twitter accounts can be as active as you want them to be. My metrony Twitter account post at least 1o times every weekday. That does not include retweets or replies. That volume works for me on Twitter. My Facebook page has about one post per day. In contrast, my Pinterest account might post up to 40 times per day. You have to get a feel for each social channel and what sort of frequency is required to be successful without turning your audience away.

Whatever frequency you decide is right for your account, be sure to post on a regular basis. That means, don’t tweet five time per day for a month, then disappear for the next month and come back. Power users will have filtered you out and unfollowed your Twitter, writing you off as a stale account. Stick to a schedule, even if it is only once per day or even once per week.

Twitter Mistake #5: Tweet Only Your Own Content

Selling 100% of the time is a buzz killer! This is a challenging topic for many social media newbies. Find a way to share content, that is not your won, but still relevant to your followers. For example, if your brand sells fitness equipment, then include other healthy lifestyle tips. For example, post recipes or ideas about where to go for a hiking adventure. Make your Twitter account about being a resource that people will want to check in on for useful information.

Twitter Mistake #6: Stay Professional My Friend

We’ve all seen some hilarious Twitter war wins. The recent example of Wendy’s and their Twitter rant about their fresh hamburgers was humorous and successful. The rant by the official Wendy’s corporate account won lots of positive press. Unfortunately, a Twitter war can go seriously wrong for a brand. Unless sarcasm is part of your shtick, refrain from engaging in Twitter wars or other social media rants. It’s too risky. Handle your public outreach with quality customer service and genuine respect.

Social Media Strategy for Unsexy Businesses

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Is Your Business Too Boring for Social media?

Travel, beauty, fashion, tech and food are all easy topics to work into a social media strategy. These industries are naturally popular because of their broad appeal. IN addition, they are ALL easy to represent in photographs. Who doesn’t love to sift through travel photos and dream of new destinations?

Not all businesses are as easy to promote on social media. Many B2B brands are a challenge. Think of your paper for your photocopier, the company that manufactures contact lenses or other products and services. Lately, I have heard these labeled as boring or even unsexy!

Last year during a webinar about social media audits, an attendee asked about his “unsexy” business. He wanted to know what sort of content he could use. He was convinced his family-owned moving company could never be successful on social.

A social media marketing strategy for unsexy businesses is indeed challenging, but it is not impossible. The moving company is actually easy to work with on social. The owner just needed to expand his thinking and remember all the reasons why his company is helpful to their clients. Almost everyone moves at least once in their life, even if is just a temporary move to a college dorm. Not everyone uses a moving service, but they all have the same concerns and needs.

This same philosophy applies to any marketing campaign no matter if it is boring or sexy! Think about your brand’s mission, purpose, and value proposition. What is it that keeps you in business? How is your company or product better than the competition?

A so-called boring business can draw on all types of content that is useful to their potential customers. The moving company should emphasize that it is family owned and why that is an advantage over a national chain. They can convey this through blog posts. Address movers’ concerns and incorporate it into your marketing and social media plan.

These are perfect for photos and video content. Show the potential client how to pack, talk about selecting a good neighborhood for that suits their needs, remind them about insurance, point out nearby transportation and local schools. Obviously the helpful staff, clean moving vans, and happy customers all make for good content.

On January 15, I will be speaking about boring businesses at Affiliate Summit West in Las Vegas. I have some case studies of large corporations including a famous municipality, truck parts, and taxes! What is more boring than taxes? Actually, I can name a few genres!

I hope to see you at Affiliate Summit West 2017.