social media

February 5,2018ByDAVID VEGA

Publishers eye push notifications in aftermath of Facebook news feed changes

Brands . social media

If you’re wondering why you got the same Apple News push alert from CNN a half-dozen times Tuesday afternoon, it wasn’t a coincidence. (CNN said it was an Apple News glitch, something Apple confirmed later.) Now that Facebook is deprioritizing publishers’ posts in the news feed, there is more urgency for publishers to make direct connections with readers. That means they’re taking push notifications more seriously. The Wall Street Journal has tripled, to nine, the number of topics that its mobile app users can follow and made it possible to “follow” its writers so users get a push when those authors publish something. Publishers are making an effort to stand out visually. Gannett’s USA Today grew its referral traffic from pushes by 18 percent by incorporating pictures, video, and GIFs into its messages. The Guardian has played with the font and style of its push notifications. CNN is will begin adding rich media to its push notifications in the second quarter of 2018. And while personalized push notifications didn’t gain much traction among publishers’ app audiences last year, publishers including Gannett are looking to infuse more personalization into the pushes they send. In a survey Gannett conducted with its app users last year, the relevance of the content was named as a top motivation for responding to push notifications. “If they don’t identify with it, they’re less likely to engage with it,” said Larry Aasen, director of mobile development at Gannett. These moves were already in the works when Facebook announced changes to its news feed algorithm earlier in January. But as publishers try to make up for the loss of reach in the news feed, even areas that drive small amounts of referral traffic will become more important. “You’re seeing a lot more sophistication,” said Mike Herrick, svp of product and engineering at Urban Airship, a push notifications technology provider. “The assets that are owned are going to be the most strategic.” Publishers pay close attention to their app audiences because their response to a story often provides a good signal for how a publisher’s broader audience will react to it. At CNN, for example, the click-through rate on its app push notifications determines whether to move breaking stories to the top of its homepage or write more stories on a developing story. “They’re optimal for getting an early indication of how a story is playing with your audience,” said S. Mitra Kalita, CNN’s VP of digital programming. “I used to use Facebook metrics like this over five years ago. You’d look at shares over the course of 20 minutes.” The competition for space on users’ phone lock screens has gotten intense. The volume of push notifications sent by publishers rose more than 50 percent from January to December in 2017, according to data from Urban Airship. While there’s a risk that publishers will overdo it, audiences are getting used to a fire hose of notifications: Opt-in rates for push notifications rose 16 percentage points this year, also according to Urban Airship. Pete Brown, a senior research fellow at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism and the author of “Pushed Beyond Breaking,” a research report on push notifications published last fall, predicts that images, automation, and personalization will gain importance in pushes. Last week, Urban Airship rolled out a tool that will allow publishers to use artificial intelligence to schedule push notifications based on when the audience is most likely to interact with them. Push notifications account for a small percentage of most publishers’ overall traffic. For USA Today, they drive just 10 percent of its mobile app opens and 5 percent of the mobile app’s pageviews. Yet those slivers of the audience are valuable. To receive a push notification, a person must have either downloaded a publisher’s app or followed the publisher inside a platform like Apple News or Google Play Newsstand, a sign of affinity. “A lot of people would consider their push audience their most loyal, their most engaged audience,” Brown said. Author: Max Willens...

January 15,2018ByDAVID VEGA

Is Our Social Media Terminology About to Change?

Brands . social media

“She does social media,” is the go-to introduction my friends bestow on me at parties. In 2018, in a world where many of my millennial friends have more captivating Instagram accounts than me, this introduction sound about as impressive as, “She Googles real good.” Who doesn’t? Currently, I don’t directly manage any brand’s social media channels, though I have in the past. Instead, I most often consult in overall digital strategies that involve many promotion outlets, be it email, website, social media, and/or display. That said, my friends’ misleading introduction results in some lovely party conversations, the most recent being, “Do you think we’ll always call social media ‘social media’?” As the resident social media expert person, I blurted out, “Of course! What else would we call it? We still call TV ‘TV,’ don’t we?” I chortled. My friends chortled. We all slapped knees (our own, not each other’s). The conversation pivoted. I went home, brushed my teeth, changed into my egg jammies, and fell asleep. I woke up in the middle of the night Don’t Wake Daddy-style. We don’t call it “TV”; we call it Netflix, Hulu, or whatever specific show we intend to binge watch. Unless we spent time staring at some reality show we’d rather not admit to watching, we rarely say, “I just watched TV.” Now that my moment has passed to have this dinner party conversation with man buns (brotrepreneurs) over cheap wine, I ask you: When will we stop calling social media “social media”? Don’t get me wrong—this will be a mass effort, a shift of the collective conscious—we will not solve it here. However, in the way someone circa 2010 started asking where she left her “phone,” abandoning “cell” as if the specifier was superfluous, someone will start calling social media “social.” Oh, no. We already use “social” in isolation. Has the end begun? Probably. The Evidence ‘Social Media’ Is on Its Way Out Facebook bought Instagram in 2012 (over five years ago?!). Almost immediately, the two began melding into one. Facebook introduced video; then Instagram introduced video. Instagram introduced Stories; then Facebook introduced Stories. Now, ads can be sent through both platforms at the same time, from the same tool, using the same audience parameters. Will Instagram eventually just become Facebook? Will we call all newsfeed-centric social media platforms “Facebook” in the way we colloquially deem all search engines “Google”? What happens when Facebook overtakes YouTube once and for all? YouTube, a platform I’ve always struggled to call a “social media,” had a rocky 2017. With ridiculous scandals, a massive redesign, original shows, and mixed Red reviews, who and what is YouTube anymore? For one, YouTube is a sibling of Google and therefore, undoubtedly, a powerful ad platform. However, advertising alone social media does not make, young padawan. What happens if Netflix introduces comments à la Youtube? What happens if Snapchat introduces a discovery section à la Instagram? Wait, did Snapchat kind of already do that? What happens if Twitter . . . nah, I’ve all but given up on Twitter. Nevertheless, what are we going to call all these social media platforms as they evolve? It seems to me they are outgrowing their terminology. Does Any of This Really Matter? I don’t know, man. Maybe analyzing terminology just feels like splitting hairs. Still, sometimes you need a silly question like “when will we stop calling it social media” to get the brainstorming juices flowing, to tiptoe to the questions that really matter to your business as we cruise through 2018, such as: Where is social media going? Where is our audience likely to be in five years? What platforms should we consider adopting? Where should we be putting our digital advertising dollars? What type of content will we need to produce? Video? Audio? Are we ready to serve a mobile-first audience? What are we measuring in terms of KPIs? Are we converting? If not, why? Scary questions, right? In time, they will need to be answered. But for now, tell me, what are your 2018 predictions for social media terminology? Better yet, what changes to individual social media platforms will necessitate the evolution of our current lexicon? I’ll grab my cheap wine. Brotrepreneurs, come one, come all. Author: Christina Moravec...

January 12,2018ByDAVID VEGA

8 Tips to Encourage User-generated Content on Instagram

Brands . social media

Did you know that 80 percent of what you view online is user-generated content? Big companies such as Redbull, BMW, and Starbucks feel the pulse of marketing trends and can effectively leverage this. And even though the user-generated content is on the rise, it is difficult to achieve marketing goals if content creation by your customers isn’t part of your brand strategy. Why User-generated Content? Ninety-two percent of consumers rely on referrals rely on referrals from people they know. Because it is 50 percent more trusted than other media. Advertising based on user-generated content can cause a 400 percent increase in click-through rate. These statistics prove that user-generated content is the future of internet marketing. When launching these types of campaigns, concentrate on one social media platform for maximum results. When choosing from the wealth of social media websites, Instagram is high on the list. More and more brands are investing in Instagram marketing, and the platform has become popular for brand promotion. Why So Popular? The Instagram community has grown to 800 million users. Instagrammers share 95 million photos and videos daily. Instagram Stories has 100 million daily active users. Moreover, this report from L2 claims user-generated content works best for brands on Instagram. Before you set up the campaign, think of proven ways to encourage user-generated-content creation. The more people create content for you, the better. But this requires time and effort to make them want to become a part of your community. So, here are eight tips for marketers to consider. Create a Sense of Belonging Influencing consumer behavior is a common practice in marketing. If you want people to do something for you, understand what drives them. Know which psychological tricks can help you create a connection. One of the greatest feelings for humans is the sense of belonging. People want to be a part of something significant. It is a fundamental need. Building a sense of belonging requires time and effort, but the payoff can be huge for the brand. If your brand has many admirers, it is likely you can get user-generated content from your audience. For example, look at brands such as Starbucks — many cannot simply grab a Starbucks coffee without posting a photo of coffee in hand on Instagram. This is because people feel the need to belong to the Starbucks community! Improve Your Instagram Engagement How do you convey to visitors that your Instagram profile is interesting enough, so they become a follower? Engagement! If people like, comment, or share your content, it means you produce something valuable. It creates a sense of belonging, and people are more likely to become a part of a popular community. High-quality content matters. One of the best marketers in the world, Andrew Davis, said: Content builds relationships. Relationships are built on trust. Trust drives revenue. If you post material that satisfies customer needs, you will boost engagement on Instagram. However, it will not be enough to increase the performance of your posts on the newsfeed. So how do you increase engagement? By posting fresh and qualitative content: publish relevant and eye-catching information. Through interaction with your followers: like and comment on their posts. Keeping up with trends: it allows you to reach more people. Once you drive more engagement, you attract more followers and ultimately, more people to create user-generated content for your brand. Establish Contacts with Micro-influencers Influencer marketing is flourishing on Instagram as 92 percent of people trust recommendations by individuals rather than companies. Most brands know this, so they reach out to influencers for beneficial collaboration with an already-established community. When choosing an influencer, marketers try to find a popular one figuring the larger following, the better. However, having a lot of followers doesn’t necessarily mean higher engagement. Collaborating with micro-influencers may be a better option as they can deliver a 60 percent higher engagement rate. Moreover, they can be more cost-effective and loyal. With micro-influencers, you can maintain good relationships and stand out from the competition. Re-post Customer Content Every marketer should know user-generated content can help earn trust, build brand awareness, and boost sales among customers. Unfortunately, we fail to put customers first. Only nine percent of the top 250 B2B brands place user-generated content on their product pages. Although people create content at will, you need to reward those who produce quality content for your brand. To encourage more content creation, you must show customers that their effort pays off by liking, commenting, and sharing their content. However, to avoid damage to brand reputation, you will need to use user-generated content as you would copyright content. Thus, always think about the original poster first. How to repost content legally: Ask for permission: if you want to feature a photo on your feed, contact the owner via comments or DM’s. Give photo credit: add a comment to your post with the photo credit and tag the owner. Customers crave recognition and approval, so make them feel valued. Use Instagram Stories Highlights Recently, Instagram launched two new tools—Stories Highlights and Stories Archives. These allow users to group stories they have shared into highlights and feature them on the user’s profile. The new features are an effective way to build a valued customer connection and showcase your business authentically, which means earning trust. Here are some pointers for making the most out of Instagram Stories Highlights: Create a user-generated content group: collect the best stories using customer content you have shared and highlight this group as permanent on your account. Update the group: add stories to the group regularly. It is not always possible to post all customer content on the main feed as it could slow traffic to your site. When using Instagram Stories, you won’t need to worry about posting too much content. Hold a Contest If you want to encourage user-generated content creation, have an Instagram marketing contest. Holding a contest is a great way to increase the number of user-generated posts. To avoid any PR pitfalls, create and abide by the contest Terms & Conditions. These rules will inform participants on how to take part and win the contest. By running...

January 5,2018ByDAVID VEGA

Four Ways to Keep Your Brand and Marketing Relevant Amid Fluctuating Cultural Trends

Brands . social media

What do your brand, plant-based foods, Barbie dolls, and bottled water have in common? The truth is, quite a lot. There’s a lot of debate right now about whether bottled water is really a better choice than soda. Or whether a plant-based diet is actually healthier than consuming meat. And Some people are up in arms about the wage gap between male and female professionals. Still, others are evaluating whether there are enough variations of the Barbie doll. So… what does any of that have to do with marketing your brand? Cultural trends like those—and so many more—may come and go, but their impact remains significant. For a brand to remain relevant in this day and age, it must align with the dominant cultural trends of its target audience. That means you as a marketer must make it a priority to not only understand the issues that matter to your consumers but also consistently integrate their feelings and opinions into your brand’s message in new and creative ways. Keeping Pace With Culture Successful marketing does more than convey a message to an audience. It inspires, influences, and, ultimately, propels a brand forward. For any marketing campaign to be successful, marketers must find innovative ways to interweave the brand’s core values with the cultural context of the intended audience—its ideologies, tensions, values, and so on. Most consumers, whether consciously or not, look for brands that align with their view of the world. So a marketing campaign that not only acknowledges the cultural trends of its target audience but also aligns with or adds to that message will be rewarded with relevance, acceptance, and loyalty. On the other hand, when marketers ignore cultural context, or skirt around cultural trends, or don’t take the time to understand the issues, they risk landing their brand in hot water. For example: In 2017, Pepsi’s ad featuring Kendall Jenner was instantly condemned for downplaying the seriousness of race-related protests across the country. The company quickly pulled the ad. Some two years ago, Protein World’s Beach Body Ready campaign faced scathing backlash for promoting what many considered to be an unrealistic female body. The ad was eventually banned in the United Kingdom. If you’re not comfortable having your brand take a bold stance on a cultural issue, that’s OK. But researching the trends that matter to your audience can still elevate your marketing. For example, if you discover that the growing popularity of the plant-based food movement stems from consumers’ desire for “cleaner” sources of protein, you could easily change your labeling to highlight the amount or origin of the protein in your product. Even subtle nods toward a pervasive cultural trend can give your brand a leg up on the competition. But whatever you do… it has to be authentic. How to Stay Trend-Relevant It’s clear that to avoid wasting time, money, and resources—and potentially angering or alienating consumers—your marketing team must study, understand, and accommodate cultural trends. Begin that process with the following four steps. 1. Get to know your audience Knowing all you can know about your audience should always be a marketing priority. It’s the only way to precisely target the right consumers, perfect your brand’s message, motivate action, and keep your customers satisfied. Although reliable data should be the foundation of your marketing campaign, don’t rely just on numbers and figures. And move beyond demographics by also investigating the cultural trends that matter to your audience members: What are they interested in? What are they passionate about? How do they spend their time? What are their expectations for the companies they do business with and the products they use? Fleshing out your audience’s cultural attitudes allows you to be more strategic in marketing your brand. 2. Do your cultural research Explore the cultural trends influencing your audience and businesses now and for the foreseeable future. The Culture Vulture 2017 Trends Report is a great place to start. Notable examples include the prevalence of corporate icons and how startups are remaining competitive; the emergence of products, services, and events catered to Baby Boomers; and the way the mindfulness trend has inspired businesses to include offerings that promote serenity and balance. Also important is Millennials’ impact on society—from their redefinition of the American dream to their informal attitudes toward attire, traditions, gender norms, and more. Don’t forget to also look for niche hot topics that directly affect your consumers or brand. For example, if you market for a food or beverage product, understanding the nuances of the soda vs. bottled water battle (consumers seeking lower- or no-sugar options, cost, environmental impact of packaging, etc.) might come in handy. Research both large- and small-scale cultural trends when strategizing for your brand. 3. Craft a message that stands for something Once you know your audience members and the cultural trends influencing them, it’s time to develop a message that aligns with (or better yet, resolves) a larger cultural narrative. Choose words that pack a punch. Make your message simple yet powerful. And be sure your brand’s message is creative, clear, and consistent. For inspiration, you can look at brands that redefined gender-role norms with their own simple, powerful messages. Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign, Under Armour’s I Will What I Want campaign, and P&G’s #LikeAGirl campaign have all been praised for promoting female empowerment, diversity, and opportunity. 4. Strengthen your message with visuals In marketing messaging, visuals are often just as important to the campaign as the written or spoken word. From videos to photographs to well-placed labels, the right visuals can create an emotional connection with consumers, inspire them to take action, and convince them of your cultural relevancy. Thoroughly investigate the ways you could deliver visuals to your audience, paying special attention to newer, nontraditional avenues that currently boast some of the highest user engagement stats. Finally, explore making your visuals powerful enough to carry your message of cultural relevance on their own. Take CoverGirl, for instance. When the company hired its first male ambassador, it didn’t couple the announcement with an explanation of its motives. CoverGirl trusted the new ads properly conveyed its stance...

January 4,2018ByDAVID VEGA

7 email trends to watch in 2018

Brands . social media

As we speed head into 2018, the trends that will have the biggest impact on your email marketing program over the next 12 months. 2017 was a stellar year for email marketing. With 72 percent of consumers in Litmus’ 2016 State of Email report stating that email is their first choice for brand communication, and more than 225 billion emails (PDF) sent every day (a 5 percent increase from previous years), email continues to play an important role in brands’ marketing strategies and is the digital linchpin for the consumer. As we barrel into 2018, there are no guarantees that the email tactics and strategies that worked in 2017 will deliver the same results. To make the most of your email marketing investments and stay on the cutting edge, consider the trends that will impact email over the next 12 months. 1. Editorial or ‘sticky’ content will become a must-have OK, OK — “must-have” may seem a little aggressive, so consider this my cry for help to all marketers! Today’s consumers (B2C and B2B) value content that goes beyond offers, promotions and product information. They crave useful information that speaks to the intersection of their lifestyle and brand values. Gift guides, recipes, how-tos, related news, tips and tricks, outfits of the day and other types of sticky content are also useful for marketers because they help keep subscribers from passively opting out or unsubscribing, especially if they don’t buy from the brand frequently (e.g., monthly). Subscribers will stay engaged with your brand if you make the effort to educate, entertain or find a unique way to incorporate lifestyle trends into your messaging. Forward-thinking brands already rely on sticky content within the email to strengthen their relationships with customers. For example, REI serves up geo-dynamic content that informs subscribers about hiking trails that are near their location. If geo-content isn’t available, they provide generic content that is similarly relevant to subscribers’ lives. 2. Automation and AI technologies will make emails more human Artificial intelligence continues to be a hot topic in marketing circles. Although the implications of AI and the scope of its marketing applications are still somewhat vague, in 2018, marketers will continue to ramp up experimentation with automated plug-and-play applications. Content optimization is an obvious target for AI solutions. A lot of applications are fighting in this space that enables marketers to evaluate audiences and generate content using language and emotion tailored to specific segments while learning as more data comes through. None of them are perfect or what we all want AI to be, so do your homework and evaluate all potential possibilities before signing that contract. Take Optimail, which optimizes email campaigns through adaptive personalization, or Phrasee, a fun company that started only focused on subject lines, and in very short order their technology has expanded to all sorts of copy/content. Don’t limit your horizons; think creatively how you can expand the capabilities. Ironically, a major benefit of AI technologies is that they make emails feel more human. By providing more personalized user experiences through data, AI can help create deeper connections with your subscribers and invoke more emotion with its language (or emoji) usage — a slightly creepy cherry on top. 3. Real-time, cross-channel personalization will drive customer experiences In addition to using AI applications to create more tailored user experiences, this year we’ll see marketers increase their efforts to personalize content in real time across channels. Expect next-generation personalization to appear more frequently in emails, websites, and even products. Small clothing brands like StitchFix and TrunkClub are already reaping the benefits of personalization. By personalizing subscription boxes, these brands give customers individualized brand experiences. Other brands personalize individual products. For example, Coca-Cola allows customers to order bottles emblazoned with their names, and Converse allows customers to customize the fit and color of their sneakers. As this level of detail migrates to larger brands, it could lead to a seismic shift in the way consumers interact with brands and products across a range of industries. 4. Kinetic email will change the look, feel and experience of email One of the trends I’m excited to see more of in 2018 is kinetic email. Designed to make emails look and feel more like a website experience, kinetic emails introduce a new layer of interactivity to the email experience. As ISPs like Gmail continue to adopt these functionalities, it will make the experience in the inbox more fluid and quicker to the register. The best examples of kinetic email include hover buttons, hotspots, add to order carts, image carousels, and other features. The upside is that these emails are not only more attractive than traditional email, but they’re also more effective for encouraging subscribers to engage with the brand and its products. Although marketers are still working out the kinks (Microsoft sent a kinetic email that didn’t work on Microsoft email clients), Taco Bell, Burberry, and Nest are examples of brands that are using interactivity in the inbox. It’s hard to find them out in the wild, so be sure to look for more of these emails to land in your inbox in the coming months. 5. Passive opt-outs will (continue to) be a major challenge Marketers are sending more emails than ever before. In Q3 2017, our company sent more than 7 billion emails through our cross-channel communications platform. But with so many emails filling inboxes, it’s becoming difficult to keep subscribers engaged, and some marketers are struggling with declining KPIs. In 2018, I expect that some marketers will continue to struggle, while others will take the initiative and implement strategies to stem the trend of passive opt-outs. To reduce opt-outs, email campaigns should engage audiences quickly, using offers and content that are relevant to individual subscribers’ opt-in path. Early welcome touch points, segmented engagement buckets, robust triggers, personalization and other tactics can go a long way toward retaining subscribers at key points in the customer lifecycle. 6. Mobile purchasing will reach a tipping point Mobile purchasing is rapidly closing the gap with desktop purchasing as consumers...

December 14,2017ByDAVID VEGA

Twitter Launches New ‘Threads’ Feature for Tweetstorms

Brands . social media

Twitter is announcing the launch of a new feature that will allow people to more easily post tweetstorms – that is, multiple numbered tweets on a topic or idea “tweetstorm.” Now With Threads, two or more tweets can be linked, simplifying and streamlining the tweetstorm concept. The company confirmed last month it was testing the feature – which it’s now calling “threads” – across its iOS and Android apps. When you create a tweet on Twitter, you can use the “+” button to add more tweets to the original tweet in the compose window. All of your tweets can be drafted ahead of time and then sent out at once using the new “Tweet All” button. Tweets can also be added to a published thread using the “Add Another Tweet” button, and when browsing Twitter, there’s a new “Show this thread” label that makes it easier to find a series of linked tweets. Twitter says that the new Threads feature is designed for people who want to serialize a longer story or thought or provide ongoing commentary on a particular event or topic. Threads are the second major change that’s been made to Twitter in recent weeks, following a decision to increase the character limit from 140 to 280 characters to give Twitter users more room to express themselves. Twitter says the new Threads feature is rolling out to iOS, Android, and the web “in the coming weeks.” Author: David Vega, Jacksonville ...

December 13,2017ByDAVID VEGA

How to Use Instagram Live With Friends for Business

Brands . social media

Are you looking for a creative way to improve your Instagram stories? Wondering how to use Instagram Live with a guest? In this article, you’ll discover how to use Instagram Live With Friends. What Instagram Live With Friends Looks Like Not every business gets the chance to include interviews with mainstream actors and musicians as part of their content strategy, like Gucci. But if you could, it would start with a promotion of your live broadcast with a guest. Your followers are alerted to your live broadcast at the top of their Instagram news feed. When you use Instagram Live with a guest, your followers see two circles representing your Instagram account and your guest’s. Both your profile and your guest’s profile show two circles, as well as the Instagram Live indicator. Your broadcast will look like this. When viewers click the profile links at the top left, they get the option to view your profile or your guest’s profile. Depending on the popularity of your Instagram Live broadcast, it may show up in the top Instagram Live stories on the Search and Explore tab. Verified Instagram accounts and the Instagram Live broadcasts with the most viewers that best relate to your interests (based on Instagram usage habits) are listed first. The more live viewers you and your guest can attract, the higher you can move on the Top Live Instagram Stories screen and the more likely you are to attract new audiences on the Search and Explore tab. Now that you know what Instagram Live With Friends looks like to your followers and other Instagram users, let’s look at how to set up an Instagram Live With Friends broadcast for your business. #1: Plan and Promote Your Instagram Live in Advance To get the best visibility possible, plan and promote your Instagram Live With Friends broadcast. If you have an Instagram business account, you can use your Followers Insights to determine when your followers are online. Your guest can do the same if they also have a business account. Once you determine the best time to reach the majority of your followers and your guest’s, promote the live broadcast using a standard image or video post to your Instagram profile. Use this post to let your followers know when the live broadcast will happen, whom you intend to invite as your guest(s), and what viewers can expect. Add hashtags to the post to help it reach more people who may be interested in following your Instagram account and viewing your live broadcast. #2: Start Your Instagram Live Broadcast When you’re ready to start your Instagram Live broadcast, tap on the camera icon or profile photo in the Instagram Stories section at the top left of your Instagram news feed. At the bottom of the screen, move the slider to Live. Then tap on Start Live Video when you’re ready to go live. #3: Add a Guest to Your Instagram Live Once your guest begins viewing the broadcast, tap on the friends icon to the right of the comment box to add the guest to your live stream. Tap on the guest’s name in the Go Live With pop-up and tap Add to invite them to the broadcast. At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see a notification that the guest is waiting to accept your invitation to go live. #4: Remove a Guest and Add Another Guest After your guest joins the broadcast, you’ll see your live video and theirs. You’ll also see the option to end the broadcast at the top right of your live video. If you want to remove the guest from the broadcast, tap the X at the top right of your guest’s live video. Then confirm that you want to remove the guest from your live broadcast. Now you can add and broadcast live with another guest. When you tap End to end your live video, you have the option to share it in Instagram Stories for the next 24 hours. If you don’t want to share your video after the original broadcast has ended, tap the slider and confirm you want to discard the video. #5: Promote the Live Replay on Instagram Stories If you choose to save your video to your Instagram stories, you can archive your original promotion of the broadcast and post a new update to let followers know they can catch your live video for the next 24 hours. After the 24-hour period is up, you can archive that post if you want. #6: Review Your Instagram Stories Analytics If you share your Instagram Live broadcast to Instagram Stories, you can view Stories Insights in your Instagram business account analytics. If you don’t see your story preview, tap on the See Older link to find it. You’ll find the best analytics during the 24-hour period that the Instagram story is displayed. These insights show the people who are viewing your Instagram story (everyone), as well as the impressions, reach, and other engagement metrics (Instagram business account holders only). To access this data, tap on the number of viewers for your Instagram story during the 24 hours it’s available, shown at the bottom left of your story. Everyone will see the number of viewers and a list of those viewers. Business account users can tap the Insights tab to get impressions, viewers, replies, and swipe-aways, as applicable. Conclusion Instagram Live With Friends lets everyone broadcast live with guests. Businesses can use this feature to host live interviews, AMA sessions, product launches, service demos, and more. Author: Kristi Hines...

December 9,2017ByDAVID VEGA

Facebook adds a sound and music library you can use for video – ‘Sound Collection’.

Brands . social media

Facebook has added a “sound collection” of 1,000 free, pre-cleared songs by mostly unknown artists for its users to add to their videos. The social media platform started unrolling the new material on Friday (Dec. 8) as part of its larger Facebook for Creators program it announced last month. The new initiative is intended to provide video creators with tools to develop their skills (and followings) on Facebook and Instagram. Facebook Sound Collection has a huge potential but probably won’t deter users from illegally adding popular music to their videos. But, Facebook Sound Collection is a repository of thousands of high-quality audio tracks and sound effects from across the world. These tracks and effects are owned by Facebook (hence there are no hassles with copyright or paying the artists) and video creators are free to use them in their videos which can then be shared on Facebook or Instagram. There is also an accompanying collection of over 1,500 sound effects ranging from Venetian blinds opening to a dental suction tool. It may only be a matter of time before popular acts join the service as well. In September it was reported that Facebook was negotiating with major record labels and music publishers for rights to legally include copyrighted music in videos uploaded to the platform. Check out the songs and sounds here. Author: David Vega...

December 7,2017ByDAVID VEGA

How to Bulk Invite your Facebook Friends to LIKE your Business Page.

Brands . social media

Quick Tip: The other day a Facebook friend posted, Anyone knows if there’s a way to invite a lot of my Facebook friends to like my new business page at once? Going one by one takes forever.” Then I started reading all the comments and I was thinking, “These people need help” LOL. So, I made this quick tutorial video about how to invite friends to like your page, in bulk. Enjoy. Like and Share. [facebook url=”https://www.facebook.com/tridence/videos/1457408637660891/” /] Author: David Vega, Influencer and Social Media Guru Chicago, IL. & Jacksonville, FL....

December 4,2017ByDAVID VEGA

YouTube is launching a new video format called Reels

Brands . social media

YouTube is developing a new video feature that allows creators to post 30-second videos called Reels. The feature, which is noticeably similar to Snapchat and Instagram Stories, was previously absent from YouTube. Thus, bringing “Youtuber’s” to be a more Social acceptable environment. Reels will appear in a brand-new tab on creators’ channels and can be decorated with filters, text, and stickers. Reels won’t expire after 24 hours, and one creator can make multiple topic-specific Reels, unlike Snapchat and Instagram Stories. The company tells us the idea with Reels is to introduce a new video format on YouTube that lets creators express themselves and engage fans without having to post a full video. Instead, creators make new Reels by shooting a few quick mobile videos of up to 30 seconds each, then adding filters, music, text and more, including new “YouTube like” stickers. And unlike Stories on other platforms, YouTube creators can make multiple Reels and they won’t expire. Below is what Reels will look like for creators at launch, but be aware that the format could change ahead of a public release. The arrival of Reels is one of a handful of changes for YouTube and the YouTube Community, the social platform launched last fall as a new way for video creators to engage with their fan base. A mini social network within YouTube’s larger social network, Community lives on a creator’s channel in its own tab, allowing them to share updates using text, photos, GIFs, polls, and more....