I’m sure you’re all aware of my many frustrations with Facebook, as well as the reasons we can’t just walk away from it, no matter how much we’d like to. Since the Meta platforms have become a necessary part of business in our world, I wanted to share some info on how to make your experience more enjoyable. Mari Smith, my favorite Facebook guru, recently wrote this great guide on the topic. She discusses how whether you use Facebook for personal connections, business growth or a mix of both. There are still compelling reasons to stay. Instead of abandoning the platform. Let’s focus on taking back control of your experience. “Facebook Survival Guide” is a free download from Mari.
Report Looks at Average Social Media Post Performance in the Major Apps
“How much engagement do your posts on Facebook or Instagram get? Are you happy with your performance?
It’s difficult to assess how good or bad you’re doing without comparative data, and understanding what other brands and creators are seeing. Which is where this new report from Socialinsider comes in.”
What is the Latest Research Showing About Instagram?
Here are the latest stats on Instagram.
- Are you posting the average number of times per month?
- What percentage of your content is videos?
- Are you collaborating with influencers or like minded strategic partners?
Call Your Computer Lady today if you want to up your social media game!
More research
While videos make up only 34% of Instagram content, they reach 49% more audience than carousels or photos. They are shared more often so more people and new people see your content. Your Computer Lady can convert your photos into a video with music, movement and an eye-catching design.
Carousels are an excellent way to give your clients how-to guides. Each image is a step in the process so they can follow along with the instructions. Then the carousels are re-useable in Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, your eNews, your blog! Big bang for your buck!
Use carousels to tell a story. Show the progress on a project. Start with Before photos and move through the work to the completion. Do a Case Study. Demonstrate your product.
Hashtags aren’t as powerful as they were. Don’t abandon them just yet. Cut down on the number of tags you use, however. In a recent study, posts with no hashtags saw a 23% better reach than posts loaded with hashtags.
Posts with mentions (@name) double your reach and get 30% more engagement. Mention strategic partners, organizations or influencers.
Longer captions (over 300 characters) get more comments. You have to start with a strong hook to grab the reader’s attention then lead them through the story to make your point. There is more for readers to get involved with in a longer post. Don’t forget the Call to Action in the caption too!
Videos between 60 and 90 seconds perform the best. They get shared more often and create the most engagement. That time frame lets you tell a good story and make your Call to Action. You can add more punch with a strong caption when you post the video.
The number of posts per week have less impact that the quality of your posts. Mix posts types. Focus on what your audience wants to hear, not what you want to say.
Engagement Rates (audience interactions as % of reach) are the most important stat for Instagram. For B2B marketers, it’s a tough game. Compare your numbers to:
- Education (8.4%)
- Travel and healthcare (7.8%)
- Retail and Sports come in at 7.8%.
Social Media is to introduce your company to new prospects with credibility and to build relationships, not make big sales. Balance your effort and costs with your returns.
Source: Social Pilot
8 Social Media Trends to Watch for in 2025
“As businesses continue to leverage social media to connect with their audiences, staying ahead of the curve is essential. In 2025, the social media landscape will evolve with new technologies, shifting consumer behaviors, and emerging platforms. Here are eight trends to watch that will shape how businesses engage online this year.”
Will Meta’s Revised Approach to Moderation Impact Its Ad Business?
Will Meta’s decision this week to loosen its moderation rules and get rid of fact-checking make Facebook and Instagram less brand safe as a result?
That seems to be what happened on X following Elon Musk’s moves to reduce internal content moderation staff in favor of user-sourced Community Notes, with various reports and investigations suggesting that the platform is no longer a safe place for brands to display their messages. Following these moves, X’s ad revenue intake has declined by around 60%.
How to Create and Promote Explainer Videos
9 Skills To Become a Successful Social Media Marketer
“Looking to improve your social media marketing efforts?
Social media marketing is a multi-skilled professional, which is now far more than “scrolling through Facebook all day.”
Yes, we’ve all heard the clichés and criticisms, but the fact is that social media marketers need high-level writing skills, analytics capacity, design abilities, video composition, and more.”
The Power of Words
Watch this powerful illustration of the power of words.
Too often we slap some words together for our web site, our brochure, our
LinkedIn status, … We forget that words have great power. Dare I even
mention the emails we write!!
It’s a beautiful day!
Tips to Make Writing a Blog Post a Bit Easier
Writing good posts for your blog is a critical job. It is the least expensive, most effective way to make search engines rank your site in search results. This is called organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO). I like to re-use the content on social media posts and possibly in an eNewsletter to your clients who may not be bloggers. Three uses for one piece of content / effort!
Read this practical article from Lisa Marie Dias, a social media expert.
Call me at 480-433-9995 if you have any questions about the article or would like some help with blogging!
How to Build a Content Timebomb
Well written article about writing blog posts. His basic premise is that you write timeless articles using keywords that people can find when doing searches. For example, instead of an interior designer only writing about new products (short time frame since they’re only “new” for a short time), the designer would also write articles about how to choose the right colors for a living room remodel (a post that is relevant today, in six months or in six years).
An additional advantage to writing the timeless articles is that they can be submitted to blog sites such as Digg, ezine, etc. to promote the writer as well as the blog. The article could also be used in a monthly newsletter!