January isn’t just for weight loss. Use this time to refresh your social media strategies and set new goals for 2012. Here are a few things you might want to consider:
1. Get a Grip on Best Practices
Identify 4 or 5 best practices as key goals for 2012. Perhaps you want to set a frequency goal to improve the referral traffic to your website. Or maybe you want to include more links with posts. Another great best practice goal would be to write better social media teases so that more Fans/Followers watch your broadcast.
2. Take Inventory
Do you have a list of everyone with administrative and password access to your station’s social media accounts? Is there a list of all the accounts and how they’re being used? Would you be able to track down the source of an unsavory post by keeping track of who is posting what and when? If someone left your organization, are there systems in place to immediately remove their access to the newsroom’s social accounts? If not, it’s time to take stock before disaster strikes!
3. Get Smart About Contesting
Contesting is the most popular way to get new Fans fast. But consider what else you could be getting by giving away a prize. Think of ways to turn your contest into a traffic referral source for your website or to generate enthusiasm about your newscast. Stop gathering Fans for fans-sake…and start gathering them with purpose.
It’s still the number one question I get asked. And for good reason. Setting and keeping goals for frequency of posts can have a major impact on your fan count, your web-traffic referrals and your engagement levels. For journalists, the answer to this question is different than for other brands because journalists have more valuable content to share. Here are some basic parameters:
Facebook: The most current data from Facebook suggests that optimum frequency for newsroom posts depend on the goals of that newsroom:
5-10 Posts per day yeild the highest feedback (likes and comments)
11-15 Posts per day yeild the highest referral traffic
Twitter: I have yet to find a study related to Twitter frequency specifically for Journalists. However, several studieshave shown that 1-4 Tweets per day yeild the highest referral traffic. These studies focus on brands and individuals. My general thought is that newsrooms can get away with a much higher frequency rate so long as they’re putting out valuable content.
Of course the real key is enforcement. It’s not practical in a busy newsroom to run around with a stopwatch, keeping track of when the next Tweet is due. This was the inspiration for one of SocialNewsDesk’s most popular features: the Frequency Manager. It’s worth mentioning since we are on the topic and since SND is the ONLY social media manager with this feature. Inside SocialNewsDesk, newsroom managers set an individual frequency goal for each of the accounts attached to the system. Then, SocialNewsDesk monitors how often posts are made and displays information about when the next post is due. Here’s a snapshot:
If you’re interested to see how it works in a live demo, reach out to me anytime. kwilson [at] socialnewsdesk.com.
Facebook doesn’t make it easy to run a Fan Page contest or giveaway. So it’s no wonder I see stations inadvertantly break the rules all the time. If Facebook catches you ( and that’s a big if ) they have the right to shut down your page and cut off your access to the thousands of Fans you’ve worked so hard to build. I simply don’t think it’s a risk worth taking…especially when there are ways to run contests legally.
This particular contest showed up in my News Feed today. It’s a fun prize (VIP Tickets to the Thanksgiving Day Parade) and has some potential to increase Fans of the page. But unfortunately, WPVI is breaking 3 of Facebook’s promotions guidelines with this contest and putting themselves at risk. Here’s a breakdown so you can tell if your station’s contests are breaking any of these same rules:
1. Facebook Contests Must Contain Legal Disclaimers
Here’s the rule:
Promotions on Facebook must include the following:
a. A complete release of Facebook by each entrant or participant.
b. Acknowledgment that the promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.
c. Disclosure that the participant is providing information to [disclose recipient(s) of information] and not to Facebook.
This language must be contained within the App itself. In this case, the only page of the app is this welcome image and the legal language is not found here:
2. Facebook Contests Must Have an Entry Mechanism Other Than Liking a Page
Here’s the rule:
You must not use Facebook features or functionality as a promotion’s registration or entry mechanism. For example, the act of liking a Page or checking in to a Place cannot automatically register or enter a promotion participant.
WPVI is giving away the prize by randomly selecting the winner from its pool of Fans. Facebook prohibits this. In order to be in compliance with Facebook’s rules, WPVI would need to use an application that includes some other entry mechanism such as providing a name or email address which is then collected into a database:
3. Winners Cannot Be Notified Via Posts on a Fan Page
Here’s the rule:
You must not notify winners through Facebook, such as through Facebook messages, chat, or posts on profiles (timelines) or Pages
It appears that WPVI is planning to use its Fan Page to notify the winners by posting the winner’s name on their wall. Facebook requires that all winners be notified via some other form of communication such as email or phone. Obviously, the station would need to collect this information in order to comply with this rule. In this case, they are not collecting any information whatsoever.
If you’d like more information about how to be sure your contests comply with Facebook’s rules, please feel free to reach out to me at kwilson [at] socialnewsdesk.com.
Tech reporter Noah Kravitz and his former employer, PhoneDog are fighting for ownership of a Twitter account Kravitz created but PhoneDog promoted. Kravitz believes the account belongs to him because he created it, managed it and has always had sole access to it. PhoneDog believes it owns the account because PhoneDog managers required Kravitz to create the account in the first place and because PhoneDog promoted the account each time Kravitz published an article.
The court will decide who’s right. But in the meantime, here are 3 ways your TV station can clearly define its ownership of talent accounts now, and avoid a lawsuit later:
1. Start From Scratch
Rather than allowing the reporter to do it, have a newsroom manager create a Facebook and Twitter account for any new on-air talent. The account name should include station branding (ie @News5Kim). This will establish the origin of the account as a professional tool rather than a personal tool.
2. Password Power
At the end of the day, whoever knows the password controls the account. This person can edit settings, change the password and change admin access. If you want to maintain control of an account, you must maintain control of the password. For station managers, this may mean using a 3rd party tool to grant limited access to social accounts versus giving out direct access. This is one of the most popular features of SocialNewsDeskbecause it gives TV stations the ability to hand-out individual usernames and passwords and to instantly remove access when turnover happens in the newsroom.
3. Create a Social Media Policy
Chances are, your station has a social media policy. Check to make sure it includes specific details about when, how and if the station will promote a personal social media account. There are times when promoting a personal account can benefit the station (such as when the account has a significant number of followers already). Be thoughtful and consistent with your policy.
And remember, advertisers pay thousands of dollars to promote their brand on your airwaves and website. When you promote a reporter’s personal social account…you’re giving them free advertising. Make sure you’re doing so with purpose and an exit strategy. Because when they walk out the door…that account is going with them.
I’m always looking for cool ways newsrooms can use social media to promote their broadcast and increase ratings. Here’s something from NBC that I saw in my News Feed today. It’s a simple concept that your newsroom could easily deploy by posting this type of image to your wall and asking people to share the photo.
Here’s why this works:
1) It’s viral: Especially if you create a really fun/provocative image, this will spread quickly. This one post has 37 shares.
2) It looks great in the News Feed: Even if your Fan’s friends don’t share it…they’ll certainly see it. Creating a large, eye-popping image is key.
3) It’s fun: For now, this is a unique way to use photos that most people haven’t seen. That alone will get some attention.
As the Dr. Conrad Murray verdict came down today, I watched the news explode in my News Feed. And I then watched I watched station after station implode when it came to effective breaking news coverage on Facebook. Here are a few simple steps your station can take to make sure you’re following social media best practices during breaking news on Facebook:
1. Link To Your Website
Breaking news is one of the best opportunities to drive traffic to your website. Yet I find more text-only posts during breaking news than any other time. The reason is obvious: breaking news is crazy, people are busy, and getting something out is better than nothing right? Maybe not. What newsrooms often don’t realize is that by putting out a two sentence post with no link, they’ve just posted an advertisement for the competition. Fans see text-only posts as a tease. They want to know more. But if your post has no link to your story, your fan will search for and find the details somewhere else.
Here’s a look at my News Feed shortly after the Dr. Murray conviction came down today. The new Facebook News Feed groups posts on related topics so I had several posts in a row with the same content (3 news stations and 1 reporter). Only one of these had a link back to the station’s website. It was their 3rd post on the topic.
And remember, you don’t have to wait for a full story to show up on your website. Linking to the corresponding section of your site is great. Or if your website is programmed to scroll breaking news on the homepage – simply link to that.
2. Ask Questions, Communicate Thoughtfully
Including links is important. But Facebook is not meant to be a billboard. Journalists should be writing Facebook posts with a purpose, seeking response and encouraging conversation. Putting out text with no link is bad. Putting out a link with no text is bad too. It stifles communication and negates the purpose of social media:
Instead of spitting out facts, use social media as a way to truly engage your audience. One of the simplest, most effective ways to do this is to ask questions. According to Facebook, you’ll get 70% more comments if you do. And you’ll really see results if you ask a question AND include a link!!
3. Showcase Extra Content
Broadcast Journalists always have more material than they could ever fit into a 1:30 pkg. Websites and social media are a great place to deliver that extra content to your viewers. Use your Facebook post as an opportunity to feature the raw video, extra interview or sidebar you can’t fit into the newscast.
With a thousand things happening during breaking news, how can you be sure your newsroom is following these social media best practices? Well, the thing you learn if you work in a newsroom long enough is that “breaking news” is almost always predictable. By the time it goes on air or online, it’s been written, vetted, re-written and approved several times. Producers like to preserve the urgency for viewers but in the newsroom, these things almost always come with some warning. Use this as an opportunity to be prepared. Consider pre-writing a post and have a link on-hand so that when it’s time to pull the trigger, you’re ready to go. One of our most popular – and unique – SocialNewsDesk features allows newsrooms to create “Quick Posts” which are essentially pre-written posts. Our SND clients write these in advance so when the news is confirmed they are able to send out a perfectly formatted post with two clicks!
Got any other tips for social media during breaking news? Share them!
Not all third party apps are created equal. I know this, because I created one. Several actually. And I believe strongly in the benefit of using a third party tool. But the truth is, some of these tools are great and some aren’t. In fact, some of these tools can cause significant harm to your engagement level. The worst offenders are those that omit the “share” link. Do your posts have it? Have you checked lately?
Here’s what you’re looking for. You’ll notice that each of the next 3 posts has a small “share” text link next to “like” and “comment.” Two of these posts are through 3rd parties (SocialNewsDesk, Blackberry) and one is directly to Facebook:
Clicking “share” gives a user the option to post that item to his or her own wall or page. This opens the door for increased impressions, engagement and clicks for your content. Without it, your post’s exposure is more limited. Take a look at these posts which don’t have the “Share” link. The apps used are Selective Tweets, Someecards, MyPad, and Tumblr:
And there are plenty more examples where these came from. So if you aren’t sure how your content looks in your friends’ and fans’ News Stream…find out! And if you don’t see the “Share” text link, consider trying a new third party tool (SocialNewsDesk, perhaps?).
The new Facebook News Stream puts a greater emphasis on “recent” posts than so-called “top” posts. With fewer “Top Stories” displaying in the feed, newsrooms need to put an even greater focus on engaging content. Here is a recap of some of the ways Facebook says newsrooms can increase engagement and grab a spot in the “Top Stories.”
- Ask Questions/Seek input around a posting: +120% more comments
- Call to read or take a closer look: +60% more comments
- Posts with clever language: +120%
- Highlighting a specific quote (e.g. interesting quote of the day, line from a major speech, opening with an inspiring quote): +145% more comments
- Include a Picture: 150% more likes and 65% more comments
- Political Posts: +40% likes, +100% comments
- Sports Posts: +25% likes, +25% comments
- Touching, emotional stories (ex: “Fireman adopts girl orphaned in house fire…”): 2-3x increase in feedback above average post
- Provocative, passionate debates (ex: “A proposed new law denies citizenship to children of illegal immigrants….”): 2-3x increase
- Inspiring, uplifting stories (ex: “‘Players with fight never lose a game, they just run out of time.’ – John Wooden quote”): 2x increase
- Simple, easy questions to the user (ex: “Have you filed your taxes yet?”): 2x increase
- Important sports game wins (ex: “Breaking News: UConn defeats Butler 53-41 to win NCAA men’s basketball national championship”): 1.5-2x
- Commentary on current topics (ex: “Could a ‘birther’ win the American presidency? – Trump, Palin spout ‘birther’ nonsense”): 1.5-2x increase
A study came out this week that has marketers questioning the value of 3rd party posting platforms like Tweetdeck, Hootsuite and SocialNewsDesk. I will preface this post by admitting that I have a certain bias in this debate (as Founder of SocialNewsDesk) - but I still think my arguments are sound and worth sharing.
The study claims that posting to Facebook via 3rd party API will result in fewer likes and comments. It gives the following reasons:
- Facebook Penalizes 3rd Party API’s EdgeRank
- Facebook Collapses 3rd Party API Updates
- High Chance of Being Scheduled or Automated
- Content is not Optimized for Facebook
The study has made the mistake of confusing correlation with causality here. Let’s look at their arguments one by one…
1) Study: “Facebook Penalizes 3rd Party API’s EdgeRank”
For starters, Facebook doesn’t give out information about their EdgeRank algorithm so this is purely speculation by the curators of the study. I, like many people, find it hard to believe that Facebook would purposely penalize users of its API. Facebook is an investor in many companies that are dependent on the Facebook API. It would be counterproductive for Facebook to penalize developers in this way.
2) Study: ”Facebook Collapses 3rd Party API Updates”
This does happen. Sometimes. And sometimes it doesn’t. Posts that are spaced out over time will not be grouped; therefore news organizations who are following best practices in terms of posting frequency are less likely to be collapsed. SocialNewsDesk also has an advantage here because (unlike Tweetdeck and Hootsuite) there are a very limited number of pages using SocialNewsDesk to post and it’s extremely unlikely that one of your fans is also a fan of another page using SND.
Also, content that Facebook thinks is coming from a feed (like an automated RSS post) is more likely to be collapsed because it appears to be unoriginal. The best way to combat this is to post interesting, unique content.
3) Study: “High Chance of Being Scheduled or Automated”
The study admits that many of the posts they looked at were “Scheduled Posts”…meaning they were scheduled using a 3rd party API. And they admit that scheduled posts typically struggle to have high engagement regardless of whether they’re posted manually through Facebook or through a 3rd party API. (Because it’s difficult to create unique engaging content several hours or days in advance.) Therefore, any negative impacts of scheduled posts are most likely due to the poorly developed content…not the posting method. This alone renders the entire study inconclusive.
4) Study: “Content is not Optimized for Facebook”
Again, the study admits that the reason engagement is lower is not because of the 3rd party app itself…but because of the way it is used. 3rd Party Apps usually allow users to post to multiple accounts at once (Unfortunately, this typically requires the social marketer to optimize their content for all the social networks at once. Twitter has character limitations at 140, Facebook allows for many more characters. Some networks allow photos to be attached, while other networks do not.) This behavior results in posts that are breaking many of the best practices established to increase engagement. Some users do this by choice, because they simply don’t have enough time to do it any other way. And as the study points out: a scheduled post is better than no post at all. But this is the user’s choice…3rd party apps do not force user to schedule updates or put out boring content.
The bottom line is that this study is not based in fact or scientific method. No solution is perfect when it comes to social media. The space is evolving so fast that there will never be a problem-free solution. But 3rd Party Apps provide a level of control and ease not available to manual posters. The study concludes “Most 3rd Party APIs are still a great tool that we recommend.” Which makes me wonder why they chose to write such an inflammatory article…oh wait, they’re trying to sell consulting services. Now I get it.
