The theme of this week's "What We're Reading" email is something we talk about nearly every day at GFM: being human. It sounds simple, but many brands seem to miss the boat, or try to find ways around the human aspect of social media, and it's typically easy for your customers to see through it.
From Google rolling out new ways to help you find what you're looking for, to creative uses of Facebook Timeline and tips for commenting and responding in a crisis - authenticity, transparency, understanding your audience and speaking with them (not at them) are how brands find consistent success with social media.
New Google Features
GoogleBlog: Introducing the New Knowledge Graph
Google has always been about finding ways to deliver exactly what you're looking for, and it looks like they've taken another step in that direction with "Knowledge Graph." The video included in the link above describes the new feature well - and we like what we're seeing (and finding).
Facebook
Mashable: Facebook Timeline: 9 Best Practices for Brands
Taking advantage of new customization opportunities, capitalizing on the cover photo and telling your company's story through milestones are just a few ways you can power-up your brand's Facebook page. Unlike some, GFM actually enjoys Facebook's move to Timeline - and these 9 best practices are exactly why we "like" it.
Analytics and ROI
SmartBlog: The Value of Social Media Customers
Everyone in the digital marketing industry would love to be able to put an accurate price tag on things such as "likes," @replies and repins. This blog post is specific to the food and beverage industry - but we enjoy the process and thought that went into monetizing users on various platforms (note the "What is Social Data Worth" link within this post as well).
Social Strategy
Ragan's: 10 Surefire Ways to Fail at Twitter
Sure, this blog is written specific to Twitter, but we believe a majority of these tips should be the driving force behind your entire social approach. Social media isn't a plug and play channel for marketing and communications. It takes time, thought, strategy, and most important: a human voice who converses with (not at) the larger community.
~ GFM Social Media team
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