For a short, holiday week, we certainly returned to the office to find a lot of exciting announcements on the social media front. From the launch of Google+ Local to the opportunity to pay to promote Facebook posts, it seems the tug-of-war between these two social media giants in particular is heating up and resulting in some exciting new offerings for communications professionals. See below for some articles which provide updates since our blog post on these announcements earlier this week.
It can seem, sometimes, that these newest innovations are only for big brand leaders, but nonprofits are finding their place in the social media spotlight and blazing trails, too, as evidenced in the PRSAY wrap-up article included below. And, no matter your company’s status, with the rapid rise of social media comes the potential for online-based issues. You’ll want to be sure to read the issues management post below for some sound insight.
Facebook
Mashable: Facebook Finally Lets Page Admins Schedule Posts, Have Different Roles
Scheduling posts ahead of time is now an option directly within Facebook, allowing the platform to grab some share back from third-party apps like HootSuite. As well, there are now five administrator roles, allowing for pages with a bunch of admins to be more restrictive in terms of access and capabilities.
HubSpot Blog: Facebook Rolls Out Promoted Posts
Marketers looking to gain more exposure for their organic Facebook content will be excited to learn about the new option to promote posts to their page (including status updates, photos, offers, videos and questions). Facebook claims that fans spend two times more on average than non-fans, so this could be a valuable tool for the right brand.
Google+
Adweek: Google Places Gets Plussed; Company debuts Google+ Local
As of this week, when Google users click on a selected location within a Google map or search results page, they are directed to the location’s Google+ page rather than the previous Google Places page. Maximizing its acquisition of Zagat last fall, Google also now offers Zagat ratings in conjunction with the Google+ Local page. More than 80 million Places have been migrated to Google+ Local so far. Is yours one of them?
Online Video: 5 Reasons to Use it from the NY Times
Google+ Hangouts on Air is relatively new and getting quite a bit of buzz. Some of the main selling points: you can live stream to three places; create an instant social event; no special equipment needed; it offers analytics; it’s cutting edge. This article from onlinevideo.net includes a handful of embedded videos.
Nonprofits
PRSAY: Nonprofits Plan for Success with Social Media
This wrap-up article includes links to recent coverage in Fast Company, The Economist, Mashable and others highlighting nonprofits that have grabbed the social media bull by the horns to great reward. Whether you’re a nonprofit or a for-profit that partners with nonprofits on occasion, this is a great, inspirational read.
Issues Management
Digiday: Social Crisis Management at Scale
With the rise in social media, GFM has also seen a rise in the propensity for social media crises as the platforms in and of themselves provide the perfect soapbox for dissatisfied customers. This savvy article provides some current case studies alongside some tried-and-true tactics, including cultivating your brand advocates before you need them.
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