Q2 2016: Twitter and Facebook Still Alive, Still Making Marketing Easier

Do you think Twitter is feeling Facebook's pain? 

Facebook has been reported dead or dying so many times in the past five years, it's a wonder it's still ....reporting that 2015 earnings were up nearly 30% over last year. A year from now, my social friends, we will not be lamenting the demise of Twitter. We will still be here, bashing it and proclaiming it dead. In fact, we'll probably tweet about it.

Facebook 2015 earnings.
In millions.
Not too shabby.

And yet we'll still be asking, what is Twitter good for? 

In a rather far-ranging article last week, Barrons suggests that Twitter is barely breathing, is still a powerful business, and maybe the failure is all in Wall Street's head. Hm. Well, I'm a Twitter fan and a big fan of Facebook. Here's my take: They're excellent marketing tools. 

Oh, and Instagram? Yes, it's viable too. And so is Snapchat. The key is to know your business, your prospects, and where they are when they're thinking about purchasing...and to be there for them. 

Twitter and Facebook Are Alive and Well, and Can Grow Your Sales 

If you're trying to increase sales and grow your business, and you're not using social media, well, we're nearing the end of the first quarter....of 2016. Sorry to be snarky, but it's high time to reconsider.

Social media is a sales tool that's here to stay.

I've created Facebook pages and Twitter business accounts for many small businesses and several non-profit/government organizations. They weren't all excited at the outset...now, they are.

Whether you're a personal fan of social media or not is no reason to ignore a powerful tool. Especially one that can help you reach a lot of prospects, quickly, easily, and free (!) or at least, very cost-effectively.
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If you'd like to learn more about how to use either (or both) to marketing your business and reach and serve customers, I can help you get on your way, in just a few hours.  Let's get started!

Content Matters: Multi-channel approach Works for The Verge, and Small Business

James Bareham, Creative Director at The Verge, provides an excellent example of how content can do more than double-duty if you play your channels (and media) right. And he does.

First, he used a LinkedIn post to tell the story behind the Verge's story about Michelle Obama's mastery of social media.

That post (of course) linked to the long Verge article, with a bold, easy-to-read layout incorporating numerous short video clips. All of which work just fine on a phone screen too. Including the one of her singing to a turnip.

What Small Businesses Can Learn From All of This?

• Good content can be shared in multiple ways. In the process of creating a single piece of content, you'll usually find there is a preamble and/or a follow-up piece that can enhance the main piece of content - as Bareham's LinkedIn post neatly shows. 
• Every product has a personality. Work it! Admittedly, Mrs. Obama has a little more personality than most, but, hey, let your work inspire you. I once conducted an interview with a vehicle wrap. (Us B2B copywriters can get a little...funny. Or as I like to say, "inspired.")
• Eat to please yourself, dress to please others. OK, you got me - that's not my line; somebody else said it first. I use it to illustrate the point that no matter how good the writing and overall message, your content - the whole package - has to present itself well. And in 2016, that means the words, pictures, videos, vines, and if you've got one, a star-studded soundtrack, all have to work together. Yes of course, that sort of production is out of reach for most small businesses but at least, please, proofread and take a little time with layout, eh?

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This post is part of my slow-but-growing list of excellent examples. If you'd like to share an excellent example of business copywriting, B2B content, or journalism, please contact me here, through my website, or on Twitter. 

Has AP Gone Batshit Crazy? Nope.

I think the use of both words in question - both used in quotes - was absolutely right in this case.

The Words in Question  

Donald Trump said "pussy." Into a microphone, in a public place, specifically, a political rally. No duh, the press was there. And not long after, Republican Senator Lindsay Graham said (to a bunch of journalists) "My party has gone batshit crazy."

Frankly, I'd be pissed if I found out later that the journalists didn't quote either man verbatim.

Why "Those Words" Are OK Today

Look, everyone following election year coverage (and I sincerely hope a lot - all! - voters are) needs to get as much insight as possible into the candidates we'll get to vote for this fall. Word choice is important. So is passion. Communications skills. Comportment. And an ability to balance those traits...or lack thereof.

What do you think? I welcome the comments of thoughtful readers and journalists - of course - and will follow the maddening crowd (i.e., Twitter etc) for fun. And for insight because...well, it's a news channel too, folks. But we'll talk about that later.

In UI, Words Matter Too

                                           

Words and pictures. We can argue what's more important till the ^ come home.

The smartest design/communications organizations don't play that game. They know words and pictures both matter. They know that words and images work together to get your message across.


Recently, Convincify did a lovely job of illustrating that point.

See what I did there ;)

twitter.com/convincify

No Matter How Mobile-Ready Your Site, You're Still Using Words, Right?  

You can't control the types of devices your users access, read and view your site. But the words you use to get your message across - yep, those are up to you. Certainly, your site must be responsive. Yes, you should test it for various resolutions and compatibility with different devices. 

And, you should spend at least as much time, effort and brainpower getting the words on the screen right. 

Right? 

Right. 

Whew. Good. I didn't *really* want to discuss this until the cows came home. I'll be moooooooving on now.

Move Over Down to Read Your SERPs

Speaking of moooving, you should click over to a SUPER helpful article just posted to the MOZ blog. On the latest eye-tracking studies, it has some very important info for people who want to make the most of their words.

To wit, page descriptions matter more than ever, especially when your prospects are searching on a mobile device.

"Remember you're dealing with a reduced space, so ensure your most important information is at the very beginning of page titles and descriptions, including priority keywords in the body of the website content."

Read the whole article on Moz.com. It's worth all 8 minutes, I swear.
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Need a writer who gets your business, and keeps up with scintillating SEO stuff, too?  Well, I try. The result is 
Writing That Works, for you and your prospects. 

This'll Get Your Ghrelins Going

Here's a fact that probably won't even score you a point in Trivial Pursuit: The Oxford English Dictionary adds new words every year, but more precisely, every quarter.

For what it's worth, cis, commissurotomy and grandissimus made the list last quarter, while gherlins was added in June. Right or wrong, sciency had them all beat by more than two years.

FLOTUS, decluttering and stir-fry were some of 2015's additions that left me wondering, well, what took you so long, OED?

Curious about when a particular word became part of OED? There'a a timeline for that. The next OED new-word list will be available at the end of March.

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If word games and origin stories really get your gherlins going, good - you might enjoy a trip to Lexicon Valley. 

Who Needs Facebook?

According to Pew’s 2015 report on social media, 72% of US internet users – that's 62% of adults in the US - are on Facebook. The majority of Facebook users use it daily. According to PR firm Burson-Marsteller, 87% of United Nation member countries are on Facebook. So is the POTUS.

Yet, I still get “the look” when I tell some small-medium sized business owners, “you should be on Facebook.”

 “Yeah. I know,” the principle often says, sometimes shrugging and adding almost apologetically, “my wife says that.”

(Yes, I'm serious. I really have heard that. But I digress.)

“I Don’t Need a Facebook Page; I Have a Website”

Years ago, when I first encouraged some friends and business owners to create a business page, they weren’t all sold on the idea. 

“People get their news from Facebook,” I’d say.

“I know, but they’re not looking to me for news,” they’d say.

“That’s true, but you need to be in the room," I’d reply. 

“It just seems like a waste of time,” they’d say.

“It certainly can be,”I’d agree. “But the effort will pay off.”

 “I don’t think it’s worth it,” they’d say, nearing exasperation. “Especially since _(I don’t have anything to sell/I’m not a celebrity/I have a website/insert other reason here)_.”

That's when I’d nod agreement and repeat, “you need to be in the room.”

Very Comfortable Virtual Gathering Space 

Facebook is a room where the conversation is always in full swing, where users visit day and night, ask their friends whether they'd recommend certain plumbers, find out a favorite former teacher recently passed on, and catch up with far-flung family members. It’s very social and in that atmosphere, our guard is just a little bit relaxed. 

We’re looking for advice. 

We’re asking for recommendations.

In that room, the conversation is flowing and we’re receptive. 

So, sure - you don't need to be on Facebook. I mean, what business needs a friendly, receptive forum in which to share its message? 

Just How Nice is Your Website? 

Of course, when Facebook users search for your business and don’t find your Facebook Page, they may look for your website.  Or they may not, if a similar business pops up in their feed, and that page appeals to them…I think the business term for that is "lost opportunity."

Now, assuming said user goes off to find your website, well – when they find it, it better be good. 

Because for Facebook users (remember, that's 62% of adults in the US) the medium shapes their expectations. Facebook is a friendly, engaging, comfortable place.

Newsflash: most websites aren’t.

So, when Facebook users encounter clunky, less-than-responsive websites, “yuck” is a pretty common response. And “yuck” dramatically increases bounce rates.

So yes, Virgil/Virginia, your business really does need a Facebook page. Even in 2016, when Facebook is reportedly “over.” (Just ask Fox News if there’s any value in it.) 

Facebook Maturing, Young Audience Returning

Some of the more adamant “I don’t think I need Facebook” folks will toss out the “common knowledge” that Facebook is no longer popular, and cite a stat about the droves of young people who no longer use it.

Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat and other forums have each taken a turn as the rising star of social media. It's not Facebook's turn. Been there, done that. Snapchat is the undeniable winner right now for reaching young (tween, even more so than teen) audiences. But there is plenty of anecdotal evidence and empirical data suggesting that Facebook has serious staying power.

 Remember those rascally teens who jumped onto Facebook, then departed when their parents showed up en masse? They’re back.

Facebook Group pages are one reason. Colleges and universities are among the many organizations using group pages to reach young adults – whether it’s professors posting that classes have been cancelled or clubs sharing internship opportunities; as kids get older, there are new attractions to the original social network. Many professional organizations use Facebook groups to share news - a la LinkedIn, but with a more interactive nature (and much better photo sharing capabilities). And let's not forget, Facebook is fun. A Facebook group page is an almost-perfect collaborative tool grads can use to plan a High School reunion. (So, if you’re a banquet hall or bar owner, and you don't have a page, you might want to get started it. Now.) 

The return of older teens/young adults has inspired several new apps designed to clean up some of those teenage indiscretions on Facebook. Because the kids who signed up in ‘04 and ’05 are now …drumroll please… entering the workforce. And as Mark Zuckerberg’s sister has said, “even the most incompetent HR manager can find and judge you based on your Facebook profile.”

And if that’s not proof that you and your business should find your way to (or back to) Facebook, what is?

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Two things I should tell you:  This post originally appeared on LinkedIn. And I manage Facebook pages for business clients. Get in touch with me here, on my website, or via Twitter.

Food for Thought: Words Matter

I'm pleased that the Washington Post took on the silliness of food labeling, and hope its light tone will garner attention for a rather serious problem: our food supply is sick.

Sure, it's about the best in the world, but - yikes. 

I would farm if I could; instead I read labels and fret over each item in my grocery cart. 

Here's the article and the explanation re: why kale isn't healthy. Read it and ... eat smart. 

#GoodLuckWithThat

Meanwhile, have you read Anticancer: A New Way of Life? If you have and would like to offer a review (or even just a few comments) please get in touch.