Take advantage of Facebook Insights

Facebook is constantly changing, and hopefully, improving, especially when it comes to the effedctiveness of business pages. The latest updates to Facebook Insights provides an easier way to understand exactly what draws fans to interactions with brands on Timelines. Consider this breakdown of three new twists:

1.   REACH: Businesses can now track how specific posts affect "reach" and increase conversations about  brands.

2.   VIRALITY: You can now monitor the level of "virality," the total extension of each status update and all specific content (video, photos, links).

3.   SHARING: Learn how many fans are ‘sharing’ your page and exactly where those shares are going.

Facebook Insights allows page administrators to view how many fans interact with their pages in real time now. This helps businesses and brands to recognize social media success - or Return on Investment (ROI).

Another new feature of the Timeline format - 'Talking about This' -  helps businesses see what Facebook users are responding to. In some cases this shows page owners what they need to change in order to trend higher. Here's how Facebook has described the purpose of this new Insight feature:

“Insights provides Facebook Page admins and app developers with metrics on the performance of their Page or app. By understanding and analyzing trends within user growth and demographics, consumption of content, and creation of content, admins and developers are better equipped to improve their business with Facebook.”

Facebook Insights Snapshot

Thanks for visiting our post! Perhaps we've all gained a better "insight" into how Facebook tools for measuring interaction can work for us.

Until next week...
Cory and Lindsey

5 Ways to Become a Better Marketer Through Web Analytics

Web analytics is the collection and reporting of internet data for purposes of understanding web usage. It is also used for business and market research. It also shows the effectiveness of a website. Analytics can also track company’s results from traditional print advertising campaigns. It tracks the number of visitors to a website and can categorize them into groups such as gender, race, and geographical location. Google Analytics is used by 57% of the 10,000 most popular websites. Twitter is one of very many different sites that use Google analytics.

5 Ways to become a better marketer with web analytics

1. Measure offline data- All data should be measure online and offline.

2. Measure traffic sources- Find out how people are finding you. Find out which sources are driving the most traffic to the website. This will help you get a feel on if the social media is working or not.

3. Measure conversion rates- The first step is getting people to the website, once you’ve done that, then try to convert them into a lead or business is the next step. Offer convincing content and clear and straight to the point call-to-actions. This will help direct more traffic to the website, and help businesses develop more leads.

4. Ensure the data is clear- Don’t focus on just one metric. For example if you find you had high traffic in one area, look to see what drove people to that, and what type of information it was, and continue to develop material that is related to that subject.

5. Close the loop- Marketers are unsure where to put the most of their time, they should focus more on the things that are driving people/businesses to a website. 

Below is a short video on Google analytics, Enjoy!

Go Racers!!

Lindsey & Cory

To publish or not to publish...

As emerging PR professionals we need to be fluent in the language of social media. It is essential that we learn the ins and outs of blogging, Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter. It is also crucial for every PR pro to maintain his or her own good image - as well as those of clients. Today, great images are made, and broken, on social media.

Michael Sebastian, editor at PR Daily News, provided a list earlier this week of 18 types of posts that Facebook will definitely censor.  Before you dismiss this as common sense, take a look. You may be surprised to learn just how many people have violated the rules. The guidelines are especially important to both follow and understand if you're posting to Facebook or other networks on behalf of a client or company.


Facebook will censor the following:

1. Pictures of obvious sexual activity - even if naked parts are hidden from view. 
2. Naked breastfeeding or pictures in which a nipple is clearly exposed. 
3. Digital cartoon nudity (art nudity, however, is OK). 
4. Pictures of marijuana are OK as long as the user isn’t buying, selling or growing any. 
5. “Slurs or racial comments of any kind.” 
6. “Versus photos” comparing two people—or an animal and a person—side-by-side. 
7. Photo-shopped images that show any person in a negative light. 
8. Images of drunk or unconscious people or “sleeping people with things drawn on their faces.” 
9. Pictures showing or approving of animal cruelty, unless it’s a depiction of food processing or hunting. 
10. Violent speech (for example, “I love hearing skulls crack.”) 
11. Pictures of charred, mutilated or decapitated people. 
12. Images of “internal organs, bones, muscle and tendons”; however, “deep flesh wounds” and “excessive blood” are permitted, as are “crushed heads, limbs, etc. as long as no insides are showing.” 
13. Holocaust denial. 
14. Attacks on Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of Turkey. 
15. Credible threats of violence, threats against heads of state and law enforcement, and any credible “indication of terrorist activity or organized crime.” 
16. Threats or serious promotion of suicide. 
17. Any supporting of groups, people and symbols that advocate and promote eating disorders as a lifestyle. 
18. Images of self-mutilation.

     So, the next time you're thinking about attacking the founder of a foreign country with a witty insult on Facebook, please - just don't do it.

For more information, visit this site.

-Abigail and Tia

Hash-tagging for #dummies

This week, we will take you on a journey through the wonderful world of hash-tagging. But, what is a hash-tag, you say? 

A hash-tag is the number (#) symbol used to in front of or within a social media post in order to mark keywords or topics in a tweet. They help your tweets stand out according to their content so people can readily search for different topics and products. When you click on a hash-tag, you can see all other tweets about the same topic. For business professionals, this can be an effective tool to generate buzz and bring in potential customers by making a # for a company name or specific product. 

Once a hash-tag becomes popular, it can land on the Trending Topics list. This is a list that Twitter uses to show what people are tweeting about worldwide, within a country, state or even city. Trending Topics can be seen on every Twitter homepage. 

Don't miss our post next week: #140charactersorless
- Allyson & Kathryn