Social Media Roundup - Feb 11, 2014

Instagram: 11 Likes or You'll Never See Me Again!
When an Instagram photo earns 11 likes, instead of showing a list of the handles of the people who have liked it, Instagram shows the number of likes. This is widely considered to be a mark of social validation, and some users will remove photos that fail to reach the all-important 11 mark, says Ian Chee, chief strategy officer at digital agency MRY, in a blog on the website ClickZ. He wrote: "In a study MRY conducted on Millennials' technology behavior, one young woman noted passionately the need to reach this number. 'If I don't hit 11 likes, I take down the post after a day - it's just too embarrassing to leave up there. Nobody likes it.' The embarrassment of not being validated trumps the need to share the image." So if you're seeking engagement instead of merely broadcasting, be sure to take note of how people are using Instagram and other social media platforms, and learn the unwritten rules that show who's "cool" on your channels of choice.

Color Me Profitable?
How does color influence purchases? According to an infographic on KISSmetrics (a blog about analytics, marketing, and testing), 93% of consumers make decisions based on visual appearance, and 85% say color is a primary motivation for buying a product. The infographic, "How Do Colors Affect Purchases?" brings together information about what colors mean to North American consumers (black is used to market luxury products, for instance) and what colors appeal to different types of consumers (navy blue and teal work for shoppers on a budget, for example).

Report: Facebook and Pinterest?Generate 20% of Online Referrals
Shareaholic, a company that makes the handy online sharing tool of the same name, reports that Facebook and Pinterest collectively referred 20% of all referrals from the more than 200,000 websites that use their service. Writing on Search Engine Journal, Shareaholic Marketing Manager Danny Wong says the report was intended to observe how much traffic the eight largest social media platforms referred to Shareaholic's network of sites. Wong also includes advice for digital marketers looking to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of their digital spend.

10 Words Not To Use in Your Marketing Emails
Have you ever trashed an email just because a word in the subject line turned you off? I know a journalist who worked at a national computer publication 30 years ago who said there was an unwritten policy among the editors and reporters to consign press releases to the trash bin of history if they had the word "revolutionary" anywhere in the headline, subhead, or first paragraph. (PR folks, be warned: they may still be out there!) Writing on Inc.com, John Brandon provides a modern-day version with 10 words he tries to avoid in his emails. We'll give you the first five - unfortunately, but, sincerely, regrettably, and best - but you'll have to go to the original article for the full list, with Brandon's explanations about why to avoid those words if you can. Mostly they're overused clichés, insincere formalities, or pseudo-polite ways to avoid saying something unpleasant, or saying anything at all in some cases. This is a handy list to hang on your wall and consult frequently to make sure you're writing the best emails you can.

Nailing Down the "Perfect" Domain Name for Your Business
Ever have an idea for the perfect domain name for your business and find that it's already registered? You don't necessarily have to settle for second best. Here's an infographical how-to from Douglas Karr, founder of the Marketing Technology Blog, about what you should know to take advantage of the busy aftermarket for domain names: who the players are, what the names are worth, and how to test your "perfect" domain name before spending any money on acquiring it.

Daniel Lieberman is the founder of Daniel Lieberman Digital ("I speak Geek - You don't need to"). Based in Shelburne Falls, Mass., he helps companies, organizations, and individuals learn to use the Internet to communicate, market, and brand themselves using the most up-to-date tools and techniques. Contact him at 413-489-1818 or daniel@daniellieberman.org.