Social Media Roundup: Aug 26, 2014

Free Tool Analyzes Effectiveness of Facebook Pages
Inspire, a free tool from ActionSprout, analyzes Facebook Pages to see what recent content on their walls has been most successful, and provides a "Fan Engagement Score" for any page submitted to it. Writing on Social Media Today, Alan Rosenblatt, director of digital strategy at turner4D, says, "Inspire not only provides data on likes, comments, and shares for each post displayed in the results, but includes data on how the interaction on that post compares to the average post for that Page. This is important data for anyone trying to optimize the performance of posts on their own Page(s)." This is a great way to learn what works for your community, and to focus your content precisely on the people you want to attract and keep engaged with your brand.

How Long Is Your "Social Share Lifespan"?
Timing, as they say, is everything. So it pays to know as much as possible about how long Facebook posts and tweets stay fresh. "The average social share lifespan is extremely short," writes Heidi Cohen on her website. "As a result, you have to be strategic in your timing and use of social media to distribute your marketing message effectively." That includes knowing the optimal hours for posting - which can be different for each platform, and can vary widely for social media users. For instance, statistically, Sunday is the best day to post on Facebook. Also, most Facebook Pages get used most at about the same time: 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. A smart marketer might choose a different time to post, since there will be less competition. Adds Cohen, "For marketers, getting social media participants to see and focus on your posts (and tweets) translates to social media ROI. If your target audience doesn't see your message, you've lost the opportunity to make an impression and start the purchase process."

Quality, Not Quantity: Connecting with Social Media "Influencers"
Social media "influencers" are power users with a lot of active followers. In fact, they are some of the most important people to engage when you're trying to build a brand online. Instead of chasing raw numbers of fans or followers, learn how to enlist these influencers. Writing on Social Media Today, Warren Knight, founder of Social Media eLearning, says the strategy involves finding influencers, engaging with them, building collaborations, and getting them to help share your messages with their large - and receptive - networks. But, he cautions, it won't be easy: "The first thing you need to understand when reaching out to potential influencers is that they are ultimately going to be a hard sell. If they have 10x more followers than you, how are you going to make them interested in what you are saying?" Still, the potential upside is well worth the effort.

Twitter Analytics Update Adds Useful New Metrics
Having good analytics is a powerful part of good social media marketing. Twitter's recently refreshed analytics page has a new look that adds useful new metrics for businesses that use Twitter for their social media marketing. "Twitter has finally improved their analytics page by adding a slew of long-awaited metrics for business," says Sarah Matista, product marketing and content manager, webs at Pagemodo, writing on Social Media Today. New data includes 1) Impressions (how many times a tweet was seen by any user), 2) Engagement and Engagement Rate (Engagement is the total number of times a user interacted with a tweet; Engagement Rate is Engagement divided by total number of Impressions), and 3) Export Data (when you export data from Twitter Analytics, additional data is delivered for your analysis). "We believe this will make all of our jobs easier because we'll be able to track reach, engagement, and our overall campaigns," she says.

Track Competitors' Facebook Pages with "Pages to Watch"
Curious about how the competition is doing with its Facebook Pages? Facebook's "Pages to Watch" feature allows you to compare how your Facebook Page stacks up on activity, size of audience, and engagement with competitors' pages, or other pages in a niche similar to your own. The feature allows any page admin with more 100 fans to build a watch list of up to 100 pages. "Pages to Watch is particularly handy if you want to see what's working for your competitors or similar niche pages," writes Greg Miller on Social Media Examiner. "You can see exactly what content they're posting, how often they're posting and when they're posting - and the resulting engagement. Armed with that information, you can tailor your own updates accordingly."

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.