For today’s tip we’re going to have a look at Facebook.
Whilst the nature of Facebook lends itself to lengthier posts than most of its social media rivals, just remember volume isn’t everything!
Whilst you can make use of the longer space, only write what you need to. Don’t let your message get lost in verbose posts. Some of the best posts – whilst slightly longer than what you might find on Twitter – are snappy and to the point.
Make your message count and be seen.
For this week we’re going to have a look at Twitter
If you’re using a Twitter account for business purposes it is really important that whoever is using the account is consistent in tone. Remember your account is in effect the company and so its important to maintain a constant and professional presence at all times.
Even if the account is managed by different staff, make sure they’re all clear about how you want the account to be used and what is and isn’t appropriate! The public will only see the company, not the different people who are behind the avatar so keep it neutral, informative and polite.
Today in Tips on Tuesday we’re going to visit Facebook
It is really important to remember that on Facebook short posts stand out. In a channel where there isn’t a character limit, the one liner posts can be eye-catching and of course read in seconds which means you have customer engagement.
Long messages CAN work but they MUST be compelling. If they’re not exciting enough, people won’t finish reading the post and your message will not get through.
Keep it concise and informative. Grab people. Once you have made the initial connection, then you can start having more lengthy conversation.
Following a disappointing uptake in new users, Twitter have announced a number of changes to their platform to try to encourage people to use it.
Probably the most significant change will be that photos, videos and gifs will no longer be included in the 140 character limit. On a similar vein, usernames will also be exempt from the limit.
Tweets beginning with an “@” sign will now be visible to all followers and you will, in future have the ability to retweet and quote yourself.
I think in particular the exemption of multimedia and usernames from the character limit is an interesting idea, meaning every one of the 140 characters can be used for useful content.
I look forward to seeing the response to these changes and whether they will indeed signal a change in fortune for Twitter.
Morning folks, that time again!
Today’s tip is really more of a question. How many of you have a blog? And if you do, how many of you update it regularly?
Blogging is a really useful way of gaining interest in you as a brand because you’re saying more than a character limit or a social media post can. Blogs can be newsworthy, can be about your products or even just a stream of your – hopefully sentient – thoughts.
If you want to use blogging as a way to grow your business, there is no hard and fast rule as to how often you should blog. Your best option is to make a realistic schedule and stick to it. You can always add more posts if you find the time. Most experts in the field suggest once a week as a minimum is a great rule of thumb.
So get blogging and show me what you’ve got!
Hot on the heels of the addition of the Twitter Moments feature and the news that character limits could be expanded, Twitter has once again sent the rumour mills into overdrive.
A rumour is doing the rounds that Twitter will soon be run by an algorithm. This means that rather seeing your timeline chronological order, Twitter will reorder them as per what it believes you want to read in your timeline, much like Facebook.
Buzzfeed suggest the change could come in as early as next week, with a test run on a small number of users going well enough for content to be distributed more widely.
Predictably Twitter appears to have gone into meltdown over this rumour with the trending topic #RIPTwitter. Suffice to say, the majority of Twitter users seem unhappy at the potential change.
So what do you think – will this affect the way you use Twitter? It certainly seems to be paving the way for a more monetized use of Twitter – will business have the facility to promote their tweets into your timeline via paid ads?
Twitter themselves have thus far declined to comment.
Let us know your thoughts or join in the debate on Twitter.
Let’s concentrate on Twitter today
.
Twitter is famous for its 140 character limit for a tweet. However, did you know that if you share images in your tweets people are more likely to share this type of content? So find a fun and pertinent image, write a snappy tweet and get noticed!
See you next week!
Welcome to the first Tip on Tuesday of 2016!
Our first tip is short and sweet and focuses on Facebook and is simply this; if at all possible, post directly to Facebook rather than using a social media management tool. Facebook algorithms are created to favour content posted personally, meaning you have a greater chance of your content appearing in people’s timelines.
Our Tips on Tuesday section is really about helping you – so let us know what you would like advice on and we will make sure you’re featured!
Hot on the heels of Twitter implementing their new “Moments” feature, which you can read about here, there is a story growing that Twitter plan to increase their character limit from 140 to 10000, which is the same character limit their direct message feature uses, Re/Code have reported.
I don’t think anyone can be unfamiliar with this sight – you’re composing the perfect tweet, when suddenly the red numbers light up and you have to chop down your message whilst still retaining some vestige of grammar. It cannot be denied that at times the 140 character limit can be challenging, but it also makes for dynamic messages.
There is no official release date for this project, which it has been reported as being named “Beyond 140” inside the company, but it is thought that the changes, should they go ahead, will be implemented in the first quarter of 2016.
Whether this comes to fruition or not, it is certainly something that will result in furious discussion amongst Twitter uses.
So, your thoughts? How would this new feature affect your usage of Twitter? Let us know!
As you checked your Twitter feed in the last couple of days you may have noticed this icon: –
This week Twitter have launched their “Moments” feature in the UK for its 15 million users, which intends to bring Twitter users the “best” stories each day by means of a slide show. Curators will be collecting stories on a single subject into managed lists, which are then accessible by using the lightning bolt icon, which appears on your menu bar at the bottom of the Twitter app on a device and along the top of the screen on a desktop. Within the UK the Curators are a group of journalists together with 18 production partners including BuzzFeed, The Sun, Sky News, Sky Sports, BT Sports, Have I Got News For You and others from a wide range of areas.
The Moments tab will be divided into categories for further ease of use. In a blog post on the launch of Moments, Twitter said: –
“For stories that update very frequently – like live sporting events or awards shows where it’s critical to know what’s happening minute by minute – you’ll see an option to follow the Moment, which blends the Tweets directly into your timeline.
“That way you can keep track of the latest updates in real-time without having to tap back and forth between tabs. When that story ends, so do the Tweets, leaving your timeline just as it was before.”
The main advantage of the Moments feature is that you will see tweets from people – even if you don’t follow them – in a carefully collated list. You can then share or retweet the Moments as with any other tweet.
The UK is the first European country to adopt Moments and in the New Year, Promoted Moments will be available in order for businesses to use the feature in a profitable way.
Have you used Moments yet? Let us know your thoughts on arguably Twitter’s most important development since its advent in 2006.