March 2014

Unconnecting with Connections
March 15, 2014 In Blog No Comment

I created a LinkedIn account in 2009, and since then I have grown my network to 500+ connections. This large network, however, can create a lot of clutter on my LinkedIn newsfeed. While users can customize the updates they receive (see: Privacy & Settings), 500+ users can generate a significant amount of updates, including posts they “like,” comment, or share.

The other week, while engaged in some social media spring cleaning, I decided to ‘unconnect’ with a number of connections. These connections either spammed me with inbox messages, produced too many updates that were irrelevant to me, or commented on too many “You’re a genius if you can solve this puzzle.” But that’s just me…

I wanted to find out from other LinkedIn users if they unconnect, or just hide other user updates.

Question: “Do you ever ‘unconnect’ with people, or do you just hide their updates?”

My LinkedIn connections provided me with some interesting answers:

1. SKIM

Mary Jane: “No – I’m open to everything but I skim over a lot!”

Solution: Social media users are inundated with messages on social media platforms. Nearly everyday I someone mentions they feel overwhelmed by the volume of information. Understanding that users skim updates, make sure you post relevant and concise updates with a compelling call-to-action.

2. GO-TO SOURCES

Pat: “To date I haven’t unconnected or unfriended anyone. But I definitely follow some people’s post more than others.”

Solution: Is there a specific website, blog, or fellow LinkedIn user update that you always make time to read? What about that blog or user draws you in, and keeps you coming back? Develop a strategy that positions your LinkedIn profile as a go-to source for your industry – posting timely and relevant content.

3. HIDE

Erin: “Just hide their updates.”

Solution: Uh oh. You’ve done something and now the LinkedIn user has hid ALL of your updates. Unfortunately, there is no way to know that someone has hidden your updates. To ensure you remain in newsfeeds share interesting content, and be careful of how many times you click “like” on an update, or compose a comment on an update.

Have you ever unconnected with someone on LinkedIn? What was it that made you click “Unconnect”?

Jennifer Baker Consulting

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How to Increase Twitter Followers
March 15, 2014 In Blog No Comment

One of the most common questions I receive, after “How do I increase my Facebook fans?” is “How do I increase Twitter followers?”

Over the years I have read numerous blogs, case studies, infographics, and books – all with varying, but similar answers to the second most popular question.

In search of an answer from the lips of users, I reached out to my Twitter followers and asked: “What makes you decide to follow an account on Twitter?” The answers are surprising and will help your business achieve Twitter greatness.

1. BREAKING NEWS

Solution: Twitter is the go-to news source for up-to-date breaking news. It is used by news reporters as well as citizens alike. Use Twitter as a means to push breaking news related to your industry, company, or community. Including relevant hashtags (i.e. location-based, or topic-based) with increase the reach of your news.

2. CONTESTS

Solution: By providing a strong call-to-action with a sense of urgency, contests will increase engagement and increase the number of followers. While it seems as though everyone is running a contest these days, make sure that yours is unique and has good follow through. Nothing is worse than entering a contest, but never hearing about the winner.3. RELEVANT CONTENT

Solution: Have you ever stopped and asked: “Why would someone want to follow my company on Twitter?” The answer to this question is called a social media value proposition. Providing your Twitter followers with relevant and interesting content, related to your industry/company, is important. If you sell insurance, tweeting about the weather and your pet turtle may entice people to click unfollow. 4. QUALITY OF CONTENT

Solution: “Quality is more important than quantity.” This classic saying is appropriate across many industries, but especially social media marketing. Rather than tweeting multiple times per day about non-related, irrelevant, off-topics, create a few top-notch tweets with great information.

5. WITTY

Solution: Acting like a human on social media is important! When was the last time you got excited about hearing an automated message system when you called a business? Twitter users prefer to interact with accounts when they know there is a human behind it. While users can schedule updates it is important they be timely and have excellent response times (if required).

Well there you have it! Five reasons why Twitter users choose to follow an account. Do you have other ideas? Tweet me: 

Jennifer Baker Consulting

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Implementing Social Media
March 13, 2014 In Blog No Comment

As seen in: Women Mean Business

You’ve been lamenting about the decision for months. Should my business have a presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest or all of the above? What is my time commitment? What if someone says something negative? What do I post about? Do I have to be connected 24/7?

The decision to utilize social media for business is important, and should not be taken lightly. The first step, before jumping on the social media bandwagon, is to take a moment to answer a few simple questions about your business:

  1. What do I want to achieve from social media? (i.e. sales, exposure)
  2. Who is my target audience? (i.e. age, gender, marital status, location)

Once you have determined your goals and identified your ideal clientele, it is important to learn more about the most popular social media online casino mediums.

Facebook: Established in 2004, the popular social networking platform boasts over 1.23 billion active users with 750 million logging in using a mobile device. Over 23% of users check Facebook more than 5 times per day! While adolescents and young adults maintain a Facebook personal profile, the most active group of users is women who are 45 .

Twitter: The micro-blogging social media site, established in 2006, has over 288 million users who send over 400 million tweets per day. Over 60% of Twitter users access the platform from a mobile device. The fastest growing demographic is adults 45 and the most active age group is 25-35.

LinkedIn: LinkedIn, the professional social networking site, was established in 2003. The users are split 50-50 between male and female users and over 50% of users have a bachelor or graduate degree. There are over 3 million LinkedIn Company Pages, and over 1 billion LinkedIn endorsements.

Pinterest: Primarily used by women (over 70%), the image-sharing social media site, has gained a foothold in the social media community for women under the age of 40. Pinterest is a popular social media site for businesses in food-service, retail, home décor, and beauty.

Do any of those social media platforms resonate with you and your business? Given your goals and target audience, which fits the best?

By answering this question you have taken the first step towards implementing social media into your business. Over the next four articles we will go into depth about the proper implementation of each platform.

Jennifer Baker Consulting

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Drop in Facebook Likes? Here’s Why.
March 5, 2014 In Blog 1 Comment

This past weekend I found myself reading content that did not interest me and viewing posts from people who were no longer relevant to my life. As a means to simplify my newsfeed I found myself uncluttering my Facebook feed by unfollowing pages and unfriending Facebook “friends.”

I reached out to my Facebook page community and asked:

“What makes you unlike or unfollow a Facebook Page?”

I received a number of responses, all with varying reasons for their choice to unfollow a Facebook page.

1. TOO FREQUENT POSTS

Sheri: “Personally, too many posts.”

Solution: As consumers of media, everyday we are bombarded with 1000s of messages to purchase products, review features, buy-now-save-later, read articles, respond to updates, and buy services that will save time. Most of us face an “information overload” each day. Consider your Facebook business page. How often do you publish messages? Depending on your page, the audience, targeting options, some pages can post 14 times per week or as little as 3 times per week. There is no magic number, rather, your audience will tell you what they prefer based on engagement. OR – just ask them!

2. NOT FREQUENT ENOUGH

Adam: “The only reasons I have or would ‘unlike’ a page is if it was no longer operating/maintained.”

Solution: While you should not post TOO much, you also have to post enough to keep fans interested and engaged. Check out your Facebook Page’s insights to determine the optimal days of the week and times to post. If you have a strategy with a small number of posts, make sure they are posted when your audience is online.

3. UNRELATED CONTENT

Cindy: “Too much posted that doesn’t relate to the page.”

Solution: How many times have you visited a page, and thought: “Why are they posting about that topic? They don’t do that!” Too many times businesses begin posting to Facebook and social media platforms without a clear plan of content. Take a moment to step back from your page and evaluate the type of content that you’re posting, and if it relevant to the audience.

4. NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION

Melissa: “Too little info on what the page is about.”

Solution: Have you ever clicked on a page to get more information and were faced with a blank screen? Make sure to adequately complete your Facebook page’s About Section, including descriptions, contact information, categories, and product/services. Provide people with enough information to make an informed decision.

Thanks to all who contributed. If you have additional reasons why you unfollow/unlike pages, please contribute below, or visit the Facebook Page.

Jennifer Baker Consulting
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