5 Reasons For Starting An E-Newsletter

Below is a blog post I wrote for October 17 Media. You can view the original article here.

E-newsletters, while an old “go to”, is still a great investment. We know what you’re thinking: doesn’t e-newsletters = spam? If you’re mindful and strategic about how often to send them out and what type of content you include, then no! In fact, they are a great way for you to connect with your customers directly and regularly, through a channel they are already invested in: their inbox.

Here are 5 reasons why you should start an e-newsletter:

1. Your customers are already interested. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have signed up! E-newsletter subscribers are more likely to convert because they already care enough to want to know more. That’s a great start!
    
2. It’s a real-time reminder. It’s possible to miss updates on social media. How often have you bookmarked a contest or promotion only to forget about it? E-newsletters provide real-time reminders to your already-interested audience.
    
3. It adds to your brand value. Your website is not always enough to showcase your expertise. An e-newsletter is a great way to share articles, tips and advice that are relevant and time-sensitive (ex. holidays).
    
4. Gateway to your online channels. Ideally, your e-newsletter links back to your website and social media pages. It is one of the best places to list down your online properties because readers are already invested in you.
    
5. Shareability. E-Newsletters go to your customers’ inbox, which makes it easy for them to forward it to friends and family who they think might be interested. Unlike Facebook or Twitter, sharing is direct and  personal.

 We hope we’ve convinced some of you about the importance of having an e-newsletter! Have questions or want to learn more? Drop us a comment below! 

xoxo
Mae

#Hashtag Dos and Don'ts

In light of recent rumors that Facebook may incorporate the infamous hashtag to its growing list of features, today's post will be about--you got it--hashtags!

Before we delve into the dos and don'ts, here is a quick background:

A hashtag is basically anything with a # before it. For example, #forexample. According to Twitter, it is a way to organize conversations and search for topics more easily. Although Twitter is responsible for making it the cultural icon it is today, the hashtag actually originated from online chat rooms even before Twitter was created.

So yeah.

#Hashtag          Notahashtag

On to dos and don'ts.

DO

• Use them on sites where the hashtags function is enabled, such as on Twitter, Pinterest and Instgram, to name a few.
• A bit of research before creating your "own" hashtag to maintain consistency. For instance, established TV shows or events often have an "official" hashtag.

• Use hashtags that others will also likely use or search for (remember it's a content organization tool). Single words are the most common, although popular phrases, figures of speech or terms work too. Example, #yourewelcome, #firstworldproblems, #ohnoyoudidnt.
• Capitalize letters if needed. Case in point: #susanalbumparty vs. #SusanAlbumParty.

DON'T

• Use them on sites that don't support the function, unless it's part of the humour. Hashtags are quickly becoming to go-to solution for the "how to express sarcasm through text" problem.

• Use hashtags that have nothing to do with what you're talking about. Not only is it annoying and confusing, it can even get you in trouble!
• Have too many in one post. Twitter recommends 2 max, otherwise people won't bother reading the message.

• Separate terms that don't need to be separated. For example, #socialmedia is likely more searchable and relevant than #social #media.

There you go! Any more you want to add? Drop a comment below!

xoxo
Mae

How to Choose the Right Social Media Platform

Below is a blog post I wrote for October 17 Media. You can view the original article here.

Choosing which platforms to join is the classic question businesses ask themselves when they decide to enter the realm of social media.

Facebook? Twitter? YouTube? LinkedIn? Pinterest? Instagram? This is just the beginning of a long list of networks which is growing longer as we speak.

 

You only need to look at 3 points to know the answer: 

1. Objectives Is your goal to drive website traffic? Increase sales? Create a forum for customers to interact and share their brand experiences? 
2. Available Resources Do you have an in-house social media manager or will you be outsourcing? What’s your budget and availability? Remember, no account is better than an inactive account! 
3. Target Market Who are they? Where are they most likely spending their time online?

Here are some general guidelines when it comes to choosing the right platform:

• Facebook is about connecting with people. We don’t go to Facebook for news, but to participate in conversations. Are your updates worth talking about? 
• Twitter is mainly an information resource. It’s a great place to announce updates and share other industry leaders’ content.
• YouTube should only be used if you plan to upload new videos regularly. If you only have a few videos, consider uploading them to Facebook instead. 
• LinkedIn is about widening your professional network. Is your brand B2B? Are you B2C, but heavily dependent on suppliers or certain groups to thrive. 
• Pinterest users are not interested in socializing or updates. They are looking for inspiration on what to buy/try, tips and tutorials. If you can't offer these regularly, don't join. 
• Instagram is a mobile app only available for Apple and Android users. Thus, it is only worth investing in if your customers are active mobile users. 

We hope these guidelines help! If you have more questions or want our professional opinion about your brand, give us a shout! We provide free social media audits, followed by a proposal if you’d like to take the relationship one step further!

xoxo
Mae 

Don't Duplicate, Recreate! (Facebook & Twitter Posts)

For business pages, syncing Facebook and Twitter posts is terrible practice. Posting the same content is fine – but literally duplicating the copy and messaging is not. 

By “content” I mean the topic or subject matter of your post, while by “copy and messaging” I mean actual words used and how the message is framed (phrase vs sentence, question vs statement, etc).

Why Can't We Duplicate?

Different Character Count

Twitter’s 140 limit forces you to be concise. This may mean sacrificing details (replaced by “Learn More” + link) or proper sentence structure (use of abbreviations or slang). This may look okay on Twitter, but robotic and auto-generated on Facebook.

Why waste Facebook’s 63,206 character limit? Inversely, posting from Facebook to Twitter results in fragmented and incomplete sentences.

 

Different Audience

Your Facebook fans and Twitter followers could be completely different. Some may add you on Facebook only and some may add you on Twitter only. This is because they are looking for different things.

Facebook fans are more likely to comment and discuss their thoughts and experiences with fellow fans, while Twitter followers are more likely to look for quick news snippets or updates. A Facebook user might Share a post so his/her friends will also Like it or join the conversation, while a Twitter user might Retweet a post because he/she feels it is worth sharing (but not necessarily worth discussing).

Different Format: Hashtags and Images

The infamous Twitter hashtag serves absolutely no purpose on Facebook but to annoy fans (there are Facebook pages about it here, here and here). Your friends may forgive you for desecrating their sacred walls with your blasphemous hashtags, but the same probably can’t be said for your clients!

Alternately, one of Facebook’s best features is the ability to attach images and link previews to status updates. Twitter does these too but only if you post directly from Twitter. Even then, users must click “View Photo” to see the image or preview. Thus, image sharing may not be the best idea for Twitter.

Instead, Rewrite (or Recreate) Your Posts to Fit the Platform

Facebook 

1. Utilize the space provided and provide as much info as you can without going over 400 characters (otherwise, fans have to click “See More” to read the rest). 
2. Ask for feedback, questions, comments, etc. explicitly. Example: Facebook just launched a new feature! [link]. What do you think of  it? Share your thoughts below!
3. Use images

Twitter

1. Make sure everything, including your URL, fits into the 140 character limit. Link shorteners such as bit.ly and TinyURL are your friends.  
2. Avoid questions and opt for declarative, imperative (commands) or exclamatory sentences. Example: Facebook Launches New Feature. [link]
3. Use hashtags. That way, non-fans can still find you.

There are tons more tips on how to recreate your content to fit Facebook and Twitter respectively, but these are the most important, basic ones. Have questions or want to share your thoughts? Drop a comment below!

Til then,
Mae

I (and my iPhone) are Back!

Has it been 5 months? Whoa! I've obviously been busy--but that's not why you're here so let's get to it!

One of the biggest things that happened to me since I last blogged was getting an iPhone (4S if you're curious). I initially thought of buying one when I realized managing several Facebook pages was too difficult on my Blackberry. My plan didn't include 3G (the horror) and I had yet to find a good Pages app for it. Little did I know that these would only be the tip of the smartphone iceberg.

Facebook

I don't remember much about Facebook for Blackberry, but that itself is a testament to how awful it was. Now, I can barely get off it. That you can occasionally check your business pages without having to log into the Pages app is just an added bonus!

Mail

I don't care how adamantly people argue that checking mail is better on a Blackberry. I could never figure out how to use it on mine. The set-up and learning process was insanely easy on the iPhone, and typing with a touchscreen is not as awful as people claimed.

Maps

Pre-iPhone days, I would Google Map my destination on my laptop, take photos of it with my Blackberry, then clumsily attempt to decipher it during my commute. With Maps, I can do it in real-time and there's even a dot to show where you are! That's some Marauder's Map sorcery right there!

Instagram

Because Blackberry is sad and is not supported by Instagram, I always felt like a fraud every time I recommended it to a client. Now I'm a regular user and love being part of the community.

Games

Pretty much ANY game with a social component is not compatible with a Blackberry (Draw Something and Letterpress being my favorites). Even non-social games like Fruit Ninja and silly apps like I Made Face aren't available. I do, however, recall playing Sudoku a lot.

I could go on forever. You must be laughing at how late I am, but the truth is--and I am talking to the remaining Blackberry users out there--you think you can live without all these features (and technically you can) but why deprive yourself? I'll be honest: my new-found obsession may have sort-of kind-of influenced my lack of blogging of late.

I'll stop here lest I start sounding like an iPhone advert. Legit social media-related posts to come starting next week!

Til then,
Mae