Facebook Archives - Social 'n Sport

Facebook Isn’t Killing Organic Reach, Just Crappy Content

By Guest On November 20, 2014 In Facebook

Fellow social media managers: It’s time to have a heart to heart about Facebook and our industry in general.

If you follow the chatter online, then there’s a really good chance you readForrester’s article on how Facebook and Twitter are a waste of time to marketers. At the heart of the story was the idea that Facebook has killed organic reach.

You can spew off statistics all day about the declining organic reach on Facebook, but what did we really expect? The social media industry has spoiled us, softened us and perhaps even ruined us (gasp) as marketers. This is the thing:

Good and effective advertising / marketing has never been free. While it might have seemed like we were basking in the glory of free marketing for a while, it was all just a dream. The brands that won and continue to win on social media have always understood that it takes time, money and resources. Social media marketing is not free. Today, that couldn’t be truer.

Short & Sweet Wins on Facebook

By Guest On April 1, 2014 In Best Practices, Facebook with 2 Comments

I shared a great blog post from Buffer the other day that talked about the ideal length for everything online. The post says research shows that the ideal length for a Facebook post is 80 characters or less. Eighty characters or less?! Not even Twitter makes us omit so many words.

I decided to take a look at some brands in the space to see if this holds true. All were chosen randomly. I analyzed their last 20 posts (photos only for consistency) to see if they tend to follow this golden character rule, and if it pays off.

14 Things I Would Like to See in Social Media + Sports in 2014

By Guest On December 5, 2013 In Facebook, Social Media, Twitter with 21 Comments

1. Dollars behind Facebook.

You can no longer rely solely on earned media with Facebook. If you want to make the most of the platform, you simply have to pay to play.

This truth is hard for me to swallow. I use to be a firm believer in organic growth and reach on social media platforms, but after watching Facebook engagement and reach fall flat this past year, I firmly believe you have to strategically put dollars behind your content. You don’t have to take my word though… Facebook has admitted organic reach is dipping. See for yourself.

The bottom line is this… if you’re okay with only 16 percent of your Facebook fans seeing your content (source), then keep doing what you’re doing. If you want your content to stand out from all the noise and reach more people, then you need to pay.

2. Social data to make smart decisions.

Gatorade’s Mission Control was founded in 2010 and since then we’ve seen others, from the Oregon Ducks to NASCAR, follow their lead. Now is the time to shift the focus from the bright and shiny tools to actual data that can influence smart business decisions. Research proves organizations want to find ways to measure their digital initiatives and use social data across business. In a recent study done by OMI, it was found that analytics is the most coveted skill in digital right now.

In 2014, let’s use social data to help drive product decisions and athlete endorsements (consumer sporting goods); adjust game broadcasts (ahem, if ABC listened on social they would know Eminem and college football don’t mix); garner feedback about the game day experience; understand the content fans are craving.

We have all this information right at our fingertips and in real time. It’s time to look beyond the likes, shares and comments to meaningful stories in social data that help influence real business decisions.

Tackling Social Media Myths

By Guest On September 8, 2013 In Facebook, Lessons Learned, Social Media, Twitter

The social media industry is full of misconceptions. For anyone who works in the business, addressing the myths and misconceptions is often the hardest part of our jobs. Below are nine of the biggest myths I think are worth tackling. Be sure to share yours with me, too!

Myth #1- Social media is free.

Signing up for Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and the likes does not cost a dime, we all know that. If you want to do social media the right way though, you need content and manpower behind it. Great photos, graphics and videos do not come without a cost.

If social media is a priority, then you have to put the right resources behind it to generate the content that compels to your consumer. Remember, good content will carry a large load of your social media success.

Myth #2- You just need five minutes everyday.

Social media is about building relationships, understanding your consumers and molding your messages to make them meaningful to your audience. This, my friends, cannot be done in five minutes. Scheduling any ‘ole tweet once a day, even if you have a million followers, is not social media success.