Author Archives: elysealtiere

The 2012 Election: The Most Social and Mobile Friendly Election?

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In elections gone-by, people learned about candidates through TV, radio and more recently a campaign website. Today, social media and mobile technology have drastically changed how the public interacts with political campaigns. People can now learn about the election and candidates through social media outlets and apps, live blog and tweet the debates as they happen, share their opinions and ensure their thinking and opinions reach the candidates directly – or at least their campaign staffs. Social and mobile technologies have changed political elections by empowering the electorate to stay up-to-the-minute … every second of the election!

Socially Friendly
On Facebook, people are sharing opinions on the presidential candidates by updating their Facebook statuses throughout the debates, and sharing their opinion on key issues and more. Facebook is also a great way to learn about the candidates through their pages. In fact, both President Obama and Governor Romney are encouraging voters to get on Facebook. Read about it here: http://on.mash.to/Y6QRoh.

Instead of watching the debates on TV, websites like YouTube allows others to watch the debates – even from their smartphones – and share their opinions and color commentary. Twitter is another great place to follow candidates and related conversations via hashtags. Voters can engage in conversation with others about the election, retweet their favorite candidates tweets, check-in to the polls and much more.

There’s an App for that…
Today, there is an app for everything and elections are no exception. Need help finding your way to the poll on election day? The VoterHub App can easily help you find your way to the polls. Want to donate to a campaign? There’s an App for that too. Looking for live election night updates on your iPhone or Android … that’s right, there is an app that can help.

VoterHub also provides information on everything you need to know about the election. According to Mashable, “VoterHub, a new app from AT&T, the Pew Center on the States and Politics-360, is designed to be a non-partisan one-stop-shop for everything voters need to know on Election Day.”

If you find donating to your favorite campaign to be a chore, check out the The Rise of Mobile in Election 2012 to learn more about political mobile apps and how to donate with ease.

The New York Times – and others, we’re sure – is offering moment-by-moment election news coverage direct to your phone.

Just how mobile is this election? Mashable created an awesome infographic to explain.

Final Thoughts…
This election is most interesting because of the prominent role social and mobile technologies are playing. All of us can share our thoughts and opinions with hundreds of friends, who in turn broadcast those messages to hundreds more. It has made the election extremely interactive. I think the 2012 election will be remembered for many things, most especially for its use of social and mobile technologies to engage with voters.

Tell us what social platforms or mobile apps you prefer to keep up with the campaigns.

Keeping Facebook Posts Short and Sweet

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Let’s face it, no one wants to read a novel on Facebook. Who has the time? Shorter is sweeter. People tend to gravitate towards shorter, more simple posts. To honor that shorter is indeed sweeter, I’m keeping this short.

Convincing your Clients Shorter is Sweeter

Some clients tend to post long updates and it can be difficult to sway a client in the “right” direction. Given how quickly people scan their news feeds it’s important to get to the point right away and drive more traffic to your posts.

Here are some tips to help convince your clients:

  • Show clients examples of what other pages are doing. Are shorter posts receiving more feedback? Chances are yes!
  • Give them the facts. (see below)
  • Remind them that posts cut off on Facebook and you must select, “See More” to view the rest of the post. Chances are if someone sees the word, “See More,” they are going to pass and move on to more succinct information.
  • Ask them what posts they tend to view on their news feed. Most likely, they stick to the shorter posts with only occasional exceptions.
  • Remind them only a sentence or two will appear in the Ticker on the right side of the news feed.
  • According to Social Media Today, nearly 70 million people will access Facebook from their phones each month. People don’t want to scroll forever to read lengthy posts. Advise your clients accordingly.

It’s a Fact

It is a fact shorter posts receive more likes, comments and shares. According to Facebook.com, “Posts between 100 and 250 characters get about 60 percent more likes, comments and shares.”

Final Thoughts…

Time is everything. It’s important to realize people often multitask while viewing updates. They don’t have time to read wordy posts that seem to go on forever. If you want to run a successful page and receive more feedback on posts, keep them informative but short! And remember, just because a post is shorter doesn’t mean it doesn’t have substance. You can still provide exceptional content through short posts. Have you had more success with shorter posts?

Twitter Gets a Facelift, Focuses on More Visuals

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You’ve no doubt heard a lot of the buzz about the new changes to Twitter. Whether on your desktop, iPad, Android or iPhone, the first thing you’ll notice is Twitter has taken its cue from Facebook with its cool new timeline-like feature called the header photo. Entrepreneurs and businesses will appreciate the near-instant recognition this offers their brands.

So what do you need to know to ensure your Twitter account doesn’t look outdated? The recommended dimensions for the header photo are 1200×600 and the maximum file size is 5MB. The photo will stay consistent on mobile Apps including iPhone, iPad, Android and Twitter.com.

Your photo or logo will appear on your header image once you’ve uploaded a new image under “Change Header.” Your Twitter handle, bio and website will also appear on your new header image. Remember, your background image will not change and will still appear as is once you’ve uploaded your new header image. Photos that you tweet will be moved up and appear more prominent on the photo stream. Photos will now be available full-screen via the Twitter App on the iPad, iPhone and Android. With these visual changes, brands need to be aware it’s vital to provide exceptional visual content in order to engage their audiences.

Here are a few tips to make the most out of the new header photo:

  • Use a photo that enhances your brand.
  • Let your personality shine through.
  • Remember, that unlike the old Twitter, your header image will appear the same on iPhone, Android, etc. and it will be the first thing others see when viewing your account.
  • Keep your header photo simple, you don’t want to overwhelm everyone.
  • Follow the correct dimensions.
  • Have fun with it!

Read more about the changes to Twitter here and view examples of a few accounts already using the new header photo: http://blog.twitter.com/2012/09/because-you-have-more-to-show.html

Helping Clients Take Ownership for Social Media

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We manage many social media account for our clients, but that doesn’t mean their social media presence is entirely out of their hands. We’ve found it’s important to engage clients in social media activity. It seems simple, but can have a huge effect on the quality of your client’s social media presence.

Often, fans view brand posts as robotic and have trouble identifying that a real person is actually posting. Having the “voice” of a client is vital in running engaging social media accounts and lends a personal feel. Below are ideas and tips for getting clients involved, helping them feel more comfortable with posting and what we’re currently doing to get our clients involved.

Getting Clients Involved in Social Media

Let’s face it: posting the same content can get stale! No one will be interested in boring robotic content. Keep your audience interested about what you’re posting.  You can’t always do that unless you have the help of your clients, who are the experts in their field. Get your clients excited about social media and help them feel comfortable.

  • Ask clients to provide photos of events, employees, every day life around the office, etc. Visuals are an effective and easy way to get clients involved and get consumers interested.
  • Suggest shooting a 30-60 second video each month directly on the Facebook wall. No need for a fancy camera. Facebook allows you to record videos directly on your Facebook wall, and you can use built-in computer camera or a smartphone camera. Videos can drive traffic to your client’s site.
  • Suggest clients provide trivia/poll questions related to their brand to engage consumers.
  • Get clients to dive into the conversation. For example, if another brand posts an interesting article, have the client participate in the conversation. It’s crucial not to hide behind your own page and just post your own content all the time. Be active!

How to Make Clients Comfortable with Posting/Sharing Content:

  • Create sample posts and share with clients.
  • Create possible responses for conversations they can partake in.
  • Show them how other, similar brands are engaging.

What We’re Currently Doing to Engage our Clients:

We’ve seen first-hand the benefits of client involvement in social media. Below are some ways our clients are getting involved.

  • Each week or every other week, our clients provide a quick tip for people working in their industry, which helps to build engagement.
  • With some posts, we include a photo of the employee who provides the content. This way there’s a face associated with a post.
  • With the launch of the new Facebook Timeline on March 30, we’ve been asking some of our clients to send old photos, documents, etc. to build Timeline. It’s an easy way to get clients excited and it’s a great way to tell the story of a brand through photos.

Consumers gravitate towards original content that clearly reflects what they value in a brand — not just automated updates from a third party. Lastly, don’t forget to take a deep breath and relax! Social media should be a fun interactive place for both clients and customers.