I got the domain name, I might as well have a website.
This is an ad for the Samsung Galaxy, and for the French launch Samsung brought JayFunk, the internet Finger Tutting phenomenon, to deliver some incredible and surprising choreography. The result? A little bit of magic. Enjoy!
Writing a great Facebook status update for a brand is so much more than a simple formula. If it were that easy, we’d have a whole bunch of amazing pages and a lot of happy brand managers. You can’t just pick up a marketing plan and implement it, word-for-word, into a Facebook page.
I think there are three layers to creating a brand’s Facebook update.
The Users
Your tone, subject matter, even the kinds of words you use should be dictated by the users of the page, who are attracted to your existing brand. If your brand is marketed correctly outside of Facebook, those who ‘like’ will reflect that.
Who are these people? Use Facebook Insights to learn basic demographics – age, sex, location. Check their profiles to see what else they ‘like’ on Facebook. Do they like polls? Photos? Links? What do they want from your branded page? Read what’s been posted to the brand’s wall already – there’s often a wealth of feedback in what’s there – or not there. Which leads onto point two:
The Page
What is the current state of your brand’s page? Neglected? No engagement? Is every status update a link, and no one’s clicking on them? Conversely, is your page vibrant with feedback and users chatting to one another? You can expect to adjust your next status according to the current state of the page. This may mean scrapping a status you hoped to pop up, and going with something completely different. Content calendars must be fluid, even for this reason alone.
The Brand
What does the brand actually want out of their Facebook page – and if it doesn’t serve your ‘fans’ then why are you doing it? Does it serve the marketing gods? The website hit gods? Or is it there to enrich peoples lives – however you interpret that.
If your brand is not thinking “people first” then you probably need to re-assess why you’re on Facebook. You may as well take out a TVC. (No disrespect to TVCs, you know I love them, but they’re broadcast. Facebook is not.)
So once the brand knows where it stands on those fronts – and has any issues addressed, it’s time to get writing! Here’s a few nuggets of gold from around the weberverse:
And here are mine:
So it’s not a simple formula, and this is by no means an exhaustive list. But by firstly coming at it from a user’s perspective, you’ll end the majority of Facebook status woes.
Just… watch.
Madeon is this 17-year-old French DJ who has mashed up a bunch of his favourite tracks. This clip’s had over 200,000 views in a couple of days, and I think it’s set to rise higher than that before the journey peaks.
There’s an old saying: Don’t judge till you’ve walked a mile in someone else’s shoes.
It’s true. And we often forget it.
Today I spent a little bit of time with a friend who is in a rough place. Her work, home, and love life aren’t quite going to plan, and she’s struggling to stay positive.
And because of her general lack of cheer and smiley-facedness, she’s being judged harshly.
Rather than people saying “Oh, you’re having a hard time right now, I’ll show you a bit of grace,” they’re calling her out on it, adding to the pressure she’s feeling to stay in control, and suppress the bad feelings.
I can relate.
I felt I started the race ten paces behind everyone else, due to my more unusual upbringing. The anxiety I felt to cover up my “deficiencies” – as well as perform to an above-average standard – would build up and cause some terrible hurt.
It is really easy to sit on the peripherals of someone else’s life and call them out on all the mistakes we think they make. They’re not as nice as they should be. Not as patient. Not as tight-lipped or rational as we say they should be.
But little do we know what they’ve overcome – or are currently dealing with – just to be where they are right now.
Think of it this way: Identical twins are wearing backpacks. From the outside, the packs – and the muscles holding them up – look the same. But it’s not till you lift the packs yourself that you realise one weighs 20kgs more than the other. You’re not going to begrudge the twin wearing the heavier backpack the occasional complaint, are you?
How about this situation: A car accident happens, and one person is able to shrug it off, whereas another isn’t. Should they judge each other for their reactions? No. Perhaps the person who is able to shrug it off has had several accidents before, and this is minor in their scheme of reference… But for the other person, it’s a Big Deal. Neither is right – or wrong – just different.
It’s so easy for us to judge another on their reaction to something, but our ability to cope with things is dependent on many factors.
Communication. It is the glue that holds relationships together. If you’re struggling to cope, one of the best and bravest things you can do is reach out and tell someone what’s going on. Explain to your family, friends and workmates that you’ve got a lot on your plate, and ask for grace. Confide in someone you trust, and seek professional help if you need it.
There is no shame in admitting you don’t have it all sorted. You aren’t the first and you won’t be the last.
And if you’re on the other side of the fence, try to not judge someone because they react differently than you would. You never know how many miles they’ve walked just getting to where you already are.
Some of you made the list twice. Don’t go getting ideas, though. You may want to read your tweets first.
Hit-on of the month?
AliIkram @NZTopModelColin mate u r the most beautiful thing out there and I’m not even into chaps #NZNTM
Life’s little moments
TophHooperton Oh dear god. Reason not to tweet snarky things at a web conference. It’s broadcast on a GIANT screen.
AlastairBoyes One thinks I shouldn’t be able to hear the headphones of a guy 3 seats down with my own on.
supergibbo trust Apple 2 make a item so desired u have 2 jump through hoops to get 1. Feel rejected now like being denied @ a Bluelight Disco
Hilary_Barry It’s hard to keep a straight face with the weatherman talking about “a finger of high pressure.” I saw one of those on the motorway today.
davidfarrier found a long girls hair on my toothbrush which is weird because no girls have been here. maybe it’s a horse hair
AaronBeardNZ Really wish the TV countdown family would adopt David Bain.
kittengloves There are 2 certainties in life: 1. Death. 2. A whole draw full of plastic containers and lids THAT DO NOT MATCH.
aaronmorton I have had it with these motherfuckin’ quakes on this motherfuckin’ (Canterbury) plain! #eqnz
samfromwgtn* From AMEX: “Thanks for applying… regretfullly unable to offer you membership… your personal income does not meet requirements.”
*TradeMe founder who sold the business for a reported $300 million
Kids, eh?
kimmmillwood Miss8: “I love your sway-ey bits. You know, the soft wobbly parts.” No more hugs for that child.
SpeelyFreaking There was a queue outside our bathroom this morning. I think I need more bathrooms… or less children. Whatever.
Covlin Apparently my little cousin got confused after his teacher gave him a red sticker. Teacher wasn’t meaning to declare him damaged. #eqnz.
Tarquin_Death Toddlers are the only people who actually enjoy seagulls. Maybe that is the point of seagulls
Just another day in the office
mikekooge Our office has decided on who will play who in a movie – Vaughan: Jack Black, Clint: Zac Efron, me: Paul Giamatti. Thanks everyone, really.
amiewee That awkward moment at a porn shoot when the rose petals catch fire
TeArahi_Maipi Just got asked for a phone interview on the train. Would have done it but it’s in Maori and someone might think I’m a terrorist. Call back
Animals. Why do we bother?
NZGeekGirl Have now shut the hung over cat in the bathroom with a litter box, she can come out once it’s all over.
velofille Only one thing worse than hearing a cat puke up next to your bed at 3am, hearing the other cat ‘clean’ it up
I am awesome
TophHooperton Sometimes I wish I could give myself a high five and not look ridiculous.
bobsyauncle That moment when you go to push your glasses up the bridge of your nose, but you’re not wearing them today & poke yourself in the eye
philbilbrough Just emailed myself. And then I didn’t understand what I was asking for.
TangThang just realised that I’ve been studying for the wrong exam and that the exam is at 2pm not 12….. well 2 hours to get me some MAJOR study
WayneLikesPie Just polished off a jar of crushed garlic.
bobsyauncle Giving blood & a nurse tells me I’m “a perfect specimen”. I know what she really meant
Oh, Twitter
m00ps Expanding a t.co link to reveal another shortened url is like the shittest game of Pass the Parcel ever.
ErinJackson Twitter: are you suggesting I follow someone is similar to me cos they have the same last name, or is it the Amish-style beard?
GreerMcDonald Note to self: re-read hashtags before you send. #ladieswhoreport quickly becomes… yeah, well.
Social networking platform Twitter has many uses – staying in touch with friends, catching breaking news live from the scene, networking with potential business contacts, finding feedback, help and general rubbernecking.
But lately many high-profile users are abandoning the interface, and the reasons are just as varied.
When I put a call out on Twitter about twittexhausion, I thought I had a fair idea how this blog would turn out. Well, I was wrong.
I was inundated with messages. It seems there’s a fair amount of long-term, high-level users who are about to put Twitter onto semi-permanent hiatus. Why?
Shortland Street called, it wants its storyline back
“Did you hear @someone just lost their job?” “OMG did you SEE her tweet?” “I heard that @suchandsuch has hooked up with @thatguy!” “My life sucksssssssssssssssssssssss.”
It’s exhausting, and yet we get sucked into dramas and whines that aren’t even ours.
“So many gloaters, whiners and gossipers,” one user said. “When did it get like this?”
“I’ve almost stopped tweeting as was getting so worked up reading other people’s comments. My stream full of whining! Time off = good for me,” another user tweeted.
“The ridiculous immaturity of some users at times. The gossip. The scandal. The negativity. The drama,” one user said.
“I was worrying and getting angry about things that just weren’t important or getting sucked into dramas without even contributing to them, or knowing the people involved – dedicating head space to the dramas of strangers is just stupid,” another person messaged.
This leads nicely into point two:
Twitter fights, bullying, and inappropriate messaging
Several high-profile tweeters were targeted recently by a bully who posted inappropriate content about them, and a group of young women were targeted by a local tweeter who wanted to see nude photos, then chastised them for not sharing.
“It’s hard. It makes me feel gross. I’ve blocked him now but I feel uneasy when I see other people talking to him,” one user said. “I want to tell them all what he said to me but I don’t want to bring it all up again. I’d rather leave it alone.”
“Enough with the faceless, nameless people who hurl abuse!” another high-profile tweeter said.
I am not my workplace
For those who use Twitter openly for both work and personal use, the pressure to stay “on brand” and above-board can be overwhelming.
As one community manager puts it, “people keep asking me work questions on my own account. I was hoping for some time out but there’s no down time when people know where you work.”
“People’s expectations don’t match reality and that’s taken the fun out of Twitter for me,” another user writes. “People expect me to be on call for them 24/7, and then they abuse me when I’m not. I’m feeling frustrated, sad, overwhelmed and over it.”
Twitter is not the Olympics.
Why are so many Twitter users focused on measuring tools like Klout, follower numbers, RTs and the like? It’s exhausting.
“The need to be the most RTed, or replied to or doing that thing where you don’t RT properly and you mangle my carefully crafted tweet by shortening words,” one tweeter said. “Or worse: Make it into a tweet that uses deck.ly or twitlonger, just so you can get your name in front of it. That still pisses me off.”
You don’t have to be first with breaking news. You don’t have to have 100 Klout. You don’t need 10,000 followers. You aren’t playing for a trophy. It’s not a competition.
The fakes and the wannabes
“The charlatans, the fakes, the really fucking bad writers who publish blogs about writing and engaging with people but with spelling mistakes. It is as damaging to your brain as watching the E! channel without any of the shows, just the loud, shouty, vacuous promos,” one Twitter user said. “And even though you don’t have to, you’d find yourself clicking links and ingesting the rubbish.”
“Twitter is getting overwhelmed with social media gurus who are regurgitating the same stuff, then wanking each other off over it,” another said. “New Zealand is too small for that kind of crap. It puts me off them and using Twitter.”
“The bigger twitter gets, the more it reminds me of High School, and then [I] worry I’m not cool enough,” another user wrote.
Simone McCallum has blogged about her experience of nearly giving up Twitter – give it a read.
So what can we do about twittexhausion?
Here’s five steps I suggest you take to relieve some of the Twitter fatigue
Without any ado, here are your best Kiwi tweets of May 2011…
Stay classy
paulapenfold Misread new follower @bouncingpom as “bouncing porn”, which conjured up images in my mind that aren’t needed at lunchtime on a Tuesday.
TV2BOY Overheard on the 6th Floor. “I’m not asking you because you’re Asian. But do you know anything about Origami?”
jonohutchison Someone broke into gf’s car overnight; stole a bottle of sparkling grape juice. Keeping an eye out for disappointed-looking alcoholics today
RyanSproull NZ has been ranked second most peaceful country in the world, after Iceland. Watch your back, Iceland. We’re coming for you.
beekay77 Just heard “junkie” as John Key. Sentence still made sense.
muffinmum If you are mid 50’s & were in Petone at lunch time with skin tight jeans, top tip: readjust your tackle in the loo rather than middle of cafe
monique_TV3 Oz Woman’s Weekly boasts royal Wedding coverage including “private touching moments”. Perhaps marketing team need to learn about commas.
I’m not the smarterest
philwalter I suggested that the current wife be a good mother and make me and the children breakfast. I may have overplayed that hand.
mrbrownsbag So declaring a fake sick day via twitter does NOT go down well with the boss. I’ve suggested I take the day off to think about what I’ve done.
cadetdory Tired. Just turned the light off and then spent several seconds trying to figure out why the room had gone dark.
The Rapture
MoataTamaira Hm. So boyfriend has been invited to The Rapture via Facebook but I have not.
rosiecd Is Rapture happening on a rollout? Or greenwich mean time? Just want to plan my weekend.
Universal truth
Vegrandis Unitard – the garment with the power to make you look like its name!
trisclayton I’d like to sniff Peter Dunne’s hair. I think it would smell of cinnamon and integrity.
pipkeane 6 adults. 3 kids and nobody can work DVD player
Yes, this is my life
ErinJackson Strange. Very angry ex fiancé™ just texted me to alert me that if I don’t use my qantas points within 18 months they expire.
rhysiedarby Busy writing to fans. They haven’t written to me, I’m just taking the first step in hopes of some replies
antsgardiner I just noticed that my block of cheese has teeth marks in it. I guess I got quite drunk last night.
Wellywood
WellywoodSign Why so serious Wellington? Its not like I’m killing kittens
annagconnell You know what would make the wellywood sign even better? Comic sans.
OddOneOut (a.k.a. Niki) is into upcycling vintage plates – amongst other crafty endeavours – and as soon as I stopped by her stall at a local craft fair, I knew I was in trouble. Her designs are gorgeous.
After taking some time out from her job as a textile designer to have a baby, Niki decided to revisit some of her old ideas and passions, and get creative.
“I realized that I absolutely have to be doing something creative or I’m just not that happy,” she wrote on her Felt profile.
“I began to go through some notebooks from my student days and rework some of my ideas.”
And boy, did Niki have some great ideas.
In amongst the beautifully graffitied teapots and somewhat kitsch photoframes, were plates.
Floral plates with deer, floral plates with skulls, floral plates with a picture of a fist sporting “cake” tattooed across the knuckles – this was my idea of art. I got three that day, with plans to add to my collection as new designs – and finances – allow.
You can check out OddOneOut’s Felt store, or catch her around crafty corners of Auckland.
And if you’re looking for a gift for your friend Cate, look no further.
After watching a few “It Gets Better” clips, and seeing “Dear 16-year-old Me” I’ve been inspired to share my own list of things I think teenagers should know.
So that’s my list: Some things I wish I’d known and some things I think the teenagers in my life need to know.
I’ll leave you to wonder which point is which!
Facebook have released a best practice guide to Facebook marketing. It’s in-depth and useful, but also involved, so I thought I’d summerise for you.
Here’s the key points.
Facebook say there are five guiding principles to great social marketing:
They then expand upon these areas – I’ve left my thoughts under their points.
Foster product development and innovation
“Facebook allows you to learn about your audience… For this reason, Facebook can be used to generate new product ideas and innovation.”
Know your audience, and allow the conversaion to be led by them – albeit in keeping with your guidelines. I’ve found doing this gives your fans page ownership and the freedom to make some interesting and insightful suggestions!
Generate Awareness
“Once you have created a Facebook page, it is time to generate awareness.”
In a nutshell, Facebook want you to buy their ads. They are cheap, effective, and can be highly targeted. It’s a shame they don’t let you book in $NZD or access non-standard ad types without an agency, but it’s still a cost-effective way to build your brand.
Don’t forget to put links to your Facebook page throughout your website – turn your visitors into subscribers with a click of a button.
Drive preference and differentiation
“On Facebook, people discover your brand through trusted referrals from their friends.”
This is one of the big positives social media has over traditional – personal endorsement much more public, and users are much more likely to engage with brands their friends have recommended. Keep sharability in mind when writing status updates.
Facebook have got a lot of social plug-ins you can use to socialise your website and brand. Use them where appropriate.
Increase traffic and sales
“A combination of word of mouth and your ability to deepen engagement with your customers at the point of purchase is incredibly powerful at driving traffic and sales.”
Facebook recommend putting like buttons on products, and integrating post-purchase sharing to consumer’s walls. The same could be said for like buttons on articles if you’re a blogger. Facebook also recommends buying Facebook ads to push directly to the point of sale.
Build loyalty and deepen relationships
“Because of the information people share about themselves on Facebook, you can create highly custom and personalized experiences to drive engagement and loyalty.”
Ask questions, listen to the answers, and be responsive. Thank people. Provide exclusive information for Facebook fans. If you’re a multi-national, target updates to users in various countries. I hope that feature will soon extend to cities, but in the meanwhile, try to not alienate users by overwhelming them with information that they can’t act upon.
Amplify recommendation and word of mouth
“Everything you do on Facebook is viral. People expect to discover things on Facebook through their friends.”
Encourage people to like your page – and your status updates. Put the like button on your website. Have fresh, sharable content on your Facebook page. Make everything clickable, shareable, hyperlinked and tidy (check how your links appear in Facebook when put into the URL feature… Is it clean or does it need editing?)
Gain Insights
“Insights can help improve your business by helping you stay aligned with the people you serve.”
Insights: Where would you be without them? Probably shouting into a dark room. Use Facebook ad campaign reports. Use Facebook insights – both on your page and for web. Read your Facebook wall… And when I say “read” I mean “read between the lines.” Sometimes what people don’t say says more than what they do.
Finally, use these tools:
Guide to Facebook ads: facebook.com/adsmarketing
Guide to running competitions on Facebook: facebook.com/promotions_guidelines.php
Social plugins for your site: developers.facebook.com/plugins
Facebook insights: facebook.com/insights