Changes made to Social Media during 2011
Looking back and discovering what has changed is something that we all do this time of year. I’m looking back at 2011 and thinking how much change came about for me (just look at this business!). I think that in looking back on the last year most small business owners are cautiously optimistic about 2012. Many want to implement new positive change – possibly getting into the Social Media arena.
What about the Social Media landscape? Mashable – a popular Social Media resource – quoted Ian Schafer CEO of digital agency Deep Focus, saying 2011 was a year in which ‘roots grew deeper’ in Social Media, but nothing fundamentally changed. “It was less ‘what’s the next Facebook?’ and more ‘what’s Facebook gonna do next?'” he says.
That isn’t taking into consideration Google’s answer to Facebook, Google+. Google+, I admit, isn’t a platform that I’m too familiar with yet. I have noticed however that you have more control over who see’s your content – with the use of ‘circles’ – and you can talk to people according to their interests instead of displaying your message to everyone. From a marketing standpoint it can turn a specific message from something some people consider unwanted to what others may consider something of value.
Something Facebook did change in 2011 was the implementation of their Timeline feature – users didn’t get to get a taste of it until mid December. Personally, I like the new layout but the changes made to the business pages will have a direct effect on how I approach a marketing campaign for many of my clients. It is more difficult to get a message to show up in someone’s News Feed. Consistency and great content is a must for businesses who want to have a presence on Facebook.
For Twitter, the placement of hashtags (#’s) on popular TV shows and commercials encouraged tweeting both on a PR level and a personal one. Some companies are paying BIG bucks for certain celebrities with a lot of followers to tweet about their products – the use of Twitter from an advertising standpoint has increased dramatically over the last year.
Another change in 2011 was the demand for both mobile applications and mobile websites. People want to access information from their smartphones – from anywhere – which changes the way businesses market as well. You can get a message out in real time, but it has to be short and to the point for anyone to pay attention to it on-the-go.
As for me, I’m going to learn more about all of these platforms that I mentioned so that I can offer advice to clients on how to engage customers online as well as run a great Social Media marketing campaign. If you have a business that you would like to promote online – give me a call! I’m looking forward to the New Year! Bring it!
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