Deep Thoughts on Travel

Inspired. Incredibly Inspired Again by Travel.

Lisbon is one of the absolute BEST cities I’ve ever traveled to alone! I love London (here now for the 5th time in my life as I write this post), but people never chat me up here like in Lisbon!! It’s extraordinary, really. So… I’m trying to put my finger on why exactly…

Lisbon is smaller, and so many of the people out and about are tourists looking to meet other people (vs. a bigger city where locals are out enjoying the bars)? Maybe. London locals I know have even admitted to me that Londoners tend to be a bit “colder” than people in other cities.

Portuguese people (aka, the bartenders/servers) are just friendlier in general? That is part of it. I will also say it was a ratio of about 90% men to 10% women. That probably worked to my advantage ?. It was likely a combination of all of that. Oh, and apparently because of the time of year I was like a unicorn (American woman! Named Megan! Was a big deal for one German guy).

I can say without question I had some of the most interesting, fun, and infuriating (< yes, you read that right, and it didn’t even involve politics!) conversations of ANY city/trip I’ve been on in all my travels!

Being honest, I didn’t see as much of the city or take day trips outside the city like I wanted to because my nights were LATE! But it was worth it. I’m so enriched by the city, and its people, and the other tourists I got to know that I would do it all exactly the same way again. Oh, and I’ll go back for SURE.

Solo Traveler

Many people have a hard time wrapping their heads around how or why I like to travel alone. I love my friends, and I have wonderful experiences with them, but I never meet people like I do when I’m alone! It’s just different (and easier)… I relish my solo travel because I rarely feel “alone.”

I know I’m so fortunate to live this life. And even more motivated to write the damn book already!!

Now, time for work while in London, which was the original reason for the trip! Thankfully my work is also incredibly fun.

 

Do. Do what you love. I’ve said it before… Be a doer. No matter what it is!! ✌?

P.S. It may or may not be worth noting that I wrote this while at a London sports bar waiting to watch Monday Night Football (they were kind enough to put it on for me)… after it was clear no one wanted to socialize with me! ?

Helping you with Social Media Basics & Beyond

Many individuals think they can “do social media” because they’ve been doing it for themselves personally for years. The fact is it’s different for business, and there are some basics that can help you on the right path. Things are constantly changing, and this is how I see it today.

Develop content in advance

There’s some time savings in not staring at your computer each day you set out to post, trying to figure out what it is you want to say. It’s also a way to be more strategic about what you’re posting. When creating your content it’s key to not only promote your organization and events you might be having, but to also promote other orgs.

Are their businesses or organizations that have a similar mission to yours? Are there individuals doing great work in the space you’re working in? Use their content in your posts. Also seek out their posts, and engage with them on their platforms. Let them know what they’re doing is awesome!

  • Put that content into a written plan of consistency using a tool like CoSchedule (coschedule.com) or PostPlanner. This will help you get an even spread of the different kinds of posts you’re sharing with the world.
  • Use a scheduling tool, like Buffer (better) or Hootsuite (fine), but don’t rely on it completely. It’s still important to mix in organic, active engagement with both YOUR account, and accounts you are following.

    Cross-promote content between platforms…

    But word the posts differently. I suggest writing for Facebook so that it’s natural and descriptive… and then pare it down for Twitter. 

    On Instagram there’s no real character limit, but most people aren’t there to read — they’re there primarily to see your images. Write a quick caption, and refer your followers to a link in your bio if you’re trying to drive them to register for an event, read a blog post, or donate money, etc. Also follow “thought leaders” in your industry who aren’t tied to a particular organization, but from whom you (and others) can learn.

    LIVE Video is hot hot hot.

    The videos don’t have to perfect, and they don’t have to be long, but Facebook is putting live video at the top of the feed and increasing the organic growth (that’s mostly gone away). If you “go live” directly in Facebook, your followers will be notified that you’ve gone live, and they are more likely to see the video. They might not see it live, but they are likely to see the replay.

    Special events are a great opportunity for this (create fear of missing out / FOMO for next time!), but your team / board can go live also at any time, so long as there is something of value to be shared! You should have a strategy, but have no fear because you have to start somewhere. Consider a weekly show at the same time each week… And just press RECORD.

    Good images are crucial.

    People aren’t very forgiving of images that aren’t appealing. This is important on all platforms, and especially important on Instagram. Your images should have a consistent look and feel. The algorithms on the platforms work based on people liking your content, and you’re likely to see more content similar to that which you’ve shown an interest (which means your account will be suggested to the “right” people also).

    Consistent voice is important.

    You might have different people writing your content, but it’s important that the “voice” sounds consistent. This can be accomplished by having the same person editing the calendar that ultimately goes out. You might also consider developing a style guide that everyone on your team follows, ensuring that the branding, verbiage, and look is consistent. Having consistent types of images is also important.

    Don’t be afraid to repeat content that does well.

    While you don’t want to always be “self-serving” when you post, you also don’t want to miss opportunities to promote the big events you have going like fundraisers or product launches. If you’re partnering with sponsors, this is a great opportunity to tag them and give them love for working with you! It’s also an opportunity to re-post evergreen content that has had a good response before.

    There’s no “one-size-fits-all” regarding frequency of posting.

    Even some of the experts disagree, but everyone agrees that it “all depends”! Your followers are different from the followers of other organizations, so you should test to see what times / types of posts get the best engagement. This might sound like a lot of work, but it’s worth it. If you post and no one engages, it’s not relevant, right?

    * Twitter tips: Use Tweriod.com to test best times to post for your followers (it works well with Buffer too). It also makes sense to use the hashtags appropriate for your industry to be found, but don’t use more than 2-3 in a single post.

    For example, in the events industry, use #eventprofs to make sure you’re seen/found by others in that space. In non-profit world, there are a bunch, but #socialimpact is a big one, and #givingtuesday is a good one also (more on hashtags in a minute!).

    * Facebook tips: Research has shown recently that posting more frequently will hurt, rather than help. More than likely you can get away with posting 4-5 times per week — just once per day. However, organic visibility is extremely difficult, so if you aren’t going to “pay to play,” you should have a tribe of people who are liking, commenting, and sharing what you’re posting! This helps increase the visibility (along with LIVE video posting).

    It is worth targeting VERY specifically in Facebook and spending a little bit of money to increase your reach. DO NOT use the boost button (even though they put it in your face all day long), but use the Ad manager instead. Within the manager you can get very specific on target demographics to maximize your spend (even at as little as $5 per day).

 

Pro TipHashtagging is an art – learn it.

You should develop appropriate hashtags, be consistent, and tweak/re-tool as you go. Use them somewhat sparingly in your initial post, but strategically. Figure out primary ones in your industry—use them, and experiment with others.

Some platforms “require” them, while others use them less liberally.

Facebook– You can search by hashtags, but it’s not done much here.
Twitter – Important here to be found – no more than 3 per post.
LinkedIn – Hardly used here, but they are searchable.
Instagram – Crucial to be found – used here religiously.

Some sites will tell you what’s trending…

In Conclusion

There’s no one right way to do things, but you will find the right way for your business or organization. Hopefully these tips and guidelines will help you to discover what works best for you. The tactics of how to use the different platforms will continue to change on a regular basis, but  you should be consistent with your strategy.

Need any help figuring out the right direction for your social media? Reach out to me, and I’ll see if we can help you with your strategy!

Are You Mad About Slow Organic Growth on Facebook?

If you’re a marketer who is managing business pages in Facebook, the answer is absolutely yes (in the past three plus years). Okay, mad might not be the right word… Frustrated? Bummed? Yep. But I have some great news!

Facebook has been tweaking things in ways that really help us with organic growth. Here I explore the latest ways they’re helping.

6 ways Facebook business pages are great for location-based business organic growth

  1. Patrons often geo-tag their Facebook photos, whether they’re tying to “check-in” or not. This means the admins for the page get a notification Facebook restaurant check-inEVERY time someone posts a photo or indicates they were at your establishment.
    Which means? You have an opportunity to THANK them for visiting your establishment! This is a chance to bolster that relationship, and hopefully a way to make their visit with you even more memorable (so they’ll be more likely to come back). There’s a surprise & delight element here that shouldn’t be overlooked.
    Note: For whatever reason, if they comment again or like your response comment, you will NOT get a notification on that! Go back from time to time and see if there’s even more interaction (like “The meal was delicious!”).
  2. These same patrons are then prompted by Facebook to “Like” your page!Facebook business page like
    Which means? Your follower growth is growing organically, simply because of this change by Facebook. While this is a vanity metric, there’s an awesome change that came up recently (covered later in this post) that makes this even more awesome.
  3. Patrons and guests of patrons who were tagged in a photo are then again prompted within a day or so to write a REVIEW for the business!
    Which means? The number of reviews your business receives will go way up. Chances are not guaranteed (of course), but are likely that the review will be favorable. Fewer people will post to social if they’ve had a bad time or didn’t like the business.
  4. Friends of all of these patrons are also more likely to see their photos and posts, getting a glimpse into the business… and perhaps they’ll become a fan too? Also, friends of people who follow your page who have liked your posts see that activity.
    Which means? They then might like your post too! If you look to see the list of WHO is liking your stuff, Facebook now enables you to invite (non-Facebook business post likefans) to like your page right there! It works – I did it this week (see image to the right), and now I have a new, engaged fan.
  5. Live location is now in Messenger. It’s an easy way to share your location with friends and family. You can choose whether to share it continuously for an hour or as one static share. Which means? It’s another way for your business to get exposure.
  6. Search has been expanded in Facebook. Another great feature for local businesses is the way search works now. If you’re going to a city like San Diego where you know friends of yours have been, you can search “Visited by friends.” Which means? We all know we trust our friends more than advertising, and this will help your organic reach for local businesses!

The check-in notifications and review prompts are not brand new, but worth adding to your strategy. Do you have someone on your team who is responding to all these posts? If the answer is no, it’s worth considering the benefits.

Expanded search

In this example I searched on “global meetings industry day 2017,” and it defaulted to “Posts from Friends,” but gave me a chance to narrow the search.

Local businesses have the opportunity to have more posts seen in this way.

COMING Soon: Facebook is currently testing an even further expanded search, which will enable you to search “nearby restaurants,” and get reviews along with it. They appear to be moving in on Yelp’s territory (no complaints here!). As TechCrunch states in this article, “ ‘A spokesperson for Facebook confirmed the feature saying, “We’re testing a new way to discover where to go and what to do around you.’ ”

Awesome change to Facebook business pages

I recently liked a page on Facebook — my friend’s new business, Fredericksburg Cupcake — and I began getting notifications for it every time they posted. This was a first for me!

I wasn’t seeing it in my feed, but seeing this green image in my notifications is something I had never seen before. It perplexed me, so I set out investigating! It turns out this is a promoted post, which you can use to target specific demographics. Seeing this in notifications versus serving it up in the feed was new for me. I’d be interested to hear if your experience with this feature is different.

When you “like” a page, you are automatically “following” them. In following them, you can also control what you see.

Bonus tip

You probably noticed that sometimes you get a pop-up when someone responds to a post you’ve initiated or commented on. They’re calling it a “tab,” but when something pops-up, that’s what I call it! If you’d like to make it stop, here’s how.

Go to the very bottom right-corner of the Facebook browser window, and click the gear icon. The click Turn Off Post Tabs. Done!

Conclusion

Some of this might not be “new” news to you, but after several conversations I had at Social Media Marketing World from people interested in how I do social for restaurants, I thought it was worth the share. I also learned of more additions as I was writing the post.

Facebook continues to be an ever-evolving, ever-frustrating, but EVER-essential tool for all of us to use! I really like the changes they’re making for local businesses to reduce the frustration with organic growth on Facebook.

While it’s important to keep up on these updates, it’s just as important to use them to your advantage. It’s also crucial to keep up on engaging with the visitors that are engaging with you. If they include their (aka, YOUR) location in your post, they’re doing you a huge favor. Reward them for it by acknowledging them!

And… If you don’t have the time or the staff, it’s worth reviewing where time should be spent with your social. Please reach out to me if you’d like help with your local business marketing!

 

We need to port our blog over from Blogspot! Here’s loads of a variety of writing… http://lifesanevent-liveit.blogspot.com/