Meerkat and Periscope, The Next Frontier in Social Media

If you've noticed links in your Twitter feed over the past couple of weeks that say "LIVE NOW", this was most likely due to the user live broadcasting with apps like Meerkat or Persicope.

Lots of users are exploring these new apps that allow them to give a real-time view of what they're up to using the camera on their smartphones.

So what's the difference?

Meerkat

Meerkat is an app that allows users to instantly share a live broadcast to their followers. Meerkat seemed to be an overnight success with the likes of Jimmy Fallon and Gary Vaynerchuk hopping on to use the app. Combine this with its launch during the week of tech-savvy festival SXSW, and the app gained a large user base in just a matter of days.

Periscope

A week later, a very similar app became available called Periscope. Acquired by Twitter, this app also allows users to live broadcast what they're doing at any moment. Live broadcasts can also be recorded and viewed after the live broadcast has ended.

Both of these apps mean big things for social media users (both individuals and businesses) because they let you connect in an even more immersive way. We've used both apps and can see endless possibilities for connecting and engaging with others.

A few ways some users are already taking advantage of these new apps:

• Live broadcasts of exclusive events, speeches, or concerts
• Behind-the-scenes looks at a company's workspace and office culture
• Live Q&As or How-tos
• Virtual gatherings for real-time video chats
• A look into the daily sights and sounds of one's city
• Product launch announcements

How do I choose?

Periscope has the advantage of a more seamless integration with Twitter, which is good news for people who want to share content with their existing followers there. It also allows you to choose when you start broadcasting and appears on the home page for all app users to find and watch more organically.

However, Meerkat launched a public beta for Android users on April 16th...while Periscope is still only open for Apple iOS users.

Both apps are excellent solutions for getting up-close and personal with your audience in a way that's not overly produced or manufactured. Because it's live, there are only so many variables control here, which makes for interesting material.

Check out the platform and see how you can turn your phone into a powerful broadcasting medium.

Secret Sauce: Creating Facebook Ads that Work

Lots of people are still on the fence about Facebook ads.

"Do they actually work?" "Will all of my interaction come from spam accounts?"

These are the questions we hear most often in relation to advertising on this platform.

But managing the social media outlets for several clients in various industries, we've seen Facebook ads produce powerful results (on a relatively small budget.) In fact, one client saw a 66% increase in monthly website visits from one Facebook ad campaign.

There is, however, a "secret sauce" to creating effective Facebook ads. You really need to have a game plan going in so yo don't waste your precious time or financial resources.

Lucky for you, we're sharing the strategies we've learned from trial and error today so that you can feel more confident about testing out this advertising medium.

Part One: Choose a Strong Image

Sure, it's easy to grab a stock image or snap a quick smartphone picture on the go. But when you're creating an ad, pretend you're a magazine photography editor. Find (or create) an image that's well composed, colorful, and makes the scrolling reader pause. In general, you should:

• Feature a product or person from your business (It's proven that people like pretty things and human faces in images on social media)
• Use high-quality images (Good lighting, solid composure)
• Relate to the copy you'll include (More on that below)
• Evoke an emotional response (Do puppy photos make you smile?)
• Align with your other images (Stick to one filter to create a sense of cohesiveness)

• Don't get stale (Don't be afraid to change your ad image if you see interaction begin to drop off)

Think of it like this: The image is the attention grabber, and the copy is what seals the deal. So, let's talk copy...

Part Two: Craft Great Copy

The words that you'll include in your Facebook ad are limited, so you need to make them count. Here's the process l typically follow when building Facebook ad copy:

1. Define your objective. Pick one objective that you want your ad to accomplish. That might be website clicks, app downloads, etc. Facebook will have you select your goal as step one in the process. Your copy should cleverly convince the reader to do just what you want them to.
2. Decide who you're writing for. Don't try to be everything to everyone. Think about your ideal customer and the pain points he or she faces. Write copy that speaks directly to that person.
3. Remove the hard sell. Typically, the flashy sales strategy employed by car dealerships won't fly on Facebook. Instead, keep a conversational tone. Make your reader laugh, or cry, or stop and think.
4. Be direct. Include a price when you can! It eliminates uncertainty and gives the reader a reason to act.
5. Put a time frame on it. Urgency is a powerful motivator...and so is exclusivity. Encourage your reader to act right now rather than thinking it over (and maybe talking him or herself out if it.)

Part Three: Define, Target, and Place Ads

This last part relates to the ins and outs of how you'll target your ad and where it will display to Facebook users.

First, you need to define a few important things: One being your budget. I suggest starting small with a budget of $100-$500. Then, as you get the hang of things and find out what works well for your audience, you can increase the amount slowly.

You also need to put a time frame on your campaign. Will it run for a week? A day? Shorter campaigns (less than two weeks) help keep your ads fresh.

When targeting, you can customize your audience based on location, gender, behaviors, interests, and more. Your main objective here is to define that ideal customer and then fill out those sections based on that persona.

Ask yourself, "What age range does my ideal customer fall in? What are his/her interests and hobbies? What's important to him/her?" These questions will help dictate how you target.

Then, think about placement. In my experience, Facebook ads placed only on the Desktop feed and in the mobile feed are most effective. Right-side bar placement and placement within Facebook's extended network (outside sites) have not produced great results, so I always stick with desktop/mobile display.

Bombs away!

Now it's go time. Launch your campaign, and carefully monitor the results each day. If you're into testing your ads, try running three ads at the same time, but with a different take on each one. This will help you more quickly understand what resonates with your audience.

The bottom line

Are you still going to get some junk interactions? Most likely. But that happens with any kind of ad. If you've done your targeting correctly, that shouldn't be as much of a concern.

Before writing Facebook ads off completely, do some research of your own. Test them. Tweak them. You might be pleasantly surprised at how effective they can be.

Podcast Recap: Sales and Marketing Nation

I recently had the pleasure of being a guest on Christian Costa's podcast, Sales and Marketing Nation. Since the interview is fairly long (about 40 minutes), I thought I'd do a quick recap of the topics we discussed so you can get the gist if don't have time to listen in.

I've pulled out a few of the best questions I was asked as well as their responses.

The subject: Content Marketing.

Q: Can content marketing really work for those small businesses and entrepreneurs who are strapped for time and financial resources?

A: Definitely. While it seems like a huge commitment, if you can set aside 30 minutes to an hour each week to produce quality content and interact with your audience, it can go a long way. I've seen so many small businesses and non-profits use these free resources to grow and expand their reach. I learned this with my own online jewelry business; I used social media (and no paid advertising) to connect with customers all over the globe.

Q: When it comes to paid advertising on social media, is it the right thing to do if you're just getting started?

A: No. You'll want to build up your platforms and actually have some great content there for people to see before you launch any paid campaigns. Much like you wouldn't want to invite customers into your store if your products weren't in yet, you shouldn't reach out to social media audiences until you have everything finished on your website and you have some decent content (blog posts, case studies, etc.) for them to explore.

Q: When someone has everything up and running and is ready to start branching out a bit more, how do they get started?

A: If you're in a specific industry, you probably have a few go-to blogs or influencers that you follow on a regular basis. The next step is to just reach out and introduce yourself and say, "Hey, I'd love to partner with you for a giveaway or a guest blog." You can think about what strategy you want to take...but just stick out your "Internet hand" and say, "Hey, this is who I am, this is what I do, would you like to work together?" You might be surprised to get more "Yes" answers than you think.

Q: What's one book you recommend for listeners?

A: I'm a big fan of Gary Vaynerchuk's Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook. While it's more social media focused, it really drives home that message of "It's not all about you." And with content marketing, you need to consistently provide quality material and THEN make your ask, so you've provided something in exchange for that request.

Listen to the Full Episode

You can listen to the full version of this podcast here and hear all the other questions I didn't cover in this space.