Making your brand personable

People are drawn to social media because of the opportunity to interact with other people from afar. It also maintains connections for those we do know.

The same method of thinking and approach can apply for a business.

Creating a personality for your company, business, organization or brand lets people see the human element to a business and not just the industry lingo you find on websites. Social media gives brands a chance to showcase emotion, creativity, humor and compassion. I believe it was Simon Sinek, a well-regarded public speaker, who once said people more often buy from companies because of what they do and not what they offer. The element of why a company does it is also important to note.

Establishing a strong brand personality is even more important for the nonprofit sector, but does still work for brands such as big-box companies. One way to think of it is why does your company exist?

From the big-box store perspective, lets take a look at Home Depot.

Home Depot's slogan is "How Doers Get More Done." The slogan focuses on the customers who want to do projects themselves. For example, I just built a patio at my house. I went to Home Depot for most of my supplies for the project. I did so because one I knew they had the supplies I'd need. But, more importantly, they offer tools to help me understand my project, how to do it and what I needed in order to do it.

Home Depot's brand personality focuses on the DIY worker, connecting with a person who wants to do a home improvement project. That connection builds a relationship and a trust, two key elements in any B2C connection.

Home Depot's reason for business? To help people with their home improvement projects.

Lets take a look at a nonprofit example.

May is, among many recognitions, Mental Health Awareness Month. For nonprofits who specialize in creating awareness and hosting fundraisers to aid in mental health treatments, May is a key opportunity to connect with people who may be struggling with mental health or know someone who is. This is where establishing a strong brand personality is vital in this example.

For a nonprofit that specializes in mental health, ways to connect with people include producing testimonials from people who have utilized their services or care and improved their mental health. People want to connect with people. And even though a brand isn't a person, per se, making it sympathetic and compassionate builds trust.

When brainstorming for your business or trying to create a brand personality, put yourself in the person's place and think of how you want them to view your brand. The brand personality should be authentic, unique, engaging, and inviting. Those are important qualities in building a relationship with any individual. The same holds true with a business.

Facebook introduces penalties for misinformation spread

We kind of saw this coming and it was mostly Facebook's doing.

Socialmediaexaminer.com posted an article May 26, "Facebook Adds New Alerts and Individual User Penalties To Help Stop the Spread of Misinformation."

According to the article, Facebook has implemented informational alerts, and increased individual user penalties, based on the distribution of content that has been flagged as false by fact-checking teams.

"According to Pew Research, around 71% of people now get at least some of their news input from social media platforms, with Facebook leading the way, which means that there's significant potential for the platform to influence opinion through the sharing of perceived 'facts' among its audience," the article says.

When Facebook initially launched in 2004 and for the first several years of the platform, content shared on users' newsfeeds were arranged in the order of which they were posted by their friends. In 2009, that changed.

At that time, Facebook made a major change in how content was presented to users. It created an algorithm that used computer calculations to put value on a post (such as engagement, interest and relevance), rather on when it was posted. Thus, in doing so, content that generated high user engagement and interest was made more available to users.

That practice has long been ridiculed for a number of reasons. Among those reasons was the secrecy of how content was presented to users and when.

But the major reason for the ridicule has come within the last few years with the spread of misinformation or fake news. It became overly apparent and criticized during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. And it has continued to receive scrutiny since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

It's one of the biggest reasons Facebook is losing trust among users.

A recent study, which you can read about in a previous blog post, "Who is trustworthy in social media universe?" Facebook ranked ninth as far as being able to be trusted by social media users.

The debate and concerns going forward will be Facebook's accuracy and how tough will it be. Opponents to this idea believe it is an infringement on free speech.

DETTMANN MEDIA PODCAST: Twitter has released its Tip Jar tool. What is it?

LinkedIn is now offering an analytics tool that helps you see your company's employees are engaging with your content.

The tool is called Employee Advocacy. It can be found under the analytics drop-down menu on the dashboard of your business page. It's the same spot you would find information on visitors, updates and followers.

According to LinkedIn research, 60 percent of employees are more likely to engage with posts from coworkers and are 14 times more likely to share their organization's page content.

Also in this episode:

• Twitter and its Tip Jar tool. What is it?
• What is the importance of having an XML sitemap on your website, let alone an updated one?
• And, information about a virtual presentation about Google Analytics 4.

Listen to the podcast.

Improving SEO on YouTube

YouTube has become one of the powerful and accessible search engine platform in the world. Google, its parent company, leads the way in search engine optimization. Essentially, people overwhelmingly use Google to search for information. YouTube will be used to search for a video.

Thankfully, because they're the same type of platform, a lot of the rules to stand out in search engines results pages or SERPs are the same.

Like with Google, finding videos on YouTube centers on keyword usage in both video description and video title. Also, be concise when naming the file of your video, too.

Placing tags on your videos which usually consist of keyword search terms is highly recommended.

Another form of keyword search terms are hashtags. Recently, YouTube made improvements to its platform to allow users to search for videos by #hashtag. You can place up to three hashtags in the video description.

Closed captioning has a couple different uses that help with video searching. One, studies have shown that videos with closed captioning increased in views by nearly 14 percent in the first two weeks after the video is posted and nearly 8 percent overall. Closed captioning also often helps with engagement as people who may not want sound on can still watch your video. Plus, it also provides opportunity to be accessible.

This seems simple and not surprise. Using a standout video thumbnail is huge! Just like having a solid visual with a social media post, having the same to preview your video is equally important and effective.

I like using playlists that each have a theme. This way, it provides people a library of videos to choose from on your channel.

Why are XML sitemaps important for your website?

As I've said several times previously, it's a challenge to standout in a crowded digital universe. But there are ways to help. One is to make sure your XML sitemap is up to date.

An XML sitemap is essentially a coded table of contents that is submitted to Google, Bing and other internet search engine sites that is and indexed. When a site is indexed, it means those search engine sites have a listing or table of contents of your website. Having that makes it easier for those sites to find your site when someone puts in a search query on Google, Bing, etc. If you don't have one listed, Google, Bing and others will think you don't exist.

For someone like me who is not a computer or website coding expert, it appears to be challenging. But, with Google's, Bing's and others' help, it is actually a simple process.

Here is a blog entry from Northwoods Web Solutions about the value of having an updated XML sitemap, as well as how to set it up. Click here for the blog.

Twitter launches test of 'Tip Jar'

Twitter has launched its test phase of a creator payment program, called Tip Jar. The program is, just like it says a tip jar, that selected user profiles can use and enable individuals to collect payments from their audience.

According to socialmediatoday.com, the feature isn't available to all users, but everybody using Twitter in English will be able to send tips to applicable accounts on iOS and Android.

I can see this being another revenue/fundraising opportunity for nonprofits.

To learn more, including how to set it up (if you fall into the permissible category at this time), click here.

Hootsuite unveils new features

If you're a Hootsuite user like me, you may have already seen this message. If you haven't you should soon.

Hootsuite has revealed several new features available on its platform and should be available to users soon.

• Measure the success of your LinkedIn video posts in Analytics. Track the new video metrics in your reports as well as in the Post performance view.
• With improved content navigation in Publisher on Hootsuite mobile, you can easily review and filter scheduled content by social account, as well as by post status.
• Use the HubSpot for Hootsuite app to enrich your customer profiles with data from Twitter and Facebook streams. HubSpot can help you better qualify your leads, run more effective campaigns, and offer a more personalized support experience.
• Install Audiogram to share memorable podcast moments! Upload your audio through the Audiogram app in Hootsuite and share it to your social channels.
• Help Center content is now more accessible for everyone, with alternative text for every image.

To learn more, click here.

When to post on social media

Big props to Sprout Social. They've released a chart detailing best days and times to post on social media platforms, specifically Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram, based on a survey of more than 20,000 people.

It's a difficult thing to try and predict, right? When is the right time to post on social media so you can get maximum exposure and engagement? The answer to that question is fluid, always changes based on several factors. And they also differ for each platform. That's why it's hard to predict.

Here are the highlights of Sprout Social's study (days/times are in central/Chicago time):

FACEBOOK

• Best times: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
• Best days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
• Worst day: Saturday

INSTAGRAM

• Best times: Tuesday 11 a.m.–2 p.m., Monday through Friday 11 a.m.
• Best day: Tuesday
• Worst day: Sunday

TWITTER

• Best times: Wednesday 9 a.m.– 3 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday 9–11 a.m.
• Best day: Wednesday
• Worst day: Saturday

LINKEDIN

• Best times: Tuesday through Thursday 9 a.m.–noon
• Best days: Tuesday and Wednesday
• Worst day: Sunday

Click here to see the full chart.

Click here to see Sprout Social's full story, which even includes recommended post days and times by industry.

Responding to customers on social media

Responding to questions or comments on social media is a necessary part of any social media strategy - positive or negative.

If you receive a positive message, let the person know you got the note and thank them for taking time out of their day to praise you, your work and/or your company. As you may have noticed, it's a lot easier for people to criticize then to praise. So, if someone goes out of their way to praise you, go out of your way to acknowledge their effort.

If you receive a negative message, don't panic or get upset. One thing we can all agree on is social media has allowed many people to be bullies without the interpersonal communication. And that's because there are no repercussions of their behavior. Be sure to understand that and maintain professionalism.

When you get that negative message, publicly acknowledge you've received their message or post. Then, respectfully invite the person to an off-line chat via private/direct messaging. If they disagree, then they're likely not worth the time. It's NOT a good idea to get into an argument with a customer online in a public setting, such as back-and-forth banter on a Facebook wall. If they agree, ask them cordially about how you can possibly help.

Industry trends show people who reach out to a business or organization via social media want a rapid response. In some cases within an hour. Sometimes that's not possible. But, it drives the point that you should answer comments, questions, concerns in a timely manner. Responding in 24 hours is more often deemed appropriate and acceptable.

When responding, respond as the business not as yourself. What that means is have a professional tone and voice when interacting with a customer on social media. Don't take anything personal. If things do start to get personal, ask the person to refrain from attacking you personally. If they refuse, then end the conversation and politely tell the person you don't appreciate the personal attacks and ask if there is anything else you could help them with.

Lastly, be friendly. Even if you're having a bad day, be as polite as possible. I say it all the time, create a positive experience for the person. That's true even if they're mad at you, and for you I mean as the business. Maintaining professionalism is vital in any customer interaction whether it's in person, on the phone or online.

Hopefully, when the dust settles, the person will remember a positive experience. If not, as people sometimes just want to be angry at someone/something for no apparent reason, it's just worth your time and effort to try and cheer them up.

EXCITING NEWS!

I have learned I've received another award from the Communicator Awards program.

For the second year in a row, the award is the Award of Distinction for Online Video.

On its website, "The Communicator Awards is dedicated to recognizing excellence, effectiveness, and innovation across all areas of communication. We are the leading international awards program honoring talent in this highly competitive field. Founded nearly three decades ago, The Communicator Awards receives almost 5,000 entries from companies, agencies, studios, and boutique shops of all sizes, making it, globally, one of the largest award shows of its kind."

My winning entry was a video showcasing a partnership between Milwaukee Center for Independence and Grebe's Bakery, specifically looking at employing people with disabilities and/or disadvantages.

Click here to see that video.

I'm so excited to be recognized in this world-wide competition for a second year in a row!!

Click here to see the list announcing the award (it's under Milwaukee Center for Independence).

JUST ANNOUNCED: Upcoming webinar

Make your plans now.

I will be giving a presentation, hosted by the West Bend (Wisconsin) Area Chamber of Commerce, focusing on the Google Analytics 4 program.

It will be a virtual presentation done via Zoom from 8-9 a.m. (central/Chicago time) Tuesday, June 15.

Among the topics to be covered:

• What is it?
• What's new?
• How can you use it to your advantage for your digital marketing strategy?

Cost is free for West Bend Area Chamber members. Otherwise, it is $15 for nonmembers. Session will be recorded and those who sign up will receive a link to the presentation.

To register, you can call the Chamber office at 262-338-2666 or click here.

Employee advocacy tool on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is now offering an analytics tool that helps you see your company's employees are engaging with your content.

The tool is called Employee Advocacy. It can be found under the analytics drop-down menu on the dashboard of your business page. It's the same spot you would find information on visitors, updates and followers.

 

This tool will see how employees within your company are engaging with your content. One of the reasons for doing this is to not only connect employees at a company, but to also engage with them to not only build brand awareness, but also potentially recruit candidates.

Your staff likely is connected to people with similar backgrounds, or skill sets and could be great referrals for a job vacancy at a company.

According to LinkedIn research, 60 percent of employees are more likely to engage with posts from coworkers and are 14 times more likely to share their organization's page content.

Also according to LinkedIn, engaged employees can have several influences, including:

• 8 times more company page views.
• 4 times more company page followers.
• 7 times more job views.
• 4 times more job applications.

Linked does also provide an opportunity for company page owners to notify employees of a post onto the company LinkedIn page with a push notification.

To learn more about these resources, click here.