Jul 26 2024
How To Draft A Social Media Policy via @sejournal, @lorenbaker

Today’s social media is different from a decade ago.

Higher usage, increased prominence, and other signs of a platform’s success also mean brands take on higher risks when utilizing these channels; a social media policy is no longer an “extra.”

A well-crafted social media policy uses clearly outlined rules and best practices to guide employees and those accessing the brand’s profiles in using social media platforms effectively and appropriately.

Everyone involved in the brand’s public image should clearly understand what is expected of them.

A policy helps them understand how to conduct themselves in a way that aligns with a brand’s values, missions, and goals, propelling the company forward.

And you’ll be better able to avoid security breaches, legal issues, reputational damage, and PR crises.

Getting Started With A Social Media Policy

Before creating a comprehensive social media policy, you must understand that it is impossible to prepare for every possibility.

However, talking to others in the organization can help you consider needs and issues you may not otherwise consider.

For example, your customer service team will understand how your audience sees your brand, uses social media, and what they need from your brand’s channels.

Your IT team will know what is available to manage channel security and how to manage security issues.

So, you’ll need to put together a social media policy team. Not everyone should have a say over every element of the policy, but representatives should be able to provide input and ideas.

Your social media policy team should include representatives from:

  • HR department.
  • Leadership.
  • Customer service.
  • Social media team.
  • Employees from other teams.
  • Design team.
  • IT or website management team.
  • Brand advocates or spokespersons.
  • Marketing team.
  • Loyal customers.

Once you have a team in place, you can start crafting your brand’s social media policy.

7 Steps For Creating An Effective Social Media Policy

The actual writing can be completed in seven steps, followed by four steps for implementation. But be warned: The last four steps are as important as the first seven.

Leave one out – fail to implement, update, or enforce your policy, for example – and your social media policy may be unable to guide your team and protect your brand.

To help craft your policy, we’ve included an explanation.

You’ll also find a downloadable pdf here with a list of questions to ask during each step to get you started.

1. Scope And Purpose

The first step to crafting an effective social media policy is to understand why you’re creating the document in the first place.

By clarifying the document’s purpose with everyone, you’ll increase the policy’s use and make it easy for team members to understand who should use it and when.

While a social media policy generally covers any social interaction or platform, including company blog comments and social platforms, listing these locations specifically will reduce confusion and act as a documented list of which platforms are approved and owned by your brand – as well as which platforms your employees or team members may use.

Decide what situations your policy should cover and who should be guided by it. Make it clear what circumstances fall under the policy and which do not.

2. Identify Risks

Social media use is full of risks, but many specific risks (and the ones that often catch a brand unaware) are unique to you.

For example, if you’re in the finance industry, you may have FCC and other rules and regulations to follow. Those in healthcare will have HIPAA and other laws and guidelines.

Aside from that, you will also face the standard risks of PR crises, security risks, intellectual property violations, and others.

List as many general risks as possible to help you determine what your social media policy should include.

3. Cover The Basics

With the list of risks in mind, it’s time to start outlining the various processes and guidelines team members will follow.

Outline the content that can and can’t be shared on the company’s accounts. Decide who will access these accounts and what security features must be in place.

Decide if you’ll allow comments on all your updates, what you will and won’t allow in those comments, and how you’ll handle any comments or posts you remove.

Develop a process for granting and revoking access to your accounts.

And decide the rules and guidelines that employees and others will need to follow when sharing brand-related content (or identifying themselves as connected with the company).

4. Define Who Is Responsible

Many times, errors are made, or issues are avoided not because employees don’t know how to handle them but because they are unsure of who is responsible and the process the company wants to follow.

So, for example, decide who is responsible for monitoring, listening, responding, and managing your social media profiles, promotions, and paid ads.

Decide and outline approval processes, reporting mechanisms or systems, posting limits, and other details.

And don’t forget to consider processes outside of the usual social media processes, such as what will happen when someone takes time off and who will be responsible for social media training.

5. Address Legal Considerations And Regulations

While you may or may not be regulated by industry regulators such as the FCC, you will undoubtedly need to follow data privacy laws, rules surrounding intellectual property, and advertising rules.

In your social media policy, you need to outline the general idea of these rules and what those utilizing social media need to know.

Note: While some of these rules may seem obvious to you, they won’t be obvious to everyone.

Don’t leave important ones out. Make more comprehensive documents (that are in plain language and easy to use in a hurry) available.

6. Voice And Style

Brands are delicate. To keep updates and content consistent, detail and explain the voice and style the company’s channels should have.

Provide users with a wealth of examples of updates that are and are not acceptable. You may also want to include links to official style guides.

Lastly, make sure the goal of your social media channels is clear. Will your brand respond to audience inquiries or offer customer service via social media?

7. Crisis Response

No matter how careful or prepared you are, the worst-case scenario is inevitable. Eventually, a crisis will arise, so you need to be ready.

What should happen if an advertising or intellectual property rule has been violated?

If a PR disaster occurs or runs afoul of some other rule, regulation, law, or guideline?

You should also have a clear process to follow if an account or user has been compromised. Include links and email addresses to support each network so they can be contacted immediately.

You also need to consider PR issues outside of social media.

If a tragedy occurs, for example, how will you communicate with vendors, customers, and the general public? Who is responsible for crafting that message, and who needs to approve it?

Putting Your Social Media Policy Into Action

This process doesn’t end when you have a final social media policy draft.

Even the best social media policy is useless if it isn’t implemented, used, maintained, and enforced.

8. Social Media Policy Implementation

If you want employees and team members to follow the social media policy, it must be easily available and distributed to everyone.

Email it and announce it through internal channels. Walk through the document in a video. Make sure everyone is aware that it has been completed and made available.

Store it somewhere that’s easy for others to access. Still, you also need to ensure that it is added to onboarding packages and provided to anyone who may communicate on behalf of or promote the brand.

(You may wish to craft an external version for customers, your target audience, and other external parties.)

9. Resources And Assets

One of the easiest and most efficient ways to encourage employees to share company news and information while avoiding issues is to make approved assets available.

Provide everyone with logos, approved images, discount codes, and other resources in a location that’s easily accessed.

To make it even easier for employees to share updates, consider having an internal communication channel that notifies everyone of news, newly published information, and fresh assets.

10. Maintaining Your Social Media Policy

Social media and your needs change quickly. And while your social media policy won’t need daily or weekly updates, it will still require regular updating.

Let it get outdated, and it could cause more harm than good.

Imagine, for example, that you have an outdated security protocol in place when one of your accounts is compromised.

Schedule the social media policy update to ensure it gets done. It’s also the perfect opportunity to remind everyone of the document and help refresh their awareness of its processes and guidelines.

11. Utilizing Your Social Media Policy

The successful utilization of a social media policy begins with proper training.

While not all employees will need to understand all the processes, everyone should have a basic understanding of the guidelines within the policy and how it applies to them.

Lastly, ensure that the policy you’ve invested time and effort into creating is enforced.

Schedule regular searches and audits to ensure compliance and be sure to deal with anything that fails to meet the guidelines appropriately.

Conclusion

While a social media policy does require an upfront investment and your time, they are vital in today’s world.

This simple policy document will help you avoid and prepare for a crisis while arming your brand with the resources and knowledge it needs to deal with issues as they arise.

Do this well, and you’ll find that understanding what is and isn’t allowed will help encourage employees to promote your brand on social media.

More resources: 

Featured Image: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Jul 24 2024
Why You Should Be Focusing On Brand Marketing Right Now via @sejournal, @MordyOberstein

If you’ve been paying attention to the chatter in the SEO space recently, you might have noticed that “brand marketing” has become cool again.

Due to the Google “leaks,” many SEO pros have come to the conclusion that building a strong digital presence will yield SEO results.

Also, water … is wet.

Leaks, floods, and drips aside, there are better reasons why you should be focused on brand marketing right now.

Allow me to explain. [Warning: This post contains excessive amounts of snark.]

Building The Case For Brand Marketing

I’m not going to do the whole “5 reasons why you should focus on brand in 2024.” It would be off-brand for me.

What I would like to do, if you’ll indulge me, is first build up the case by looking at where the ecosystem we call the web is currently at.

I’m less focused on “the benefits” of the brand and more concerned about why the ecosystem itself demands a focus on this type of marketing.

It’s less a matter of “you’ll get X, Y, and Z” by focusing on the brand and more a matter of why you’ll be out of sync with your potential audience as a whole.

The Web Is Moving To Be More Conversational

The internet has become more conversational, and it’s only going to get more conversational.

One of my soapbox points is that content is one of the most quickly changing things on the planet. What we consume, how we consume it, and what we expect out of it are rapidly and constantly changing, and the consequences are often underappreciated.

My classic example of this was the first televised US presidential debate, which took place in 1960 and pitted John F. Kennedy against Richard Nixon.

If you listened to the debate on the radio, you tended to think Nixon won. Those who watched on TV tended to think JFK won.

Why? Well, Richard Nixon comes off as Richard Nixon, and JFK, well looks like JFK. I’m being a bit facetious, but it is true. Nixon famously looked pale, had a five o’clock shadow, and didn’t look directly at the camera.

The evolution of content has extremely understated consequences.

Like in 1960, we are at one of those pivotal moments in the history of content.

Think of the internet like TV commercials. Over time, what once resonated becomes campy and sem, if not downright, spammy.

Could you imagine Coca-Cola running and trying to sell its product using its 1980s Max Headroom “Catch the Wave” commercial?

Try selling my kids a sugar-infused breakfast cereal using a TV commercial from the 1950s. Good luck.

It’s not because those commercials are “bad.” It’s because the language and tone that resonates changes over time.

It’s a simple enough point … unless we’re talking about web content. For some reason, we feel web content and its consumption trends should eternally stay the same.

We write the same kind of content in pretty much the same way and balk at any changes.

But that doesn’t change the reality.

The content we create doesn’t speak to users. It’s not positioned correctly. The tone is off. The goals that support the creation of content, to begin with, are distorted. And more. There are a lot of problems – and to me, they all begin with content not being conversational.

In fact, I will go so far as to say Google should stop saying, “Write for your users,” and should start saying, “Have conversations with your users.”

We all think we’re “writing for our users” – I mean, who else are we trying to lure and convert?

It’s very easy to fool yourself into thinking you are “writing for your users.” It’s harder to convince yourself you are having some sort of dialogue with your users – which is what I think Google really means anyway.

All this said, what do I mean by content not being conversational and how do I know it’s even a problem?

What I Mean By Content Not Being Conversational

It’s not hard to see that we are not engaging our users in a conversation or dialogue.

All you need to do is head over to your nearest landing page and have a look at the language.

How much of it is just the company throwing out jargon or borderline nonsense?

Here’s what I came across in literally less than five minutes of digging around:

copy exampleScreenshot from author, July 2024

Is it really without limits? Can I literally do whatever I want without any limitations whatsoever? I don’t get it – are we talking about God or graphic design software?

Is the below really a new way to run high-velocity sales? Does it literally refine the entire process like no one else is doing or has done before? Or is the company just saying this and spitting out whatever they think will drive conversions?

copy example 2Screenshot from author, July 2024

You see this all the time in PPC ads:

Google search search: buy accounting softwareScreenshot from search for [buy accounting software], Google, July 2024

No nuance. It is the best accounting software, and I should trust that it is without any form of qualification.

This kind of copy, while it may have worked in the past, doesn’t (and if it does now, it won’t in the relatively near future).

This kind doesn’t actually talk to users in a real way. It actually treats the user like an idiot.

The average web user is far more savvy than they once were, far more mature, and far more skeptical.

Not taking a more genuine approach is starting to catch up with brands.

How Do I Know Not Being Conversational Is Even A Problem?

Greenwashing.

It’s when a company claims to be more environmentally conscious than it is. It’s spin and PR nonsense.

Companies thought they could pull a fast one on unsuspecting users. However, folks are now savvier and are catching on to brands positioning themselves as being “green” when, in reality, they might not be (or at least to the extent advertised).

You cannot get away with it anymore (and you never should have tried). The only thing that works is being genuine.

If your product is not actually “the best,” then don’t say it is – or, in fact, realize there is no “best” or “ultimate” or “fastest” or whatever. There is only what meets the needs of users in what way. That’s fancy talk for “pain points.”

Being genuine means talking to your audience and not at your audience. It’s having a dialogue with them.

Going the “traditional” route with your language is the equivalent of marketing language greenwashing … and it applies to your informational content, too.

Perhaps nothing epitomizes this more than the falling stock of influencer marketing. Study after study shows that younger users are far less likely to purchase something because an influencer is associated with it.

Influencer marketing, as we mostly know it, is a facade pretending it’s not a facade. Do you think Patrick Mahomes really eats Chicken McNuggets or has a strong preference to use State Farm for his insurance needs?

All influencer marketing is just a digital marketing version of a celebrity in a TV commercial.

Do you think whatever TikTok influencer really prefers Capital One or even knows that it’s not a geographical reference?

While the idea of “influencers” seemed like a viable idea at the onset it’s fundamentally not sustainable because it’s fundamentally fraudulent. (For the record, “community” marketing is something else entirely. While it might rely on “influencers” within a community, it is far more genuine.)

It seems that folks have caught on to the idea that maybe this influencer being paid to say or do whatever is not actually an accurate reflection of reality (much like social media influencers themselves, to be honest).

A 2023 Drum article quotes one study as saying upwards of 80% of users say a brand’s use of influencers does not impact them one way or the other.

For the record, there are other studies that indicate that influencer marketing is a viable option. I agree, but I think it needs to be qualified. Just paying an influencer to say good things about your brand is not authentic.

There are authentic ways to work with communities and influential folks within them. That tends to happen more with micro or nano influencers.

This is why we’re seeing a trend towards working with micro or nano influencers who might provide a more authentic experience for audiences – a trend noticed by Hubbspot’s 2024 social media marketing report (among others).

Again, it’s rocket science. Everyone knows the influencer is only saying the things they are saying because they’re being paid to. It’s relatively meaningless in a vast majority of cases.

It shows how much savvier the current web user is relative to the past, and it’s supported by where folks are heading and what they are trusting … themselves (DTA, am I right?).

A seemingly endless number of studies show users looking toward user-generated content. CNBC was quoted as saying, “61% of Gen Z prefer user-generated content.”

Gen Z data from CNBCImage from CNBC, July 2024

Which brings me to my next point.

Informational Content Is Just As Bad & Reddit On The SERP Proves It

Up until this point, I’ve been focused on the nature of commercial content and the demand for conversational content.

The same concept applies to informational content, just for a slightly different reason.

Informational content on the web might not be as opaque as commercial content, but it is entirely sterile and stoic.

By sterile and stoic I mean content that doesn’t actually speak to the user. It takes a topic, breaks the topic down into various subtopics, and simply presents the information, and does so without ever discussing the context of the readers themselves.

No one has more data on emerging content consumption trends than Google and its ability to analyze user behavior in a variety of ways. And what has Google done for informational and commercial queries alike? Plastered the search engine results page with user-generated content.

The proliferation of Reddit on the SERP should tell you everything you need to know about the state of informational content and beyond.

All you need to do is head to the Google SERP and take a look at all of the Reddit results strewn all over the place, from different SERP features to the organic results themselves.

And while SEO pros may be upset about the abundance of Reddit (and rightfully so in my opinion), we have no one to blame but ourselves.

Do you really think Google wants to rank Reddit here, there, and everywhere? I personally don’t. I think Google would much rather have a diverse set of experience-based content to rank.

Regardless of your feelings about Reddit on the SERP, users’ inclination to prefer content created by other users tells you one thing: People are looking to move past all the facades and want something transparent that speaks to them—not at them.

Think about content like dress codes in the office. In the 1950s (at least in the US), it would be unheard of to show up to the office with anything but a suit and tie or a dress.

Just like professional dress codes have become less formal, so has content become “less formal” too.

And it’s a relatively recent development on both fronts. In fact, I would actually argue that office dress codes are a good representation of “where we are at” in terms of how and what we consume in terms of content via-a-vis formality.

While more traditional marketing language might have been acceptable and effective just a few years ago – it’s not any longer (at least not to the extent). We are less formal as a people, which means speaking to each other is also less formal. That has to spill over to web content at some point, and it has.

The AI Of It All

The rise of AI-written content accentuates all of this. When everything starts to sound the same having an actual voice comes more into focus. As AI conversion evolves, users are going to want to know that what they are consuming is “real.”

Much like a paid influencer, AI-written content doesn’t offer an authentic experience. And if we can see one theme in what users are looking for, it is an authentic experience.

I know someone is reading and thinking, “But AI is conversational!”

I would not confuse the fact that AI can reply back to you in an informal way as being an actual conversation or dialogue with another actual lifeform.

I have many relatives who will chew my ear off for hours on end as I nod away – that is not (much to their surprise) a conversation. Inputting prompts in reply back to an LLM and then having that LLM respond is not a conversation. (I feel like it’s insane that I have to say that.)

A real dialogue has to be based on empathy and the coming together of two distinct entities. This is what I mean by conversational. The dialogue has to be based on understanding the user’s pain points and meeting them.

AI not only doesn’t do that – but it dilutes that very concept. AI is content creation inherently devoid of understanding the “other.”

AI-generated content is the exact opposite of empathetic content. It is no wonder that it will drive a greater demand for something that is more connective (i.e., conversational content).

The rise of AI-generated content will inevitably lead to a greater demand for more conversational content simply because it is human nature to yearn for connection and existentially disdain void.

When you couple together the growing impatience with stale and stoic content aligned with the facade of much of the web’s commercial content with the rise of AI, it’s the perfect storm for a shirt in user demand.

A More Conversational Internet Is More Autonomous Internet

What’s this got to do with brand marketing? We’re getting there. One more step.

Users looking for more authentic web experiences point to people not wanting to be sold to. Skepticism and distrust are triggered by being urged to make a purchase.

Rather than being induced to click by some clever headline or urged to make a purchase by some influencer, people want to make their own decisions.

They’re looking for real advice. They’re looking for real information to have real needs met. And then they’re looking to be left alone to use that information to their liking.

It’s not an accident that Google added an “E” to E-E-A-T for “experience.” It wants quality raters to evaluate a page from an experience perspective because it has determined this is what users are looking for.

When your entire modus operandi is to seek out authentic information and experiences, the last thing you’re looking for is to be coerced. The last thing you want is to feel pushed into something.

The quest for authenticity in experience-based information is entirely about being able to make a well-informed, autonomous decision.

Urging users to click and convert with all sorts of marketing language and over-emphasis is antithetical to this mindset. Using language that feels slightly manipulative is antithetical to this mindset.

Trying to create spin and putting up a marketing facade (such as with classic influencer marketing) is antithetical to this mindset.

You can’t have Michael Jordan jumping over Spike Lee in a commercial to sell shoes anymore. It’s not real, and it’s not authentic. It’s fantastical. It’s fake.

You also can’t “drive” conversions by telling users you’ve developed a “new,” “revolutionary,” or “ultimate” solution for them. It’s not real, and it’s not authentic. It’s fantastical. It’s fake.

You have to create an environment where the user feels empowered and uncoerced.

How do you then go about targeting growth and revenue, all while allowing the user to feel autonomous and unsolicited?

Brand marketing.

Brand Is Your Best Friend In An Autonomous Web Scenario

I know there is going to be a tremendous amount of resistance to what I am about to say.

In fact, most companies will balk at my conception of things. For SaaS, it’s probably borderline heretical (I think startup SaaS brands often lag behind consumer trends more than anyone).

If user autonomy is the fundamental brick on the house the ecosystem is built on, then being top of mind is the cement that holds your marketing efficacy together.

What’s the opposite of pushing for clicks and conversions? Allowing the user to come to you at their own time and at their own speed.

Being top of mind is more important than it ever was because it aligns with the underlying psychological profile driving web experiences.

There is a direct equation between the consumer demand for autonomy in the buying journey and brand marketing. Creating the right associations and developing the right positioning with genuine differentiation is of the utmost importance if you want to align with how users think – and, more importantly, feel about the web.

If I had to put in a more “performance-focused” mindset, direct traffic is the future of the web. Get them to come to you on their own terms.

It works for both parties. You’re less susceptible to relying on whatever platform’s funky algorithm (whether it be social or search, it all kind of feels like a mess right now). At the same time, your users don’t feel like you’re overselling, pushing clicks, and otherwise nudging them to convert.

They’re coming to you because they found out about you, liked what they saw or heard, and decided to pursue the possibility of buying from you at their own pace.

Moreover, the brand allows you to connect. Again, in an AI world, the drive for connection will only increase. Brand is the intersection of your identity and your audience’s.

It is an associative connection, and it allows your audience to understand that there is a “you” behind the product or service you are offering.

This is the power of branding in the modern web.

What Kind Of Brand Marketing?

What kind of branding creates autonomy? Education-focused brand marketing.

Brand marketing can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people. Often, on the digital stage, it means pushing the value of your product across the web.

I am not saying that this doesn’t have value or that it shouldn’t be done, etc. I am saying this is product marketing disguised as brand marketing.

90% of your brand marketing should hardly (if at all) push your product (beyond maybe a mention or something subtle of that ilk).

Brand marketing is about fostering an identity (either of a product, service, or the company as a whole) and using that identity to create messaging that positions the said product, service, or company in a certain way, thereby establishing a connection with your target audience.

The associations you build and the sentiment towards your brand that you establish should, hopefully, result in your audience seeing you as a relevant solution. But this is associative, and that’s important to remember.

The kind of branding I am talking about is focused on adding value to your audience’s life. Note that I didn’t say offering value via your product or service to their lives. First comes the value, and then comes the value from your product.

You can’t push the product in what might be called “branding” without first establishing a brand that showcases concern for the user and their life context independent of any “ask” (such as making a purchase).

You wouldn’t ask your neighbor for a cup of sugar before saying, “Hi, good morning. How are you?”

You shouldn’t ask your consumers to open their wallets and fork over money before establishing a real connection.

Yet, this is pretty much the internet as we know it.

A Note On Performance Marketing

I am not advocating you should not use performance-based marketing tactics to increase your reach and sales and whatnot. Performance-based marketing can be a powerful force for growth and revenue expansion.

What I am advocating for is performance sitting within a broader branding context. There has to be a balance between the two (and I don’t think it is an even balance).

With that cliffhanger, perhaps I’ll explore the balance between brand and performance at another time.

More resources: 

Featured Image: batjaket/Shutterstock

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Jul 24 2024
Most Retail Brands Ignore X, per Study

A selection of 100 retail brands with more than 130 million combined followers on the X platform collectively posted fewer than 850 times in the first three weeks of July 2024, perhaps confirming retail’s departure from the social network.

Elon Musk purchased Twitter in April 2022, transforming it into X and loosening restrictions around tweets, now called posts.

Not everyone was pleased with Musk’s changes, and by the end of 2022, many businesses had abandoned Twitter. Clothing brand H&M, for example, stopped using Twitter in August 2022, leaving 7.6 million followers. Macy’s left behind its 850,000 followers when it stopped posting in November 2022, and the list could go on.

Selection of Businesses

To learn more about how companies had responded to Musk and X, I prompted Google’s Gemini AI to generate a list of retailers and brands with X accounts. It came up with 180 companies, but in many cases, it had wrong information or repeated a business — it included Warby Parker three times.

After removing the errors, duplications, and businesses with fewer than 1,000 X followers, I had a pseudo-random list of 100 brands and retailers.

Last weekend I manually recorded each company’s X follower count (some on July 20 and others on July 22), the date it last posted, and the number of times it had posted so far in July.

  • The 100 companies had a combined total of 130,134,761 followers.
  • Fifty of the businesses had posted at least once in July 2024.
  • Those 50 had published a combined 845 posts, with PlayStation accounting for 103.
  • Just 24 companies had posted 10 or more times during the month — many social media marketers recommend six to 10 posts per day.

A few retail brands stood out.

Chanel

Chanel had the third-largest X following of the 100 retail brands, with 13.2 million. The company was one of the many brands that left Twitter in 2022, seemingly to spite Musk.

Screenshot of Chanel's cover image on X

Chanel left the X (then Twitter) platform in late 2022.

While that seemed like an awful lot of folks to ignore, it is not much compared to Chanel’s social media prowess.

Chanel’s U.S. website links to four social media platforms — Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn — which collectively have more than 85 million followers.

The Home Depot

The Home Depot ran a “Halloween in July” campaign on X. Its 24 posts garnered more than 754,000 impressions, 4,800 likes, and 1,300 comments from its 438,000 followers.

If each of these X impressions is worth $.0.01 (one cent), The Home Depot’s impressions represented just $7,540 in value. Depending on how much the company spent developing and publishing the content, the organic campaign may have been worth it.

Magic Spoon

This high-protein cereal brand last posted on X in May 2024 and seemed to ignore the platform despite relatively good engagement.

Photo and a younger man and older man eating breakfast

Many of Magic Spoon’s posts experienced good engagement given the size of the company’s X following.

Magic Spoon only had 3,315 X followers but earned more than 8,200 impressions on its last five X posts — 1,640 impressions on average. So nearly half of the company’s follower count sees each post. If The Home Depot could get a similar result, it would have generated 1.1 million impressions instead of 754,000.

Magic Spoon’s X account was even more engaged — i.e., impressions per post — than its much larger Instagram profile.

As of July 22, 204, Magic Spoon had 407,000 Instagram followers. The company’s last five reels had generated 38,350 views, an average of 7,670 views per reel. So, something like 2% of its follower count sees each Instagram post.

PlayStation

X is a high-frequency social media platform, meaning it works best with frequent posts. By that standard, PlayStation appeared to be the only brand on the list using X well.

Screenshot of PlayStation's X post for the Freegunner game

PlayStation posts often on its X profile with frequent videos.

For example, Musk’s own X profile posted 275 times in the first 20 days of July 2024 — nearly 14 posts per day. Similarly, the UEFA Champions League — a European soccer association with almost 52 million X followers — posted an average of eight times per day in July. Even India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gets it, posting an average of six times per day to his 100 million X followers.

PlayStation, by comparison, published an average of five X posts a day in the first three weeks of July 2024. With more than 38 million X followers, the brand’s five most recent posts generated almost 1.6 million impressions in less than 24 hours.

Nearly all PlayStation’s posts are videos, which may be the platform’s best-performing format.

X by the Numbers

The X platform had 556 million monthly active users in 2023, according to Exploding Topics.

Facebook had 2.9 billion active users. TikTok had slightly more than 1 billion, Pinterest had 445 million, and Meta’s X competitor, Threads, had 175 million monthly active users after a year of existence.

The X platform’s active users are highly engaged. Again, according to Exploding Topics, an active X user spends 34 minutes and 48 seconds per day on the platform. Only YouTube and TikTok have a more engaged user base.

Platform Average Time Spent Per Day
TikTok 45 minutes, 48 seconds
YouTube 45 minutes, 36 seconds
X 34 minutes, 48 seconds
Snapchat 30 minutes, 36 seconds
Facebook 30 minutes, 6 seconds
Instagram 30 minutes, 6 seconds
Reddit 23 minutes, 8 seconds

In many ways, X has potential and could represent a social media marketing opportunity. But if these 100 retail brands are an indication, achieving a return on investment could take work.

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Jul 23 2024
Meta AI Introduces AI-Generated Photos to All Platforms via @sejournal, @martinibuster

Meta just released multiple updates to Meta AI which brings advanced image generation and editing capabilities directly to Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp feeds, plus availability in more countries and languages.

New Meta AI Creative Tools

Meta AI is bringing AI generated and AI Edited photography that can be generated at the moment a user is making a post or sending a message with a new tool called Imagine Me.

Imagine Me is a prompt that can be used to transform an uploaded image that can be shared. This new feature is first rolling out as a beta in the United States.

Meta explains:

“Imagine yourself creates images based on a photo of you and a prompt like ‘Imagine me surfing’ or ‘Imagine me on a beach vacation’ using our new state-of-the-art personalization model. Simply type “Imagine me” in your Meta AI chat to get started, and then you can add a prompt like “Imagine me as royalty” or “Imagine me in a surrealist painting.” From there, you can share the images with friends and family, giving you the perfect response or funny sidebar to entertain your group chat.”

Screenshot of a photograph of a woman that's altered using Meta AI to show her having tea with an ostrich

New Editing Features

Meta products like Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram now have advanced editing capabilities that allow users to add or remove objects from images, to change them in virtually any manner, such as their example of turning a cat in an image into a dog. A new Edit With AI button is forthcoming in a month that will unlock even more AI editing power.

Adding AI generated images to Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp within feed, posts, stories, comments and messages is rolling out this week in English and coming later to other languages.

Screenshot of a Facebook user adding an AI generated image into their post

Meta AI In More Countries And Languages

Meta AI is now available in seven additional countries, bringing the total countries to to 22. It is also available in seven more languages.

List of Seven Additional Countries:

  1. Argentina
  2. Cameroon
  3. Chile
  4. Colombia
  5. Ecuador
  6. Mexico
  7. Peru

Meta AI is now also available in the following seven additional languages:

  1. French
  2. German
  3. Hindi
  4. Hindi-Romanized Script
  5. Italian
  6. Portuguese
  7. Spanish

Advanced Math And Coding

Meta AI is making their most advanced model, Llama 405B, available for users to take advantage of its advanced reasoning abilities that can answer complex answers and excells at math and coding.

Meta AI writes:

“You can get help on your math homework with step-by-step explanations and feedback, write code faster with debugging support and optimization suggestions, and master complex technical and scientific concepts with expert instruction.”

Read the official announcement:

Meta AI Is Now Multilingual, More Creative and Smarter

Featured Image by Shutterstock/QubixStudio

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Jul 13 2024
Ugly Ads Perform Best, Marketer Says

Barry Hott is a longtime Facebook advertising consultant. He says first reactions to an ad largely determine its performance. He advises merchants to create ugly ads, those that people won’t skip over.

“I’m the Ugly Ads Guy,” he told me.

In our recent conversation, Hott addressed key Facebook ad metrics, budgeting, testing, and, yes, ugly creative. The entire audio of that discussion is embedded below. The transcript is edited for clarity and length.

Eric Brandholz: Who are you?

Barry Hott: I’m a part owner of a performance marketing agency called Adcrate, where we do high-performance ad creative. I also do a lot of consulting through Hott Growth, my own firm. I am a longtime Facebook ad nerd. You might know me as the “Make Ugly Ads” guy.

Brandholz: What can change the performance of an ad?

Hott: I don’t care about cost-per-impression or click-through-rate benchmarks. I’m looking at targeting. Are you allowing the system to target existing customers or recent visitors? Depending on the answer, I’ll look at your data differently.

From a systematic media buying standpoint, it’s about empathizing with the AI, with the machine learning algorithm — understanding how and why it operates in the way it does, how and why it’s incentivized, and how and why it can cheat. The system wants you to spend more money, and it wants to take more credit for more sales.

You can also use third-party attribution tools to help with that. Most people should use one for an extended period to understand how performance tracks outside the platforms.

Brandholz: What’s your take on bid caps on Facebook?

Hott: I have a problem with bid caps on everything and rigid cost caps. That’s not to say I don’t use them. They’re tools to be used in certain ways.

Say an ad is not getting a great cost per purchase, but the system knows it to be getting an overall sales lift. If you set your bid too low or set a cost cap too low, then I fear that the individual ad, if placed in an ad set that has too low of a bid, will never get the chance to spend in a way that it can support the entire ad ecosystem.

I like to have a controlled testing environment where every new concept gets an ad set for organizational purposes and just for letting things battle it out.

Brandholz: What metrics are you looking to hit?

Hott: The first thing to do is look at the best ads in the same environment — targeting, attribution, and settings. Everything stays the same. I need to know my best ads can spend this much and get this cost per purchase. And anything in that range is helpful to me. Anything above that, cost-wise, is useless to me significantly. Below that is killer.

I’ll typically have a testing environment excluding all existing customers and some visitors. That could be one-day visitors up to 30 days. It depends on the account and the business. I want to test ads for cold audiences. As an advertiser and media buyer, I aim to make ads that make sense and work for the broadest, coldest audiences. Many people would say that’s stupid, but if it can work well for those people, it will also work well for my warmer audiences.

Brandholz: How much money do you spend until you give up?

Hott: It’s about getting enough useful data. And that depends on what you’re selling — a $100 item or $1,000. Depending on budgets and your return on ad spend, you’re going to have different tolerances. It’s all going to vary. I’m usually looking for about 20 decent signals at the ad set level — hopefully that’s 20 actual purchases. By that point, I’ll know.

I’ll look at an ad that gets shut down quickly by bids for not spending and hypothesize about it. Why did the ad fail? Can I adjust it? I’d rather spend more time obtaining more data to see if there’s another pocket or placement elsewhere. It’s going to lose money, and I’m okay with that. But I will spend the time analyzing it and learning from it from a creative perspective.

However, if you don’t have time to do that sort of analysis, use rigid bids and cost caps.

Brandholz: What sort of creative produces good results?

Hott: Again, I am the Make Ugly Ads guy. I tell people to focus on making stuff uglier because our brains, as marketers, make prettier stuff. What matters are relatability, relevance, and authenticity. You can do that in a non-ugly way. I wouldn’t recommend it. But you can.

That first reaction is often what matters more than anything. Make something immediately relatable that people will care about. Make something people won’t skip. What will make someone feel uncomfortable?

Brandholz: Where can people follow you?

Hott: Go to Adcrate.co or HottGrowth.com. I’m on X (@binghott) and LinkedIn.

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Jul 11 2024
Reddit Subreddits To Google Search: Maximizing Your Brand’s Impact [Webinar Recap] via @sejournal, @brentcsutoras

Recently, I had the pleasure of hosting a webinar discussing Reddit, its growth, and how it impacts search results.

It’s been quite a while since I covered Reddit as a topic, but I could talk about it all day, and I think it has and is one of the most influential communities around today.

If you missed the presentation and would like to watch it, you can find it on demand here: From Subreddits to Search: Maximizing Your Brand’s Impact on Reddit.

Let’s dive into the key points we covered during the session.

The Current State Of Reddit

Reddit has seen explosive growth recently. Here are some stats that highlight this surge:

Reddit’s growth rate of 37% year-over-year is phenomenal, and it’s now 50% non-US, marking its impressive international expansion.

Why Reddit Has Become So Influential

Reddit is successful because it addresses a significant problem: the oversaturation of low-quality content on the internet.

Traditional search experiences are becoming less effective, and users seek more reliable, conversational answers.

Reddit fills this gap by providing authentic, user-generated content that is trusted by so many searchers today that they actually add [reddit] to the end of their search queries to force Reddit results.

Google has recognized this and has incorporated Reddit into its search results more prominently after the 2022 helpful content update.

Deals with Google and OpenAI underscore Reddit’s value, with Google signing a $60 million deal for real-time content access and training future AI models using Reddit data.

Tips For Having Success On Reddit

1. Understand The Platform

Reddit isn’t just another social media site; it’s a content-sharing platform.

This fundamental distinction is crucial for understanding how to navigate and succeed on Reddit. Unlike traditional social media platforms, Reddit is designed around user-generated subreddits –communities where content is shared and discussed.

Each subreddit is unique, with its own tone, culture, and rules. Think of subreddits as completely separate communities rather than categories of the same community.

The individuality of each subreddit means you must tailor your approach to fit the specific norms and expectations of each community.

On Reddit, the focus is on topics, not individuals. Influencer marketing, as it exists on other platforms, doesn’t translate well here.

While notable figures like Bill Gates participate, it’s their contributions and the topics they discuss that matter, not their personal brand. This topic-centric approach sets Reddit apart from other social media sites.

Anonymity is a core feature of Reddit, encouraging users to speak freely and honestly.

This anonymity fosters open discussion, as seen in subreddits like “/r/AmItheAsshole,” where users seek unbiased opinions on personal situations. Understanding and valuing this anonymity is key to engaging authentically with the Reddit community.

It’s important to distinguish between moderators and admins on Reddit. Moderators are regular users who manage subreddits, while admins are Reddit employees.

Confusing the two can lead to frustration, as moderators don’t have the same powers or responsibilities as admins. Recognize this distinction to better navigate issues and interactions within the platform.

Understanding these fundamental aspects of Reddit is critical for making a strong first impression and achieving success on the platform.

Mistakes can quickly derail your efforts, but with the right approach, Reddit offers a unique and valuable space for content sharing and community engagement.

2. Avoid Spamming

Spamming on Reddit can take many forms, and it’s essential to avoid behaviors that may be perceived as spammy.

Understanding and respecting the community guidelines is crucial for maintaining a positive presence on the platform.

Spam can be defined differently by each subreddit, but common behaviors include:

  • Posting off-topic content.
  • Submitting too frequently, even with good content.
  • Sharing the same content across multiple subreddits.
  • Trying to bypass subreddit rules (such as using redirects to post prohibited links).
  • Posting without engaging in comments.
  • Engaging in excessive self-promotion.

Each subreddit often lists its specific rules and definitions of spam in the sidebar, so make sure to read and follow them.

Additionally, Reddit continuously enhances its spam prevention measures, making it harder to game the system. Key improvements include:

  • AutoMod: Automated moderation scripts that filter submissions based on various parameters like account age and karma.
  • Contributor Quality Tiers: Assessing users based on their overall activity and legitimacy.
  • Ban Evasion Filters: Using AI to detect and prevent users from creating new accounts to bypass bans.

These evolving measures ensure a better community experience by reducing spam and encouraging genuine engagement.

Avoid attempting to game the system, as these improvements make it increasingly difficult – and ultimately, it just doesn’t lead to success.

3. Become A Redditor And Build Karma

Engage authentically by commenting and participating in discussions before starting your own posts. Build karma and learn what works within different communities.

To establish a presence on Reddit, it’s essential to start by becoming an active member of the community. Engage in subreddits that align with your passions, whether it’s growing peppers or discussing “Rick and Morty.”

This involvement helps you understand Reddit’s unique features, language, and community norms. By participating in discussions, you can start building karma – a reputation score based on upvotes and downvotes.

While karma is a simplified measure of your acceptance on Reddit, it’s vital for unlocking certain privileges and ensuring your posts aren’t hidden by automated moderation.

Focus on subreddits with low restrictions to accumulate karma easily. For instance, posting cute pictures in a cat subreddit or offering advice in a subreddit dedicated to questions can help you earn upvotes and interaction.

However, it’s crucial to approach this naturally and avoid trying to game the system, as patterns of inauthentic engagement can lead to bans and negative karma.

Before diving into posting your own content, prioritize commenting on existing posts.

Commenting helps you blend into the community and learn what types of content generate engagement. By focusing on “rising” posts – threads likely to gain significant visibility – you can maximize your exposure and karma.

This strategic approach allows your comments to receive more attention as the post gains popularity.

Starting with comments also offers insights into the community’s interests and opinions, helping you tailor future submissions to better resonate with the audience.

Submitting content places you directly under scrutiny, whereas commenting allows you to learn and experiment while becoming a Redditor.

Take the time to craft thoughtful, well-considered comments, as Reddit users value effort and sincerity.

Even as a brand, adopt a personable tone. Engaging authentically can shift perceptions positively, as seen in successful campaigns like the one we did for TikTok.

By focusing on building karma through comments first and understanding the community dynamics, you set a strong foundation for successful content submissions in the future.

4. Choose Your Subreddits Carefully

When you’re ready to submit content on Reddit, the first step is to identify the subreddits that align with your interests and goals.

Use Reddit’s search functionality to explore relevant subreddits. You can search specific domains by using “site:searchenginejournal.com” to see where your content or similar content is being discussed.

This helps you understand which subreddits have positive engagement with your topics. Additionally, you can research your competitors to see where they are active and successful.

Look for subreddits that address user journeys and questions related to your content, ensuring they match the topics you want to discuss.

Once you’ve identified potential subreddits, evaluate their activity levels. Check both the number of members and the current active users to ensure the subreddit is lively and engaged.

A large member count doesn’t always mean high engagement, so prioritize active subreddits over those with inflated, inactive memberships.

Review each subreddit’s rules meticulously. If the rules don’t align with your content goals – such as restrictions on link submissions – find a more suitable subreddit. Attempting to bypass rules will only harm your efforts.

Observe the subreddit moderators to understand their tone and interaction style. Knowing how moderators behave and what content they support can provide valuable insights into how your submissions might be received.

Since moderators play a crucial role in approving or removing content, aligning with their preferences increases your chances of success.

Finally, assess the overall tone around your topics within the subreddit. Even if a subreddit focuses on a relevant subject, the community might have varying opinions.

Be mindful of these nuances to ensure your content resonates positively with the audience. By carefully selecting and evaluating subreddits, you can effectively position your content for maximum engagement and success.

5. Create Your Own Subreddit

For brands, having a dedicated subreddit can be highly beneficial. It allows you to control the tone and foster in-depth discussions that not only solve your customers’ needs but also enhance your search and AI visibility.

Selecting knowledgeable moderators is crucial. They should understand Reddit culture and handle interactions professionally. Avoid arguing with users or getting defensive, which only incites negative responses.

Establish clear rules and use automated moderation tools to manage your subreddit effectively, ensuring a positive experience even when you’re not online.

Embrace critical comments and engage thoughtfully rather than deleting negative posts or banning users. The community respects genuine engagement and can differentiate between legitimate criticism and trolling.

By responding as a relatable, empathetic person, you can turn potential conflicts into opportunities for positive interaction.

Always approach interactions as if you’re the Redditor who convinced your company to join Reddit, focusing on authentic, helpful communication. This personal touch can significantly enhance your brand’s reputation on the platform.

6. Post The Right Content That Adds Value

Once you found the right subreddit and know where you want to submit content, focus on providing value to the community.

Research thoroughly to understand what topics resonate and where you can contribute your expertise. This will ensure positive engagement and brand interaction.

Support existing discussions by offering solutions or insights, enhancing the conversation with your brand’s unique perspective. Reviewing top content from the past year in your chosen subreddit can help you identify successful topics and understand the community’s interests.

Pay attention to standout users and comments to gauge what works and anticipate reactions.

Engage with moderators by studying their submissions and preferences. Building a rapport with them can significantly influence your content’s success, as they play a crucial role in approving and promoting submissions.

Always consider the needs of the subreddit members. While you have the freedom to post as you like, focusing on what the community wants will lead to greater success.

Again,  avoid the temptation to spam or overpromote your content. Focus on what will really provide value to the community.

Finally, keep in mind the broader impact on search and AI. Reddit’s influence on search engine results is significant, and the platform’s content is increasingly used to train AI models.

Choose content that enhances your brand’s visibility and reputation, ensuring it aligns with how you want your brand and products to be perceived. This strategic approach will maximize your reach and effectiveness on Reddit.

7. Post At The Right Time

Timing is crucial for gaining initial engagement on Reddit. Content typically thrives for about 24 hours, although exceptionally popular content can remain visible longer. The general trend is a rapid decline after the initial 24-hour period, and the initial votes are the most critical for boosting visibility.

Avoid the temptation to game the system by creating multiple accounts to upvote your own content, as this can lead to bans and diminish your credibility. Instead, focus on organic engagement to achieve those vital first votes.

To maximize your reach, consider using tools to analyze the best times for posting in your specific subreddit. Generally, posting between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Eastern Time is effective, as it captures a full day of high activity, including both domestic and international users.

8. Stay Engaged After You Submit

After submitting a post on Reddit, it’s crucial to stay engaged. Monitor your post closely for the full 24 hours it’s live.

Engage with comments by voting and responding thoughtfully. Upvote genuine comments and downvote trolls or low-quality contributions to manage comment visibility effectively.

Engage with commenters without being defensive, but don’t feel obligated to respond to every single comment.

Approach interactions naturally, applying common social standards. The goal is to foster a positive, constructive discussion, enhancing your presence on Reddit.

Reddit Is An Invaluable Platform If You Invest The Time And Effort

Reddit is one of the hardest communities to break into. It takes a lot of dedication and sometimes years of experience, but Reddit’s community-driven approach and authentic content make it an invaluable platform for marketers willing to invest the time and effort.

Whether it’s engaging in existing subreddits, creating your own, or running ads, Reddit offers unique opportunities for meaningful connections and impactful marketing.

Thank you to everyone who joined the webinar. It was definitely fun talking about Reddit again. If you have any questions or need help with your brand’s impact on Reddit, feel free to reach out.

A Little Something About Me You Might Not Know…

Brent Csutoras - 2007

I’ve been an avid Redditor since 2006. My journey with social media started in San Francisco, where I got involved with companies like Digg, Reddit, and StumbleUpon right as they were taking off.

One of my favorite memories is emailing Alexis Ohanian, Reddit’s co-founder, to tell him how much I loved the site. He responded, we chatted, and before I knew it, we were hanging out.

From tacos to SEO chats, we bonded over our shared passion for Reddit. Fun fact: My son is the first baby Redditor, thanks to Alexis.

More resources: 

Featured Image: Damir Khabirov/Shutterstock

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Jul 5 2024
Consumer Usage Of Social Media Platforms Is Shifting (Again) via @sejournal, @gregjarboe

According to a new Consumer Pulse survey from Sprout Social, usage of social media platforms is shifting again – in ways that will significantly impact brands.

According to the new data, Instagram (65%) has just passed Facebook (64%) as the No. 1 platform among the 2,059 consumers surveyed.

It’s worth noting that the participants of this survey included 1,009 US consumers and 1,050 UK consumers who have at least one social media account and follow at least five brands on social media.

So, this isn’t a global sample. And since the US population (335 million) is almost five times larger than the UK population (68 million), the survey isn’t a representative sample of either country. Plus, focusing on consumers who follow at least five brands on social media skews the results, too.

Nevertheless, when it’s broken down by age group, there are significant differences in usage that marketers will want to analyze and consider using in their social media campaigns.

For example, 519 participants were classified as Gen Z (18-24), 757 were Millennials (25-40), 502 respondents were Gen X (41-56 years old), and 281 were Baby Boomers (57-75 years old).

The consumer survey was conducted online by Cint on behalf of Sprout Social from May 17-27, 2024.

Usage Of Social Media Platforms By Age Group

Segmenting by age shows:

  • Gen Z uses Instagram most frequently, followed by TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook.
  • Millennials use Instagram most frequently, followed by Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
  • Gen X uses Facebook most frequently, followed by Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
  • Baby Boomers use Facebook most frequently, followed by YouTube, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter).

It’s also worth noting that 45% of the consumers surveyed have taken a “social media detox” in the past six months, and 51% plan to in the next six months.

So, it appears that a significant percentage of the “consumers” who follow at least five brands on social media need to take temporary breaks from “consuming” for a variety of reasons, including mental health, feeling overwhelmed, or wanting to reflect on their social media usage.

The Sprout Social Q2 2024 Consumer Pulse survey also found:

  • Gen Z has been most engaged with Instagram Reels (83%), Instagram Stories (81%), and TikTok posts (78%) over the last six months. Despite TikTok’s uncertain future in the US, this segment says it will be most engaged with TikTok posts (75.5%), Instagram Reels (74%), and Instagram Stories (74%) over the next six months.
  • Millennials have been most engaged with Instagram Reels (77%), Instagram Stories (77%), and TikTok posts (68%) in the last six months. This segment says they’ll be most engaged with Instagram Stories (75%), Instagram Stories (73%), and TikTok posts (66%) over the next six months.
  • Gen X has been most engaged with Facebook videos (67%), Instagram Reels (59%), and Instagram Stories (59%) over the last six months. This segment says it will be most engaged with Facebook videos (59%), Instagram Stories (60%), and Instagram Reels (59%) over the next six months.
  • Baby Boomers have been most engaged with Facebook videos (61%), Facebook Live (41%), Instagram Reels (41%, and Instagram Stories (41%) over the last six months. This segment says they’ll be most engaged with Facebook video (67%), Facebook Live (47%), Instagram Reels (46%), and Instagram Stories (42%) over the next six months.

With YouTube Shorts now averaging over 70 billion daily views, it may seem odd that this video format didn’t appear in the survey findings above.

But, as we reported, the platform’s recommendation algorithm shows videos that align with that specific user’s watching history and preferences.

In contrast, Sprout Social defines engagement as any interaction between a brand and its target audience on social media. This includes actions that show how actively involved an audience is with a brand’s content, such as clicking on links, sharing content, or commenting.

So, the skew in the sample combined with different key performance indicators (KPIs) explains this apparent discrepancy.

The Formats Of Brand Content That Consumers Find Most Entertaining

According to the Sprout Social Q2 2024 Consumer Pulse survey, they are:

  • “Edutainment,” which educates consumers about a product or service in a fun way (65.5%).
  • Posts using memes (40%).
  • Serialized content (38%).
  • One-off video skits (38%).
  • Interactive content like polls and stickers (34%).

And despite what marketers may have heard about the popularity of “lo-fi content” that’s intentionally rough, unpolished, and authentic, the survey found that most consumers say that production value does impact whether they engage with a brand’s content.

Many consumers surveyed agree that artificial intelligence (AI) is contributing to the already incredible saturation of content on social media and will exacerbate the challenges of misinformation going forward.

AI-Generated Content Should Be Disclosed

In addition, most consumers surveyed agree that AI-generated social content needs to be disclosed – but they’re somewhat split on who bears the responsibility for doing that.

Despite previous data showing that AI-generated content can be eye-catching or entertaining, the new data finds that it may negatively impact consumer buying decisions.

Consumers are closely split on believing brands (33%) or social networks (29%) are responsible for disclosing when AI generates social content. Only 6% think AI-generated content doesn’t have to be disclosed.

And 46% of consumers are less likely to buy from a brand that posts AI-generated content on social, while 31% are neither more nor less likely.

Plus, the new survey of 2,059 consumers in the US and UK found:

  • 83% of consumer agree that AI-generated content will make their social feeds more saturated than they already are.
  • 80% agree that AI-generated content will add to misinformation on social media.

Consumers Most Likely To Unfollow Brands

Finally, the Sprout Social Q2 2024 Consumer Pulse survey found that 43% of consumers are most likely to unfollow brands for having an unoriginal content strategy (i.e., their content has become repetitive or unoriginal).

And 42% of consumers are most likely to unfollow brands for collaborating with the “wrong” influencer (i.e., “they partner with influencers that don’t align with my values”).

While posting frequency isn’t a significant deal-breaker, it’s worth noting that younger consumers are more likely to unfollow influencers for posting too little (17% Gen Z vs. 10.5% all consumers). In comparison, older consumers are more put off by posting too much (24% Baby Boomers, 21% Gen X, 16% Millennials, and 14% Gen Z).

This trend holds true for unfollowing brands as well.

The Alternatives To Using Demographics For Targeting

Many marketers believe that a person’s age tells us where they fall in the life span and indicates what social roles and responsibilities they may have. Which generation they belong to may also tell us what events in history influenced their social thinking.

However, marketers should also read “How Pew Research Center will report on generations moving forward.”

It notes:

“A typical generation spans 15 to 18 years. As many critics of generational research point out, there is great diversity of thought, experience, and behavior within generations.”

What are the alternatives to using demographic groups for targeting?

Well, that’s a good topic for another column on another day. But let’s just say that there are more options than you can shake a stick at.

Disclaimer: All statistics above are from a gated Sprout Social report, unless otherwise indicated by a link.

More resources: 

Featured Image: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock

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Jul 5 2024
42 Facebook Statistics & Facts For 2024 via @sejournal, @annabellenyst

Don’t believe what you may have heard; Facebook is still a dominant social media force in 2024.

With over 3 billion active users, it remains a key player for businesses, marketers, and social media enthusiasts.

And despite the rise of newer, shinier platforms, Facebook’s expansive reach and diverse user base are still unrivaled, making it a powerful channel for both personal and business engagement.

In this article, we’ll highlight the latest Facebook statistics and facts, providing a comprehensive overview of its reach, user behavior, and influence.

Facebook Overview

1. Facebook is the world’s most-used social platform in 2024, with over 3 billion global active users.

2. It is the third most-used app globally among mobile users, trailing only WhatsApp and YouTube.

3. Facebook ranks third in terms of time spent (behind TikTok and YouTube), with users spending an average of 19 hours and 47 minutes on Android app per month.

4. 64.1% of Facebook Android users open the app every day.

5. Facebook is the third most visited website in the US, with an estimated 2.90 billion monthly visits in April 2024.

6. Of its monthly US visitors, roughly 50.07% are mobile users, and 49.93% are using a desktop.

7. Globally, users spend an average of 3 minutes and 42 seconds on Facebook per app session.

8. Facebook is the second most searched query globally, with a search volume of 584.9 million.

9. Facebook is the fourth most downloaded social networking app in the US, behind Threads, WhatsApp, and Telegram.

(Source) (Source) (Source) (Source) (Source) (Source) (Source)

Facebook Company Background

10. Facebook was founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes.

11. The platform was originally launched as ‘TheFacebook’ on February 4, 2004. In August of 2005, it rebranded to Facebook.

12. Mark Zuckerberg is the current CEO of Facebook.

13. Facebook is headquartered in Menlo Park, California.

14. Facebook has 69,329 employees in 2024, a decrease of 10% year-over-year.

(Source) (Source) (Source)

Facebook Financial Performance

15. As of May 2024, Meta, Facebook’s parent company, has a market cap of $562.19 billion.

16. Meta generated $36.46 billion in revenue in Q1 2024, reflecting a 27% increase year-over-year.

17.  The company reported a net income of $12.37 billion in Q1 2024 – a significant 117% uptick from Q1 of 2023.

(Source) (Source)

Facebook User Statistics

18. Facebook had an average of 2.11 billion daily active users (DAUs) in 2023.

19. Facebook has approximately 3.07 billion monthly active users (MAUs).

20. That figure represents 37.7% of the total population and 57% of total internet users.

21. Facebook saw a 3.4% increase in MAUs between April 2023 and April 2024.

22. More than two-thirds of the world’s total internet users visit Facebook monthly.

23. English is the most represented language among Facebook users (53.8%), followed by Spanish (14.9%) and Hindi (8.5%).

24. Approximately seven in 10 US adults report ever using Facebook, second only to YouTube (83%).

25. A third of US teens aged 13-17 use Facebook, a decrease from 71% in 2014-2015.

26. More than 56.8% of Facebook users are male in 2024.

(Source) (Source) (Source) (Source) (Source)

Facebook Statistics By Location

27. 1.37 billion of Facebook’s MAUs are based in the Asia Pacific, making it the largest segment of the app’s users.

28. Europe and the US & Canada make up the next largest user groups.

29. Facebook’s global audience size, April 2023:

Country Active Facebook Users
India 369.9 million
US 186.4 million
Indonesia 135.1 million
Brazil 114.2 million
Mexico 93.3 million
The Philippines 91.9 million
Vietnam 75.6 million
Bangladesh 54.2 million
Thailand 51.6 million
Egypt 47.0 million

(Source) (Source)

Facebook Advertising

30. Advertisers can reach 2.24 billion users on Facebook in 2024, representing 41.3% of all internet users and 27.7% of the total population.

31. Among active Facebook users, 53.8% say they use the platform to follow or research brands and products. This ranks the platform second behind Instagram (62.7%) and ahead of TikTok (47.4%).

32. Male users aged 25-34 years old make up the largest portion of Facebook’s advertising audience (18.4%), followed by those aged 18-24 years old (13.5%).

33. Ad impressions on Meta’s Family of Apps (FoA), which includes Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, increased by 28% YoY in 2023.

(Source) (Source) (Source)

Facebook User Activities And Engagement

34. Active users use the app to message friends and family, with 72.6% doing so regularly.

35. Posting or sharing photos or videos is a common activity for 63.2% of Facebook users.

36. Almost 60% of users leverage Facebook to keep up to date with news and current events.

37. Facebook is the go-to platform for news for three in 10 Americans, making it the most popular social platform for this purpose.

(Source) (Source)

Facebook Content And Engagement

38. Link posts account for 44.5% of Facebook posts.

39. Photo posts follow at 33.4%.

40. Video posts make up 18.9% of content.

41. Photo posts receive an average engagement rate of 0.35%, followed by video posts at 0.23%, and album posts at 0.22%.

(Source)

Most Followed Facebook Pages

42. The top 10 most followed Facebook pages are:

Brand Followers*
1 Facebook App 188 million
2 Cristiano Ronaldo 168 million
3 Samsung 161 million
4 Mr. Bean 140 million
5 5-Minute Crafts 126 million
6 Shakira 124 million
7 Real Madrid C.F. 121 million
7 CGTN 121 million
9 Will Smith 116 million
9 Lionel Messi 116 million

*Facebook followers as of January 2024

(Source)

In Summary

Say what you will about Facebook, but its enduring relevance is undeniable.

With extensive reach, a broad user base, and significant advertising potential, Facebook will remain a cornerstone of any social media strategy in 2024.

By understanding these trends and user behaviors – and leveraging many of the insights covered above – you can maximize the potential of Facebook to drive engagement, awareness, and impact.

More resources: 

Featured Image: Kaspars Grinvalds/Shutterstock

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seo enhancements
Jul 2 2024
Should your business start using Threads?

Social media can be a great tool for your business and your SEO, because it can help drive traffic to your website. That’s why it’s good to keep an eye on new social media platforms, like Threads. So, is it worth it to invest your time in Threads? Or should you focus your efforts on other social media platforms?

Before we dive into Threads specifically, it’s good to refresh our memories. So, why is it good for your business to be on social media? Multiple reasons. First, because it helps your off-page SEO, which means it generates traffic to your site.

Second, a lot of people use social media as a search engine nowadays, so being active on multiple platforms can boost your brand’s visibility big time. And finally, it can only enhance your trustworthiness, because your audience will see that there are actual people behind the brand. 

What is Threads?

Created by Instagram, Threads is a text-based conversation app. Think of it as Twitter’s sibling. It’s a platform where people are encouraged to be authentic and write whatever they’re thinking. 

When Threads was first launched, it became the fastest platform to ever reach 100 million users. Which happened in just five days! However, after a month, Threads quickly lost 80% of its users. So is it not worth the trouble anymore? Not exactly. It still boasts a few million users, and for a new social media platform, that’s not a bad start.

Should you create a Threads account?

Depends! As always, you should look at where your audience is. However, sometimes it can pay off to venture into uncharted territories. And maybe the leap to a new platform isn’t even that big. If your posts always perform well on X (formerly Twitter), then they might actually do well on Threads too—seeing as it’s a similar platform.

Okay, let’s talk about why it might actually be a good idea to create that Threads account.

1. Rapid user growth

As we already mentioned, Threads has quickly gained a large and active user base. This means it has the potential to become even bigger, especially if X (formerly Twitter) keeps making not-so-popular choices. 

2. Integration with IG

Since Threads is already connected to Instagram, it allows a seamless integration between the two. This means you can easily share content between the two platforms. Plus, it allows you to use your existing follower base from Instagram. You won’t have to start from zero! 

3. Authentic platform with real-time conversation

A huge trend at the moment is authenticity. It’s part of the reason why TikTok has grown so popular, because people are looking for authentic content. They want to see the people behind a brand or business. Since Threads is designed for real-time interactions, this makes it the perfect place for you to build a connection with your audience.

4. Stay relevant

Last but not least, you might want to consider creating a Threads account to stay relevant. If your audience is on Threads, you should be too. This will allow you to stay visible and in the loop, because you know just what your audience is talking about—which you can then use to your advantage!

The future of Threads

It’s tricky to predict what will happen to Threads. How long will it be around? Will it grow more popular or less? Seeing as more people are leaving X (formerly Twitter) and moving to Threads, there’s a  big chance that Threads will stick around. 

Especially since it’s expected that Threads will introduce more features, such as advanced analytics, ecommerce integration, and an in-app camera function. According to PR Daily, Threads is also testing a draft post option, and exploring automatic archiving of posts, which are all positive signs that Threads is here to say.

Don’t be afraid to experiment on social media

Social media is all about experimentation. Whether it’s trying out funny content or short-form videos, or trying out new social media platforms. Because if you don’t experiment, how will you know what your audience will engage with? 

Plus, as we said before, it’s also great for your off-page SEO. If your social media content gets shared by others, you’ll be getting more brand mentions and recognition. You might even get more backlinks! So if you have the time, why not give Threads a go?

Sabrina Joest

Sabrina is the Social Media Specialist at Yoast. She’s responsible for creating and curating engaging content to enhance Yoasts’ brand presence across various social platforms.

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Jun 28 2024
44 Pinterest Statistics And Facts For 2024 via @sejournal, @annabellenyst

While it may not have the reach or revenue of big-hitters like Facebook and Instagram, Pinterest is absolutely a social platform worth exploring.

With its focus on visual discovery and inspiration, Pinterest occupies its own niche space in the social media landscape, which offers unique opportunities for marketers and brands.

Pinterest’s users are active, devoted, and take action – a powerful combination that not all social networks, even the biggest, can boast.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the latest facts and statistics highlighting Pinterest’s reach, user behavior, advertising potential, and more in 2024.

Let’s get started.

Pinterest Overview

1. Pinterest is the world’s 15th most-used social platform in 2024, with over 518 million global active users.

2. Global users spend an average of 1 hour and 45 minutes on Pinterest’s Android app per month.

3. Approximately 27.3% of Pinterest Android users open the app every day.

4. The same users open the Pinterest app approximately 48 times per month.

5. Pinterest is the seventh most visited social network in the US, with an estimated 266 million monthly visits in April 2024.

6. Of its monthly US visitors, roughly 62.5% are desktop users.

7. US users spend an average of 11 minutes and 25 seconds on Pinterest per visit.

8. Pinterest is the 28th most searched query globally, with a search volume of 72,120,000.

9. Compared to other traditional social media platforms, Gen Z rates Pinterest more highly for promoting and preserving well-being metrics such as “self-worth, belonging, and purpose.”

(Source) (Source) (Source) (Source) (Source)

Pinterest Company Background

10. Pinterest was founded in March 2010 by Ben Silbermann, Evan Sharp, and Paul Sciarra. It evolved from an earlier app called Tote, which was designed as a virtual substitute for paper catalogs.

11. The current CEO of Pinterest is Bill Ready.

12. Pinterest is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

13. The company has approximately 1,001 to 5,000 employees.

(Source) (Source) (Source)

Pinterest Financial Performance

14. As of May 2024, Pinterest has a market cap of more than $28 billion.

15. Pinterest generated $740 million in revenue in Q1 of 2024, reflecting a 23% increase year-over-year.

16. In 2023, Pinterest generated more than $3 billion in revenue.

(Source) (Source)

Pinterest User Statistics

17. Pinterest has 518 million monthly active users (MAUs) in 2024, an increase of 12% year-over-year. This puts Pinterest well into the coveted “half a billion users” club.

18. More than 40% of Pinterest users are Gen Z, and this demographic saves more content than any other.

19. Pinterest has 98 million MAUs in the US and Canada alone.

20. In Europe, the platform has 140 million MAUs.

21. The remaining 279 million MAUs are dispersed around the world.

22. Pinterest’s audience is skewed towards women, who make up 79.5% of its user base.

23. In the US, 35% of adults use Pinterest.

24. Women are significantly more likely to use Pinterest than men in the US, with usage rates of 50% compared to 19%.

25. People aged 25-34 years old make up the bulk of Pinterest’s users, with 81.9 million in 2023 (accounting for 30.9% of the company’s total ad audience).

(Source) (Source) (Source) (Source) (Source)

Pinterest Statistics By Location

26. The United States is the most prominent global audience for Pinterest, with more than 90.1 million active users.

27. As of April 2023, Pinterest’s global audience size includes:

Country Active Pinterest Users
US 90.1 million
Brazil 34.2 million
Mexico 23.6 million
Germany 16.8 million
France 12.7 million
The UK 10.1 million
Canada 9.7 million
Italy 9.5 million
Spain 8.1 million
Colombia 7.4 million

(Source)

Pinterest Advertising

28. Advertisers can reach 317 million users on Pinterest in 2024.

29. The top reason people use Pinterest is to find new products and brands.

30. About 36.8% of active Pinterest users say they use the platform to follow or research brands and products, making it the most popular activity on the platform (which isn’t true for any other social network).

31. Approximately 7.67% of web traffic to third-party websites arrives via Pinterest links, a 25.9% increase year-over-year.

32. Pinterest’s ad impressions grew by 38% in Q1 of 2024.

33. Ads on Pinterest deliver a cost per conversion that is 2.3 times more efficient than those on other social media platforms.

34. Retail brands experience twice the return on ad spend (ROAS) with Pinterest ads compared to ads on other social media platforms.

35. Female users aged 25-34 years old constitute the biggest cohort of Pinterest’s advertising audience, at 20.3%. Close behind are female users aged 18-24 years old, at 19.8%.

36. About 80% of weekly Pinterest users report feeling inspired by the shopping experience on the platform.

37. Almost all (96%) of Pinterest’s top searches are unbranded, indicating that users are open to discovering new ideas.

38. Pinterest shoppers spend twice as much per month compared to users on other platforms.

(Source) (Source) (Source) (Source) (Source) (Source)

Pinterest Content and Engagement

39. Pinterest users save 1.5 billion Pins every week.

40. About 85% of weekly Pinterest users say the network is their go-to platform when starting a new project.

41. Pinterest is seen as a positive online space by 80% of its users.

42. Pinterest users are actively shopping on the platform; 85% of users have made purchases directly from Pins.

43. About 80% of weekly users have found new brands or products on the platform.

(Source)

Most Followed Pinterest Boards

44. Here are some of the most followed Pinterest boards in 2024:

Board Followers*
1 Joy Cho / Oh Joy! 15.1 million
2 Poppytalk 10.4 million
3 BuzzFeed’s Tasty 10.3 million
4 Etsy 9.77 million
5 Maryann Rizzo 9 million
6 Mamas Uncut 8.5 million
7 Cathie Hong Interiors 7.9 million
8 Jane Wang 7.7 million
9 Erica Chan Coffman 7.2 million
10 Bonnie Tsang 7 million

*Pinterest followers as of May 2024

(Source)

In Summary

Though it serves a slightly more niche audience than some social media platforms, Pinterest has a highly loyal, dedicated audience that regularly uses the platform to shop, discover brands, and garner inspiration for their day-to-day lives.

This is all to say: Pinterest possesses a ton of potential as a marketing tool for brands and marketers who are savvy and can use it to their advantage.

Hopefully, these facts and statistics will help you leverage Pinterest’s platform to benefit your business and 2024.

More resources: 

Featured Image: Kaspars Grinvalds/Shutterstock

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