Are Business’ Photo Posts on Facebook™ Dead?

By Crosshairs Marketing | Facebook

Organic Reach in Facebook™ is a Moving Target

Not too long ago the best way to get your post seen by the largest number of your Facebook™ fan page members and customers was to use photo posts.  If you are not familiar with the difference in regular status updates and photo posts, the only real difference is you upload a photo, then add text to it.  A photo posted to your fan page can also be done without text, just a picture or graphic only.

As always though, things on Facebook™ are constantly changing.  Even Facebook™ Ads are an every changing animal.

 

How much are views to photos decreasing?

According to a study done by Socialbakers, photo posts are getting hit pretty hard.  The study shows photo posts now have the lowest organic reach of any style of post  coming in at 3.73% organic reach.  Facebook™ native videos however have jumped to 8.71% since being introduced in the 3rd Quarter of 2014.  This means less than 4% of your fans will see your photos according to average in the study’s data.

Why did Facebook™ change the amount of views photo posts are getting?

After looking at the numbers, we can see, the simple answer is users love video.

Facebook™ wants to show users posts that they enjoy seeing and engaging with.  If they don’t do this, users will leave the platform.  Engagement includes clicking, liking, commenting and sharing.

They constantly measure this data to determine what users’ Newsfeed should be made up of on an individual user and a platform level.  This is why things are always changing.  The more they learn about the users, the more they can improve the system.

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Privacy On Facebook Versus Google Plus [Infographic]

By Crosshairs Marketing | Facebook , Google +

Online privacy is a hot topic. Which site offers more privacy, Facebook or Google+?   I’ve heard people saying that Circles is the answer but is it really?

Peer One Hosting created this infographic that illustrates how the two sites differ in privacy or lack there of.  Take a look, you might be surprised by the facts.

 

Facebook Email is Here!

By Crosshairs Marketing | Facebook

Facebook Email is Here!

Facebook has begun rolling out it’s new Messages platform. The coolest part about he new Facebook Messages is they will allow you to get your own personalized yourname@facebook.com Facebook Email address. The email address is not required but can be added on if you like.

They are rolling the service out, as I type this, to a select few users. The new system will allow you to receive messages, texts and chats all in the same place. It will also group all conversation with a person together making it more organized.  It also includes the features that traditional email.

If you would like to get to the front of the list, here is the page to sign up for the New Facebook Messages.  Eventually everyone will be converted over, but who wants to be the last to get it.  Not me!

Once you have the new Messages, you will also be give Invitations to your friends to upgrade.

If this is news to you, please leave a comment or click the ‘Like button!’

How To Rapidly Increase Facebook Fan Page Likes

By Crosshairs Marketing | Facebook , local marketing , online marketing

Do you want to increase your Facebook Fans in  a hurry, take a note from Taco Bell.

That’s right, they aren’t just good at making tacos from a “little bit” of beef. 🙂

This is how a Reveal Tab can help you generate more ‘likes’ for on your Facebook fan page too.

• When you visit the Fan Page, you land on this custom page.
• The instructions are very clear!
  • Title of the Tab: FREE Taco
  • Reveal Tab message: Click the ‘like’ button!  So you click Like, then…

• Once fans click the ‘like’ button, the coupon for their FREE taco is revealed.
• Result: It’s a win-win, more likes for Taco Bell’s fan page and very happy customers.

Creating a reveal landing page for your Facebook fan page is an effective way to get more ‘likes’.  When creating a reveal lander, you can include as much or as little information as you want, but keep the following suggestions in mind:

• Make the reveal tab your ‘default landing tab’
• Keep the design simple and use clean graphics
• Include the phrase, “Click the ‘like’ button”
• Offer potential fans something of value for Liking your fan page

Claim your free Taco Bell Taco

Facebook Places and Facebook Deals

By Crosshairs Marketing | Facebook , local marketing , Mobile Marketing

What is a Facebook Place?

There has been a lot of confusion about Facebook Places.  Isn’t a Facebook Place the same as a Facebook Fan Page?  The short answer to this no, they are two different things.  Facebook Places, similar to Google Places, are noted by a physical location.

A Facebook Fan Page is a page which allow your customers and/or fans to connect with the business or organization through a ‘Like’ of the page.  When updated, Facebook will  post your update to your  Fan Page Wall as well as your Fans’ personal Walls.  There has been some speculation that Fan Pages and Place will be merged eventually.

What is the objective of Facebook Places?

The objective of Facebook Places is to let you socially share what you are doing and geo-tag your location.  It also lets friends know if you are nearby or if you will be meeting up with them.  You can also tag your friends in Places which shows on both Facebook Walls as well.

How does my customer use Facebook Places?

Facebookers use their cell phones to check into Places.  Since cell phones have GPS location capabilities, it make perfect sense to use them. The easiest way to use Places is through the Facebook App.  If an app is not available for your phone you  can connect  to Places on touch.facebook.com

If you don’t have it yet, here are the links to the Facebook App for iPhone, BlackBerry, Android,HP webOS or Windows Phone 7

Why is Facebook Place important to my business?

Facebook Places is important to your business for 2 reasons.

The first reason is pretty obvious.  As friends see other customers checking into your Facebook Place (business) you are building social proof and free advertising the same way that word of mouth has done to help businesses for years.

The second reason Facebook Place is important to local businesses is Facebook Deals.  Businesses can offer Deals to potential customers.  Customers simply check into your Place to claim the deal and let friends know about the Deal.  A really great deal can cause a viral effect and customer traffic.

From Facebook:

There are four types of deals you can create.

1. Individual Deal: You can offer this type of deal to both new and existing customers. You may create Individual Deals when you want to launch a new product, get rid of excess inventory, offer seasonal incentives, or simply get more people into your store.
2. Friend Deal: Friend Deals allow you to offer discounts to groups of up to 8 people, when they check in together. Friend Deals are a great way to build even more exposure for your business because more stories are generated when multiple people check-in.
3. Loyalty Deal: To focus on rewarding your most loyal customers, create a Loyalty Deal. These deals may be claimed by customers only after a certain number of check-ins. Depending on your business, the number of check-ins may vary. Please note that you must create a deal that is redeemable after no fewer than two and no more than 20 check-ins.
4. Charity Deal: Create a Charity Deal to make a donation to the charity of your choice. This is a great way for your business to give back to the community while adding a human touch to your business.

How do I set up a Facebook Place or Facebook Fan Page?

We provide a Facebook Places as well as Facebook Fan Page setup.  Please drop us a line if you would like more information.