Facebook marketing weekly review (September 20th)

One of our colleagues in the social media business was told this week that ‘apps are dead’. We disagree – if you have a Facebook marketing strategy and are working towards measurable goals for your Page, apps are a necessary and useful tool. Find out more about some great free apps that can help you to run contests in your newsfeed, get some help deciding what type of content drives engagement on your Page and discover how the recent Facebook changes may affect your business Page. Have a great week and don’t forget to join us for next week’s Pulse!

#1 4 Free Apps to Help Run Timeline Competitions

Author: Emeric Ernoult for Business2Community
Why read this article?
Running competitions on your timeline has just gone ‘main stream’. Here are some cool apps to help you manage the mayhem. Want an app to randomly choose a winner from a like and comment competition? – find one here…

What’s the PULSE on This?

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• Not just a pretty face – If you want your Facebook Page to be effective and drive certain actions, apps are a necessity

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• You can use free versions of many Facebook apps, but the paid versions are not very expensive and will give you a lot more functionality.

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• Timeline contests are a free and simple way to generate some engagement on your Page. Don’t rely on them to do much more than that.

>> Read the full article

#2 Gaming the Newsfeed – An Experiment

Author: Scott Ayres, Post Planner
Why read this article?
Want to know what happened to Scott Ayres’ Newsfeed when he liked over 4,000 Pages? Did it get him more exposure and more business from Facebook?

What’s the PULSE on This?

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• Liking 1000’s of Facebook Pages won’t encourage more people to like or see your content

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• Liking too many Pages screws up your newsfeed – you might be missing out on cool content from the people and Pages you care about most

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• Only “Like” Pages that actually interest you

>> Read the full article

#3 6 Great Tips from a TV & Local News Page?

Author: Rachel Globus, for InsideFacebook.com
Why read this article?
TV & local news Pages on Facebook are constantly pushing to be masters of the double (Or triple!) screen. A social media strategist for San Diego’s ABC10 News shares the tips and tricks she uses to drive success.

What’s the PULSE on This?

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• Create stories that are “likeable, clickable, shareable, talkable” and that get you engagement

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• Know your numbers – understand what your insights are telling you about what your fans like and create more of that content

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• Provide your community with important information that they need

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• Ask simple questions – your fans’ time is precious

>> Read the full article

#4 Contest App Conversion Rates – The Facts

Author: Emeric Ernoult for Jon Loomer Digital

Why read this article?
Facebook marketers and Page managers often worry about Fans having to install an app and grant permissions to enter a competition. The big fear is that it will have a negative effect on conversion rates. Just how does an app install requirement affect conversion rates for Facebook contests?

What’s the PULSE on This?

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• Apps allow you to offer social context, reward fans for inviting friends and minimise cheating

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• Using an app is the only way to install a fan gate option for mobile

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• The average conversion rate of an app is 70% – read the full article for a breakdown

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• No sweepstakes or contests run on the web have a 100% conversion rate

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• A Facebook app install requirement may be a pain to you , but in our experience it’s the best way to go when running a contest

>> Read the full article

#5 How Recent Facebook Changes Affect Your Page

Author: Amy Porterfield, AmyPorterfield.com
Why read this article?
Facebook is constantly updating its platform and it is true to say that several significant changes have been rolled out over the past few weeks. Major changes include new competition rules, and updates to the way content is selected to appear in users’ newsfeeds. How will of these, and other changes, affect your business Page?

What’s the PULSE on This?

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• Be trustworthy to ensure your content is seen. Fans expect brands to be trustworthy

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• Generate high quality content – fans get spammed by memes and low quality content. This will have an negative impact on those Pages when fans start to hide their content in the newsfeed

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• Be genuine and interesting – hold your audience’s attention with content that will add value to your fans

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• Optimize your content for the newsfeed. The majority of fans access your content via their newsfeed – NOT your Page’s timeline!

>> Read the full article

#6 30 Like & Comment Contest Ideas for Your Timeline

Author: Guest Post for Inside Facebook
Why read this article?
Looking for some good ideas on the type of competition you could run on your Facebook timeline? Look no further for inspiration….

What’s the PULSE on This?

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• Keep your Facebook timeline focussed and uncomplicated.

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• Timeline contests are a perfect strategy if you want to get likes and comments on your Facebook Page timeline

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• Big opportunity for brands but some marketers are still struggling – this list is sure to give you some great ideas.

>> Read the full article

#7 How to Use Insights to Drive Better Engagement

Author: Lisa Kalner Williams, SierraTierra.com
Why read this article?
When it comes to determining what to Post on a Page, the best Facebook marketers take the time to ask the all-important questions: What – Where – When – How and Why?
This article has some great tips and some real-life examples of how to use Facebook Insights to answer these questions and drive better engagement for your Page.

What’s the PULSE on This?

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• Focus on the peak times that your fans are online so that your content will reach them in their newsfeed

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• Assess where your fans are located – is there a time difference? Make sure your content is scheduled to support that insight

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• Understand how your fans came to “like” your page and develop your strategy to attract more fans based on that knowledge

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• Examine the engagement stat of each post – you need to understand what posts your fans engage with

>> Read the full article

Did we leave anything out? Why not let us know what you think of this week’s roundup? “Like” us on Facebook and leave your comments and if you would like to know more about your page reach, check out our cool [free] tool