Facebook algorithm changes and more with Mike Gingerich

February 13, 2014

Are you trying to stay up to date with the ever changing Facebook algorithm?

Do you want to find more efficient ways to drive traffic to your Facebook page and increase engagement?

This week on The Social Media Social Hour, Mike Gingerich of TabSite joins me and dives into the latest updates on Facebook algorithms, best practices, and innovative apps to help optimize Facebook for a business page and drive engagement. Mike is a frequent contributor to top social media blogs such as Social Media Examiner, AllFacebook, and more.

I also share with you a tool I use daily to help manage email on mobile.

About the show:

Social Media Social Hour PodcastThe Social Media Social Hour is a podcast for marketers and entrepreneurs looking to get on the social media fast track. The podcast is an interview format, where each week I get up close and personal with top brands and influencers to talk social media, tech and online marketing. Each week I also share tools that I personally use to help me with social media management, sales, marketing, account management, and productivity.

In this episode, here’s what we’ll cover:

  • Tech Tool of the Week: Gmail App for iPhone
  • Mike dives into his view for the future of Facebook, commenting on the fact that it is maturing.
  • He says that when you look back to the demographics and the usage, it is the number one social media network out there.
  • Facebook is still going to stay a power player in the industry.
  • In regards to teenagers, Facebook users can only sign up when they are thirteen which is an indicator as to why the teen usage might be lower.
  • Mike says the 16-18 age range is showing no decline and these users have so many connections already on Facebook that they are not likely to abandon the platform.
  • Facebook is a great connection platform for immediate family and relatives.
  • In looking at the recent Facebook algorithm changes, Mike says they are trying to move away from text status updates.
  • Business pages are encouraged to use more full link posts with a large scale image from the URL itself.
  • The image on the web post needs to be at least 600 pixels wide.
  • Mike thinks these Facebook changes are a natural growth going along with the success that Facebook has had.
  • Brands aren’t just competing with other brands, but friends of individuals, music pages, etc.
  • Facebook needs to have some sort of filter.
  • The ability to target gives business pages the chance to really target users who are interested in the page.
  • Mike says that as Facebook matures, they are asking marketers to mature as well.
  • The Facebook alterations have helped the smart marketer to sharpen their approach.
  • Contests and promotions are an important method to continue to nurture and move somebody from a visitor, to a fan, to a virtual lead.
  • Facebook needs to be part of an overall marketing and digital marketing plan to nurture customer relationships.
  • Timeline contests are a great way to gain engagement so that people can participate, connect with your page, and help build attraction to your Facebook page.
  • The challenge with the timeline contest is that it is not a great way to capture leads if users only have to like, comment on, or share the post.
  • Mike asserts that it is always best to have a contest or promotion that is related to your product or service.
  • It is important to know that you must utilize an effective communication strategy and alert people to the fact that your are running a special contest.
  • Alerting people to your contest ahead of time is a huge way to increase success in your efforts.
  • Mike recommends running the ad in the newsfeed to bump up the awareness factor to your desired audience.
  • Facebook app tabs natively are not mobile compliant.
  • In looking at the future of Facebook tabs, Mike thinks that tabs are going to continue to be more mobile responsive.
  • Mike talks about contests and promotions as gamification, where it is a fun way for a user to engage with the element of competition and suspense that will help drive traffic and engagement.
  • Mike believes that every business should always be trying to grow their email list.

Mike Gingerich’s Social Media Six Pack:

  1. How many times have you checked Facebook today? Six
  2. Favorite TabSite Facebook App? Sweepstakes Plus
  3. If you could only attend one conference in the year, what would it be? Social Media Marketing World
  4. Besides Social Media Examiner, what is one other must read for a marketer these days? The Buffer Blog
  5. Favorite social app for your smartphone? Facebook
  6. What is one social network you barely spend any time on? Snapchat

Items mentioned in the show:

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