What you need to know

• You will no longer have to embed content from third-party sites such as YouTube, which required users to tap multiple times in order to watch the content
• Users will only need to tap a video once to start it, increasing view rates significantly
• Users are more likely to share native videos, enhancing its exposure
• You will have access to comprehensive video analytics, such as completion percentage and organic versus paid video views

Agencies involved in early tests have already indicated that Promoted Videos have performed very well for them, noticing that promoted tweets that made use of native video were viewed more than twice as often than those that used embedded content from YouTube.

The new advertising feature follows Twitter’s plans to make the platform richer and more engaging.

Download your social channel updates guide for Twitter’s promoted videos and more here.

For more information on recent social changes, or to find out how LHM can help you grow your social activity, email Andreea on andreead@lhmmedia.com or call 0121 237 5260.

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What you need to know

Rewarding users with fan-only content (especially entries to contests) in exchange for liking a Page has been a popular method to increase the number of likes for years, and in the past Facebook even allowed businesses to like-gate their entire Page.

As social media methods progress and marketers and brands put more emphasis on the quality of fans rather than the quantity, like-gating is an outdated way to grow your fanbase and no longer considered good practice.

Disadvantages of like-gating:

• You don’t learn much about your new fans
• You don’t get a way to reach your fans outside of Facebook
• You can’t tell if users are liking your page because they are genuinely interested in your brand or if they’re just after a prize you’re giving away
• As many users like a brand’s page to gain access to special content such as competitions or discounts, once they get that access or once your contest is over, many will unlike your Page or hide your posts from their feed, which is considered negative feedback and soon a very small number of users will see your content
• You’re asking users to give you their stamp of approval before even getting a taste of your brand and content

What you can do

Switching focus away from like-gating and replacing it with action-gating means that you can now concentrate on collecting information that is potentially more valuable than likes and achieving better results in the process.

Advantages of action-gating

Action-gating means you ask users to do something besides like your Page – like vote or share information about themselves – in order to gain something in return from your brand – such as access to a promotion or an extra entry in a competition.

• It makes promotions and offers available to everyone, increasing your brand’s exposure
• It doesn’t hurt the mobile experience as like-gating did because of multiple steps required for users that hadn’t liked the Page, which could drive potential new customers away
• You can gain social intelligence by collecting data that can help you understand your audience better
• It’s easy to build this type of campaign and you should start collecting useful data such as:

1. Email addresses that you can utilise in future email marketing campaigns, giving you a direct channel to potential new customers

2. Demographic details to understand who your customers are and where they’re coming from

3. User-generated content

4. Customer feedback

Designed to improve experience for users, brands and marketers, the policy change is a sign that Facebook knows the number of likes on a Page is not as valuable as an admin may think and it also highlights the importance of always diversifying your marketing channels. You can still encourage users to like your Page, you simply cannot force it on them to gain access to special content.

Download your social channel updates guide for the Facebook like-gating ban and more here.

For more information on recent social changes, or to find out how LHM can help you grow your social activity, email Andreea on andreead@lhmmedia.com or call 0121 237 5260.

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Suffering from low conversions and high bounce rates, Adler Insurance quickly realised that their potential customers were not finding the information they wanted on their website. In need of a drastic change, the company approached LHM to launch an informative and engaging website with a responsive design.

We sat down with the client to first and foremost gain a deep understanding of their target audience – what their ideal customers need and value – in order to pinpoint what the optimal user journey would look like.

LHM Senior Account Manager Tasleem Malik looks back at the process: “Whilst trying the approach we initially pitched, we were tackling many issues with surfacing content. We decided we had to stop and work on the end solution we wanted and the best way to get there.

We realised that by not focusing on the products and services, and instead concentrating more closely on how consumers would search for insurance, we were able to create a really tailored and integrated website. This allows Adler the adaptability and control over what is served to the consumer wherever they land on the site.”

The site structure was flipped on its head to design a strategy with the consumer at the heart of it in order to improve the quality of interactions with and perceptions of Adler products and services.

The result? A more focused site split into two main areas: Business and Personal with Financial Planning streaming through both, making the website much more appealing to their target audience.

“The added layer of being able to target and cross sell products was employed, navigating consumers through the site more closely whilst all the time prompting them to get in touch with Adler”, said Tasleem.

The newly implemented website features an elegant design with powerful images tailored to each section, and offers current and potential clients the four crucial elements of user experience: value, usability, adaptability and desirability.

See the recently launched website at www.adlerinsurance.co.uk and let us know your thoughts on Facebook, Google+ or Twitter.

The post Adler Insurance puts customers first with LHM appeared first on LHM Media.

Source: Facebook

The company is taking steps to ensure that payment is safe and secure and the current test is limited to a few small and medium-sized businesses in the US, with Facebook promising to offer more information as they gather feedback.

Download your social channel updates guide for the Facebook ‘Buy’ button here.

For more information on recent social changes, or to find out how LHM can help you grow your social activity, email me on andreead@lhmmedia.com or call me today on 0121 237 5260.

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The new ‘Follow’ button will pop up a small dialog with a preview of your account’s latest pins, meaning visitors do not ever have to leave your website to follow you. Once someone follows you on Pinterest, they will start seeing your activity in their home feed.

Source: Pinterest

The button can be added to your company’s website by inserting a piece of code into your pages. If you have the original ‘Follow’ button in place, you will automatically be upgraded to the new version.

Download your social channel updates guide for the Pinterest ‘Follow’ button here.

For more information on recent social changes, or to find out how LHM can help you grow your social activity, email me on andreead@lhmmedia.com or call me today on 0121 237 5260.

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Features:

• See how many times users have viewed and engaged with your organic tweets.
• Analyse impressions (the number of times a tweet is viewed on desktop or mobile apps, including logged-out users).
• See the total number of retweets, replies, favourites, follows, link clicks and embedded media clicks each tweet has received.
• Export performance metrics (both organic and promoted data).

Benefits:

• Allow more insights into which time of day and day of the week generates the highest engagement and impressions.
• Identify what mechanisms work and which are not effective (different calls to action, adding rich media and copy length).

Findings:

• Brands that tweet 2 to 3 times per day can typically reach an audience size that is equal to 30% of their follower base during a given week.
• When consistent tweeting is paired with engaging content, there is potential for even higher organic reach.

Download your social channel updates guide for Twitter’s analytics dashboard here.

For more information on recent social changes, or to find out how LHM can help you grow your social activity, email me on andreead@lhmmedia.com or call me today on 0121 237 5260.

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A New Look for Right-Hand Column Ads

A new design for right-hand column ads on Facebook is currently being rolled out to make them larger, more engaging and more visually consistent with News Feed ads.

A better experience for users

Right-hand column ads will be up to 3 times larger, but users will see fewer of them. Instead of being cluttered with ads from 7 different brands as before, the sidebar will now focus on only 1 or 2 ad units. The channel’s early tests have indicated that this has resulted in up to 3 times more engagement from users seeing the new design.

A simpler ad product

The new look will use the same proportions as News Feed ads when uploaded, eliminating the need to choose separate images for News Feed and right-hand column placements, though sidebar ads will be smaller when served.

Ad Placement Based on Users’ Browsing History

Facebook will start employing online behavioural advertising tactics in the US, with a wider rollout before the end of the year. At the moment, Facebook employs behavioural advertising based on activity on the channel (ie pages liked and visited).

The goal is for users to be served contextual ads based on shopping intentions (i.e. if a user is researching a purchase based on their searches or app use). The company will provide opt-out and ad preference options, enabling users to be in control of the ads they see.

Download your social channel updates guide for Facebook’s new ad features here.

For more information on recent social changes, or to find out how LHM can help you grow your social activity, email me on andreead@lhmmedia.com or call me today on 0121 237 5260.

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• Updating your business info on Search, Maps, and Google+ to make it easier for customers to get in touch.
• Adding photos of your business and a virtual tour of your business interior to help customers see what makes your business unique.
• Connecting directly with your fans and customers by sharing news, events, and other important updates from your Google+ page.
• Staying on top of reviews from across the Web, and responding to Google reviews.
• Understanding how people find and interact with your business using custom insights and integration with AdWords Express campaigns.

Google has also launched an accompanying Google My Business app for Android and iOS, allowing businesses to manage their information on the go.

Download your social channel updates guide for Google My Business here.

For more information on recent social changes, or to find out how LHM can help you grow your social activity, email me on andreead@lhmmedia.com or call me today on 0121 237 5260.

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What you need to know

• The cover photo and profile picture of Facebook Pages remain the same size (851 x 315 pixels for the cover photo and 180×180 pixels for the profile picture), but the profile picture now sits higher into the cover photo.

• Likes and business details are shown on the left rather on top.
• Custom apps/tab icons have moved to the left column.
• Status updates are displayed in a new single column on the right.

• Photos and videos are showcased more prominently in the left column.

• A ‘Pages to Watch’ feature allows admins to create a list of Pages similar to their own and compare performances.

Mobile

Due to the new layout it is not possible to link the profile picture and cover photo in a creative way as done before and it will be more difficult to use copy. However, the cover photo resizes depending on the device a visitor is using, ensuring the assets are viewed optimally.

Download your social channel updates guide for new Facebook Pages here.

For more information on recent social changes, or to find out how LHM can help you grow your social activity, email me on andreead@lhmmedia.com or call me today on 0121 237 5260.

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Having initially launched in December 2013, the feedback to date has been extremely positive, with many case studies from both Trade and Homeowners of how the App has helped them. One tradesman earned an extra £5,000 in January alone through the use of the app, and Susan, a homeowner in Barnstaple, had been struggling for months with finding the perfect front door for her newbuild house. Despite all the work done on the house, Susan knows people judge your home on aesthetics and so the door was very important. Finally, she was able to find her perfect front door by seeing it in place on her home before the purchase was made.

Eurocell are always listening to their customers and responding to feedback, and so the update includes all the areas of improvement that users have been asking for, including the addition of Skypod, door sidelights, the ability to work on and offline, and a whole host of stability and performance improvements.

Both LHM and Eurocell are really proud of YourPad due to its innovation in the industry and results to date. Take a look for yourself and download the App here:

Let us know what you think of the App on Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn or Twitter.

The post Your home needs YourPad appeared first on LHM Media.