Storytelling, Facebook Advertising Tips & More – The Social 7

This week was topped by the news from Facebook that Instagram would now allow you to shoot video. During the week we saw some site updates too, giving us the option to reply to posts with a photograph and upload our own thumbnail images to accompany the links we share.

I have included one link about the Instagram news in this weeks selection along with some Facebook advertising tips, a geeky infographic and some more in-depth stuff on permission marketing and social story telling.

Have a great weekend.

Effective Facebook Ad Techniques

Facebook advertising needs to become a part of your Facebook strategy. You don’t need to spend huge amounts of money but if you want to continue to grow I would recommend putting a small budget aside every month for it. It’s a great way of targeting a very specific audience and it really does work well when you spend a bit of time creating a compelling ad.

This post from Inside Facebook is full of tips for a Facebook advertising newbie and even a good reminder to those who have been using the tool for a while.

Facebook Hashtags For Brands: What You Need To Know

Last week Facebook launched hashtags. As a long time Twitter user I had kind of forgotten that many users wouldn’t know what they were or how they were used. I was also worried that people would start overusing them as they have on Twitter. Luckily Jon Loomer has written an excellent post on the topic with some really good advice to those who may not be familiar with the hash tag concept.

The Newcomers Guide To Twitter – Getting Followers

As you are probably aware I am running Twitter beginners courses at the moment on ‘We Teach Social’. This series of articles from All Twitter is a great resource for those of you who want to get started but don’t want to do formal training. This weeks lesson was on getting followers and is full of great tips. Of course it’s not as involved as my course but it’s a good start 😉

The Evolution Of Permission Marketing

Don’t let the title put you off, this is a great read and is food for thought for all advertisers and content marketers out there. But what is permission marketing?

The article quotes Seth Godin “Permission marketing is the privilege (not the right) of delivering anticipated, personal and relevant messages to people who actually want to get them.” ~Seth Godin

It can range for anything form email marketing to blogging and even social media marketing. Read more about it on Copyblogger and discover some of the common mistakes businesses make and why small businesses can be the best permission marketers.

The History Of The Hashtag

Since Facebook’s introduction of the hashtag there have been hundreds of articles on the phenomenon. This Infographic however appealed to my inner geek. Initially I thought it would start with how they evolved on Twitter but to my surprise they go back much further. I also now understand why Americans call the ‘#’ key the ‘pound’.

How To Use Storytelling On Twitter

Storytelling is one of those terms that gets thrown around on social media. Using your channels to tell as story is a great way to get your audience involved. But what counts as a story? It can be conventional and there are some great examples in this article. But a story doesn’t have to be traditional, it can be about you, about your brand and the things you are interested in. Read more on Social Media Today.

Meet The First Brands Using Instagram Video

Of course the big news this week was the launch of Instagram video. I’m in two minds about it, I love Instagram, it’s a place I go to see snippets of lives and interesting photography. I’m not sure video will make a better experience. Aside from that Vine does it so well I’m not sure if adding it to an existing app is needed. But we shall see.

Of course lots of businesses jumped straight in with their Instagram videos. I find them quite uninspiring but I’m guessing that they will get stronger in time just as they have on Vine. Here’s some examples from Ad Age.

And From Spiderworking.com This Week

Create A Video Trailer For Your Twitter Account With Vizify

This weeks cool tool has been one of the most popular I’ve shared in ages. Shortly after posting this article people were showing me their own masterpieces. It’s fun and who knows, it may get you a few new followers.

How To Post Links With Photographs On Twitter

I’ve gone back to basics this week with my video tutorials as I’d had lots of enquiries about this. This Facebook tip will show you how you can add a link to the video you are posting.

8 Twitter Tips From Dan Zarrella’s Science Of Marketing

I wanted to write a review of this excellent book by Dan Zarrella but instead I picked some of his top Twitter tips. Including contra-competitive timing and how to construct your tweet for more click throughs there’s lots of good advice, just a hint of what you will get if you buy the book.

If you are a Twitter newbie or are nervous of getting started sign up for my A Beginners Guide To Twitter online course starting on 15th July 2013. More info here.