This Week in Social Media

News for the Week of October 24

Facebook Adds New Recommendation Engine and CTA Buttons for Local Events and Businesses

Facebook issued an update to improve the usage of the Events bookmark by adding a new Recommendations feature. This feature simplifies the process of gathering, mapping, and organizing local businesses or service recommendations from online acquaintances. The updated Events page will also make it easier to search and obtain the most current information on local events. Facebook has also improved the way users respond when they’ve found events they want to attend. With the addition of new call-to-action buttons on business Pages, users can order food, purchase tickets, set up appointments, or get quotes without ever leaving those Pages. Dealerships, drive as much traffic through your Facebook page as you can. These new additions are making it easier than ever for customers to set up appointments to visit your showroom. People are looking for ease of access, and the easier you make it to contact you, set appointments, and interact, the more potential customers you’ll attract. Draw them to your Page and get them to use these new call-to-action buttons.

Broadcast Scheduling Tool for Verified Pages to be Added to Facebook Live

The new Broadcast Scheduling Tool allows Verified Pages to set up a time for live broadcasts, giving the audience time to sign in to the live feed and view the whole video. Broadcast Scheduling gets your followers talking about the live video ahead of time and helps create anticipation while waiting for the live broadcast to start. When a live broadcast is scheduled, an announcement post will be published on your News Feed, bringing awareness to your audience. Your followers can then enter a pre-viewing lobby where they can wait for the video to begin and interact and connect with other viewers. A live broadcast can be scheduled a week in advance, and viewers can enter the pre-viewing lobby 3 minutes before the broadcast actually begins. Dealerships, engage the followers you have on Facebook by getting them excited about upcoming content. This is a really good opportunity to begin posting regular content and get your audience accustomed to expecting your broadcasts.  Schedule a live video every week and keep them exciting by offering up relevant industry news and updates. Give your followers something to look forward to every week!

Pin Collective Brought to You by Pinterest

This is an initiative to take the best content creators of Pinterest and put them in contact with businesses so they can create content simultaneously. The Pin Collective is a hand-picked group of people, made up of both businesses and individual content creators. These creators work directly with brands to create content that will draw attention to the business, while also making Pinners happy. Businesses can choose the right partners depending on their needs at the time, and then can be part of the production of Pins, videos, or even larger creative initiatives from beginning to end. This allows for full collaboration, giving businesses everything they want in their ads, as well as offering up appealing Pinterest content for those who turn to this outlet for inspiration and creativity.  Dealerships, while the Pin Collective is currently running a pilot, you can still focus on delivering high-quality, creative Pins to your audience, ensuring they seek you out on this platform.  Remember the power of images, especially with today’s mobile-driven, busy consumer!  Be sure to update your content frequently and post appealing and fun content to capture shopper interest.  Don’t miss out on this major social opportunity for your brand!

LinkedIn Improves the Features of Skills and Endorsements Section

LinkedIn has added an extra feature to the Skills and Endorsements section of its platform, allowing for more personalized viewing. Now, when a user profile is viewed, the skills and endorsements that matter most to the viewer will be highlighted. This allows users to see exactly what they want to see, making it easier for hiring managers to decide more quickly if candidates are great fits for the positions they’re seeking to fill. For job seekers, this update offers an extra edge when it comes to competing for opportunities, as top skills will stand out to employers. Dealerships, your sales staff is the key to your success.  They’re likely the first ones to be in contact with shoppers, so don’t be shy about taking advantage of LinkedIn’s newest functionality.  Check out the skills and endorsements of potential new hires and know who will be a great fit for your dealership before you hire.  After all, having the right employees can make all the difference!

Facebook Offers Option to Set Initial View on 360 Photos

Users have offered up plenty of suggestions when it comes to photo posting, and Facebook has been listening.  The latest update now allows users to set an initial field of view when posting 360 photos.  Functional for iOS, Android, and Chrome for desktop, users can now select a specific field of view, which is what will be seen at the beginning of a 360 photo post. To change the field of view, users can simply drag with a finger or select edit on a desktop and utilize a mouse, moving the photo until the desired initial viewing position is reached.  This is done after a photo is uploaded, but before actually posting. This functionality still allows the full 360 photo to be viewed, while giving users the ability to set a custom initial viewing point. Dealerships, get creative with this new update and utilize it to zero in on a specific aspect of a vehicle, a new feature, or even a brand logo.  This allows you to highlight what’s most important in your post—like fun or exciting new vehicle technology—while still allowing viewers to see the entire 360 photo.

Vimeo Updates Profiles and Introduces Looping Cover Videos

Vimeo recognizes the importance of customization when it comes to helping users stand out and express themselves.  That’s one of the reasons it has redesigned its profiles, giving users more control over how their videos are showcased online, as well as the overall look of the profile. Vimeo users can now further customize their profiles by adding up to 10 videos that can be viewed on the front page, put in any order, and shown in a constant loop. These newest features are available to Vimeo customers with any type of membership, allowing everyone to join in the fun of customizing their profiles. Dealerships, when you have a compelling profile, you’re letting consumers know you care about building relationships with them.  Be creative and work on capturing attention with new tools, and remember to check all your contact information for accuracy and completeness.  Check out Vimeo’s latest functionality to create some quick, fun content that will capture and retain the attention of online consumers.

Tip of the Week – Ensure Your Network is Well-Connected and Engaged

An engaged and well-connected network of clients, professionals, and customers is essential. In fact, the size of your network is not the most important aspect; but rather, it’s how connected and engaged your followers are with your content.  If you find yourself in an engagement slump, check out the quick tips below to kick-start the engine:

• Connect.  And then connect some more. Once you’ve signed up for Facebook and Twitter, you’re done, right?  Wrong.  Not only do you need to consistently post and offer great content, you need to purposefully connect with other professionals in your industry.  The more connections you make, the more you’ll see your own circle of acquaintances and followers grow—because you’ll not only gain the primary connections; you’ll also link up with the social connections of the people you just met.
• Keep their interest. Don’t overload your posts with whatever you can find simply for the sake of posting something, anything.  Instead, focus on providing quality content your audience will find useful.  When you become known for delivering great content, you’ll keep your audience engaged—and they’ll stick around.
• Don’t blend.  Stand apart from the crowd and be unique.  That’s not to say you should be controversial or over-the-top weird.  Simply find the things that make your dealership one-of-a-kind and let them shine through on your social platforms.  Let the magic of your brand be what consumers remember.
• Share—a variety of things.  Remember today’s consumers like images and videos, so don’t be afraid to get outside your comfort zone and utilize new tools and techniques.  When you change things up and keep it fun, you’ll boost engagement and end up with more online connections.
• Don’t post AT your followers.  Instead, aim to include them by asking questions, creating contests, or simply replying to comments.  Look at your social platforms as a place to interact.  The more effort you put in, the more engagement you’ll see on the part of your followers.
• Purge if necessary. Keep an eye on which people are the most influential in your network.  Be aware of your advocates and don’t be afraid to eliminate those who aren’t positively impacting your business.

Networking is an ongoing activity that’s important for retaining current customers, bringing in new customers, and staying in touch with other industry professionals.  Now that a majority of consumers are spending time interacting and researching online, it’s more important than ever to carve out time to build your online social relationships.  In an industry that’s consistently and rapidly changing, it’s key to be where your customers are, define a plan that will boost online engagement, and work to include every professional in your dealership as you focus on making valuable connections that will impact your business.