This Week in Social Media – News for the Week of October 26

Twitter introduced its new publishing and storytelling tools that will help users turn content into compelling stories. Using a new Collections API, multiple tweets can be turned into a single story with a collection ID, and the story can be edited, updated, and published using any of the tools in Twitter’s ecosystem. Instead of manually managing tweets, Twitter has simplified the storytelling process, allowing users to organize several tweets via TweetDeck, Curator, Spredfast, and others. Additionally, the new Twitter for Websites display option offers users an engaging experience with images and videos that display edge-to-edge. Dealerships, look for ways to expand your Twitter presence by creating cohesive stories that will be compelling to consumers who are in-market and ready to explore what you have to offer. Embed great content your online users love and ensure you’re engaging with customers across platforms to reach the most potential shoppers.

Welcome, Twitter Polls

Twitter announced all users will soon be able to create polls, and with only a couple of taps, everyone will be able to share their opinions on topics that matter to them. If you’re looking to get insight or opinions, Twitter will be the place to turn. Expect to see polls on everything from sports calls to new product releases to feedback requests on new songs. With the ability to track replies, tally hashtag votes, and ask followers to favorite or Retweet votes, this will be a powerful and quick way to gain insights. Users can create their own 2-choice poll directly from the compose box, and polls will remain live for 24 hours. This is a great tool for dealerships looking to create extended online reach and engagement. Think of fun ways you can encourage consumer participation and create polls that will help you gain better insights when it comes to likes, dislikes, and what shoppers want to see in your dealership.

YouTube Red Arrives

YouTube recently announced the arrival of YouTube Red, a paid membership that allows users to enjoy accessing YouTube without advertisements. Dubbed “the ultimate YouTube experience,” YouTube Red not only allows users to skip the ads, it also lets them save videos to watch offline and play videos in the background. A relatively low price of $9.99 per month gives users a membership that extends across devices, anywhere they sign on to YouTube, and it includes the newly-launched Gaming app and the YouTube Music app, which will be released soon. U.S. users are invited to try YouTube Red for a free one-month trial. Remember YouTube still exists as it always did—so whether your consumers are paying or whether they’re viewing content for free, they can still find your dealership’s content and engage with you online. Continue to create relevant content that drives consumers toward your website, has strong calls to action, and shares quality insights, and you’ll continue to win with online shoppers.

Instagram Boomerang

Instagram introduced Boomerang, a new video app that lets users make everyday moments even more fun by transforming a quick pic into a funny video. By simply pressing a button, the app will take care of transforming user pics into videos. Boomerang takes photo bursts and puts them together into a video that plays both forward and backward, and to make it even easier for users, pics can be shot in either portrait or landscape. Automatically saved to the camera roll, users can then share on Instagram. Hyperlapse technology and looping videos let users experiment with motion to come up with fun, new creations. Boomerang from Instagram is now available for iOS and Android. Dealerships, imagine the fun you can have helping new buyers celebrate their purchases with this app. Or think of ways you can make your employees fun and relatable to consumers. Share funny dealership antics and even lighten up your lot walk-throughs. Get creative with new apps and really reach your consumers via social media to engage them with your brand!

Search FYI for Facebook

Facebook is adding Search FYI to make it easier for users to find out about subjects that matter to them. Now, not only can users search for people, they can also search for topics of interest, including world news, popular stories, and trending updates. Simply by typing in the search box, Facebook will offer personalized search suggestions and highlight things that are currently happening. Additionally, when using search, users will see the most recent public posts as well as posts from friends. To cut down the clutter, posts are organized, and users can pull-to-refresh to see the latest posts. Users can also search for public conversations, for example, links that get shared across Facebook by several users; this offers a way to quickly join that conversation. Updates are currently rolling out in English on iPhone, Android, and desktop. Dealerships can take advantage of this advanced search capability to do further research and see what online users are discussing when it comes to car shopping. Join in discussions and become part of the community to engage more consumers and share your expertise.

Tip of the Week—Know Your Audience, Know Your Message

As marketers, you probably spend a lot of time crafting the perfect messages for your audience. But in addition to getting the message right, it’s important to ensure you’re getting the message to the right people. In other words, you may be saying all the right things, but are you saying them to the right crowd? We’ve all heard “the right message at the right time to the right people,” but when we boil it down, what’s it mean in today’s market?

If we were going to choose a Facebook relationship status, we could just say “It’s Complicated.” It’s not easy to know exactly who you’re talking to, what they want to hear, and how to deliver the message in a way that will resonate, but there are some things you can do to help you get started in the right direction. When you’re thinking about your messaging, keep the following in mind:

Keep your underlying message the same, but vary the creative content. No one wants to see a thesis paper on Facebook, and Twitter is kept short for a reason. Instead, on the social platforms that demand short, concise content, get to the root of your brand message, and guide users to your website and other platforms for more indepth content.

• Know your audience. When it comes to doing your homework, it goes beyond age, race, and sex; instead you’re going to need to delve further into market behaviors in order to apply your best messaging and marketing techniques to engage consumers. Go beyond the surface research of basic demographics and create personas that offer revealing insights to help you connect with shoppers.
• Add visual content. According to Emarketer, Facebook posts that contained photos were responsible for 87% of all network interactions in 2014. Images get your viewers involved with your posts, making them want to interact and engage with your content. Consumers are on the go and in a hurry, so especially for mobile, images are key.
• Practice social listening. Plan on being present on social media and listening to what consumers are saying. Participate in conversations, observe interactions, and really pay attention to what matters to them. This will help you when it’s time to craft content specifically for your audience.
• Know your value. In order to know the value you offer, you also need to know the pain points of your consumer. This comes with research and legwork. Without a problem to solve, your solution will fall on deaf ears. Once you know the problem you’re solving, have a clear focus on the value you offer to the consumer group you are trying to reach. This will steer your content in the right direction and help you convey to consumers exactly how you are a great match for them.

With a planned approach, your content can deliver welcome messaging and work to educate and entertain your audience. It takes careful research and quite a bit of observation to deliver targeted content that will resonate with consumers, but when you put in the time and interact with potential shoppers, you’ll be able to create lasting relationships that will keep them looking for your content.