Reasons You May Lose Followers

We have all been stuck in that rut before.  The “why am I losing so many followers” rut.  So, what is it that you are doing that your followers don’t like?  If it were just a couple of people, it might just be that they aren’t interested in the content of your posts.  But, if it is a massive flock of people, then it is most likely something that you could improve on.

The silliest thing that makes people unfollow an account is capitalization.  If you tweet only in all caps, we’re through.  I’m sorry, but I really just don’t like being yelled at on the daily.  I doubt that anything you are tweeting or posting is really worth all those capital letters.

The next thing that I have found that can make you unpopular in the social media world, is what I call the “repost effect.”  This is when all you ever do is repost/retweet something for your followers.  It’s great to recycle awesome material, but if that’s all your doing, they might as well just go follow those accounts and cut you, the middle man, out of the equation.

The final thing that really can push your followers towards the “unfollow” button is subtweeting.  If you aren’t sure what subtweeting is, it’s basically just talking about someone without mentioning that you are talking about them.  In reality, they typically always know you are talking about them and your other followers will probably know as well.  It’s just petty and later I promise you’ll look back and be deleting it.  Moral of the story, if you feel a subtweet coming on, save as a draft and then go back to delete later when you come to your senses.

Of course, there are plenty of more reasons that someone would decide to sever your online relationship via social media. But, these three are probably the most common for myself and those around me that are active on social media sites.  Avoid these three easy things and you’ll be a social media star before you know it.

How should you really use a #hashtag?

The other day my friend sent me a text message that was only hashtags… Safe to say I was incredibly confused and annoyed.  Since when did hashtags become a form of communication in themselves?  Last I checked, a text message was no place for one, but then again, maybe I’m just behind on the times.

When I first learned about hashtags, I didn’t really understand the point.  As an avid Twitter user, I saw them almost every time I checked my feed, so I eventually got used to them and even learned to love them.  But when I see a tweet or post that has more hashtags than real words, I just keep on scrolling.  If you have more hashtags than words, chances are that you are using the wrong medium to convey your message.  Hashtags are to be used to help people find things that are interesting or related to a specific topic.  If you have a million hashtags, chances are the person isn’t going to actually be interested in your post.

Hashtags are a great way to grow an audience of people that actually care about your posts.  If someone is searching for a specific tag, then they are most likely interested in that subject, which means they will be interested in you if you are frequently discussing that subject.  I know that anytime I am looking for new followers, I just search for a key world and look at the users that use that hashtag fairly often.  It isn’t an exact method, but it definitely gives me a place to start my search.

This is actually a pretty common method of finding users and tweets to follow.  So, if you can master the use of the hashtag, then you can gain an audience within a matter of weeks.

 

Government vs. Social Media

In my Social Media for Public Relations class the other day, we discussed how the internet, specifically social media, can be censored by the government.  However, we never really came to a conclusion on whether or not the government should actually have that power.  Of course, there are plenty of issues with freedom of speech and stuff, but what if our country is unsafe because of social media or the internet?  Should they have a right to shut down the internet or even just jam a social media site for a couple of hours or days?

I honestly don’t know the answer to these questions.  I have mixed feelings, but I do know that many social media sites are the homes of serious activism throughout the world.  Recently, groups and organizations that are fighting for a cause they believe in have turned to social media as an outlet to be heard.  This creates a better connection and allows the group to rally the troops even if they might not necessarily be in the same city, state, or country.

But, in my opinion, the most impressive activism happens by those that aren’t necessarily a part of a group, but instead just have a large social media audience.  The other day I read an article on the Forbes’ website that discussed three female YouTube stars that stepped outside of their comfort zone to discuss topics that could possibly upset their usual audience.  The videos were discussing issues such as human trafficking, body image, and healthcare.  Of course, as with any controversial issue, the videos had some negative feedback. But, overall they received a lot of comments that mentioned how wonderful it was that they were standing up for the things they believed in and helping to spread awareness for issues that were actually worth talking about.

After the class discussion and reading this article, I realized how tricky the topic really was.  In a way, social media can be used in amazing ways and can help to gain awareness for sensitive topics that need to be addressed.  However, if it were a matter of safety I would definitely want the government to be able to do something to protect us.  At the end of the  day I think there really is no easy was to tackle this question.  But it is always good to know that you can really make an impact with a single video posted on a social media site.

Social Media and Consistency

Everyday our lives are packed with different things and, if you’re reading this, chances are that you live a busy life that could somehow benefit from knowing more about social media usage.  If not, then you must just really love social media. Either way, it is important to know how to be consistent if you want to keep your audience engaged in your site.

It really doesn’t matter what site or form of social media you use.  The important thing to remember is that your site needs to work for your audience and you need to use it consistently.  Once you have those two things down, then you will be well on your way to gaining a loyal audience and creating a brand for yourself.  However, being consistent doesn’t mean just posting or tweeting more.  It means always actively checking your accounts, engaging in your audience, creating conversation between your audience, interacting with other users’ sites, and finally posting things that your audience will enjoy.

It seems like quite a lot to keep track of, especially once you have a large audience.  But once you get it going, it’s not just work, it’s enjoyable.  I personally have had a Twitter account since 2010.  At first I wasn’t very involved.  None of my friends had an account and I really didn’t know what I was doing.  But, once I started to actively participate with the very few followers I had, I began to grow my audience and engage in interesting conversations with people that lived across the country.

Now I check my Twitter account at least 15 times a day.  I am always getting new notifications that I have a new follower or that someone favorited a tweet, and the best part is that I really don’t have to try anymore.  The followers I have already know the kind of things that I will tweet and they like it.  The consistency I have had for the past years allows me to be myself and have fun.  Most importantly, it has built a loyal audience that genuinely enjoys reading the things that I tweet.

If that isn’t success, I’m not really sure what is.

 

A Worldwide Look at Social Media

Have you ever stopped to think about social media on a bigger scale?  How do other nations or areas view this growing platform?  From what I have noticed, we tend to pay the most attention to that which is closest to us.  This means that we can sometimes miss views from others that could eventually hinder our progress or keep us from achieving long term goals.

To be honest, I really hadn’t stopped to think about the views on social media of those outside of the United States until I read a blog post that was published on Social Media Today’s site.  (Difference in Using Social Media Around the Globe)  In the post, they have different people from around the world answering two questions:

  1. In your country (or region or culture, if you prefer), how does the majority of people view social media?
  2. What would you say is a unique characteristic about social media usage in your culture?

The answers were really interesting in my opinion.  It really reminded me of a lot of things that I learned about different cultures in a class I took last semester titled “Communication and Culture.”  For example, in the article linked above it was discussed that Americans are taught to be very forthcoming and almost boastful from a young age.  However, in the Netherlands, they are not as expressive about themselves.  These two traits are directly expressed through the social media usage in these countries.  The commentary about the Netherlands mentioned that “social media is not incorporated in business.”  Whereas in the United States, almost every poster or advertisement for an organization or company has the Facebook/Twitter logo incorporated in some way.

So why does it matter how others view social media?  To be honest, if you don’t plan on growing and becoming global, it probably doesn’t.  But, if you have goals of becoming a worldwide business or nonprofit, then you probably want to take sometime to look at how exactly the different focus point countries will react to your social media presence.  Should you use more Facebook? Or maybe only use LinkedIn?  The only way to really know is to do your research.  Just remember, if you don’t, you may never get out of your local area and into the big leagues.

Changing Faces

Every time I log into my Facebook account, I feel like something has changed.  There is always a new design element or feature that wasn’t there before.  Unlike many people who are disgruntled by change, I actually really like it.  However, sometimes I do question whether changing the interface of such a large site, such as Facebook, so often is really necessary.

Honestly, I never really notice most of the changes until someone points them out.  But if we actually look back at all the changes, you realize how much of an impact some of them make.  This article from the Forbes website shows the different faces that Facebook has had since 2004: The Evolution of Facebook.

It is kind of crazy to look back at the 2004 version of Facebook and to think of how little the site actually contained.  It was basically just an internet address book.  But today, it has grown to be a completely different site.  You can interact in completely different ways with today’s version.

So is Facebook wise to always adapt and change their site, despite lots of negative comments?  In my opinion, yes.  When the timeline feature rolled out, most people really hated it.  But now? They probably don’t even remember the archaic site that they used to be so set on keeping.  In the end, it might not be easy for a site to change drastically, both from a technical and a public relations stand point, but it could really take your site to new levels.

Without adapting to our diverse, multimedia engaged world, Facebook might be a completely different site today.  So next time you are being hyper critical about a change that is made on one of your frequent sites, look back and think about all the changes that have already happened.  Chances are, you are happy it changed and you don’t even really remember the way things used to be.  Embrace it.  Change is what helps technology and social media grow daily.

Take 10

Ever get a really annoying text or email from someone and then immediately respond with something that you later regret saying?  This can be a nightmare for your brand or organization.  Being in charge of social media is a huge role for building audience and brand awareness.  Although we might not all be perfect, anyone in public relations can tell you that you still need to keep a cool head if you’re doing anything that can be linked back to your brand.

Sometimes your audience is going to post something that you don’t really like or that really ticks you off.  You might be angry because they don’t understand a decision that was made by someone higher up and with a completely different pay grade than you.  But, that doesn’t mean you can lose your temper and respond with whatever you want.  I can guarantee that it will only cause even more comments that you don’t want if you mouth off right away.

This goes with emails too.  Anything is public when it is done on the internet.  It doesn’t matter if it is in a message on a social media site, or a private email, eventually it will be revealed, and probably at the worst possible time.  As the social media guru for your brand, you have to set the best example every single time you post, write, share, or do anything.  Just think about all of the scandals in the past that have been brought to life by social media.  Do you want your brand to be the one that is used as an example of “what not to do” when young adults are first learning about public relations? Probably not.

Next time you see a post, comment, or message that really makes you livid… take ten.  Mull it over and think about every point of view.  As your supervisors and coworkers how they would respond to the situation.  Most likely you will be able to come up with a response that will keep your brand from suffering, but will also put the audience at ease.  Public relations really is an art, but it can quickly turn in to a slippery slope.  However, if you just take a moment to really think what you are showing your audience, you can prevent mistakes that can cost you your brand image, or even your job.

These examples are probably a little more dramatic than what I just discussed, but they’re definitely pretty hilarious: PR Nightmares.

 

Social Media: Friend or Foe

Recently I have been reading posts on social media blogs that are all about how to control your social media. This leads me to question how beneficial social media really is to organizations and companies. In a world where a small mistake could blow up into a full on scandal, how can you tell if what you’re doing on social media is really helping your organization?

In my opinion, the answer is simple. Just listen to your audience.

The comments your audience leave are your feedback. If they are positive and engaged then you’re on the right track. If they are negative and taking over the content of your page, then you definitely need to rethink your approach. It may not seem like a big deal at first. One or two negative comments won’t make or break you, but your reactions to those comments will. If you control the content and respond in a way that your audience is expecting, you can end it all before it blows up.

For example, on Facebook you can reach tons of people within a matter of minutes. But if you let the comments of your audience run your page, you’ll end up with a mess of negativity that could take months to recover from.

So next time you’re wondering about social media and whether or not it’s beneficial, remember that it’s up to you and your control of your page.  Monitor it closely and keep ownership of your social media sites and you will be on your way to a dedicated and loyal audience.

To Tweet or Retweet?

That is definitely the question in today’s society of ever-growing social media.  Twitter can be used for almost anything now.  Company’s use it to advertise, apologize, or even just connect with their audience.  But how do you find a good balance between tweeting your one original material and retweeting that of someone else?

It is important to connect with your audience by retweeting things that they themselves have tweeted.  But if that is all you are doing, you probably aren’t going to be doing much for your brand image.  Original tweets allow the audience to see what your brand is all about.  Retweeting things is simply to keep them involved and provide fresh information from an outside source.

Although you want plenty of your own personal tweets, you definitely want to retweet others when they have relevant information.  This doesn’t meant that you should go home and start retweeting any tweet that has anything to do with your brand or company… but instead it means that you should find interesting and unique information from other users that can be used to add to your own cause.  This will keep your audience engaged and provide credibility for yourself.

Another important thing to remember is to always reply to your followers.  Of course, it as well needs to be balanced with your retweets and original tweets.  If a follower takes the time to respond to a tweet, you should probably at least favorite it.  It doesn’t mean that you need to necessarily respond, because let’s be honest, some larger companies would have way to many tweets on their hand.  But, it is important to give them recognition.  It makes the audience feel important and allows for you to strengthen their loyalty to your brand.

As you can see, there is a lot of skill and fine tuning involved in running a good twitter account.  You have so many different ways of instantly communicating with your audience, which can either aid or hurt you.  So next time you go to tweet, make sure you look back at your last couple of tweets.  If you’ve gotten lazy and are only retweeting others, your followers are probably bored and want a little more spice in their feed.

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Superbowl Madness

If there is one thing that we can all agree on, I think it’s that the commercials during the Superbowl are almost more entertaining than the game itself.  Even those that are not necessarily fans of football find themselves enthralled with the television on Superbowl Sunday.  So why do these brands spend millions of dollars creating and airing a spot that may only last 30 seconds?

Exposure. Not the small scale kind of exposure either, but more like the 75% of America is watching kind of exposure.  Not to mention that since the rise of social media involvement, brands have been able to release teasers for their commercials in the weeks leading up to the big reveal.

This use of social media really puts the brand into the hands of the audience.  For example, Jaguar released their first ever Superbowl commercial this year.  Leading up to the big day, they were all over Twitter and Facebook with their tag “#itsgoodtobebad,” giving the audience an idea of what to look for when they sit down to watch the commercials.  In an article on “Social Media Today,” there is a diagram that shows how many times the tag was used on Twitter by the brand, compared to how many times it was used by regular Twitter users.  It was startling to see that the regular users used the tag almost as frequently as the brand did.

In Jaguar’s case, the involvement of the audience aided in their message and their product representation during the game.  But in many cases, brands do not control the audience’s involvement and end up being bombarded with negative exposure.  There were several tweets that I personally saw during the game that were talking about how “horrible” some of the ads were.

This being said, it is clear that brands need to learn to properly control the audience involvement and listen to the feedback being given.  If a brand sees that the audience is not responding positively to their teasers and pre-game releases, then they may need to rethink their plans and perhaps go a different direction.  It might be throwing money away or reworking hours of preparation, but in the end it could help to create a better brand image and a better relationship with the audience.

If you happened to be part of the 25% that was not sitting on your couch staring at your TV, you can see all of the commercials here: Advertising Age’s “One-Stop Shopping for All the 2014 Super Bowl Ads”