Social Media & SEO

The March for Our Lives on March 24 attracted huge crowds across the country in support of gun reform. But upsetting the march’s No. 1 trending position on Twitter that afternoon, the National Rifle Association released an interview with rapper and activist Killer Mike. The interview was widely criticized by gun-reform advocates but it quickly became something else: a textbook example of the power influencers have to further a national conversation, sometimes at the expense of the very organization with which they are affiliated.

Instagram recently announced a change to its algorithm so that posts will now appear in a more chronological manner, finally heeding years of user complaints. But does that mean your brand should now post more frequently? How will brands be impacted by this change? Carmen Collins, social media lead for the talent brand at Cisco Systems, weighs in.

If you’re taking a break from Snapchat à la Rihanna or fed up with Facebook following the Cambridge Analytica revelations, LinkedIn and Instagram have got you covered with new features that could make communicators’ jobs a little easier. LinkedIn, well on its way to becoming a full-fledged social platform, continues to add visual storytelling elements to its offerings. This week it unveiled a video filter feature for users, complementing its new native video function.

March 21 marked 12 years since the first tweet appeared on Twitter. It’s the perfect opportunity to reflect on the platform’s successes—as well as its shortcomings—over the last dozen years.

The social media platform can be a double-edged sword for users. While Twitter has been heralded as a powerful tool for spreading awareness around important causes, it has also been the vehicle for millions of fake news-spouting accounts. To mark Twitter’s 12 years in operation, here are 12 defining moments in the platform’s history.

It’s hard to argue that the online life is a fad when you see how many Americans are online daily (77%), according to a new survey from Pew Research Center. Want more? 40% of Americans 18-29 say they are online “almost constantly.”

In a new survey small businesses, those with fewer than 500 employees, are shown to be fairly large proponents of SEO. Some 55% of small businesses surveyed said they use SEO, a slight increase from 2017. More than 90% said last year they would be using SEO, according to Clutch, a B2B researcher.

A Snapchat ad promoting the game Would You Rather?! asked players if they would rather “slap Rihanna or punch Chris Brown.” Rihanna was not amused by this reference to the 2009 violent assault by ex-boyfriend Chris Brown. How did this disturbing ad make it onto the app in the first place? A representative from Snap Inc. explained their ad review process, which might need a few tweaks.

We continue our examination of consumer engagement with brands’ social posts during 2017. Data is provided exclusively by Shareablee to PR News . This week we look at the top 10 travel websites, ranked by consumer engagement. Airbnb is the leader.

While most marketers put a premium on attracting younger people, the 50+ demographic is coveted for its disposable income and stability. While it is known that this demographic is less comfortable with technology than millennials, the group has taken to social media at a strong rate, a new survey from AARP shows. The devices it doesn’t yet use can be large targets for marketers.

As Facebook continues to de-emphasize branded content in its News Feed, brands must strive harder than ever to run compelling campaigns, pouring bigger ad budgets and organizational resources into the platform. With so much at stake, how can brands drive a true return on investment with a Facebook campaign? By making those campaigns as enticing to their audiences as possible, of course.
On March 13, PR News will explore strategies for doing so in its webinar, “How to Increase the ROI of Your Facebook Campaigns.” For a taste of tomorrow’s program, here are four ways brands can increase ROI on Facebook.