Social Media & SEO

The rules of search engine optimization (SEO) can change so quickly, by the time you implement yesterday’s best practices, a new set of considerations seemingly take their place. And that moving target is set to move again: Since more searches now come from mobile platforms than desktops, Google will soon roll out a fully updated mobile-first index, which considers the mobile version of a website its primary version.

The toast of the social media world this week has been fast-food chain Wendy’s sassy backtalk to an annoying troll on Twitter. Most of the communicators we’ve spoken to would advise people running a brand’s Facebook or Twitter account to be meek and deferential to an agitator like this one. Why, then, has Wendy’s been showered with universal acclaim?

Shopping for a 2017 wall calendar for my office over the holiday break, I had a hard time deciding between the zoo animals in yoga poses, all things Tuscany, or an adult coloring calendar.  My… Continued

As the first person to live stream from all 50 U.S. states, Chris Strub has a great feel for what works and what falls flat when it comes to real-time video. PR News recently sat down with Strub to get his thoughts on live streaming best practices, where companies go wrong in their approach and how the industry will evolve in 2017.

Outdoor grill brand Char-Broil struck social media gold in 2016 with a 60-second sped-up video that showcased its Big Easy Oil-Less Turkey Fryer. The video, posted about two weeks before Thanksgiving, spread like wildfire, garnering more than 1.9 million views, 6,291 shares and 1,281 comments on Facebook alone. So, what made it so successful?

Video is now king on social media, and Facebook Live has emerged as a crown jewel, a powerful way for brands to reach and engage a larger audience in real-time. One of the earliest and most successful adopters of Facebook Live is NASA. And here, John Yembrick, NASA’s social media manager, offers best practices to optimize your live-streaming efforts.

If you’ve noticed more announcements at the top of your Facebook feed, it’s likely due to Facebook’s latest rollout, Moments. For various events, from lesser-known holidays to news to cultural moments, Facebook has added a card to the top of users’ feeds to keep them in the know and spark conversations. The feature is similar to Twitter’s Moments, but if 2016 has taught us anything, it’s that Facebook won’t hesitate to poach competitors’ most popular features (e.g. Instagram Stories, Facebook Live). Facebook has also unveiled an e-card feature for posting holiday cards to friends’ feeds.

Customer communities can be a powerful ally to any brand, offering a multiplier effect for your message that resounds throughout the web. But how can a brand harness the power of unpaid spokespeople to amplify its message and reach as much of its target audience as possible? The key is to convey a sense of shared purpose, be authentic and speak their language.

Skype, Houseparty, your days may be numbered: Facebook has now entered the arena. Its recent announcement enthuses that “Chatting face-to-face live as a group is perfect for those spontaneous moments when text just isn’t enough… or when you have a major case of FOMO.”

Celebrities: They’re just like us. At least when it comes to Snapchat perks, that is. Unlike other social platforms that serve as advertising opportunities for celebrity influencers, Snapchat has kept the influencer marketing door firmly shut. A ban on all paid influencer posts on the platform has helped boost Snap Inc.’s reputation as a bastion of raw, authentic content. This vacuum of celebrity endorsements on Snapchat creates a perfect opportunity for brand communicators seeking to experiment with posting more spontaneous, raw content.