Facebook has played a big part in social media strategy in the last 10 years or so. However, Facebook has been changing it’s strategy every year leaving marketers dissecting Mark Zuckeberg’s new plan and adjusting accordingly. As it stands today, Facebook is a platform that thrives on people connecting with their audience, NOT on content. So what are marketers to do now?
There are a few key messages that stuck out at me from Social Media Marketing World last month, and one of those messages was that it is ALL about making connections with a smaller number of people.
We all believe that BIGGER = BETTER. But that is not the case anymore. BETTER > BIGGER.
“Making a big impact on a smaller number of people is more important than making a small impact on many people”- Michael Stelzner
As a marketer, you have to get better at helping people even if they’re not your customers. You have to be able to influence. To influence, you have to connect with people.
3 Ways to Connect
- Stories
Show up and share moments. Mark Zuckerberg said “We want to go from a Feed only world to a Feed + Stories world”. So he wants us to do more stories and that is what will get the most push on Facebook and Instagram
• 62% of marketers are not using Insta Stories…this is a great opportunity for you!!
• Insta stories grew from 100 million users in October 2016 to 500 million users in February 2019.
• Stories allows you to nurture people. It is designed to not be perfect and that’s OK [vulnerability].
• It disappears in 24 hours so if people are interested, they’re going to watch right then and there, or it’s gone.
• You can add your best ones to your highlights and they will stay there forever.
• Conversations are private - Live Video
51% of marketers are not using live videos…again, a great opportunity!!!
• For Facebook, 62% of live videos are over 10 minutes long,, and 75% of live videos are under 20 minutes. It does not need to be a full scale production.
• What matters most with live video is to interact with watchers.
• It’s the closest thing to a live event.
• It’s raw, real and intimate [authentic and vulnerable].
• It humanizes your brand.“When people know, like and trust you, they become customers”. - YouTube
YouTube has more completion video watch than Facebook. On Facebook, people drop off at 11 seconds for Social Media Examiner, the organization that puts on Social Media Marketing World every year. On YouTube, about 25% of viewers complete the video. The difference in actual number of people who watch on YouTube vs. Facebook, was 34 times higher on YouTube!!Facebook doesn’t want passive video watch. They want you to keep scrolling and they’re constantly sending you notifications to keep moving on the platform. That’s why longer form video does not work on Facebook.
- 81 % of Facebook users, are also on YouTube.
- 1.9 billion monthly users
- 1 billion hours of watching, daily!
- 43% of marketers don’t regularly use YouTube…great opportunity
- YouTube makes it very easy for people to continue watching your videos with the playlists
- No distractions
- You have end cards on YouTube, an ad for another video in the last 60 seconds of your video
- The bell will send subscribers emails when you post a new video
- Facebook doesn’t do any of this. You’re lucky if your fans see a video of yours at all
- YouTube is a search engine. People go looking for something specific to watch.
- AND, YouTube is owned by THE largest search engine!! When people search for something on Google, it is likely a YouTube video will come up. You never see a Facebook post or an Instagram video come up in the search results.
YouTube is where you will be able to influence more people because they will actually watch your videos on that platform. They will spend A LOT of time with your content, trust you and listen to your advice, and they will become connected to you.
The common thread in these 3 Ways to Connect with Your Audience is VIDEO. So yes, you’re freaking out about this, so am I. But we’re going to have to step into this new, scary way of marketing and hit record.
Which of these methods of connecting with your audience will you implement this year?
Source: Michael Stelzner Keynote, Social Media Marketing World 2019
