Any business using social media to market their service or product is likely to experience frustration at some point or another. Constant changes, emerging channels and fickle users can sometimes make social media a monster to navigate. I think many business owners can identify with these two…
1. Facebook Algorithm Changes
Challenge: As if it wasn’t enough that Facebook changes constantly, the scale tipped with the December 2013 announcement that the channel revised the algorithm that determines which content is most prominently displayed in the newsfeeds of individual users. As a result, the organic (non-paid) reach of many of its pages, including business fan pages, has declined significantly in recent months. Simply put, business page owners are discovering that fewer and fewer of their existing fans see their posts.
Solution: Great content is still fundamental, but spending a few dollars will assure that your business is in an optimal position to succeed. The truth is, Facebook advertising can help achieve a variety of goals such as building a targeted following, increasing visibility, and driving website traffic. Some attractive options for advertisers include page Likes, Page Post Engagement (Boosting) and Clicks to Website – and all with a budget of as little as $1/day depending on goals. Click here to read more about these three Facebook advertising options.
2. Default Google Integration
Challenge: If you have a Gmail, YouTube, Google+ or a Google Local account, you know that Google loves to integrate all of its properties into one central location. This may appear like seamless integration, but for those who want to set up a new account for a channel you’re already using, this is a downright nightmare. Many folks are ending up with duplicate accounts that they are unable to merge or delete.
Solution: Frankly, Google made a mess of this, and there is no easy answer that I know of. Contacting customer service is usually more of a hassle than it’s worth. In some cases, Google can merge two duplicate Place or Local pages but only if the information supplied for both is still accurate. That’s not usually the case for those who later discover they have more than one account.
And YouTube is another story. I personally have nearly 70 videos in an old YouTube account – all of which I am unable to transfer to my current account without manually re-loading each and every one. By default, Google also set up a Google+ and Google Places account for each of these properties, leaving me with duplicate channels. I’ve researched this challenge extensively and can confirm this is a no-win situation. I’ve added a note at the top of the outdated Google+ channel referencing the current one, but I really have no idea how well that’s working.
There’s no black and white in social media. It’s constantly changing and evolving – and we just have to keep moving along with it. It’s also important to keep in mind that many other businesses are also experiencing similar social media growing pains. The key is to remain patient and consistent with our efforts.
