Your social media marketing strategy needs another update this month! Last month, we've seen how the new Panda algorithm from Google could impact low-quality content websites, as well as how to associate keywords to your pins on Pinterest.
This month again, a lot of new features need to be taken into account, and, because it's World Cup time, we have added a few stats on "the most social event in history" and how as a brand, you can still find your place for the last 10 days of craziness in Brazil.
Important updates on social media for Facebook, Google+, Pinterest
A new format of advertising on the right-hand column (RHC) for Facebook. Bigger pictures with a similar ratio than the Newsfeed, with a much higher CTR. Do review your ads to make it nice and more efficient!
Facebook right hand column ads new size 2014 martin pasquier agence tesla asia social media agency singapore
Google+ is releasing its Analytics, so that you can see the visibility, engagement and audience of whatever you publish there. Don't forget! As part of the Google family, anything you do there will have an impact on SEO, still an important part of your online visibility and reputation
Pinterest launches self-serving ads for SMEs, you can now promote your Pins : )
Picture size on social media (updated on July 2014)
Here you go for the latest picture size you should know about, yes, they change every time, and yes, it's a pain for us just to collect this information, so share and spread the word to look the best you can be online.
Twitter:
Profile pic: 400 x 400 px Cover photo: 1500 x 500 px
Stream images: 440 x 220 px, Vertically centered with a radius of 2:1 No larger than 3MB
(max 1024 x 512, 2:1)
Facebook:
Profile pic: 180 x 180 px
Cover photo: 851 x 315 px
App photo: 111 x 74
Timeline: 1200 x 1200 px
Instagram:
Cover photo:
(max) 2048 x 2048 px
(min) 612 x 612 px
YouTube:
Cover photo: 2560 x 1440 px
Google+:
Profile pic: No change, 250 x 250 px
Cover photo: (max) 2120 x 1192 px
(min) 480 x 270 px
Pinterest:
Profile: 165 x 165 px
(max 600 x 600 px)
LinkedIn:
Company Logo Horizontal: (max) 100 x 60 px
Company Logo Square: (max) 50 x 50 px
We'll be in the "Hot Seat" at the Hub in Singapore this July, every Monday from 6pm to 8pm. If you want a free consulting session of 30min, do join the Hub and book a slot!
Have a great July, go France for the World Cup and see you in August!
Agence Tesla Asia
The Patch - Social media updates July 2014: New Facebook RHC Ads, Google My Business, Pinterest ads, World Cup on social media
1. THEPATCH
Social media new features/updates for marketers.July 2014.
World Cup Social Fever. Africa’s Booming Social Media Industry.
New FB Pages Layout. Google My Business. Pinterest ads for SMEs
Social Media Picture Size Updates July 2014.
There’s so much going on, but fret not we’ve got you covered.
Read on, Agence Tesla willl show you the way.
2. Social Media Kick Off!
World Cup 2014 has been
dubbed the
“most social event in history”
It generates about
350,000 tweets per day
Global events like the World Cup are great opportunities for big and
small businesses alike to engage with their customers. Find out how
to make the most of such events in the next page.
6.9 million – the number of World Cup ad shares,
31.4% more than Superbowl
Approximately
500m of Facebook’s 1.28bn
users are soccer enthusiasts
3. World Cup: Lessons learnt
1) Your brand may not even be remotely
sports related, but you can tie in World
Cup references in your content to keep
things funny yet relevant.
2) Focus your campaign on just a
few key platforms
3) Capitalise on the emotionally-charged
atmosphere surrounding games – e.g
ask your followers who they support,
cheer & celebrate with them (or not, if
you’re into England or Spain)
4) Plan content in advance – Saves
you panic during the hectic season
5) Real-time – With planned content,
you can focus on responding to games
and developments in the cup as they
occur. “Striking while the iron is hot”
has never been more true.
4. Africa’s Social Media Industry
Valued at $14bn and expected
to contribute
$230bn of Africa’s GDP in 2025
Penetration only at 16% but
already sees 80 tweets
generated per minute
Poised to be the
“largest working population of any continent by 2020”,
Africa will be a large global force in the years to come,
especially in Social Media. So keep close watch!
Creating jobs for many young
people in the 18-34 age
bracket
5. Twitter now allows users to share and play GIFs
(Graphics Interchange Format)
GIFs are a great way to inspire emotion or a
response from viewers (typically laughter),
generating higher transaction-to-click rates
Tip: Use GIFs to accompany calls to action.
They can inject a sense of humor to tweet content and build
rapport between you and your customer. This makes them
more receptive to your calls to action.
Twitter: GIF Support
New media to engage followers with
6. Twitter is testing out the use of the
full 140 character limit with Retweet
Comments
Previously, the RT itself would have taken
up many characters, leaving little room for
comments
Tip: Ask questions in your tweets. Make them
quirky/funny but still tied to your brand. This will
encourage RTing AND a comment at the same time.
Look out for this feature to be formally rolled out
– we’ll keep you updated!
Twitter: Retweet with Comment
Full 140c to add your own response to a RT
7. Facebook:Oops..Slingshot
One accidental launch later, this Snapchat-like app is now official
Facebook launches Slingshot, a Snapchat-like
app, internationally
Like Snapchat, Slingshot will give brands a chance to
promote themselves visually in a light-hearted,
instantaneous manner.
Slingshot requires users to send a picture of
themselves before they can view a message.
Tip: Much like Snapchat, send out messages that
challenge your followers (“Get to our store and snap a
shot”). Take it easy, make it fun and creative.The future of Slingshot and its usefulness for brands
is still uncertain at this point, but look out for more
updates in this newsletter in the months to come!
8. Facebook:Interest-based Ads
Enhanced targeting with browsing history data
Facebook announced it would
track users’ web and activity.
Ads seen on Facebook will be
tailored to users’ interests
based on their browsing history
beyond the Facebook site.
Expect greater reach with your Facebook ads!
Note: Users can still opt out of tracking. At
present, only data from logged-in users is
collected.
9. Facebook:New Pages Layout
Viewing and managing Pages just got easier
Facebook revamps their Pages layout,
making it both more viewer and
advertiser-friendly
Posts are now arranged linearly like the
timeline in personal accounts.
Page stats easily accessed at the top
right hand corner of the page
You can feature TWO apps in the
main menu.
On the main page…
Tips:
Make sure your cover image doesn’t obscure your
overlaid Like and Subscribe buttons.
Images on the new Page timeline are 20% bigger than
before. Get your image sizes right in our handy size guide
later in this issue!
Like and Subscribe buttons will overlay
your cover image
10. Facebook:New Pages Layout
Viewing and managing Pages just got easier
Tip: The new layout certainly makes it more
easier than before to interact with your
Page followers. Take some time to respond
to reviews and fan posts.
Fan posts displayed with comment button
Reviews also displayed in the left column
Facebook revamps their Pages layout,
making it both more viewer and
advertiser-friendly
On the left column…
New tools…
Full page view of reviews allows you to
delete reviews, respond to them directly,
and sift through them according to the
ratings given
Mysterious tools…
Under the People Who Like This
tab, there are two new
categories – Valuable and
Irrelevant. It is currently unclear
what these are for.
11. Facebook: Right-column ads
Better look for even better engagement
What this means for you:
You no longer need a separate image or
copy for column ads
Cost Per Impression may rise
BUT showing only 1-2 ad units ensures
users notice your ad
So Cost Per Action goes down
New right-column ads…
…Are larger in size
…Have similar proportions as desktop News Feed ads
…Will only show 1-2 ad units at a time
…Shown a 3x increase in engagement in tests
12. New editing features include:
brightness, contrast, saturation, warmth
Tip:
Play around with these tools to
find out which filters and settings
work best for your brand’s look
You can also try out other editing
apps such as VSCO Cam.
Instagram: App Update
New editing features
13. Instagram: Using Video
Making the most out of this great marketing tool
Instagram Video has been out for awhile now,
so here are some ideas to help you unleash
your inner mobile cinematographer:
Stop-motion
Product Demo
Make a slideshow (e.g new product releases)
Behind the scenes look at your brand’s
operations
Happy experimenting!
Tip: Don’t worry too much about expressing everything
in one photo/video. Use a mix of both video and photo
media to tell a story. This will keep followers hooked!
14. New analytics tell you:
How your pins are performing
Which pins/boards get the most
impressions, clicks and repins
Which pins may drive
engagement across various
platforms beyond twitter
More detailed insights
Pinterest: Analytics Refreshed
Tip: Don’t simply rehash popular pins. Take their key
features and combine them with new types of pins
15. Pinterest:Promoted Pins
Now rolled out for small businesses
Previously, Pinterest released promoted pins
for prominent brands.
Now this feature is available for small
businesses in DIY form
Simply choose any pin of yours to promote
Promoted pins will be on a cost-per-click basis
Tip: Use the data from new Pinterest
analytics to identify pins to promote
16. YouTube: Victorious Apps
One-stop content platform for Youtubers
Victorious: A newly-launched platform that
allows YouTube content creators to
consolidate their various social media
accounts into branded, customisable apps.
Supports in-app purchases and transactions
Gives YouTubers more control over the
monetization of their personal brand
YouTubers on board so far include
Michelle Phan and Ryan Higa
If these apps really pick up, consider advertising on them
as they may be the new hubs of high-traffic social content.
17. Google+:Platform Insights
Analytics for your Google+ Page
Data from Insights tells you:
Visibility – post views, duration of views, impression trends
Engagement – shows which posts get the most
engagement on your G+
Audience – overview of G+ follower demographics
Integrated with Google My Business
(More on the next page!)
18. Google+:Google My Business
One dashboard for all your business’ Google needs
Google My Business
allows you to do the following all in one platform:
Update your business info i.e location, contact
details etc
Add photos + virtual tour
Share news, posts and events
View Google Insights stats
Easily view web reviews of your brand/product
(Comment function also available for Google reviews)
Do look out for the Google My Business
app launching soon, making it easier to
manage your business page on the go!
19. Google:Search Ads
Yay or Nay?
A recent study by ebay suggests that search
ads have “no measurable benefits”
Most click traffic and sales were captured by
natural search instead
What this means for you
Save money on search ads, and try to
achieve better natural search rankings
through good SEO practices.
We can help you with that!
20. LinkedIn: New Layout
Exclusive to Premium members
New profile layout:
Cover photo
Cleaner typography
Larger profile pictures
Profile Search optimisation (SEO-style)
Note: Only available for Premium
profiles, particularly
Premium Spotlight - $10/mth
Tip: The new profile is much like a Facebook page. Try to
maintain consistency in LinkedIn and other platforms
including Facebook. But exercise caution as your target
audience for LinkedIn may differ greatly from that of
Facebook
21. Tinder: Fun for Singles
Fun for businesses too!
Tinder is a fast-growing
dating app, making about
10m matches per day
Users view profiles and
swipe left to “pass” or
swipe right to “like”.
Matches occur when two
parties like each other.
They can then start a
conversation Ads for Tinder will be rolled out
by the end of the year. We’ll
keep you posted!
22. Foursquare: Swarm Ads!
Three ad products to generate some buzz
Last month, we talked about how
Foursquare split itself into two.
We told you to stay tuned for the roll-out of ads
on Swarm and here they are!
3 ad products:
1) Promoted places when one opens the app
2) Place-based ads after checking in
3) Audience Network – anonymous data for
targeting purposes
Ads currently available to large firms such as
P&G and Volvo, but we can expect options for
smaller businesses soon!
23. Twitter:
Profile pic: 400 x 400 px
Cover photo: 1500 x 500 px
Stream images: 440 x 220 px,
Vertically centered with a radius
of 2:1 No larger than 3MB
(max 1024 x 512, 2:1)
Facebook:
Profile pic: 180 x 180 px
Cover photo: 851 x 315 px
App photo: 111 x 74
Timeline: 1200 x 1200 px
Pages timeline: 511 px width
(vs 403 px before)
July 2014
Social Media Image Sizes
Tip: Use the
Grid Tool before putting
up an ad to make sure
your ad is within the 20%
text limit. Saves you the
hassle of redoing it later.
24. Social Media Image Sizes
G+:
Profile pic: No change, 250 x 250 px
Cover photo: (max) 2120 x 1192 px
(min) 480 x 270 px
YouTube:
Cover photo: 2560 x 1440 px
Instagram:
Cover photo:
(max) 2048 x 2048 px
(min) 612 x 612 px
Pinterest:
Profile: 165 x 165 px
(max 600 x 600 px)
LinkedIn:
Company Logo Horizontal: (max) 100 x 60 px
Company Logo Square: (max) 50 x 50 px
July 2014
25. Thanks!
Agence Tesla, a social media agency in Singapore and Paris
Martin.pasquier@agencetesla.com
Follow us on Twitter @agencetesla or www.agencetesla.asia
Why “The Patch”? In computing, a “patch” is a software update to correct bugs, improve performance or
update a program. We want to “patch” marketers with the latest curated social media new features.
The Patch - Social media updates for marketers from
Agence Tesla Asia
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