What can a business say about social media? Some consider social media a tool with tremendous opportunity to reach consumers, while others are not even sure how to approach social media strategy. Regardless, businesses agree that social media is as much of a mystery as it is a necessity.  There is no specific algorithm to being successful, and there is no post guaranteed to keep a brand relevant.  Success varies with content generated and shared, but is highly dependent upon reactions and engagement from consumers.

According to Fortune, within the next five years businesses are projected to allocate upwards of 25% of a marketing budget to social media strategy and content generation. Currently, about 9% of budgets are dedicated to social media.  The trick, both for the present and the future, is finding where these dollars are making a difference.  Upon evaluation, many company marketers struggle to see and articulate where their social media dollars made an impact.

That is not to say their efforts failed.  The results, or lack thereof, are interpreted as reflections of how quickly social media progresses.  To an extent, social media changes hour-by-hour, and it becomes the challenge of the company to match speed.  So, all this being said, how do businesses stand to work with, rather than struggle against, the breakneck speed of social media as it changes in 2015?

1)   Focus on optimization – Social media is not just a constant output of new information, it’s about the value of information and the ability to retain consumer attention and loyalty.  Rather than spending money on continually producing new campaigns, companies are looking to using metrics, which allows for efficient analysis of social media efforts. Sites like VidYard, SocialRank Index, Google Analytics, and Nimble monitor the impact of social media over the course of time, as well as offer comparisons to competition.

2)   Focus on personalization – Catering to the specific needs of consumers is paramount to utilizing social media in 2015, as targeting audiences through larger traditional media, such as TV, is no longer an efficient use of resources. Ads specific to consumers’ personal search history or purchase habits already pop up on popular social media, like Facebook, but the new wave of strategy deals with personalization across devices.  New advertising and social media obstacles include transferring advertisements from tablet to computer, as well as effectively using real time customer data to make the sale.

3)   Focus on mobile compatibility – Once considered the second stage of advertising, mobile as a platform is predicted to come into its own in 2015.  It is no secret that society is moving to mobile, with people on or using their phone almost every hour of the day. What does that mean for advertising? Independent strategies for independent devices, each with their own unique merit.  Easy-to-navigate interfaces and interactive content will define who stands out in the mobile realm.

While strategies may differ, there is no mistaking the domination of social media as a main component in marketing for the year ahead.  With the ability to reach an almost unlimited number of people, the flexibility to execute multimedia campaigns, and the capacity to be analyzed for effectiveness, social media remains a rapidly growing powerhouse in business strategy.

Did you hear? Of course you did. You are on Facebook after all. Apple announced today it’s latest and greatest product: Apple Watch.

Even if Apple isn’t known for coming up with the most revolutionary product ideas, they are known for perfecting them, so this may be something to get excited about.

Purchasing this tiny interface for approximately 350 bucks will give you access to new technologies such as Force Touch – where the touch screen senses the difference between a push and a tap – and Taptic Engine – where you not only hear, but also feel the difference between types of notifications.

Apple Watch will be laced with functions such as constant heart rate monitoring and location identification. Sync your Apple Watch with your Apple Pay™ account, as well as with your Apple TV®, and you’ll never need to dig for cash or pick up a remote ever again. Just one big, happy Apple family of products.

When is Apple Watch coming to stores near you? Early 2015. Just in time to make you feel bad about your Christmas gift.

P.S. Why isn’t it called Apple iWatch?

Read more about the product here.

 

The yet-to-be-released iPhone app Knozen won’t inform you whether or not your coworkers think you’re attractive, but it will tell what they think of your other (good and bad) qualities.

Interestingly, the Knozen founder Marc Cenedella believes this app will help employees improve their work ethic and personalities after being reviewed on Knozen.

For example, if your coworkers rated you using this personality app, and your physical appearance was taken out of the equation, finding the answers to questions you didn’t know to ask like, “Am I friendly at work?” and “Am I lazy?” may actually help you improve yourself.

This app has been in the works for about a year with $2.25 million in startup costs.

How do we think this new app will affect the workplace? Not sure. But we do know one thing: This glass door mentality sure will keep the water cooler busy.

If you’re interested in downloading this app, sign up here to be notified when it’s released!

“Just Google it.”

We bet every one of our followers understands that phrase. Google is by far the leading search engine in the world, and in the past few years has become a leader in social networking as well, encroaching on Facebook’s territory of connecting online.

Yesterday, Google announced Google My Business – a free service that consolidates the confusing process of registering your business on Google Maps, Google Search and Google+. If you’ve already “claimed” your business on Google, this change will just be an upgrade. For those who have yet to “Get of Google,” you’ll have a better experience than if you’d registered a week ago.

We are particularly excited about this upgrade in the PR world because businesses will now be able to respond directly to their Google reviews! Plus, you can update your business followers similarly to Facebook with industry news, interesting photos, company events while interacting with customers and other businesses.

Want to try it out for your own business? Go to www.google.com/business and let us know how it goes on our Google+ page! Happy connecting!

P.S. If you’ve had a great experience with Liquid or our staff, review us on Google here!

 

Until the past few years, social media seemed to belong exclusively within the territory of tech savvy teens using sites like Twitter, Facebook and WordPress to deliver their thoughts to a (supposed) audience.

Now, it seems that there has been an overnight revolution in the way businesses, both Fortune 500 companies and tiny start-ups alike, are viewing social media. Companies are realizing that social media is more than a side errand that brings negligible traffic, but a platform to attain a digital presence and increase visibility.

This is the age where droves of consumers are turning to the Internet to find dinner recommendations, product and service reviews and vacation rentals. Scratching out your own digital space is easier and less expensive than other marketing strategies, but can drive visibility, traffic and sales.

Gain Exposure to a Varied Demographic

Social media, particularly Facebook, allows your company to specifically target certain demographics. Reach young women on Instagram, Tumbler and Pinterest. Find business professionals on Google+ and LinkedIn. Denny’s official Tumbler has recently gone viral for not only their mouth-watering pictures of pancakes and bacon, but also for their quirky and witty posts that have reached thousands of “reblogs” and “likes.”

Build Brand Awareness

Promote your products and services online, every day! Cheerwine reminds their fans on Facebook that their drink is tasty and appropriate for any time of the day, as well as offering Cheerwine discounts and encouraging them to support their favorite brand #MasonDixonMadness.

Engage Directly with Consumers and Potential Customers

Online users can now retweet Amazon and add their satisfaction (or lack of) with their most recent purchase. This feedback and modern-day “word-of-mouth” helps this online mogul thrive.

Social media has been around for a while now, and advertising there is on the rise. What is your favorite social media advertising tactic? What annoys you? What’s effective to you? Share your thoughts on our Facebook wall!

After a winter of hibernation indoors at our computers (yes, Floridians feel the need to hibernate too), we’re spending more time outside enjoying the beautiful weather. With the sunshine comes perspective, and many of us at Liquid Creative Studio have felt the need to de-clutter our lives. And by our lives, we mean our virtual lives.

If you’re a slave to your computer, why not make it a more pleasant place to be?

Desktop: Trash and refresh

If you have the same desktop background that you had LAST spring, but you can barely see it anymore because of all the files, this tip is for you. Spend 30 minutes today creating folders, organizing the files and deleting the ones you don’t need anymore. Then find an image online that makes you happy (we recommend www.wallpaperswide.com) and change it out every few months.

Email: Clear out the inbox(es)

Thousands (and thousands) of emails have piled in our inboxes this year. Not only is it slowing our server down, it’s making the “search” tool less handy. If being subscribed to too many newsletters and promotions is your problem, use www.unroll.me to unsubscribe from them all at once. When I did it, it took me off almost 60 lists!

Facebook: De-friend unhappiness

Many of us are slaves to Facebook. If you feel the need to check it every day, at least make sure it’s uplifting. Connecting with people and sharing your awesome life online is great, but make sure you’re not being brought down by other people.

We’ll be spending this month clearing out the old to focus on the new, and we hope you do too! Let us know on our Facebook page how it improves your life.

Where did we get this brilliant idea to de-clutter our virtual lives? We were inspired by Bianca Strzelczyk. Check out her blog post here: De-clutter Your (Virtual) Life.

 

The weather’s getting hotter, the days are getting longer and vacations are being booked, which can only mean one thing. It’s almost summertime! By Florida standards, at least. For smaller businesses, all the excitement and activity of summer is the perfect time to revamp their social media presence.

Social media is one of the best ways for businesses with limited advertising budgets to stay connected with customers. By being part of Twitter, Facebook and other widely used platforms, businesses can keep their publics updated and informed – even when business might be slow.

Keep your accounts updated

Many businesses are on social media but post very irregularly. Make a goal to post an interesting news article, business update or special at least once a day. Include a link or picture with every single post because it’s proven to increase fan engagement. Don’t get discouraged if you have little engagement at first. As your fan count grows, adjust to producing the content they want to read. The Facebook Analytics feature is great for gauging what that content is.

Join a new social media site

Being involved with multiple social media sites is always a plus because it improves your SEO, or search engine optimization, and makes current and potential customers find you more easily online. If you have your Facebook presence on lockdown, consider expanding to Twitter or Pinterest.

Be engaging

We recommend downloading the “Facebook Pages Managers” application on your smart phone so you get notifications when anyone comments on or messages your company page. As your fan count grows and more people interact on your page, you’ll need a fast response time to keep them engaged. And don’t be afraid to ask your fans questions. “How is everyone’s summer going?” shows that you’re interested in two-way communication and gives the opportunity to know fans on a personal level.

We strongly recommend using innovative methods to connect with fans on Facebook. Hosting contests, highlighting employees and tagging them in the posts, and offering specials are a few proven ways to maximize your social media presence.

The viral-video website, Upworthy, has been the topic of conversation in today’s social media-driven society. So, what is all the buzz about? Upworthy offers anything from inspirational videos to thought-provoking political fares to get you thinking about what really matters in life.

Haven’t heard of it? Well, here’s a little insight to fill you in:

“Things that matter. Pass ‘em on.”

Two sentences. Six words. One successful mission.

The purpose of Upworthy is not to generate traffic to their site, but to generate traffic on social media. Each week, Upworthy browses the Internet for videos highlighting important issues, revamps them, and voilà – a million hits.

Trending just about everywhere

A better question: how haven’t you heard of it? In June, Fast Company reported that almost two years after its June 2012 launch, its up to 22 million monthly viewers. It’s trending on Tumblr, Twitter, and predominantly Facebook.

Its secret is in the “curiosity gap.” The idea is to post a headline long enough to tell the story, but not enough to give it all away. As an example, here’s a video posted recently to market the dangers of speeding:

They thought they were hanging out with friends, but ended up attending their own funeral

It’s good, eh? You can appreciate it even if you don’t speak French.

Upworthy vs. Buzzfeed: Who does it better?

Its largest competitor, by far, is Buzzfeed – the other largescale social news and entertainment website. Buzzfeed’s endless stream of quizzes and clever GIFs can be seen constantly circulating through social media. Although highly entertaining, after the millionth “Which character are you?” quiz, you’ll welcome the counterweight offered by Upworthy.

Food for thought

What’s my point, exactly? Choose to focus on the good, relevant and meaningful. At best, I hope the site will brighten your day. At worst, you’ve gained a few topics of conversation.

Meet the author: