Neil Patel, co-founder of KISSmetrics, compares blogging to fishing — some people are hauling in their catch, and others can’t seem to even get a nibble. Patel offers some tips for making successful blog posts and warns against popular pitfalls:
- Cute/confusing headlines — Since the post headline appears in search engine results, feed readers, and in subject lines, make sure it is clear and concise in explaining the following post, no matter how tempting a clever play on words may be.
- Forgetting links — Linking to original authors can expand your network, deepen discussion, and give your post authority. Backlinking to your own material is also important, giving your old pages and keywords an extra boost.
- Lack of social media presence — Facebook and Twitter can be great promotional platforms for any of your new posts. Use this kind of networking to get more eyes on your blog posts.
- Not inviting readers to comment — Sometimes some encouragement can help kick off a discussion. Comments can help provide depth and credibility to a blog, and you can reel them in by asking for feedback, or concluding articles with a question that readers can answer.
Facebook Growth Slowing, Twitter’s Taking Off
For the first time in years, Facebook’s growth rate is dipping into the single digits. After 38% growth in 2010 and 13% in 2011, estimates say growth will dip further in 2012.
Twitter’s growth, on the other hand, doesn’t show signs of dropping off any time soon. In 2010, it grew 23%, while 2011 was even more impressive with a 31% increase. And 2011 was the year it officially overtook Facebook in terms of new users.
Check out the projections through 2014:
Twitter Expands Searchable Archive to Two Years
Previously, companies were only able to search and analyze roughly one month of tweets. Twitter has recently changed that time limit to two years. Now businesses will be able to take a comprehensive look at tweets, responses, and competitors over a span of years.
Steve Olenski, a creative marketer with 20 years under his belt, says that DataSift is the first tool being offered that can sort through your 24 months of Twitter interactions. “You may then want to get patient… real patient as [DataSift has] over 1,000 anxious, licking-their-chops companies waiting to use their service,” he says.
Since there are an estimated 250 million tweets each day, attempting to analyze two years’ worth of information is an overwhelming task. Olenski thinks that, despite the sheer amount of data, companies will still be able to glean information that will help them better understand their following.
Keeping a Positive Social Mindset
The social media world is demanding, fast-paced, and constantly changing. Pam Moore, founder and CEO of FruitZoom, Inc., and author of two bestselling books, says that maintaining a healthy mindset is critical. Remembering these things can help you keep your head above water:
- No overnight success — Building a socially strong business is a time-consuming task that requires commitment. There are no tricks or shortcuts that can make you successful in an instant.
- Social business is always evolving — People who dedicate their lives to social media are still learning more about what it means to us and how we interact with it. There is not going to be roadmap for this aspect of communication for quite some time, so prepare for trial and error.
- Social media is not about you — Moore says to “think teams and community, not silos, interruption marketing and spam coupons.”
- You can’t control the conversation — There is no way to guarantee that every comment is going to make you look good. Instead of trying to control negative feedback, try and learn from it, even if it stings.
- Social media is not your savior — A strong social presence can improve a well-functioning business. But if your business is struggling to stay afloat, social media is not going to save you.
Image by eMarketer, used under Fair Use: Reporting.