Social Media Archives

Should Merchants Sell on Social Platforms?

August 29, 2018 • Marcia Kaplan

Social media networks foster deeper customer relationships than standalone ecommerce sites, according to some marketers. However, except for younger, mobile-focused shoppers, social commerce has not gained a foothold.

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All Products with Photos Have a Place on Pinterest

August 26, 2018 • Michael Stancil

Pinterest and I have a long history. Back in 2013, I was one of the most followed men on Pinterest, with over 1.8 million followers. I pinned about men’s style.

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9 Tools to Sell Products on Instagram

August 13, 2018 • Sig Ueland

Instagram offers companies the opportunity to showcase physical products to many engaged followers. And with the right tools, businesses can make those product images shoppable. Here’s a list of tools to sell products on Instagram.

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Instagram: The Ad Channel Your Parents Aren’t On (Yet)

July 29, 2018 • Michael Stancil

It’s hard to believe Facebook is no longer the cool network. Instagram and Snapchat appeal to the younger crowd. The process for advertising on Instagram is the essentially the same as on Facebook.

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See Competitors’ Ads on Facebook and Twitter

July 4, 2018 • Robert Brady

Anyone can now see what ads are being run by a Facebook page and what tweets are being promoted by a Twitter account. This is hugely helpful competitive intelligence for ...

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Do-it-yourself Instagram Guide for Lifestyle Brands

June 14, 2018 • Viktoria Kanevsky

Instagram is a critical social network for fashion and lifestyle merchants, for two reasons. First is brand representation. Branding is how consumers perceive a company. Instagram is mainly visual — images ...

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Navigating Changes to Facebook Ads

May 27, 2018 • Michael Stancil

In the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook is running its own advertising campaign. The ads proclaim how terrible Facebook was, how it compromised your data, and how it’s ...

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The Six Simple Principles of Viral Marketing

May 5, 2018 • Dr. Ralph F. Wilson

Viral marketing describes any strategy that encourages individuals to pass on a marketing message to others, creating the potential for exponential growth in the message's exposure and influence. Like viruses, such strategies take advantage of rapid multiplication to explode the message to thousands, to millions.

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Getting Reacquainted with LinkedIn Ads

April 19, 2018 • Michael Stancil

Advertising on LinkedIn has come a long way. But the platform still isn’t getting the attention it deserves. Until now. With Facebook’s data controversy and the renewed concerns about online privacy, advertisers ...

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High-performing Facebook Ad Placements (in 4 Steps)

March 23, 2018 • Michael Stancil

In 2018, Facebook ads can appear on Facebook itself, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and the Audience Network. Facebook is no longer a one-option platform. Advertisers must now keep a close eye on how their ads render on all platforms. Otherwise, you might be wasting money. Consider Instagram and Messenger, for example.

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For Digital Ads, Minimal Text Converts the Best

March 9, 2018 • Michael Stancil

When it comes to digital advertising, less is more. Ad platforms such as Google AdWords, Twitter, and Facebook have character limits. And that's good. No matter how complicated your product or how compelling your offer, brevity nearly always produces more conversions, in my experience.

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Facebook Product Feed Ads: Not Just for Remarketing

February 26, 2018 • Michael Stancil

Product feed ads for remarketing are seemingly everywhere on Facebook. And that makes sense because if a merchant can show a potential customer the exact product she viewed or added to the cart, why wouldn’t it? It’s a no-brainer, which is why it’s time to set up those ads if you haven't already. However, while product feed ads are good for remarketing, they also can be compelling prospecting tools.

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13 Social Media Plugins for WordPress

February 12, 2018 • Sig Ueland

Here is a list of social media plugins for WordPress. There are sharing plugins to connect your website to a wide selection of social networks. There are also plugins with specific features, such as a social locker and a social metrics dashboard. Most of these plugins are free, though many have premium plans.

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The State of Social Advertising and Tracking

February 9, 2018 • Michael Stancil

What a year 2017 was for social advertising and tracking. What stayed the same, what’s new, and what is on the horizon? Let’s get into it. UTM links are still crucial to understanding ad performance. We may never move beyond UTM tags, or any query parameter tracking for that matter. The reason is simple.

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12 New Social Media Tools for 2018

January 29, 2018 • Sig Ueland

Improve your social media marketing this year with a slew of new tools. Create content to promote your brand, engage with customers, and track your success. Here is a list of new social media tools for 2018. There are tools to create infographics, stories, contests, and video and audio elements. There are also tools to communicate with customers, edit links on social media, and even purchase branded content from creators.

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100 million Russians use social media every day

November 2, 2017 • Maksim Komonov

Roughly 100 million people in Russia visit at least one social network every day. The most visited social networks in Russia are as follows, in order. VKontakte YouTube Odnoklassniki Facebook Instagram Twitter The audiences strongly differ. Eighty ...

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105 Leading Social Networks Worldwide

September 27, 2017 • Gagan Mehra

Much has changed since 2015 when we last updated our list leading social media sites. Many more social networks have been launched. Some have been discontinued. This post will list all leading English-language social networks as of Sept. 2017. It will also indicate social networks that were added since the 2015 article, by placing “(New)” beside the name.

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11 New Social Networks for 2017

July 24, 2017 • Sig Ueland

Exploring new social networks can help you find ways to talk with your customers or team members and discover new places to promote your brand. It will also help you ...

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23 Instagram Tools to Connect with Shoppers

June 26, 2017 • Sig Ueland

Instagram is a platform for inspiring images. For businesses, it can be a good place to convey a brand’s story and connect with consumers. Here is a list of tools for ...

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11 New Video Tools in Social Media

May 10, 2017 • Sig Ueland

In the rush to become destinations for online video content, social media platforms are releasing a flurry of new tools and improvements for publishers and viewers. Many of these updates ...

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15 Social Media Updates for Merchants

March 27, 2017 • Sig Ueland

By following updates on social media platforms, brands can discover new features to run all aspects of a business. Here is a list of recent updates from social media platforms.

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Pinterest: 7 Tips to Promote Your Ecommerce Business

March 13, 2017 • Armando Roggio

Pinterest is a powerful social media channel for online retailers. It’s worth the time to build a good Pinterest profile, create active boards, and engage with some of the platform’s ...

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12 Tools for Snapchat Marketing

February 27, 2017 • Sig Ueland

Snapchat, the disappearing messages app, may have started as a novelty for millennials. But with over 150 million daily users, and innovative new ad tools like Geofilters and Sponsored Lenses,

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13 New Social Media Tools for 2017

February 21, 2017 • Sig Ueland

Social media platforms and tools change quickly. Here is a list of new social media tools to try in 2017. There are tools to generate and curate content, launch and measure ...

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Designing Pinterest Posts That Encourage Clicks

February 3, 2017 • Armando Roggio

Pinterest provides online marketers many opportunities to engage potential customers, including encouraging clicks to products or content. While the act of creating pins is an art, there are practices that ...

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6 Steps to Plan Social Media Ads for 2017

December 20, 2016 • Michael Stancil

With 2016 nearly complete, it’s time to start planning social media advertising for 2017. We don’t necessarily need to plan the entire year. But anything less than three months at ...

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10 Exceptional Social Media Campaigns in 2016

December 19, 2016 • Sig Ueland

An exceptional social media campaign can generate real results for a brand, whether the goal is to create buzz, promote a product, or raise awareness for a cause. Here is a ...

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Using Facebook’s Dynamic Product Ads to Move Holiday Inventory

December 7, 2016 • Michael Stancil

The holiday season is here. For many retailers, it’s the home stretch for selling inventory. Retailers that sell more than one product are often put in a tight spot: How ...

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Social Media Holiday Ads: 7 Steps to (Quickly) Prepare

November 13, 2016 • Michael Stancil

Millions of holiday shoppers will soon start looking for deals. Will your social media ads be there to meet them? If not, your sales will likely see a small bump ...

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How to Hire a Freelancer (for Social Media Marketing)

October 13, 2016 • Michael Stancil

Advertising on Facebook and other social media sites requires time and expertise. But ecommerce merchants often lack one or the other; they sometimes struggle with optimizing paid social media campaigns. The answer for ...