Author: Cheryl Perry

For businesses that use Twitter as a social media platform, managing multiple accounts will become easier. According to Social Media Today, a user recently noticed a function that allowed switching between accounts that looked similar to Instagram and Facebook’s profile-switching function. There is no timeline for when Twitter will fully implement this, but social media managers should be relieved knowing that this change will be coming soon.

Who Does This Change Affect?

Social media managers who handle multiple accounts need to stay extremely organized to make sure that social media posts are not published to the wrong accounts. There are certain tools that managers can use to browse and interact with relevant content from the different accounts. In addition to the interaction, these tools also help managers to participate in “social listening,” which means to keep track of any discussions about the brand and its competitors on social media. Although the tools are very helpful, they may not be the timeliest option. This change from Twitter will prevent managers from having to repeatedly log in and out to switch accounts which will save an ample amount of time.

What Will This Look Like?

If managers are logged into multiple accounts, there will be an arrow next to their profile picture. Once they click on the arrow, a drop down menu will appear listing the different accounts they manage which will look a lot like the Facebook Business Pages’ function. From here, managers will choose the account they would like to interact from and go on to “like” and “retweet” the posts relevant to that account.

Social media trends change rapidly and Crescere Digital is here to help you stay up-to-date on the latest changes. Our team implements the best practices into our social media services to ensure our clients are connecting with the right audience. Contact us to find out how we can help to elevate your business’s social media presence.

SOURCE: Social Media Today, HubSpot Blog

Organizing posts in Facebook groups have gotten easier with the new “Post Topics” tool. Facebook began to notice how difficult it was to search for a specific post in a group once it was buried in the discussions of other posts. Although only one topic can be added to each post, this feature will help users narrow down the posts to find the one they are looking for.

Who Can Add Topics?

Only admins or moderators will be able to create, edit and delete post topics for the group. Once topics are created, group members will be able to add a topic to any post they have written. Users are strongly encouraged to utilize this new tool, but is not required in order to publish a post. These topics will simply sort the posts within a group to ensure members have an easy time finding the exact information they are looking for and read other posts that they may be interested in.

Why Should You Add Topics?

Users have a variety of information to choose from, so businesses using social media platforms need to stand out as much as possible. This includes providing information in a way that is quick and easy for users to search for and understand. Facebook Groups is a great platform for sharing information since it builds a community and establishes trust within the group.

The team at Crescere Digital aims to create an enjoyable social media experience for everyone. Contact us to find out more about our social media services and how we can help your business communicate your message to the right audience in the best way possible.

SOURCE: Social Media Today

More changes have come to Facebook that will affect the way you measure those Key Performance Indicators on each post. The gray verification badge is going away, Facebook impressions will start to show a decline and users with business pages will need to start watching their metrics very closely. Our goal at Crescere Digital is to make sure you stay updated on all the digital changes that can impact how you conduct your business.

About the Verification Badges

Facebook had two types of verification badges, blue and gray. Blue verification badges were for Pages and profiles for public figures, media companies or brands that Facebook confirmed were authentic. Businesses and organizations can earn a gray badge by completing a “basic ID process”for their page that Facebook will review. Two different colored verification badges became confusing for many users, so Facebook decided to remove the gray badge. This change will only affect the presentation of Facebook Business Pages, but be sure to follow best practices to keep your pages up-to-date with all the correct contact information and a profile picture.

The Change On Organic Impressions

The organic impressions from business pages will now only count the number of people who have seen your posts for the very first time instead of counting repeated views like before. What this means for Facebook metrics is that the number of impressions will decline dramatically. Although the impressions fluctuate on a normal basis, this change will show a steady decline in the big picture as this change rolls out. The goal of this change is to show a more accurate report on how many people see a post. The positive takeaway is that digital strategists will have a more precise number of impressions to better optimize their clients’ digital strategies.

As Facebook releases more changes, our team at Crescere Digital keeps track of the data to ensure our clients’ pages are up-to-date and performing at their best. Contact us to find out how Crescere Digital can help your business.

SOURCE: Social Media Today

Social media interactions have evolved beyond simply liking, commenting and sharing posts. Users are now strongly encouraged to implement other features such as tagging locations and products, communicating through Stories and creating videos. These recommendations will help you create a more personable online presence to allow the audience to feel a better connection with your brand.

Why is Tagging Locations and Products Important?

Tagging locations and products help to gain engagement while sharing useful information with your audience. Location-specific posts are helpful for promoting local events like grand openings and other social soirees that might be interesting to the public. Tagging locations help to bring the audience into the event through the digital space, and helps businesses attract more potential customers.

According to Social Media Today, 50% of product searches in 2020 will be through images or speech. Using social media accounts to tag products and add prices (when applicable) will centralize your space to allow people to buy items, which will create a better user experience. Instead of having to switch between apps, users can stay on your page once you turn it into a one-stop shop!

How Can Videos and Stories Help?

Videos and Stories have become an integral part of social media. Social Media today states that "56% of internet users watch videos on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter," so users need to take advantage of these features. Instagram shows the number of views on a video instead of likes which is normally exponentially higher than the like count. Using the Stories function on Instagram and Facebook can help to boost immediate engagement with followers, too. This provides a way to share events and experiences in real-time which allows the audience to participate through the digital realm similar to location-tagging. Since these Stories disappear after 24 hours (unless they are added into a Highlight Reel on Instagram), there is an urgency for anyone who wants to connect with your brand.

As more features become available, social media can begin to feel like an overwhelming challenge to overcome. Our goal at Crescere Digital is to connect our clients to the right audience. Contact us to find out how we can help.

SOURCE: Social Media Today

Social media platforms are always changing to give users a better experience. So, just when you are getting used to the changes to Facebook and Instagram, another major change is slowly coming your way. Crescere Digital is here to help you navigate through this change and understand what it means for the future of your social media profiles.

Instagram has been testing hiding the number of “likes” from users on posts other than their own. The platform began this test in April in Canada, and added six other countries to the list for this expanded trial. At the beginning of this month, some Facebook users began to notice that they did not see the total number of likes on their posts anymore, but could still see who “reacted” to their posts and how. Since then, Facebook has confirmed that it may start hiding the tally of likes similar to its acquired platform, Instagram.

What does this mean for social engagement?

Likes, comments and shares provide metrics for how well a post does on social media and how often you see posts from a particular user. With the possibility of seeing the number of “likes” disappearing, users will now need to comment and share far more frequently than “liking” a post for their engagement to matter.

How do you stay on top of this change?

Conversing with followers and other users by commenting as much as possible will help to rank your profile in the ever-changing social media algorithms. In other words, be as social as you can!

We understand that this is a lot of information, and that staying updated on every change can be very time-consuming. At Crescere Digital, we work closely with our clients to assure the best posts make their way to the target audience.

SOURCES: Tech Crunch, Social Media Today

Facebook is an ever-changing universe for developers and advertisers. Just when you’re getting used to a dashboard or tool, it changes. Change can be disorienting, so your partners at Crescere Digital wanted to catch you up on some changes that Facebook has recently made to its advertising metrics.

Old metrics removed

Last October, Facebook announced it that has removed seven advertising metrics from dashboards:

• Website Conversions
• Total Conversion Value
• Cost per Website Conversions
• Return on Ad Spend (ROAS in $)
• Return on Ad Spend (ROAS in %)
• ROI (Return on Investment in $)
• ROI (Return on Investment in %)

Facebook is forcing users to choose more specific metrics.

If you have a Facebook ad dashboard that is showing “0” on any metric, talk to us and we’ll make sure you’re using the correct metrics.

New metrics added
On April 30, Facebook removed the single Ad Relevance Score, and has replaced it with three metrics:

1. Quality Ranking – How the ad’s perceived quality compares with other ads competing for the same audience
2. Engagement Ranking – How the ad’s expected engagement rate compares with other ads competing for the same audience
3. Conversion Ranking – How the ad’s expected engagement rate compares with ads that have the same optimization goal and compete for the same audience

This change is good news for advertisers, increasing transparency into Facebook ad performance. These new scores will show you how your ads compare with your competitors’ ads. It also breaks down the relevance score into specific pieces of data that can help you optimize your ad.

Potential reach calculated differently

Potential reach provides an estimate of how many people an advertiser can expect to see their ad. You see this when setting up the ad, changing targets to get the best potential reach. Previously, this was calculated by using the total monthly active users on Facebook, but it will now be calculated using the number of people shown an ad on Facebook in the last 30 days. If your reach goes down over the next couple of months, this could be culprit.

Why it matters

We don’t blame you if you would rather leave these details to your digital marketing expert. We simply want you to be aware that Facebook is improving its advertising parameters, making your Facebook advertising dollars go farther than in the past. That’s a detail we think you can appreciate!

As always, we work closely with our clients to ensure the best ads find their way to the best potential customers.

Crescere Digital partner Cheryl Perry completed IRONMAN TEXAS 2019 on April 27, 2019. This is Perry's second IRONMAN, which consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and 26.2 mile run. She is planning to compete in IRONMAN ARIZONA 2019 in November.

Facebook is making changes to the ways that real-estate companies can target audiences in their ads to keep in accordance with fair-housing regulations. Crescere’s digital marketing team is working closely with our contact at Facebook to understand how these changes will affect our clients. Here is what will change:

• Facebook is adding distance restrictions. Targets will have a minimum 15-mile radius from any specific address or city center.

• The “Lookalike Audience” tool, which allows our clients to find Facebook users who resemble the customers they already know, will no longer incorporate factors such as age, religious views or Facebook Group membership.

• Facebook is building a tool to let anyone search all housing ads in the U.S.

Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said that these changes are being made to eliminate housing discrimination in Facebook ad targeting. Everyone in the real-estate industry who has adapted to past guidelines will have to wrestle with these new ones, which will offer just another challenge to an already challenging advertising field.

These new guidelines will decrease click-through-rate for your Facebook ads. The leads you receive will be less qualified than before. Your success will more closely depend on how you interpret and treat the leads that you receive from your ads.

As always, Crescere advocates for these best practices when analyzing leads:

• Implement a Facebook Pixel — Having a Facebook Pixel across your website will now become much more important. A Pixel reports when someone visits your website and reports what steps were taken. This allows you to see exactly what potential customers are visiting your website and what they want to know more about. Learn more about Pixel and real estate best practices.

• Hold more in-person events — You will learn much more about a potential client if they say on Facebook that they are interested or attending your event. But you can’t do that unless you hold actual events. More communities are holding open houses, happy hours, and other events to highlight the amenities available to future residents.

• Retargeting is key — Rather than always seeking new leads, your Facebook ad dollars will be better spent by repeatedly targeting ads to users who have engaged with your content before but didn’t submit their information.

• Offer excellent content — Potential customers are more likely to engage with content that speaks to their wants and needs. Give us your best ideas, your best pictures, your best community stories, and watch Crescere turn them into the best leads.

Here is the bottom line: you are not going to lose qualified leads. You are going to gain less qualified leads. We know that you are great at analyzing leads; it’s your job! Still, we are going to work our hardest to make sure that your Facebook ads are as optimized as possible, just as we always have. Our goal will always be to connect you with as many great potential customers as possible.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out anytime!

As the new year begins, The West Houston Association (WHA) has named Crescere Digital Partner Randy Corson to its Board of Directors. Corson will be the board representative for Mischer Investments. Corson’s history with the WHA spans back many years as Mischer Investments was a founding member in 1979 and his grandfather, Walter Mischer Sr. received the group’s prestigious Impact Award in 2004. “Mischer has been in business for more than 65 years,” said Corson. “I’ve been involved in many different roles with WHA over the years serving on different committees and two years ago, I went through the leadership program… and now I’m thrilled to be a part of the Board. We promote development, mobility and infrastructure in West Houston, and living here, I have a real interest in how things progress.”

The West Houston Association has a 40-year history of bringing new ideas to Greater West Houston in infrastructure, public policies and planning. They are a 501c4 nonprofit organization that aims to create a better living and working environment for the 1.6 million residents and 600,000 employees in Greater West Houston.