#marketing #SocialSkim: Facebook’s Big Weak Spot, LinkedIn Launches Video: 11 Stories This Week

In this week’s ‘Skim: Young users may be set to abandon Facebook; LinkedIn officially launches video upload capabilities for all, and Reddit follows suit with a native video feature; why Snapchat might be on the way to transforming news, and Facebook’s big plan to do the same; Facebook tweaks algorithm to punish fake videos, makes Safety Check a permanent feature; seven ways to build meaningful relationships with your customers on social; 24 hot apps and tools for social media marketers; and much more…

Skim for your weekly social media roundup!

1. Facebook has a cool problem, and it’s Snapchat’s gain

Facebook is apparently facing a group of tweens and teens who want nothing to do with the social network. New findings from eMarketer suggest Facebook will record a decline in users in an age group seen as key to winning over: those 12-17 years old. Snapchat, however, is expected to increase the number of users in that demographic, with double-digit growth in the next year.

Facebook can find some solace in Instagram, which will also grow with the youngsters, but overall the report is great news for Snapchat, a struggling social network that needs to convince Wall Street of its monetization potential, and which already boasts more users age 12-24 than Instagram.

2. LinkedIn rolls out video upload ability to all

After its limited release of a native video upload feature resulted in content shared 20 times more than any other type, LinkedIn has decided to roll out its new video feature to all users on the platform, including the iOS or Android mobile app.

The move, although late compared with that of other players, such as Facebook and Twitter, makes total sense for the professional social network, since video, and particularly live video, could do wonders for the company’s education, brand pages, recruitment, and professional networking offerings.

LinkedIn is also supposedly working on company videos, event-style pages, and more. The goal? Video advertising dollars, of course.

3. NBC News Snapchat show hits homerun, could transform news for Millennials

CNN may have been first to launch a 24-hour news network, but NBC News and Snapchat might well be on their way to transforming, once again, the way we consume news. NBC News’ brand new Snapchat Discover show, dubbed Stay Tuned, is the first daily news program on the app, and it reached over 29 million unique viewers.

The twice-daily show, which premiered last month with episodes that last between two and three minutes, attracted a very young audience: over 60% under the age of 25. Since NBC News made the figures public last week, CNN has announced it’s ditching its Snapchat Discover magazine format and is instead opting for a daily news show as well. The battle for eyeballs rages on.

VIDEO

4. Zuckerberg confirms subscriptions for Instant Articles

While Snapchat focuses on new news shows from the big networks to transform the news industry, Facebook is taking a more text-centric approach. Mark Zuckerberg confirmed last week that the social network will begin testing a subscription service for publishers that post content via the platform’s fast-loading Instant Articles feature.

Publishers will be able to have a paywall that blocks free reading for users after a certain number of articles each month, or use a freemium model that locks up articles. Users will be prompted to subscribe to read further, with payment processing occurring on the publisher’s own website. For now, Facebook doesn’t plan to take a cut of the revenue.

5. Reddit rolls out native video feature

Reddit continues to expand availability of its native video feature on desktop and mobile to more communities on the platform. Videos on Reddit can be up to 15 minutes long. Individual users and brands can trim their videos or convert MP4 videos into GIFs directly on the social network’s mobile app.

The move makes the social network less reliant on third-party services, such as YouTube and Vimeo, and gives users more creative freedom and ease of use. It also probably means more ads.

Reddit’s native video feature can transition into a preview window on the platform, meaning users can scroll comments and watch at the same time, providing a more engaging experience overall.

6. Facebook takes on video clickbait with algorithm tweak

Have you ever clicked on what you thought to be a video on Facebook, only to be redirected to a low-quality website? The company’s taking steps to avoid just that, with a new tweak on its algorithm rolling out in the coming weeks that will demote posts that use fake video icons, and videos that include static images.

The change will affect only publishers that rely on these «deceptive» practices, and Facebook reminds all publishers that they can find a list of best-practices for a refresh on how to keep their reach high on the platform.

7. Seven tips to build meaningful relationships with your customers on social media

It’s easy to get so caught up in finding ways to promote your business that you forget about the «social» in «social media.» When done right, social media can help your brand build meaningful connections and trust with customers, but your marketing team might need a nudge to achieve that.

Creating a community, showing (instead of broadcasting) how your product makes things easier, supporting a cause, ensuring things aren’t always about business, and giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at your company are just some of the ways to do so, and Forbes has a list of advice and insights to help you along the way.

8. YouTube apparently doesn’t want to fall behind on the news

With Snapchat starting to play host to major news networks like NBC News and CNN, YouTube doesn’t want to go completely unnoticed. Sure, most news organizations already have YouTube channels, but now the Google-owned video network has launched a «Breaking News» section on users’ homepages on both desktop and mobile devices.

The feed, which now joins other well-known algorithm-driven lists like «Recommended» and «Recently Uploaded,» serves as a collection of news clips about worldwide events based on a user’s location.

No news just yet on whether the list will become a permanent addition to users’ feeds, but it’s clear that the landscape is changing amid shifting consumer habits.

9. Facebook’s Safety Check gets dedicated button, can now be accessed anytime

The safety-focused Facebook feature, often the target of criticism in crises, now has a permanent home on desktop and mobile.

Soon to be accessible for all users in the app’s navigation menu, the feature will now display a feed of disasters with updates from friends who have been marked safe, as well as offers to help. An «around the world» section will show where Safety Check has been recently activated, and a new sharing option will let users tell their story.

The update could help Facebook avoid further criticism, much of which came when the social network decided to activate (or not) the feature during certain crises or natural disasters.

10. Feast your eyes on these 24 hot apps and tools for social media marketers

Trying to dig up ways to make your posts on social media more vibrant and engaging? Wishing you had a mobile messaging app for Twitter like you do Facebook? Or just need good ‘ole inspiration for your copy?

From finding an app to help your brand use Instagram Stories, to the latest time-saving social media monitoring apps, your time is money. That’s why we’re sharing Social Media Examiner’s need-to-know list of 24 hot tools and apps for your social media marketing team. Check them all out!

11. We’ll wrap up with that time when nothing made the biggest impact on social media

But that might just work for one person: Taylor Swift. The music star took to social media last week by deleting every, single piece of content on her Instagram and Twitter accounts. With over 100 million Instagram followers and 85 million Twitter followers, it certainly caused a stir among the star’s fans, but it’s what came next that proved Swift’s point.

Swift and her genius marketing team began repopulating her feeds with cryptic clips of a what appears to be a slithering snake, without text or context. Eventually, new posts revealed the upcoming release of new music from the singer, but the sudden disappearance of Swift’s social media life and subsequent mystery of snake clips prompts the question of what content works best on social.

It turns out that sometimes, for some, the answer can be absolutely nothing at all.

VIDEO

via MarketingProfs How-To Articles http://ift.tt/2vg9X4N

#marketing Why Sending Invoices on Time is Crucial for Your SME’s Success

Managing invoices is a necessary evil. Most small business owners would rather focus on developing and growing their business than deal with the intricacies of billing. But alas you need their business and they need your services – an invoice is that nice little document that contains the services rendered and what is owed to you. Invoices get you paid.

Taking care of your invoicing although may sometimes be tedious, will cement a lasting relationship with your small business clientele and will help you stay up to date on your latest financial information.

Lets Your Client Be Prepared

Sending out invoices in a timely manner gives the client the opportunity to gather his or her finances in order to be able to pay you. Stick to the agreed invoice deadline so that your client is not caught off guard by a surprise like a forgotten invoice.

Remember, both you and your client have a possibility to encounter many issues down the road. We can avoid having invoices be one of those issues by presenting the invoice as early as possible.

One less thing to worry about for you and your customer. After you have delivered your invoice, you have cleared your plate and will be ready to focus on other tasks while waiting for your cash to come in.

Continued Influx of Money

Sending invoices on time means cashflow for your business. You don’t want to wait until the last minute, or the last cent to send out the invoice to your clients. Having a steady influx of cash into your business means you have the funds to continue to improve and expand.

You absolutely cannot fall behind on invoices. As you continue accumulating a larger client base the invoices will quickly pile up. The key is to stay on top of your invoicing and not leave it to the last minute.

Waiting too long to invoice your clients can be detrimental to your small business success. If you let this build up too much, you are out there waiting for payments spending time on chasing down clients and not actually getting any work done. It becomes a time sink that can always be avoided.

Assess the Health of Your Enterprise

Properly timed invoices let you keep track of your cash outflows and inflows. This gives you a clear understanding on your business’ financial situation. It is necessary information if you desire to invest money in new emerging technologies, expand research and development, etc.

Build a Relationship

Properly timed invoices can create a reliable and a transparent relationship between your small business and your client.

Think about invoices from the customer’s point of view for a moment. Would you want to be informed of what needs to be paid promptly? If I were a customer, I know I would like to receive the invoice as early as I could.

I Forgot

Timely invoices can keep everyone honest. Getting used to sending invoices as soon as possible is great both for you and your customer. All the details are still fresh in your head; you know exactly what services were needed and what it ended up costing.

There is less chance of forgetting small details or terms and agreements between the two parties that can sometimes cause issues to arise later down the road.

Now Buckle Down

Let’s not procrastinate with our invoices. Stay dedicated and send your invoices out as soon as possible. You will form a good habit of dedicating important time on a task that gets you and your employees paid and your business running smoothly.

via Business Articles | Business 2 Community http://ift.tt/2gebUIl

#marketing How to Prepare for a Customer Success Interview

Congrats! You applied for a Customer Success position and are now preparing for your first interview. Whether this is your first time interviewing for Customer Success, or you’re an old pro, there are a few things that you should do to prep yourself for success.

Ultimately, what you are trying to solve for in an interview is whether there is a mutual fit for you and for the company. In order to have the best possible experience, be sure to do your due diligence in advance. There are aspects of the job that you should be assessed during the interview, such as company culture, working relationships with potential co-workers and manager, and overall core values. But this article is going to focus on what you should do before you even walk through the door.

Step 1: Research the Product and the Company

One of the most important steps is researching the product and the company. Technically, you should do some of this before applying for the position and then in greater detail once you make it to the next phase.

Customer Success Managers have many responsibilities and the majority of them are heavily focused on driving adoption of a product. You’ll want to demonstrate your abilities to the hiring manager. Give them a small snapshot into what the customer experience would be like with you at the helm.

A few things to think through are:

1. Is this product something that you can see yourself supporting, advocating for, and working with on a day to day basis? You should know this before you go in.
2. Most SaaS tools have a free trial. If you are interviewing for a company that has a free trial but have not used it, it sends a bad message. As a hiring manager, I am always impressed when a candidate comes in and tells me all of the amazing things they were able to do with my product. If a free trial is not available, research as much as you can about the product. Most companies have help centers, demo videos, and marketing collateral floating around on their website. Acquaint yourself with this content.
3. You will be representing this company, what they stand for, and what value they bring on a daily basis. Do you believe in what they are solving for as an organization? Look at review sites such as Glassdoor and G2Crowd. What are employees and customers saying? This is more telling than taking a guess.
4. Most companies will ask you “why us”. Do not just give a generic answer. Instead, hone in on the use case that stands out the most to you and get specific. If you are struggling to answer the “why us” in a passionate way, this may not be the right fit for you.

Step 2: Do Research On Who You Are Interviewing With

Do a quick search on everyone that you are interviewing with. Check out LinkedIn, Google and all of the regular spots. Always know who the customer is and during the interview, the individuals you are interviewing with are technically your customers (as you are theirs as well). Doing your due diligence on who they are and what functions they own will help you tailor your questions to be relevant. This is your opportunity to do a thorough assessment of who you will be working with and how you can mutually benefit each other in the organization. Not sure who you are interviewing with? Ask your recruiting contact for a list of individuals and what functions they own.

Step 3: Build Rapport Quickly

One of the more important things in Customer Success is one’s ability to win people over. Build relationships, understand what motivates people, and offer your help accordingly. Don’t be fake by any means, but definitely build rapport quickly. You generally have 30-60 minutes with each person, which is not a lot of time in the grand scheme of things, so make sure you are focused on the value you both may obtain through this mutual relationship.

Step 4: Customer Success, Customer Support, and Account Management

There is still confusion everywhere on the differences between Customer Support, Customer Success, and Account Management. Understand the industry standard outcomes that each of these roles drive, and how the company that you are interviewing for has aligned them. How the company views these roles will have a direct impact on your day to day responsibilities.

Step 5: Examples of Success

The company is looking for a new member of the Customer Success team. Are you the one? This assessment is made much easier if you bring examples of your success in Customer Success.

A few things that I like to see are:

• Proven churn reduction techniques – Did you reduce churn by 5% on your previous portfolio? Great. Show them how.
• Process you built to improve onboarding experiences – How have you improved your customer onboarding experience? How did you increase adoption and renewal rates? Come with stories and examples.
• Examples of bad fit customers and how those relationships were turned around and/or separated – Yep, it happens to all of us. No matter how hard you try, some customers will never be a good fit. How did you approach that? What did you do with those learnings to help avoid similar situations going forward?
• Upsell and renewal strategy – Did you own upsells and/or renewals? What strategy did you incorporate to help usher your customer base across the finish line?

Step 6: Come with Questions

Last, but certainly not least, come with questions. Lots of smart questions. I touched upon this a little bit above, but this is worth reiterating. Tailor your questions to who you are meeting with, asking irrelevant questions is just as bad as asking no questions. Even if you interview with 6 different people, make sure you have at least two questions for each interviewer. It’s okay to repeat questions if you are looking for different perspectives on the same topic.

As always, this is not all encompassing but should give you a great starting point on preparing for your upcoming interview. The key is to do your homework, come as prepared to your interviews as you would for a customer meeting.

via Business Articles | Business 2 Community http://ift.tt/2veyJCv