How do you get your news? Personally, I get mine primarily from Facebook. As my job requires that I monitor and update different brands’ pages, it’s pretty likely that you’ll find me with the Facebook tab open. Twitter is also great for news, but since there’s a lot more noise there, I find Facebook easier to manage. When it comes to Twitter, I usually just use the Search option to find what I’m looking for.
While I may be an addict, I mean hello, it is my job?I am not the only one who scours social networks for news. According to a Pew study, one third of adults under 30 access their news via social networks. http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/189776/one-third-of-adults-under-30-get-news-on-social-networks-now/ . 19% of all Americans got news from a social network like Facebook, Google+ or LinkedIn yesterday (up from 9% in 2010). This study was conducted in 2012. Being that we’re now in 2013, I can only imagine it being a higher percentage to date.
What Does This Mean For Businesses?
Simply put, this means people are gathering and consuming information that they see on social networks. It’s the first place they go, and it’s the place they hang out most often. As a business, this is a huge opportunity to play into the news trends, and to post content, related or not. Because news feeds are the key to Social Media marketing, you really want to show up there. And you want friends of friends of friends actively talking about you.
As a business you need to be updating. Period.
How Can You Filter News?
You might be saying, “How can I stay up to date on these trends? There’s just so much information out there.” Well, I’m here to help! I’ve been creating Interest Lists on Facebook so that I can follow all the news and sites that I like most, in targeted groups. For example, I love to travel, so I’ve created a list that follows all of the airlines and airports, as well as some travel sites. My list is public, so if you’re interested in this content, go ahead and give it a follow.
Another benefit of creating public groups is that you can add your own business page to it. Make it a targeted group and you’ll see that people will start to follow it. Of course, you’ll have to put a bit of marketing behind it, but it’ll be worth it. For example, if you’re a catering company, you might want to make a list of food blogs, food companies, and other related pages. And don’t forget to add yourself. This way, if people aren’t a fan, but they follow the list, they’ll still be able to get your updates.
There are a ton of public lists out there. You might even find some that are highly targeted to your business, though you may not be on them. All lists show the person who created them. You could kindly friend the given list’s inventor, or message them and ask them to include your brand. Remember, Social Media is about relationships. This could be your “in” to an Influencer, so be nice and offer something in return.
How To Add A List
To add lists go here: https://www.facebook.com/addlist
You can follow any of the lists you see, or you can create your own by clicking on “Create List.”
This is a really great way to consume content, but it’s also a great way for others to consume your content.
Which lists do you follow? Which lists is your brand a part of?
