2018 Social Media Advertising - What's Changed since 2017

On New Year's Day I did as most people do: 1) Relaxed with family 2) Did some cleaning and organizing 3) Bought really fun black boots that were on sale 4) Researched social media algorithms to fact-check the speech I'm giving next week at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) in Orlando, Florida.

Ok, so maybe not everyone was reading up on Social Media to make sure their presentations are on point still for the ever changing world of digital marketing. But what's revealing about giving a similar digital marketing presentation six months apart is how much that presentation and the world of digital has truly changed.

Here's a brief snapshot of what I learned. Stop by and see my presentation at KBIS to learn more...

• The stats for Facebook advertising use have increased vs. year ago as the window for organic reach continues to close. From Social Media Examiner - 93% of social marketers use Facebook Ads. Last year it was 86%. But they also reported only 6.7% of Facebook pages advertised and that number has remained stable. So while professionals are on top of this - most Facebook pages are not. (And those that are advertising are outside the U.S.)
• SEO (Search Engine Optimization) priorities are changing but the basic theme is the same. Don't "game" the system - Google is on to you. Create good content, make sure your site is functional and fast. Make sure you are building a site Google can scan with SEO best practices. Use all of Google's free tools to insure your site is fast, properly built and found under the keywords you want to be found under. Use real PR to get backlinks and build your social authority. (And yes - meta tags, backlinks all still count. But don't pay for links. You have to earn them.)
• Ads we've optimized for Facebook using their new Blueprint courses and Ad Manager gain 3x on average more reach, clicks, impressions, etc. than the previous "boost" post style ads. If you are still clicking to boost posts - you are leaving money on the table.
• Hashtags are back on Pinterest. But not too many their executives suggest. Keep it relevant. I think that's a good rule of thumb for all social. And BTW, it seems that hashtags on Facebook are still a no-no for reach.
• Storify is going away. Boo!! I hate that everything changes constantly so you can't become too reliant on any technology.

I spent the remainder of my holiday figuring out how to transfer old home movies from my Canon H8 camcorder to my MacBook Pro. Without DVDs in computers and now my DVD player has also died - what's the point of paying a service to put them on DVDs? I'm going right to the cloud. It's quite revealing how fast our world is changing. From cameras with "tape" in them to iPhones on the cloud in just 10 years. Fortunately I did have an old Mac that spoke to the cameras in question so I can make it happen before they were lost forever. Now whether to put them on Vimeo or YouTube...

The lesson in all this... we need to constantly be flexible and never let technology get the best of us. My mantra for the new year is to show no fear in the face of digital! Be persistent, keep learning. Hope to see you at KBIS!