Why Content is King?

How ever the system may evolve or how many ever tools or methods might come, the basic principle and goal of marketing remains the same.
           
                    'Your reasons should influence the decision of the customer'

Now, as we see and analyse, major factor which influence the customer's decision is internet. The information a customer can find on internet. They might even not know the existence of the product if it is not on the web. There are chances to devalue the product or service if they are not on the web or at a click distance on their smart phones.

So, Is it that just the WEB presence will do the job? Not exactly, We need to see if we have given enough reasons to influence the decision. And now, the only way to influence the decision over the internet is through 'content'. Content can be in various forms like Text, Images, Videos and reach the customer through emails, social channels, blogs, mobiles..etc when we check on how to give the reasons, we need to see what the customer is checking about us online.

    RSVP here http://nurph.com/RubhuSocial/chats/820

   So, the questions we will be discussing on are:

  Q1.What is content marketing?
  Q2.Why should business care about content marketing?
  Q3.What elements should one consider while writing a content strategy?
  Q4.How important is to place curated content in content marketing strategy?
  Q5.How to put a fair balance between original content and curated content?
  Q6.Any useful tools your recommend for content marketing?
  Q7.What should one measure in content marketing?

See you all on Tuesday! Cheers!!

#RubhuSocial: Social Listening

To understand the customer, to check the product review, to pick up new ideas, to identify the need and fill the space with your innovation, whatever, we keep listening to people through various sources and try to figure out what we can do. I would say this is what called Social Listening or Monitoring basically is when we do on social channels. It has become a part of our lives and it occupied major part for brand managers and digital marketers lives.

Lets catch up on Tuesday (23rd Sept) at 8:30 PM IST to discuss more about Social Listening during #RubhuSocial.

We will be discussing the below questions:

Q1. Why social listening? Or How does it help businesses? #RubhuSocial

Q2. What should one listen? What are important factors to consider while listening? #RubhuSocial

Q3. What points should one consider while writing a social listening strategy? #RubhuSocial

Q4. What are the tools you are using right now for listening? What is your feedback on them? #RubhuSocial

Q5. How to choose a right platform or tool for social listening? #RubhuSocial

Q6. Any experiences you want to share? We love to hear #RubhuSocial

Q7. What are the new steps you want to take in your listening process? #RubhuSocial

Q8. Any recommendations on how to start off with social listening for first timers? #RubhuSocial RSVP here http://bit.ly/1u3vC8H See you on Tuesday at 8:30 PM IST (GMT: 4:00 pm / EDT: 11:30 am) Follow us on @RubhuSocial and @akathmadevi to get updates.

Desi wrap on your table with a tweet!

As the title says, there is an shiny yellow colored boxes with wraps waiting for delivery if  you can you give your order and address in 140 characters. Haha.. Not really you can even give your number in the tweet and can expect a call the next moment.

On a weekday, got my mind rambling on many things, couldn't manage to make a good meal before I pack up to my office at 8 am. And at around 11 am was browsing the internet in search of food who could deliver to my cubicle and also have something close to my taste buds that day. Saying close to my taste buds, not in mood to have pizza or McD and came across a shiny yellow website saying 'desi wraps'. I was like okay .. let me try and got an order in a shiny yellow box. And the days moved on... We at office, quite often started ordering from that place and once in while there are few errors in delivery and food.

Surprisingly one day, my friend at office got a call asking for feedback. Based on that, she got a wrap for free the next day. Well, impressed by their customer service, I went on to check their website and social channels. Found that they take orders through social channels as well.

Oh! I haven't mentioned the outlet name yet. It is Faaso's. I actually looked deep into their twitter handle when I did not receive the order I place through their website. I also called up the store and found that they did not receive my order. Aaargh! Its a glitch in their system. I tweeted them my order screenshot asking them to check. And within a couple of minutes, I got a call. I'm glad about that.

@akathmadevi We are calling you up ASAP.
— FAASO'S (@faasos) September 17, 2014

As always, there were complaints too, I hope Faasos team works towards satisfying everyone out there.  And it is the first restaurant to take orders on Twitter.

As I spoke to the head of customer care service, he replied saying their turn around time will be 10 mins on all the mediums they connect to customers. It can be taking an order or receiving a complaint either through their mobile app or twitter.

I sincerely appreciate their service, keeping 10 mins as turn around time. In this socially connected world, people expect and appreciate a immediate response for their complaints.

They also have been impressing customers with their offers, giveaways, twitter contests and fun tweets.

Follow them on twitter - @faasos and yes your order will be a tweet away!

#SMMTalk: Opinions on Facebook Newsfeed updates in 2014

As the first twitter chat of #SMMTalk will be on Tuesday 16^th September from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm IST. 

We will be discussing about Facebook Newsfeed.

Lately, Facebook is tweaking its newsfeed algorithm quite often to make sure it provides quality content in our newsfeeds. If we keep the track of changes made in 2014, Here is the list of changes it made:

1. Decrease in the distribution of text updates which came from pages and recommends standard link share. Announced on 21st January 2014 http://bit.ly/1nKS2o8  

Facebook kept experimenting and showed more text status updates to users for a while. This made marketers misuse the feature and game the Facebook algorithm by posting more status updates with a link in it rather attaching the link to the update. Now, Facebook made a update in its newsfeed algorithm and recommends brands to share links as it devalued the reach of text status updates.

2. More visibility to the page post in which that page tags another page. Announced on February 24^th 2014. http://bit.ly/1nKSdjb

In its another experiment Facebook found people liked this kind of stories. So, it made the change in its algorithm showing the post to the users who follow or liked the page tagged in along with the users who follow or like the page who tagged it. This may help pages to have a good visibility. Marketers may use this feature in the following ways:

 - Companies having multiple facebook pages can make use of this feature.

 - Brands while posting content from another source, can tag them saying via @XX similar to twitter.

3. Reducing the Spam in the newsfeed – Like baiting posts, De-emphasizing pages with repetitive content, Reduce spammy links. Announced on April 10^th 2014. http://bit.ly/1nKSgLT

In fact, I started noticing that, there were no spammy posts anymore on my newsfeed these days. Being a user I am delighted by this. Anyone observed that their newsfeed is less spammy or no spam? 

On the other side, it made marketers realize to reach the audience who will genuinely show interest in your product or content than the artificial incentives you offer. Also, this means, focus more on engagement than reach.

4. Decrease in number of implicit stories shared from third party apps seen in our newsfeeds. Announced on May 27^th 2014. http://bit.ly/1nKSjHy

This will again stop spamming the newsfeed, dum auto-posts from apps will be devalued in reach. And also benefits users with the increase in reach when they shared any picture or update through another app. They can leave the fear of not reaching all their friends or followers.

5. Improving video ranking for the videos directly uploaded to Facebook. Announced on June 23^rd 2014. http://bit.ly/1nKSnqU

Facebook says this update is to understand, what video’s people are interested in watching. And this update will effect, videos updated to Facebook directly. Someone  tell me if this update makes brands and marketers upload their videos on Facebook directly in order to improve the reach?

6.Reduce the click-baiting stories and increase in distribution of stories with standard link share. Announced on August 25^th 2014. http://bit.ly/1nKSlPT 

This update strongly recommends to share links on Facebook. Where Facebook by itself pulls the snippet and larger picture of the link. 

7. Listening to people's feedback to show better ads. Announced on September 11th 2014 http://bit.ly/1tVzIzQ 

This may not show effect on ad performance but, this helps Facebook to show more relevant ads to users.

 Join us on Tuesday with @RubhuSocial at 8:30 PM to discuss about these changes by addressing the following questions and #SMMTalk hashtag

1. Do you think these changes will help in reduce gaming with newsfeed algorithm and produce quality content?
2. What steps can marketers take to leverage these updates?
3. Did these changes help your brand or business page?
4. If yes – How and what steps you took to make it work for your page?
5. If No – What are the new steps you are planning to take for your page?
6. What more changes you want Facebook to come up with to improve the newsfeed experience?
7. Being a user (not as a page owner) do you feel your feed is cluttered? Should it be better organized?
8. What is your favorite newsfeed update of 2014 and why?
9.  Do you think, FB took the right step with ending Like-gating? Why? For reference: http://bit.ly/1CRPq1shttp://bit.ly/1CRPq1s

See you soon on Tuesday at 8:30 pm IST (EDT: 11:30 am GMT: 4 pm)

#SMMTalk - Tweet chat to discuss about social media

#SMMTalk is replaced with #RubhuSocial. Kindly accept and use this hashtag.

Hello!

As the title says, I will be starting a new tweet chat with hashtag #SMMTalk to discuss all things about social media.  To make things easy, will pic a topic each week and share our experiences and opinions on that topic. 

Our first chat will be on 16th September 8:30 PM IST to 9:30 PM IST and we will continue to meet on every Tuesday at 8:30 PM IST that is 11:30 AM ET. 

Follow @RubhuSocial for the updates about the chat and your inputs and ideas on the topics are always welcome.

Have a fantastic day!

@akathmadevi