Are Small Businesses Fleeing Facebook? Nope |  |
- Are Small Businesses Fleeing Facebook? Nope
- Is Virtual Work the Key to the Future of Women in Technology?
- Lawyers: Protect Yourself With Professional Liability Insurance
- Books On Content Marketing: Seven Good Choices
| Are Small Businesses Fleeing Facebook? Nope Posted: 05 May 2013 04:00 PM PDT
The Guardian newspaper set off a mini brouhaha last week when it reported that users were running (not walking) away from Facebook. It turns out that some of the numbers in that story were wrong. In fact, Facebook continues to grow. The number of small business Facebook Pages also continues to grow. Some interesting information was released last week by Facebook to back those statements up. Unscrambling The Real Facebook NumbersThe Guardian published a story on April 28, attributing data from SocialBakers, claiming that Facebook lost about 6 million users in the United States the previous month, and 1.4 million in the U.K. Due to wide syndication of The Guardian articles, that story appeared in multiple places across the Web, including the San Francisco Chronicle. The Next Web then came out with its own piece refuting those numbers. Jan Rezab, SocialBakers’ CEO, put out a clarification statement, indicating he had cautioned journalists from using SocialBakers numbers for determining traffic. Facebook Still Growing at 1.1 Billion UsersThe fact is that Facebook is still growing, per numbers subsequently released last week during Facebook’s earnings call with Wall Street analysts. Facebook has 1.1 billion active monthly users as of March 31, 2013. The fastest growth in users right now is coming from Asia and places outside of North America and Europe. Regions such as the United States, Canada and Europe also continue to grow, albeit at a slower rate. That’s not news – growth in those regions has been flattening for a number of quarters. It’s not even surprising, when you consider how much of the population in those regions is already using Facebook. Take for instance, Canada and the United States, which have a combined population of 350 million people. According to Facebook, those two countries have 195 million active users monthly — or 56% of the total population. That’s a lot of people. Bottom line: Facebook user numbers keep going up, not down. (See earnings presentation slide above.) 16 Million Small Business Facebook PagesNot only is Facebook still extremely popular, it’s popular with small businesses, too. Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, said in the earnings call that Facebook feels it has a deep competitive advantage with small business people, in that they don’t have to learn a new technology platform because they are already using Facebook personally. She says that “with almost no direct effort we have 16 million small businesses actively using Facebook pages.” The number provided by Facebook to us as of December was 13 million. That’s a growth of 3 million small business Facebook pages in about 3 months. Local businesses (which tend to be small) get engagement, too. According to numbers provided to us by Facebook, in an average week there are 645 million views of and 13 million comments on local business Facebook Pages. To capture more ad dollars from small businesses, Facebook has rolled out simplified ads and paid products. In fact, ad revenue overall was up 43% year-over-year. “Our growth is particularly strong for new small- and medium-sized marketers, direct response marketers, and app developers,” Sandberg told analysts last week. Page post ads, in particular, appeal to small businesses Sandberg noted:
Facebook Fatigue?However, it’s an open question about how long small businesses will stick with Facebook. We already hear about Facebook fatigue. Part of the issue is that Facebook seems to continually introduce changes that require re-learning. There are only so many learning curves you can go through. Soon other alternatives begin to look as (or more) attractive. Then there’s the way Facebook has reduced visibility of content you share on Facebook. Instead, Facebook is placing more paid placements like promoted posts into your fans’ content feeds. In the analyst call last week, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg talked about the importance to Facebook’s revenue of injecting ads into content. With so many users (nearly 68%) using mobile devices, the company had to stop relegating ads to the right column of the site, since many mobile users never see those ads. He said, “getting ads in newsfeed was a valuable step in making it so that everywhere where someone is consuming content from Facebook the business model kind of goes along with that naturally.” For small businesses, the occasional promoted post or advertising campaign may not be expensive on its own — but it adds up. On top of that, consider the labor cost involved. Small business Facebook pages have to be updated regularly. You have to learn new features, and wend your way through a maze of Facebook rules such as what can be in a cover image or not, and restrictions on promoting contests. A recent Manta survey found that small businesses consider a Facebook page the most difficult to maintain of all social sites. It doesn’t take long for some small business owners to question the escalating amount of time and money they’re investing in a third-party site that keeps getting more complex. Still, A Long Way From a Mass SMB ExodusYet, aside from the occasional anecdotal story — we’re a long way from seeing small businesses flee from Facebook. With 3 million new small business Facebook pages created just in the first quarter of 2013, the opposite seems true. Small businesses appear to be flocking TO Facebook, not away. After all, 1.1 billion monthly users is a huge market to turn your back on. At the very least, the potential reach of your company’s message and the price of setting up a page on the site (free) are reason enough to keep your small business Facebook presence active. If you think you’ve experienced a lull in Facebook interaction, take steps to reinvigorate your small business Facebook page. We recently collected a dozen Facebook tips for improving your company’s presence. And just so you avoid them, we offer 10 things you should not do on Facebook, as well as reasons your Facebook page stinks. Image: Facebook investor deck The post Are Small Businesses Fleeing Facebook? Nope appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| Is Virtual Work the Key to the Future of Women in Technology? Posted: 05 May 2013 12:00 PM PDT
The lack of women entrepreneurs in the tech industry, and the shortage of female tech employees, have been topics of much discussion. Now a new survey from Elance, Women in Technology, suggests virtual work might be the key to women finally achieving parity with men in tech roles. The survey, which polled more than 7,000 independent professionals worldwide, found that women are finding more tech opportunities in the virtual world than in the real one. Some 70 percent say online work gives them more opportunities to succeed in technology than traditional on-site work does. Why are women turning online for tech jobs or to run their tech businesses? Women in TechnologyOnline Work Offers a Level Playing FieldOnline, gender discrimination is neutralized, Elance's results suggest. Instead of being perceived as women, female entrepreneurs and tech employees can get respect based on their skills, merits and accomplishments. Online Work Provides Flexibility for Work/Life BalanceFor working moms, whether they're employees or entrepreneurs, flexibility is key. Virtual work enables both tech entrepreneurs and tech employees to balance their work and family time better. Sixty percent of women in the Women in Technology study say online work allows them to manage personal and professional lives. Online Work Provides the Ability to Build a BusinessSixty percent of women say working as an independent contractor with multiple clients is easier than trying to find full-time work in the tech field. Virtual work enables women to build their own businesses instead of becoming employees. Online Work Provides Intellectual ChallengeSome 65 percent of women in technology say the diverse projects they encounter enables them to improve their skills and provides more learning opportunities than an on-site job would. For women who've been out of the work force due to layoffs or child-rearing, online work can help them learn new skills and rebuild their portfolios to attract clients or land a job. There's still a way to go in building more opportunities for women in technology, however. Women in the Elance Women in Technology survey say the following changes are needed to close the tech “gender gap:”
The lack of female role models or encouragement for women to pursue technology fields is cited by 45 percent of those surveyed as the major impediment to women's success in technology — even more than cited a lack of job opportunities/the local economy (34 percent). Is online technology work in danger of becoming a “pink ghetto?” If women continue to feel they can't enjoy success IRL (in real life) but only online, then yes. But the women in the Elance Women in Technology survey aren't worried about this. A whopping 80 percent are optimistic about the future success of women in technology, and 32 percent are extremely optimistic. Key to the Future Photo via Shutterstock The post Is Virtual Work the Key to the Future of Women in Technology? appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| Lawyers: Protect Yourself With Professional Liability Insurance Posted: 05 May 2013 09:00 AM PDT
The new U.S. economy has created more lawyers professional liability insurance exposures than would be commonly assumed. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 25,000 legal services jobs have been lost since August of 2008. A displacement of this magnitude has created an employment ripple throughout the legal industry, felt from the largest international firms down to small-town practices. When insurance carriers are underwriting a lawyers professional liability insurance policy, recent hiring and firing of lawyers is taken into account. A law firm may let a lawyer go for many different reasons, but the actions leading up to release can potentially lead to professional liability insurance exposures. The new U.S. economy hasn’t only affected employment. With revenue falling across industry practices, competition between law firms has become very aggressive. Law firms are starting to take on new practices in which they have little to no expertise, in an effort to increase revenue. Organizational inexperience within a law firm can lead to mishandled and/or misfiled paperwork, which is a leading concern in cases involving lawyers professional liability insurance. Technology has also played a role in the recent spike of professional liability claims. Law firms have taken to the Internet to market their business. Electronic communication , filing, mobile technology and social media advertising have all generated a another new form of liability, cyber liability. Lawyers Professional Liability InsuranceWhat Can Law Firms Do To Protect Themselves?Be prudent when purchasing lawyers professional liability insurance coverage. Cheaper is NOT better when it comes to procuring professional liability for a law firm. The exposures that law firms face are vast, and the language within legal industry insurance contracts can often be vague. Make sure you work with an insurance professional with experience in both the legal industry and in writing professional liability insurance. Additionally, be upfront and honest with everything that your firm does. Things you must disclose to your insurance professional are:
The worst thing that you could do when purchasing lawyers professional liability insurance is withhold activities for the sake of saving money on insurance premiums. In many cases, additional activities of law practices do not come with an increase in premium but the addition of policy forms to cover the risk. So, by opening up and properly disclosing all activities within the law firm, the result is many times more coverage, not more cost. The Insurance Take-AwayLawyers beware, professional liability insurance claims can arise from any action in which you act in a professional capacity. How often do lawyers act in a professional capacity? I’d say it’s pretty much what they do all day long. Every phone call taken, every document processed, every piece of advice given can lead to a lawyers professional liability insurance claim. The increase in lawsuits associated with the depressed U.S. Economy expands the professional risk lawyers take on two fronts: More work for less lawyers and higher propensity of clients to sue their lawyer. The first line of defense for all law firms is lawyers professional liability insurance, a coverage that should not be taken lightly. Liability Photo via Shutterstock The post Lawyers: Protect Yourself With Professional Liability Insurance appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
| Books On Content Marketing: Seven Good Choices Posted: 05 May 2013 06:00 AM PDT
Content marketing is quickly becoming a primary focus on the Web. The expansion of blogs and websites that use content as a main format make it a hot topic for any marketer and content creator. But it is an adapting field like any other, and you might be worried that you’re not exploiting the method as much as you should be. Content Strategy Versus Content MarketingThere has been a lot of talk lately about content marketing, especially since blogs have become so ingrained with other social media. There has also been a lot of talk about content strategy. The obvious question becomes: What is the difference between the two? Are content marketing and content strategy the same thing? Not really. A better way to explain the way the two differ is to say that content strategy is the process of developing a plan for marketing a product, website or concept. Content marketing, on the other hand, is a tool that can be used to carry out that strategy. Developing Your Content StrategyThe process of developing a content strategy begins by understanding the parameters of that strategy. You have to find what your target demographic is, keywords that are relevant and beneficial for use, what kind of content will rate highest with users and ways that you can push content and increase visibility. It will include a rundown of popular platforms that you will utilize in the course of your strategy. These platforms might include Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon, Flickr, YouTube, your blog and anything else you find useful. Each should have their own form of content production and distribution. Another part of developing this strategy will be finding ways to engage your users. Which is where content marketing comes in. Using Content MarketingThis is one of the tools that relates to your overall content strategy. There are many ways in which you can use it to your benefit, but the basics are:
Remember that content marketing is all about how you package and present content for the user to enjoy. Further Education: Content Marketing BooksThe best thing you can do is get the advise of an expert on the topic. Below are some good content marketing books. 1. Content Strategy For The Web
Being well known for her content marketing strategies, which she has incorporated into her own successful company, Content Strategy For The Web brings all of that expertise into one place. The second edition is now out, so check it out. 2. Managing Enterprise Content: A Unified Content Strategy (2nd Edition)
Ann Rockley is the Founder and President of The Rockley Group, and Charles Cooper is an accomplished author with quite a few books under his name. This book not only covers the importance of content, but also a unified strategy for exploiting new platforms for viewing it, such as mobile Web technology. 3. Clout: The Art and Science of Influential Web Content
As it should, since this is a primary means of both increasing and establishing influence around the Internet. But content is also an important factor and one that is often neglected. Colleen Jones discusses the importance of content in the world of online clout. 4. Content Rules
Ann Handley and C.C Chapman have you covered with this extensive guide. Learn the ‘rules’ for creating great blog posts, podcasts, videos, ebooks, webinars, conferences and much more than have a focus of engaging customers for business growth. 5. Managing Enterprise Content: A Unified Content Strategy
To the point, thorough and well written, this is a must for any content marketer’s reading list. 6. Get Content Get Customers: Turn Prospects into Buyers with Content Marketing
Newt Barret is a marketing veteran. Everything here is less about visibility and more about using content marketing for direct sales. It is great for ecommerce use of content marketing. 7. The Elements of Content Strategy
You will get a true understanding of what content marketing is, how it became popular, why it should be used today and how to do it properly. Do you know of any good content marketing books out there? Content Photo via Shutterstock The post Books On Content Marketing: Seven Good Choices appeared first on Small Business Trends. |
Kristina Halvorson is not only an accomplished author of some very informative books on marketing, she is also the CEO and Founder of Brain Traffic.
Another book that has been released in second edition, this fantastic guide on content strategy was written by two experts in the field.
When considering Web influence, there is a good chance your mind goes immediately to more modern social media, such as Facebook or Twitter.
Do you want to know how to make content of all kinds, no matter what the medium?
Another great book by Ann Rockley, this book looks at the way that social media and other Web platforms have changed the way users search for and view content. Then it presents simple guidelines to improving your own content to match this demand.
This unique partnership created a very unique book. Joe Pulizzi is obsessed with all things content marketing and he swears by its effectiveness.
You can get this book cheap in ebook form, which is one of many of its benefits. Written by Erin Kissane, it breaks content marketing down into more manageable explanations, looking at the overall strategy of its use.| You are subscribed to email updates from Small Business Trends To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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