This week in social media…
Whole latte’ change
Starbucks is partnering with RED (leading non-profit that “harnesses the power of companies and people to help fight AIDS”) to launch the largest non-profit check-in campaign via Foursquare. VentureBeat reports that from June 1-10, the coffee megacorp will donate $1 to Global Fund (RED’s financing institution) ) for every Foursquare check-in at any Starbucks location in the U.S and Canada. The initiative is part of RED’s ‘Rush to Zero Campaign’, which seeks to eliminate the mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2015. Foursquare has not received as much attention as other social sites recently, but is still a formidable social platform. However, it’s curious to note that while Starbucks has 435,779 followers on Foursquare, it has 2 million on twitter! Regardless of the platform, social media sponsorships cannot be emphasized enough, especially social causes. You may have noticed some other corporate social sponsorships lately, like Taco Bell’s teen ‘Graduate to Go’ or Dove’s ‘Self Esteem’ for young girls campaigns (both of which integrate social media but do not target social check-in). The key to a successful social sponsorship is having a good fit between cause and company, and some would add delivering the message from the organization’s side so as not to appear that it is driven purely by sales. It should be an interesting and worthwhile 10 days for Starbucks addicts.
Facebook has finally released an update that allows admins to set their own timed, automated posts, which is a great time saver and more importantly, makes users less reliant on third party management apps, like HootSuite. The new update also allows page admins to assign permission levels to other employees to varying degrees for management, content creation, moderating, advertising, and analyzing insights. From the Facebook help center, here’s how to schedule posts (up to six months in advance).
Admin can view and edit their scheduled posts in the Activity Log. This is a must have addition, and should really help businesses whose key engagement hours don’t align with their store hours. Or employers who were previously skeptical about delegating social media responsibilities to staff.
Google’s new interactive business listings
Google Places are no more. Google announced this week that Google pages have been entirely replaced by Google+ Pages for Business. If you have a Google+ page, you’ll notice a new tab on the left panel, under ‘Circles’ labeled ‘Local’. More than 80 million Google Places pages automatically rolled over into Google+ Pages. What do the changes mean? Business listings are all rated on a 3 point scale determined by user reviews- which Google averages for an overall business score. You can read more about the point system here. For food establishments the change is entirely beneficial, as the new Google+ Pages for Business integrates a new Zagat 30 point rating system (based on the Google-Zagat merger from nearly a year ago). The design also has an improved interface over Google Places (looks very similar to Yelp) and enhanced searching and SEO capabilities. Obviously, certain businesses like restaurants or retail have the upper hand as far as getting reviews. Other businesses will have to get creative to generate reviews. Some tips: make sure your business profile is complete and descriptive, and includes targeted keywords. Incorporate special offers or incentives, even if they are minimal. Be active about getting reviews, even ask your customers directly since they are shared within Google+’s social circles. And because the design is so streamlined, adding high-quality pictures of the business, service, or products is essential.
