This Week’s Top Reads • 5/26/15

TOP LINE LESSONS:

• Facebook’s local awareness ads allows viewers to contact you directly from the News Feed.
• Use your small business’s Facebook page as a landing page for mobile viewers.
• Google Analytics’ tracking URL tool is a good option for tracking URLs on a budget.
• Pay attention to “how-to” searches on YouTube that relate to your brand.
• Create video content to offer solutions to popular how-to searches.

#1: FACEBOOK’S NEW LOCAL AWARENESS ADS 

Facebook recently launched new ad features that make businesses more accessible to mobile viewers.

• Facebook’s new “Call Now” button allows customers to call you from your ad in the News Feed.
• Facebook users can use the “Get Directions” button for directions to your locations right from their phone.
• Local awareness ads affordably target people near you.
• Results from local awareness ads are available on your Page.

#2: ZUCKERBERG TO SMBs: FACEBOOK PAGES ARE STILL THE BEST WAY TO REACH CUSTOMERS

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg addressed concerns about decreasing reach of Facebook Pages for businesses.

• Despite declining organic reach, business Facebook Pages are still the best way to reach customers.
• Think of your business’s Facebook page as a mobile-friendly landing page.
• Facebook will continue to update its News Feed algorithm to serve users with posts that interest them.

#3: HOW TO CREATE TRACKING URLs FOR GOOGLE ANALYTICS

• You can create tracking URLs through Google Analytics through a tool called “URL builder form.”
• Google allows you to set up personalized criteria for tracking, which it will convert into an easy-to-track URL.
• This is a budget-conscious way to track URLs.

#4: MILLENNIAL-MOBILE “HOW-TO” SEARCHES EXPLODE ON YOUTUBE

Searches for how-to” video searches on YouTube are becoming increasingly popular among Millennials. Google offers some tips on incorporating brand marketing into this growing trend.

• “How-to” searches on YouTube continue to increase dramatically.
• Millennials make up the largest demographic group for these searches.
• About 30% of Millennials say they’ve bought a product as a result of a how-to lookup.
• Identify the needs expressed in how-to videos that are related to your brand.
• Create how-to video content specific to your brand, and make these resources easily accessible.