The time of pure pageviews being the end all, be all is ending and “second-level” metrics are finally becoming as valued as they should be. Pure engagement and social sharing, the virtual “word of mouth”, are the Holy Grail for brands. You may report and measure on the number of followers and fans that you have, but are you tracking how many of them are truly engaging with your properties?
TIME Health & Family: Behind the “Unlikes:” Understanding Why People Quit Facebook
Since the QuitFacebookDay.com campaign began in May 2010, 40,633 people have closed their Facebook accounts. Research was conducted on a sample of more than 300 people who went Facebook “cold turkey”, and the number one reason people quit Facebook was concerns about their privacy. The other key reason for quitting was concern over how their personal information was being shared or “sold” to advertisers. In the sample of 300+ quitters, 73% were men.
The numbers are a very small percentage of the overall Facebook population, but it’s important to understand the impetus that is causing the migration and what it may or may not mean for your brand.
The Verge: Pinterest is now more useful for sharing articles
According to Pinterest, more than 5 million articles are pinned each day, and they just made it more enticing for readers. Articles will now include the headline, author, story description and link — right on the pin. With the update, Pinterest instantly becomes a great outlet for sharing your written content as well as the visual, but make sure that the story still fits within your strategy on the platform.
YouTube
The Verge: YouTube enlists Google+ to fix the world’s worst comments
To date, YouTube comments have consistently been a dumping ground for negativity and vitriol that was best to be avoided. That all changes now. No longer will YouTube comments appear in chronological order; instead, top posts will appear from people in your Google+ circles, and what the site calls “popular personalities.” YouTube will also highlight more active conversations inside the comments and thread them for easier reading, as in Gmail. Maybe it’s time to take a quick peek to see what lies beneath your brands’ videos to see how you can further engage.
Advertising
DIGIDAY: The Pageview’s Days Are Numbered
Pageviews are on their way out, and unique visitors and social lift (sharing) are becoming the more meaningful metrics for online advertising according to BuzzFeed and PitchFork. Currently you may click on a link on a page that leads to a 100-page slide show. Then you may click through a couple of slides before closing the tab. The site’s publisher doesn’t care that you haven’t gone through the entire slide show; the act of you clicking on the link counts as an ad impression. Since most publishers sell on a cost per thousand basis, slideshows have become the shortcut for inflating pageview numbers. One site, Quartz, is monetizing people who comment on its site through its partner Citi. The fact is, advertisers are being held more and more accountable for the variety of quality statistics that digital marketing provides – further moving the entire ad industry toward content that inspires users to read, share and engage.
What GFM Blogged About This Week…
Monday Night Football and the Impact on Colorado Tourism
The Downside to Social Media “Marketing”
As Boulder Floods Rage, Open Communication Offers A Lifeline
