Thanks to the weather, here in Denver we’re spending a lot more time indoors than normal for this time of year. While the downside is that we’re not having as much fun in the sun as we’d like, we’ve certainly got more time to spend catching up on our reading. This week’s reads have some great tips for developing and repurposing content, a few new tools for engaging with customers, and tips for making those engagements more meaningful. The forecast calls for rain through the weekend – so we hope you enjoy catching up with these reads until the sun comes back out!
The Verge: Twitter Removing 140-Character Limit From Direct Messages
If you use direct messages (DMs) on Twitter to communicate with key media, influencers or consumers, you’ll be thrilled to know that Twitter is lifting the 140-character limit on DMs come “July” (no more specific date yet…). Public-facing tweets will still adhere to the 140-character format.
re/code: Facebook Is Handing Out Free Beacons to Retailers
As of Monday, Facebook is rolling out its PlaceTips feature – which shows users who open the Facebook app while inside a beacon-using retailer information, photos and posts about that store – to businesses nationwide. What’s more, Facebook is providing beacons for free to encourage businesses to get on board.
Content
Ragan’s PR Daily: 4 Ideas for Repurposing Your Brand’s Content
Feeling strapped for content? Chances are you’ve already created content that’s ripe for repurposing. Think visually crafting your content into an infographic, or transcribing some audio content into a written blog post. This article provides some smart tips that will have you maximizing content in no time!
Poynter.org: Reuters To Offer Free Content To Web Publishers
Thanks to the new Reuters Media Express service, for the first time in its 160-year history Reuters is offering free pictures, video and text to online publishers. While there are limits to the free content, this new service really adds to the list of resources available to those looking for a variety of content to add to their site.
Engagement
SmartBlog on Social Media: How Thoughtful Interaction Will Win Customers Over
Savvy communicators know that communication with customers should be a two-way street, and communicating via social media should be no exception. Creating a social environment that not only shares engaging content that’s appealing and useful to your customer, but encouraging customers themselves to share ideas, ask questions and engage with your brand and each other is key to success.
