FreshNetworks Blog

There are lots of tools emerging that appear to give us wonderful statistics and data about Twitter, but it’s hard to know which data we actually want and how we want to receive it.

As Twitter’s API has been undergoing a few changes recently, we thought it would be useful to give you an overview of the information that you can still get from the platform itself, as well as providing some guidance on the best way to measure the data.

The four main data types on Twitter are:

• User data – relates to the user who posted the message.
• Friend and follower data – relates to the relationship a user has to other users.
• Tweet data – all the details and content relating to a particular tweet.
• Places and Geographic data – the geographic and location based aspects relating to a person or tweet.

There are also four main measurements that we can use to measure this data in order to understand the impact of the activity on Twitter:

• Impressions – aggregated users exposed to messages.
• Reach – number of unique users exposed to a message.
• Frequency – number of times each unique user reached is exposed to a message.
• Relevancy – reach to specific demographics.

When it comes to the ROI of these messages, it’s important to think about how they compare to your other channels in terms of reach and impressions.

Take a look at the presentation below – we hope it helps to reveal some of the Twitter data you can access through the API and ways in which you might go about measuring it.

I realise that last Friday saw the ‘official’ end of LinkedIn Week here at FreshNetworks,  culminating in the launch of our new report about the growth, current use and future direction of LinkedIn.

However LinkedIn has just launched new upgrades to its app portfolio which promise to address the issue of bugs, as well as introducing a new range of features.

Key updates include:

1. Introduction of a news stream

More aligned with other popular social networks, LinkedIn has now introduced a news stream to their app.

At the top of the app you can access information from LinkedIn Today, which contains news sources that users swipe to view or select particular categories. Below the LinkedIn Today strip is the stream of updates, job changes and other information about your LinkedIn contacts.

2. Easy to scan profiles

Say you’re about to head to a business meeting and you need some information about the person you’re meeting. Or you’re at an event and have just met someone you should remember but can’t quite place where you would’ve met them before in your professional life.

The new LinkedIn app allows you to do a a quick scan of people’s profiles, as well as connect with them during or after the meeting. You can also check the latest updates from that person  quickly and easily.

3. Easier screen navigation

The new apps have a main navigation screen that is clear and easy to navigate. It’s also easy on the eye – something not previously the case with LinkedIn apps.

The new app has detailed and intricate icons, including a “name badge” for your individual LinkedIn profile and a mail envelope for your LinkedIn messages. There’s also an icon for sending and receiving messages in LinkedIn Groups.

4. HTML5 mobile version

LinkedIn has also launched a mobile HTML5 version of its service. The mobile site is designed for people who don’t have the mobile app, or for people who get LinkedIn emails, such as the weekly “network updates”. Previously, when people received these emails on a mobile phone and clicked on a person with a new job, they would go to the full website, which is difficult to read. Now people will get sent to an easy-to-read mobile version of the site. Because it uses HTML5, it has app-like features such as swiping through pages too.

5. CardMunch

Ok, so this is not quite a key change as yet, but as mentioned by Forbes, LinkedIn also recently bought CardMunch, an application for quickly scanning business cards and converting them to contacts on your phone. Nothing has been rolled out just yet but it’s pretty likely that LinkedIn are working on something that could add even more value to LinkedIn apps.

By rolling out  new iPhone, Android and HTML5 apps, LinkedIn are clearly trying to encourage members to think of the platform as more ‘everyday service’ for professionals to access on the go at the touch of a button, rather than just a tool for recruiters and job seekers.

Here’s a quick, simple guide to the 4 things we’ve found to be extremely effective when building a successful Facebook Advertising campaign:

1. Get access to Facebook’s ‘Power Editor’

This neat little tool is an extension for Google Chrome which allows you to manage ads and campaigns in bulk. You can quickly change the images, targeting and demographics for large numbers of adverts. It’s a tool which is currently in Beta, but accessible through Facebook’s advertising program.

2. Ad images are critical

Our experience has shown that ad images need to be refreshed frequently – often as much as once every 24 hours. The more relevant your image to your target market, the higher your click through rate will be. This is one of the reason why splitting up your ads to tighten targeting really helps.

3. Optimise for Likes, not clicks

When monitoring your ads, keep an eye on the rate of conversions to clicks.

Facebook tracks a conversion as someone who likes your page and installs your app or RSVP’s to your event within 24 hours of seeing your ad. Getting users to complete these actions is like gold dust when building your page audience. Think about how you could make it easier for people to do so.

4. Build a ‘pre-like’ page with a clear call to action

If you’re building a campaign to increase fan engagement on your page, don’t just direct people to your wall. Instead, build a bespoke tab page which has a clear call to action (liking the page, clicking a tab app or something else). Give your new audience something clear and simple to do when they first come to your page.

Today sees an end to our focus on LinkedIn and the launch of our new report about the growth, current use and future direction of LinkedIn.

You can DOWNLOAD A FREE COPY OF OUR REPORT HERE.

Our report looks at:

• How LinkedIn has grown to become the world’s biggest professional online network.
• Our predictions for the future growth of LinkedIn.
• How brands and businesses should use LinkedIn.
• The top 10 companies on LinkedIn.
• LinkedIn’s tops tips getting started.
• The future direction of LinkedIn.
• An Interview with Ngaire Moyes, Director of Communications EMEA, LinkedIn.

It would be great to hear any comments or thoughts you have about the report, as well as how you’re currently using LinkedIn as part of your own personal or company’s social media strategy.

Last year, Guy Kawasaki,  wrote a guest post for the LinkedIn Blog about how small businesses can use LinkedIn.

In his post, Kawasaki advised companies to be transparent in order to attract both prospective clients and employees.

While the post focuses on small businesses, some of the points he raises can be applied to businesses of all sizes.

Here are some of our own thoughts, as well as some of Kawasaki’s own words of wisdom, on some of the ways that brands and businesses can use LinkedIn.

1.    Win new business by answering questions in your area of expertise

Currently 17.8 million LinkedIn users are members of groups and 1.2 million post comments to groups every week.

If employees are demonstrating expertise and providing sound advice within the conversations relevant to their industry, then others will want to find out who they work for, thereby increasing a company’s reputation.

2.    Convince potential customers about your expertise by sharing content

The profile of your company will increase by having a presence in groups on LinkedIn and by sharing knowledge through these groups.

It’s important to think of these people as prospective customers or employees and try to captivate them as much as possible with your content, and then try to convert where possible.

Content can range from adding comments and joining in discussions in relevant groups on LinkedIn, to posting your company’s blog and twitter feeds to your own profile, as well as that of your employees, in order to help people learn more about your brand and business.

If you have resource you could even set up your own group on LinkedIn.

Either way, make sure you only post relevant, timely information that relates to the audience in order to avoid clutter or annoying people with irrelevant content.

3.    Acquire new customers through online recommendations and word of mouth

Nielsen’s Global Online Consumer Survey , which sampled 25,000 Internet consumers from 50 different countries, demonstrates the value of word of mouth, with 90% of respondents trusting recommendations of people they know.

Having a company presence on LinkedIn increases word-of-mouth about your brand.  Plus, getting recommended by a connection on LinkedIn will help to validate your business credentials.

4.    Cut recruitment costs

LinkedIn is a great platform to showcase professional qualifications and experience, and as such it can help businesses save money on recruitment. HR and internal recruiters can view information about potential candidates, as well as contact them, without having to use expensive agencies to provide names and contacts. A leading software provider managed to cut its recruitment budget by 50% significantly thanks to using LinkedIn for recruitment purposes.