The one constant on social media platforms is changing. As the social media networks battle each other to capture our attention, they’re frequently making changes to attract new users and keep existing users on their platforms longer.
For the most part, the changes are often business-friendly. Social networks generate revenue from businesses spending money on ads; therefore, social networks are incentives not to alienate businesses and lose advertising dollars. That said, not all changes benefit businesses. Furthermore, not all changes benefit sales professionals.
Here are some of the most recent changes, new features, and news from the major social media networks and how they might affect, positive or negatively, sales professionals:
LinkedIn Changes
LinkedIn, now with over 810 million users, is experiencing significant growth at a time in which other social networks are seeing a decline in users. While LinkedIn experienced a 34% increase in revenue, they’ve also seen a significant jump in daily active users and engagement.
To capitalize on, and further increase, its growth, LinkedIn has made a few changes this month.
LinkedIn Analytics
Data is King. For business and sales professionals, it helps us make more informed and better decisions. The LinkedIn of years ago offered very little in terms of analytics and insights. They have made notable positive steps over the last few years, and not they’re taking their analytics game to the next level.
The insight changes are predominantly within Creator Mode, which over 5.5 million people have opted to use in the last year. If you’re a sales professional, Creator Mode can help you establish yourself as an industry professional through your professional insight posts, and it can help you build an engaged audience.
LinkedIn Creator Mode Insights
LinkedIn has significantly enhanced the analytical insights that it provides. While you previously could see the engagement and impressions of your posts, you now get much more detail. You can see which industries and job titles are engaging with your content and other more in-depth demographics.
The increased insights into the demographics of those who engage with your content is of tremendous value. Not only can you see if your content is hitting your target audience, and adjust your content accordingly, but the insights might help you discover new areas of opportunities.
More data is better. Transparency of data is important. Social networks that fail to share clear and in-depth analytics will struggle to grow. LinkedIn has prioritized improving its insights, and these changes will benefit businesses and especially sales professionals.
Other Important LinkedIn News
- LinkedIn published a new Transparency Report
- LinkedIn launched a new Career Pathfinder’ tool
- LinkedIn added new analytics and profile video options
- LinkedIn announced it is shutting down LinkedIn Lite
Twitter Changes
Okay, the elephant in the room; Elon Musk purchased Twitter. We could not write a post on social media platform changes and not include this. It is huge news. And, it will have an impact on the social network. But, how will it affect businesses and sales professionals?
Elon Musk Buys Twitter
First, it is important to note that the sale won’t be complete for six months, and while there may be some small changes, it is unlikely that we will see big changes over the next few months. That said, changes are coming.
While the world focuses on how Musk buying Twitter will have an impact on speech and information sharing, and you can debate that until the cows come home, there will be an impact on businesses, and we should expect it to be positive.
Twitter for Businesses
Twitter use to be one of the best, if not the best, platforms for businesses and especially for sales professionals looking to prospect and drive sales. This has not been the case for businesses in several years. However, sales professionals, especially thought leaders, have still been successful on Twitter, though not to the extent that they were 5+ years ago.
While it is clear that Musk will value the individual users’ experience on the platform, and desires to have a platform robust in engagement and communication, he still needs to generate revenue. This is where some positive changes should come into play.
Twitter has long struggled to implement a quality ad platform. If Musk can lead an effort to create a better ad platform, while still maintaining or improving the user experience, Twitter can become a valuable social network for businesses, and one sales professionals can lean on to amplify their voice.
Your Twitter Game Plan
Twitter is here to stay, for a while. It has 206 million daily active users. Now would be a great time to reinvest some of your digital prospecting time on Twitter. Start sharing your professional insight posts. Engage with other users. Grow your network. Position yourself so that when the changes to Twitter come, and they will, you’re ready to capitalize on them.
Instagram News
Instagram Hashtags are often a subject of debate. Some people say it is best to pack a post full of as many hashtags as you can, while others suggest a lower number such as 3-5. Last year Facebook Developers published information about hashtags that changed how most users used hashtags.
Within the information from Facebook, the conclusion was that 3-5 hashtags were best practice. Since then, several companies have conducted tests to see if this is true (because social networks aren’t usually transparent about their algorithm) and to see how hashtags affect posts on Instagram.
The Data on Instagram Hashtags
Social Insider conducted the largest study on Instagram hashtags, looking at over 75 million posts. The results were interesting. It did show that 3-5 hashtags proved to be most effective. However, the number of hashtags barely made much of a statistical difference.
The study shows 3-5 hashtags to be best, followed by 5-6. Though, 1-2 hashtags were almost equally as effective. Filling posts full of more than 6 hashtags did prove to be less effective, but again not by that much. So what is the takeaway?
How to use Instagram Hashtags
Hashtags do help discoverability. Hashtags will help your posts get viewed by people who do not currently follow your Instagram account, However, more is not better. You’ll see no statistical benefit from adding 10 or 20 hashtags vs adding 1-2. Certainly, there is more to this, and the quality of your hashtags, and even their placement of them, can impact results. But, follow the data.
Don’t spend time trying to create 10+ hashtags, and in the process make your post look like a spam bot wrote it. Add in 2-6 hashtags and post. If you are a sales professional, think about the hashtags that your target client is likely to follow and use those hashtags.
Thanks for reading. I typically write about modern selling, virtual selling, prospecting, sales reps reputation and how content helps all of these with modern buyers. My primary audience includes CEOs, CROs, CMOs, and other executives responsible for increasing bottom line. Post your questions in the comments section below and let’s discuss this!
