This Week, Facebook Made Pages Better and Twitter Got Behind Photos

Here are some of the top stories from this week in social media that you might have missed while you were hard at work.

Facebook is in the headlines again with the introduction of redesigned Pages. While fans will see a more streamlined layout, admins will have easier access to the tools you use most. Twitter had equally important news, confirming that tweets with photos garner a 35 percent boost in retweets.

In other news, we took a look at some of the things that brands are doing with the improved Google+ Communities, as well as inspiring examples of travel brands rocking Facebook. For more details on these stories and more, see our recaps below.

These 3 Brands Do Great Things With the Improved Google+ Communities

The responsibilities of a community manager don’t stop the minute you walk away from your desk. How many times have you responded to a tweet from your smartphone or scheduled a Google+ post from your tablet? Mobile devices are more than just a back-up tool for community managers, which is why social apps need to provide similar functionality and experience as offered by their browser-based counterparts.

The latest social network to deliver important upgrades to its mobile experience is Google+. To help make its iOS app much more valuable to community managers on the go, the company rolled out new abilities for Community Moderators. Other improvements include performance upgrades, a revamped Explore experience and more precise location-sharing controls. [Read More...]

Your Facebook Page Looks Different Now, Here’s Why It’s Better

Following the announcement of its revamped News Feed, Facebook this week introduced a more streamlined look for Pages. Announced Monday, redesigned Pages will change the appearance for both Page visitors and admins. The new look is rolling out on desktop initially and will make it easier for people to find the information they want, while helping admins find the tools they use most.

Managing your Facebook Page wasn’t all that difficult to begin with, but accessing the features you use the most probably seemed a little inconvenient. For example, at-a-glance details about your performance on the social network are currently tucked away underneath menus. While navigating there only takes a few seconds, that’s a time spent waiting when you could be replying to a customer’s comment instead. [Read More...]

Want More Retweets? Here’s How Twitter Says You Can Boost Your Chances

While messaging is critical, selling a product or service on Twitter requires much more than a carefully crafted tweet. Words alone aren’t enough to capture the attention of today’s overly-stimulated consumers. Adding a hashtag, photo, or video to a tweet undoubtedly makes it richer, and as Twitter proved in its latest study, can have a significant impact on reach.

Twitter has confirmed that overall, tweets with photos see a 35 percent boost in retweets, while tweets with videos receive a 28 percent increase. Additionally, tweets with quotes, numbers, and hashtags generate a 19 percent, 17 percent, and 16 percent increase in retweets, respectively. [Read More...]

Check Out These Inspiring Examples of Travel Brands Rocking Facebook

Did you know that 72 percent of consumers post vacation photos to a social network while still on vacation? Last November, Facebook revealed that more people share travel and vacations on the social network than anything else. That might seem hard to believe at first, but statistics from past studies support the trend.

Of course, photos aren’t the only things that draw travelers to Facebook. Many people use it to arrange or book travel plans, ask for recommendations while visiting new cities, or check in to local venues while traveling. Obviously this is great news for the travel industry, so why aren’t more brands taking advantage? [Read More...]

Pinterest Pins Help Drive Sales, These 3 Brands Show You How

There’s no doubt that Pinterest’s visual nature makes it the perfect platform to showcase products. And with the introduction of features like Product Pins and price alerts, the site has become a popular destination for consumers and brands alike. This week Pinterest added yet another feature that will help to turn pins into purchases.

People love to use Pinterest for shopping ideas, which is why the company has created a new Gifts feed of all the different things that consumers can buy. While this feed is housed with the regular categories, it stands out because it only shows Product Pins, which display extra details like pricing, availability, and where to buy right on the pin. [Read More...]

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This Week, Facebook Made Pages Better and Twitter Got Behind Photos