This month started off strong and surprisingly busy for me. There's been some humbling moments over the last few weeks as well and trust me there's no harm in remaining humble you know. No one person knows everything, even those you think do!
Saying that though, I did also win Social Media Service Provider of the Year with the Republic of Ireland Prestige Awards! I was delighted!
That's why I learn everything here that I share. I know I say I'm doing this for you - but in actual fact, I'm doing a huge amount of this for myself! This blog however, keeps me accountable and everyone that reads this is my accountability buddy!
Let's get started:
The one serious issue customers bring up with me all the time, with regards to Meta is never knowing where to find things! Unfortunately as Meta has grown and built tools to help their customers - they've created many, MANY layers of areas that are helpful, only if you know where to find them. So, finally, Meta have decided to address these issues and are now working to make it easier. There was an announcement on the 19th of January and this what they said.
Users will now find the settings for their Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger profiles in a new centralized location called Accounts Centre:
Control of settings that affect only Facebook or Instagram will still be managed within each app.
These two leviathans work in tandem with each other and although very similar there are some subtle difference and also some less subtle ones too. This round up exists for these types of blogs because honestly, people like Andrea Vahl can explain it so much better! This easy to understand and illustrated explanation is what has been missing in your life, TRUST ME! Read this blog and finally understand what they both do!
We heard from Mari Smith this last month that she felt there was an average / minimum ad spend that optimises ads. This did throw up a bit of contention in her group however as some advertisers came back saying they could do well spending less. I feel the same way as well but I do wonder if its because I run weekly ads, all year round for my clients and so maybe we get a bit more bang for our buck?? Who knows, but its worth doing your own research and finding out what best works for you and your clients / business
Taken directly from Mari Smith:
Each and every ad format/type has a minimum spend for the ad to actually be effective and optimized properly.
Your ad performance will definitely see a difference if you spend below these minimums. So Meta recommends these minimums but ideally much more!
Yes, this information is directly from Meta - the horse's mouth, I assure you.
Yet it is not published anywhere by Meta.
You're just supposed to somehow know.
[EDIT: As with practically everything on FB/Meta apps, definitely do your own testing, your own due diligence, and go with your own numbers and what's working for you!!]
After many, many years of me saying Facebook don't charge you, its a scam. They are now - admittedly 19 years later, offering you the chance to pay them. You'll get the Blue Check Mark and apparently better access to Customer Support. Read the announcement from Mark Zuckerberg here.
I've recently spent a fair bit of time with Meta customer support, the free version anyway and it was...let me say...not fun. I felt they used copy and paste answers waaaay too much. So I can only hope the paid version is better. It's worth noting this though:
"The tech giant, which laid off 11,000 employees — approximately 13% of its staff — in November is looking to further cut costs as part of CEO Mark Zuckerberg's "year of efficiency." Some budget setting has been delayed, the sources told the FT, as headcount threatens to dwindle further." 12 Feb 2023
I'm not sure where they're going to find the staff to look after you when you pay? I'll personally let someone else try it and get their feedback before I take the plunge.
It's been a long time coming but finally Meta have decided to sunset Creator Studio. Its been losing capabilities for some time now and getting glitchier and glitchier so we could so it was set to go. Then they made the announcement last month. Check out here, what's moving and where you can find it
Want to have 24 hour private chats with just your followers? Then Instagram Notes is for you! This rolled out last month and the Two Laura's wrote a very useful guide that you should give a read. Check it out here.
We've seen memories in our notifications but now we're going to see them as Story prompts. Meta want to introduce a more in your face way to do memories rather like they do already on Facebook. So keep an eye out for this coming up in the coming weeks and months. Learn more about this update here.
This might be a good way to do a round up of updates about your business directly to your followers?
I have seen this video shared fairly widely in the past and I've no idea why I haven't included in my round up before but I have to say it's extremely comprehensive. Definitely worth keeping a record of this for you or someone you know having this issue!
Last month I was telling you that I had only just got access to this tool after a long wait. Well now I have had just over a month of use from it and although of course I've looked at how it creates blogs, I'm not going to use it for them lol.
What I have found very useful though was birthday ideas, present suggestions, planting plans, diet suggestions, romantic getaway ideas and so much more. Equally, I could have done all of these as a Google search as well.
I will admit I love the way it converses with you and begins to better understand what you like to read about. It's also a bit creepy that this AI is learning more and more about me as well. Hahaha
It's worth a look at definitely but I won't be using it for blogs, just not in me and besides there are more and more detectors being put out there that will "out you" over the coming weeks and months so if your "cheating", you'll get found out in time!
Learn more about how to use ChatGPT here in this blog about it from the owners themselves. Takes about 13 minutes to read!!
Yep, knew it had to happen at some stage - so now in the US they are piloting a paid tier that gives you priority and faster access for $20 per month and this will be eventually allowed outside of the US. Will you be one of the people to sign up to this facility when its rolled out?
Eat your heart out John Connor, AI are here to stay! With all the excitement about ChatGPT, AI are taking over pretty much everything by the looks of it. I love the idea of it, the ideas it gives me etc but I am a complete prude / purist and much prefer to write my own blogs. I maybe set in my ways but at least I know every word I wrote and why. I can personally agonise over blogs and in particular these round ups for WEEKS, going over it again and again but I'd still prefer to do this than the alternative.
However! If you would like to know about how else AI can help you then you'll probably appreciate this blog from HackerNoon who tell about 174 AI tools!
I've never come across this phrase before so I thought I would share this with you. It makes an awful lot of sense. We've been using it for a number of years and now its got a name. So for those of you who wonder, wonder no more. Check out the blog from MarketMuse here.
This really is what it says on the tin. So if you can't find an image that suits, you describe it as much as possible and check a couple of design and size boxes and voila, it creates something for you. It's not entirely foolproof but it is new and they are building upon it. Really worth a try. I have the Canva Pro so not sure its free but hopefully it is. Learn more about it here.
How do I use Text to Image?
I'm a little surprised to admit this but this did surprise me! Just as I was starting to stalk other Twitter like platforms this came over the Twitterverse and very surprisingly wasn't changed a few days later. It looks like it actually, maybe - happening. So if you're a creator and will be using Twitter as a medium to reach your audience, you could be, potentially able to make money. Learn more about the announcement here.
So you may have heard about a wee bit of competition coming to ChatGPT in the shape of Bard AI? Well it was true - until it glitched on the open day demo and put up incorrect information and then Googles stocks horribly plummeted. Since then I've had trouble finding it online. Maybe its just not available here yet in Ireland / Europe or maybe they took it back to the drawling board. More on this to come. Check out the announcement here for more.
From last month, GBP have removed price ranges and specifying a custom call to action will no longer be supported. This came in on February 15, 2023. They have also removed all current price ranges and all landing pages will have a "Visit site" label instead.
Last year Google announced that Universal Analytics (UA) was being sunsetted on the 1st of July 2023. This means you need to move over to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) as soon as possible to allow data to be collected in the interim months. They can work in tandem in the intervening period, while you get more familiar with the new process. It does look quite different and needs to be navigated in a whole new way. Learn more about the changes in this blog from Hubspot.
If you're looking for a more one on one style of training to create a strategy for your social media and overall digital marketing and would like to know how to do this by yourself for your own business or for the company you work for, then you maybe interested in doing this training that I offer.
I help you create it at a pace you set, filling in the gaps in your knowledge along the way. You'll be given work to do between the sessions that you can manage and that won't be overly disruptive to your everyday workload.
This will give you accountability and you can contact me anytime during the training if you have any questions that crop up between sessions.
Are you on track for your goals and targets so far? If not, then maybe you should contact me. I have set aside some regular time slots to offer this training and it can run either in 1 month, 6 weeks or even 12 weeks if you prefer! I can give you the dates to fit around both our schedules from day one so you know this in advance. If you would like to learn more about what this covers, then visit this page.
This course has been currently accepted by 5 Local Enterprise Office Areas as suitable for the Trading Online Voucher but you can also get this training directly. Check out all the lovely testimonials I have received regarding this course.
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From January 2023 I started running a monthly subscription of 30 minute per week Business Strategy Pods. These pods are one on one and are strategy and accountability weekly sessions that are pre booked by you at times that work around your own schedule.
You will first complete a pre qualifying form so I know where you're starting from and we shall then speak weekly and have a private 1:1 Facebook Group that keeps you pushing forward and getting stuff done.
How they work:
Podcast 162 - Content Creation with Jade Halstead
Podcast 163 - What Sells Better? The positive or Negative Spin
Podcast 164 - Keeping Going Through Adversity
Podcast 165 - Storytelling using ChatGPT with Anne Gould
Esther and I are delighted to announce that we have now opened a Etsy Store and you can pick up merchandise and useful downloads that will help you learn and better understand your marketing!
Visit the shop today and every month for new downloads!
I hope you find this months round up useful and look forward to bringing you more updates in a few weeks time. If you need anything in the meantime, don't hesitate to contact me.
Working with clients Nationwide from base in Mullingar.
