It’s well known in the world of social media that the use of video is steadily growing and won’t be slowing down anytime soon. In fact, our Westchester NY social media team predicts that using video is going to be the “next big thing” for businesses and organizations to integrate into their social strategies. Think of this way: Rather than paying to create and air a TV commercial for a certain amount of time, you can instead create your own content to share information, give an inside look of your company and even show off products without sounding too “sales-y.”

Boost your engagement and grow your presence with YouTube

If done correctly, YouTube can be a fantastic outlet for building brand awareness by connecting and conversing with customers (and potential customers) using interactive and compelling content. Here are a few of our favorite ways to grow your online presence using YouTube:

1. Keep it connected. You might have fantastic videos on your YouTube channel, but this won’t take you very far if no one knows about them. Spread the word! Adding a YouTube page app to your Facebook page allows your Facebook fans to watch your videos without even having to leave Facebook. Share your videos on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and blog with a call to action. Add the link to your channel to your email signature and website. The more you share your content, the higher the number of people to discover it will be. In addition, drive traffic to your website by adding the link to your video description and channel profile.

2. Engage. Spreading the word about your videos will certainly spark interest, but engaging with your audience will keep them interested. Monitor your channel and always respond to comments on your videos. In return, visit the channels of your audience members and comment on their videos. Building and maintaining relationships on social channels is one of the driving forces behind successfully growing your online presence.

3. Avoid Ads. A common misconception with YouTube is that it’s just one more way for companies to advertise themselves. While this is partially true, it’s important to understand that videos that simply highlight your business and its products are not popular on YouTube. Of course you can show off your products once in a while in an engaging way, but keep in mind the videos with the most popularity are those that are entertaining, informative and educational. Let’s say you own a bakery. Rather than telling your audience to buy your cookies, why not create a step-by-step tutorial on how to make the perfect chocolate chip cookie? How about giving your audience an inside look at how you decorate the perfect wedding cake? Put yourself in the shoes of your audience and think about what you would want to see from your favorite business.

YouTube is one social platform that’s here to say, and with video becoming more popular than ever, taking the time to add YouTube to your social strategy is one of the best steps you can take to “socializing” your business and growing your presence online. Is your business a rockstar on YouTube? Share your success stories with us!

At some point in your Facebook lifetime, you have probably experienced confusion involving friend requests. Perhaps you received a request from a complete stranger, and didn’t know whether to accept or decline. Maybe you sent out a large number of friend requests at once, only to receive a notification that Facebook has decided to block your account because you are “spamming.” Whatever the case, we have put together a few key points to help you brush up on your “friend requests” etiquette.

1. Evaluate the Strangers. Did you receive a friend request from someone you don’t know? Do some snooping. Take a look at their page and see who their mutual friends are, where they live, work, etc. You could have met this person at a networking event or party and it slipped your mind. If you share close mutual friends, ask your friend about them. You might just look like an interesting person! However, strange friend requests can also be in the form of people you have blocked from your page setting up a fake account, people looking to bombard you with spam, or people with a hidden agenda looking for your personal information. Use your intuition.
2. Limit Your Requests. Are you going through your business’ e-mail contact list and adding everyone you see at once? Stop. This behavior raises a red flag for Facebook, who will limit your ability to send requests and even block your account from being used for days at a time. Facebook sees this behavior as spam, which is a big no-no on the social media giant. Limit sending your friend requests to ten people a day.
3. Non-Friends Can Still Subscribe. Perhaps you denied a friend request to avoid this person from seeing your posts. Not so fast. Thanks to the “Subscribe” button, anyone can subscribe to your statuses and activity, whether they are your “friend” or not. Always keep this in mind and monitor your subscribers. If you really do not want someone to see your updates, block them.
4. Some Requests are Hidden. If you receive a friend request and don’t respond right away, the request will be hidden. You can clean up this list by selecting “See All” from your Friend Requests button. People can sometimes get lost in the shuffle, so it’s a good idea to regularly monitor this section.

Handling Facebook friend requests can sometimes seem like a tricky endeavor, and we hope these tips will get you started to being a friend request pro! Do you have any tips of your own? Let us know!