Using Facebook to Market Your Business in 2019

Facebook marketing in 2019 isn’t dead. On the contrary, it’s far from it.

Now removed from the dim outlook that businesses faced at the beginning of 2018, Facebook has and will remain an essential tool for brands’ marketing strategies moving forward.

Our social media marketing partner, Buffer, recently released their State of Social Media 2019 Report and found that 93.7 percent of businesses use and are currently active on Facebook — the most among any other social media network.

And although they continue to see a dramatic rise in the usage and effectiveness of Stories content, traditional posts in the Facebook News Feed offer a powerful outlet for brands looking to generate engagement and traffic. In total, they dwindled down more than 777 million posts to 500 of the most popular, according to total engagements. The top 500 Facebook posts represent more than one billion engagements across Facebook.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM 777 MILLION FACEBOOK POSTS

BuzzSumo has access to some of the world’s most robust Facebook data, which powers lots of incredible research studies like this one where they analyzed content from 20,000 influential Facebook Business Pages.

They’re also the company behind one of my personal favorites, The 2019 Ultimate Guide to Facebook Engagement, an annual report that analyzes everything you need to know about the tactical side of Facebook marketing. Needless to say, their product offers some eye-opening insights into the world of Facebook marketing.

KEY TAKEAWAY #1: VIDEO PERFORMS BETTER THAN ALL OTHER TYPES OF FACEBOOK POSTS

When it comes to taking your Facebook strategy to the next level, there is no better way to do so than through the use of video content. On average, video posts on Facebook get at least 59 percent more engagement than other post types. In fact, when looking at what types of content made up the top 500 Facebook posts of 2018, more than 81 percent were videos! Images only accounted for 18 percent of the top posts, while Links made up a mere 0.2 percent.

KEY TAKEAWAY #2: INSPIRATIONAL, FUNNY, OR PRACTICAL CONTENT GENERATES THE MOST ENGAGEMENT

In order to hone in on the exact types of content brands and marketers should be creating more of in 2019, we attempted to categorize the types of content from the data set. In conjunction with the most common reactions on Facebook and a subjective analysis of the top 500 Facebook posts, three common themes started to emerge. The most successful content could be categorized as inspirational, funny, or practical.

KEY TAKEAWAY #3: CREATE CONTENT FOR FACEBOOK THAT IS BOTH HUMAN AND STORY-FORWARD

Did you know that 84 percent of marketers believe that building trust will be the primary focus for their marketing efforts in the future? That’s because consumers are looking for brands with a purpose – brands that are mission-driven and stand for something important.

Shallow marketing campaigns aren’t going to cut it in 2019. What will cut it are authentic, human-forward stories that allow your brand to connect with customers on a personal level. Smaller brands, in particular, have an opportunity to double or even triple engagement with this personal approach.

Think About How You Travel - Past Tips from Anthony Bourdain

As many of us prepare for our winter getaways and search for a respite from the cold, we thought we’d share some amazing content that we found from Anthony Bourdain.

We don’t think it’s a stretch to say Anthony Bourdain was one of the most interesting characters of our time. He effortlessly taught a generation of otherwise wet-behind-the-eared youths how to sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll. He taught us how to bridge the gaps between the culinary extravagance of things like Russian caviar and French oysters, and a pastrami sandwich on rye at Pastrami Queen. And because of that, he taught us that we—all 7 billion of us—ain’t that different.

Luckily for us starry-eyed wanderers and mileage-counting journeyers, he also imparted timeless wisdom about what—and what not—to do while on life’s lonesome highways. Here are our 10 favorite travel tips from the man, the myth, and the legend himself, the late Anthony Bourdain:

DON’T EAT AIRPLANE FOOD—ALWAYS ARRIVE HUNGRY

In an interview Bourdain did with Bon Appétit, he said that he never eats on the plane to anywhere. His first point, which is obvious and to which we can personally attest, was that no one ever really feels good after eating plane food. It’s plane food. But his second point was that he’s a food guy, and since going to interesting culinary destinations was his job, he always liked to arrive somewhere hungry.

BE A TRAVELER; NOT A TOURIST

Are you headed to Paris? Do everything but stand atop the Eiffel Tower, because according to Bourdain, it’s lethal to your soul. Drawing yourself up an action-packed itinerary? Don’t. It’ll ruin your trip, and everything else you thought you were looking for when you decided to leave home. Stay off TripAdvisor and Yelp, and just go do it. Be the Parts Unknown you want to see in the world.

DON’T PREFACE YOUR EXPERIENCES AROUND SAFETY OR CLEANLINESS

When you sit back and ask yourself why you want to travel, there are generally two types of people: Those who want to be somewhere; somewhere they’ve seen in a movie, or on some reputed travel website, or while scrolling through the #EarthPorn Instagram hashtag. And those who want to adventure somewhere; those who want to get out into the world and be astounded by just how significant it all is. Bourdain was an adventurer, and in that same Time interview, he notes that people are over concerned about things like safety and cleanliness in ways that often inhibit their ability to experience new things. Adventuring, by design, is sometimes dangerous and often dirty. But that’s kind of the point. Do it for the thrill of it all.

HARNESS THE POWER OF “FOOD NERD FURY”

Many avid travelers and foodies—Bourdain included—often condemn food review websites or travel websites, but by his own words, Bourdain told Shermans Travel that with a little tact and cunning, they can be used for good. His advice was, “Say you’re going to a new place; go online and find any old reference on Google for a good restaurant. Before you go, post about that restaurant on a local food forum and say that you had the best [region/country’s specialty] there. Inevitably, it will spark rage in the locals and they’ll tell you where their favorite spot is and how it’s so much better.” Was this guy a genius, or what? We bet Reddit works well.

Interesting Facts About Christmas!

Christmas is celebrated in many countries all over the world and in a wide variety of ways. Many of the customs and decorations we use to make the holiday special have developed in interesting ways and their origins may be hidden in history. With these interesting facts about Christmas, test your knowledge of Christmas trivia as you read through.

• The image of Santa Claus flying his sleigh began in 1819 and was created by Washington Irving, the same author who dreamt up the Headless Horseman.

• The Montgomery Ward department store created Rudolph the Reindeer as a marketing gimmick to encourage children to buy their Christmas coloring books.

• Some leave food out for Santa Claus’ reindeer as Norse children did, leaving hay and treats for Odin’s eight-legged horse Sleipnir hoping they would stop by during their hunting adventures. Dutch children adopted this same tradition, leaving food in their wooden shoes for St. Nicholas’ horse.

• Dutch children also left out food and drink for St. Nicholas himself to honor him on his feast day. Today we leave milk and cookies out for Santa, continuing this very old tradition.

• America’s first batch of eggnog was made in the Jamestown settlement in 1607. Its name comes from the word “grog”, meaning any drink made with rum. Non-alcoholic eggnog is popular as well.

• Bicycle, the U.S. playing card company, manufactured cards to give all the POWS in Germany during World War II as Christmas presents. These cards, when soaked in water, revealed an escape route for POWs. The Nazis never knew.

• The Christmas wreath was originally hung as a symbol of Jesus. The holly represents his crown of thorns and the red berries the blood he shed.

• The three traditional colors of most Christmas decorations are red, green and gold. Red symbolized the blood of Christ, green symbolized life and rebirth, and gold represents light, royalty and wealth.

• In Poland spiders are considered to be symbols of prosperity and goodness at Christmas. In fact, spiders and spider webs are often used as Christmas tree decorations. According to legend, a spider wove baby Jesus a blanket to keep him warm.

• Brenda Lee recorded “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” when she was only 13 years old.

• Famous saxophonist Boots Randolph played the saxophone solo on “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”.

• Paul McCartney’s Christmas song is widely regarded as the worst of all the songs he ever recorded yet he earns $400,000 a year off of it.

• If you gave all the gifts listed in the Twelve Days of Christmas, it would equal 364 gifts.

They Do That?

Our group of companies has long enjoyed a great relationship with the Schaumburg Business Association (SBA). From being a regular contributor for event photography, to partnering with other members on some great projects, we’re thrilled to continue this wonderful alliance.

Recently, the SBA featured our brands in a “Spotlight” to their membership, and we’re happy to share a synopsis:

Curtis Newborn Photographic serves more markets than you think!

• A longtime staple of the SBA, Curtis Newborn Photographic (CNP) provides a broad array of marketing & creative services

• With a convenient, full-service Schaumburg location, we service clients throughout Chicagoland & the Midwest

• The brands under the CNP umbrella provide turnkey solutions to a wide variety of marketing challenges

Click below to visit the SBA’s website where you can learn more:

FIVE REASONS FOR CHOOSING A PRO TO SHOOT YOUR HEADSHOTS

Okay, sometimes you need to explain to the boss why you've spent the money on an experienced photographer, rather than spending the money buying his son/daughter a new camera. This seems to particularly apply when it comes to the Corporate Headshot – seemingly such a straightforward and innocent task, yet so easy for it to go completely wrong, too.

YOUR PHOTOS WILL LOOK PROFESSIONAL

Somewhat indefinable, until you see an amateur image, then it becomes immediately obvious. You will look at least as great as your competitors, and with the right photographer, a whole lot better.

THEY WON'T LOOK CHEESY

An experienced photographer knows how to relate to a people, how to position them and crucially how to interact with them to not get that “cheesy grin” look, but instead something unaffected, poised and friendly.

THE CAMERA SIMPLY CAPTURES WHAT IT SEES

And your professional photographer will make sure that what is seen is properly lit, properly positioned, properly composed. As well as using many and varied bits of equipment for lighting and lighting control, only their experience in handling equipment will create a vast difference. Depending on what you need they can bring a portable studio, maximizing the quality and your time. A simple portable studio can be used to capture photographs of all staff very quickly and efficiently.

HERDING CATS

Part of the job is making sure that all the pictures are captured within the opportunity obtainable and with smallest job interruption. An experienced photographer knows how to sequence and manage the workflow – to make the most of their time, and yours!

IT WILL PAY FOR ITSELF

Your professional will sit down with you and your team, and talk over what kinds of photographs you need. Lawyers, bankers and financial folk need to look confident – but definitely not smug! Doctors, client reps, sales staff need to be approachable, friendly and experienced. Company directors need to be assured, but not distant.

IN CLOSING

Remember you get what you pay for and what you ask for, so be clear with your photographer about how the images will be used – for web, for press, for magazines, for publications, for PowerPoint. The photographer will capture and prepare the images in diverse ways depending on how they will be used. You can come to us to use our studio, or we have a full traveling studio so we can come to you. Let’s talk soon about your biggest photographic challenges!