How One Caterpillar Dealer Conquered Social Media

We would like to boast a little about our client, Carter Machinery, a Cat dealer located in Virginia. We have been working with Carter since their initial entrance into social media several years ago. During that time, the Social Buzz Lab has worked closely with the entire Marketing Department at Carter to successfully build their presence on all of the major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.  This digital presence has enabled Carter Machinery to interact … [Read more...]

First #HootUpROA at Roanoke Higher Education Center

Hootsuite is coming to town with the first #HootUpROA, held at the Roanoke Higher Education Center. Our very own social media scientist, John Lusher has been working with Danielle Hatfield, a Hootsuite Envoy from North Carolina, to organize the event.  The event is directed to those professionals and students in and around the Roanoke community who want to learn social media best practices using Hootsuite, one of the most popular social management tools. Mark your calendar for#HootUpROA, … [Read more...]

Did a Google+ Enhancement Prompt this Facebook Change?

Facebook news feed.  There are both critics and proponents of this change but no one is really sure how it is going to effect a brand.  One little change slipped through this week that we feel is really a big positive change for brands.  This Facebook change is likely the result of the recent change Google made in it's brand pages on Google+.  We are in a world of visual story telling.  Google increased the size of their cover images and have never had any restrictions on text on the image. … [Read more...]

3 New Enhancements to Google+

Google+ is a part of the marketing strategy for Social Buzz Lab Clients. We were thrilled when Sara McKinley, Product Manager at Google announced on her Google+ profile some changes and improvements to profiles and pages today. Larger Cover Photos   Cover photos are much larger than before (up to 2120px by 1192px), and they display in 16x9 when fully expanded.  We're really excited about all the possibilities the larger cover images will present. An Easier Way to Edit Your Info  The … [Read more...]

You’re Freakin’ Kidding Me… You’re Not on Google+?

Google+ for Business

We've been actively creating Google+ business pages for our clients since Google released pages for businesses.  When I'm asked to describe Google+ I often refer to it as Facebook without all of the drama. Many marketers have left Facebook for Google+.  We've even heard debates from those who have questioned if Google+ would make it or if Facebook would eventually win the battle.   As Forbes author  Anthony Kosner wrote, Watch out Facebook, Google, Inc. could catch up. Data collected … [Read more...]

Self Promotion is a Social Turn Off

Self promotion, it's all about ME.

Self Promotion makes me sick! Doesn't it you? If you will indulge me just a bit, this post is going to be a combination of ranting against something that irritates me along with thoughts and action steps on how to "not be that person." Because let's face it, no one wants to be that person! Social isn't about self promotion. We've all seen them in our social media world and in our own lives;  people that constantly talk about themselves.  I am not talking about people that Tweet what they had … [Read more...]

6 Proven Ways to Grow Your Facebook Page Likes

Get More Facebook Likes

So you have a Facebook business page.  That's great, but creating a Facebook page is just the beginning. Sharing engaging content, being consistent and growing your fan base all important pieces of a successful strategy.  In order to grow your "likes" you need to share content consistently and make sure the content is fresh and engaging. As we work with various clients from small businesses to corporations we have several strategies we implement to increase their likes and build an engaging … [Read more...]

Social Media – A Look Back in History [INFOGRAPHIC]

Many years have passed since the first email was created but that was actually the first significant step towards a change in our society and the way we communicate.  Copyblogger has come up with a look back in history showing a graphical timeline of how we have moved from that first email to where we now socially connect, communicate and collaborate with one another worldwide. Looking at this infographic showing the history of social media, I realize that I was a very early adopter.  I … [Read more...]