3 Things You Must Know About Social Media April 2017

Welcome to episode 343 of Hit the Mic, with The Stacey Harris.

It's the beginning of a new month and that means we're doing another three things you must know episode. These are the things you need to know about social media right now. We're going to talk about Facebook stories, we're going to talk about some Instagram updates and your overall social media security, and then we're going to talk about some Facebook ads updates with some new custom audience features that rolled out in March.

All of these are things you need to know right now and you could have known them even sooner if you're inside Hit the Mic Backstage. I know a lot of you already joined us back there but if you haven't yet be sure to come on over to hitthemicbackstage.com because it is the place to be to find out all of this stuff as soon as it happens. All right?

Let's jump in at number one, Facebook stories. Facebook has rolled out stories, again this is like a 24 hour piece of content, much like Snapchat, much like Instagram stories. I have to say I'm a little bit surprised because they did it with Instagram. I'm surprised that they're bringing this feature to Facebook as well just because I think the mentality of a Facebook user is a little bit different. With that said, people are using it, it seems to be going really well.

It first rolled out in Messenger and now you'll actually see it in your Facebook mobile app right up at the top. This is a mobile feature, it's not on the desktop as far as I have seen. I've not heard anything about it rolling out to the desktop but you will see it in the app if you use the app. I know a lot of you don't use the app, maybe you just use the group app. If you're using it, let us know, come on over to the Facebook page and let us know how you're using it. This is so far for personal accounts, there's no option to create stories at a page. Yeah, it's a little weird, I'll be honest. It functions really cool, they've got filters a la Snapchat, it's interesting.

I'm curious to see how people are using this long term. Right now I'm honestly doing the same thing I've been doing with Snapchat and Instagram. Content starts on Snapchat goes to Instagram and goes to Facebook Stories. Facebook Stories is not a real big priority for me, I'm not actually seeing a ton of people watching them yet but they're there and I wanted to tell you. Again, if you're using them come on over to the Facebook page, Facebook.com/thestaceyharris and let me know how you're using them and how they're working because I'm very curious.

My biggest concern, and I'm a little nervous to say this. My biggest concern is that this is going to muddy that line of people using their profile to market instead of their page to market. I think groups already do that because we can use our profiles to market inside of groups. And I'm afraid this is going to do a similar thing in muddying it because it's not available to pages. So be cautious so that, because again it's still against the terms and conditions to market primarily for commercial gain, as it says. So be cautious of that.

But it is a really cool way to connect if you use Facebook as a networking tool. I mean most people who I'm connected with on Facebook I've met at events or are clients or are mastermind friends, things like that. So it's a little muddy in that aspect, so this is a cool way to share anothe

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