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Don’t Panic: Understanding Facebook’s Changes to Organic Reach

dont-panic-facebooks-changes

Last week, Facebook announced an update to its methodology for measuring organic reach among businesses using its Pages feature.

The update, first reported by social media commentator Matt Navarra, aligns the platform’s organic reach metrics to correspond with its paid advertising measurements. However, the update has left many businesses uncertain as to whether the changes will decrease their organic reach.

Here’s the breakdown of what to expect as Facebook’s changes roll out through the end of the week.

Focused on What Matters

Every time you pass by a physical billboard on the way to work, you are contributing to the total number of impressions that board receives. However, the total reach is not increased every day, since you are the same person driving past the billboard. Impressions and reach for your digital content work in a similar way.

Unlike billboards, however, each time a user logs into Facebook, there are thousands of pieces of content vying for a spot on that user’s news feed. Facebook’s relevancy algorithms score content pieces and determine how relevant and how often that piece of content appears in a user’s news feed.

The greater the relevance, the more often that content piece will be displayed. But if you scroll past the same piece of content during a single session, you aren’t increasing the content’s reach – just its impressions.

Facebook’s new update is designed to adjust organic measurements by preventing repetitive page impressions and adjusting the timeframe in which organic impressions are calculated from a single person.

This method contrasts how Facebook has historically calculated reach – counting the number of times a post appeared in a user’s news feed. Instead, the platform will adopt a “stricter definition that only counts reach once a post enters a person’s screen,” according to Facebook’s business website.

Same Reach, Different Way

So, will your brand’s or retailers’ organic reach be affected by the change? Probably not.

Your business’ impressions are expected to decline from the new updates. But according to Facebook, your reach – the individual, unique Facebook users that view your posts – and other engagement metrics will not be affected by the update.

In Facebook’s announcement, the company notes the update will not affect distribution or any other engagement metrics. In addition, the company is offering businesses the ability to use the platform’s old measurement system over the next few months to transition into the new system.

So don’t be overly concerned: The changes will not negatively affect your content’s organic reach. For our brands and retailers connected to the ThumbStopper platform – which receive between 12 to 37 percent organic exposure on average – they won’t see changes from Facebook’s updates either, due to the unique approach we use to segment and post content.

To learn more about our unique posting strategies that maximize organic reach for your brand and retailers, click here.

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Shift Your Social Media Presence Into High Gear

shift-your-brand-into-high-gear

When we launched ThumbStopper, we had one mission in mind: to connect brands to their retailer’s social media pages the same way they connect to their physical showrooms.

When we on-board brands to our platform, we recommend they get behind our program by paying a percentage of the cost for each retailer who joins the program. This is typically accomplished using co-op funds; advertisements by retailers that include the specific mention of manufacturers who, in turn, repay the retailers for all or part of the advertisement cost.

Cooperative advertising is a cost-effective way for manufacturers, retailers and distributors to share costs and ease the burden in order to better reach their target markets. Through these co-op-funded programs, we’ve added over 10,000 retailers representing brands across multiple verticals. But what if the brands in your vertical don’t operate with co-op funds?

Brands. Retailers. Disconnected.

Take the bicycle industry, for instance. This vertical is unique. With over 7,000 bicycle shops across North America, each carrying multiple brands by different manufacturers, the content being generated by these brands is palpable, but so too is the disconnect. Brands don’t have an easy way to distribute their content to their retailers, and shop owners are too busy running their businesses to maintain a viable social media presence.

A customer in the market bicycle space range from a retail bike for $150 to specialized on-and-off-road equipment that run into the tens of thousands. So just like a bike retailer’s showroom makes that connection, so should the pages of these retailers.

Let’s face it: Creating quality digital content for social media is expensive, time-consuming and difficult to manage. There is a disconnect between brands and their retailers.

The retailer cares about the brands they sell and would love to have brand content on their social media. But who has the time to search for, curate and share content from so many different sources?

Brands Create Content – Leverage It!

Over the past few months, ThumbStopper has conducted extensive research and beta tests into the bicycle vertical. This vertical has proven great initial results and is a lifestyle segment enabling retailers to engage new and existing customers, with content that their brands are already creating.

Enter ThumbStopper.

With our solution, we connect the independent retailers directly. For as low as $39 a month, retailers are provided with a seamless flow of brand content curated specifically for the retailer. Choose the brands you want highlighted on your pages, and we’ll take care of the rest. Ultimately, this same content can be converted to advertising to promote new inventory and attract new customers.

Our track record of connecting retailers to brands across multiple verticals uniquely qualifies ThumbStopper to help local shop owners merchandise their digital inventory where most of their customers are going to engage with it first – via social media.

Our program takes the heavy lifting out of marketing and is hands-free for the retailer. This program benefits the manufacturers, retailers and consumers. Retailers will have a steady flow of high-quality “brand-created” marketing content on their social media pages, and consumers will be empowered with promotions and the latest info on the products and advertising, from the comfort of their home.

Skip the Hard Sell


ThumbStopper was originally built as a scalable pipeline that connects brands to their retail network. With our platform, we are able to create and provide a real value to the retailers so that the next time a customer walks into your store, you may find them more prepared to purchase the products you want them to buy.

Interested in more information about how we’ve helped thousands of our business partners? Visit our website and discover how we can help amplify your social thumbprint.

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Growing Your Social Reach Through Co-Operation

Growing Your Social Reach Through Co-Operation

How to achieve outstanding ROI in your digital marketing campaigns through co-op advertising

The relationship between manufacturers and retailers is a special one – a symbiotic one in which both parties can benefit each other with the right advertising techniques.

The key? Co-operation.

When we onboard brands to our platform, we recommend they get behind our program by paying a percentage of the cost through cooperative advertising. Co-op advertising is a cost-effective approach for manufacturers and retailers to share cost to better reach their target markets.

Through these co-op funded programs, we’ve added over 10,000 retailers representing brands across multiple verticals. But for newcomers to the concept, here’s what you need to know:

Co-op Advertising for Beginners

Co-op advertising is a joint advertising effort established between a manufacturer and a retailer. Its purpose is to save both parties’ money by sharing costs of advertising at the local level.

Co-op ads depend on a partnership between the manufacturer and the retailer. In such a partnership, manufacturers give retailers funds based on the number of products they sell. Retailers benefit from greater brand exposure without the increased ad spend while manufacturer benefit with increased business at a lower cost.

As a manufacturer, it’s up to you how high a percentage to subsidize a retailer’s advertising budget. We recommend a 50/50 split for manufacturers who use co-op funds with our platform, though some may cover 75% or even pay 100% of the advertising cost. Manufacturers can decide on how much to pay based on the previous year’s purchases, a retailer’s current orders, or the like. You are in control of the amount you offer.

As a retailer, you would be remiss not to take advantage of co-op advertising. With free money sponsored by the manufacturer, you can receive a reimbursement of your marketing costs each time you run an advertisement or marketing campaign that features the manufacturer’s wares. With some manufacturers willing to pay 100% of your advertising costs, local advertisers can benefit from the co-op agreement.

Using Co-Op Advertising for Social Media Growth

The co-op theory is simple: The more you spend on advertising, the more exposure your brand receives. Spending money on advertising through a co-op system results in stronger marketing efforts, more branded content across digital channels and more buzz surrounding your products. Using co-op funds on social media advertising is one of the best ways to maximize results.

In a February 2019 Adweek article, Andreas Reiffen outlined the benefits of shifting co-op advertising funds to digital channels – only 20 percent of nearly $70 billion invested in co-op marketing is being used on the digital front ($14 billion). With roughly 75 percent of ad-induced sales coming from paid search and product listing ad (PLA) campaigns, digital co-op marketing is a relatively untapped well that retailers and manufacturers can benefit from.

If your manufacturer offers these funds, make use of them to grow your social media advertising budget and make a greater impact on your audience. Failing to take advantage of co-op ad money is a costly mistake that could result in manufacturers slashing their budgets.

Expanding Your Social Presence

Engaging in a co-op program is an advantageous opportunity that can lower advertising costs and achieve outstanding ROI in your digital marketing campaigns. It’s both easy and practical too:

  • Get the guidelines. Ask your manufacturer for an in-depth description of advertising requirements for your co-op program. Manufacturers will generally require you to be consistent with their branding.

  • Take to social media. Take advantage of digital advertising with co-op funds. Social marketing is an incredible tool for engaging with your audience – 72% of the U.S. is on at least one social platform as of 2019!

  • Work with an advertising professional. Get advice from a professional marketer in creating social ads your consumers will love. Getting help from digital advertising experts can help you make the most of your co-op program.

As a retailer and manufacturer, you should be taking advantage of co-op advertising programs. Put the money toward social and digital media advertising to expand your reach, increase customer engagement and boost website traffic.

Learn more about how brands use co-op programs for social growth through the ThumbStopper platform by clicking here.

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It Pays to Play Well With Others

Tesla Matt Brown

Tesla, Musk and a crazy idea

I recently had the pleasure of featuring Asoka Veeravagu, CEO of Revolve Technologies on the BROWN on BRAND podcast. We talked about Drive Revolve, his premium automobile subscription service. During our conversation, the subject of Tesla became a point of discussion.

I’ve always admired Elon Musk and have come to love Tesla for the way it’s revolutionizing the automotive industry with its pioneering development of electric cars. I don’t think anyone can challenge what Tesla has been able to overcome in achieving its goal of sustainable transportation.

Musk has the proof to back up his company’s success, having sold 67,650 of its Model 3s in the U.S. this year through June – over seven times the sales generated by the next best-selling electric vehicle, Tesla’s own Model X.

But Tesla does have its challenges: the company has a track record of high executive turnover; the operating system is notoriously buggy and not very user friendly and its vehicles are sometimes criticized for being uncomfortable.

Aside from that, Tesla is doing for the retail automotive buying experience what Apple did with The Apple Store. And they are innovating in a space flanked by competitors who have dominated the auto industry for over 100 years.

As competitors like Ford invest in electric-truck start up, Rivian, and Nissan announces an electric pickup truck of its own, I believe that Tesla can set itself apart from its competitors by also positioning itself as an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for its pioneering lithium-ion batteries and electric powertrains.

It Pays to Play Well With Others

Be the Pipeline

It’s a crazy idea, but it wouldn’t be the most outlandish either.

Ryobi, for example, disrupted a stagnant power tools market by developing a cordless battery to power their entire lineup of power tools. The move set the company apart from its competition by cutting the cords that traditionally made the storage and handling of power tools cumbersome.

It Pays to Play Well With Others

GitHub is a good example of an open platform that became a thriving ecosystem for software developers to collaborate and share their projects. The company has over 37 million users, 100 million software repositories and was recently acquired by Microsoft for $7.5 billion.

Speaking of Microsoft, let’s not forget that the company’s operating system is installed on 78 percent of the PCs in use around the world. They lease their software to hardware computer manufacturers, who incidentally use processor chips powered by Intel.

It Pays to Play Well With Others

And of course, my company, ThatsUs.com, leverages open-source technology. The software products we develop, like ThumbStopper, enable brands to connect their digital content to their local retailers’ social media feeds.

Collaborate, Don’t Consolidate

The businesses that I’ve built and the technologies that my team has created have always been built with the goal of reducing or eliminating menial human labor. Tesla could expand its reach and influence in its own space and other verticals by embracing collaboration and interoperability.

History has shown time and again, from the Browser wars of the early 2000s, to the streaming wars being waged today, that when intellectual property gets consolidated into silos by monopolies, innovation is stifled, and consumers get the short end of the stick.

Tesla batteries and powertrains could become the de facto standard for electric OEMs. The shift would be another example of Elon Musk’s ability to innovate and achieve a future of sustainable transportation.

Besides, how cool would it be to add a Tesla-powered battery and powertrain in a 67′ Chevelle?

P.S. Tesla’s recent earnings report showed the company lost 13 percent of its shares in the second quarter of 2019.

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70% Keeps Popping Up!

70% Keeps Popping Up!

Do you ever have a number or word that keeps popping up in your daily activity? For me, the number 70 has been on my mind over the past few weeks.

But why? I am seeing it in a variety of statistics like the ones below:

The Buyer Journey Begins Online

More than 70% of a consumer’s buying journey takes place online BEFORE they ever step foot into a retail location.

The potential consumer is spending a lot of time online before ever being introduced to your product by somebody who is trained on selling your product. This is a powerful statistic that should have you, as a brand, thinking of ways to increase your digital marketing game.

Social Media is a Game-Changer

70% of consumers state their buying decisions are influenced by social media!

What are their friends saying about your brand and products? What are their friends saying about their experience in one of your retailers/dealerships? Are people “liking” posts your brand is producing? Are they seeing ads on Social Media that seem to be catered directly to them? Ads that help them make a positive buying decision?

Remember, 70% are influenced by Social Media. That’s crazy!

In a recent survey, 70% of consumers felt that brands who create custom content or lifestyle content and deliver it through Social Media are making a concerted effort to connect with them. Isn’t that what good marketing is all about?

At our core, we are driven to building a customer relationship and, if we do a great job, create a customer for life.

Adoption Rates are Sky High

Here at ThumbStopper, a SaaS digital marketing solution, we see retailer adoption rates at 70% and above.

Brands we work with use ThumbStopper as the conduit to establish the connection to take their brand’s digital assets – video, imagery, UGC, etc. – and connect and distribute them to their independent retailer’s Social Media pages. There, those 70% of consumers who are influenced by Social Media, as we learned earlier in this article, can be influenced positively. Now that’s amplifying a brand’s message!

I hope these statistics help you in whatever you are doing from a marketing perspective!

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Digital Ad Spend Eclipses Traditional Ad Spend

Digital Ad Spend Eclipses Traditional Ad Spend

Check this out:

A February 2019 eMarketer article expects digital marketing ad spend to eclipse traditional marketing ad spend for the first time in history this year.

What’s amazing is that digital ad spend won’t just pass by – the resource predicts $129 billion of digital ad spend will surpass $109 billion in traditional ad spend. This stat is remarkable and a game-changer for brands and marketing executives.

Additionally, it’s crazy how quick the shift is happening. In 2015, a bit more than three years ago, the total annual digital spend was less than half of its traditional counterpart. Now, it’s $20 billion more!

The marketing resource also forecasts that two-thirds of ad spend will be digital by 2023. But who’s leading the way?

As of now, Google and Facebook are leading the trend, but other social platforms are dominating in capturing their digital spend. So get with it now: Allow your dollars to shift from traditional platforms like TV and billboards to digital outlets.

Another area that may need to shift is your brand’s co-op and marketing development funds (MDF).

Your retailers are in need of aerial support in this rapidly changing battle for customer attention. Their ability to utilize co-op dollars on social and digital platforms is mission critical to their success and yours. Empowering your retailers to shift those dollars to digital and social media outlets will prove effective in the long run.

So, how do you gain the edge against the competition? Attack social media with a left-right combination of content marketing and advertising. Leverage technology to automate social content for your retailers, many of whom are still nervous and overwhelmed with managing their local social media efforts. Also make sure to help your retailers with social and digital platforms – that’s where your buyers are impressionable.

When digital marketing is done right, it’ll create customers for life.

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Social Media Can Boost Your SEO

So I just watched a video from my main man Marcus Sheridan, the Sales Lion. If you guys aren’t following him, make sure you do. Marcus was talking about SEO, and websites – stuff that we don’t necessarily do here at ThumbStopper®. But what really caught my attention was the way that he voiced the importance of content in today’s SEO (search engine optimization). And that lots of content, relevant content, is what’s really driving your search engine optimization.

So, I found it to be kind of a bonus – an added bonus – to what we talk about here at ThumbStopper®, which is:

It’s going to help you amplify your brand. It’s going to help you with your SEO, per Marcus. And it’s going to help you tell your story the way you want your story to be told. So, if you’re at a brand and you’ve got independent retailers or dealers that are responsible for selling and moving and telling your story, get with the program.

Get with social. Make lots of content, and use something like ThumbStopper®’s brand manager to help you distribute that great content out through your dealers’ social media pages, automagically, hands-free, and reach all of those end consumers. One of the nice by products will be: your SEO will go up as well. Have a great day. Let’s do it together in 2019!

 

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Do Your Retailers Effectively Tell Your Story?

So we just got back from the Great Outdoors – the annual retail summit for one of our awesome brand partners. And I had the opportunity for the duration of a few days to speak to hundreds and hundreds of local retailers, who are a part of a program that we’re providing from this brand through to their retailers. And the things that just became so evident to me, and I had to just chat about it a little bit here today, because I imagine that I’m speaking to a lot of marketing professionals, who are working with marquis brands out there, that are working through independent retailers to sell your goods and services. And this resonated with every conversation that I had the last few days.

Your local retailers understand the importance of the shift from traditional advertising and marketing initiatives to digital and social, primarily. But they just don’t know how to get it done. They’re frustrated. They need help. They want help. And they want to look to you, the brand, for that assistance. That’s what we do here at ThumbStopper®.

We are helping the local retailer do things that they may not be able to do on their own. In the end, it’s amplifying your message at the brand, and most importantly, selling more of your goods and services at the local retail level.

If you aren’t already, jump all over social media, and help your retailers become part of the solution. I tell ya, they’ll love you for it. The loyalty that you will gain will be astronomical. Reach out to us at ThumbStopper®. We can help you do it. We do it for folks all over the country. ThumbStopper.com – let’s do it together in 2019.

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Use Your Pocket Full of Influence

So I read a really cool quote over the weekend in The Millionaire Next Door book. It said that, with the proliferation of smartphones, we carry the influence of others in our pockets, and in our pocketbooks. That’s a strong statement, isn’t it? I never really thought of it that way.

We carry the influence of others through our smartphones. Well if that’s the case, and it is, why aren’t we using that influence correctly, as marketers, to tell the story to those consumers, and influence their buying decisions, through social media?

Which, by the way, that influence that we’re carrying in their smartphones and their pockets and pocketbooks? The average citizen in the U.S. spends over two hours a day on his mobile phone or her mobile phone, and over 50 minutes of those are on Facebook alone.

It’s 2019, if you’re not already there as a company, get there. Get there quickly. Reach out to us at ThumbStopper.com. We can help you change the way you are influencing your consumers through digital marketing, like we’re doing for brands all over this country.

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YOU are a Brandgelist for your Company

So here’s an important message that I tell every member of the ThumbStopper team here in Tampa. Everybody in our company is an evangelist for the company. A lot of people in the company – developers, marketers, accounting, executives, HR – they just don’t believe that they’re sales people, right? They don’t want that connotation about them. Well I am a salesperson. But, every one of them is an evangelist for our company, and has the ability to spread the good news about what we’re doing for every brand across the country.

Well, guest what? Every employee in your organization has that same opportunity, and should be an evangelist for your brand. When you’re posting stuff, when you’re making social commentary and putting things out there, encourage everyone in the organization to get behind it, share it, like it comment on it. You know what happens. That spiderweb begins to grow, and the number of people that you reach, you touch and the amplification of your voice gets that much louder.

So, take that as a charge for 2019. Get your people involved. ALL of your people involved. Stop them from doing their smoke breaks, like you see behind me right now, and get them to repost what you’re doing and to share what you’re doing. Have a great 2019, and reach out to us here at ThumbStopper.com. We can help your brand amplify your message. We’re doing it for tons of people across the country, probably some of your competitors. Looks us up!