What’s New in Social Media for Small Business

From new advertising opportunities to more ways to connect with customers, these social media updates can boost your business.

Just when you get used to using Facebook for your business, Instagram comes along and changes the game. And if you don’t know what Periscope is, don’t worry, Blab.im has already made it seem like yesterday’s news.

While staying on top of social media trends and updates can soak up a lot of time, not having a rich—and current—presence in cyberspace is a mistake for small businesses. Here are a few of the newest developments in the social media world, according to Social Media Examiner.

Hootsuite adds Instagram

Hootsuite, an application that allows you to schedule your posts in advance across many different social media platforms, added Instagram to its list. So now you can manage your Instagram presence along with your other social media posts—all in one place. It’s a simple way to have a strong social media presence without being tied to the computer all day posting at various times. Just hop on Hootsuite for a half hour in the morning, or the night before, create and schedule your posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and other social networks for the day.

Facebook adds new ways to communicate with your customers

If you have a Facebook page for your business, check out the new tools for page administrators to manage and respond to private messages sent by customers. Facebook is trying to make it easier for customers and businesses to connect, and has added new tools for customers to reach you.

Blab.im improves on Periscope

Social media marketers are buzzing about Blab.im, which recently rolled out the functionality to allow four live video streams at once on your desktop or iPhone. It’s designed to feel like a live video conversation with up to four people. Viewers watching the conversation can type questions in a chat box during the live stream too. It’s a great way to connect with customers, build community, promote a new product or service, get feedback, build your brand and more.

Instagram opens up to ads from all businesses

Starting in September, Instagram has opened up to advertising. Now you can target your customers based on their Instagram posts and follows.

Twitter launches Ads Editor

Twitter is trying to make it easier for businesses to create and edit numerous ad campaigns at once. Now you can create and manage your Twitter ads in bulk, saving time and allowing you to get back to running your business sooner. 

Facebook takes on Siri

In late August, Facebook announced it is testing its own version of Apple’s Siri. Called M, it’s an artificial intelligence system that, unlike Siri, can actually take action. It can purchase things, have gifts delivered to your special clients, book tables in restaurants, make travel arrangements, doctor’s appointments—the list goes on.

Google+ gets a makeover

Using market research and user feedback, the designers at Google have redesigned the presentation of Google+. Everything from individual pages to its incredibly popular Communities feature received a new coat of paint. The company decided to focus on optimizing their mobile apps first and then focused their attention on the home page algorithm to show content they think the user will be most interested in.