Has Facebook Removed the 20 Percent Ad Text Rule? Yes, Kinda

A few months ago, we reported that Facebook may have been making changes to their 20 percent ad rule, which states that any images with more than 20 percent text in them are not eligible for boosting.

At that time, a European site had made claims that the rule seemed to be relaxed, allowing for images with more than 20 percent text in them to be boosted, however, with a warning that they may not reach as many people as a photo with less than 20 percent text.

Unfortunately, no one else was able to verify this claim so, it remained that, just a claim.

However, new information directly from the source itself…

How Small Businesses Can Begin Using Snapchat

Snapchat. You’ve heard about it. You probably thought, at least for a little bit, that it was only for sending racy pictures.

But, now all of your employees are using it. Your mom is using it. Your 10-year-old daughter is using it (under adult supervision.)

So, what the heck is Snapchat and why are so many people using it and how can it help you, the small business owner?

What Happens on the Internet in One Minute (AND WHY THAT MATTERS TO YOUR BUSINESS)

Social media trends are important because the easier it is for users to get involved, the easier it is for businesses to get them involved.

For example, if you’re in the retail space and your main demographic is women aged 35 to 55 years of age, Pinterest is going to be a good spot for you to share some of your product links. Why? Because women aged 35 to 55 years of age seem to enjoy Pinterest.

Find Your Uber Rider Rating

We all know that Uber lets riders rate their drivers on a five star scale. Does your Uber driver smell like onions? Minus a star. Were they late? Minus two stars. Were they listening to “Spoons” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis? ZERO STARS!

However, did you know that Uber drivers can also rate their riders? It’s true. And we want to know what your score is.

Has Facebook Removed the 20 Percent Text Rule? Probably Not

Anyone who has boosted a post on Facebook from a Facebook page knows the frustration that can come from the “20 Percent Rule.” In an effort to keep everyone’s Facebook news feeds looking less cluttered and attractive (among other reasons) Facebook restricts boosted posts to those with images featuring 20 percent or less of text.

The benefit of this rule is that users see less “meme based” advertising and more quality images. In short, the rule forces advertisers to be a bit more creative in their efforts than by simply putting up the latest picture of Grumpy Cat with a sardonic quip in Impact font.

So, is that rule finally going away?

Instagram Increases Video Length, Brings Back Multiple Video Clips

While some Instagram users are still mad that the social media service may be changing up its algorithm to bring them pictures and videos they may have missed, others are rejoicing over longer videos.

Instagram recently announced that the platform will push video length up from 15 seconds to 60 seconds and will also allow iOS users to use multiple clips from their camera roll for an individual video.

Is Your Social Media Manager Relying on “National Pancake Day”? Stop it

Some social media managers, marketers, and strategists think it’s great when “National Ice Cream Day” comes along. Some are more than happy when it’s “National Coffee Day.” Some are full of absolute glee because it’s “National Pancake Day” and they should stop it, unless your company happens to be IHOP.

Why? Because it’s absolute laziness at its finest and in its purest form.

Much like the social media “managers” who think it’s a great idea to plan out all of their posts for the week on Monday, relying on whatever “National” day it may be only serves to pigeonhole you with everyone else who is doing it.

5 Ways Social Media Will Change in the Lehigh Valley in 2016

The Lehigh Valley is home to anywhere between 700,000 and 850,000 depending on your interpretation of where the valley begins and ends. Trust us, that’s not an argument you actually care to take up on social media. So, let’s just agree that it’s more than 700,000 and less than 900,000.

Regardless, it’s a lot of people. The Lehigh Valley is the largest growing area in the state and one of the largest on the East Coast. We’re totally popular and cool and it’s time to start acting like it.

This article isn’t about sentiments, but it’s time to start getting over the whole “The Lehigh Valley is boring” and “There aren’t any jobs” and “We need to go to NYC or Philly to find true innovation” examples.

Simply put, and with examples you can easily find yourself, the Lehigh Valley is an area that has every right to be on the cutting edge of social media innovation. So, that being said, here are a few ways you can expect social media in the area to change as we go through 2016 and beyond.