Content Strategy Using the Cornerstone and Cobblestone Approach

Are you getting the results from your social media marketing efforts that you feel you should be achieving? Truly – more than just being able to say you are “doing something” – is the time and resources dedicated to your company’s social media pages working for your business?

When you are intentional about all aspects of your marketing, you can answer YES to that questions. So, let’s get intentional!A content calendar provides a roadmap for your marketing. It reduces time spent on social media and content marketing AND will yield greater returns when done well. You read that right – a content calendar will reduce expenses and deliver a higher yield.

What is a content calendar?

• In general, calendars help us organize our appointments, work meetings, and overall, help us prioritize. Without calendars, many of us would not have very organized schedules.
• This same thought applies to planning our internal marketing strategies for the year. Without a structure to organize where content will post or when deadlines are due creates inconsistencies in the overall marketing plan.
• Content calendars are documents that help assemble the company’s marketing duties and plan what content, when it will be posted, and where it will be posted. These documents allow you to plan your marketing efforts ahead of time.
• They are vital in spelling out team members’ responsibilities in an organized manner and allow you to add accountability and reporting.

Prepare before you begin.

Before you begin planning your content calendar, be sure to evaluate each of your company’s social media platforms, your company website, and blog. Examining your online presence is crucial in figuring out what platforms need the most or least amount of time.  Review each social media platform you use by looking at the metrics and engagement. Conducting this audit before making your content calendar will determine where it is best to allocate your team’s time and efforts. Also, an internal evaluation will help establish what content has the most value and response from your targeted audience.After evaluating what type of content your company should promote, you can strategize how to align the messaging to best fit within each social media platform.

Start with the end in mind.

Like everything else we have been talking about in our Down and Digi Series – start with the end in mind. Set clear specific goals and expectations for your content marketing investment. Your social media plan should align with your company goals. And while the conversion metrics may vary, the efforts dedicated to developing your content calendar should support the larger integrated marketing plan and help deliver on your company goals. It is important to note that your content will not have the same goal as your sales team – it is not realistic to expect a blog post or LinkedIn ad to close a high-value deal.Your content’s more realistic goal will be based on engagement, clicks to a landing page, or Facebook lead form. A content calendar will provide the structure and focus needed to do that.

Start building your content strategy by plotting out each piece of content on your calendar and answer the following questions:

• What is the goal for that piece?
• Who is responsible for researching/ or developing it?
• When will it be posted?
• Does it need to be cross-posted?
  • Blog also used as SM content
  • Video doubling as a podcast
• What image will accompany the post?
• Will there be a call to action included?

Another essential component to a successful content strategy is assigning ownership. A well-maintained content calendar begins first by delegating someone to manage or own the calendar.  A content calendar is instrumental in keeping your marketing plan on track and making deadlines transparent. However, assigning one person to keep track of deadlines and tasks will make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

With a bit of time invested in creating your content calendar and establishing the process, your team will become more efficient, focused, and successful in driving results.  If you need any assistance in creating your content strategy or marketing on social media platforms, our digital marketing experts are eager to help your business grow.  Contact us today!

Customer-centric companies are 60% more profitable than companies that don’t focus on customers. If you can answer who your business serves, you have identified your target market. If you can demonstrate how and why your business benefits them, you have found your target audience. Being real with consumers about who you are, what you do, and why it adds value to their lives creates a connection.

Deepen that customer connection by speaking directly to your buyer persona, don’t just market to the masses.  Your messaging should be personal and speak directly to your customer like a one-on-one conversation.  Share with them what you do to solve their problems and fill their needs.  Demonstrate how you can make their life better by using empathy, humor, and compassion.  Most importantly, be authentic! Provide your clients with value content that is uniquely you and not something they can get from your competitors.  Carry your brand’s voice throughout all of your social media.  Communicating through authentic emotion leads to increased customer engagement and creates brand loyalty between you and your ideal consumer. The top 10 most empathetic companies increased their financial value more than twice the bottom 10 companies.

Be THE EXPERT of your field.  Your customers look to you as an authority in your industry.  Provide them with content that is backed by evidence along with informational imagery (videos and pictures) of your knowledge and expertise. Content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing and generates about 3 times as many leads. (Demand Metric).   Utilize user-generated content in your marketing strategy. Flood your social platforms with videos and photos by customers using your products or services.  According to Photoslurp, user-generated photos are 5 times more likely to convert customers. These customer testimonials give your business credibility and build brand loyalty.

Corporate social responsibility is an important aspect of any business.  People want to know about the causes you support and the good you do for others.  Share with your audience your company’s efforts to improve the communities in which you serve.  Does your team regularly volunteer together? Showcase that your business is made up of real people serving others.  Highlight your core values as an organization including teamwork, leadership, education, gratitude, etc. People love to be able to relate. Engage with your customers through social media outlets and ask what environmental or social causes are important to them.  77% of consumers view brands more favorably if they seek out and apply customer feedback.

Employee advocacy means using your own employees as spokespeople to promote your brand’s message to the world. Brand messages are shared 24x more when they’re distributed by the company’s employees rather than the brand itself, as per a GMA report. Employees can be a source of high-quality content which is also most effective at reaching your target audience.

To connect with your audience, you need to know more that just their demographics.  You also need to know their psycho-graphics.  What makes your audience, your audience?  What are they looking for in your product or service and what can they expect throughout the customer journey?  Being relatable and authentic through your brand voice and intentional about your content and message resonates with today’s consumer.  Seek out customer feedback and engage on social media to discuss what your customers are looking for and ways your business can deliver on those expectations.  Investing your time and effort into the audience you serve will give you the best return on your investment.

When was the last time you cleaned out your closet? Got rid of clothes that were outdated, no longer fit or just didn’t look as good as they did when you bought them? We all love the feeling of throwing out the old and making room for the new.

If throwing out the old, outdated and unneeded is good for your closet, it must also be good for your website content. Is it time to delete old blogs, pages, and information and make room for newer, fresher content?

We don’t think so. We’re busting this Marketing Myth.

“Content is King”

Bill Gates coined that phrase in 1996 with an essay he wrote suggesting the way to succeed in the digital future was to create all kinds of compelling and entertaining content. That’s what people did.

Fast forward to 2011, Google Panda launched to reduce the prevalence of “content farms” filled with low-quality and misleading information. This ushered in Google’s quality classifications for websites and search engine ranking.

Jump ahead to 2016. To help improve rank and recover from Panda, marketers began optimizing their websites and removing old blogs, articles, and pages. Out with the old, in with the new.

A Fresh Perspective

Today, we’re seeing the effects of website purging. Unlike a closet cleanout, throwing away old website content is probably doing more harm than good.

Some SEO experts believe that removing content hurts your quality score. You also run the risk of a cross-linking pointing to information that is no longer there. Google may still want to send traffic to the page, but when the user gets there, they get “Oops. What you’re looking for isn’t here.”  You’ve lost a lead and potentially a conversion.

Other SEO experts say you can remove content but you have to do it strategically. We did a lot of research on this topic and found all kinds of advice for auditing and optimizing.  Search Engine Journal “hacked and slashed” their archives using a very strategic process and saw an increase in traffic. You can read what they did and see the results they got in our Marketing Myth podcast show notes.

What it comes down to…

Google says removing content will hurt your website (and they’re sort of running the show here!) We agree with Google. We think that removing content is not the best idea. Instead, we suggest you update it. Freshen it up with new insights, information, and statistics. Just like that outfit you found in the back of your closet… a few new accessories may just bring it back to life.

Content. Consumers want it. Search engines demand it. You struggle to find the time to create it.  Content marketing is one of the most important things you can do to drive organic traffic to your website. Content helps consumers build a relationship with your brand, encourages conversions and provides your customers with the information they desire to make an educated buying decision.  Despite what you might have experienced in the past, content marketing doesn’t have to be difficult. That’s why we’re busting the myths of content creation.

Content Creation Myth #1: Content Marketing is blog posting.

Yes, blogs are content, but so are social posts, website copy, imagery, podcast, and videos.  Anything people consume about you or your brand, products, and services is content. You don’t have to generate dozens and dozens of blogs to drive traffic. Look at all your assets as generated content you can use to drive traffic.

TIP: Currently, video is the king of content. Consumers are viewing more videos online than ever before. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t continue to create blogs, but also look for ways to bring more video to your content strategy.

Content Creation Myth #2: Content Creation is One and Done.

Generating high-quality, well-researched content is time-consuming. It may feel like you spend hours creating your blog for a few days or weeks of engagement. But the reality is your blog can give you returns for years to come.

We looked at our web traffic and found that 55% of our total pageviews come from blog posts and nearly half (47%) of total page views came from blogs not written in the current calendar year. People are looking for information that is relevant and that doesn’t always mean brand new. Focus on quality and you’ll get the quantity you want.

TIP: Focus your time and resources on creating evergreen content. This is content that is always relevant and doesn’t become old or dated, like case studies and success stories. Anything that contains stats or revolves around a season or trend can become outdated quickly.

Content Creation Myth #3: I don’t have enough time, staff, or budget for content marketing.

Maybe not. Instead, look for ways to repurpose content you have already created. Can you break up blogs into shorter, “bite-sized” chunks to freshen them up? Is there one key point you can pull out to focus on? How many social posts can you write just from your website content?

If you have a great video, are there ways to cut it down into three or four shorter videos? You’ll be surprised at how much you can repurpose of the content you have already generated.

What it all comes down to…

Consistency is key.

Search engines will rank you higher and consumers will come to view you as an informational source if you are consistently updating your digital content.

Create Content You Can Repurpose.

As you create new blogs, website pages, social posts, and videos, think of all the ways you can use it to drive traffic to your website. Squeeze out as much as possible without repeating.

Newer doesn’t always mean better.

Spend the time to generate quality content that will remain relevant for years to come. Not everything you do will be evergreen, but capitalize on what is and find ways to repurpose it.

Stick with What Works.

Research what types of content your consumers are engaging with and create more of the same.

 

Don’t miss our Marketing Myths Podcast available on your favorite platform. You can find an archive of our past episodes here.

When I first heard about Facebook’s “Secret Videos” my eyes widened and my mind wondered. I imagined a hidden playlist of videos buried somewhere deep in a part of Facebook long forgotten by civilization. “They could be anything,” I thought to myself – they could be leaked videos of Mark Zuckerberg creating the social platform or secret “how-to” videos for someone to unlock the hidden treasures of Facebook!

The reality, however, was less Indiana Jones-ish then I had hoped. Facebook Secret Videos are a part of the platform’s updates for businesses to better manage and organize the videos on their page. Secret Videos allow for anyone to upload video content to their page without having to post the content to their timeline or have them visible in their video library. This is very similar to uploading an “unlisted” video in YouTube.

Why are Secret Videos Important?

While this might seem like a small or insignificant update, the ability to upload videos without having them viewed on a profile or timeline gives page administrators much more control over the life of their video content. Admins can now share videos privately with a direct URL or embed the videos on another site.

In the rest of my blog today, I’ll walk you through the step-by-step process to uploading a Secret Video and how to embed that video on a website.

How to Create a Secret Video

The first thing you’ll want to do is get to the right place on your Facebook profile. In the top bar click “Publishing Tools.” This area will let you see some of the basic performance data on your most recent posts. Once there, locate the “Video Library” tab on the left side of the screen.

The “Video Library” section is also another one of Facebook’s platform updates. This section allows Page Admins to monitor and review the performance of the video content on their profile. Once you’re here, click the “Upload” button in the top right corner of the screen.

This will bring up the screen to upload and post a video. I’ve chosen an animated video I created about the Importance of Content Marketing for this example. Once the video has been completely uploaded, give it a title. You can also give it a description if you’d like (it’s optional). Instead of “Publishing” the video, you’ll want to click the “Advanced” tab.

The next step in posting a Secret Video is deciding how to distribute the video. In this area, you have a few options. If the video is recorded in 360 you can choose this option here. But for this example, we want to choose the drop-down under the “Distribution” area.

In the drop-down menu, you’ll want to choose the “Custom” option. This will bring up more options to manage the distribution of your video. Check the box labeled “Add as secret video.” Listed in the summary below, you can see that choosing this option will make the video unpublished and non-searchable. People who view the video will not be able to like, comment, or share unless you un-check the box labeled “Block social actions.”

Finally, push the “Publish” button to finish the process.

Once you’ve pressed “Publish” the video will begin to process. In the “Video Library” area, you’ll be able to see the finished Secret Video. This will be the only area that the video will be accessible to page administrators.

How to Embed a Secret Video

Next, we’ll discuss how to take your Secret Video and embed it on a website. Start by clicking into your video in your video library. Just like before, you’ll want to choose the “Advanced” tab in the taskbar. Here you can find the direct URL link to access the video. If you’d like to privately share the video with someone, you can simply give them this URL where they can view the video.

To access the embed code, however, you’ll want to choose the gear icon in the upper right corner of the display box. Once you click the icon, a drop-down will appear. Choose the “Embed” option.

Once you’ve clicked “Embed” it will bring up this box. Here we can see a preview of what the video will look like once you embed it on a website. The embed code is located just above the preview. Next, you’ll want to copy this code. You can also choose “Advanced Settings” for more in-depth HTML settings for the code. But for what we’re trying to do, copying the code as seen in the example below will work just fine.

The last step to embed your Secret Video is to log on to your site. Simply paste the code in a blog or on a page and it should auto-populate with the preview that we saw in the above example. Below is the video from the example. I used the code to embed the video into this post. You’ll notice that the viewer does have some options when viewing the video. They can “Save” the video and also view the video’s direct URL. However, they will not be able to like, comment, or share the video unless you have granted that permission.

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And That’s It

That’s all there is to it! Secret Videos and the updates to Facebook are a clear example of the platform’s push to imitate other video platforms like YouTube. Because video content is such a vital part of today’s social experience, every platform has begun to evolve and update to cater to this trend.

If you’re interested in learning more about Video Marketing or if you have any questions about this article, please feel free to reach out at any time. You can also view some of our other articles about video/content marketing on our website.

You’ve seen the notifications, maybe even watched a Live video. Have you ever wondered if it could help you reach your company goals? Increase leads or generate brand engagements?

I’ve had a lot of questions lately about what Facebook Live is, how it works, and if it is good for the company. Hopefully, I will answer those questions for you today.

What is Facebook Live?

It’s really quite simple; this is a live feed via a smart phone or camera, through a Facebook Profile, to your followers and connections. This allows you to interact and share with your connections in real time. They can ask questions, post comments, and share your feed while you are broadcasting.

How Does It Work?

According to Facebook, it only takes two simple steps to start broadcasting to your network from your business page. It is recommended that you use your mobile app or Google Chrome extension.

 

 

First, in the Status Update bar, click on Live Video.

Second, write a brief description of your video then hit the “Go Live.” You’ll see a three-second countdown before your broadcast begins.

From experience, I can tell you that it will take roughly a minute before the first person joins your broadcast, so don’t lead with the most important content. This is due to the fact that Facebook will alert your connections once the live stream begins, and it will take some time for people to click over to you.

How Can I Use It For Business?

Now that you know how to use it, let’s get started!

1. Make an announcement!

Share new and exciting news with your friends and acquaintances. Launch a new product or service or introduce new staff. This option can be short and sweet; less than 3 minutes and from any location that is relevant to the announcement.

2. Go behind the scenes.

Is there an aspect of your business that your clients, prospects, or potential employees may find interesting? A process that can seem complex when written on paper? Use this opportunity to explain it in person.

3. Promote events.

Planning an open house? Conference? Or kicking off a new class? FB Live is a great way to generate interest. Don’t forget to share the easy-to-remember URL and then follow up by posting it in the comments.

4. Answer commonly asked questions.

If your sale team – or customer service counter – have a list of frequently asked questions, start a weekly Live series that goes through each one. Share the answers with your customers in a fun, personable, engaging format. This is way more fun than ready a bulleted list on a website.

5. Educate or train.

Use the tools to share tips or tricks. Showcase seasonal products. Create a runway for the latest fashion for a boutique. I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea.

If you’d like some examples, feel free to check out our Facebook page and YouTube page; we have announcements and offer a weekly 10-minute Live segment covering the latest trends, changes, and topics within our industry.

Happy broadcasting!

In the past when you thought of video you thought of the family TV with antenna bunny ears and you had three channel choices. Then, along came cable and 1,000 more channels. Today, we have the internet which gives us countless streaming options, YouTube channels, plus just about anything you want to watch.

I once heard a song that said “video killed the radio star,” but I think online videos are giving traditional television a run for its money. With all these videos online today, there are a lot of options clamoring for your attention. We can stream everything it seems – radio, TV shows, product demonstrations, reviews, or just about anything else you can think of.

When I used to work on my 77 Chevy Nova I would use a Chilton owner’s manual. But now I can go to YouTube and watch a video of someone doing the same repair or upgrade. And as the father of a teenage girl, I’ve seen a lot of YouTube footage on makeup tutorials and other videos that I have no desire to watch.

What I’m trying to say is that there are a lot of videos out there. In fact, there are 300 hours of video uploaded every minute to YouTube, and there are almost 5 billion videos watched on YouTube every day. You read that right – almost 5 billion!

Today’s businesses who want to break into the video world have a lot of competition. Knowing your target audience and which type of video you want to create is more important than ever. Trying to interest me with your product by showing me makeup videos won’t get you very far. But show me how to supercharge my Nova in just one video and I’m all yours! A lot of customers think the same way.

Why all the Tribbles?

Watching, making, and using videos has exploded in terms of popularity. Why though? And if you’re thinking that the rise of video views is due to today’s kids doing nothing but stare at their phones all day and watch YouTube videos, you’d be wrong. In a recent trends study by Google, it’s estimated that in an average month 80% of people ages 18-49 years old have watched videos on YouTube.

Take into account the growth of Social Media videos. Is there even a social channel that doesn’t have video options? You have Facebook Live, Snapchat, Instagram Stories, and YouTube Live. With nearly 80% of Social Media activity now being done on mobile, marketers have an active audience that they can reach easier than ever.

So what does all this mean to you the advertiser?

With all the video options out there, the question needs to be asked, “What should a business or marketer do when it comes to video?” let’s look at some easy first steps that you can take to decide what type of video is best for you.

Start out by thinking of the message you want to get across before you begin shooting the video. My coworker Jess wrote a great blog on How To Master The Art Of Online Videos. Tailoring the video based on the message whether for promotional use or content is important.

Companies can also make the video experience more engaging by creating interactive videos that require a viewer to swipe or tap to see different features.  You can think out of the box and create fun whimsical animated videos like Sam talked about in his blog “The Importance of Creating New Content”. Or an interesting use of video by a clothing boutique that had a video link of a person wearing the outfit you were just looking at.

 Your next step when getting into video is to think about what you want your videos to do.  What platform do you want to distribute the video to? What kind of budget are you allocating to the project? This can include having the videos professionally done or getting equipment so you can create them. In regards to creating the videos a lot of good aps are out there for the camera on your smart phone. Where do you want the video to exist? Your website or social media page.

How can I harness the power of the video atom?

There’s a lot of potential for you to reach customers with either Paid video or Organic video. Your paid videos are either Mid-roll, Pre-roll, Facebook video ads or commercials. Organic would be Video Blogs, Live stream broadcasts, Interviews, Organic Social Media videos, Product Reviews, and YouTube videos. Then there are those Earned video views. Earned video views are the ones where someone sees your video and loves it so much they share it with a friend who has similar interests. You can incorporate video content into your business web page in addition to your video advertising in an effort to capture those earned video views.

The statistics also support using video with 80% conversion rates for landing pages with video incorporated into it.  Open rates of emails are boosted by 19% when video is listed in the subject line. Demo videos are found to be helpful by 4 out of 5 customers. Among Internet users nearly 50% look to video regarding products or services before actually going to a store.

Working the combination of paid video focused on a specific target and having good organic videos on your site should lead to the earned video views.

You have the Power

Video is becoming a powerful force on the Internet. We’ve talked about the different platforms that support video. We’ve talked about what video can do for you in regards to conversions and open rates and customer interaction. There is a lot you can do with video, so my question to you is what will be your first video?

There is power in video, let’s talk about how you can harness it.

I’ve said it a lot in many of my other blog posts – content is a broad word that can be created in a lot of different ways. This fact can lead to frustrations for people trying to produce quality content for their audience. As a Content Specialist, it’s my job to not only create new content, but also try and figure out what style of content will best work for a client.

For my blog today, I wanted to talk about something that I think can help anyone who’s struggling with creating new content. It’s a simple lesson, but the first step in reaching out to your audience and attracting new leads.

Try New Types of Content

The Lesson: Try new styles of content when you have the chance. Be open to the possibility that what you’ve been doing might not be the best way to reach your audience. Have you been creating blogs for a while? Then try making a video. Would you customers enjoy reading case studies? Maybe an infographic could be a fun and interactive way to explain information about your brand.

Because I believe in this lesson so much, I decided to take my own advice. I recently learned about a website called PowToon that lets people created animated videos. The name alone was enough for me to look into it, and once I visited the website I laughed as I thought about creating a video of my own. So in the spirit of creating new content and taking a small step out of my comfort zone, I began creating an animated video about Content Marketing. You can watch my finished produced below.

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The Power of Trying New Things

I believe that there are a lot of lessons that can be learned just by opening yourself up to new experiences. I’m lucky enough to work for an organization that promotes testing, training, and new ideas. This short animated video may have been a funny experiment, but just by giving it a shot, I’ve opened our business up to the possibility of doing more of these videos.

If you’re focused on growing your business or creating awareness through the creation of engaging content, start to familiarize yourself with the feeling of being uncomfortable. If you’re not creating a blog because you don’t like writing or if you don’t make videos because you don’t think you look good in front of the camera, I encourage you try.

Trying something new and feeling uncomfortable often go hand-in-hand, but the benefits almost always speak for themselves. Lessons are learned through both success and failure, but you’ll never find out what those lessons are without trying something new.

We’ve all had that moment. You’re reading through a great article online, when suddenly you reach the end. Your world spins out of control as you see a promoted story titled “Your Cat May be Planning to Kill You, Here’s Why”, was everything you just read a lie? It’s difficult to trust the legitimacy of an article when you see ridiculous recommended suggestions below.

Maybe you recently saw your Aunt Sally share a “news” article about how Hillary Clinton has a body double or that Pope Francis endorsed Donald Trump. Suddenly, your news feed is full of bogus news and people you once thought were intelligent and rational, now look like fools. Fake news and deceiving web content is at an all time high and people have finally said they’ve had enough of it.

I’ll admit, I’ve on-occasion fallen for those click-bait headlines or fake news articles, only to be directed to a horrible site bogged down by hundreds of ads. Thankfully, online content is starting to get the scrutiny it needs to change and be useful to all users.

“Are Aliens Planning to Invade Earth? Find Out Now!”

Grouped together under a label like “Promoted Stories” or “Around the Web”, click-bait links lurk at the bottom of many common websites of reputable publishers. They provide high amounts of revenue to the site and give advertisers an affordable way to reach large and premium audiences. A report from ChangeAdvertising.org found that 41 of the top 50 news sites — including The Guardian, CNN, Time and Forbes — embed widgets from so-called content-recommendation companies. The deal doesn’t sound too bad, everyone is making money and happy, except for those most important, the readers.

Publishers are now considering the effect that these articles are having on their own brands. When someone reads a great article on Forbes, only to be suggested an immature or false headline, they start to think less about the legitimacy of all the content on Forbes. That is why a handful of publishers are now removing them all together, such as Slate and the New Yorker.

“It is not the right look if you’re trying to say you’re a high-quality, upper-tier website — if you have something like this on it — and I think it’s time for us to be honest about that,” said Keith Hernandez, Slate’s president.

There is still a lot of progress to be made for a lot of publishers, but the fact that some are listening to the concerns of consumers and taking action is a step in the right direction.

“Obama Bans Pledge of Allegiance in Schools Nationwide”

What’s worse than seeing click bait headlines suggested by robots at the bottom of articles? Seeing fake cringe-worthy articles suggested by your friends and family on Facebook. According to the Business Insider, 2.2 million people engaged with the Obama article with the headline mentioned above. That’s 2.2 million people who believed that the President signed an executive order banning the Pledge of Allegiance.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the only article that hooked people in, by the time of the election, fake stories had more engagements than real news stories. The chart below shows the engagement for fake and real news stories over the past year. As you can see, the two months leading up to the election actually had more fake news engagements than real news engagements on Facebook.  This should scare any logical person.

The stories are most often put together by scammers trying to make a quick buck. Every time someone falls for the fake headline and clicks through, the site gets money from advertisers. Fake news has always been around, but the use of social media and a politically divided nation created to perfect atmosphere for publishers to cash in on the gullible. Some critics have even expressed concern (but haven’t proven) that fake news helped sway the election, as many people were blinded by fake information heading into the polls.

What’s Next?

Fortunately, the problem escalated to a high enough degree that people are demanding that things change soon. Google has announced that its advertising tools will no longer be available to websites that promoted fake news. “Moving forward, we will restrict ads serving on pages that misrepresent, misstate, or conceal information about the publisher, the publisher’s content, or the primary purpose of the web property,” a Google spokesperson said in a recent statement. This move will vastly impact the ad revenue these sites can earn, and will hopefully lessen the amount of stories and sites created.

Facebook, who is under a lot of public scrutiny for allowing so much fake news to flood the platform, announced that it will also remove ads on fake news sites. In addition, Zuckerberg outlined different ways Facebook hopes to eliminate misinformation on the site including:

• Stronger detection measures
• Easy reporting of fake stories by users
• Third party verification by fact-checking organizations
• Adding warnings or flagging false stories by third parties or the Facebook community

Nothing is set in stone yet,  but the anger of the public and critics should be motivation for solutions to be implemented quickly.

Make it Stop

There is also one other party that can help stop the spread of fake news, and that’s you. Although its no user’s sole responsibility to fact-check every news story in their social feed, you can mark fake stories as spam. Staying aware and doing a minute of research before sharing an article can save you from looking silly to your friends and family and will help combat the problem of fake news.

If you’re an advertiser, you can vote with your dollars and only show ads on real news sites. Let’s all work together and take down the crappy content lurking on our beloved internet.