Finally! You can now share the same video or other type of post to multiple Facebook groups at the same time. This has been a long time coming, because groups are meant to be communities for people who share the same interests, but having to post in each group individually was taking too much time. For example, as a huge jazz fan, I belong to about 15 jazz groups and started one of my own called Support Jazz and Blues in Cyprus. Over the years this group has attracted over 1400 likeminded fans, and now that it’s easier to post the same music video in this and the other 14 jazz groups I belong to, I’m sure I’ll be a more active member.

As a marketing communications consultant, I’m often asked why a company should start a Facebook group. There are many great reasons to do so:

• Deepen your relationships with your consumers.
• Go into more depth about your products, services or whatever your company stands for.
• Use the group invitation system to get more exposure for your events.
• Get more exposure for your other Facebook assets, like Pages or Profiles.

Caveat alert! You have to be prepared to monitor and build the group, it takes commitment. Here are a few ways to do so:

• Invite your friends by email or by posting about your group on your Profile or Page.
• Post interesting stuff! Remember that the audience in your group is interested in what you’re doing and wants to see news, tips, and other content that can help the community.
• Have a moderator alert at all times, there is a lot of spam on Facebook, so it’s best to be ready to delete it and remove the user who posted it.
• Ask your group members to invite their friends to make the best use of the networking glory that is Facebook.

Now onto Twitter.

I’ve had a few questions about Twitter ads in Cyprus and how they work. One tip that I can give you today is that Twitter audiences are not the same as Facebook. They aren’t looking for the social and fun aspect as much as they are looking for news, information, developments, useful tips and global insights. If I tell you that Twitter has broken news stories faster than Reuters, would you believe it? Believe it. Twitter users are on the ground and not afraid to share news from their country with video, words and photos. Often, the news wires use Twitter as a source for their stories, so you can imagine how fast news breaks with this network.

And what’s up with Linkedin?

The trend in social media marketing is to question where Linkedin fits into the big picture, and it’s true that it is a completely different channel to Twitter and Facebook. Why not get to know the company itself and join the over one million followers it has on its own Company Page?

Social Media Digest highlights interesting social media trends and is sponsored by the digital marketing communications consultancy and video productions firm Jazz Arts & Communications, written by Sarah Fenwick.