Patricio Robles says, “For years many have argued that Facebook is the biggest threat to Google’s dominance on the web, and some have even suggested that the social networking giant could one day challenge Google in search. The latter remains to be seen, but Facebook has taken a major step in that direction with the launch of Search FYI. About a year ago, Facebook updated its search function so that search results would include posts from users’ friends and family members. Now, Facebook has updated its search function so that search results include posts from the entire Facebook... [...]

Karissa Bell says, “Facebook search just got a lot more useful. The social network is updating its search features to make posts easier to find. The update is beginning to roll out to Facebook’s website and iOS and Android apps now, the company says. Once live, Facebook users will see three major improvements in search: personalized search suggestions, the ability to search posts shared publicly or by friends and the ability to search for what people are saying about specific topics. Previously, entering a search term would turn up results for pages, people, groups, events, apps... [...]

Jenny Karn says, “Video content has exploded on Facebook since the company changed its News Feed algorithm last year to favor the format. Analysts are even predicting that Facebook will actually deliver two-thirds as many video views as YouTube in 2015 — an absolutely stunning shift. Video has long been an important component of the social strategy toolkit, but the current ranking and action policies make it an absolutely vital format for maximizing organic reach, which means advertisers and agencies need to pay attention. If you’re looking to jump into the Facebook video world,... [...]

Greg Sterling says, “This past week, Facebook introduced a new small business “channel” in its broadermarketing partner program. AdRoll and Constant Contact are the first two announced providers. Each will gain the ability to use an official Facebook partner badge as part of their marketing. AdRoll offers retargeting, while Constant Contact provides email marketing as its core product. The two companies will offer their respective solutions and Facebook integrations to their small business (SMB) customers. Facebook’s Steve Irvine, who runs the Facebook Marketing Partner program, indicated... [...]

Martin Beck says, “Facebook’s slow rollout of animated GIFs has finally reached Pages. In August, the social network started testing GIF support for a small number of brand Pages, extending access beyond personal profiles which got GIF-posting ability last May. Now, as reported today by The Next Web, all Pages have been given the ability to post animated images. Facebook confirmed that the feature has been rolled out globally in an email to Marketing Land. We’ll pause while Facebook Page admins celebrate the news“. GIFs Are Now Working For All Facebook Pages Marketing Land  [...]

David Nield says, “Facebook is going big on video, including 360-degree VR-lite video. Now, in a new blog post, the company has explained a little more about what’s going on behind the scenes with its new support for immersive video clips. For the uninitiated, 360 video is filmed in all directions at once and lets the viewer experience the action in front, side to side or from behind. You don’t get depth perception and the ability to move around as you do in true virtual reality, but it’s a start. It’s also the most accessible form of VR right now: If you don’t... [...]

Mark Thompson is known for his excellent software tools that help online marketers build their businesses. His latest tool, Social Kickstart, is no exception. Social Kickstart finds the most engaging content on the web, content that people are discussing online and sharing with their friends. Once it finds this content, it automates curating a post about that content on Facebook (and other social sites) that will bring you traffic. Social Kickstart allows you to research, post (or schedule a post for some later time) your curated content and monetize your Fan Pages with just a few clicks. Thompson... [...]

Kim Walsh-Phillips says, “Businesses should be measuring their social media activities, but many still don’t. According to this year’s Industry Report from SocialMediaExaminer.com, only 42 percent of businesses surveyed said they were able to measure their social activities. Related: How to Save at Least 2 Hours Per Week on Social-Media Marketing As for measuring ROI, 37 percent in 2014 indicated they could do this; and in 2013, the percentage was only 26 percent. Contrast those numbers with the 87 percent of businesses surveyed reporting that they planned to increase... [...]

Ginny Marvin says, “On Thursday, Facebook launched a new marketing partner track specifically aimed at providing small business solutions. The specialty track launches with retargeting platform AdRoll and email marketing provider Constant Contact receiving the Small Business Solutions badge. The badge spotlights marketing partners that offer technology solutions geared specifically for small and local businesses that can also be leveraged for Facebook campaigns. Steve Irvine, global head of the Facebook Marketing Partner program, pointed out in a phone conversation yesterday that most... [...]

Ben Davis says, “The bare numbers show how far Facebook has come and the size of the opportunity that still remains. There are approximately 1.9bn smartphone users globally and 1.31bn of them are monthly active users of Facebook (June 30th, 2015). Facebook Lite was launched this year so users with poor or unstable connections can use a simplified version of the platform. Where connections are good, content discovery is no doubt now the focus. Numerous social networks have been making changes designed to create opportunity for publishers and advertisers and increase media consumption in-app“. Facebook... [...]