Hello, friends of Citrine! Social media moves a mile a minute, and for most of us that are busy building our businesses and brands, that can be totally overwhelming. So, I decided to start Getting Social with Shayna, a monthly recap of the social media updates and news that matters most to your business, and what to do about it. Welcome to the very first edition!

P.S. There's a little Labor Day weekend special at the bottom—make sure to at least scroll down there so you don't miss it!

Instagram Updates: Stronger Security, Account Verification and More

A few days ago, Instagram announced a series of updates that keep good on Facebook’s promise to allow for more transparency and security on their platforms.

First, they are strengthening their two-factor authentication system. If you haven’t enabled two-factor authentication, I highly recommend doing so as one of the BEST ways to keep yourself safe from hacking (remember Hilary’s horror story about her Instagram account getting hacked?!). The new system strengthens past vulnerabilities with third-party authenticators like Google and Duo Mobile.

Next, Instagram is FINALLY allowing us users to apply for that highly coveted little blue verification badge! According to TechCrunch, “A blue verified badge can be requested through a user’s own profile by tapping the menu icon, choosing Settings, and “Request Verification.” Ready—GO!

Lastly, Instagram is rolling out a new feature called “About this Account,” that will allow for users to learn more about the big accounts they follow. This one is directly related to the election interference—not only will you be able to see when an account joined the platform and what other usernames they’ve used, but you’ll be able to see all the ads they’re currently running.

Says Instagram:

In the coming weeks, you will be able to see more information about accounts on Instagram that reach large audiences so you can evaluate the authenticity of the account.... Our community has told us that it’s important to them to have a deeper understanding of accounts that reach many people on Instagram, particularly when those accounts are sharing information related to current events, political or social causes, for example.

This is what it will look like:

Updates to Facebook Pages

In an effort to help the STILL declining reach of Facebook business pages (UGH.), Facebook has re-designed pages to help users take action, especially with local businesses.

It’s prioritizing user recommendations, so as a first step, make sure to ask your customers and clients to write you a recommendation. Additionally it’s instating “action” buttons for businesses to encourage users to take the next step with their business. Via Buffer: “These buttons enable people to take actions like book an appointment for a haircut, order a pizza, send a message or write a Recommendation.”

Also included in this update are changes to Business Information and how it’s displayed, so be sure that your page is optimized for the new changes.

Good Reads

Here are some articles I really loved this month. Just want the highlights? Enjoy the TL;DR snippets.

We Analyzed 43 Million Facebook Posts From the Top 20,000 Brands (New Research)

TL; DR: Facebook reach SUCKS—like really. We’re talking 49-70% dropped engagement. Pages that posted 5+ times PER DAY got the highest engagement overall, but their engagement per post was not as high. Also, IMAGES and not video got the most engagement. Given that 5+ posts per day is a pretty insane volume, I don’t recommend this for the average smaller business. Keep your page alive by optimizing it for the changes above and posting 3-4x per week (with some of those being re-purposed from IG).

The Foolproof Formula for Calculating Instagram Influencer Rates

TL; DR: Influencer marketing is the wild west, but this helpful piece breaks down how much it should really cost. While the article is targeted at influencers, it gives brands/businesses a great idea of what goes into pricing. Simply put, the formula is Distribution Fee (how much it costs to be featured on your social channels or blog, depends on factors like follower count, engagement rate and demographics) + Talent Fee (includes all costs associated with the campaign and your hourly rate) = What You Should Charge.

Before We Go—LDW Sale

Thanks for reading the first installment of Getting Social With Shayna! 

As our gift to you for making it to September, take $50 off social media strategy sessions through Monday end of day with code SOCIALWSHAYNA. 

Questions? Comments? Leave them in the comments!