As social media companies continuously roll out new rules and updates to their advertising platforms, what’s your top tip for keeping up with these changes?
These answers are provided by Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs.
1. Google Alerts
Our social media team has certain keywords that they are sent alerts for. This keeps them up to date on any new rules, updates or news put out by different social platforms. – Dave Nevogt, Hubstaff.com
2. Podcasts
You can find a podcast about just about any topic these days, and they’re an easy way to keep up on new trends as you’re walking, driving or working out. I’m all about learning while I’m doing the things that I would be doing anyway. – Allie Siarto, Allie Siarto & Co. Photography
3. Compliance Officer
As a leading digital agency, it’s our job to be up on these things, so we have a compliance officer. Most sizeable companies should have one, and if it doesn’t quite make sense, then add that as a dual role for someone in your company. Have them update your marketing team and even execs via email, and if need be on a monthly in-person basis just to ensure they are on top of things. – Scott Levy, Fuel Online
4. The Platform’s Own Training Modules
Social media platforms have their own training outlets. For example, Facebook has a platform called ‘Facebook Blueprint’ that contains training modules. You can subscribe to the newsletter and receive monthly content consisting of highlights, updates and new courses. Twitter has a platform called ‘Twitter Flight School’ which has a resource library and online courses to keep you up to date. – Nick Friedman, College Hunks Hauling Junk
5. RSS Feeds
It might seem old-fashioned to use RSS to follow social media news, but it is effective. Most of the big social networks have news blogs, like Facebook Business News. We subscribe via RSS to many of the most important social media news sources, which helps our team to keep on top of changing rules and updates. – Vik Patel, Future Hosting
6. Log In and Check
The simplest way to stay abreast of any changes is to log in to your social media regularly. For most platforms, you will get a prompt the first time you log on after a change has been made. Also, it is not a bad idea to subscribe to some of the more popular platforms’ blogs, such as Pinterest, LinkedIn and Twitter. They will have posts about site changes and updates. – Blair Thomas, eMerchantBroker
7. Social Media Publications
There are a few social media publications you can subscribe to that will keep you updated on all of the latest changes. One is called Social Media Today and another is Social Media Examiner. – Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance
8. Paid Information
There are entire businesses built around educating entrepreneurs on platform changes and strategy. They typically have private Facebook groups where they post live videos, have paid for online courses and even coaching. They not only walk through changes, but also how to best implement them for your business. It’s been invaluable what my company has received from groups like this to stay competitive. – Bryan Citrin, Chiropractic Advertising
9. Tech Sites
When social media platforms make ad changes, it is almost always reported on by the major tech websites like Tech Crunch, Mashable, Recode, etc. Even if you aren’t in that industry, it’s important to stay current with the tech news that may affect your business. – Leila Lewis, Be Inspired PR
10. Updates
I always read everything that pops up or that comes as an update. Social media sites have had to be more transparent in their changes and policies, so when it pops up, I stop and read it or save the link if I can’t read it right then. – John Rampton, Calendar
11. Pay Attention
Don’t just click ‘OK.’ We can’t demand transparency if we then don’t take the time to ingest the information that is readily available to us. Many of these companies are constantly updating us, but we lack the patience to go through and understand the ‘why’ and ‘how.’ Keeping up with blogs, news and podcasts can also be a good way to stay informed on this quickly changing facet of social media. – Justin Lefkovitch, Mirrored Media
