Why Tweeting Instagrams Does Not Work

Sending photos from Instagram to Twitter is incredibly easy, but that doesn't mean that you're now social on Twitter. At least, not as social as you could be. 

Jered Gruber is a professional photographer who spends his life roaming from race to race with his wife Ashley in search of pictures, stories, and places to ride.  I recently contacted Jered with a simple request, “Would you ever consider posting your photos directly to Twitter instead of linking them through Instagram?”  After showing Jered this report he soon started posting his work directly to Twitter. Curious to know the change I grabbed the last four photos he did as direct-Tweet versus the last four photos he posted linked-through-Instagram (all eight photos were taken within two months and he had no significant change in the number of followers).

Here are the results:

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It’s a small sample right now, but posting photos directly to Twitter netted Jered an average of 23.25 Retweets and 41.75 Likes. Compared to Instagram links with an average of 4 Retweets and 4.75 Likes.  Nearly 6x the Retweets and 9x the likes.

Instagram links posted to Twitter are not as effective because they are not native to the platform. Meaning, you cannot view an IG photo on a Twitter feed without opening a new app or webpage. Whereas photos posted directly to Twitter are not only native and viewable on all devices, they are also the only photos that can appear in the feed as photos, rather than links.

You can check out Jered’s work here and connect with him on Twitter. 

If you found this interesting, please consider commenting and sharing. Thanks- Donny

Just Because You Count It, Doesn't Mean It Counts

The greatest trick the internet ever pulled was convincing the world it would be easy to do.

If you want to know the ROI on your Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter feed, if you want to know the value of an impression, or if you want to constantly recreate your social campaigns, I hate to tell you that you're in for a lot of work There is a fallacy that says the internet is easy. That once you start tweeting fans, admiration, and money start rolling in. 

It' all a lie. There is no easy button. No one-size-fits-all aggregation tool. There is only hard work combined with a clear vision. 

There is an ROI on social, but first you have to understand your marketing strategy for the entire business. You show me the marketing strategy for the company, I will show you the ROI.

Social is not fast. It takes time, dedication, and a continued effort to connect to people you don't know. If you can't add value to someone's life then you're time on social is going to e painful (Hint: adding value is not selling you product. Not yet anyway.)

If you liked this, please consider sharing. Thanks- Donny

5 Ways to Engage Your Audience. Without the Feeling that You’ve Been Tricked.

Whether posting to your Facebook page or sending out an email, an effective title can be the difference between clicking the link of ignoring it. Here are some of the most effective strategies when writing your title copy.

1. Who Else Wants [blank]?
Starting with “Who Else Wants” does two things: first it touches on the desire of want, second it confirms that the thing you’re offering has been proven to work by previous buyers.

• Who Else Wants a Great Cyclocross Bike?
• Who Else Wants a Winter Tune-Up?
• Who Else Wants To Join Us For the Ride this Thursday?

2. The Secret of/to [blank]
You’ve probably seen this one used before. That’s because it works. It is implying some insider knowledge, something that can only be learned by consuming your content.

• The Secret of Never Falling Down with Clip-In Pedals
• The Secret to Climbing Without Losing Weight
• The Secret to Riding in the Rain Without Getting Wet

3. Here is a Method That is Helping [blank] to [blank]
This will identify a target audience. Either one your speaking to directly or by illustrating a person or people that your target audience has aspirations to be.

• Here is a Method That is Helping Pro Triathletes Rest Better
• Here is a Method That is Helping Mothers Ride Mountain Bikes with Their Kids
• Here is a Method That is Helping Cyclists Avoid Unnecessary Repair Costs

4. [Do something] like [world-class example]
If you were watching commercials in the early 90s you may remember when Gatorade did this with the “Be Like Mike” campaign featuring Michael Jordan.

• Time Trial Like Tony Martin
• Descend Like Aaron Gwin
• Write Content Like Donny Perry

5. [Number] Ways to [solution/problem]. You will be [emotion]
This formula of words is like graduating to Copy Writing University. By showing a number we are setting the reader that this is a process that has been broken down to specific steps. Next it conveys an emotion and titles that convey emotion have a far greater open rate. Just check out Upworthy or Viralnova and just try not clicking one of those links.

• 6 Ways to Cure Saddle Pain. You’re Sex Life Will Thank You.
• 10 Ways to Handle Irate Drivers. You'll Laugh at #10.
• 3 Ways to Ride in the Snow. You’ll Love Winter in a Whole New Way

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Check out the book. Leading Out Retail is a creative look at bicycle retail and teaches retailers simple strategies on how to increase profit through service, what the most important question to ask every customer is, and how to manage the dreaded Timmy Factor.

Why 99% of People Are Using Twitter Incorrectly

What is better? People who send a ton of email or people who thoughtfully respond to email? The latter of course. Adding insight and value is fare better than broadcasting. 99% of the people on Twitter use it as a broadcast channel. Shouting about their products, services, or whatever. This tutorial shows how to become one of the rare 1% that use Twitter to add value. 

9 Twitter Ideas. A How-To for Bike Retailers from Donny Perry

If you found this valuable, I would mean a lot if you shared it. Thanks - Donny

Hiring People in Bike Retail is a Nightmare. Unless You're Cheating the System.

Finding the right person to work in bike retail is about landing on someone with the right personality and skill set to do the job and move the business forward, In order to do that many retailers may have to search deeper pools of talent and begin courting people respectfully and professionally. Hanging a sign in the window isn't good enough any more. Here are some of my tips for finding great people. 

Get it posted. Put the job description up on your site. List out all the duties, who they will be reporting to, what will be expected, and all the benefits of working at the store (list benefits all the way down to “free socks” if you do it). Pics of the store and their work space would be nice if you have them. As would general information about the city and the cycling culture.

Widen the search. The more qualifications you want, the wider the search has to be. Finding someone who is awesome in your city can really narrow the talent pool. You’re usually left with the 2-3 people that no one else wanted. Be prepared to hire from out-of-city or out-of-state and have people relocate. This is expensive on the front end, but done right the return can be made back within a year. Relocation packages usually require a moving and living stipend.

Hit Linkedin. Doing a search for “bike fitter” on Linkedin has more than 100 results (you have to upgrade on Linkedin to see more). You could also search "bike mechanic" or "bike technician". I would message all of them with the link to the job and ask if it seemed like a role for them. This is a hook to have people start researching you, and ideally beginning the interview process. If they tell you no, ask them if they know someone qualified, and increase your search by 100x.

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Hit Twitter. A people search for “bike fitter” or "bike mechanic" on Twitter brings in a couple hundred more results. Send them a direct message similar to your LinkedIn message. It’s ideal if you didn’t message the same person twice.

Look for the person in second place. If you start looking to hire from other shops, I would look at look at the number 2 person doing fitting or service there. That person is usually being blocked from growth by the number 1 fitter, they are generally more open to opportunities elsewhere, and likely to be cheaper.

Once hired, pay accordingly. First, establish the level of service you want given. With that done, I would build a pay structure around the profit from the that area of the store (not sales, not margin- but profit). If this person doesn't have a fit or repair to do, they will want to be in the store selling it. 

Train heavy. For bike fitters or technicians, I would want them trained everywhere and build them up to be one of the most knowledgeable people in the world when it comes to their skill set. I would want this person to have every certification possible. However, the better they get the more money they deserve. 

Don’t forget bedside manner. Technical knowledge only goes so far. People in bike retail need to have an amazing bedside manner and an eye towards creating an amazing experience. 

I hope this helps you out on your next search. 

Thank you for reading this far. If you found this information valuable I would appreciate it if you shared it on your social feeds. Thanks again- Donny

Read This Before You Waste Another Tweet

When is the best time to tweet? How about the best time to update your Facebook status? Or Instagram? We're all looking for a shortcut but here is the hard truth. 

There is no perfect time to tweet that works for every person or business. There is only the perfect time to tweet that works for you and your readers. Articles or experts that argue otherwise are usually presenting some form of aggregated data, which any data analyst will tell you, tends to clump.

Believing in clumps of aggregated data is falling victim to the shotgun fallacy. Aim a shotgun at the side of a barn, pull the trigger, and there will be hundreds of little holes spread across the barn. But there will also be a clump of those shots in the middle. A shotgun fallacy is when you draw a target around that clump and tell everyone, "I hit the target!"

For example, some social media experts will tell you that people check Twitter at 9:00 on Saturday. Though for a bike retailer, 9:00am on a Saturday may be the most popular time for their customers to be out riding their bike. So, that tweet is essentially wasted. Instead posting between 11 and noon might be better, when their customers are finished with their bike ride and checking their feeds. 

I encourage the bike retailers I work with to test multiple times and track which times of day create the most engagement. Turning your calendar to the viewership f your audience is the best way to get huge results from your social channels.

Thank you for reading this far. If you have found this piece valuable I would appreciate it if you shared it on your social channels. Thanks again, Donny