These stories are Facebook’s way of inferring what content users would most like to see when they first log in. Facebook explains the formula they use to decide which posts appear:

We determine whether something is a highlighted story based on lots of factors, including your relationship to the person who posted the story, how many comments and likes it got, what type of story it is, etc. For example, a friend’s status update that might not normally be a highlighted story may be highlighted after many other friends comment on it.

Facebook Help Center: What is a highlighted story?

For those of us managing Facebook pages, this may mean that some fans will not see our content unless their friends are also interacting with us. Our content may also disappear from their News Feeds if they haven’t interacted with us recently by clicking on shared links, commenting on or liking our posts. In fact, comScore found that “[...] users are 40-150 times more likely to consume branded content in the Newsfeed than to visit the Fan Page itself.” (The Power of Like, July 2011)

How can we ensure that fans stay active? A few suggestions:

• Encourage feedback: Rather than only posting links, ask for opinions from your fans. Take a poll using Facebook Questions. Run a photo caption contest.
• Choose relevant and compelling content: This may seem elementary, but remember the audience you’re trying to reach. If it’s current students, provide campus news and bring up common milestones (the Beanpot; the end of finals; a department-wide social event). Check your Facebook Insights regularly to see which pieces of content are getting the most feedback. Patterns here may inform your decisions as you go.
• Encourage visits to your Facebook page elsewhere: Do you have sharing functionality built into your website? Are you promoting your Facebook page through your more traditional marketing channels?

How have you been promoting activity on your Facebook page?

Related: 27% of Facebook Browsing on Newsfeed, Just 10% on Apps (Inside Facebook)

In last month’s BU Social Media Communicators meeting, Nathaniel Boyle of Interactive Design presented on the challenges of maintaining BU’s brand identity standards (outlined at bu.edu/brand) on social networks. I asked if he would discuss some of these guidelines here. Nat, take it away!

Brand standards can be tricky and at times seem heavy-handed. The instinct is often to do your best within the guidelines established. Despite the best of intentions, this approach almost always winds up violating the guidelines.

In order to avoid degradation, distortion, or improper spacing of the BU logo or seal, and to maintain a suite of social presences that are presentably cross-branded across the University without any confusion as to what’s official and what’s not, we have established the following social media brand guidelines for University-wide usage. Following these guidelines will ensure you’re representing the University on third-party social media platforms appropriately.

Here’s the approach you should take:

• Consider your avatars, profile and background images to be extensions of your web presence.
• If you do not have a visual aesthetic to your web presence, consider social your opportunity to give yourself a consistent, recognizable look and feel.
• These are your social media accounts, so please consider the social “personality” you want your aesthetic to convey. And don’t be afraid to have fun!

To make this easier, we’ve compiled a series of themes that you can download. Each theme includes a Twitter avatar, Twitter background, and Facebook profile picture. I would recommend at least downloading one to get a sense of visual identity consistency, and also image sizes, etc.

And never forget the most important rule: DON’T use a BU logo as your graphical representation, unless it appears in a photo.

Tips for Event Photography

• Pack well: Extra batteries, memory, and accessories all in one place, easily accessible
• Create a shot list ahead of time: Group shots, details of the event. Make up the list beforehand so you don’t find yourself missing shots afterward
• When you arrive, assess the scene: Lighting conditions? Where will subjects be? Determine approximate camera settings ahead of time and test, test, test

• Be aware of your backgrounds: Distracting details behind the scene? Can you change your angle to avoid them? Are there objects that may interfere with the subject’s head (poles, etc.)? Be aware of auto focus’s tendency to grab onto repeating horizontal & vertical patterns — fences, building structure
• Auto focus is your friend: Fast and reliable. Remember to focus on the eyes of your subject.
• 1/60 shutter speed is minimum for stopping motion in low light: Do you need to accommodate for this with your camera’s settings?
• Photographing groups: Take LOTS of photos — you will not catch blinks or distracted group members on your camera’s screen.
• If using off-camera flash, try bouncing it off a ceiling or wall: Makes photo subjects look less harshly lit; creates different feel for the shot
• Try to shoot people at eye level: This applies most to children — works great to kneel down to their perspective
• Shoot details as well as overalls of the scene: Think of purposes in your marketing materials.
• Back up your data: Use a uniform file naming format and back things up regularly (external hard drives are affordable and a great asset). Keep backups in a different location from the computer itself.

Photo Composition Ideas

• Use diagonal lines to break up your frame
• Do not center your subject in the frame. Try using the Rule of Thirds or the Golden Mean as a guide.
• Use clean uncluttered backgrounds
• Don’t allow background items to intersect your subject (fence posts, telephone poles, branches, etc.)
• Use selective depth of field to emphasize the subject
• Try shooting from different angles: Lay on the ground, shoot straight down on subjects, etc.
• Build layers within your image so there is a foreground, middle and background

Katherine also discussed equipment recommendations, which we will outline shortly in a follow-up post.

Image courtesy Steve Keys on Flickr.