All the Social Media Stuff You Might Have Missed in 2017 - Our Year in Review

2017 is drawing to a close - and even though time is a construct and all, we can't resist the urge to look back on all the excitement of the past year.What were some of this year's biggest highlights and changes in the social media marketing world?Catch up on all the stuff you might have missed with our top ten blog posts of the year!In no particular order, here's what got social media marketers clicking, sharing, and talking in 2017:

The Five Types of “Engagement Bait” That Will Make Facebook Downrank Your Posts and Demote Your Page

This one from December 2017 made a splash right away - and with good reason!Just in time for the holidays, Facebook dropped a big announcement: it would start bringing down the hammer on posts that they consider "engagement bait."What is engagement bait, exactly? There are five main categories - and you don't want to post any of 'em anymore. Take a look at this breakdown and see for yourself!

Facebook’s New Algorithm Change Is Actually Two Updates In One

Back at the beginning of 2017, Facebook beefed up the algorithm that determines who does (and doesn't) see your posts.The change implemented an upgrade for how it interprets user behavior, along with potential rewards for Pages that post updates about timely topics.

Want a better understanding of how Facebook figures out your organic reach? Get your introduction in this 2016 explainer, then read about the 2017 updates here.

How to Tame Your Daily Schedule by Creating a Model Calendar

In non-Facebook news, this post about model calendars is perfect for anyone whose weekly planner regularly feels like their mortal enemy."What's a model calendar," you may ask. "A schedule for runway-walkers and haute couture spokespeople?"Not so, imaginary and pun-conscious question-asker! A model calendar is your way of balancing an entrepreneur's hectic routine with a healthy dose of self-care - and it'll make you more productive, too!Want to see how it works? Whip out your best bullet journal and take a look at this post.

How Often You (Yes, YOU) Should Actually Post On Social Media

Everybody has an opinion about how often you should post on social media.Two times per day! Twenty times per day! All of the times per day!Who's right?Everyone - and no one.

Want to figure out how often you should post on social media? This post will show you how.

10 Steal-Worthy Sales Page Strategies for Turning Visitors Into Customers

If you're in the business of selling stuff online, you already know how important a finely-tuned sales page is - so we'll skip to the point.This post breaks down 10 sales page strategies used by some of the biggest names in online marketing.And by Grover.From Sesame Street.(For real.)Want to sharpen your copy? Spruce up your design? Make your price more palatable? Here's how to do it.

The Anatomy of Popular Types of Blog Posts – and Why They Convert

Speaking of breakdowns and conversions, what about blog posts?What's the best type - short? Long? How-to? Behind-the-scenes?The answer to that question is yes.Different types of blog posts accomplish different types of goals - take a look at these examples from big-time bloggers, and you'll see what we mean.

The Facebook Video Tweak That Could Seriously Increase Your Views

Facebook video is still a big deal - but the vast majority of it is watched without sound.If you're not adding captions to your videos, then, you're leaving a LOT of opportunities on the table!Adding captions sounds really tedious and time-consuming, but Facebook added a feature this year that actually, genuinely makes it quick and easy.

Want to see how it works? Check out this post!

Introducing Facebook’s Next Feature: A New Way to Broadcast Live

Want to try Facebook live, but hate the idea of going on camera?In early 2017, Facebook introduced live audio broadcasting - perfect for getting your voice out there, without also getting anything else out there.Check out this post on the update, and if you're interested in more about Facebook live, you can also take a look at these:

New Feature Alert: Facebook’s Latest Live Video Upgrades

What You Should Do As Soon As Your Facebook Live Broadcast Ends

10 Talk-Worthy Topics to Jumpstart Social Media Engagement

If you've ever sat down to crank out some social media updates and run straight into a bad case of writer's block, this post is definitely for you.What deserves to be posted? What do audiences respond to? What do other businesses share on social?Take a look at these talk-worthy topics, and see if you find a little inspiration!

Okay, one more for the road..

Should You Actually Tweet 280 Characters at a Time?

Twitter made a big splash in November 2017 by doubling their 140-character limit on updates. But are 280-character Tweets something that people actually want to see?

A month after the update dropped, we took a look back at what had exactly had changed.With the dust settled, have users warmed up to the switch? Should YOU be writing 280-character Tweets? This post should help make sense of it all!

What were some of YOUR favorite blog posts of 2017?

What did you read this year that challenged your point of view?That made you look at things in a new light, or do something differently?(It doesn't have to be from our blog, either!)Share some of your favorite reads in the comments below - and don't forget, you can get our latest (and our latest faves from other websites) in our weekly newsletter!