Social Media News You Can Use In April

Let’s get right into the social media news you can use to start the week ahead. Today, we’ll take a look at a fun campaign featuring the Wienermobile and Las Vegas weddings, the latest Twitter drama featuring NPR, and why you should look to build brand advocacy on social media.

But before we dig in, are you looking for more social media and influencer marketing news worth using? You can read more of my writing, covering my favorite social media tools to use, like GoCharlie.ai. and more deep dives on specific topics on my blog.

Meat Your Match: The Wienermobile Is The Hottest Wedding Venue In Vegas

If a typical Vegas wedding isn't extra enough for you, the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile will host marriages just north of The Strip. Oscar Mayer will cover all related expenses outside the Little White Wedding Chapel, including a delicious hot dog-themed dessert.

Leaning into a study that states 72% of couples stress about planning their big day, Oscar Mayer hopes to alleviate the pressure and provide a "unique and joyful celebration" opportunity.

Fun fact(s): There are actually six Wienermobiles that are cross-country and each year, the Hot Doggers go through a social media training session called Hot Dogger High, where they learn all they need to know about capturing content while on the road. I was lucky enough to teach the 30th class years ago. 

Twitter And NPR Are Leaving Each Other On Read 

If you've been managing your sanity by avoiding Twitter and are just tuning in, Twitter tagged NPR's account as "state-affiliated media" last week. NPR reacted angrily to the loaded term, which compared it to news sites known for propagating government propaganda, such as China Daily and Russia Today. Following the backlash—and a reminder that federally financed grants account for less than 1% of NPR's $300 million annual budget—Twitter modified the tag to "government-funded media."

NPR will maintain its 52 accounts but will not provide any news to those accounts. In a statement issued yesterday, the media group stated, "We are not putting our journalism on platforms that have demonstrated an interest in undermining our credibility."

Is there a real impact to NPR? Not as much as the societal impact this decision can have on people's ability to access unbiased news. Most news outlets gain little web traffic from Twitter, and one NPR reporter found that less than 2% of NPR's website traffic comes from Twitter, which is standard across the industry. 

The Power of Brand Advocacy  On Social Media

Sprout Social has put together a short blog on the power of brand advocacy. If you're unfamiliar, brand advocacy occurs when people become excited about your product or service and share that excitement with others. And brand advocates are your most faithful and intense customers, who will take action if asked. The customers who leave positive feedback on a brand's comments or the Amazon review section are brand advocates.

Unlike influencers or brand ambassadors, brand advocates engage with a brand because they genuinely love it. These brand advocates can have a sphere of influence themselves but on a much more micro level.

Want to learn more about how you can leverage brand advocacy through your social media efforts? Check out a previous blog I’ve written on the topic.