Social Media News You Need To Know

I am excited to share the latest social media and influencer marketing news you need to know. If you've visited my site before, you know I've recently posted a few recent blog posts. If you're new to my website, visit my blog and take advantage of all the insights I've shared. 

Without further ado, let's dive into this week's social media news you need to be aware of. 

More Updates In The Twitter and Elon Musk Saga

Elon Musk's story has taken yet another turn: A Delaware judge ruled that Twitter and Elon Musk will go to trial in October over whether the billionaire must complete his $44B acquisition of the social media company. The decision was the first in a lawsuit filed by Twitter earlier this month to compel Elon Musk to complete this historic transaction. Once the world's richest man, Musk agreed to buy Twitter in April but fast-forward two months, and he now wants to cancel the deal. Twitter hopes the trial proceeds quickly to reduce uncertainty within the company and avoid further damage to the company's stock value. 

And as an avid Twitter user, I, unfortunately, don't see a positive outcome from this. Best case, Twitter gets paid more than the $1B Elon Musk owes them, but the impact on employee morale, stock price, and undoubtedly future deals even if the deal doesn't go through. Any other scenario, in my opinion, is worse for Twitter and its users.

Instagram Reel Ideas for Your Business  

As TikTok's popularity grows over time, Instagram continues to work hard to counteract its growth with the expansion of its Reels feature. Even recently, Instagram announced that all video content posted on their platform moving forward would be classified as a Reel. Just like TikTok, Reels can be used to the advantage of a business. Easier said than done, but try to avoid creating Reels from scratch if you can.

One simple way to create a reel is timing static images to background music. This social media tactic enables a brand, regardless of size, to repurpose existing photos while avoiding additional resources required for a typical video asset. Something I tell my team is to find ways to extend the life of a piece of creative by repurposing existing creative.

A final tip from our team, share user-generated content (UGC). I've previously talked about User-Generated Content in the past, but this tactic frees up creative resources and allows brands to delegate content creation to their brand advocates.

TikTok is Eating Into Google's Search Business?  

Say hello to "Just TikTok it." and goodbye to "Just Google it." At a recent tech conference, Google Exec Prabhakar Raghavan made the stunning admission that roughly 40% of Gen Z prefers searching for information via TikTok or Instagram over Google.  

As we continue to uncover generational shifts in consumer behavior, younger people are more interested in using TikTok or Instagram to discover their next favorite restaurant. Google also sees this negative trend regarding product searches, with internal data showing that roughly 55% of product searches start on Amazon, not Google.

How is Google looking to adjust? By improving their search features, such as leveraging AI that will prioritize relevant video results, including those on TikTok and Instagram.

That's it for this week's social media news worth knowing! What other marketing or social media tips do you know that would be helpful to other digital marketers? Be sure to visit my blog for more social media-related content.

How Agencies and Brands Are Facing Economic Downturn

You're likely hearing it everywhere, from your favorite YouTubers to news outlets and television channels. We're in the midst of or shortly approaching a recession. Whether we're already there or approaching it, marketers might wonder how to navigate their ad budgets and strategic approach amid an economic downturn.

This is not financial advice, and understanding that every agency and brand is different. But I think it's essential for those of us often not in the boardroom when businesses need to pivot during an economic downturn. Generally speaking, agencies and brands advise their leadership teams or clients to keep advertising, even if tactical adjustments need to be made. Which typically involves making targeting changes or leveraging different messaging; more on that later.

Less than 3 months ago, social media professionals from across the globe went to Social Media Week to learn from the very best marketers. And many of those learnings and best practices must be put on hold until budgets return.

If this is your first time as a marketing professional, typically, the first thing that happens when you go into recession is that many publicly traded firms cut their marketing budget. This is when you realize that your department is a cost center, not a revenue generator. 

How Agencies and Business Leaders Look To Pivot

However, the best leaders in business understand that brands should keep advertising through a recession. Doing the opposite, pausing or eliminating marketing, can have adverse effects that can often outlast the economic downturn. 

If a brand chooses to go dark, it can literally be forgotten by its target audience. And knowing that we often only have a few seconds to foster a connection with consumers, it's vital to have those multiple touchpoints. Choosing to pause on advertising entirely will cause the overall funnel to shrink and, most importantly, cause a decrease in overall brand awareness. 

As part of our coursework during my Alternative MBA, we looked at the financials of a variety of businesses to better understand what a financially-sound company looks like. 

From a financial standpoint, some brands might pull back their ad spending, and understandably so. Brands are concerned about their cash flow, for instance, and it's easy to see advertising as the easiest thing to cut when it comes to cost centers.

From a consumer journey, behavior shifts when any form of economic downtown hits. Consumers may decide to no longer engage with "bottom of the funnel" ads like those that are clickable and shoppable to save cash. But they'll likely still follow and engage with their favorite brands, even if they aren't purchasing at that given moment. 

At our agency, it's more about being more cognizant of our hours billed and genuinely understanding our clients' needs so that we can deliver precisely what they want at a reasonable cost. Given that advertising spending in recessions fluctuates, forecasters often look further ahead to uncover any insights. But it might be valuable to take a different approach.

Looking Back To Better Understand What’s Ahead

According to GroupM's latest forecast, US ad revenue this year is predicted to grow by 8%, excluding US political advertising, despite fears of a recession. That growth will likely be driven by industries like travel and hospitality, which are experiencing a resurgence in the wake of the pandemic. Sometimes it's helpful to look backward to see what learnings we can leverage ahead of uncertainty. 

Looking back at the 2008 recession for any sort of insight, both financial and auto brands that made significant and moderate cutbacks to ad spending saw a drop in net sentiment about their brands, while brands that maintained their spending did not.

I've talked about my love for challenger brands, helping brands like A2 Milk, Merrick Pet Care, and Maven Car Sharing, each working to establish themselves in their respective categories. Challenger brands have a unique opportunity to grow their share of voice and overall market share if they decide to be aggressive with their advertising spend and more focused on their target with the messaging. 

 You've likely seen more ads promoting sales, discounts, or bundles. This type of messaging can effectively drive people to take action, driving sales or conversions in this case. However, that means the top of the funnel is not being refreshed enough, and in turn, brand affinity is lost.  

How Do I Adjust To Better Serve My Brand or Clients?

We'd advise clients considering reeling in their ad budgets to instead focus on targeting their ads more carefully. If a brand knows its target consumer lines up with the core audience of a true-crime podcast, for instance, they might shift their spending accordingly. Brand loyalists tend to generate a significant share of any company's profits. Email marketing and loyalty programs are both excellent channels to reach that audience.

Another way to think about creative optimizations is "If your creative is not optimized and it's misconstrued, it's not helping your brand, it's helping your competitor." That's a common problem for ads that are not branded or ones that don't convey a strong brand persona, according

To help educate our clients, we promote creating content with audience-first in mind; otherwise, things can cause issues. In other words, a viewer might see a Pepsi ad at home but remember it as a Coke ad when they shop at the grocery store and buy the competing product instead.

What about Influencers?

Thanks to the privacy changes that protect the consumer, when it comes to iOS, advertising on Facebook and Instagram is more challenging to measure ROI because of Apple's iOS 14 changes. For brands looking at other marketing channels to leverage, influencer marketing could be a more impactful and creative choice for budget allocation

I can talk about influencers and why they are crucial for nearly every brand all night and day. Influencers are great at reaching a brand's target audience at scale by leveraging the influencer's audience. During my time in the cannabis industry, I loved influencers because they took the place of paid advertising, which we couldn't leverage. 

For the brands I've led social media strategy for, we used influencers as an efficient way to achieve various marketing goals, whether for the top of the funnel, the bottom of the funnel, or even for events. And from a cost perspective, influencers and content creators are often a better choice compared to hiring talent, photographers, potentially a videographer, and more, just for a single content shoot.

If you're looking to evaluate influencer marketing for your brand or client, think of ways to focus on middle- and lower-funnel tactics. Think about ways to drive consideration and conversion where you can more accurately provide ROAS. 

Let me share an intelligent tactic regarding influencer marketing that is great for challenger brands or those with less brand affinity than their competitors. Identify and partner with an influencer whose sponsored content can be leveraged as ads. Through "white-labeling," brands can put ad dollars behind their influencer's content. 

From a tactical perspective, influencers can help your brand connect organically with great results—even more so than traditional ads run through Facebook and Instagram ads. And as we get closer to election season, just like inflation, expect the value of your ad dollar not to go as far, and the cost of running ads will only increase due to an influx of advertising spending in general. 

Life is cyclical, and this downturn will also pass. It's truly not doom and gloom. I appreciate you taking the time to read my latest blog, and I hope there are some actionable items in here that you and your teams can leverage. For more learnings, be sure to check out the rest of my blog!

Ways Brands and Agencies Use Instagram for B2B Marketing

I recently completed an alternative MBA through Learning Brew (If you’re interested in any of their coursework, save $100 and use my name as your Referral!), designed to level up professionals in the core competencies required for a modern business leader.

Part of our coursework had us evaluate some iconic B2C brands' marketing efforts and provide strategic recommendations to solve business problems. But more often than not, an entire segment of businesses are left out of most post-grad curriculum, B2B businesses. 

As marketers, B2B marketing has similarities to B2C, but there are still vital differences like buyer personas and customer journeys. For today's blog post, I will discuss ways digital marketers can utilize social media for their B2B brands or clients. 

Should I Really Use Instagram For My B2B Brand?

While platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube are great platforms for B2B brands, I want to focus on a platform most B2B brands are not active on, Instagram. 

In my first job out of college, I joined an early-stage startup leading all things digital marketing for a B2B FinTech company that sold proprietary software to banks. The co-founders leaned on me to decide what social media platforms we'd be active on, and I can tell you Instagram was not one of them. 

Fast-forward nearly a decade; my stance has evolved; Instagram has a place for B2B brands. Like B2C brands, Instagram is a visual-first platform that enables B2B brands to showcase their brand identity and build brand affinity with their target audience. Here's why. 

Meet Your Target Audience Where They Are

We've discussed the importance of showing up in-feed where your target audience is in the past. And it's no different for B2B brands. Gone are the days when social media was only meant for connecting with your family and friends. 

Culturally, more consumers than ever are on social media and are looking to connect with their favorite brands. Given Instagram's popularity, it makes sense for B2B brands to play there. Sprout Social data backs this up, stating more than half of the consumers on Instagram, follow brands. What does that mean? That means that Instagram should be your B2B brand's next social media platform outside LinkedIn or Twitter. 

Types of Content To Run (Organic + Paid)

Here are some thought starters when thinking about the type of social media content to run organically and through paid. 

As a content marketer, not only can social media be used to drive your awareness, but you can help drive consideration at the middle of the funnel. Ideate content that will answer the typical questions your target audience, often the decision-maker at your target company, has when evaluating a new tool or service.

Just like B2C brands, B2B brands can use organic social to:

• build relationships by creating content that is entertaining, educational, and/or inspiring

• establish their personality, tone, and voice

• give consumers an opportunity for dialogue, not only with the brand itself but also with other consumers

• provide information about a brand through product news or company updates

• support their customers with customer service efforts

B2B marketers can use eye-catching content to tap into new audiences through affinity-based targeting on the paid front. And by utilizing specific content formats, such as short-form videos, B2B marketers can help move their target audience through the marketing funnel.

Forrester data confirms this, with nearly 90% of respondents highlighting the importance for B2B brands to provide relevant content throughout the buying process. 

Applying Social Strategy To B2B Brands

A tactical way to foster a relationship between a consumer and B2B, is to give a peek behind the curtain. And that can be done by featuring behind-the-scenes content or employee spotlights. 

On the B2C front, we created employee-focused content consistently for one of my cannabis dispensary brands, as we saw consistent levels of engagement. For B2B brands, putting a human face to one's technology or service can be an intelligent way to humanize a brand. At the end of the day, people are at the core of any business, even if they're B2B. 

Like creating a robust brand advocacy program, featuring employees can have additional benefits, specifically by improving the relationship between employer and employee. People want to be proud of their workplaces, so when a company dedicates time and resources to recognize their employees, that speaks volumes. 

Tactically, this has a compounding effect. For example, if you were to recognize your brand's Customer Service team on a social post, those employees would likely reshare the post on their personal channels. Thus, your B2B brand is introduced to 5 unique audiences at the cost of putting together a single organic social post. 

Thank you for reading my blog post on how agencies and brands can effectively use Instagram for B2B brands.

Do you have any tips you would share with B2B marketers? Leave them below in the comments! 

5 Cannabis Brands Leading In Social Media

It's been a minute since I've taken the time to focus on the cannabis industry. Over my 2.5 years in the cannabis industry, I've had the privilege to work for two of the largest multi-state operators (MSOs). During that time, I launched and led the social media presence of 13 unique cannabis brands.

But today, I want to focus on other brands that I believe are leading best-in-class social media in the cannabis industry. Let's dig in! 

Weed For Black Women

Launched in February of 2022, Weed For Black Women is considered a media, culture, and community hub for all things Black women & weed. Weed For Black Women co-founders Gbemi and Jade have a vision for their organization specifically "We envision a world where Black women that love weed are able to talk about it openly and unapologetically." 

By providing educational and engaging content like "Iconic cannabis trailblazers to watch" and "Hemp vs. Cannabis," they've grown their Instagram account to nearly 2,500 followers in less than 90 days. 

INSIGHT: I love this post for a few reasons. Weed for Black Women not only elevates BIPOC influencers in the cannabis space but also leverages the carousel feature on Instagram. This content will not only create an impactful relationship with the influencers featured and Weed For Black Women. 

Cann 

Recognized as the world's first low-dose cannabis beverage, Cann boasts not only as a celebrity-endorsed brand but also has a unique voice on social. For those unaware, Cann is a low-dose seltzer beverage that "gets you a little bit high—a very mild sort of light, floaty head feeling that's engaging and social," according to Cann co-founder Jake Bullock. Costing roughly $18 per six-pack and come in various flavors like Lemon Lavender and Cranberry Sage, these products lean into "craft" flavor profiles at an approachable price. 

On social, Cann reminds me of the "Wendy's" and "Moon Pie's" of the social media world. Think snarky creative, and copy that can be tongue-in-cheek. Their celebrity partnerships, like this one with Adam Devine, enable them to create unique influencer content.

INSIGHT: Cann decided to lean into its "low-dose" and celebrity backing with this piece of creative by leveraging the recent coverage from their Pride campaign, and newly-released song “Taste So Good.”

Pure Beauty 

During my trips out west, another favorite cannabis brand of mine was Pure Beauty. The brand is known for its sustainably-grown cannabis flower and playful and eyecatching packaging. Cofounder Tracy Anderson explains how the brand was inspired by the style of California artist John Baldessari, including his iconic 1966 work "Pure Beauty.” 

INSIGHT: I am a huge fan of leveraging creative to showcase how a brand fits into a consumer's daily life. Otherwise known as occasion-based creative. This particular post hits on this very idea by having their pre-rolls conveniently placed near this purse.  

Gorilla Rx Wellness

Gorilla Rx Wellness is a Los Angeles-based dispensary that opened its doors in late August 2021. As the first black women-owned dispensary, their brand has been featured both inside and outside the industry.

They prioritize Instagram compared to other platforms like Facebook or Twitter on social media. And as a local brand, they find a way to connect with both a national cannabis audience and their local Crenshaw community.

On the influencer front, GorillaRx Wellness has partnered with various content creators, artists, and more influential celebrities who have helped get the word out about this new cannabis brand. 

INSIGHT: From this video, GorillaRx Wellness recently partnered with a local plant business for a unique 420 wellness Event focused on plants. From a creative standpoint, I love how they superimposed the images of Gorilla RX Wellness' founders and @ThePlantChica over a variety of plant videos. 

Herbal Notes

Last but not least, I wanted to highlight Herbal Notes. Started by Chicago-based Chef Manny Mendoza, Herbal Notes is a communal dining and event-focused company located in Chicago.

Chef Mendoza grew up in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, and his Mexican and Salvadorian background inspires Herbal Notes' menus. Not only do I love the food Chef Manny Mendoza and his team put together, but I love his overall goal for the cannabis industry. 

They explicitly educate people on the cannabis plant while also advocating for people of color imprisoned for non-violent cannabis offenses. 

INSIGHT: Yes, that's exactly what you think is happening. This is a man smoking cannabis out of a broccoli stalk. Not only is this such a visually-arresting creative if you're scrolling through the feed, but it provides a unique insight into their dining experiences. 

There are thousands of cannabis and ancillary brands across the country, and I've only shared five of them. And I've surely left off some fantastic brands in this list. Let me know in the comments what cannabis brands you think are leading the way when it comes to social media. 

How To Make Your Brand Show Up Authentically On Social Media

Whether you work at an agency or are on the brand side, there is always an ask to connect better with one's target audience. Easier said than done, right? The latest data from Social Media Week states that the attention span of consumers is roughly 2.5 seconds. How can we as digital marketers connect authentically with a consumer when you have the same time it takes for a human to take a breath? 

Ensuring your brand's content fits authentically within the platform and providing an engaging experience for your target audience. This blog post will dive deeper into what that means and provide you with actionable steps. 

Understanding The Platforms 

There's a saying I believe in that goes, "Every season serves its purpose." Applying it to social media, it's "Every platform serves its purpose." Before you can create authentic and engaging content, you need to understand why consumers are on that platform in the first place. 

When looking at the most popular social media platforms, there are a few key trends, including: 

• On Facebook, consumers use the app to stay connected to the people in their lives. When everyone and their mother have a Facebook, it's easier to feel close to those we care about. 

• On Instagram, consumers use the app to seek inspiration, be entertained, and get educated on various topics. Many users consider the platform a place for their "best of" moments. Think of moments like engagements or wedding photos, or a big vacation. 

• On TikTok, consumers want to be entertained. TikTok's algorithm works hard to keep you on the feed for as long as possible.

• And on Twitter, consumers look to stay informed as the platform is often the home for breaking news compared to other platforms. 

Whether creating organic or paid content, ensure that the creative matches users' motivations on each platform. If you create content that doesn't align with a specific platform, your brand will disrupt their user experience and, in turn, create a negative association with your brand. 

Just ask David Kavanaugh, VP of Marketing Operations & Planning at Hootsuite, who stated, "The key to social ads is aligning them with the reason people are on the network in the first place. So your brand can enhance that experience instead of being a jarring disruption within it." 

What Are Consumers Looking For in Their Content?

We discussed how brands could show up authentically on social media at the 30,000 ft. level. We now need to understand more of the tactical approaches brands can implement:

We understand that consumers are looking to be educated, entertained, or informed through their social content. Through social content, brands can fulfill that need through immersive and engaging creative. 

From a tactical perspective, look for ways to leverage platform-specific assets or features. On Instagram, utilize Stories and their features, like Link Stickers or Polls. For Pinterest, use shoppable pins to make it easier for consumers to duplicate a recipe. On Twitter, leverage the Thread feature to tell a more cohesive story. 

How Does That Translate to Paid Ads? 

I'll speak about it from a thematic standpoint on the paid front. If you're looking for more tactical approaches, check out one of my blog posts.

Just because you're serving ads with a specific goal doesn't mean you can disregard the above notions. As an advertiser, brands are essentially paying to interrupt the feed of consumers' daily feeds. We as marketers need to help shape those ads so that when we do interrupt their feed, we're creating content that truly resonates with them.

When you try to cut corners, like leveraging a 15-second TV spot as an Instagram Story ad, consumers pick up on that quickly. They'll tap, swipe, skip or close their app. And as such, an advertiser's Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) goes down. Do the hard work upfront and earn the attention you're seeking on social.  

Thanks for taking the time to read through my latest blog post! What were your biggest takeaways? 

Learnings From Social Media Week (SMW) 2022

Do you feel that? Conferences are starting to return in full force, and that means digital marketers have an opportunity to learn from some of the most knowledgable and influential folks in the space.

Following Adweek's acquisition of Social Media Week (SMW), the conference has returned to New York for three days of insights, learnings, and inspiration. And as a former Social Media Week speaker, I am so glad to be able to share some of the learnings I picked up on.

• "41% of Gen Z social media users want to see content that is relatable to their situation" - Maggie Lower, CMO of HootSuite.

• "Brands can't keep approaching marketing as ‘advertising’ - product is [the] experience. Make content not, ads."

• The average attention span of consumers these days is 2.5 seconds. That's how much time brands and advertisers have these days, according to Maggie Lower, CMO of HootSuite.

• For content creators and influencers, 67% of content on social is made by this group. And yet only 12% of creators today earn more than $50k a year, according to Pearpop CMO Alex Morrison.

• Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian stated, "I don't think you'll be able to do marketing in 10 years at the best level without engaging a hell of a lot of [creator] individuals."

• “You have to earn the attention you seek on social; you can't just pay for it. Users can smell an ad a mile away, and if your ad disrupts their scroll, it could drive them away from your brand.” -David Kavanaugh, VP of Marketing Operations & Planning at Hootsuite

• "It's all about cultural impact - creating meaningful connections with consumers, at scale." (Adweek Day 2)

• While the markets overall have been down, don't expect brands to give up on Non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Well, at least Pepsi won't be. According to Tod Kaplan, CMO of PepsiCo, their first NFT drop generated $10M on secondary markets.

• "Leverage data, insights, and culture to create incredible social campaigns." - Beverly Jackson., Twitter Global VP of Brand and Consumer Marketing

• "Safe spaces are interesting, but brave spaces are transformative".” - Maggie Lower, Hootsuite CMO

• When it comes to brands dealing with a crisis effectively, the same day model and influencer Remi Bader, criticized Revolve for not being size-inclusive; they contacted her to consult with them to create a collection that will be launching later this fall.

• Finally, I have officially become a fan of Glossier's CMO Alexandra for her take on measurement regarding influencer marketing. Specifically, "Know your goals and set them upfront: Sometimes influencer campaigns are all about reach and impressions. Other times it's about launching a specific product and focusing on conversions."

Did you attend or follow along with online? If so, what were your favorite takeaways from the Social Media Week conference? Let me know in the comments below.