Social Media News You Can Use For Your Brand

Happy Sunday! As we prepare for the week ahead, let’s talk about the social media and influencer news you can use to start your week. This week, we’re going to look at Meta’s new paid verification service, Spotify is the latest brand to foray into Artificial Intelligence and the growing trend of deinfluence.

Are you looking for more social media news that’s valuable for your brand? If so, check out more of my latest social media updates and more deep dives on specific topics on my blog, especially if you’re new to my website.

Meta Now Offering Paid Verification

On Facebook and Instagram, Meta announced the launch of a new subscription service that will allow users to become verified. There is one catch: you must pay to be verified. The Meta Verified subscription will cost $11.99 per month online or $14.99 per month on iOS or Android.

In addition to the new badge on your profile, Meta Verified will include a few other features. Other features will include enhanced protection against account impersonation, increased visibility in areas such as search and recommendations, and improved access to customer support.

While Twitter’s subscription model did not get off to a great start, Meta is hoping to learn from those challenges, announcing that Meta Verified would begin soon in select countries such as New Zealand and Australia, with additional countries to follow.

Spotify Debuts Their AI-powered DJ

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has shown to be useful in a variety of ways and many marketers are evaluating ways to incorporate this new technology into their work. But now it’s being used to improve your musical taste. If you’re a Spotify user, you can now use a new feature, showcasing an AI-powered DJ. This DJ will tailor its selections to your listening habits, add new releases to your playlists, and sneak in a few throwbacks based on your listening history.

Within the advertising industry, there has been a lot of talk about AI, including at the agency I work at, Motion. Curious to learn more? See what Spotify has to say about this new platform addition: "Think of fan-favorite playlists like Discover Weekly or our annual Wrapped campaign for examples of how we use personalization. The beauty of these experiences is our ability to deliver the right piece of music at the right time, and perhaps even connect you with your next favorite artist. We're expanding on that innovation by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence in an entirely new way. And we're thrilled to announce that we're taking personalization to a whole new level with DJ."

I started using this AI-powered DJ over the weekend and it is definitely unique to hear a voice call out your favorite artists and songs. There have been some hiccups as I often use Spotify for ambient sound, so some of my ‘throwbacks” are the sounds of rain and rushing water.

Deinfluencing: What happens to social media influencers when inflation hits?

If you're an avid TikTok user, you've likely been encouraged to purchase that new, flashy, exciting product. But afterward, you discovered you didn't need it. But a new trend on the app has emerged in response to the app's push for overconsumption: deinfluencing. 

The "deinfluencing" hashtag features roughly 155 million videos. It has been slowly expanding in recent months, erupting in late January when a popular TikTok beauty influencer was accused of sporting artificial eyelashes in a paid video promoting L'Oréal mascara. 

If the current trend continues, it could signal the end of the easy money era for the influencer marketing economy, which is expected to reach $16.4 billion by 2022. Deinfluencing also reflects a tightening economy in which people are less interested in frivolous spending and more interested in spending nights in. According to market research firm GWI, the number of Gen Zers interested in influencers has dropped 12% since 2020. 

If you’re looking for more ways to build advocacy for your or your client’s brands, check out the latest of my freebies. I even created a quick infographic that contains a five-step framework for building brand advocacy on social media.

Tactics For Growing And Engaging Your Audience on Instagram

Are you looking to build a robust social media presence? Whether you're a small business or an individual trying to make it big on the internet, it is essential to have a strong online presence. Building a successful social media presence can be challenging, but it can be done using the right strategies. 

In this blog post, we will discuss some of the best strategies for growing and engaging your audience. One of the best ways to establish a strong social media presence is through Instagram. Instagram is a visual platform that allows you to share photos and videos with your followers. This platform can be used to connect with your audience and build relationships. Effective Instagram techniques help ensure that your content is seen by the right people and leads to successful brand collaborations or partnerships.

I want to teach you how to create an effective Instagram strategy for growing your following and building brand collaborations. By keeping an open mind while researching content, embracing creativity, and being topically consistent, you'll create content that is more binge-worthy than shows like Netflix and less intimidating for potential followers.

Work Smarter, Not Harder With A Social Media Tool

When it comes to social media, there's no doubt that scheduling is essential to success. However, many social media users need help with this task. That's where programs like Sprout Social or Hootsuite come in handy. Platforms like these include a social media scheduler tool approved for all platforms, making it easy to use, no matter your device. These tools are cost-effective when you think about the time spent posting manually across multiple platforms. Meaning, that you won't have to spend a lot of money to get started with this valuable tool.

When setting up your content calendar, the first thing that you'll need to do is decide how often you're going to be posting and the type of content that aligns with your branding. For example, if you run a fitness blog, posting about fitness-related topics makes sense to have multiple times on your content calendar. Once you've determined these type of answers when it comes to the type of content you’ll post, it's time to figure out when the best time of day for posting. While there isn't one definitive answer to this question, research has shown that posts tend to perform better during peak hours (between 7am and 9am EST) or early evening hours (5pm-7pm EST). Think of people’s commutes to and from work.

Finally, when it comes to growing your social media following on Instagram specifically, one of the best ways to do so is by posting consistently. This means posting content on Instagram regularly, in order not to show up in-feed and increase your follower growth on Instagram. By following these simple tips – and using a platform like Sprout Social as your helpful tool – you can spend more time focusing on building an engaged audience on social media!

Unlock The Power Of Instagram

Building a social media presence can be daunting, but it doesn't have to be. By discovering new content ideas and engaging with your audience, you can focus on what really matters: delivering value to your followers. Below, we'll look at some of the strategies I've found to be most effective when building a social media presence:

1. Discover new content ideas: One of the best ways to build an engaged audience is by continuing to come up with new and exciting content for them to enjoy. By exploring different topics and genres (and across multiple platforms), you can keep your followers engaged and coming back for more.

2. Engage with other people in your niche and their followers: One great way to reach more people is by engaging with others in your niche and their followers. By doing this, you’re not only reaching a new audience but also helping the algorithm identify that your content should be shown to users like these.

The key to building a social media presence is providing value to your current and potential followers. No one likes feeling like they're being talked down to – especially when it comes to content. Make sure that what you're putting out there is worth someone's time and attention. If you can provide helpful tips or advice, do so! However, don't overdo it – people may tune out if they feel like they're being inundated with information every single day.

When thinking about hashtags, it's important to remember that hashtags are not overly complicated or niche; use ones that describe your content, such as '#fitnesscoach' or '#fashiontips.'

Growing Your Presence Through Collaboration

When it comes to growing your social media presence, collaboration is key. By working together with others in your industry or community, you're able to reach a broader audience that you wouldn't be able to reach on your own. This is why partnering with other bloggers and content creators is so valuable. By working together, you can share resources and build relationships that will last long into the future.

Collaborations and going Live with another user are two other great ways to expand your reach on Instagram while delivering value back to your followers. Both are surefire ways of turning potential fans into current ones.

Consistency is one of the most important things you need to grow your social media presence. If you try to create quality content, users will eventually find your content and stick along for the ride! However, don't forget about analytics – knowing how well each of your posts is performing can help guide future decisions about content creation. When something works well (e.g., garnering lots of engagement), figure out why and use that information to create better future content!

Finally, never stop learning – constant progress leads to lasting success on social media!

Final Thoughts

Congratulations! You have now explored a few strategies to grow your Instagram audience and unlock the power of Instagram. Now it's time for you to put these tips into action!

Want more social media and influencer news? Then be sure to visit my blog for more of my writing.

The Latest Social Media News In February

Let’s get right into the social media and influencer news you can use to start your week. We’re covering the best ads from the Super Bowl, why brands should invest in their communities on social media, and Instagram testing out new features to boost user engagement.

Looking for more social media news worth using? You can see more of my latest social media updates and more deep dives on specific topics on my blog if you’re new to my website.

Best Super Bowl Advertising from AdWeek

The Super Bowl was last week, and for many in the advertising space, it's when we sit down and spend more time watching the commercials than we do the game. This year, I sat close to the food table, and I apparently missed big parts of an exciting game. 

If you were like me and were looking to see what the most iconic brands, and their agencies have been working on, check out a few of Adweek's favorites:

• Pop Corners: Walt and Jesse from Breaking Bad teamed up in the desert for a PopCorner spot that many view one of the best Super Bowl ads of the year. The teaser foreshadows what is to come from the snack brand, similar to what we saw from Bran Cranston and Aaron Paul during the legendary show. 

• Uber One: Diddy is asked to write one hit for Uber One, so he turns to a slew of one-hit-wonder artists for terrible, Uber-centric versions of their old hits. If you were watching this spot with a younger audience, they may not recognize artists like Montell Jordan.

• Netflix & GM: The recession may really be here if Netflix was collaborating with GM to split the cost of a Super Bowl commercial. But this one's a keeper, with Saturday Night Live alum Will Ferrell being inserted into Netflix shows like Squid Game and Army of the Dead, promising that the streaming service will feature more electric vehicles in their shows.

Why Brands Should Invest In Their Social Media Communities

A strong social media following is not enough; brands must also have an active community to stand out against competitors. The Hubspot Blog polled 1,283 social media marketers worldwide to find out which trends they are leveraging, which channels they are using, and what their intentions are for 2023. Here's what they discovered: 

• 20% of social media users had joined or engaged in an online community in the previous three months at the time of the poll. 

• Regarding the platform with the most growth potential in 2023, social media marketers rank Facebook third, after Instagram and TikTok. Here's why it's essential to invest in one's online community.  

• Customers can use these active, online communities to ask and respond to others' issues, reducing the overall demand on customer support employees. They can help cut support expenses – one research found that answering a question in a community was 72% cheaper than submitting a ticket to a support team. 

Instagram Testing New Features to Re-Ignite User Engagement 

Instagram is testing a new "Memory" feature within app to help boost engagement and persuade users to share old posts, taking a page from Snapchat's playbook. Oustide of Reels, which continues to be prioritized in-feed and in turn, gain popularity, Instagram has seen a decline in usage over the past few months and is searching for methods to boost that. Internal data seems to even suggest that usage of Instagram's story feature is down 10%.

Meta is also looking to update the archive tool on Instagram to improve engagement. If rolled out to all users, expect to see a new "Memory" story prompt. You will see additional Stories you shared around the same time when you tap on the “Memory story.” Although this idea is very similar to Instagram's previous archive feature, this new update does not offer users a more direct and frictionless means of resharing.

If you’re looking for more ways to build advocacy for your or your client’s brands, check out the latest of my freebies. I even created a quick infographic that contains a five-step framework for building brand advocacy on social media.

How To Run An Influencer Marketing Campaign

If you're looking to start an influencer marketing campaign for your brand, there are a few things you need to know first. While I typically cover influencer-related news in my blog, I wrote about four misconceptions when it comes to influencer marketing. 

This blog post will give you a crash course in all things influencer marketing. We'll cover everything from how to set up your campaign to working with influencers effectively. By the end of this blog, you should have a good understanding of how to run an influencer marketing campaign that makes an impact.

Identifying The Right Type of Influencer To Work With 

There are pros and cons to working with different-sized influencers, and identifying the right type of influencer (based on their audience size) is a crucial step. Partnering with micro, mid-tier, and macro influencers can each be used to drive awareness at the ground level while reaching an actively-engaged audience. 

The main advantage of working with a nano influencer is that their audiences trust them deeply and are highly dedicated. However, the downside of working with a nano influencer is that they may need more experience or time to work with more established businesses.

Mid-tier influencers have the potential to create similar results as larger influencers. Still, they tend to charge less for their services to create content that genuinely connects with their audience. Additionally, mid-tier influencers often have more reach than large influencers, meaning their content can immediately impact your business if relevant and engaging.

Finally, macro-influencers have the most reach and can impact your business immediately if their content is relevant and engaging. However, it's important to remember that these individuals may lose connection to their audience over time as they grow larger.

How To Create Quality Content With An Influencer

Once you've identified your potential influencers based on your overall objectives and budget, you'll need to consider how that sponsored content comes to life. Creating quality content can be daunting on its own, and when you add more cooks to the kitchen, including your client or an influencer, it can take things to another level. To make everyone's lives easier, start with this goal in mind: Create quality influencer content, and lean on your influencer to establish a connection with their audience. 

It is also essential to ask for specific content requests in return for collaboration. For example, an influencer may request that you provide feedback on their latest deliverables. This can be done by setting the expectation of high-quality content and a collaborative partnership when reviewing their work. If you are willing to compromise on creative control, both parties can walk away with what ends up being a positive collaboration.

As you work with your influencers, it is essential to be respectful and courteous. Always ensure your feedback is prescriptive and constructive. Take the time to understand their perspective; they know their audience better than anyone. It can be challenging to provide quality content when you are feeling rushed or frustrated, but taking the time to build a good relationship will pay off in the long run.

To ensure your content is high quality, come prepared with content ideas that are relevant and interesting to your influencer and their audience. It will help the overall process if you proofread your influencer's work extensively before having your influencer publish their content. This will help you avoid common mistakes such as typos and grammar errors. But also to ensure your brand is being talked about the right way. 

Ways To Work With Influencers More Effectively

Influencers can be a powerful marketing tool for businesses looking to reach new audiences. However, working with an influencer has its challenges. It is important to always be respectful when working with an influencer and to agree on a timeline and compensation upfront. Nobody likes to work for free, so I advise my client to set that expectation going in. If we can secure partnerships with products or something else of value, that's just icing on the cake. 

When working with an influencer, it is important to keep the following in mind:

The first step is to identify the influencer's target audience. Once you understand their audience, you can determine their suitability for your brand. I firmly believe in having my clients' brands or their products show up authentically by doing so in-feed. It is also important to consider what type of tone you want your campaign to take.

For example, some influencers prefer light-hearted campaigns, while others are more serious, depending on the category. For example, an influencer partnering with a candy company will have a different approach to an influencer partnering with a healthcare company. 

Once you have identified your influencer's target audience and determined their tone, the next step is to ideate around a campaign that aligns with that influencer and their overall approach to content. Finally, always be prepared to pay well for high-quality content. The amount paid will depend on how much effort was put into creating it and whether or not it has already been published elsewhere. 

By keeping these tips in mind, businesses can ensure success when working with an influencer.

UTM Code For Influencer Campaign Tracking

Tracking the results and impact over time is important to determine if your influencer partnerships are moving the needle for your business and to get that external validation that it is the right strategy. If you want to help track the results of your influencer campaign, look to use UTM codes to track performance accurately. This will allow you to keep track of all activity related to your campaign, including impressions, clicks, and leads. Additionally, it will help you measure the success of your influencer marketing efforts against the goal you set out to achieve.

There are a few different UTM codes that you can use to track your influencer marketing campaign. The most common is the "utm_source" UTM code. This code tells Google which website created the impression. For example, using "utm_source=facebook" will tell Google that Facebook generated the impression.

Another type of UTM code is the "utm_medium" UTM code. This tells Google what kind of content was responsible for generating the impression. For example, using "utm_medium=social" will tell Google that the impression was generated from a social media post from your brand's channels.

Finally, there is the "utm_campaign" UTM code. This tells Google which influencer campaign generated the impression. For example, if you have an "#influencermarketing" campaign and create an impression with "utm_campaign= Influencer Marketing Campaign," this will be recorded as an influencer marketing activity on your reporting dashboard.

In Summary

Working with influencers can be a great way to promote your brand and reach new audiences. However, it is important to keep a few things in mind when working with them. In order to create quality content, you need to establish a positive relationship with your influencers as partners. Be sure to respect their time, set clear expectations upfront, and be willing to compromise on creative control. 

If you need help with influencer marketing, be sure to stay up to date with your favorite digital marketing blogs or go straight to the pros like those at Popular Pays, Tagger, and Linqia, so that you can continue to improve your campaigns. I’ve worked with each of these companies in previous roles in my career and have seen success with each.

Want more social media news worth using? You can read more of my latest social media updates and more deep dives on specific topics on my blog if you’re new to my website.

Social Media News You Can Use In February

Alright! It’s my birthday month, and yes, I try to celebrate my birthday all month long. So let’s get right into the social media and influencer news you can use. This week, I share some insights as to why social listening can be beneficial for your brand, the latest from YouTube’s biggest influencer Mr. Beast, and check out Ad Age’s take on the best brands on TikTok.

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.

What is Social Listening and Why It's Important 

You may have heard used the term "social listening" in the past, but let's define it. Social listening is the process of analyzing online conversations, including terms relevant to your brand or other related terms. You can use social listening to find out what the public is saying about your brand online. With enough time and practice, you'll soon be able to read between the lines and uncover valuable insights.

Social listening can be a great tool for launching a campaign or a new product. For example, you can see if your target audience uses a branded hashtag across multiple platforms. Or even see the overall increase in conversations related to your brand. It is also useful when doing more extensive projects like a competitive study or looking for industry insights. 

YouTube Influencer Mr. Beast Defends Himself After Curing 1,000 Blind People

The biggest YouTuber in the world, Mr. Beast, replied to internet criticism after a recent video in which he paid for 1,000 individuals to have corrective eye surgery done, drawing ire from some viewers. You may be familiar with Mr. Beat's version of the hit show Squid Games or other charitable actions like adopting every dog in an animal shelter.  

Mr. Beast claimed to be setting up cataract surgeries for patients, and he captured on camera their joy at being able to see once more. The ophthalmologist and surgeon Jeff Levenson, with whom Mr. Beast partnered, said: "Half of all blindness in the world is people who need a 10-minute surgery." While the majority of responses have been positive, many have also noted that this only had to happen because thousands of Americans cannot afford a procedure that costs $3,500 per eye.  

Whether or not that frustration directed at Mr. Beast is appropriate, it hits on the sensitive nature of those with influence, doing charitable acts to capture it as content and ultimately monetize it. 

See What Brands AdAge Thinks Is Leading On TikTok

TikTok is the one platform I strictly consume content and don't create any. So, I'm often looking for more inspiration to guide my clients on TikTok best practices. For many brands, it can be a challenging channel for companies to use because it leans heavily into ever-changing trends and original content that's posted organically. I've spoken about creating social media with each social media platform having a purpose, and TikTok demands its own strategy.

Having said that, I wanted to share an article from AdAge highlighting a few brands that are succeeding on TikTok. Are there any brands on the list that you’re already following on TikTok?

If you’re new to my website, you can download one of my freebies to help with your social media marketing efforts.

The Do's And Don'ts Of Social Media Advertising

With social media being one of the most popular forms of marketing today, it's no wonder that more and more businesses are turning to social media advertising to reach their target audiences. However, advertising on social media advertising can be a bit trickier than posting organically. And the impact of those decisions hits harder when your advertising dollars are being spent, without the rewards you expect. This is why, in this blog post, I'll give you a crash course in advertising on social media. I'll cover everything from tips for success to planning and execution. By the end of this post, you should have a good understanding of social media advertising and how to make it work for your business.

Want 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.

Setting The Stage

Social media advertising is one of the easiest ways to supercharge sales and boost the overall awareness of any brand. It's also one of the most effective marketing tools businesses have at their disposal. Social media allows businesses to quickly and easily reach their target audience at scale, without spending a lot of money compared to other marketing channels.
Social media advertising can be an effective way to promote your business. However, it is important to plan and execute the campaign properly in order to achieve the desired results. Before starting an ad campaign, it is essential to have a clear business goal and select the right social media platforms to achieve that goal. Paid social media can be a great way to promote content features native to specific platforms, such as Facebook or Pinterest. This can help increase engagement with your audience and drive more traffic toward your website or blog.

It is also important to create different variations of the ads you’re looking to run in order to test which creative and post copy is driving the most success. A tool like Go.Charlie’s AI-powered tool which enables you to create multiple creative assets with ease. Throughout the course of a campaign, this A/B test can help you identify which variation of the ad is most successful and allows you to optimize your campaigns accordingly. Additionally, measuring ROI (Return on Investment) from social media advertising campaigns is essential for businesses of all sizes. By tracking detailed metrics such as click-through rates and conversion rates, businesses can determine whether or not social media advertising was an effective investment in reaching their target audience.

Social Media Advertising: Planning And Execution

To be successful when advertising on social media, you need to decide which platform to advertise on and get familiar with the different nuances for each platform. Once you've decided which network to target, it's crucial to ensure your strategy aligns with that platform. If your target audience is primarily on LinkedIn, your ads should not look like they belong on Instagram or TikTok.

After you’ve established what platforms your ads are going to run on, and these should match the platforms you’re on organically, it's essential to create relevant and engaging ads so your target audience will want to engage with them to learn more or take another action. Finally, it's important to track results regularly to see whether your campaign is succeeding in achieving its goals.

There are many different ways to measure the success of social media advertising campaigns. Some of the most common metrics to track include click-through rates (CTRs), page views, and Likes. CTRs indicate how many times a user clicks on an ad compared to the total number of times that ad was displayed. While page views show the total number of pages viewed, including repeated views of a single page. Another good indicator that your paid ads are performing well is to see engagements on those particular ads. So tracking Likes can help indicate your target audience's interest in a particular product or service your business offers.

It's important to remember that measuring results is only half the battle when it comes to social media marketing. You also need to create interesting and engaging ads if you want people to see them and share them with their family and friends. It's also essential to ensure your ads are relevant to your target audience and consistent with your brand's image.

Advertising Tips For Success

There are several tips that can be used to optimize your business’ social media campaigns. There are some great resources on YouTube, but don’t forget to check out HubSpot's free marketing hub. If you’re ready to commit to a service provider like HubSpot or Sprout Social, these are great tools that can be integrated with other third-party tools, like Google Analytics and MailChimp. This allows for more comprehensive tracking, reporting, and analysis of the effectiveness of your social media campaigns.

Don’t forget to use native analytics tools, such as Facebook's Insights or Twitter's analytics. This will allow you to focus on promoting the type of content that is most relevant to your target audience.

At the end of the day, think with an audience-first mindset. This means creating high-quality content that is engaging, which in turn, prompts people to engage with and share said content. Note that not all social media platforms are created equal in terms of engagement rates and potential reach.

If you have limited time to spend on social media, don't spread yourself too thin by worrying about creating a presence on each of the platforms on this slide. It's better to excel on two or three with a greater potential for reaching your audience than to phone it in on more.

In Conclusion

Social media advertising is a powerful marketing tool that can reach a wider audience quickly and easily. However, planning and executing social media campaigns carefully is important to achieve desired results. Following the tips outlined in this blog post can set your business up for success with social media advertising.

If you feel like you’re ready for more strategic approaches, I’ve written about how to approach organic and paid social content before.