More Social Media News You Can Use In June

Before we wrap up the first half of 2023, I have more social media news that you can use in June. This week, we’ll talk about how brands shift their operations for the latest TikTok trends, YouTube testing thumbnail testing, and Meta’s newest Quest+ subscription.

But before you get caught up on the latest social media news in June, be sure to check out more of my writing, like covering my favorite social media tools to use, like GoCharlie.ai. and more deep dives on specific topics on my blog. 

Brands Do As Tik Tok Commands

What do brands Starbucks, Chipotle, and many others all have one thing in common: TikTok rules everything around them. According to The Wall Street Journal, the app's 50 million+ daily active users' ever-changing whims transform how corporations design and release products. Whatever TikTok wants, restaurants change their menus and sometimes operations, to meet demand and reduce labor burdens. 

After customers trying to order it caused mayhem in shops, Chipotle officially added the "Keithadilla," an off-menu hack popularized by influencers Alexis Frost and Keith Lee — to its menu. And Starbucks' increasingly sophisticated TikTok drinks have become the scourge of baristas' existence, but the coffee company is no stranger to online demands. Starbucks added the famous "Pink Drink" developed by customers to its menu in 2017, before TikTok, and offered a bottled version in April. 

YouTube Launches First Stage of Thumbnail A/B Testing

According to SocialMediaToday, certain YouTube content creators are reporting they can now evaluate several thumbnail image options on their YouTube videos using YouTube Studio. Creators use YouTube thumbnails to capture the user's attention and hopefully urge them to click and watch their video.

YouTube will also track the performance of up to three thumbnails (using overall watch time as the primary indicator) and notify creators of their best-performing thumbnail to increase overall views and engagements.  Quick tip: a best practice for thumbnails is to select images of people's faces, especially with exaggerated expressions.

Say Hello to Meta Quest+ 

Meta is attempting to broaden the scope of its VR metaverse beyond gaming. The tech company announced the debut of Meta Quest+, a new $7.99 monthly Meta VR subscription package. This service will provide customers with two VR titles each month. Users will receive two titles to redeem and enjoy on the first of each month. Meta explains that for the first month's offerings, "we're pairing Cloudhead Games' physical action-rhythm FPS Pistol Whip with the nostalgia-fueled arcade adventure Pixel Ripped 1995 from ARVORE Immersive Experiences." 

Meta Quest+ subscribers can keep each title as long as they stay a Quest+ member, allowing you to keep playing your favorite games well into 2024. Meta Quest+ is available to all Quest 2 and Quest Pro headset customers and is forward-compatible with Quest 3. 

Until next time!

The Latest Social Media News In June

This week, we look at ways you can improve your social media content on LinkedIn, Instagram is testing out a feature to download Reels directly to their device, and TikTok faces another shakeup at the executive level.

But before you get caught up on the latest social media news in June, be sure to check out more of my writing, like covering my favorite social media tools to use, like GoCharlie.ai. and more deep dives on specific topics on my blog. 

LinkedIn Tips to Make Your Content Stand Out 

We're always looking for best practices and recommendations on how to stand out on LinkedIn for ourselves and our clients at the Motion Agency. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you get your LinkedIn paid and organic content noticed: 

Social media users are eager to participate in online conversations and is one of the reasons why they are online in the first place. To ensure they do engage with your content, try offering them something in exchange for their participation. This can be as simple as inviting them to vote in a poll.

• Content that challenges the status quo is more likely to be discovered. Encourage users to stop scrolling by providing engaging, fascinating, or disturbing material. Users are more inclined to pause and interact in this manner. Be aware, though, that they may disagree with the content. 

• Inspiration goes a long way. Triggering an emotional response is a good way to increase engagement.  

• Visuals can have an impact. Using the correct visuals in the right formats helps boost user engagement. 

• Concise headlines are preferable. Shorter, purposeful headlines are more likely to entice readers and urge them to read your content. 

Instagram Will Now Allow Users to Download Publicly Posted Reels Content 

SocialMediaToday is reporting that select users on Instagram can now download publicly uploaded Reels directly to their camera roll as an additional way to share video content and increase overall reach across numerous social media platforms. On the video asset itself, the downloaded clips will include the original Instagram creator's username. 

According to Adam Mosseri, this functionality will allow for more TikTok material to be shared, even without a direct link back to the creators' profiles, and can serve to promote users’ branding by including their username on the clip.

Creators can disable downloads in their Account Settings, and there are currently certain limitations, such as audio issues caused by Meta's music licensing arrangements. 

TikTok COO Vanessa Pappas to Step Down After 5 Years

Vanessa Pappas, the chief operating officer of TikTok, is stepping down from her role after five years with the company. Pappas will be leaving TikTok on July 1st, and she will be replaced by Leslie Lee, currently the company's chief financial officer. 

Lee's appointment as TikTok's COO is seen as a sign that the company is looking to strengthen its financial and operational capabilities. TikTok is currently facing a few challenges, including regulatory scrutiny in the United States and India. 

TikTok also faces competition from other short-form video platforms, such as Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. However, TikTok remains one of the world's most popular social media platforms, with over 1 billion active users.

Thanks for reading as always! Until next time!

Ways to Increase Engagement on Social Media

In this blog post, I will discuss ways to increase engagement on social media. We'll talk about how engaging on social media can help grow your business and some tips and tricks for boosting your social media engagement. By the end of this blog post, you should better understand how to increase your social media engagement and why it's crucial for your business.

Why Community Engagement Will Help Reach New Audiences

Commenting and interacting as your business is happening offers an opportunity for potential followers to get closer to your brand and learn more about what you stand for. One tactic I love to use, especially for Consumer-Packaged Goods brands, is showing up where your target audience least expects it. On social media, that’s often in the comments or replies of relevant content. So by commenting and interacting with others within their content or other trending posts, you can draw in potential followers interested in what your business has to say. Over time, this strategy is a great way to build brand awareness and learn more about your target audience.

Additionally, being engaged on all platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. ) helps build a wider following, indicating that your brand or business is active on these platforms. Commenting and interacting as your business is happening offers an opportunity for potential followers to get closer to you and learn more about what you do. Ultimately, engaging on social media will help your business grow faster than if you didn't!

One of the benefits of being engaged on social media is that you can reach a larger audience by getting your content and comments in front of the right folks. By posting interesting and relevant content to your followers, you can ensure they will likely engage with it. Additionally, by following other businesses engaging with their social media content, you can learn from them and improve your marketing strategy. Furthermore, being engaged on social media will show potential customers that you are interested in what they have to say, which can lead to more business opportunities! Ultimately, engaging on social media will help your business grow faster than if you didn't and strictly post content.

Boosting Your Social Media Engagement

Garnering engagements via likes, comments, retweets, shares and more is vital for promoting your business, and products to a broader audience. Posting consistently is essential for achieving strong organic reach, and using personal profiles to amplify your business' visibility can help. For example, if you have a personal Instagram and LinkedIn page that you feel comfortable promoting your business, you may want to share some of your business’s top-performing content on your personal pages as well. Don’t just reshare it as-is; add some additional context so your audience knows why they’re seeing it. Utilizing engagement-first tactics (such as sharing content from your business page on your personal profile) can help increase the reach of your posts and bring in more attention from potential customers.

Not sure what content you should post for your brand to drive the most engagement? You may need to conduct a content audit to understand what types of content are best resonating with your audience. And tools like Hootsuite or Sprout Social can help track how many people view and engage with each post, giving you valuable insights into how best to promote and grow your brand on social media.

Engaging With Industry Leaders To Grow Your Follower Base

Engaging with industry leaders is a crucial way to grow your follower base. Similar to the first topic we discussed, following the subject matter experts in your industry or field can help your business gain exposure by introducing it to an audience you know has at least some interest in what you have to offer. When relevant and providing value to the conversation, commenting on other people's posts is a great way to show interest in their work and increase your reach. Engaging with industry leaders can help you gain valuable insights that can help you improve your work.

You can start by searching for industry leaders on social media. Not all subject matter experts are active on every social media platform, so it's essential to prioritize your search based on the platforms you plan to use most. Don’t waste time on engaging with content on a platform you don’t plan to have a presence on.

Once you've found a subject matter expert or industry leader that aligns with your business or industry, follow them and engage with their content. Commenting on their posts is a great way to show your support and increase your reach. Additionally, you can ask them questions about their work or share insights you've gained from following them. By engaging with industry leaders and subject matter experts, you'll grow your follower base and learn valuable information that can help improve your work.

In Short

Engaging on social media is essential for any business owner who wants to promote their content and products. From meeting your target audience in the comments to engaging with subject matter experts and industry leaders, there are several ways to increase your social media engagement. And by utilizing these tips, you can boost your reach and grow your business. So what are you waiting for? Start engaging with your audience today!

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. 

More Social Media News You Can Use In June

This week, we’re talking about everything you need to know about Meta’s new Twitter alternative, Instagram Notes is now adding music tracks, and LinkedIn came out with their 2023 B2B Benchmark Report.

Before you dig-in, you can read more of my writing, like covering my favorite social media tools to use, like GoCharlie.ai. and more deep dives on specific topics on my blog. 

Meta's Alternative to Twitter: P92 

Meta is working hard on their latest program, P92, which appears to be a Twitter clone. The new software will be a stream of text updates, but users will be able to add photographs and videos to each post, much like Twitter. Users will be able to respond to individual messages and like and share them. The app's home feed resembles a current DM thread, with four tabs for the main feed, favorites, your profile, and a compose button. 

Users will be able to create accounts using their Instagram credentials, and their username will be the same as their Instagram profile. Meta still needs to provide a release date or timeframe for the new app, though there are reports that it may be available this summer. Read more here.

Add Music Tracks to Instagram Notes  

With the addition of music tracks to Instagram Notes, Meta is introducing a new way to engage via Instagram DM. SocialMediaToday states that users will be able to share song excerpts with your followers via Notes, and your chosen music track will appear at the top of your followers' inboxes next to your profile photo. Instagram reports that Notes are popular with teenagers, with over 100 million teen accounts sharing notes in the last 90 days. What song would you recommend? To get started, follow these step-by-step instructions: 

 LinkedIn 2023 B2B Benchmark Report  

I wanted to share the 2023 B2B Benchmark Report from LinkedIn. This report provides insights into the latest trends and strategies in B2B marketing. The report found that B2B marketers increasingly focus on data and analytics to drive results. They're also investing more in content marketing, social media marketing, and thought leadership. Here are some highlights from the report:  

• Roughly 50% of B2B leaders say they are optimistic they can drive revenue in the coming year. Increasing budgets may fuel this optimism. 

• While some minimal differences exist, B2B leaders across regions expect budgets and spending to increase in the coming years. 

• Roughly 2/3rds of C-suite members say the role of the CMO has increased in importance over the past two years, while around half say CMOs have a more direct role in driving revenue and growth now. 

How To Make An Impact Running Influencer Marketing For Your Brand

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. And if a podcast is more your speed, check out my interview with author and host of the Winfluence Podcast, Jason Falls.

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. 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. However, it's important to remember that these individuals may lose connection to their audience as they grow larger.

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 adding more cooks to the kitchen, including your client or an influencer, 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 feel rushed or frustrated, but building 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 seeking 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 am a firm believer 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 influential figure.

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 your influencer campaign's results, 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, keeping a few things in mind when working with them is important. 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.

The Social Media News You Need To Know In June

The weekend is coming to a close, but before we start a new week, I have the next installment of social media news you can use. This week, we’ll take a look at how Snapchat is celebrating and recognizing Pride Month, the power of Artificial Intelligence in Content and PR roles, and a fun campaign from Wendy’s as they promote their Frosty dessert in the summer month. Let’s dig in!

Snapchat Celebrates Pride Month 

Happy Pride Month! Snapchat is introducing new functionalities this month in honor of Pride Month and the LGBTQ+ community. Switch up your Bitmoji's style with new Pride-themed clothes, including the limited-edition 'Be True' Nike hoodie (and celebrate in real life with the actual hoodie, which is available on Nike.com). 

Another new tool is the SEEN Camera lens, which provides prompts, questions, and AR effects to encourage people to engage and share their unique Pride Month tales. Snap will also release new Pride filters, stickers, and other additions throughout the month.

How AI Can Be Used in Content and PR Roles

Our AI Think Tank shared many great insights into how Artificial Intelligence will likely be used in our industry and elsewhere. And to keep sharing that knowledge, we wanted to share some other benefits and risks of using AI in communications and PR from our partners at Sprout Social:  

Benefits 

• Automate tasks: AI can be used to automate tasks such as media monitoring, social media listening, and content creation. This can free up PR and content professionals to focus on more strategic and impactful work. 

• Improve efficiency: AI can help PR and content professionals improve their efficiency by providing them with insights and data that they can use to make better decisions. For example, AI can help identify trends in social media conversation, track the performance of PR campaigns, and identify potential influencers. 

Risks 

• Bias: AI algorithms can be biased, leading to inaccurate or unfair results. For example, an AI algorithm trained on a dataset of news articles predominantly written by men may be more likely to generate biased results that favor men. 

• Data collection and analysis: AI models require large amounts of data to train. Collecting data from various sources and carefully analyzing it to ensure that it is accurate and representative of the target audience is vital. 

Summer Campaign: “Buy U a Frosty” 

Some of you may recall T-Pain's popular song "Buy U a Drank" from the late 2000s. But have you heard Fros-T-Pain's latest remix, "Buy U a Frosty"? 

Wendy's is the most recent brand to collaborate with a musical artist to remix a popular song to advertise a product. T-Pain sings his new remixed version in front of a Strawberry Frosty-inspired automobile and at a Wendy's transformed into a nightclub in the music video. 

 Wendy's is definitely appealing to nostalgia by teaming up with T-Pain on one of his most iconic songs. With its more unique and sarcastic tone on its platforms, the fast-food restaurant has also been known to draw a younger following on its social media accounts. Earlier this year, other brands, such as Chex Mix and Sir Mix-A-Lot on the "Bagel is Back" campaign, collaborated with musicians to remix popular songs into product jingles.

If you found this valuable, you can read more of my writing, like my favorite social media tools to use, like the AI-powered GoCharlie.ai. And for more deep dives on specific topics on my blog.