Tag Archives: Social Media Today

What should your business be looking to say on social during the COVID-19 lockdowns? Should you be saying anything at all? Should you be looking to make sales and advertise offers? It’s difficult to know exactly what you should be doing, but for many businesses, there are still ways in which they can continue to operate, despite the restrictive conditions. And with engagement in social apps rising as people seek entertainment and distraction, it can actually be a good time to connect. If you do it right. So what should be you sharing? Twitter recently outlined a range of key tips, which also serve as some pretty solid digital marketing […]

LinkedIn has announced that it will provide free job listings to all essential services amid the COVID-19 pandemic as it seeks to help ease the burden on organizations facing significant stress and shortages. As per LinkedIn: “We’ve seen healthcare job posts on LinkedIn increase by 35% since the outbreak began. Similarly, supply chains, supermarkets, and freight delivery services are working around the clock to provide resources. To help, LinkedIn is offering free job posts for critical organizations who need to quickly find skilled workers to fill critical roles. It’s the least we can do to support those of you who are working tirelessly for all of us.” The free job listings […]

As with all social platforms, Snapchat has been seeing a lot more usage of late, as people stuck inside amid the COVID-19 lockdowns seek an outlet and a means to stay connected with the world beyond their homes. This week, Snapchat has provided an update on the specific usage trends it’s seeing in its app, along with some key notes on the trends that are gaining momentum, which could provide some valuable pointers for marketers looking to maximize their performance during our coronavirus-induced hibernation. First off, on usage, Snapchat says that it’s seen a 50% increase in video calls, while people are also spending 25% more time than normal using […]

Replication is normally Facebook’s key mitigation tactic, but increasingly, YouTube is also looking to “borrow” inspiration from its rivals in order to fend off competition, and maximize its market share within the video space. This week, The Information has reported that YouTube is working on a TikTok-like function called ‘Shorts’, which would essentially facilitate the same operations as TikTok within the YouTube app. As per The Information: “Shorts will include a feed of brief videos posted by users inside the Google-owned app and will take advantage of the video service’s catalog of licensed music, songs from which will be available to use as soundtracks for the videos created by users.” A YouTube-operated […]

When’s the best time to post on Instagram in order to maximize engagement? This is a common question in social media marketing circles, and while the true best time for your brand will relate to your unique audience, there are some guideposts and pointers that you can use, based on existing data, which can help to point you in the right direction, and improve your strategy. This week, the team from Tailwind has published its latest report into Instagram post times, broken down by industry, and based on analysis of over 1.8 million posts over the first three months of 2020. Again, these times are not prescriptive – they’re more intended […]

After announcing last month that it would be making a range of LinkedIn Learning courses available for free in order to assist those dealing with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, LinkedIn has this week outlined six now free courses which can provide mental health and mindfulness guidance for those working to adjust to their new work/life balance. As explained by LinkedIn: “Over the past month, three-times as many people watched mindfulness and stress management courses on LinkedIn Learning than the previous month. Why? Well, we think it’s safe to assume that people are looking for ways to navigate this new normal. The boundaries between work and personal are more blurred […]

One of the key advantages of social media, from a business and marketing perspective, is the amount of insight it provides, with the capacity to tap into what consumers are saying at any time, and better inform your strategic efforts. But many brands are not doing this. Indeed, while most businesses are aware of the potential value of social media insight, according to a new report from Twitter, 31% of marketers believe that the social media data collected by their team is “underutilized in business decisions overall”. That’s a problem, which is why Twitter has this week published a new guide book which aims to help businesses put social data […]

Amid the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 lockdowns, the US Census is also underway, with local officials encouraging residents to complete their Census questionnaires throughout this week. And Facebook is looking to play its part in the process. Given the importance of Census data, which dictates everything from congressional representation to federal funding, Facebook has been pushing to ensure that its users take part in the Census, while it’s also been working to detect and remove Census misinformation, including misleading and/or false reports aimed at discouraging participation. As explained by Facebook: “Too often in our past, some communities and groups have been undercounted. That is completely unacceptable and we need […]

As part of its ever-expanding COVID-19 relief and assistance efforts, Facebook has this week launched a new platform called ‘Community Help’ where people can either offer assistance to others within their community, or request help with tasks from locals. As explained by Facebook: “Today we’re announcing Community Help, a place for people to request or offer help to neighbors, such as volunteering to deliver groceries or donating to a local food pantry or fundraiser.” The platform, which you can access here, enables you to search through assistance/request posts which have been posted by anybody within a 50mi radius of your location – though you can also narrow down the range of […]

With the COVID-19 lockdowns forcing all of us indoors, could they also be the trigger that sparks expanded use of VR, and engaging with others in virtual environments? Facebook sees VR as “the next computing platform“, and given the medium’s immersive capacity, and its ability to facilitate expanded engagement, beyond your regular social apps, it’s not hard to imagine that more people will be looking VRs way, and considering what it could mean for their own usage. The economic impact of COVID-19 will also reduce discretionary spending, which could equally slow VR’s momentum. But VR is advancing as a platform – and it could be closer to crossing a key consumer […]