Tag Archives: Social Media Today

Every time Facebook tries out another Facebook Stories addition, a part of me does feel like its a bit Regina George. But Facebook is certain that Stories are the future of social sharing, and the way more users are heading – and it has the stats to prove that more people are, in fact, using Facebook Stories every day. Whether that’s because Facebook is so dedicated to pushing the feature or people are proactively adopting the option is difficult to say – but this week, Facebook has continued its onward march with Facebook Stories by testing out a new format for its separate Stories discovery page, which you can access […]

Published Feb. 20, 2020 Are you looking for ways to improve the content on your business website? Want to outperform your competitors, and grow your small business? Marketing advisor Brian Carter shares his tips for success in this infographic. Here’s a quick summary: Get accurate data on who your customers are and what they like Discover the most popular content and competitors in your niche Segment your customer persona and personalize your data and creative Activate your customer by putting copywriting elements into your content Test a lot of creative, see what works and iterate forward quickly Check out the infographic for more detail. A version of this post was first […]

This could be a big update for brands on TikTok. The rising video app is reportedly looking to add a new URL field into its profile bios, which would provide a means to drive traffic back to your website direct from the app. Optional Caption As you can see here, the new option, spotted by user Sam Schmir, would add a custom link to the lower section of your TikTok bio, highlighted in pink text. Here’s a look at Schmir’s profile alongside a verified TikTok profile (with no link) for comparison. Optional Caption As noted, the option would give brands and creators another way to drive direct traffic from their […]

After launching its new ‘Swipe Up to Call’ ad option in the Middle East last December, Snap has announced that it will now offer the same to US businesses. Just as it sounds, Snap’s Swipe Up to Call ads drive direct phone calls from the ad in-app, expanding on Snaps existing ‘Swipe Up’ ad options. Now, US advertisers will be able to use Snap’s swipe-up prompts in ads to: Drive website visits Prompt extended video views Drive app installs Direct users to make a phone call ​And while phone calls are not a huge priority for modern phone users (research shows that over a quarter of modern smartphone users rarely make […]

Have you noticed how restaurants, and indeed public spaces more broadly, are becoming more ‘Instagrammable’? Suddenly there’s a new neon sign on a back wall, a collection of plants framed into a square shot. In some ways, it seems a little forced – but then again, with so many people now posting their experiences on Insta, and tagging the location, it can serve as significant, free promotional opportunity for those businesses that get it right. And a lot more restaurants are trying to get it right – as noted in this new infographic from Fundera, restaurants are increasingly looking to frame their businesses around more Instagram-worthy images. It’s interesting to […]

I love watching TED Talks – in fact, several of my year-end emails to my team have included a reference (and link) back to Angela Duckworth’s “Grit: The power of passion and perseverance.” It’s the perfect watch (and listen) to inspire any department in a business to embrace their ‘gritty’ side to succeed. I also enjoy watching TED Talks to get a better understanding of the latest trends, including in digital adoption and platform usage. Social media is a constantly evolving field – it’s a rare arena of marketing where the platforms may change over time (bye Vine, hello TikTok), but the overall advice seldom feels too dated. Most businesses do […]

We could soon have a whole new range of visual tools for Twitter The company has this week announced its acquisition of Chroma Labs, the team behind the Chroma Stories app, which provides a range of stylistic frames and filter options for your Stories content. As per Chroma Labs: “When we founded Chroma Labs in 2018, we set out to build a company to inspire creativity and help people tell their visual stories. During the past year, we’ve enabled creators and businesses around the world to create millions of stories with the Chroma Stories app. We’re proud of this work, and look forward to continuing our mission at a larger scale […]

Ahead of International Women’s Day 2020, Pinterest has this week published a new report which looks at trending searches among female users, and what they mean with respect to how the platform is being utilized by women. As explained by Pinterest: “As the global income of women reaches trillions of dollars, women are expected to control almost 75% of discretionary spending worldwide by 2028. These women are using Pinterest to find ideas for dinner, travel, home and family clothing choices. But, the how-tos and inspiration go beyond recipes, holidays and styling as women also use the platform for tips for buying their first home, traveling solo, and negotiating salary.”  Pinterest, which has […]

Get ready to update your LinkedIn profile. The professional social network is rolling out a new profile element which will enable users to showcase key achievements and updates in a separate ‘Featured’ section right at the top of their LinkedIn profile. As explained by LinkedIn: “The Featured section allows you to showcase samples of your work to people who view your LinkedIn profile. This is a great way to provide evidence of your skills and experience.” As you can see below, the new section will sit below your main profile header, and above your Activity listing. Users will be able to add any of their LinkedIn posts to their Featured […]

This could be interesting. According to a new discovery by reverse engineering expert Jane Manchun Wong, Facebook is experimenting with new color highlighting for hashtags and profile tags within post text. As you can see in Wong’s tweet above, the tag and hashtag here are both highlighted in Facebook blue. For context, here’s a post with a tag and a hashtag in the current format. The blue highlighting would certainly make them stand out – but is that a good thing? Would that get more people tapping on either, and generate more engagement? In a social media marketing context, the value of Facebook tags and hashtags is somewhat questionable – […]