Tik Tok is surging in popularity as it captures the zeitgeist of the Covid-19 global pandemic and puts the “social” back into social media. 

Want to know what it’s like on the frontlines of the fight against Covid-19? Hop onto Tik Tok and you’ll see protective gear-clad healthcare workers sharing first-hand accounts of their experiences: insights about their job, coronavirus facts, tears, pleas for supplies— and, yes, even whacky dances too.  

@icu.nurseashtonPeople are out here dying. You can stay at home to help stop that. ##TheSongOfUs ##happyathome ##nursesoftiktok ##coronavirus ##healthcare ##stayhome♬ original sound – flighthouse

@aecolburnCorona outbreaks got us nurses like…##nurselife ##nurseprobs ##nurseproblems ##nursesbelike ##nursesoftiktok ##nurses ##scrublife ##nurse ##PPE ##morph♬ original sound – cidcurry

Want to experience quarantine? Watch everyday people share the trials and tribulations of working from home and eating their way through their pandemic pantry hoard. 

@iampaynday 3 in quarantine and all the clubs are closed so i gotta make my own party! ##paynp ##coronavirus ##quarantine♬ Satisfaction – DJ Tokeo

This is, perhaps, the first social platform that makes millennials feel “old.” With more than 800 million active users globally, the Chinese-owned platform initially grew in popularity amongst Gen Z (roughly ages seven to 22). At first, no one could understand the appeal—not even millennials. Wasn’t it just a silly app for lip synching and dance-offs? Isn’t it kind of what Twitter’s Vine used to be? As it turns out, that’s exactly what it is, and everyone loves it. 

In recent months, there has been an influx of celebrities and brands jumping onto Tik Tok to join the conversation. Everyone from the Jenner clan to J Lo is hopping on the platform to reach a younger demographic. During Fall 2019, leader of the NDP political party Jagmeet Singh joined Tik Tok in his race for Prime Minister of Canada. Even the World Health Organization has a new account to share important updates about “Rona” as it is now affectionately called.

@thejagmeetsinghPractice social distancing my friends. Stay safe! ##covid19 ##covidー19 ##coronavirus ##foryou ##fyp ##foryoupage @gurkirankaur_♬ original sound – tiktokh0e

Multi-generational appeal

But, it’s not just young people who are joining Tik Tok in droves. Hold the phone, the soccer moms are here. And, so are the grandparents and realtors too. The multi-generational appeal in the platform is apparent as families enjoy the dance challenges and memes that make this platform so fun. While the majority of the globe goes into some level of self isolation for the foreseeable future, Tik Tok has become a fun and engaging way to both spend time with the ones you love and see how other households are spending their time together. 

Music Discovery

Though it’s a video platform, audio is actually the backbone of Tik Tok. The “rinse and repeat’ nature of the platform means that movie clips or sound bytes from songs become memes and spread like wildfire. From foot tapping to hand clapping to shuffle dance routines, it’s a whole new way to discover music and rift off trending content. Somehow, in all of this, the Macarena has even made a come-back. 

There are entire YouTube and Spotify playlists dedicated to curating the most popular Tik Tok songs. At the time of writing, Blinding Lights by The Weeknd is a viral hit, inspiring everyone from nurses to grannies, to try a new catchy 80s-jazzercise-inspired dance routine. Justin Bieber (often an early-adopter of emerging social platforms) recently launched his new single “Yummy” on Tik Tok and more musicians are sure to follow suit.

@theweekndMusic can bring joy during dark times. Thank you to the doctors and nurses risking their health and safety everyday for us. XO @nursesavyrose♬ The Weeknd – Blinding Lights – gregdahl7

Putting the “social” back in social media

When’s the last time you literally LOL’ed scrolling through Twitter? How many Facebook ads do you see before you can even find your friends’ updates on the platform? There has been a feeling amongst social media users (and even social media professionals) that many platforms have lost their social nature and become nothing but ad channels.  

Tik Tok has become a refreshing sanctuary for many. As its revenue model is still evolving, the platform still feels very real and intimate. We users are still experiencing the sweet golden hour before pay-to-play swoops in to ruin the party and fill the feed with branded content. 

Tik Tok’s all about getting people to interact with one another, have a laugh and share a moment of humanity with the world. The engaging and addictive “For You” tab serves up content from complete strangers, customized to your taste. And, the “Duet” feature allows you to challenge people to a dance off.

During these incredibly trying times, we are a captive audience, craving social connection and joy. With social distancing and physical isolation fast becoming a part of our new reality, it’s refreshing to have a window into the lives of others—a friendly reminder that we aren’t so different from one another after all. Nor are we alone. 

Unfiltered, unpolished, unapologetic. Could the age of the carefully crafted Instagram feed be coming to an end? As marketers and content creators, we sure as hell hope so!

The aesthetically pleasing “Instagram look” has saturated our newsfeeds for years now, with brands, influencers and everyday users bearing the burden of living up to these impossibly high standards.

You know the formula: the camping scene featuring a guy with headlamp and glowing tent; a “candid” capture of a woman looking pensively out from her glamping teepee; and the couple perched atop an infinity pool overlooking a dramatic backdrop. Craft a quippy caption and you’ll have social media gold– or so we thought.

Businesses of all sizes have agonized over their Insta grid and infused significant amounts of cash into content creation to meet the demand. The result has been a fixation on perfection and polish, rather than authenticity; an aesthetic checklist rather than an authenticity gut check. The common result of this obsession has meant that individuals and brands new to social media were intimidated to jump in, for fear of not producing gleaming content.

But, the tides are changing. The “Instagram look” is no longer capturing attention the way it once did.

Alas, there’s a new no-fuss generation emerging and they are not falling for the painstakingly twee social media feeds of the past. The style of content produced by this fresh new crop of influencers like @Double3Exposure, is raw, grainy and perfectly imperfect. And, waiting in the wings of this 20-something Generation Z, is an onslaught of youth with bigger fish to fry. The generation that started the Extinction Rebellion, they charge forward with role models like climate crisis influencer Gretta Thunburg and school shooting survivor, turned anti-gun warrior, Emma González.

It’s just an assumption, but perhaps people are waking up to the fact that there are more important things to worry about than spending hours capturing the perfect Instagram photo.

“Culture is a pendulum, and the pendulum is swaying,” Matt Klein, a cultural strategist at the consultancy Sparks & Honey, told the Atalantic in a recent interview. 

And thus, social media is slowly inching back towards its old school roots– lo-fidelity content. Handcrafted video, unfiltered images and raw, real-time storytelling make up a growing wave of “ugly social” that has taken our digital feeds by storm (again).

What’s different this time around is that we have better tools and more robust platform features to bring the lo-fi story to life than ever before. Smartphones have amazing cameras, there are countless apps can help us produce cheap and cheerful videos and Stories are pervasive. In fact, Facebook has confirmed that Stories feature will overtake the Newsfeed as the primary posting medium in 2019.

But, one question remains: In a world of lo-fi, what role does high quality video and professional photography play? For a brand, it is still important to have a balance of the two. Should we continue to invest in inspiring video and brand photography? Yes, but use it strategically and thoughtfully to tell big stories and connect with your “why”. Should we worry if our Instagram grid isn’t perfect?  Absolutely not.

Be real, be authentic, share your story! Embrace the lo-fi renaissance.

Need help getting started with your social media program? Get in touch and let’s chat! 

 As I reflect back on my decade of working in this space, I have seen the fads, the innovations, and the flops. What initially began as a means of connection and communication has evolved into a powerful marketing and advertising tool that has been embraced wholeheartedly by the masses – not to mention brands, influencers and media.

Have a read through my 6 tips for navigating the social media universe today, tomorrow and into the future.

Don’t go chasing algorithms. Trust me on this one. They change so frequently, it’s becoming nearly impossible to keep up, let alone game the system. While we can have a surface-level understanding of the intent behind algorithm changes, the truth is that the sophistication of algorithms is beyond human comprehension. Strategies that work today may not work tomorrow, as machine learning analyzes thousands of data points and optimizes against them. Instead, focus on producing insight-driven content that resonates. Know your audience, understand their interests, behaviours and pain-points and you will be far more successful than if you were to spend your time dissecting how algorithms work.

Remember MySpace, Foursquare, Ello, Peach, or Google Plus? Their rise to stardom seems so long ago now. Change is the only thing guaranteed in the social media space. Social networks have risen and fallen, just like the ancient civilizations of our past. Every social network prides itself on continuous innovation, though new and flashy features have flourished and failed over the years. Always allocate at least 10% of your resourcing to innovation and testing. However, being flexible and agile is key. It won’t serve you to be rigid with your strategy, so don’t chase your tail. Fail quickly and move on.

If you can do just one thing, spend your efforts on creating quality content, versus quantity. The social media audience of today is fickle and discerning. You are competing against thousands of other brands and content creators who are vying for shortened attention spans. Put yourself in the position of others and ask yourself the honest question: “Would I share this?”  Spend time on your creative and really think it through. There are plenty of turnkey, budget friendly tools available to help you up your production game.

Please, whatever you do, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. All it takes is an ousted tech CEO, a drop in shares for one of the big giants, or a disastrous data breach, to leave a Silicon Valley business hanging by a thread. Remember the list of social channels above? At one time they seemed like steadfast investments, but have now become irrelevant. While Facebook is currently THE best place to reach a broad range of customers, it may not always be the case. Keep your options open and be prepared to shift your approach or you could be left in the dust.

Every customer counts. Having a social response strategy will help you ensure that every customer comment (whether good or bad) is addressed. Of course, there are the trolls who stop at nothing to try and discredit and harm a company. However, the majority of customers just want to be heard. Approaching social media response with humanity, humility and even a little humour can do wonders for building your brand reputation.

Storytelling approaches are as diverse as the companies that employ them. But, education and emotion-driven stories should be the tenets of every social media strategy. It’s been said many times that content is king. But context and insight are equally as important. Teaching people something they didn’t know – or stirring up an emotional connection with your audience is the trick to holding their attention – and building loyalty over time.

Every day, I’m inspired, humbled – and even a little astounded – by the speed at which social media is changing. There’s no question that online communication has brought out both the good and evil of the human race. But, I’m still hopeful that connecting our global community through the power of technology and storytelling brings people together in new and unexpected ways. Ideas are exchanged with every Livestream, every Tweet, and every inspiring image. And even if a small fraction of those ideas bubble to the surface to make the world a better place, then that’s just fine by me.  

Do you have a social media challenge for us to solve? Get in touch and let’s chat! 

The world has been abuzz in recent weeks amidst the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica data scandal. This is, perhaps, the most damaging and far-reaching revelation in the company’s 14-year history. Rally cries to #DeleteFacebook have been trending for weeks – and many individuals, including large brands like Tesla – have followed through on this threat.

Mark Zuckerberg’s scrutinized testimony at the congressional hearing, was followed by Facebook and Instagram’s sweeping API changes to crack down on how advertisers and third parties can access and use customer data. This has created a ripple effect across the digital marketing industry, as third-party developers and software companies play catch up.

But, I’m not going to write a blog post today about how marketers can adapt their privacy, data usage policies and overall social media advertising approach to the new era of social media marketing. There is plenty of coverage on that. Today, I’d like to share my thoughts how we must create healthier boundaries around social media.  

Admittedly, I am in deep conflict about the state of affairs of the digital media landscape. Having worked in the social media space for over a decade now, I’ve helped some of Canada’s top brands capture the hearts, minds and attention of their customers. On a personal level, I have met and connected with amazing friends and colleagues, and have access to a flood of helpful information on a daily basis that helps me stay on the cutting edge of this industry. That said, I have also had my fair share of burn outs from staying connected to the firehose day in and day out.

The utopian vision of universal connection on which social media was founded upon has been crumbling for years now. Left in its place, there is a darker, more dystopian landscape, where social media has become a tool powered by algorithms, populated by marketers and, in some cases, manipulated by “bad actors”.

The #DeleteFacebook movement isn’t directly caused by the data scandal – this sentiment has  been simmering below the surface for a while. It’s as if we know our social media usage isn’t sustainable, but we want to find a reason to cut the cord. The Cambridge Analytica scandal is just the latest reason, but it won’t be the last.

We all know that the platforms on which we’re spending increasing amounts of time are creating damaging dopamine-fed behavioural loops, where we keep checking for Likes and RTs like Pavlov’s dog and bell experiment.

Thanks to machine learning designed to personalize the experience, our feeds have become information echo chambers where our values, news sources and ideals are reinforcing existing views versus exposing us to diversity of thought. There are countless studies that speak to the direct correlation between an increase in social media usage and self esteem issues, anxiety and depression. To put it plainly, our current-day usage of social media is unhealthy and it’s making society worse off.  

But, it’s not as simple as turning off our social media is it? We’re tied to social media for many reasons, whether it be work, social lives, extracurricular activities, committees or family.

Creating Mindful Habits

In my view, we don’t have to look at social media usage as all or nothing. There are still many positive benefits to using these tools – in moderation. We can create boundaries around how, when and why we use social media to enhance our lives – and when we need to put the phone away.

It’s not just about locking down our privacy settings and being more aware of third-party apps. It’s about creating mindful habits to allow moderate usage and give us the freedom to experience life outside of the addictive sandbox that has been carefully crafted for us.

I work in the digital space, so spend some days completely glued to one social channel or another for my clients. But, I’m working to create boundaries in my personal life by:

• Setting specific hours for when I check my social feeds and private messages
• Being mindful each time I pick my phone up to check my feeds. I ask myself: “Is this out of habit or are you checking for a specific reason?”
• Thinking before I post: “Am I just posting to get likes?”
• Creating digital detox days where I turn my phone off or leave it home
• Opening the virtual door at a reasonable time, not while I’m still in bed

The Advertising Model

The largest digital platforms, Facebook (and Instagram), Twitter, Google (and YouTube), have all been built around a business model whereby the tool is free for users and paid for by advertisers. On the surface, it’s going well. Facebook’s meteoric rise since it went public in 2012 has meant great financial gains for its shareholders as its ad platforms continue to rake in obscene amounts of cash. In 2017, for example, Facebook reported earnings of $39.94 billion USD in ad revenue.  

The problem is that to sustain their advertising model, these digital giants need to keep enhancing their habit forming technology to keep users coming back for more.  What if there was another way to sustain these platforms, ad free? For example, if Facebook charged its 2 billion users just $20 per year for an ad-free platform, that would cover off last year’s ad earnings.

Scientist and technology watcher, Jaron Lanier, explained more about shifting this paradigm on the TED stage in Vancouver this year:

 

I know I am not alone in the struggle to find balance between real life and the virtual worlds that continue to pull at my coat tails. This is going to be an ongoing challenge for our society as we fight against the dystopia.

One thing is certain though, there is a groundswell of discussion around this topic in academic, tech and digital marketing circles. Thought leaders with creative solutions are emerging and it’s only a matter of time before the landscape shifts once again. I just hope we can steer ourselves back to that utopian vision so many of us still believe in.

A few months ago, we wrote about how analog is making a comeback. Perhaps it’s this rejuvenated appreciation for simpler times that is also fuelling the audio revolution. Influencers, brands and media are capitalizing on an auditory renaissance as podcasts creep slowly from niche to mainstream.

When I was a little girl travelling the world with my family, nothing was more comforting than listening to talk radio or music on CBC AM Radio or hearing the iconic chimes of BBC’s World News broadcast. It felt – though thousands of miles away – I was connecting with humanity from my remote location.

It wasn’t just me, though. For generations, families and colleagues crowded around radios to listen live as events shaped our world. We experienced the sound of wars, presidential elections, assassinations, rising music stars and even groundbreaking fiction, such as War of the Worlds.

But, gradually, the radio star died and video reigned, as televisions turned from black and white to colour; from high def to 4K and so on.

Now, the once-forgotten art form of audio storytelling is storming back onto the scene – and brands are taking notice. Podcasts have become a lucrative medium for both advertising and brand experience. In 2017, Edison’s annual research report indicated that 24% of Americans had listened to at least one podcast in the last month. With several viral podcasts bursting onto the scene in 2018, this number is expected to leap exponentially for 2018.

Public awareness about podcasts has nearly doubled over the last decade and the number of users who’ve listened to a podcast has nearly tripled. Today’s podcast listeners skew slightly male, over-index in the 18-34 age group, are highly educated and have a higher-than-average income.

Media have been early adopters of podcasting; Outside Magazine, the LA Times and Harvard Business Review, to name a few. Podcast stars have carved their niche and drawn cult followings, leading them to go “on tour” for live recordings in front of thousands of enthralled viewers.

But, what is more interesting is how big brands like General Electric and Shopify are captivating audiences by offering intriguing, value-added content to their audiences.

So, what’s all the fuss about? Here’s why audio is an effective content marketing touch point for your business:

Cost Effective Production – When you weigh the costs of video production, podcasts are a cost effective way to produce and self-publish content. All you need is a quality microphone or recording equipment, basic editing software, simple artwork and time. Publishing to iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and other podcast listening platforms is simple and free (or at least very reasonable).

Longer Dwell Time– Podcasts are inherently long form, often ranging from 10 minutes to an hour in length; or even produced as an episodic series. The average podcast user listens while they’re commuting, walking or working, so you can bet that in their earnest attempts to kill time, they can easily crush an entire season of episodes in less than a week. More time with your brand creates a sense of connection and loyalty for customers.

Combat Algorithms – As we know, social media organic reach is shrinking and news feeds are cluttered. It’s difficult to get in front of your audience, let alone capture their attention for longer than a second. Podcasts are often discovered through earned means, such as word of mouth, reviews and media coverage. A great concept that resonates can generate free exposure and gain traction quickly.

A Robust Brand Experience – When you’re building for the 3-second audition on Facebook, your content must be short, snackable and snappy. While it can be a great chance to drive action or build awareness, it doesn’t leave much time for in-depth brand building. A podcast, provides a blank slate for businesses to build multi-dimensional brand experience that includes music, visual aesthetics, tone, and personality.

Partnership and Collaboration Opportunities – In the podcast world, collaborations and co-creation are common and encouraged. Publishing networks like NPR or Wondery often create teaser episodes that are distributed to other like-minded podcast shows; and hosts often give shout outs to up-and-comers or new season launches. Leveraging the power of like-minded podcasts is a great way to reach new audiences organically and authentically.

Intimacy – Audio storytelling cultivates a sense of intimacy. It’s just you and the listener – no newsfeed to contend with, minimal distractions, and a certain level of concentration that only listening to a story can provide. Intimacy creates an emotional connection and listeners are more likely to regard your brand with the comfort and familiarity of an old friend. After all, your podcast has become part of their daily or weekly ritual.

Advertising – If producing a podcast isn’t the right fit for your business, another consideration is to advertise on an already established one. In fact, 60% of podcast listeners buy products highlighted in the ads, according to Midroll – a media buying platform for podcast advertisers.

Regardless of where you sit on podcasting for business, here are some of our favourite podcasts to whet your appetite. Do you have any to add to our list? Comment below!

• • • How I Built This
    • Stuff You Should Know
    • Dirty John
    • S-Town
    • TED Radio Hour
    • 99% Invisible
    • HBR Ideacast
    • Adventures in Design
    • Marketing Over Coffee
    • Tropical MBA

Last week, Facebook announced  that in order to combat “fake news” and over-crowding of its Newsfeed, it will now prioritize content produced by people versus publishers, media and brands. While organic reach has been steadily declining for years, this officially marks the final nail in the coffin.

In his official statement Mark Zuckerberg indicated that users will now “see less public content like posts from businesses, brands, and media” and more from their close connections and groups. Additionally, he said, content emphasizing “meaningful interactions between people” will be elevated in the algorithms that power Newsfeed.

So, what brought us to this place? For starters, Facebook faced heavy scrutiny in the wake of the United States presidential election, after allegations that the platform was used as a pipeline for distributing fake news with the intent of manipulating voters.

Meanwhile, due to an influx of advertisers, Facebook is facing its biggest challenge yet: supply and demand. Its pipeline of available reach (organic or paid) is at capacity, which means the user experience has declined as Newsfeed becomes cluttered with ads. Facebook is no longer a social platform – it’s a media platform. But, if it can’t keep its users, there will be no advertisers.

Exact timelines for this roll-out are still unclear, but one thing is certain: it’s time to rethink your Facebook marketing approach.

Having weathered many of Facebook’s product and algorithm storms over the years, we have some insights to share on how we think the landscape will change in 2018:

1. Pay to Play, But Spend More

Remember, it is a publicly traded company with revenue targets and investors. Facebook needs advertising dollars to exist. Your advertising spend is more important now than ever, but at what cost?

Organically posting photos and videos to generate organic engagement for your business page is no longer going to be enough. The cold, hard truth is that you have to pay to play in the Facebook landscape, and it’s essential to carve out a budget in order to reach anyone at all. Otherwise, there is no point in generating content.

In this new era, Facebook is no longer the “cheap and effective” media platform it once was. It’s still effective (incredibly so), but at a higher cost than ever before. According to a report by Adstage.io, CPM (cost per 1000 impressions) jumped by 172% in 2017, while overall impressions and reach have not increased. This demonstrates a major inventory problem and Facebook’s desperate efforts to moderate Newsfeed for its users.

Is Facebook still worth the media investment? For the time being, yes. Its powerful targeting and reporting systems are second-to-none. But, don’t be surprised if you have to pay more to achieve the same results in 2018.

2. Declining Website Referral Traffic

For a time, Facebook was on track to outperform Google in terms of web referral traffic for some industries. Media outlets in particular, were experiencing a renaissance. Now, Facebook referrals are called into question as the team has blatantly said brands and publishers will experience declining website traffic from the platform.

Does this mean that you should stop posting blogs and links on Facebook? Not completely. A reduction of link posts is definitely in order, but if your business produces thoughtful, educational, provocative content, people will still read it – and, importantly, share with their friends. All this to say that good content will be elevated by the people.

The key here is to monitor your Facebook Insights closely and evolve your content based on performance. Do more of what’s working and remove the things that aren’t delivering outcomes.

3. Less Cadence, More Quality

There was a time when posting seven days per week was essential to keeping the lights on.  However, more is not necessarily better. With the exception of targeted content (for time zones or specific demographics), businesses should aim to produce fewer, but better content – and always amplify with ad spend.

On top of that, Facebook is now focused on quantifying and prioritizing engagement versus simply counting all engagements as equal. A comment trumps a reaction. A longer-comment trumps a shorter comment. The deeper we can engage our audience, the more relevant we will be in this new world.

The Facebook algorithms will elevate content that fuels conversation between people. It’s more important than ever to truly understand your audience and what matters to them, so you may generate the most engaging content possible. Leveraging your insights to get a deeper understanding of keywords, pain points, FAQ, and human truths will ensure you’re on track to keep your tribe talking.

4. More Strategic Use of Video

For several years, we’ve been harping on video as the next frontier in social media marketing. But, does Facebook think we’ve gone to far with it? As video has exploded, quality and quantity of interactions on the platform have declined, due to the passive nature of the medium.

Facebook VP, Adam Mosseri, recently told Wired that not all video is created equal with the algorithm shift. Videos that don’t spark interaction with the audience in some shape or form may be deprioritized.

Facebook LIVE, while not a blanket solution, will be an important tactic in the content mix. Not only do fans receive a notification with a brand page is live streaming, but engagement mechanisms and prompts are naturally built into the user experience.

5. Influencers With Engagement Focus Will Reign

Brands are already scrambling to reach new audiences by any earned or paid means necessary, and the new algorithm shifts bode well for influencers. Even now, the “influencer outreach” checkmark is a staple on most marketing plans.

While we don’t know exactly how the Facebook changes will impact influencer brand pages yet, the speculation is that they will have even more skin in the social media game. This could spark exponential growth in what is already a multi-billion dollar industry.

Identifying and partnering with micro and macro influencers who resonate with your target audience is a winning strategy for the simple fact that personal and curated stories are more relevant and engaging to customers.

Influencers who value audience engagement above reach are most likely to benefit from the halo effect, while those with mass following and little community might suffer. The challenge for this group will be to maintain credibility and sustain engagement in a world where almost everything they publish is sponsored by brands.

Revamping your Facebook marketing strategy? Connect with us! 

Exponential technology is creating the most rapid social and cultural transformation in modern history. But, as technology becomes more complex, could we be on the cusp of a paradigm shift that is leading us back to a simpler life? And, does “going analog” mean what we think it does?

Are we going back to 8-tracks and floppy disks? No.

There is a new school of thought gaining momentum. Driven by maxed-out tech workers and a new generation of curious digital natives, this movement hinges on the notion that we can still leverage technology to simplify our lives; but must be conscious of how, when and why we consume it, soas not to let it consume us.

Mobile devices have become ubiquitous tools: our maps, music players, writing utensils, books and connection to the outside world. On one hand, access to high-speed internet and powerful smartphone computers levels the playing field – effectively leaving us all with the world in the palm of our hands.

On the other hand, as humanity’s shift to digital accelerates, we’ve become more disconnected from the real world and the tangible tools that helped us experience life through all five senses. Technology, we’re learning, cannot replace everything.

Now more than ever, we’re feeling nostalgic for simpler times when we weren’t connected 24/7.

But, this longing is often mixed with a sense of disbelief for how we might “get by” without the very technology that we take for granted today. How do we learn, document our lives, purchase items with ease, and stay connected with others without the technology we have at our fingertips?

And so here we stand, conflicted. Craving simplicity, but desperate to hold on to our sense of connection and convenience.

So where do we go from here?

The Rise of JOMO

We’re learning the tough lessons about how living an over-extended life can lead to mental health issues, chronic illnesses and an overall sense of unrest.

This new reality is giving way to counter-culture buzzwords like JOMO – Joy of Missing Out. Simply put, this is a rebuttal to the FOMOs and YOLOs of the last decade, which encouraged us to go all in, all the time.

Could 2018 be the year we learn how to live in the present, prioritize what really matters and say “no” just a little bit more?

Taking A Digital Detox

The idea of taking a digital detox isn’t necessarily a new one, but it’s becoming more popular of late. Research shows   that disconnecting from technology for even short bursts of time, leads to improvements in mental and physical health. Everything from more regular breathing patterns, improved posture, deeper sleeps, more focus and positive human interactions can be attributed to disconnecting from the multitude of screens we use everyday.

From remote unplugged adult retreats where phones are confiscated and wifi is but a fantasy to self-induced technology blackouts (think Analog October), the idea is to disconnect from technology in order to reconnect with oneself.

Even some of the most influential thought leaders in the tech space admit to a mostly analog life these days. It’s no surprise that the tech community has among been first to jump on this trend. Anyone who earns their livelihood building the platforms that power our lives is bound to burn out from time to time.

But tech experts aside, you don’t have to go far to find at least one or two friends who have given up social media altogether, or reduced their use of it drastically.

Getting (Anti)Social Media With 1:1 Connections

Social media, it seems, is becoming a bit more anti-social.

The big four: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn have gained their billions through one-to-many communication channels over the last decade. While these vast social platforms enable users to connect with friends, celebrities and brands, the landscape has become saturated with content.

The aggressive push for ad revenue by these for-profit social media goliaths, means that our newsfeeds are literally overflowing with content. Couple this with the theory that humans can only handle an average of 150 friends (made popular by anthropologist and evolutionary biologist, Robin Dunbar), and we have a perfect storm of discontent on our hands.

Enter private, personalized 1:1 connections online. Whether it’s Facebook’s Oculus Virtual Reality Meeting Rooms, Snapchat’s ephemeral social media updates, or intimate group messages powered by Facebook Messenger and What’s App, there is a whole world of “dark social” (or private social media) emerging.

Generation Z – the second wave of digital natives behind Millennials, are giving social media giants like Facebook a miss; instead, seeking out intimate online communities where they can connect without the prying eyes of their parents.

Appetite For Analog – With a Technology Twist

As digital has risen, we’ve lost the sensations of everyday life. Who misses the musty scent of old paperback novel from the library, or the rich sound of a vinyl record?

While they are digital to the core, Gen Z is fascinated by and has a curiosity for all things analog and tactile because it’s something they’ve never experienced. Meanwhile, older generations are resurrecting the things they miss most.

Over the last few years, we’ve seen a resurgence of analog: film photography, vinyl records, old Nintendo gaming systems, board games, instant film, and much more. Even the Nokia classic is making a comeback. Each with the basic user interface, design aesthetic and functionalities of its predecessors, backed by modern-day tech.

But, while analog is en vogue again, not all things from the past are making a comeback.

We’re culling aspects of the analog world that did not serve us previously. We’re simplifying our lives by removing the tethers that inconvenienced us and tied us down previously.

For example, we’re cutting cords like it’s nobody’s business. We’re cancelling our cable in favour of on-demand streaming services like Netflix. We’re also adopting bluetooth-powered consumer electronics that enable us to move freely while gaming, listening to music or working.

So, what does this selectively analog future mean to us as marketers, designers and creators?

1.Get Personal – We need to revisit those outdated digital marketing plans focused on spray and pray advertising. Mass digital media is dying, replaced by targeted, personalized, 1:1 communication. We’re going to have to get a whole lot more granular, contextual and relevant if we’re to start talking to each customer intimately as they expect.

2.Lead with experiences – Real life is the new disruptor. We need to create meaningful experiences that bridge the online and real world seamlessly. Aim to build tactile, tangible brand moments, where customers can revel in the human experience and feel connection, versus hide behind a device. 

3.Simplify – We must simplify the lives of our customers, not complicate them with complex user experiences, esoteric design concepts, larger than life marketing campaigns and pointless tech integrations. Make their lives easier online and off, and they will love you forever.

4.Cut the FOMO – We all feel enough guilt as it is. Don’t increase the guilt factor by making your customers feel like they’re letting you down somehow – or missing out on something. Instead, be there for them when they need you most and let them enjoy a little JOMO every once in a while. In fact, be brave and encourage it. What better way to demonstrate your humanity as a company than to demonstrate empathy?

Have you opted to go analog in any aspects of your life? Tell us in the comments below! 

2017 was coined “the year of video marketing” by numerous marketing sources the world over. In fact, 74% of all Internet traffic will be from video this year, according to Hubspot. After all, video is an effective way to drive reach and create awareness about your brand or message.

It’s not that video marketing is new to the social media landscape. The momentum has been building for a number years. But what’s changed is the proliferation of tools that empower content creators to make amazing video content – and share it. The ubiquitous nature of smartphones, GoPro, GoPro knock offs, drones and editing software and apps makes it easy and painless to create excellent video content, no matter what your budget.

In tandem, consumers are more open than ever to watching video to learn about products, understand complex ideas, gain inspiration or interact with brands. Why? Because it’s a lot more compelling than reading something. Video = emotion and comprehension.

It’s easy to invest in video for the sake of creating it, but what makes great video?

Here are the top 5 tips for how to build effective social video:

1.Build For Sound Off

This is the #1 most important rule of thumb when it comes to video marketing content.  It’s surprising how many brands build video without the end user’s behaviour in mind. Most social media audiences are watching content when they shouldn’t be: in public, in meetings, during office hours, or in class. So, creating a compelling and visually dynamic video that doesn’t require sound is key. Videos that rely on narration and voice overs lose audiences quickly because the fact of the matter is that very few people want to turn their sound on to understand the gist of the content. Ways in which to reduce this no-sound barrier include: using auto-caption or baking captions into the video; exaggerating the actions humans are taking in the video to make it clear as to what is happening; and eliminating too many “talking heads” in your edit.

2.Make It Short And Snackable

As content creators, we get so passionate about making beautiful “films” that we forget about the end user. But, there’s one problem – this is social media, not a theatre and we have milliseconds to capture the attention of our viewers. They haven’t bought a movie ticket and aren’t automatically interested in what we have to say. The cold, hard truth is that most content viewers will drop off within the first 20 seconds of a social media video – and that’s generous. It’s more like 10 seconds or less. So it’s worth asking whether investing in a long-form video is even worth it from an return on investment perspective. Bite-sized, snackable content is key to video storytelling in today’s world. Keep the storytelling under 30 seconds – and even better, try creating a series of 10 second videos versus full-length, two-plus minute videos. If you must develop a longer video, be sure to create teaser edits with the key points and add to your distribution plan to support the longer video.

3.Create For The 3-second audition

As mentioned above, audiences are fickle and unlikely to stick around until the bitter end. Unlike the typical story arc of a film with an intro, build up and pay off, we need to invert our storytelling pyramid to put the most important and compelling components of the story up front. Whether that’s a key message, brand identifier or the punchline, it’s important to build for the three-second audition. Your audience won’t stick around much longer than that and you don’t want them to leave you without getting the take away you’re striving for.

4.Make It Thumb-stopping

Thumbnail images, post copy and headlines matter. Some might call it “click bait”, but there are many tactics that can be implemented to compel people to click. Whether its Facebook, YouTube, Twitter or Instagram, thumbnail images can be customized. Test different subject matter to see if there are any clear performers. For example, try images of people vs nature or close-up vs. far away images. Create intriguing post copy by adding in a question or cliffhanger to compel people to watch the video to learn more. Try headlines that will grab the reader.

5.Design For Mobile

Those small screens on smartphones and tablets – that is what we should be building for. After all, the majority of Internet users are using mobile devices to consume content. That means those long shots capturing subjects from far away just won’t do. The same goes for tiny captions that are difficult to read on mobile. On a small screen, video is most compelling with bright, big subjects that are clear, crisp and visible without squinting.

Want to learn more about producing video for your social media strategy? Get in touch with us! 

Influencer marketing is a mainstay in brand campaigns these days. Savvy social media stars are cashing in big with one-off promotion of products and services on their channels – often times taking it on as a full-time job. But, are brands taking the easy route of paid influence and ignoring advocacy?

For the most part, influencer marketing is a highly effective tool: lower cost per engagement and all the reach you can buy. After all, the notion of paid product endorsements isn’t a new one and there’s a reason why celebrities make a killing on hawking everything from Parisian perfume to canned coffee in Japan. The only challenge is that influence is a short game, while in actuality, the world of true advocacy is a much longer, more arduous journey. And that is scary, time consuming and costly. But, it’s necessary.

Businesses can win over lifelong loyalty one customer at a time; one social engagement at a time; one recommendation at a time.  Whether it’s rallying your internal team members or connecting with your most active customers, here are three ways you can amp up your advocacy game:

Start With Your Team Members

By far, your team members are the most knowledgeable and passionate about your company. There’s a reason why they are working for you – and it’s time to harness that momentum and share it with the world.

Create an environment where team members are invited to share your social media posts, blogs and marketing campaigns. Make it easy by providing them with a mechanism for easy sharing. A simple all-team email, internal communication tools like Slack and Salesforce Chatter, or a more robust solution like Hootsuite Amplify, are great ways to notify team members that there’s new content to share with the world. Integrate prizing and incentives to make it fun and ensure the engagement is sustained.

Amp Up Community Management

If there’s one low hanging fruit that will give you a leg up on your competition, it’s social media response. Every reply to a Facebook comment or a Tweet (good or bad) goes a long way to showcasing your customer service and sales excellence. If you have to invest in one area of your business, it’s customer service – and social media community management is really on the front lines of this. If you can maintain a balanced relationship with your online audience during the good times, it will do wonders to help you rebound quickly from a crisis if something goes awry. A word to the wise: make sure brand guidelines and issues management plans are in place to ensure your community manager has everything thing they need.

Create Opportunities for Reviews and Testimonials

By now we all know that customers trust their peers more than companies. So, if you know your customers have had a good experience with your product or service, why not invite them to share their story with others? Sometimes all it takes is a gentle nudge to remind customers. Ensure that there is a prompt to provide a review in all point of sale or post-sale follow ups, such as on receipts, clothing hangtags, cash desk cards, and confirmation emails.  

Most importantly, find ways to highlight these reviews in the mediums customers use for researching your business. Some ideas to showcase testimonials include: adding a slider on your website, creating a case study, integrating a call-out box on your email newsletter or creating snackable social media content featuring the quotes.

Want to learn more about how to build an advocacy program? Get in touch for details!

You might have the sexiest content ever created by humankind, but without a distribution plan, it’s going to slip into the black hole of the Internet, never to be seen or heard from again. Set your content marketing up for success by taking a step back, and think through the execution.

For starters, a social media distribution plan is comprised of these areas. Each has a ripple effect on the other:  

• Objectives
• Targeting
• Timing
• Channel selection
• Amplification budget
• Quality of creative
• Real-time analysis  and optimization
• Community engagement

Putting a plan on a page will ensure you’ve thought through these crucial elements.

Most of these areas are fairly self-explanatory, but let’s take a minute to talk about budgets. You might be wondering if budget is even necessary. The answer is a resounding “yes”.  For most businesses, organic reach is so low on social media that it’s almost not worth investing in developing content unless you’re going to invest in amplifying it.

How much you invest is really up to your annual media budgets, the importance of the campaign in your overall messaging strategy, and also how much you invested in building your creative.

Ultimately, digital marketing channels will spend as much or as little as you want to throw at them. You will, however, need to adjust your measurement scorecard so that it’s realistic based on the budget.

Next, ask yourself the following questions:

What Do You Want the Audience to Think, Feel and Do?

Never lose sight of your audience. We want to do everything in our power to ensure they taking the action we want. Every aspect of the creative, from post copy to photography and video thumbnails matters. The more clarity we have with our vision, the easier it is to pull the right levers to help the audience feel all the feels.

What Is The Content Objective?

It seems simple, but you’d be surprised how few people stop and have a think about this. Are we driving website traffic, social media conversation, advocacy or reach? The answers matter, as they will help shape, not only how you package the content, but how you optimize the media. Know what your objectives are before you launch and it will save you countless hours of rework.

Is My Creative Optimized For Objectives and Audience?

Creative matters, but how you package it up matters more. There are so many special features and ad units available – particularly on social media channels like Facebook. Post formats are designed to encourage different actions, so do your research and make sure you choose a format that will drive the action you’re looking for.

All too often, we get so wrapped up in the blood, sweat and tears of our projects that we sometimes lose objectivity. And, most importantly we lose sight of the end-user. Take a step back and create one more checkpoint – a simple question that may give you fresh perspective. You may not like the answer, but at least it will prompt you to look into what features about the campaign or creative are posing a barrier.

Nothing is finite in digital marketing and so the ability to be nimble and adaptive is key. Take time upfront to think through your distribution plan, but be prepared to tweak it as you go. The best time to build a distribution plan was yesterday. But, the next best time is today.

Want to learn more about content marketing? Read our recent blog post about building a content strategy.