LinkedIn loves employee advocates, Instagram invites users to events, and Facebook Watch might become your favorite streaming service.
October 18, 2019
Are We Totally Influencers Now?
On the hunt for your brand’s perfect influencer? Take a look in the mirror. The best brand advocates are often those who know the company inside and out: employees. And LinkedIn's made it easier for businesses to embolden internal influencers through a new tool. Now, page admins can set alerts to notify employees when important updates or new content is posted to the company page. This encourages teams to interact with and share company posts to their own networks, expanding brands’ reach (by an average of 10 times) and showcasing the people side of businesses. Plus, employee shares receive twice as many click-throughs as corporate shares. While all marketers daydream about hitting the influencer jackpot, the advocacy of a few passionate employees may prove to be the real prize.
You’re Cordially Invited … via Instagram Stickers
It’s almost holiday season (or as we like to think of it, #HolidayPartySZN). In preparation for this eventful time of year, Instagram is testing a new event invitation sticker for Stories. The “Invites” sticker would enable brands to add event details, like time and place, and allow viewers to RSVP directly from the Story. The sticker hasn’t been officially released, but marketers should start considering how it can work into their IG strategy — from promoting events IRL, to notifying followers of upcoming Instagram Live streams, Q&As, product launches, webinars, website redesigns … you get the picture. What marketers should definitely not use the sticker for? Your office holiday party — because with that kind of open invite, things could get extra weird.
🎵 Nothing Lasts Forever 🎶
… Then what makes it, then what makes it, then what makes tweets the exception?
Tweets do last forever — and 140 (or 280) characters have come back to haunt a number of public figures. When so many social media users are used to photos and messages disappearing after 24 hours, Twitter’s post permanence stands out. In a recent podcast interview, Twitter’s head of product, Kavon Beykpor, revealed the platform is exploring forms of ephemerality for tweets. Plans are also in motion to give users more targeting capabilities (i.e. users could manage who can see and respond to individual tweets). Theoretically, this feature could allow for more focused and fruitful discussions (dare to dream). The interview didn’t mention specifics or a timeline for these potential functionalities, but it’s worth noting that Twitter is looking in that direction, as it could change the way both users and brands view and use the platform.
SPARK OF THE WEEK
When Podcast Meets TV Meets Facebook
The line between social media, digital content, and television gets blurrier every day. Think: scripted shows on Snapchat, series produced by Apple, and Facebook’s streaming service, which just introduced its latest show, Limetown. The podcast-turned-TV series debuted this week on Facebook Watch. After weeks of promoting the show across multiple social media platforms, from IGTV videos to a dedicated fan Facebook group, the mystery thriller has already made a splash online, even with only a couple episodes released so far. If you’ve never considered FB Watch as a legitimate source of entertainment, this show might just change your mind.
Limetown isn't the first podcast series to be adapted into a TV show, but its home on Facebook may give it an edge. By streaming directly from the social network, it's free to watch for all FB users, and its placement on the platform inherently builds a community around the series and facilitates fan engagement. Viewers can easily comment on, share, and discuss episodes without having to leave the platform — and with a premade fan base from the podcast, you can bet people will have plenty of opinions on the adaptation. We’ll stay tuned to see if the series is successful, but marketers can already begin taking notes from the show: If you have a good story (or piece of content), don’t be afraid to repurpose it through new mediums. And while people have their (justified) qualms with Facebook, its community-building characteristics and discussion-forming functionalities are second to none on social.
