LinkedIn shines a light on its top 10, TikTok's got big plans in the works, and The New York Times can inspire us all.
August 30, 2019
Don't Thread on Me
If there’s one common thread tying together all the latest major social media updates, it’s privacy. And Instagram’s latest spinoff app, Threads, weaves into that fabric flawlessly. Currently in the works, the standalone app combines many of the direct messaging and photo-sharing features of Instagram, as well as spinoffs of Snapchat’s most beloved features (like the location-sharing Snap Map). The app’s meant for more intimate sharing, primarily with users’ close friends list on Insta. But big picture? It’s another attempt by Instagram to lure users away from Snapchat. There’s no official release date yet, but marketers should keep an eye out as it could have implications on Instagram engagement. While Threads would work in conjunction with IG, it may mean users will spend less time on the parent app — adding another stitch into the great privacy blanket that may soon cover all social media.
LinkedIn's Most Popular
LinkedIn revealed its top 10 pages — but not in the MySpace Top 8 kind of way. In a blog post, LinkedIn listed its 10 most followed company pages (from #1 TED Conferences to #10 Facebook) and provided some insight as to why they’re so successful. Among the reasons: emphasizing video content, highlighting employee talent, and sharing socially responsible initiatives. Overall, LinkedIn’s message to marketers trying to grow their company’s presence is to remember that, while it’s a business-oriented network, the human element must always come first. Because (until robots take over all our jobs) people like to see that even the biggest businesses are still made up of people like them.
TikTok Takeover
Big things are happening on the bite-size video app TikTok. Starting in China and Japan, the app is unveiling a native audience network that will allow marketers to target TikTok users across a slew of third-party apps. As the app continues to expand its ad offerings and provide more opportunities to reach wider audiences, it’s fast becoming a marketing power play — especially for brands looking to connect with younger generations. (In the U.S., more than half the users are between 16 and 24!) TikTok got its start in Asia, so this is likely a sign of things to come in America. And when it does, the native audience network could help brands who don’t feel at home on TikTok reach those younger folks on other platforms — because let’s face it, TikTok can be a little … overwhelming.
SPARK OF THE WEEK
A Musical Muse and Visual Vision
Have you ever come across an article or graphic or song that you just can’t get enough of? We did, and we had to share it. The New York Times published this crazy cool piece last week that combines all the elements of amazing content, like music, charts, and images, for a totally fresh take on an already heavily covered topic: the 2020 presidential election. The multimedia article dissects and compares all of the Democratic candidates’ campaign playlists, as well as Donald Trump’s, to provide an informative and interesting look at a not-so-often noticed side of politicians.
The NYT’s shares on Twitter and Instagram, teasing a few of the findings from the piece, were just enough to catch our eye — and the rest is history. NYT often creates truly innovative multimedia content, and this is no exception. The automatic song changes as you scroll down the page, smart mix of videos and still images, and subtle use of color to display certain information is so well done — a reader could learn something new in less than 30 seconds or spend 30 minutes on the page and not get bored. (Ok, we’ll stop gushing now.) But no matter your political affiliation (or music tastes) this content is a source of creativity we think marketers, UX designers, and content creators alike can draw from.
