Now is the time to live and go Live, Pinterest expands discovery tools, and brands make backgrounds for your Zoom meetings.
Your weekly digital marketing matchbox to kindle creative content.
March 27, 2020
Living Live
Once watching hours upon hours of Netflix, Hulu, and HBO has lost its appeal, have no fear — Instagram Live is here to provide an endless stream of entertaining, educational, and even exercise-focused content. In a time when we’re all physically disconnected, livestreaming on social media is filling a connectivity void by bringing together celebrities, brands, and regular ol’ users in a surprisingly intimate way. From Q&As, to product demos, to wellness chats, and Live happy hours, there’s never been a better time for brands to experiment with Instagram Live and grab some screen time with your audience. Of course, everyone might be watching Tiger King for the next few days, but once they’re done you can be sure they’ll be back on the ‘Gram for more Live content.
Lemme Pin That
Pinterest is poppin’ as everyone from marketers to meal preppers pin for inspiration (and ways to pass the time) amid COVID-19 lockdowns. And in response, the company has launched its Today section, which is a daily dose of curated topics and trending Pins for users to stay connected with the rest of the world. For now, Pinterest is doing its part to keep people informed by using the feature to highlight expert information around COVID-19 from sources like the WHO and CDC. But in the future, this discovery tool could provide marketers a wealth of ideas for content based on what’s trending in real time with the app’s 322 million-plus active pinners. As users continue to look to Pinterest while adjusting to a new normal, marketers can pin this to their board of potential ways to engage with an active part of their audience.
Like, Comment, Co-Watch
Sick of Zoom? Don’t feel like grabbing your computer? Why not video chat on Instagram instead. The app’s new Co-Watching option allows users to video chat with up to six friends while sharing their saved, liked, and suggested photos and videos. This means if your brand’s content is interesting (or clever or funny) enough for someone to want to share with their friends, you could get an additional six pairs of eyes on it. This new feature may also provide a way for marketers to boost engagement within small groups, perhaps by sharing a collection of a brand’s posts relating to company news, a new campaign, or a product launch, and then discussing with the top fans. In light of all that’s going on these days, Instagram’s new ways to stay in touch with friends and share content will no doubt prove handy for brands (and our sanity).
WHAT LIT US UP THIS WEEK
Behr It All
Whether you’re avoiding that pile of dirty laundry in the background or an over-enthusiastic kid barging in, video conferencing at home can be tricky. For all of us at home, Behr Paint has launched a library of downloadable room designs. Want to transform your outdated decor-filled wall into a modern kitchen? Not a problem. Simply upload your picture of choice into Zoom’s virtual background tab and watch your location transform. Who knows — maybe you’ll fall in love with a virtual paint color and end up with your next DIY home improvement project.
Behr isn’t the only brand hopping on the virtual background train. Home decor retailer West Elm has rolled out a range of stylish room images, which you can snag directly from its Instagram account. (Even restaurant review site The Infatuation has developed food-themed backgrounds if you’re feelin’ hungry.) It goes to show that during this climate of uncertainty, creating simple, creative, and helpful content is not out of the picture. Because while little things like tidying up the living room or finding a professional looking space for a video call may be trivial in the grand scheme of things, they can be big stressors for people in these challenging times. When brands step in and help people worry about one less thing, it demonstrates that no act of kindness is too small.
