Facebook introduces another new app, LinkedIn enhances retargeting capabilities, and brands must back their words with real efforts.
Your weekly digital marketing matchbox to kindle creative content.
June 4, 2020
Facebook’s Newest Venue
The devil works hard, but Facebook works harder. The company released three apps this week — and one, in particular, piqued our interest: Venue. The idea behind the tool is to provide alerts around specific moments during a live event (say, a soccer game) so viewers can see when a trending discussion is happening on FB and join in on the conversation. While Twitter currently owns the live commentary space, it doesn’t provide a seamless solution to connect events and the discourse surrounding them. Venue could help marketers tap into event engagement by balancing live viewing with social media engagement all in one platform. We can see it being a great way to increase engagement for all sorts of live streaming content like webinars, product demos, and events. Venue just might become our next favorite hot spot.
Right on Target
We know effective marketing is all about getting the right message to the right person at the right time. And LinkedIn’s soon-to-come ad retargeting options will make that even more straightforward for social media managers. Brands will be able to retarget advertisements based on how long a user viewed a video ad and if users submit (or just open) lead gen forms. The functionality will help marketers better pinpoint their messaging to audiences depending on exactly where they are in the buyer's journey. Over the past few months, LinkedIn has accelerated its digital offerings for brands to make the most of every online campaign. As marketers have seen the sales cycle shift due to the pandemic, each update from the platform makes it even more essential for B2B brands looking to generate leads and sales in a digital world.
Intro to CRM
Hubspot hosters and MailChimp maestros, beware — Facebook’s entering the email marketing game (well, kind of). Users recently began to see a new functionality on the platform’s Pages app that allows admins to send customized marketing emails via their organization’s Facebook Page. While it requires some manual inputting of contacts, this new functionality may also give Facebook ads a bit of a lift, as marketers can then use active email contacts to make Custom Audiences and curate campaign audiences. Overall, it’s a bit of a simplified CRM in comparison to more prominent names, but it’s perfect for small business owners or marketers who are newer to the world of email marketing.
WHAT LIT US UP THIS WEEK
Blackout Tuesday
Social media went black this Tuesday as brands, influencers, celebrities, and users shared blank black images across channels. The protest, known as Blackout Tuesday, was organized by two black female music executives, Jamila Thomas and Brianna Agyeman, to observe, mourn, and initiate policy change in the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week. Initially calling for all in the music industry to take Tuesday to reflect and disrupt “business as usual” using #TheShowMustBePaused, the push hoped to amplify the voices of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) who have been silenced across the country. Combined with the support of the Black Lives Matter movement, the campaign took social media by storm.
Blackout Tuesday (and the broader Black Lives Matter movement) has prompted many individuals and businesses to speak out, and we’ve seen some rise to the occasion. But others’ messaging has fallen flat. When brands take a stand on social issues, it requires more than just putting together the right words in a statement or social post. Organizations must back their words with actual efforts, like a donation, volunteering, or sharing helpful resources, and authenticity by demonstrating what they preach in their business practices. Without these critical factors, brands risk damaging their reputations and simultaneously also harming the more substantive movement by adding unfounded commentary. As we move forward during this time, brands may feel increasing pressure to make a statement in support of these causes — but to do so, they should be prepared to demonstrate their beliefs in concrete and tangible ways. Audiences want action, not just talk of support on social media.
