Consumers want a "glocal" community, IG mimics TikTok (again), influencers bounce back, and more.
Your weekly digital marketing matchbox to kindle creative content.
August 27, 2020
Face(book) the Facts
Marketing during a pandemic can feel like being stuck in a labyrinth — there’s no shortage of directions, but many can end wrong. To help guide the way, Facebook gathered responses from more than 34k consumers and uncovered some digital media trends that all marketers should keep in mind when building their future strategies.
Two of the biggest trends center around the importance of connectivity: While consumers increasingly seek to support local businesses, there’s also been a rise in the global citizenship mentality. And forming connections with brands is paramount for audiences right now — and live streaming from Facebook Pages is a simple method organizations can use to drive those relationships. (Live broadcasts have doubled in the past year!)
When it feels like your marketing goals are up against Jareth, the Goblin King, it’s important to ground yourself in the data. Consumers love to tell you what they want — and right now, the way out of this marketing maze is by making your brand open and easily accessible for audiences near and far.
TL;DR: Global communities and connected convenience are current consumer trends marketers should implement into digital media strategies.
All Caught Up?
Say goodbye to catching up on the latest ‘Grams. A new Insta feature replaces the familiar “You’re All Caught Up” section of previously viewed posts with never-before-seen “Suggested Posts” based on accounts you follow or accounts similar. It’s a never-ending content cycle … and it’s Instagram’s latest attempt to mimic the social media anomaly: TikTok.
The new section below the standard feed pushes the door wide-open for advertisers. This update creates more promotional legroom for marketers already using the app. It could possibly extend the impressions of your next paid ad. Plus, Instagrammers are expected to spend more time on the app, so your brand’s chances to be found organically increase, too. This newfound ad space, coupled with the app’s now endless scroll-ability, seems like a win-win for Insta-marketers. Here’s to the potential for increased impressions, reach, and, hopefully, engagement with your brand.
TL;DR: Instagram increases ad-space and its users’ screen time with the new ‘Suggested Posts’ section right below the regularly-consumed content.
Influencers Took an L, but Now They Bounce Back
Back in the early days of sourdough obsessions and Zoom happy hours, it looked like the pandemic might be influencer marketing’s demise as we know it. But recently, this tactic is bouncing back as brands once again see where it fits among digital strategies, increasingly relying on independent influencers for content creation and promotion.
As brands big and small up their influencer outreach, many seek out creators or thought leaders with niche audiences, focusing heavily on quality, not the quantity of followers — and it’s paying off. Branded content from influencers was up 21% in July from March across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and user engagement with those posts more than doubled in the same time frame.
The exuberant lifestyles of influencers in specific categories may not sit well with audiences — but brands that can pinpoint trusted voices in their industry, no matter how niche, don’t need to slash this strategy from their playbooks just yet.
TL;DR: The fate of influencer marketing was unclear in the early days of coronavirus, but as brands seek out more niche creators, engagement is rising.
WHAT LIT US UP THIS WEEK
A Woman's Place?
It's in the kitchen — if that’s where she wants to be. What if we told you 50% of all culinary grads are female, yet they make up just 7% of executive chefs? It doesn’t add up, which is why KitchenAid sponsored a documentary featuring three up-and-coming female chefs fighting to create waves of change within the male-dominated restaurant industry.
Along with the James Beard Foundation and Oscar-winning filmmaker, Rayka Zehtabchi, KitchenAid aims to highlight female chef’s hardships and successes and evoke female-celebratory vibes around Women’s Equality Day and the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment.
The recipe for success? Cause-driven marketing and minimal branding. Right now, both of which are top-of-mind for consumers and marketers alike. This campaign only mentions KitchenAid in the credits and outro. The absence of sly product placements and branded content clears the way for the real message to break through to viewers. And sure, taking your brand out of the spotlight seems (kitchen) counterintuitive by all standard definitions of advertising — but that’s what consumers expectmore of from companies. So, it looks like KitchenAid is cookin’ up precisely what the people ordered.
TL;DR: KitchenAid partnered with the James Beard Foundation for a campaign focused on women cooking it up in the kitchen — we’re talking female empowerment and disruption of the male-dominated restaurant industry.
