Nothing Clicked, Something Gained?What’s good content without links? It may be the way of the future for social media. Increasingly, social platforms favor native content, meaning posts that keep people on the platform rather than directing them away with links. In fact, a recent analysis found that on eight of the 11 major platforms (including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and TikTok), the algorithm prioritizes linkless content. Signs indicate it may be time to drop the links from your content … at least for some posts.
How can you be sure your content is making an impact without counting clicks? Look at other metrics like comments, reactions, and impressions. Using those indicators, HootSuite found that the social media management platform’s best-performing posts on LinkedIn over the past year were all linkless. Zero-click posts can also contribute to harder to quantify signifiers of success, such as increased brand awareness and greater trust from your target audience.
Keep in mind that some content types are better suited than others to go linkless. For instance, long-form thought leadership social posts are a natural fit because the goal is to share a unique perspective and expertise, not necessarily drive traffic to your company’s site. On the other hand, a post promoting a new product launch may benefit from a link to drive sales. Use context and intention to guide how you begin experimenting with zero-click content.
TL;DR: Algorithms increasingly favor native (link-free) content. Consider how, where, and when you can begin testing zero-click posts to leverage this growing trend.
Don't Be (Pod) Cast AsideSpotify and Apple Podcasts may soon have some serious competition. Amid the continued rise of social audio, two new podcast publishing options are on the scene. Last week, Twitter announced the integration of podcasts into its redesigned Spaces tab. YouTube, which has long been used informally to catch up on missed podcast episodes, is also rolling out a dedicated podcast page.
Why use these new publishing options?
While adding another publishing platform where you have to build a following, track, and monitor may seem tedious — integrating a podcast into platforms you’re already acquainted with may be worth the effort (even if it’s to push a little extra thought leadership into the world).
Ultimately, YouTube and Twitter’s foray into the podcasting space allows you to leverage the following you already have, and increase your reach significantly compared to if you had simply uploaded an episode to Apple, Spotify, or even your brand’s website. So, if you’re considering diving (or even dipping your toe) into the world of social audio, think of how you can reach and grow your audience on platforms you already know and love.
TL;DR: With social audio on the rise, Twitter and YouTube are adding podcast destination pages/tabs to get in on the action. Now is the time to seize podcast potential.
What Lit Us Up
I’ll Take Female Empowerment: NeatYou probably don’t associate whisky with female empowerment, but Johnnie Walker’s “First Strides” campaign aims to cement the two together.
Linked to Women’s Equality Day on Aug. 26, the Scotch whisky brand partnered with popular YouTuber, comedian, and proud feminist Lilly Singh. The partnership aimed to promote the brand’s plan to help close the gender gap throughout society, beginning with public office, entrepreneurship, and athletics. Singh wrote the original content for the campaign’s video in which she appears with a posse of women behind her, each of them clutching glasses of Johnnie Walker (neat) as she shares some powerful stats on gender inequality. (Like only 31% of women hold elected positions in the U.S., despite making up 51% of the population.)
An evolution of the brand’s “First Women” campaign, “First Strides” builds on the mission to see more firsts achieved in the world. The campaign is grounded in donations to nonprofits iFundWomen and SheShouldRun, which support startups for women entrepreneurs and women running for elected office, respectively. Singh also promoted the video on her social channels, using the hashtag #FirstStrides.
Whisky and women’s equality may not seem like a natural pairing, but Johnnie Walker pulled it off with two key elements:
As we’ve seen time and again, brands have a lot to gain by picking a strong social cause to endorse. Sometimes it’s a perfect pairing, but Johnnie Walker proves it can be done even if the brand and the issue don’t go together like peanut butter and jelly. It just takes a strong spokesperson, a dose of humor, and demonstrated commitment with actions — not just words.
TL;DR: Aligning with a social cause and creating relevance for your brand is difficult in the noisy media landscape, but Johnnie Walker has found a way to do it by bringing a pop culture icon with feminist street cred into the mix.
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