Social Media News - January 2023
We're back with the latest Social Media News in 2023!
There is quite a bit happening in Instagram at the moment. Here's a quick rundown.
- Notes - Now you can share your thoughts with friends with up to 60 character messages of just text and emojis!
- Add Yours - Easily jump on ‘Add Yours’ trends, by inviting friends to participate in 'Add Yours' by tapping pass it on when you see a prompt that reminds you of them.
- Candid Stories - It’s all about keeping it real on the ‘gram these days and the new candid story option is no exception. Capture what you’re doing right now in a story that’s only visible to other friends who also share their candid update.
- Group Profiles - The new update will allow you to create and join a new Group Profile where you can share posts and stories in a seperate dedicated profile that is only visible to the profile and members.
- Collaborative Collections - Connect with friends who have the same interests by saving posts to a collaborative collection in your group or DMs!
How will the latest social media news affect business?
All of these new updates reinforce Instagram’s focus on supporting connections and private interactions on the platform.
The Group Profile update and Collaborative Collections features are of particular note to businesses, who can begin to think of new ways to engage their audience.
Group Profiles could be a great way to promote community building and interaction for your brand, by using this new feature to encourage members to share additional content such as behind the scenes content or UGC (think things like recipes using your product or users #OOTD featuring your brand).
The Collaborative Collections feature further entices brands to ensure content that is being posted is of high value so it is more likely to be saved in a collaborative collection group / DM.
Do you want to discuss the latest social media news or your social media strategy with our expert team? Get in touch today.
Want to keep up with our latest business news on LinkedIn? Follow us here.
Is it time to BeReal?
By now, you've no doubt heard about BeReal. BeReal is a photo-sharing app that prompts users to post once per day, at the same time as all of their friends. There is no opportunity to add a filter, or edit the image, which is taken by both your front and back camera at the same time.
Launching in 2019, it was mid-2022 when the app really took off. As of October 2022, it was the top social networking app on the App Store and has been installed over 29.5 million times.
BeReal's key demographic in Australia:
- Female: 98.7%
- Male: 1.3%
- Age:
- 16-25: 90.7%
- 26-44: 2.1%
- 45+: 7.3%
Are brands on BeReal?
Well, some are. Brands like Chipolte have cleverly used the app to post a different promotional code each day, building hype and anticipation for the once-a-day post to go out. Moreso, we are seeing the dual-camera format being replicated on other apps, as a meme that is directly relevant to key target demographics in the 16-25 bracket.
Why is it so popular within this age bracket? "This is what Gen Z wants from social media: unfiltered, uncurated content that doesn’t ask you to buy anything or make you feel bad about your life. It’s a fun place to be. And at the end of the day, that’s all that matters." - Hootsuite
It's also important to keep in mind that both TikTok + Instagram are working on BeReal features within their own apps - which speaks to BeReal's true power in 2023.
Do you want to discuss BeReal and how it could be integrated into your social media strategy with our team? Get in touch today.
Want to catch up with us on social media? Visit us on Instagram.
A guide to nailing social media trends
Every social media strategy in 2023 needs a pillar dedicated to social media trends.
While every business’ approach will vary, an awareness of trends and ability to adapt quickly to platform changes is so important in todays’ landscape.
Some key tips to nailing social media trends within your content strategy are:
💙 Make sure you’re staying on top of what’s trending every week. (If you subscribe to our Social Media Trends Report, this will magically land in your inbox weekly - no scrolling required!
💙 Identify when trends are relevant to your business. Some trends will work for your brand and your objectives, and some wont! There’s no need to try to jump on every trend that emerges - be selective and utilise trends that work best with your authentic tone of voice
💙 Act on trends quickly. There’s no time for a 4 week approval process here - if you’re not acting on a trend within 48 hours, you’re too late
💙 Create and edit your content within platform where you can. Stats are suggesting that native content created within app outperforms content designed and edited elsewhere
💙 Remember that trending content doesn’t need to be perfect. While it can be challenging for brands to move away from slick, professionally designed content that has been through months of revisions and approvals, we know that the audience today is craving authenticity. Not every piece of content you share needs to be perfect - it just needs to create positive sentiment with your audience
If you are keen to update your 2023 social strategy to include authentic, fast moving, native or trending content, subscribe to our Weekly Social Media Trend Report.
When you sign up you’ll receive:
💙 A report of trending content, magically landing in your inbox each week
💙 Actionable content prompts to tap into trends
The cost? $10 per week. No scrolling required, no minimum sign up, cancel anytime.
Sounds pretty good right?
Click here to learn more and subscribe!
Social Media News, September 2022
Here is the latest Social Media News this month.
A Hootsuite and We Are Social study has found that in the last quarter of 2022, a major slowdown of social media growth has occurred —an expected finding in the post-pandemic world. Social media user growth is continuing to level off, leaving us with an incremental increase (1.0% to be exact) that signals we’re moving back to a period of slow and steady growth.
Tiktok continues to grow, grow, grow! Over half a million new users joined the platform every single day last quarter, with the number of people using TikTok for news doubling since last year. The report also found that people spend more time on TikTok each day than any other social app, meaning brands have a great opportunity to engage audiences in a fun, entertaining, and educational way. Key takeaway: Make sure Tiktok is a part of your social media marketing because its power is WILD.
Reels are here to stay. Consider this your reminder to continue sharing Reels on Instagram because they aren't going away anytime soon! The ad audience for Facebook Reels has increased by a massive 279% in the past 3 months, which means you can now reach 473.5 million users. You can also reach a staggering 754.8 million users with Instagram Reels ads. So what can we takeaway from this? This is proof that short, entertaining, less polished videos are an unbeatable way to reach your audience on social.
Whilst Facebook might be the grandad of social media networks, it drives a whopping 75.27% of all website traffic generated by social. Why? Because links are currency on the platform. The takeaway? Where possible, drive traffic to a website via links in posts.
We hope you enjoyed the latest social media news.
Want to chat to our team about managing your social media platforms? Reach out today.
A Guide to User Generated Content
What is User-Generated Content?
User-Generated Content (UGC) is any content—text, videos, images, reviews, etc.—created by people, rather than brands, featuring or discussing branded content. In its most organic form, UGC isn’t paid for by a brand, it is a genuine and honest recommendation being shared by followers and fans.This not only exposes your product to their audience; it provides a source of content to post on your page, website or other marketing channels. Being mentioned or having content shared by a brand is often fun and exciting for consumers or a source of income and products for influencers. It is a symbiotic relationship, a win-win for both parties when done correctly.
Why is it important?
When it comes to social media marketing, UGC is becoming increasingly valuable to brands. It promotes authenticity and trust, as consumers are more likely to perceive user-generated content as authentic and trustworthy, over brand-created content. Seeing another consumer enjoy the product or service eliminates risk in the minds of consumers – it’s a visual positive review. Increasing trust and authenticity greatly influences consumers’ purchase intentions; the more trust a consumer has the more likely they are to purchase the product. As UGC increases awareness, it reinforces the products’ different applications, stylings, adaptions, and uses in “real world” situations and increases the viability of consumers of making that final purchase.
How to Use It Successfully?
Now that we know why it is so important – how can your business be successful in using user-generated content? Let us tell you.
Bring Purpose and Value to Your Customers
All content you post must have a purpose, especially user-generated content - whether that’s being inspirational, showcasing how to use a product, sharing in-real-life reviews, or helping your followers decide on their product choices. UGC isn’t a sales pitch, you need to think of it as a stand-alone piece of content that can really be of benefit to your audience.
For example, if you were a make-up brand you could use your USG posts as an opportunity to educate your customers on what products were used in the look to showcase what your products look like in action.
Create a Sense of Community
What do all your followers have in common? They follow you! User-generated content is a great way to create a sense of community amongst your followers by stimulating discussions and connecting with your current and future customers. This is best illustrated by camera brands,who set challenges for their followers to take a photo with a set brief. The camera brand then shares entries, showcasing what their products can do and stimulating discussion and creativity amongst their followers. By sharing tricks and tips from on a post to get that photo - what camera did they use, which lenses, which settings – can stimulate discussion and provides value to your followers. This is a great way to engage with your followers and create brand loyalty as a bonus.
Create an Incentive
It is important to encourage and remind your followers to create and tag you in content that features your products. The incentive you pick depends on the type of followers you have, for example: if you’re a company that sells art supplies, then sharing followers’ art is incentive enough. Whereas, other followers may need more of a push. For example, to get followers to showcase your product in their posts you may want to offer a gift or promotional code.Whichever method you choose, it’s important to acknowledge the original source, and thank the creator to make sure they feel appreciated.
Need help?
Do you want some help creating an amazing user generated content campaign for your brand? Get in touch with our team today!
Want to learn how to become a digital marketing pro? Check out our social media masterclass.
Written By Ebony Jones
Instagram removes 'likes' function
From today, Instagram users in Australia will no longer be able to see how many “likes” a post has a received.
The trial is underway for Australian Instagram users, after a movement towards “removing pressure” on the digital platform’s users.
Instagram will begin rolling out the trial update today, removing the total number of likes on photos and viewings of videos on user feeds and profiles, and permalink pages.
Users will still be able to see a list of likes on their posts, just not the overall number.
But don't worry, the change won’t affect measurement tools for businesses and creators on Instagram, and all likes and engagement metrics will still be available in those tools.
Facebook Australia and New Zealand director of policy Mia Garlick said Instagram should be a place where people feel comfortable expressing themselves, rather than judged.
“We hope this test will remove the pressure of how many likes a post will receive, so you can focus on sharing the things you love,” she said in a statement.
We look forward to reviewing how this impacts businesses on social media over the coming weeks, and in particular the relationship with business and influencers, who rely on social media metrics to prove the value of their content.
Want to chat to our team about your Instagram strategy? Get in touch today.
Creative Agency VS In-House Employee
Creative Agency VS In-House Employee - What is the right fit for your business?
Are you looking to recruit a marketing and social media superstar? Take a minute to consider if an in-house employee is the right fit, or if you should instead, consider hiring a creative agency.
Did you know, that the cost of working with a premium boutique agency such as Melbourne Social Co is generally equal to, or sometimes even less than, that of a junior in-house employee?
Melbourne Social Co’s team of fifteen is made up of specialist digital marketers, brand strategists, content creators, social media managers, web developers and PR gurus. Our team is increasingly sought after by businesses seeking a dedicated digital employee – because we’re able to provide the creative skills and expertise of an entire team at rates comparable to a single employee.
In our experience, it's really difficult to find one employee who can cover all aspects of the marketing and social media space, from strategy, through to creating content (photography, videography and graphic design,) managing online communities, running ad campaigns, engaging influencers, analysing results and more. (If you do happen to find this person, hold on to them!)
As part of your monthly package with Melbourne Social Co, you gain access not only to our entire team and knowledge base, but to our industry connections, our software programs, our training platform, our studio and extensive props department and more. We can also extend our service to you well beyond the traditional 9-5 confines, meaning you have coverage across the clock on social media and your brands’ digital assets.
When you engage our team, you work closely with a dedicated Account Manager, who position themselves as an extension of your team. Coffee date? Count them in. A quick text message to run an idea past them? Fire away! Weekly phone catch-ups to discuss progress? Of course! Your Account Manager will get to know your business like it’s their own, and will become a passionate advocate for your brand.
Here at Melbourne Social Co, we don’t waste time. As a creative agency, we know how to work efficiently and productively, as every hour we work is accounted for. We’re used to working in a fast-paced environment, we buzz with creativity and we love to get results. We genuinely love building relationships with our clients, and enjoy nothing more than being a part of, and celebrating their successes.
Because you only pay for the work you commission, what you won’t find us doing on your time is; sitting behind a desk in your office from 9-5, scrolling online shopping sites, taking extended lunch breaks, calling in sick every month – the list goes on! (And yes of course we scroll online shopping sites and we love to lunch in our own time, we’re Melburnians after all!)
Almost convinced? We’d love to shout you a coffee and chat further about why a creative agency is the way to go - reach out to us and we’ll pencil it in.
Four Ideas To Inspire Great Content
This Week We're Sharing Four Ideas To Inspire Great Content
Content is the driving force behind all aspects of communications. Whether it be social media, public relations, marketing campaigns; content is at the heart of every strategic approach. Coming up with content ideas is so important, but it’s no surprise that coming up with new ideas all the time can sometimes be a struggle!
Don't worry, we're here to help! This week, we've put together four helpful ideas to help inspire and stimulate your content ideas.
Check out what your competitors are doing and find opportunities to create even better content
Cut down the time you spend coming up with new ideas and look to your competitors, because they’re handing them to you! They’re your competitors for a reason, so sift through their content and find some content opportunities that you could do better!
Review what you’re currently doing and improve upon it
There is always room to improve, so be sure to always review your current and past content to see where there is room for improvement. Making sure you’re always refining and tweaking your content will keep it fresh and the best it can be.
Look at your analytics to see what content is doing well and then create more of it
This tip is important; statistics don’t lie, so trust in them and use them as a guide for what is working and what isn’t. Review the content that has done well statistically, assess why it’s been successful and apply this knowledge to future content, this will in turn ensure that your future content is engaging and well received by your audience.
Make sure you create content of significance for your audience
An obvious one, making sure your content is geared towards your audience will help your content to be valuable and specific. Keeping your audience in mind at all times will help spark idea that your audience will love!
Repackage your existing content
Make the old new again by revamping some past content! There’s no rule that says you cant reuse content, so when your lacking inspiration, sift through the archives and repackage some vintage content.
Would you like to know more about our Content Creation services? Contact us today.
Is bigger better when it comes to a marketing agency?
Do you believe boutique agencies create more authentic relationships with clients? If so, why?
Absolutely! One of the major perks of business’s working with a boutique agency is that you get a much more personalised experience with our Account Managers as we have a manageable client base so we can really dedicate our time and energy to each and every one of our clients.
At Melbourne Social Co, we pride ourselves on the close relationships we have with our clients – we want them to feel like we are just an extension of their team! This kind of relationship helps us to do our best work, as we’re always communicating with our clients we get to know their business inside out so we can produce content that hits their targets and that we know they’ll love!
Is bigger better when it comes to a marketing agency?
Not at all. In fact, I think it’s very much the opposite.
Working with a boutique agency has many benefits from offering a more personalised service that can be tailored to individual clients and their needs (no more one size fits all packages!), to being more cost effective. We also have an ‘all hands on deck’ approach, which allows senior members of our team to oversee all accounts big and small and lend their input and expertise.
What’s your opinion on boutique agency, versus, one in house employee?
Working with a boutique agency is great way to get the skills of 5 or so people, for the price that’s usually equal or less than a full-time junior employee’s annual salary. When we work on our client’s accounts, we combine the skills of our content creators, copywriters, community managers, Facebook ad experts and account managers so we always have an expert working on the different elements of our client’s campaigns. It’s rare to find an employee who is an expert in all of those areas!
In recent times, larger, more traditional marketing agencies have been seen to use identical and standard marketing approaches. Do you believe that boutique agencies offer a more innovative and unique approach?
Without the confines of a larger agency, a boutique agency can remove the red tape, so we can get creative, try new and interesting ideas without having to get sign-off from various senior staff or board members. This means we can produce out-of-the-box content for our clients that is different to all the other digital marketing content and strategies on the market. This is the best way to get your business to stand out from the rest and get some serious results!
What flexibility does a boutique marketing agency offer?
A whole lot! From our packages (we tailor them to suit you!), to deadlines, to your entire digital marketing strategy. We get that your business is different from any other, and we work with you to offer you a digital marketing service that best works for you.
Do you believe that boutique agencies offer a more streamlined and responsive approach?
Certainly. As we are juggling a lesser client base and have account managers dedicated to managing only a handful of clients at a time, we are always flexible and super responsive to our clients wants and needs.
What is your favourite part of working at a boutique marketing agency?
Our clients are so varied! We have the opportunity to work with clients big, medium and small so each client and each campaign is totally different. Keeps things interesting!
Want to pencil in some time with Rebekah and the rest of our team to chat about your creative requirements? Contact us today to schedule in a session with our team.
The importance of consistency on Social Media
The most successful brands on social media make sure their brands are consistent and professional at all times. This week we’re chatting to our Digital Marketing Specialist, Sam Gray to get her insight into the importance of consistency on social media.
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Is it necessary to be active on all social media platforms?
Not necessarily – it’s important to establish your target audience before you start your social media strategy.
If your target audience isn’t on a particular platform, then it’s probably more beneficial to concentrate your energy and resources into a few key platforms instead of trying to master them all.
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Tell us a few social media faux pas that affect the consistency of a brand’s online presence.
It can be easy to get caught up in regramming photos that people have taken of your product or at your venue. Everyone has their own unique flare and social media persona, so regramming too often can confuse your own theme and social media identity.
Try not to go too crazy with the filters either! Just tweaking your photos by up-ing their brightness and sharpness is all you need to do to prep them to go live on your account.
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How important is regular posting?
A regular posting schedule is super important to maintain and build engagement rates.
Delving into your stats will help you decipher which days and times are best for you to post so you can establish a consistent posting schedule.
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Stock images or original content? What is better for consistency?
Creating original content is the best way to maintain consistency across your social feed. If you struggle to consistently develop original content, using stock quote templates is a good way to keep up with your posting schedule, while giving you a break to get your creative juices flowing again!
What elements make for visual consistency across social media?
There’s a few elements you can implement into your social strategy to create a consistent aesthetic. Here’s a few things to consider when establishing your visual identity:
- Colour story and style guide, including key fonts and preferred colours
- Photography style
- Scheduling patterns e.g. posting a quote, flatlay then product image to keep your feed in a strict grid
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Do you think tone and personality in text play a large role in keeping your socials consistent?
100%! Whether it’s short and snappy, full of colloquial language and slang or product focused – your copy should always stay consistent and true to your brand’s identity.
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What links are there, if any, between engagement and consistency on social media?
It’s all about consistency! It’s important that your audience is able to identify your content, without seeing your handle! Consistency in copy, content and scheduling should be the main pillars of your social media strategy. If your audience starts to recognise and love your content, engagement will follow!
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Quantity or quality when it comes to your social media profile?
I would say quality over quantity! If you can only manage to get a few posts up a week, make sure that they’re great posts – look at when your audience is most likely to be online and try to get them out on these days every week to help your engagement rate grow.
Want to chat to a member of our team about your digital strategy? Contact us today.