Social Media Immediate Future

Social Media

With all the rumours that surround privacy on social media platforms and the common suspicions we have about being spied on through our popular handheld devices, Facebook is clearly trying to take a step in the direction of transparency. We all get spooked after having a conversation in our non-screen…

The social media world is constantly evolving, and new tools and platforms come and go. One platform that has staying power is Pinterest due to its traffic-driving and converting capabilities; however, the key question for many brands is should we be active on it? I’m (P)interested, tell me more… Pinterest…

We all know that the slick, stand out visuals are important when it comes to telling your brand’s story, but have you considered the importance of incorporating user-generated content (UGC) into your strategy? Sifting through the masses may seem like a daunting task, but that unexplored pool of content may…

Are you up to date with LinkedIn? LinkedIn pages have a few new ways you can improve the visibility, content and followers – here’s a checklist you can use to make sure you’re maximising this platform – because they have over 500m users! Tagline There’s a space under your company…

All businesses are after results – but how do we make sure our social strategy lines up to deliver? While it might seem obvious, strong social needs a strong foundation. Here are the 3 tenets meaningful social content can’t live without: Know your audience Whether you’re in the B2C or…

Another week has passed, and my, what a week it has been! We’ve rounded up the best articles and updates, just for you. So, carry on reading, and we’ll get you up to speed with the latest happenings in social in no time. Sorry, ads are coming to TikTok.

According to the latest data, more social media users than ever are choosing to visit the ‘Explore’ section of Instagram – in fact, more than half of users do. Along with the data also showing that 80% of users follow a business* on the app, the top…

This is one audience tech brands want to reach. The audience where 70% are the decision makers and the rest influence the purchase. We took a look at who they are, what they talk about and what motivates them. And produced a report which digs into…

It’s always interesting to find out what’s happening in the world of social media, but we understand that sometimes it’s hard to keep up. That’s why we’ve rounded up a range of articles that we just want to shout about! Keep on reading to find out what’s been happening… Instagram’s…

Tech brands are a social bunch. Socially savvy and active, you’ll see messages posted on social networks everywhere. But look closer at the content and it appears that very little of it is targeted at senior buyers who make or influence the purchase decisions. And that’s a HUGE missed sales…

We LOVE social media at immediate future (you would certainly be surprised if we didn’t) but even we know that there is more to marketing than just being social. And even if you deliver terrifically engaging and converting campaigns, you still need more than just a social presence. Which ultimately…

It’s a fact! Studies show that most consumers expect a sharp response from brands on social media, and with an increasingly large number of users turning to social to complain and review, it’s crucial brands get their customer service bang on the money! On Twitter, the average user won’t wait…

Music and audio experiences are huge parts of consumers’ lives. Just consider the spectacular rise of podcasts. 6 million adults now tune in to a podcast each week. Ofcom reported that the number of weekly podcast listeners almost doubled in the past five years — from 3.2m…

Another week has passed, which means one thing… time for another Social Snapshot! This week we’re bringing you a variety of content; channel reports, platform updates and ways to help you improve your social strategy. We’re always here to help! Facebook’s working on a new ‘preview’ option for page posts.

Let’s get back to basics, folks: brands need stories to resonate with their audience, and social media is a storytelling platform. It’s not rocket science that brands that use strategic social media to develop their brand equity see obvious benefit: where traditional marketing meant that the journey from brand salience…

Social media is often criticised for the damage it can do our mental well-being, especially with regards to depression and feelings of inadequacy in teenagers and adults alike increasing. But what about the positive impact that social can bring to our lives, where we truly feel that social is a…

It’s always interesting to find out what’s happening in the world of social media, but we understand that sometimes it’s hard to keep up. That’s why we’ve rounded up a range of articles that we just want to shout about! Keep on reading to find out what’s been happening… Fortnite…

Week on week we are drawn into the news, finding out which latest updates our favourite social media platforms are testing or launching. But sometimes it feels a bit like déjà vu, right?! Just a few months back at SXSW festival, Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger admitted to…

The media landscape has changed forever. Shock horror. No new news there. However, the majority of businesses are yet to evolve their buying behaviour. Too many are still caught in the ‘this is how we’ve always spent our budget’ camp. Happy to continue investing significantly in Out of Home and TV. In…

We know what you are thinking! Why would a social media agency admit to their job being hard?! We like to think of ourselves as an honest bunch here at immediate future; we don’t just create and post content for the hell of it. We like to look at what…

Another week has passed, and my, what a week it has been! We’ve rounded up the best articles and updates, just for you. So, carry on reading, and we’ll get you up to speed with the latest happenings in social in no time. New report shows Facebook engagement in gradual decline,…

Week in week out, all the major platforms are constantly tweaking, updating and testing in a bid to increase engagement and make users more active. These updates aren’t always ground-breaking, but they’re slowly implemented to improve usage based on how users interact, and ultimately to make the experience more streamlined.

Do you know enough about tracking users engaging with your social media activity? Without a tracking pixel implemented on a website, you cannot retarget users who land on your site, create website user lookalike audiences or exclude users who have already visited/converted within a campaign – it means that your…

If you’re fascinated by the increasing use of AI in marketing, then the latest campaign from a kitchen utensil brand takes some beating. Spotify worked with Tramontina to allow us to “discover the flavour of your favourite song” – it’s beautiful and brilliant. It’s also extravagant for what…

Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with the fast-moving world of social media, but this is where we step in. Keep on scrolling for the latest updates and tips from the industry! Snapchat’s working on new music rights deals to enable users to add songs to their snaps.

We all love a good story, don’t we? Whether we’re sharing or watching, stories continue to have a huge influence on the way we share, market and influence on social media. It’s a deep-rooted feature that all major platforms have at least experimented with, and with Instagram paving the…

Fallen behind on the past week’s social news? Fear not, we’re here for you with a roundup of the best updates and articles that we just have to shout about! Instagram’s IGTV copies TikTok’s AI, Snapchat’s design. https://po.st/FrJZ2L Once again, Instagram is caught out stealing other apps’ ideas,…

We all love a BBQ and with us all staying closer to home, we are set to be in the garden grilling our food whenever we can. But we don’t just barbecue our food outside at this time of year, we also talk about BBQs (a lot, as it turns…

Each Spring, the Facebook platform evolves with changes being affected to algorithms, functionality and offerings. It’s routine in the weeks following Facebook’s annual F8 conference that the much anticipated and well-documented announcements are affected to the platform. This year, the volume and impact of changes are more significant than usual.

The success of Instagram just keeps growing; Stories, influencers, shopping tags, and engaged communities means it is fast becoming the platform for B2C marketing. Can the same be said for B2B marketing? In short, YES! Instagram is a great place to spread awareness for any brand and using Stories, UGC content, as…

When the updates are non-stop it can be hard to stay in the know. But, fear not, we’ve rounded up the best articles for you below ⬇️ Because, you know, we’re good like that! Instagram looks set to ramp up its efforts against apps selling likes and followers.

If you spend time on Facebook, you will know that it has become a crowded landscape indeed. Yes, content is largely personalised to the user with prioritised content relevant to their interests, but it has grown so quickly that the News Feed can, at times, feel unmanageable. The result of…

There were lots of announcements to take note of at the latest F8 developer conference, but which are the ones you really need to know, and what do they mean for your social media strategy? Groups and Events are the new black In an update that Zuckerberg is calling “FB5,”…

Amongst the excitement of F8 it can be hard to stay up to date with the social news. But, fear not, we’ve rounded up the best articles from the past 2 weeks for you below ⬇️ Because, you know, we’re good like that! Snapchat releases latest update of trending topics…

When the updates are non-stop it can be hard to stay in the know. But, fear not, we’ve rounded up the best articles for you below ⬇️ Because, you know, we’re good like that! Vine returns as ‘Byte’ – but is it too late for a comeback?…

Twitter has been blamed for all manner of society’s ills. At a recent TED conference, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey was challenged on why the changes being made to combat abuse and misinformation on the platform, haven’t been more rapid. Interviewer Chris Anderson likens Dorsey to the captain of the Titanic…

Facebook has grown rapidly and has needed to respond to the changes that have occurred in a medium which is in a constant state of flux. No longer just a place to catch up with friends and family, it is now a place where many people get the majority of…

Why are people on social media? To connect with friends and family. To experience new things, new ideas. To discover more about who they are, what they like, what motivates them, whether or not to try the new Marmite Peanut Butter. To find their people… to find their tribe (no…

We’re here for you with a roundup of interesting updates and tips from the fast-moving world of social media. Read on to catch up… How can you drive more traffic from Instagram? https://po.st/6P3GJl Given you can’t include clickable links in posts, what are the best ways to get…

If you’re a brand, you might have thought to yourself “I need a digital marketing agency. Surely it makes sense to go with one agency that does the lot?” I’m going to cut to the chase and tell you exactly why us indie, specialist agencies work so well, and why…

Facebook is well known for mimicking popular features from other social networks. It should be no surprise then that another feature is going to be making its way to the Facebook-owned Instagram. A software developer, known for reverse engineering apps to discover new features, has found code which suggests…

High performing social content is relevant to its audience. That’s why it does well. We know that. It’s a fact. The bit that is difficult, is working out what is likely to resonate. Particularly when you’re in a category that just doesn’t see quite as many trends as others. What…

First off, a quick reminder that Periscope is a Twitter streaming platform that in its original incarnation allowed users to broadcast video to followers. Unlike Vine, which was limited to six-second long clips, Periscope broadcasters can stream for as long as they like. Until recently, there wasn’t much of a…

Rumour has it that due to the financial pickle Snap has found itself in, the company is toying with the idea of making public Snaps last much longer before disappearing, or *shock horror* even become permanent. Posts shared to the “Our Story” feed…

Fanfare, please! LinkedIn has finally introduced interest targeting options to their paid campaign manager – three cheers! So all those hashtags you’ve been faithfully adding to organic content and wondering “what exactly is this doing for me?”… wonder no longer, they are indicators for users’…

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Coming from us? We must be bonkers. But, hear us out! To do good, meaningful and impactful social media, you need to be serious about it. Here are 8 reasons why you might want to reconsider your use of social media. If…

The latest news out of Facebook is that hundreds of employees are being moved, as part of a ‘behind closed doors’ restructuring. These individuals are being shifted from a broad augmented reality division, which is part of Facebook’s Reality Labs, to one that focuses on AR glasses…

Tinder is probably the first and most famous example of what we all know as ‘the swipe’. Mobile navigation today is all about the swipe, and now even YouTube is joining in. Their latest update will give users a way to navigate between videos. By…

Much like Westlife, Snap is also trying to make a comeback 2019. Yes, we know it’s a stretch, but hear us out! A recent report commissioned by Snap reveals the real emotions and feelings that users have around their social media apps, straight from the horse’s mouth.

When planning messages and creative for campaigns which require an action to be taken, we’ve always got the customer journey in mind. The simplest approach is to ensure you are present to inspire and delight when research takes place, when the action is taken and then following the action to…

Twitter has announced that it’s set to launch a new program to let its users shape how conversations look and feel on the platform. This builds from trials at the end of last year with “ice breaker” tweets, aimed at increasing engagement on the platform…

With so many users active on social media over the holidays, there was a huge panic over a rather substantial, unexpected change to Instagram. Here’s what actually happened and what it means. Instagram had intended to update the beta version of the user interface for a small number of people.

Many of us now turn to online shopping to avoid the queues, the tired feet, the unhappy children you find on a traipse up and down the high street – especially at this time of year. One of the other things we love to avoid is that annoyingly helpful retail…

Last week, LinkedIn released some fab blogs about daring to succeed in 2019. Now that sounds like something we definitely want to get on board with. So, of course, we’ve been keeping up, and we’ve summed up the best bits from last week. Audience Trends Let’s talk…

Facebook has been positioning itself for a TV and movie offering for a while now. It wasn’t long ago that the social network was rumoured to have shown a lot of interest in winning rights to show Premier League football exclusively…

Right now as we head into the dead of winter, our summer holiday is just a distant memory. But it’s now, as we turn the heating up at home, that we dream of going away. Our latest research makes it clear that social is a travel essential.

Seemingly inspired by Snapchat, LinkedIn has launched a new feature called Student Voices, which has a few similarities to Stories. In fairness, every other social platform including Twitter and WhatsApp, has their version of Stories so it was only a matter of time before LinkedIn found a reason to do…

When was the last time you said yes to the WHSmith or Robert Dyas staff who always say “would you like to try this [product you’ve not picked up, or expressed any interest in] for a pound?” Personally, I always decline. And why is it invariably Cadburys Caramel, or sink…

It’s often mentioned that Marketing is a combination of Art and Science. It’s totally right! In a recent #SeriousSocial, Katy chatted about how insights and data (science) can open up and direct creative opportunities (art). The pair go hand-in-hand. With a background in Music, and now having…

Social platforms and search engines don’t always make comfortable bed-fellows. The two digital marketing channels are typically run by competing parent organisations. There’s little reason for Microsoft’s Bing to point its users toward Twitter. The one attempt to combine search and social came from Google. The expectation was for Google+…

It’s curious that since Twitter doubled its character count to 280, people have become politer. The latest data shows that 54% more tweets use the word ‘please’ and 22% use the word ‘thank you’, which is probably making customer service more bearable. Another result from this change is that Twitter…

The Messenger app for Facebook has been around for a long time, initially launched as Facebook Chat in 2008 and becoming a standalone app in 2011. New features have been added and updates made but a thorough consolidation of purpose and design has been long overdue. The…

Let me tell you a story… The centrepiece of all business is persuasion, and the greatest vehicle to persuade is storytelling. So is it really a surprise to anyone that the Stories format is growing 15 times faster than newsfeed as a device for people to reach their audiences (and…

Twitter used to be the place for short, snappy messages. It still is, to some degree, but in the industry landscape where storytelling is everything, it’s getting more and more difficult to tell story, or even parts of your story in one Tweet. Twitter Moments allow you to create and…

One of the reasons Facebook stands above all other social media networks, is that it isn’t just a social media network. Facebook is a technology giant. That’s why it is in the same category as Google, Apple and Amazon. A lot of this tech is deployed behind the scenes, but…

It’s fair to say that social media receives more bad press than it gets appraisals. From the Cambridge Analytica scandal to the continuous battle against fake news, the bullying problem amongst youngsters, negative effects on mental health…the list goes on. These issues shouldn’t be ignored, but sometimes we…

Letting your friends know where you are to have an impromptu meet-up is a nice idea and something that a number of social networks have tried, with varying success. Facebook views Snapchat’s implementation of the feature as one of the better examples of how it should be done. Given that…

Snapchat has announced new functionality it’s calling Visual Search. This is a way for its users to search for products on Amazon from the Snapchat camera. It’s not a feature that will be immediately available to everyone, as there’ll be a slow roll out, but Snap is…

In the week that we released our latest Serious Social focusing on travel, one of the biggest sites in this sector, TripAdvisor has revealed they will be developing a social feed within their proposition. There are 56 million conversations around travel in social……

Sure, sure… high street economy is a bit on the low side with big franchises announcing closures of big flagship stores, but not everything is lost. The economy, though, is not sinking worldwide. Markets are just shifting towards the easier (at least for the consumer) e-commerce. The online…

At first glance, the news of the Facebook Messenger assistant M being able to translate French could be a little underwhelming. French translation isn’t a feature that most users are crying out for. But what makes this announcement a little more interesting is how this translation functionality is being used,…

Facebook has decided to rename its Canvas ad format and along with the name change come a few new features. If for some rare and unexplained reason you haven’t heard of Facebook Canvas, here’s a recap: “Facebook Instant Experiences, formally known as Canvas, load instantly, they’re mobile-optimised and designed to…

Social media is the place for meaningful conversations. Hashtags are a way for people to find and join particular conversations. Twitter was pretty centralised around hashtagging for conversational purposes. Facebook and Instagram jumped on the bandwagon too. LinkedIn introduced hashtags to the platform a hot minute after the rest of…

Reports have emerged of a new standalone app being worked on by Instagram. Tentatively known as IG Shopping, the app will allow users to browse products and services from retailers that they follow and purchase them directly from within the app. Instagram has declined to comment on…

If you consider yourself to be a “notable public figure” and have a healthy follow on Instagram, you can now apply to have the blue badge that makes your public status official. Instagram considers the badge to be an important way for the wider community to know that the…

In an effort to make “Feed the best place to share and connect with the people and interests that matter most to you”, Instagram is testing a feature which will add recommended posts to your content stream from users you don’t already follow. A similar feature was…

When you pay for a service, you absolutely need to know the value of it. That’s why reporting is so important. Depending on your needs, reporting can be done over different timescales, can be campaign-based or time-based, and can be pulled for paid or organic media. We know reporting is…

You have to give Google full marks for effort. While the list of social media failures is pretty lengthy, they’ve not let that deter them from making further attempts. This time around, they’ve at least got a toe in territory that they can claim as their own. With Cameo, Google…

Recent news that Facebook has been in discussion with some of the biggest banks in the world has caused a bit of consternation. On the face of it, a site that is concerned more with frivolous messaging shouldn’t also be the place where you go to deal…

With the Great British Bake Off just around the corner (Yippee!) it’s not too late for brands to take advantage of the engaged and vibrant social community that #GBBO attracts. This year’s Love Island proved how fruitful social TV campaigns can be. Savvy marketers tapped into the zeitgeist and grabbed…

LinkedIn’s latest feature update allows the sending of recorded audio messages from one member to another. Reducing the friction of communication in an online community like with any new tool, voice messages, can be used well or poorly. By providing its users with an option that is…

General opinion is that consumer businesses have all the fun, right? They’re early adopters, the first to try new social networks, willing to take risks and are usually the most recognisable for award-winning campaigns. Yes, but also no. There’s an art to B2B marketing that requires originality and dexterity, where…

Approximately 2 billion people use social media. Figures are expected to grow as mobile device usage and mobile social networks gain more traction. With customers using social media 24/7, and on such a variety of platforms, what was best practise last week might not work today. Keeping up…

We knew that Augmented Reality was going to be big for Facebook in 2018, but now the platform’s started releasing AR updates it seemingly can’t stop. At the F8 Conference in May, Zuck and friends announced support for the technology in Facebook Messenger, and now they’ve gone one…

The key to every great relationship is listening, am I right? Whether that’s boyfriend and girlfriend, teacher and student or brand and consumer – everyone wants to be heard and listened to. Right now, on Facebook or Twitter there could be a customer or potential customer of yours asking a…

Twitter has launched Twitter Media, a place for media publishers and organisations to get the most out of the platform. The new site showcases helpful resources which explain how to use Twitter’s many features and case studies to illustrate the efficacy…

We’ve all been there – you know you want to do something different with your next Facebook post or ad, but you don’t know where to start. Here are three resources that I turn to again and again: Facebook Inspiration Gallery and Creative Hub Your first port of call should…

At immediate future, we love data. And, we know that data is at the heart of effective social media strategy and relevant content. This week, there have been a couple of announcements on the Insights that Facebook have on offer. With GDPR looming over the digital world, Facebook retracted some…

It seems this month every marketer is either talking GDPR or about creating ‘relevant content’. It’s not a surprise as the two are interlinked. With brands needing customers to engage enough to sign-up for consent programmes, content has to be meaningful, to resonate and capture attention. The trouble is the…

Social platforms are giving away more knowledge than they previously let on! In this week’s Serious Social, we’re chatting about Instagram’s guide to Stories for businesses, which gives you advice on its prevalent feature. So, what else is out there? Well, they’ve sure kept it on the down-low, but…

Today’s connected world means that brands are positioned front and centre of their audiences and competitors alike. With so many platforms and channels at their disposal, it’s often difficult to know which one to leverage in order to garner customer loyalty and engender trust. Here’s where social media can help.

It’s a story that’s all too familiar to us all. Businesses led by leadership teams who have not immersed themselves within, or spent enough time understanding social media. But, despite knowing they should have a presence on social media, and probably be advertising on social too, they try to execute in…

71% of businesses advertise on social media. And even more businesses plan to start. Work and social media can go hand-in-hand if you take the right approach. In our most recent Serious Social, we spoke about how social media stands on legs of communication and networking.

Facebook never really had an issue with advertisers. While mainstream media highlighted how some have opted to pull spend, by and large, Facebook remains the juggernaut it is because of the truck loads of money pumped into the business by marketers. Additionally, Facebook never really had an issue with members.

According to a recent article, almost 50% of Instagram users research products on social media and over a third of the platform’s users have purchased a product online with their mobiles. That makes this segment 70% more likely to convert to the purchase phase than non-users. It…

It looks like Facebook-owned Instagram has a new little trick up its sleeve! As reported by TechCrunch, a bit of snooping inside Instagram’s Android app has revealed a string of code that mentions “music stickers”. Although one can only speculate (Facebook refused to comment on the subject),…

We’ve heard plenty about the Facebook platform this year. The F8 Conference was Facebook’s chance to bring it back and tell users, (and the world) what the future has in store. In light of recent news, data privacy and GDPR plays an enormous part! What will Facebook offer…

We’re serious about social media. That’s why data analytics and insights get us excited! For a while now, we’ve been drumming into everyone that Facebook and video content are harmonious. So, as we’re all using video, we bet you’re itching to know what Facebook have done with its…

Did you know that the first social media site was called “Six Degrees” and was founded in 1997? Many believe that it’s Facebook that has largely reshaped the way we connect and stay in touch with each other; however, this type of networking can be traced back…