2020 Immediate Future

Archive: 2022

“Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.”– Albert Einstein I don’t normally use quotes. It always feels a bit cheesy. But this is such a perfect fit for brand trust on social. It is the small stuff of tweets, posts…

GlobalWebIndex has reported that 29% of total internet users have used a live streaming option on social media, and 13% have watched a live gaming stream. These figures alone tell us that live streaming is the new mode to watch – and that marketers…

So many insights and developments in one week – let’s get right to it with our Social Snapshot! TikTok reveals how its algorithm works TikTok is working hard to demonstrate it is a transparent company, with this week providing another level of transparency – explaining how its recommendations…

We all must know that at some point Google will take a formula that’s been well received and try to emulate it, which is exactly what’s happening with Keen – Googles latest offering, “a place to grow and share your interests with loved ones, and…

Last Friday we covered this topic in our latest #SeriousSocialLive. It’s a 13-minute video that charts everything you need to know in order to best prepare for a crisis. Hopefully, that’s an endeavour that you’ll never need to lean upon. Sadly, there is a growing number of businesses who…

Pride months is here, and while many people will be celebrating at home, social media is once again delivering features to users that let their voices be heard digitally. In London, the annual march that usually involves more than a million volunteers, artists and Pride-goers cannot take place.

It’s that time of the week again – time for our Social Media Snapshot. So, grab a coffee, put your strategy cap on, and settle in for our roundup of the biggest things that happened this week in social media. Facebook adds new functionality to its Portal Move…

In recent weeks there has been a reoccurring question framed at us, “if social is noisy what’s the point in publishing content? Covid-19 has sent it crazy, hasn’t it?”. It’s an obvious answer, but, ‘you need to be at the races – you need to be in It,…

Both TikTok and Pinterest have experienced huge gains during the last few months. Engagement on Pinterest is up 75%, and TikTok users grew by 34% in April. If you’re not sure how to get started with either platform, here are a few ideas. Pointers for Pinterest With 367…

This won’t come as a surprise to anyone, but the big players in social media are finding new ways to monetise their platforms. The shift towards full eCommerce platforms has been particularly apparent in recent weeks, with the introduction of new storefront features. So, what’s new? And more…

Changes abound in another week of social media activity – from Twitter bringing back verification to Facebook’s revamped news section. Join us for another social snapshot: Twitter bringing back verification? In the past, getting verified was a nebulous, question-filled process. How many followers is enough? Is there some…

From baking banana bread to getting sick of our own cooking and ordering in, here are some of the key drivers and examples of the food and drink sector in social media: Eating and drinking at home After 4 weeks in lockdown, McKinsey reported…

Right now, as lockdown lifts, marketers are looking for short-term quick wins that will deliver impact. A fast move to recovery, a chance to grab market share and make a distinctive difference that will run the rest of the year. It makes sense. For many brands marketing had…

Back in March, TechCrunch reported Instagram had seen a 40% increase in traffic due to the pandemic. With everyone at home, more time is being spent on digital platforms, and all social media platforms have been nurturing their growing platform in different ways – but…

As always, there’s a lot going on in the world of social media. The top players have been busy introducing updates – from e-commerce roll outs to Bitmojis (yes, MORE Bitmoji). So, buckle up, grab your notebook and get your social media on. Pinterest adds ‘shop’ tab…

A New App from Facebook? Venue – an app that brings people together to experience live events in an interactive way. What does this mean? According to Facebook – “Venue aims to give fans an interactive second screen experience, curated…

Brand as Broadcasters is the concept all business running brand events need to truly deliver greater cost efficiency and standout innovation Running brand events comes at great cost. Marketers have to evidence cost efficiencies that yield tangible returns for the business. Formats have to keep being refreshed to…

Another week, another whirlwind of social media updates – stick with us as we take you through everything you need to know: Twitter allows users to choose who can rely to Tweets Twitter is testing a new feature that allows users to prohibit entire groups of people…

In recent months, the workplace has shifted more than we’ve ever experienced. Some have found this shift towards remote working productive, while others have found it unmotivating; no employee experience is the same and we’re all scrambling to adjust to the new normal. And while information is…

When it comes to conversion, the goal you might be setting doesn’t have to be a purchase – you might wish to measure conversion on increasing followers, engagement on your posts or sign-ups to an email list. Whichever conversion you’re measuring, we’ve got some top tips on what…

We’ve got your roundup of the latest happening on social media. For more on how these updates impact your business, drop us a line or follow our social channels. Buy products directly from a business’ Facebook Page or Instagram profile Facebook and Instagram have launched ‘Shops,’ which will allow…

Now is a time of rapid change – which can be scary. People are inherently resistant to change because it means disruption, even if it is beneficial. Can you remember Instagram’s old logos? The days when it looked more like a rounded-edged floppy disk? When Instagram’s logo was…

The mood on social is changing. The Covid-19 support ads have run their course. And your audiences are looking for something more meaningful as we move into recovery. They want to hear from brands with empathy and emotional connections. And brands want to trigger responses that will see…

Facebook has been slowly rolling out a set of features that will help small and medium sized business that have been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. These include a “Support Small Business” sticker for Instagram which not only allows users to share a business profile, but it…

We’ve all likely noticed the upswing in social media traffic – but we now we have hard statistics on the massive surge happening in recent months. A look at monthly traffic, Google’s new digital skills training sessions, Facebook’s redesign and more! Media habits are changing Across all…

Don’t let the title fool you, we’re not suggesting that you simply reintroduce old content into your social feeds. In fact, we feel so strongly against this that we went as far as dedicating an entire Serious Social podcast episode to NOT repurposing content. There is, however,…

Few will be surprised by this statement. So why haven’t more acted on this knowledge in recent years? It is as if some marketers have been caught in a cavity of boring and until someone senior to them instructs otherwise, inside the cavity they will stay. Some…

Life has changed. Work meetings are now interrupted by children (our own Managing Director recently had to pause everything because his son was just so darned proud he’d beat a level in a Lego game, which, to be fair, is very impressive). The Emmys will now be televised,…

As we’re all suffering lockdown fatigue, the social platforms are pushing on with new features to beat the isolation. A look at Q1 earnings, explains why there is a dash to create even more compelling reasons to stay on social. After all, there are more people spending more…

We take creativity seriously at Immediate Future. Not only because we’re a team comprised of artistic people, but also because it’s needed to make social work. In an industry where audiences are flooded with an endless stream of promotional messaging, your campaigns need to stand out. Creativity is…

As the online population grows, so does the pool of consumers – some with time, and money on their hands. In recent weeks, e-commerce businesses in sectors like crafting, beauty and home accessories – as well as gifting – have started to boom. If you’re starting out in…

Let’s take a break from the unsettling news that’s been bombarding us from every angle and focus on some of the good that’s going on. Yes, this is no doubt a challenging time. But it’s also a time where communities have come together to support one another –…

This week it seems the social platforms have paid a lot of attention to user behaviours. They’re launching functionality aimed at hobbyists, pushing entertaining features and challenging some of the comms products that have helped us through the first phase of lockdown. It feels like a week of…

Mark Zuckerberg has recently announced a whole new range of video tools across the Facebook app family. And without further ado, here is what’s coming; With video calls, Facebook will soon double the amount of group video calls from 4 to 8…

For many that have decamped to home working, repurposed content has served as a filler for the last month. Makes sense whilst we settled in. But your customers crave more and the opportunity to connect, entertain or be useful is just missed if you drag out every old…

On a call this week I said I felt as though I had developed a split personality, one that’s motivated, encouraged by great client feedback and what we can do for brands right now on social ( ) and another that’s wistful, dreamy and engaging only in the…

Oooh it’s been a creative week in social. The channels are beefing up their dev kits and creative back rooms with some new tools. There is no excuse now not to break the social boring and explore new ways to connect to customers. There has also been a…

Though lockdown is in full swing, we haven’t all gone mute as a result. In the B2B tech sector, conversations around AI, cybersecurity, cloud, etc. are all staying strong – but have the discussion points changed, and what can you do to adjust your messaging so you remain…

Last Friday, we broadcast the latest episode of our Serious Social Facebook Live. Having moved from an edited weekly publication to a live broadcast. We’ve joined the brilliant British public response in flexing around Covid-19 requirements, whilst continuing our commitment to surface, address and offer solution to…

Navigating through today’s societal challenges as a marketer is no easy task. Driving business objectives while also remaining respectful and providing support to audiences is a delicate balance that can easily be threatened with one wrong move. In recent podcast “Marketing in the time of…

Pah! Long weekend, what long weekend. When you’re in social, the chatter doesn’t stop just because it’s Easter. Whilst the conversations rise, the channels push out Beta functions they would normally keep under wraps until they were properly tested. Many companies are experimenting and launching co-viewing entertainment content…

The current climate is changing our perception and view of what the word “community” means. If you’re unsure what you should or shouldn’t be using in your messaging right now – the first task is to listen to your audience. Discover where they are – which channels,…

(…in which the author has nostalgic ramblings) Well it’s about time, Facebook! The company has now announced that Messenger for desktop is available for download for both Windows and Mac OS machines. In a quote from Facebook: “people are using technology to…

As we head into a short couple of weeks here in the UK there is no stopping the social platforms. They are supercharged. Delivering better formats, greater functionality and some interesting innovations. It isn’t likely to stop over Easter, either. Seems there are redesigns and rumoured launches aplenty…

It’s a question that really puzzles me. Along with ‘why do some businesses try to mimic the market leader?’ or, ‘why do B2B companies continue to use awful stock photography of people pretending to be businesspeople?’ or, ‘why do travel companies persist with blue filters?’. At the risk…

What planning must you do now for the inevitable new normal It’s frantic busy. Every marketing department and agency is resettling and refocusing. Spinning multiple plates as usual! Last week, the below diagram was shared with me on the Drum Network Slack channel. I loved it – it…

Ep 1: Serious Social – Data is a core component to Social Media success The importance of data within marketing shouldn’t be overlooked. Without it, your social media strategy is likely to fall flat on it’s (inter)face. In this episode, we’re talking data. Associate Director…

While the streets are quiet and the shops are shut, the bars and cinemas are closed – and so are the theatres. But in the theatre, when they are “dark” (there’s no live production), there’s a tradition to leave a “ghost light” centre stage. Partly for the safety…

In the past couple of weeks, social media has become the go-to place to get news updates and entertainment for many. So of course, our favoured platforms are continuing to test out new features to keep their audiences engaged during this uncertain time. If you’ve missed out on…

Coronavirus has changed the way we consume and interact with Social Media. But one thing is clear – now, more than ever, people crave connectivity and connection to their former, more sociable lives. This need has led to a surge in platform adoption that has given us marketers something…

Let’s get something straight. I am not and haven’t been a teenager in a LONG time. So if you think my foray into TikTok indicates poor judgement, you’re probably right (face-palm). Writing this post, I find I’m conversing with myself, debating the ethics of meddling in social platforms…

75% of users never go beyond page 1 of a Google search query. To reach your audience effectively, the key is to know what their interests are, and what questions they have. To achieve that balance, you need experience and a few choice tools that can make all…

Right now, social media is playing an important role in our lives more than ever. So, to keep users engaged, our favourite platforms have continued to launch and test new features. But if you’ve missed out on the news announcements this week, then don’t panic, we’ve got you covered!…

In these times of social distancing and isolation, everyone is being affected in some way. Today, I’m exploring how coronavirus has affected artists. Many freelancers have had projects dropped…

Very few of society have faced anything like what we all front up to today. Fluid developments continue to alarm and challenge us. Businesses have been placed in a period of uncertainty whilst they seek support from the government. For now, all we can all do is follow the…

Another day, another dose of daily doom and gloom – on the TV that is. Switch to social and there’s a whole host of heart-warming acts of kindness, people pulling together to help those in need and a steady stream of informative info to combat harmful rumours. And at…

In such unprecedented and uncertain times, social media platforms have become the go-to for keeping up to date with the latest news regarding Covid-19. Earlier this week we reported that social media activity had risen 25% over the last two week period – and this percentage is…

The world is a crazy place right now. With news announcements being released every hour and a big cloud of uncertainty looming over our heads, it’s very easy to miss what’s happening in the industry. But, we’re here to help out ‍♀️ bringing you the latest social news… …

If you, like us, find yourself suddenly working from home, figuring out new technology and ways of staying connected and bonded to your team on one hand, as well as navigating the current landscape in marketing on the other, we’re here for you. Rapid change and uncertainly can…

Since the advent of social media, never has there been a global pandemic that has required this large of a lockdown across the globe. The reasons for self-isolation are, by now, well-known – even if you don’t have symptoms of Covid-19, and are young/of good health, it…

Start with the ‘why’. This is [or should be] the mantra for any effective content marketing strategy. This is particularly important with social, where often the hard-sell message needs to take a backseat to genuine engagement and sensitivity when it comes to why social users are on that…

When the updates are non-stop it can be hard to keep up. But, that’s why we’re here… bringing you a weekly roundup of social media news, so you can get up to speed with happenings in the wonderful world of social, in no time. Facebook’s testing cross-posting Stories.

Here we go, another “stories” mode on a different social media platform! This time, Twitter are testing the waters with something called “Fleets”, which they are assuring us is not totally like IG Stories; I know what you're thinking: “THIS SOUNDS…

When it comes to curating content for your social channels, it’s important to consider the best posting times, copy lengths, posting frequency and the type of content that suits your audience. There is no ‘one size fits all’ rule, so what may work for one brand, may…

It’s the battle we’re all fighting; how do we cut through the noisy opportunity presented by Social Media? On the one hand, we know our target audiences are there and primed to be engaged. On the other hand, the sheer numbers present a hurdle many aren’t aware of. The…

Here at IF we love all things social. So, we’re always interested in staying up to date with the latest happenings and bringing them to you in our weekly Social Snapshot! Read on to find out what’s been happening in the past week… Instagram’s testing IGTV reactions. Instagram…

A lot can happen in a week, and so much more can happen in 12 months. Particularly when it comes to data, insights and the world of social media. So, one year on from our last travel report, there are some big changes you NEED to know about. Especially…

Say, you want to advertise your kickstarted, redwood-embossed suitcase made from a titanium-weave shell that’s reinforced with Kevlar, because why would it not be? It’s the next step in suitcase technology, with a built-in sound system and paper shredder. To top it off, it looks pretty swanky. You’re aiming…

The world of social media is a wonderfully interesting place, with new features being announced nearly every day. In case you missed out on any of the news from the past week, we’ve rounded up everything up for you right here… Facebook’s expanding Stories. Facebook Stories… they just…

Last week, while we were discussing Instagram ethics, the internet broke the story of the social experiment of all SOCIAL experiments. A youtuber revealed that a series of Instagram posts chronicling her seemingly luxurious holiday to Bali, was intentionally staged and planted to test…

For B2B brands, account-based marketing is key to its marketing and sales for several reasons. To name a few – ABM puts the emphasis on individual prospects or existing accounts, has a huge potential for return on investment and often shortens the sales cycle. So, what’s holding B2B…

Let’s face it, do ANY of us enjoy the current Facebook feed where we’re shown a glimpse of what our friends post and what Facebook thinks we might be interested in? Granted, the option to change to chronological order has always been there, however, Facebook has…

Fallen behind on the past week’s news? Fear not, we’re here for you with a roundup of the latest updates from the industry! Carry on reading for more… LinkedIn’s highlighting achievements. LinkedIn is adding a new ‘Featured’ section to profiles, where users can display their latest achievements at the…

If you’re deep into it with Facebook ads but something just isn’t adding up, here are a couple of things to consider looking at: Ad Relevance Diagnostics You can see these scores in the standard “Performance” reporting view in Facebook Ads Manager when you’re viewing your ads.

Over the years, Snapchat has redesigned its app many a time, but the last major update seemed to push a lot of users to abandon ship. And I can recall purposely not updating my phone to hold onto the old layout for as long as possible! Sad,…

Twitter is growing – are you missing out? Their Q4 performance report states that they have added 21% more monetizable daily active users to the platform – this takes them to 152million. What does monetizable mean? It’s a user count of how many accounts…

Another news-filled week has passed, so here we are… bringing you a roundup of the best articles we just want to shout about. Stay with us and we’ll get you up to speed with the latest happenings in social in no time! Instagram Stories may be getting a…

IGTV may not have grown as quickly as anticipated, but with additional features on the horizon and monetisation in testing, it could very well be IGTV’s time to shine! Top creators are currently making their megabucks on Youtube and Facebook, swerving IGTV for the simple fact that…

The UK events industry is worth £42.3 billion – and it’s still growing. Gone are the days of cold calls, handshakes and flyers. Today’s event marketers are reaching you when you’re walking, talking, surfing or just casually browsing your favourite job listings site. When you…

This weekend I had a genuinely delectable dining experience. The food was Persian, modern, and perfectly-portioned for a pair. The menu was small; with the heavy presence of pistachio and rose, as I anticipated. But what I couldn’t have anticipated was the polished approach to a Scandinavian-Mediterranean hybrid…

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 the most interesting articles that we just had to shout about. Keep on reading to find out what you’ve missed…

In October 2019, Instagram launched a new @Creator account to provide tips and advice for Influencers, citing it as “THE place to learn more about what it takes to be a creator from the team at Instagram + the creators who inspire us every day”. Since its…

Who doesn’t love waking up on a Saturday, lazing about and watching morning cartoons? Yep, guilty! And apparently, Snapchat does too! They recently confirmed that Bitmoji TV will indeed be happening and launching to all its users making your custom avatars the stars of their full-motion cartoon series!…

When it comes to running a business there are fundamental practices that most follow to ensure a happy workforce, satisfied customers and general success. If bad practices exist, and you don’t treat your customer base correctly, failure is likely to follow. So, how does this relate to…

Whether it’s a new platform update, testing a feature or ways to improve social strategy, we’re always fascinated to find out what’s been happening in the world of social media and learn new things. That’s why we’ve rounded up the best articles from the past week we just have…

Creativity and brainstorming aren’t just for B2C marketers. B2B marketers can and should be innovative and visionary with their content too. Here at immediate future we like to push the boundaries of marketing norms and break the social boring! And it’s time your business did the same! Whether you’re…

It’s official, Byte has launched! What’s Byte? Well, remember Vine, the video-sharing app which specialised in a 6-second looping format? The one that Twitter bought and then shut down to cut costs because hosting video is costly? Thereby counting themselves out a tonne of cash which TikTok…

While there have been whispers of a Twitter editing feature, CEO Jack Dorsey has shut down rumours this week in an interview with Wired saying “please stop bothering us about this, please.” Since its founding in 2006, Twitter users have been desperate for an editing featuring.

At IF we love all things social. So, we’re always interested in staying up to date with the latest happenings and bringing them to you in our weekly Social Snapshot! Read on to find out what’s been happening in the past week……

Could it be? The much-awaited desktop version of DMs is FINALLY here? Well, almost. Instagram talked about and tested this functionality around February of last year, however, they have now confirmed that it will be happening and are slowly rolling out direct message access via their web-based…

Would you create a White Paper giving it only cursory effort? Would you slap any old image and message on a Billboard? Would you grab any piece of copy and image and throw up on your website? If shooting a TV Ad, would you corral the troops…

After 5 years of back and forth boomerangs, Instagram has decided to take things to the next level, adding not one, not two but three new features for the ever-popular platform! According to Instagram itself, they are ‘creative twists that’ll make you say yaaassssss’. And will also help…

At IF we love all things social. So, we’re always interested in staying up to date with the latest happenings and bringing them to you in our weekly social snapshot! Read on to find out what’s been happening in the past week… Facebook’s adding more detail to its…

More controls for conversation on Twitter – is this a positive change to reduce trolling or the beginning of closed communities on the platform? One of the latest announcements from Twitter was made during an appearance by Suzanne Xie, Twitter’s director of product management, at CES (Consumer Electronics Show)…

A new calendar year inevitably brings algorithm changes and updates to social media platforms. But these aren’t the only changes that marketers need to put on their radar – changes to reporting and insights need to be noted as well. These changes are extremely important to brands, as…

Youtube announced in September that new measures will be put in place to better protect children by removing data targeting features on videos identified as being aimed at kids. “Starting in about four months, we will treat data from anyone watching children’s content on YouTube as…

We may be easing back into the world of work after a joyful Christmas break and new year celebrations, but the world of social media has welcomed the new year with open arms; announcing new policies, tests and features almost immediately. To help you stay up to date with…

It’s the start of a new year, which means, new starts, fresh minds and maybe, a new social strategy? ‍♀️Or maybe you just want to give your social strategy that extra boost? Either way, it’s time brands start utilising social media to develop relationships with consumers and gain a…

Why Media Buyers and networked Creatives agencies are doing Social Media wrong If you were to jump into a DeLorean equipped with Flux Capacitor and punch in a…