Content Planning Immediate Future

Content Planning

With so many metrics constantly popping up, the world of social media can be confusing. What should you be tracking? What’s important for your business goals? We’ll take you through the various metrics that every company or brand should be looking at, so you can stay on…

Designers know more about ‘trusting the process’ than anyone else. Though what we all need to understand is, there is a process to everything that we do and without trust and patience, we can falter at the first hurdle. When it comes to ‘Trusting the Process’ on social…

On average, users post 6,000 Tweets every second on Twitter. As a Social Media Designer, standing out from the pack is crucial, and you probably dedicate a huge amount of your time to researching competitors, trawling through Facebook design groups for inspiration, or looking at the work of…

Back before social media was even called social media, brands were part of the conversation. Whether it was on Myspace, Flickr, Blogs, Habbo Hotel or the plethora of message boards – marketing comms was experimenting with talking direct to the customer. Now, 20 years on, the world has…

Employee advocacy has moved centre stage in social marketing. It is accelerating as a program, pushing out its messaging in all new ways and putting employees at the forefront of business promotions and campaigns. What is driving this rapid increase in employee advocacy across social media, and what…

If you are starting in the world of social media, you may have already heard that before converting, you must set up a presence. However, it’s possible your social strategy isn’t working properly, which means the investment does not translate into the desired results.

No brand is a stranger to the realm of social media likes, but it seems like 2021 will be the year to kick them to the curb. While introduced to help relieve social pressure and improve mental health for its users, it’s difficult to ignore how this impacts…

For some marketers, social media marketing can be seen as slightly complex or just a quick add-on to their overall marketing strategies, with very little focus. But, with over 3 billion active social media users in the world and the average person spending just under 2.5 hours on…

Moments make social. They fill our personal feeds with memories to look back on. From the family reunion after lockdown to our pets doing something adorable. The achievements we’re proud of to the moments of calamity our dear friends captured. Moments make social media. For a brand to make…

It may not be the new kid on the block, but please, no ageism here! The Facebook platform is still VERY important to the digital ecosystem, in fact, it’s top 3 according to Comscore. So we’re here to give you the checklist of your…

Do you want to have more reach on Instagram? Do you want to understand how Instagram ranks feed posts? Then you should know how the Instagram algorithm works in 2021. Now, what is the Instagram algorithm? In short, the Instagram algorithm is a mechanism that classifies content according…

Throughout 2020 and into 2021, social media has become more important than ever to stay in touch with people, find new trends and hobbies and keep up to date on current events. Brands had to thrive while undergoing rapid, unexpected digital transformation, and social marketers had to…

That title is a nod to Bo Burnham’s Inside, the comedian’s latest special on Netflix, in which he spends a hefty amount of time discussing the effects of social media. His song Welcome to the Internet covers how there’s a little bit of everything for everyone, good and…

Last week saw the launch of our Technology CMO Outlook Report. Alongside Copy House, we put the flesh on the bones of the normal benchmark reports and brought to you in-depth interviews from the CMOs of some of the biggest names in tech. On Friday, we were live with…

Brands, we hear your plea… you want better engagement and higher conversions, right? What’s the secret [BBQ] sauce? It’s the consumer data. In social, there are billions of consumers chatting about everything under the sun, so you just need to listen, interpret the data and use it to…

Building a relationship between you and your design team is imperative to creating social content that leaps off the screen and becomes ingrained in users’ minds. You should trust your designers to know what they are doing and keep the clients’ best interests in mind. In…

Hello and welcome to our latest Social Snapshot News Roundup! Let’s dive right in: Clubhouse – the uber popular social audio app – launched its Android version this month, bringing with it one million new users, and a million more are sitting on the waitlist. The app…

We live in a digital era and there are billions of internet users worldwide. That means there are lots of opportunities for brands to engage with their audience and achieve business growth. One of the most effective methods for spreading brand awareness and attracting new customers is…

Why isn’t anyone advocating storytelling reporting to your own boardroom? As we emerge from COVID-19, boardrooms are scrutinising their post-COVID recovery plans. Budgets and ROIs are being assessed to determine if they’re investing in the right areas to deliver the required business impact, at the speed needed. There…

As a designer, trusting the process is second nature. We have to work on specific elements, gradually building them up slowly and methodically until we get the final product. This is something that can make or break a design team, making sure that everyone has confidence in their…

82% of people agree social media is a vital channel for delivering exceptional customer experience. We know consistently delighting customers is a complex task – requiring skills in leadership, tech and a healthy dose of agility. Often, though, the idea of focusing on the customer experience through social…

Hashtags remain one of the most effective ways to generate engagement on your Instagram posts in 2021. A report says that a post with at least one hashtag averages 12.6% more engagement than posts without any. So, it’s worth including them in your content strategy.

Well, we could simply say… research, plan it, write it, check it, check it again, post it. But there’s really much more to writing for social media than many people think. Here are our top tips, and what not to do! First Thought What is the first thing,…

It’s no secret that the last 12 months has thrown out some challenging moments for every single brand and organisation across the globe. Recently, Katy Howell (CEO, immediate Future) and Belle Lawrence (Associate Director, Immediate Future) sat down with a group of experienced marketers in the FMCG world…

There are new social media marketing tactics popping up every day. When first getting started in social, it can be tough to define which ones are right for your brand and audience. Influencer partnerships can have a huge impact on boosting your…

Social media is about open, unfiltered ideas being sent across the web to anyone in the world willing to listen. Platforms like Twitter are called that because they give users a literal platform to speak from, voice their opinions and engage with others. Over time, this idea has…

In our recent webinar, Big Brand Secrets For Creating Audacious, Killer Content, Katy Howell, Laura McNally, and Karly Boyce sat down to talk about how brands can create bold, brave, and daring content. The conversation delves into what bold looks like to them, the process involved in creating…

As part of its analyst day overview, earlier this year, Twitter released a series of potential new features they hope will boost numbers and aggressively grow their user base over the next three years. Including various new subscription-based features, which will enable creators to monetize their Twitter following:…

Social is a very visual medium, so why are brands still doing a bad job at communication through design? Whether it’s a boring, wallpaper image, or a message which doesn’t translate from print to social (we’re looking at you, Burger King), there’s no reason brands can’t take the…

On social, its crucial for brands and identities to sometimes stand out from the crowd, to create content that engages users and makes an impact. Making the same content as others can appear stale and overdone, so there is a lot of pressure to create content that can…

Imitation is the best form of flattery – rarely is an idea fully formed at the start. The technical birthplace of wireless is in the Netherlands, where WaveLAN (an early form of the still nascent wireless networking standard) was introduced with the intent for use in cashier…

It’s that time of the week again – time for your social snapshot! We’ve got a round-up for all of the latest happenings on social media. So grab a coffee and get up to speed Facebook announces new features for IWD With International Women’s Day coming…

With so much change, disruption, and discussion around what’s next all around the world, it can be difficult to stay in touch with what really matters at the moment. For a brand on social, if you aren’t on top of key trends, how people are feeling and why…

59 million people used Snapchat’s AR tools during the recent Super Bowl in the United States, the platform reported this week. When you take into account that Snapchat has 92 million users in the US, that’s a whole lot of activity. At the top of…

Let’s get real, most of the content you’re scrolling through on social right now is BORING. Social feeds are a sea of pointless pictures, yawn-inducing infographics, and videos that would send an insomniac to sleep! BUT then… you’re stopped in your tracks by something stand-out, thumb-stopping, and exciting!…

Reactive social media is something we’ve seen a lot of recently and was considered a growing trend in 2020 after everyone turned to social at the start of the pandemic. When done well, this type of content can really pay off, but it doesn’t come without its risks.

Here we go again! Another rundown of the latest happenings in social media from the past week. So, sit back, grab a coffee and enjoy another edition of Social Snapshot! Twitter is caring for the customer Online shopping is becoming increasingly popular and this means your digital…

Social media trends are quite often fleeting. Some find ways to adapt and evolve and stay relevant. Others are gone with the click of the fingers. One thing that is here to stay is influencer marketing. In 2021 brands are well aware that connecting with the consumers is…

To save you a long read if you are not here for the why: there isn’t really a best time to post on social media, or rather, if there is one, it can change overnight, depends on a lot of factors, and ultimately, doesn’t really matter. Let’s explore.

For many people working outside of our industry, social media marketing seems easy. Wrong. What they don’t know is how much effort and hard work goes on behind the scenes. And it’s not just down to one person. To be successful in social media marketing, you need to collaborate –…

It’s that time of the week again – time for your social snapshot! We’ve got a round-up for all of the latest happenings on social media. So, sit back, enjoy, and take it all in! TikTok Launches it’s first LiDAR-enabled AR effect With AR set to be…

New year, new… well, nothing? If you’re feeling like nothing has changed and the world of social media is as exhausting as ever, we’ve collated a few best-practice thoughts for you – you’re stronger than you think! Be agile, not fragile Change is the only constant… who said…

We’re just about ready to down tools and dive into the mince pies! BUT, before we do, we’ve got one last round up of the news, updates and announcements on social this past week. TikTok adds ‘Year in review’ In many ways, 2020 has been a year…

The time of year has arrived where marketers and platform experts take a look back over the past 12 months and start making predictions for what’s to come. And although many of us are starting to wind down for our well-deserved Christmas break, these insight-filled blogs and guidelines…

In recent days, gamers have swarmed social media to show their disappointment in the launch of the highly anticipated video game, ‘Cyberpunk 2077’, some of which have been waiting over ten years for its release. To the dismay of many, the game released to platforms in an unplayable state, making…

If you’re not storyboarding your social media then you’re set for 2021 failure. Brands who continue delivering arbitrary social media face a significant challenge ahead. Against the backdrop of a brutal 2020, some will think my comments harsh and not what they want to hear. My counter, as I…

Many of us will be happy to see the end of 2020, but it’s still important to reflect on the happenings in social media from the last twelve months. Facebook year in review Unsurprisingly, a major theme for Facebook/Instagram this year was Covid-19. The Instagram Stay Home sticker…

Whenever a planning phase is imminent, such as the start of a new year or preparing a campaign proposal, a key element is often missed – results and data from the last campaign. If you’re on top of things and managing to review your social marketing data regularly,…

Without a doubt next year is going to be bumpy. We’re not over the pandemic yet; the UK faces Brexit; and a recession is on the cards. Whether your industry is flying or picking itself back up again, you will need a plan for next year. This…

As it’s less than a month until Christmas, it only seems right to write a festive-inspired blog and get everyone in the holiday spirit This week, TikTok launched a holiday playbook for small businesses, to help with marketing plans ahead of…

Building your brand personality on social will set you in good stead for the future – more than that, it’ll ensure your audience understand who you are and what you stand for, building up brand trust. The key to building this up is consistency – write in a…

Fleets are finally here, make your Messenger chats auto-disappear and receive help from Instagram – let’s take a look at it all in today’s Social Snapshot: Facebook adds new ‘vanish mode’ for Messenger Facebook has announced a new ‘vanish mode’ for Messenger, in which your messages will…

The topic for last week’s Serious Social Live was brainstorming, and particularly how we can all navigate the challenges presented by brainstorming when remote working. As with all scripting, we start with crafting the questions; finding the area of resonance between the audience’s need for knowledge and the insight…

The new normal, post-Covid world, or whatever you may call it, is going to change everything. From the way we work to the way consumers behave. If we look to the future, it’s looking pretty bleak – we can’t sugar-coat that. Brexit, the continuation of covid, a potential recession…

Can you quite believe that we are a mere few weeks from the end of 2020! For many, it can’t end quick enough, but for brand marketers, we KNOW there’s never quite enough time to plan for the year ahead. We’ve just launched our…

Increasingly, brands look to digital-only events to replace the much-loved physical events that have welcomed footfall to conferences and exhibitions across the globe. However, pivoting to a digital-only event can be tricky. At the start of this year, few would have predicted the scale of home-working and the speed…

Social media reactions have become a staple across all platforms, as a new way to engage with content from brands and friends. These reactions give better context to how you feel about the content and a deeper understanding of what works and what doesn’t work. Gone are the days…

While there’s always more to learn about the largest social media channels that we’re pretty familiar with when is the last time you checked out what was happening on some of the smaller, or more niche channels? If you fancy watching our latest Serious Social about these three,…

Cross-app communication, Instagram’s 10th birthday and Facebook’s new Groups feature – it’s been a busy week, so let’s dig in today’s Social Snapshot: Facebook introduces cross-app communication between Messenger and Instagram Facebook announced it will begin rolling out new functionality, allowing Instagram and Messenger users to communicate…

It’s been a whopping ten years since Instagram launched and changed the face of social media. Feel old yet? WE DO! So, first things first, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Instagram! From the selfie revolution to the rise of the influencer, IG has helped shaped the digital revolution and has…

It’s a frequently asked question framed at us by boardrooms and marketing directors. More often than not it comes from the senior-most person in an organisation. People who wish to sense-check what the brand is doing on social and validate past spend versus future investment. We’re frequently asked to…

New features galore this week – join us as we go through all the tools you’ll be playing with in coming months with our Social Snapshot: Instagram has replaced Nametag Codes with QR Codes to quickly connect users Back in 2018, Instagram launched what it called ‘Nametag…

We’ve all sat in brainstorms where detractors find reason or cause to not do something. The naysayers who police everyone and everything despite never being asked to do so. They’re also the people who never find a solution to the myriad of problems they’ve erected in front of every…

When it comes to creating content for your social channels, many marketers can get in a rut – producing the same content over and over and cross-channel posting. For some, this works. But for others, it may bore your followers and lack engagements. So, what can you…

Successful social media campaigns are achieved not by a single “viral” tweet, but by experience, understanding and preparation – there are SO many hurdles that social media marketers have to leap, and often because social is seen as “easy”. We’ve got news for you, it’s not!…

The B2B landscape is an interesting one. There’s a common misconception that B2B organisations are low on usable content, but it’s simply not true. The landscape is actually flush with more information and eye-catching, challenging content than perhaps a lot of businesses realise. What do I have right now? Think…

No time to go through all the social media news of the past week? Don’t worry – we’ve collated it all for your easy perusal. Take a look: Facebook’s Q2 results beat estimates Facebook has beat its Q2 estimates, reaching $18.69 billion in revenue and 2.7…

‘The audience you want, versus the audience you have.’ It sounds like a jargon fuelled line you’d hear in a Harry Enfield comedic skit featuring the character of a cheesy marketing exec spewing lingo to make themselves look good. However, the ‘loadsamoney-esque’ dialogue is an important strategic facet…

Increasing engagement on social media can sometimes be difficult – just because one thing works for one company, doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll work for yours. With over 3.6 billion people using social media worldwide and algorithms constantly changing, companies need to be smart. But what counts as engagement? Engagement…

There’s no doubt that 2020 so far has been a little tiring for marketers. With limited resource and time during the workday, let alone the demands of working from home, some social media marketers might be looking for a little help with content planning. It’s not just about finding a…

Last week, Facebook released a video on making creative impacts with text, timing and format. While focused largely on Facebook, the video has some general tips that are crucial for everyday social marketers looking to have their knowledge or current methods vindicated, and those that are trying to…

Ah, content planning – the bane of many digital marketers! As CJ rightly pointed out in his last blog and podcast (check it out), you might *think* you don’t have enough content to run on social media. And if you think that, you might fall…

Myths are part of historic fabric. From the existence of Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, to the Beast of Bodmin Moor, myths or legend are folklore in Britain. Some to stories have transcended continents too – the story of Robin Hood and his Merry Men making it all the…

Sounds mad doesn’t it? Who’d of thought that now is the time to start your Christmas campaigns. Usually you are finalising plans in July for Q4, but not advertising. Things are indeed strange. A look at the social conversations and latest insight from Facebook and Pinterest makes it…

LinkedIn has been historically reticent to give in-depth follower information, or it has at least limited follower-specific features. When it brought back the option to invite your connections to follow your company page late last year, it implemented a limit of 50 invites per page manager, per day.

Social has been hit by a perfect storm. A triumvirate of changes that have set it on a new path. Covid-19, which has more of us on social, spending a lot more time and increased activity is likely to stay; More polarising content has made it a hard…

More ads on YouTube, pinned comments on Instagram – the social media landscape is ever changing, but we are here to keep you up to speed. Join us for another social snapshot: YouTube is adding more ads YouTube videos are usually at least 10 minutes long. That’s…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…