Monitoring & insight

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…
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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.
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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.
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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.
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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…
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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.
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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…
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Here’s a great example of a social media channel listening to the needs of businesses today! Finally, we are able to see if our content works, measure the brand’s organic presence and optimise accordingly, all within the Instagram app. Since the introduction of business accounts last year, the…
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Measuring the success of a social media campaign has become more and more sophisticated, it’s not just about the traction on social media, but also the next steps to site side. Gone are the days when a website and social media was simply there to look great. Today,…
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  According to Statista, there are 3.17 billion people online of which, 2.3 billion are active social media users. Yes, you read that right. That figure alone can trigger businesses to invest in social media, with the aim of reaching their target markets. Businesses want…
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Sometimes social gets a bad rep. This is due to the lingering hangover our industry is still suffering from the bad old days of “social rockstars”, “ninjas” and “gurus” who sold vanity metrics at a premium and contributed very little to actual business objectives.
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Social advertising is an effective way of driving traffic to your website but if your website is not mobile friendly then your brand could be losing out.According to research from Adobe, the UK is the largest driver of website traffic through social engagement and with nearly 80 percent…
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Building a relationship with your viewers is key and what makes YouTube stand out from the social media crowd. YouTube’s recent updates shows their dedication to making conversations within the YouTube community easier and more personal. Here’s a handful of YouTube features giving video creators more control over…
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Anyone who’s seen Peanuts knows the football gag. In it, Lucy challenges Charlie Brown to kick a football which she then moves just as he’s about to punt the life out if it. The joke ran yearly from 1951 to 1983 and yet every…
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Social listening is all the rage when it comes to analysing consumer behavior, determining people’s views of a brand, service or product and comparing a company’s public reputation to its competitors. One of the challenges social listening faces however is the vast majority of social users the internet classifies…
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In the last decade or so, social media has evolved into a data mining, user generated information goldmine, which is drawing ever more attention from those who can interpret the data and put it to good use. This is…
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As the most romantic weekend of the year approaches, I am once again filled with joy as I get to spend it working with one of my favourite clients, working in a fast-paced, action-packed, real-time social media command centre. Social listening has become more than accepted by almost…
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These days the buzz seems to be around ‘social listening’ – it sounds cool, it sounds sexy, and there are a million and one tools out there ready to take your money to offer you a world of insights into your customers, markets and online audience. However, in…
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All brands, big or small, can benefit from market research. And it can feed into an organisation at any level – whether that is for something as big as a re-brand; a change in strategy; a product launch; or something as ‘simple’ as a seasonal campaign. However, market research…
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  August is gone with the wind. With it go Notting Hill Festival, Reading 2015, V Fest, National Burger Day and summer. Relive the glory days of balmy summer evenings, sizzling barbeques and 30+ degree weather (sort of) by having a read through our top five IF blogs…
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Marketers around the world are pronouncing the death of demographic segmentation, and behavioural segmentation has swept in to pick up the pieces. Thanks to the digital invasion, marketers are armed with the tools to analyse consumers’ behaviour. And as we all know, this is called behavioural segmentation. This has…
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Back in the pre-Kardashian era of 2002, HSBC ran a campaign called ‘the importance of local knowledge’ and it’s as relevant today as it was then. More specifically the importance of local dialect in relation to social media. This week…
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  No, this isn’t another blog about Amazon’s Prime Day. Nor is it a battle-cry for us all to dress in red suits and feast on plates of Turkey during the height of summer. I’m exploring why the brands who have Christmas ‘locked down’ in July, thrive in H2.
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  For small business owners, automation tools can be incredibly useful things. But, like all tools, relying too heavily on social media automation will end in tears. Maintaining a brand identity and personality on social media is an important part of the relationship you want to have…
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By adjusting your approach to social media during your businesses peak period, you could turn a stressful and potentially fearful time into a victorious experience delivering spadefuls of ROI. We’ve heard it before: “social can be your best friend or your worst enemy”. This is never truer than during…
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Bing, the Microsoft owned, ever-growing search and data resource has returned its translation feature to Twitter-owned monitoring suite Tweetdeck. Originally introduced in July 2013 the service offered users a two click option to get quick and dirty translation of any none-native language…
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With 8 in 10 adults in the UK adopting the “second screen” culture and indulging in the availability of endless entertainment and information online, attention spans have dwindled from 12 minutes to 5 minutes over the past 10 years in our offline…
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Linkedin, the “Facebook for business” has released maps of the USA and Europe converting user’s professional skillsets data by city and area. A welcome step towards providing visualization of Linkedin’s unique mountain of data, the maps released last week…
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Nearly one in two people in the UK will get cancer. But, as we learned from Amanda Neylon, Macmillan Cancer Support’s Head of Digital at the Social Speakeasy, 38% will not die from the disease. Macmillan exist to improve the lives of everyone living with cancer. Engaging and inspiring others…
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https://vine.co/v/OKThEbnxZv1 Having managed communities spanning from global secret music parties to Euro-wide white goods brand, and having been lucky enough to have had both the freedom to experiment with new platforms and new types of content, with the discipline of strict brand guidelines and superb customer service;…
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Focussing on the elements that influence and shape user preferences online, The Social Consumer Study explores how connected consumers are in today’s ‘always on’ environment. What is clear is that buyers are far more likely to invest time, money and trust in an emotional brand – something…
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Little else has dominated UK news headlines in recent months than the impending Scottish referendum. Not satisfied by traditional media coverage, many have taken to social media to voice their beliefs. Individuals, as well as the Yes and No campaign brands themselves, have chosen social to raise awareness and support…
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Hootsuite quietly ushered in a rebrand and updated service offering overnight, but it wasn’t long until Twitter feeds were booming with the news. The familiar owl icon has now been replaced with what resembles an avian Darth Vadar. Hootsuite has definitely met the dark side mirroring…
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Want to learn more about your customers? You can with Facebook’s new ‘Audience Insights’ tool! Whilst the feature is currently only available in the US, UK marketers can expect to see a wider expansion in a few short months…  And we can’t wait to get our hands on…
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Many marketers recognise the advantages in using social media, but those sentiments aren’t always shared. Particularly by the board. So the challenge is how to prove social value? We invited Richard Clark, former Online Controller at Argos.co.uk and a founding member of the Marketing team at Best Buy in the…
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What is real-time marketing about? Responding to customers, following trends and ultimately creating a strong, relevant relationship with your audience. It doesn’t sound so bad when you sum it up like that. But real-time marketing is easier said than done. Our research report ‘In the…
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Paraphrasing some recent advice at our Social Speakeasy from Jerry Daykin of Mondelez International, “If you want to become a real-time engagement focused business then you need to break some of the traditional marketing practices”. Advice that is mirrored in our brand survey results on real-time social engagement. Where brands…
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Brands know that they need to be monitoring conversations if they are to make the most of real-time social engagement. Our survey, ‘In The Moment’ benchmarks real-time social amongst leading brands. It shows 62% of marketers think the most important best practice is monitoring trends,…
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Measuring, analysing and benchmarking your social activity is essential. It highlights what you are doing well, when you need to improve, and whether you are delivering what your customers want. But in truth, social media isn’t about promoting your business at all. It’s about engaging with your community (something easier…
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So this week I am staying away from social media, but looking to gauge responses on topics for staff retention and candidate attraction. Leave a comment below and share what you think about flexible working! This is a sore spot for many people the world over, flexible working, or indeed…
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If you find a little time in-between now and the New Year, it’s a good opportunity to do a little social media housekeeping. Here are immediate future’s top 14 recommendations (seriously, we are doing our tidy up too!) that will improve your social footprint…
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Happy #xmasjumper day everyone.  In the IF offices this week we have already seen some fairly horrific Christmas jumpers and no doubt it’s similar in offices all over the land… According to Topsy, recently acquired by Apple, there have…
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Since the interview aired on BBC Newsnight less than a week ago,  social media commentary about the Brand v Paxman debate has exploded. On the official BBC Newsnight YouTube upload of the interview, there has already been 7,562,772 views: that’s a whopping 1,260,462 views per…
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Who hasn’t been trying to monitor their online performance and hit a road block because you can’t access the proper tools? Maybe you’re up to your eyeballs in meaningless figures and graphs? All you need is a little context, some simple analysis, a general overview – but you don’t…
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  © Kenichi Nobusue ”My social networks” Photo. Attribution 2.0 Generic  There is no simple answer to running a successful business but those who do often rely on business instinct. It could be a sixth sense that leads you to success, but sometimes it’s best…
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Where would you ask a question or make a complaint about a brand? Via letter, phone call, email or social media? Customer service has rapidly progressed. Where once we would write a letter, walk it to the post office and expect a response within around 2 weeks, we now send…
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Going shopping with your friends on the weekend is one of the most sociable activities we can do. Shoppers enjoy “making a day of it” or even getting the (sometimes critical) feedback from our friends or family about how an item of clothing looks on.  Who would have…
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Your business is full of experts. And people who know a lot about what they do is extremely interesting to others. Some businesses are starting to move towards being an authority in what they do, to get people to buy into their expertise, rather than just telling people they are…
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Following on from Adam’s blog ‘From Monaco With Love’, and whilst I’m still buzzing from the excitement of managing the social media conversations around the IBM #SmarterCommerce Global Summit last week, I’d like to share some of the key learnings and insights the team…
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With such a large number of analytical tools for social media, it is understandable that you may feel overwhelmed with all of the data that is available. However, with some simple steps, you’ll be analysing the success of your social media campaigns in no time: There are so…
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We’re living in times of integrated marketing. The distinction between social, e-mail, SEO and PPC does still exist, but it has become essential that different channels work in conjunction, not competition, towards the same goal. As a consequence, brand websites should reflect this integrated approach. There is a great opportunity…
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Last week, I had the pleasure of attending Social Media Measurement & Monitoring 2013 where our lovely CEO Katy Howell (@katyhowell) was imparting her knowledge on tracking leads through Facebook. It was a great session with lots of interesting talks and juicy debates – I’d like to…
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With the ink barely dried on Facebook’s latest announcement, you could be forgiven for thinking that the social network was feeling marginally threatened by the likes of visual counterparts such as Pinterest. Facebook’s latest redesign places a clear emphasis on visual content, sending the message to brands that text-only content…
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Facebook is considering introducing the hashtag functionality to their social media site. This latest update will allow users to index conversations around a particular topic. Facebook have not yet set a release date, however it has been speculated that they are working on this new update as…
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  The most romantic week of the year is upon us once again. The cards are stocked, the roses reduced and the restaurants ready for their annual influx of covers. But what can the world of social tell us about Valentine’s Day in 2013. Is this a year of carefree…
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Social media crises are not as rare as you think. And, as with HMV and Tesco, it’s often the biggest brands that struggle to mitigate the risk. Mistakes are easy to make: you only have to look at Tesco during the middle of the horse burger scandal when…
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An app says a lot about a branded Facebook page. It can tell us whether a brand has a data and/or member acquisition strategy, while providing insight into the consistency of branding and coherency of content strategy. It can reveal the true extent of on-page geo-targeting, amalgamating localised campaigns and…
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Recently I’ve been having a lot of conversations with people about their social media monitoring pain points and challenges. Everyone knows and has been told many times about the opportunities offered by scanning the social media space for golden nuggets of information about your brand or company. And yes, it’s…
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When the clock strikes midnight and the un-dead stir from their graves, it won’t be Freddie Krueger, or Pennywise the clown putting the frights into social media marketeers this Halloween. Something far worse. Something far scarier. A social media metric that isn’t being measured. As Social Media Examiner reports, the…
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Are you listening to what’s being said about your brand or business online? Regardless as to whether or not your company has a presence on social media, monitoring the main networks is something that you really should be doing. Stop right there. Don’t roll your eyes and think ‘I don’t…
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1. Take it personally Responding in the heat of the moment may be a very human thing to do. But, when acting as the public persona of a brand or a client of such a response is a sure fire way to get your arse handed to you by the…
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Are you familiar with Reddit? Is the social news site incorporated into your social media monitoring and planning? So, what is Reddit? A dark horse of the online world, Reddit is a sharing platform that businesses and brands alike should be au fait with. It’s…
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 Netflix have learnt the hard way that social media can’t be a last minute consideration when it comes to a rebrand. Marketing has to be fully integrated with social media planning. On demand video service Netflix struck upon the name Qwikster for its DVD side of the business, you can…
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Social media knows no boundaries. Understanding what customers are saying in the social web has value for multiple parts of a business – not just marketing. Breaking down internal silos and sharing social insight is still a challenge for many. A recent piece of research from Dell/Forrester…
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