social business Immediate Future

social business

We’ve all been there. You’ve pulled a marketing campaign apart, wrangled the data, triple-checked your charts, and packaged it into a tidy little deck. You hit your KPIs. You even exceeded your objectives. But in the boardroom? Silence. A polite nod. Maybe a vague comment about the branding. Because data…

TikTok’s ROI boom, AI-powered ads, and brand safety in the spotlight TikTok is delivering serious ROI, AI is running the ad game, and brands are tightening control over where their content appears. Meanwhile, X is pushing deeper into AI-driven advertising, and Snapchat is refining brand safety measures to…

Let’s face it, social media is a visual playground. If your posts are looking a bit meh, it’s time to jazz them up! Whether you’re a small business owner, a marketer, or just someone who loves creating content, the right design tools can turn your social media game from bland…

You can have the best campaign, the smartest strategy, and the flashiest creative, but if your audience doesn’t trust you, none of it matters. In B2B marketing, trust is everything. It’s what turns a casual buyer into a loyal customer, a one-off project into a long-term partnership, and a client…

TikTok’s future in the U.S. remains uncertain, with the platform facing potential legal restrictions over national security concerns. In 2024, TikTok’s engagement rates dropped by 35% (SocialInsider), averaging 2.65%, but it remains one of the most ROI-positive platforms for marketers. This duality highlights the critical need…

Subscribe on LinkedIn While most marketers chase Millennials and Gen Z, the “forgotten generation” is quietly making waves on social media—and not just on Facebook. Think TikTok, Reddit, and Pinterest. Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980) is an interesting demographic. Ok, so we know…

You’re scrolling through Instagram or TikTok, casually catching up on the latest trends. Amid the flurry of sponsored posts, influencer shout-outs, and carefully curated content, something catches your eye. But instead of sharing it publicly, you hit that little icon and send it directly to your…

If you think you know your audience, think again. Social media audiences are evolving faster than you can say “algorithm change,” and relying on generic customer profiles just won’t cut it anymore. That’s where synthetic personas could come into play. Now, before you roll your eyes at another “silver bullet” marketing solution, hear me out. I’m not here to sell you a dream. Synthetic personas can be powerful, but let's be pragmatic – they’re not a guaranteed success and in fact may just be a fantasy.

Lead conversions are one metric that has remained a steady measure of success in the B2B world. There is no doubt that lead conversion is important. They provide a clear indicator of how many prospects are moving through the funnel, showing progress toward the ultimate goal of generating revenue. However,…

Social media has changed a lot since its early days. While the platforms and tools have evolved, the core principles of engaging with audiences and delivering meaningful content remain the same. We did a podcast on the social media evolution, and today we’re diving into some key insights on…

Happy birthday! Can you believe that Threads launched a year ago? Social media can often feel overwhelming and negative, but Threads is a space to comfortably share your thoughts and ideas. As we look back on the past year and forward to the future, it’s clear that Threads is more…

Thought leadership is a hot topic in the B2B space right now. More than anything, it is a marketing tactic to establish authority, build trust, and foster deeper customer relationships. We recently published a podcast episode, Leading from the Front, where we explore how to drive your thought leadership…

Staying updated with the ever-evolving world of social media is tough at times. Explore and learn about the most recent highlights and trends right here: YouTube tests QR codes The video network is introducing QR codes for channels to enable quicker connections. It is also testing effects creation for Shorts…

As an Instagram creator, understanding the nuances of the platform’s algorithm and content strategies is crucial for maximising your reach and engagement. Recently, Instagram’s content team shared some valuable insights including a key takeaway about the optimal length for Reels. Here’s what you need to know to enhance your Instagram…

Why settle for the ordinary when you can achieve the extraordinary? Forget about those cookie-cutter social media approaches—one size certainly does not fit all. Start looking deeper into the data to unlock insights that elevate your social media presence from mundane to ✨magical✨. The future is immediate, and speed is…

There’s a myth that the number of followers you have is the ultimate measure of success. But hold on to your hashtags, because here’s the truth: obsessing over your follower count is like chasing fool’s gold. Let’s dive into why it’s time to stop counting followers and start counting what…

One of the toughest hurdles for brands isn’t just gaining new likes or followers—it’s keeping their existing audience engaged on Facebook. But fear not! There are savvy tactics you can employ to not only boost engagement but also foster a loyal and active fan base. Native Videos…

In this blog post, we're diving headfirst into the realm of creative social media assets and unleashing a tidal wave of fun-filled strategies to turbocharge your online presence. So grab your digital paintbrushes and let's get ready to shake up the social scene with some seriously sensational content!

Sailing the unpredictable waters of social media demands more than just a map. It requires a dynamic compass. In the constantly evolving landscape of digital platforms, where algorithms shift like tides and trends come and go, strategic navigation becomes the compass that guides you to your destination. Here are some…

Success today is often measured by likes, shares, and followers—and it’s easy for brands to become fixated on primary Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). While these metrics are undeniably crucial, adopting a holistic approach demands a delicate balance. This is where Counter KPIs come into play, serving as invaluable safeguards against…

Working conditions and environment can have a huge impact on mental health, and, equally, someone's mental health can significantly affect performing well in their job. Here are a few dos and don'ts we use at IF for transforming your office into a positive environment.

New year, new strategies! Every move can significantly contribute to business growth, and initiating a strategic social media overhaul is the catalyst to success. In today’s blog, we will outline seven tactical tips designed to assist your brand in claiming the board and maintaining a vibrant online presence. ♟️ Opening…

No company is immune to the challenges of the fast-paced tech world. As we approach the one-year milestone of Elon Musk’s transformation of Twitter into “X,” it’s time to reflect on the evolving landscape of social media and its impact on alternative platforms. The crowded field of Twitter-like platforms will…

Get ready to turn your social media ads into a real party! Social media advertising is more than just a promotional strategy; it’s an art form. It involves crafting tailored ads to reach specific target audiences on a wide variety of evolving social media platforms. Armed with insights such as…

In today’s rapidly evolving food landscape, staying ahead of the curve is critical for food and drink marketers. As consumer preferences shift, so must marketing strategies. To help you adapt effectively, we’ll explore key food trends backed by both secondary research and social listening data. This comprehensive guide will not…

Social Listening, Barbenheimer

Hello there, fellow social media enthusiasts and marketing maestros! Can you believe it’s been two decades since social media burst onto the scene? Time sure flies when you’re busy scrolling. Let’s get down to business as social media has come a long way. According to the latest B2B content marketing…

Should your B2B brand bother to be on TikTok? Hold on tight, because we're about to embark on a wild journey through the untapped potential of TikTok for B2B engagement.

As you may have seen by now… (and the fact that it’s over 2M trending on Twitter…) Threads is live! Where we are now: Threads, an Instagram app is available for pre-download July 6, 2023 App Store: https://t.co/QzxKwyVQoG…

Welcome to social snapshot, your go-to source for staying updated on the fast-paced world of everything related to social media. We’ve got you covered with the most recent highlights over the past week. Let’s get going and dive right in: Social Summit This exclusive event will challenge your perceptions of…

Businesses work so hard to succeed on social media, but sometimes a small missing piece can be a deal-breaker. Video is certainly one of the most effective tools for B2B marketers to send their messages across on LinkedIn. Creating your visuals properly is essential to ensure your B2B campaign runs…

In the early days, there was a lot of confusion about how to work with creators and what that even meant. Creators would approach brands with the promise of making them the hero of their content in exchange for a flat fee. However, in recent years, we’ve seen a shift…

In the face of economic uncertainty, businesses need to adapt their marketing strategies to ensure they can stay competitive and relevant during challenging times. Social media has become an essential channel for businesses to reach and engage with their customers, especially in a recession where marketing budgets are often tightened.

Have you ever set yourself SMART marketing goals? In today's blog, we help you get closer to not only achieving your goals but also measuring your progress.

What is retro rebranding and why does it work? In today's blog we take a look at brands who have done just that.

Social Listening for Product Innovation

Social media is no longer just a place to post pictures of your lunch. It’s a powerful tool for businesses to connect with their target audience and drive sales. As users climb to near 5 billion worldwide on platforms from LinkedIn to…

In a recent post, WhatsApp stated they are now launching proxy support to users all over the world. What does proxy support mean, I hear you ask? What this means is we’re putting the power into people’s hands to maintain access to WhatsApp if…

LinkedIn recently shared a survey revealing that 73% of participants stated video has become more important to their businesses in the last year. The marketing industry is beginning to understand how to produce quality content in terms of budgeting, strategy, and execution,…

Who knew pricing something for $8 could get so completely out of hand?

Let’s talk about stress and anxiety in the workplace and how to deal with this.

In line with this year’s World Mental Health Day theme 'Make mental health and well-being for all a global priority' we're sharing our tips and tricks on what works best in our agency to manage mental health and stress.

In today’s blog piece, we’ve laid out our top four reasons why diversity and inclusion are essential in the workplace.

TikTok data shows that 70% of mobile gamers say the platform is a great way for developers to get their attention. Should all brands be paying attention? The short answer is yes. In case you missed it, TikTok released a guide earlier this month for marketers…

In recent years the spotlight has very much turned to Mental Wellness in the workplace. In short, we need to be mindful of the importance of our mental well-being as it can have such a profound impact on both performances in the office as well your personal life. In short,…

Crunching the data and turning it into insight is what we’re all about – BUT… you’ll be failing if that’s all you focus on. Proving the value of social back to your organisation can be challenging – we’ve got some ideas about how you can best do this. “We can’t…

Most marketers would agree that social media can have a big impact on brands and businesses. But the first step you need to take is setting up the right goals for your campaign. A social media goal is what you want to achieve within your activity as a marketer. It…

The importance of social media is difficult to overestimate- In the UK alone, social media ad spending is projected to reach £5.2 billion in 2021 and increase to £6.5b by 2025. Effective use of social media can not only increase brand awareness but can also boost conversions and…

There have been some rumblings over at YouTube these past few weeks, with rumours circling that they will finally be giving the axe to the dislike button… With rumours turning out to indeed be true, this update will be rolled out site-wide within days! DUN DUN DUN Like any other…

Following on from the Figma discussion a few weeks ago, where we talked about the pros of using apps like Figma in your design workflow, I wanted to take a moment to give a shout out to some other very cool apps that designers…

Here at immediate future, we are always testing new and exciting things to help us continue breaking the social boring. Recently, the design team stumbled across a design platform called Figma. A platform that enables users to work on a single document at the same time, working seamlessly…

As I am sure many of you know, Facebook suffered a major outage yesterday (Nearly 6 hours to be exact!). With chaos on the streets, many users fled to the safety of other platforms such as Twitter, Linkedin and, of course, Tiktok. Problems were reported across the world,…

In the past year there has been an increasing trend of brands using their social media platforms to support various causes. Social media has shifted from a place of ideas sharing to one that educates and inspires. Supporting a good cause on social can be one of the…

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 media, we…

Apple has recently released an update, iOS14, which is causing quite the stir with Facebook. If you’re an Apple user, then over the last few months, whenever you update or load a new app, you’ll have a popup notification asking if you are happy to share your data.

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 dreams! First,…

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 through content marketing.

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 is an…

“Change is popular when someone else is doing it, but when it comes to changing ourselves, not as many hands are raised.” Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend DigiConf 2021 and was struck by a session from Malin Liden on cultural change during a pandemic. Who even…

What employees say on social matters. It can sometimes break a company and often raise it up. Your insides are on view. Yes, all the wonderfulness of your company and all the hidden skeletons (and messy, frayed, edges) are now shining clearly to your customers, your investors, your…

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: The super-follower…

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 be thought-provoking…

That’s right, Pinterest are out here celebrating and showcasing independent shops owned by women for International Women’s Day. “Working women were disproportionately hit by the COVID economic fallout. Last December, women accounted for 100% of U.S. jobs lost that month. There are even talks of a “Shecession””. Now, more than…

I was thinking about the chat I had on last week’s Serious Social Live, with David O’Hearns from Dawn Creative. We talked about building brand. Everything from the basics to the knotty problems. In particular we discussed how branding is not just about social. It is an integrated and central…

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 paramount…

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. The issue…

It won’t surprise you to hear that an unprecedented number of brands adopted social media marketing in 2020. The ongoing COVID challenge forced many to do things differently and in many cases doing things they have not done before. Regular viewers of our Serious Social Live videos or regular readers…

Who doesn’t love a bit product tagging? Especially if you’re a business or creator. The process makes it so much easier for us, as consumers, to buy what we see in a post. The latest company to jump on this, is none other than YouTube – WHY did it take…

Going into 2021, companies might be looking at rejigging how they approach their audience on social media. It’s a tumultuous time, with many looking to their favourite businesses for signs they are adapting and changing their way of working to meet the needs of both their customers and their employees.

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…

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, you’ll have…

Over the years, as social media has become the be-all and end-all of where online content is consumed, the quality and style of creative imagery have continued to advance and achieve a wide range of results. As social is an ever-evolving landscape, trends and fads come and go from…

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…

Supporting businesses, Christmas and a few new platform announcements – it’s social snapshot time, so let’s just jump right in! Twitter offers Christmas insights Like all of 2020, Christmas is going to be different this year. So, to help marketers prepare for the unusual festivities, Twitter has shared…

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 Industry Benchmark…

If you’ve been following our blog for a while, you’ll remember when we wrote this post – the overarching tone of voice was “Gah, FINALLY, LinkedIn!!!” Given that almost every real-life event in 2020 has been cancelled or moved to online (thanks for nothing, Mr C. Ovid!), we aren’t the…

Entrepreneurs rightly state that employees are our biggest and most valuable resource. Yet many businesses are not unlocking the potent potential presented by social media. As business leaders start to scale the upper echelons of industry, they understand the importance of having an inside-out voice. Thought leadership or opinion piece…

You know the question – anyone working in an agency that specialises in social media has heard it before. Do you have a quick social media guide I can send through the company? Or Is there a one-sheet with all of the image sizes for each platform? You understand why…

Facebook recently had a showcase event in which they provided an overview of their latest advances in VR and AR which include; Project Aria Facebook’s take on “smart glasses” – which, by the way, will be a pair of Ray Ban’s – is currently being tested by employees to iron…

If anyone tells you otherwise, I would strongly question their credentials and motive. For years we’ve seen flash in the pan speakers pedal false philosophies portraying a vision of quickfire success by adopting a simple tactic. At times that involved people positioning social media as the great hope – but…

Out of time to catch up on social media news? We’ve done the work for you with our Social Snapshot – collating the biggest news of the week: Oracle confirms Bytedance-TikTok partnership in US The big news this week is Oracle confirming it has secured a Bytedance-TikTok…

Much like Vine before it, TikTok exploded onto the social media landscape – with an estimated 500 million users across the globe today. Naturally, a slice of that pie is up for grabs and Facebook jumped in with Instagram Reels in August (though some were seeing a different, earlier version…

Twitter is rolling out new settings that will allow all users to control who can reply to Tweets. It’s a feature they tested earlier in the year, but now we’ll all be able to start limiting who replies to our content. So, what does this actually mean? We see two…

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…

Call-out or cancel culture has been around for some years now. But like many things in marketing, it’s accelerated in importance over the last few months. Brand values have moved centre stage and what you stand for matters more than ever. The impact of #cancel is seen whether…

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…

A new social media subscription service, maximised ad campaigns and IGTV previews – let’s jump right into this week’s Social Snapshot: Twitter’s working on a new subscription service Brief disclaimer – this is supposedly only speculation, but a new team is reportedly working with Twitter’s payments group…

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. The limit…

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. Instead, Pride…

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,…

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 importantly, what…

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 you need…

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…

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 creativity of…

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 the difference.

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 make even…

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 to…

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 platform.

That’s right, it’s that time of year when we all prophesied about what the future year will hold. We usually look back and back-slap the 2019 forecasts that bore a molecule of resonance and success. Some will make simple to prove assertions like ‘live video demand will increase’. Yup, sure,…