Social media marketing Immediate Future

Social media marketing

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 that? Me,…

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.

Podcast listenership in the UK reached an estimated 15.6 million listeners in 2020. And as brands continue to see opportunity in reaching audiences and building communities through this interactive format, there’s no sign of it slowing down any time soon. But working with an audio-only…

As we hurtle straight into January 2021 with the speed of a bunch of social media marketers who are just insanely grateful that 2020 is over, I know that time will be short to read lengthy blogs! So instead, here are my top recommendations for who to follow on Twitter,…

Well, there’s simply nothing more we can talk about with 2020. It really has been a rollercoaster of a year for us all and we’ve captured some of the crazy highlights in our festive round-up image. From decamping overnight to home offices, furloughed & un-furloughed staff and keeping…

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 say…

Next year is going to be a challenge on social. Activity is already up over 40% this year on the big networks and the platforms we never heard of before, like TikTok, are now mainstream viewing. Competition for attention is going to be harder than ever. And success is going…

Sales and marketing are two important business functions within an organisation; and because they both impact lead generation and revenue, they are consistently working together. However, despite this obvious crossover – how these departments work together is not always seamless and requires constant communication and alignment. As social…

We’ve predicted four standout Social Media Ad format performers for 2021, but there are six you should probably add to your go-to library. And no, this is not another of those time-wasting summaries or predictions that proliferate social media at this time of year. We’ve been doing our homework and…

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…

It’s that time of the week again – time for your social snapshot! We’ve got you covered for the latest in all thing’s social media. So, sit back, enjoy and take it all in. Facebook launches social good website Facebook’s launched a new website ‘Social Good for Business’,…

Let’s face it Covid restrictions have transformed trends, behaviours and shaped the way we live our everyday lives. And when it comes to shopping, things are very different from what they were seven months ago. Ever-changing consumer habits have forced many companies to re-think their retail and distribution models,…

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 year marketing has…

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 this…

It’s been a BIG week for social news. We’ve seen new features, new partnerships and details about what’s to come from all of the top platforms! To help you stay on track, we’ve rounded up a few articles… Let’s get stuck in Instagram’s testing FAQ’s Instagram is working…

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…

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…

Quality content pieces take time, effort and resources. And while the saying goes ‘let the content speak for itself’, that isn’t always the case when it comes to social media. Why? Audiences digest content differently – whether it be a certain time of day, a specific format or through varying…

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…

Another week, another #socialsnapshot. This week saw updates across many of the big social media players. A big focus has been on Twitter following its continued censorship during the US Presidential Election. Marketers are also keeping an eye in the shifting power of e-commerce platforms following the positive…

2020… what else is there left to say? A soul-sapping, up and down rollercoaster of emotions that has forced some to do the unthinkable. Yes, that’s right people. Christmas trees are sprouting up in front-rooms across the UK as families and friends alike look to ’light up lockdown’. Like it…

I am always a bit shocked when I discover there is no strategy behind marketing – how on earth do you know if it works if you don’t know where you’re going? So, when I heard that somewhere between 50-60% of branded communities have no strategy or purpose, I was…

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…

Will perennial bridesmaid LinkedIn ever become the bride? It pains me to say I suspect not. Before anyone thinks this is an anti-LinkedIn or anti-Microsoft rant, this X-Box playing marketeer wants nothing more than LinkedIn to realise its potential. Sadly, the diversified IT supplier appears to place more effort…

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…

In this day and age, almost everybody and every business are on social media. For us individuals, it’s a great way to keep in touch with family and friends, and occasionally show off something we’re proud of. But for businesses, it’s an important aspect that should be included in your business…

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…

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…

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 you…

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, dig in…

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 been there to…

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…

It’s been a big week for social media news, with lots of new features and insights! So we’ll get right to it… LinkedIn adds new warnings LinkedIn has added a new feature to the platform which sends users prompts over inappropriate content and those that go against its…

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…

We all yearn for information. Whether it’s improving our wellbeing, how we behave as humans, evolving as a businessperson or insight that can propel our businesses to greater heights, we can’t get enough of it. Audiobooks, podcasts and vlogs are fostering never before seen traffic numbers. Metaphors are drawn…

2020 has led to countless changes across the board – and for marketers, one big pivot has been with events and in-person activations. With new restrictions announced just this week, it looks like events will continue to happen online for the foreseeable future. Here are…

It’s been a big week for social media news, with lots of new features and insights! So we’ll get right to it… Facebook removes text restrictions Good news for all marketers! Facebook has announced it’s removing the restrictions on ads that are too lengthy in text, in the main…

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…

We’ve been honing the craft of marketing for over 100 years. Yet with the arrival of social, it seems much of what we learnt has been thrown out in favour of shiny new toys. We crave likes and engagement and followers like never before, whilst ignoring the need for the…

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…

We know it’s technically still too early to talk about Christmas, but in the world of marketing, Christmas usually starts in July – and this year it was even earlier! (See Katy Howell’s Christmas in July Serious Social for all the facts and figures about what…

Our purpose at IF is to break the social boring – what does that take? Bravery. Courage. AND preparation. The campaigns you see out in social which tackle taboos or hit a topic head-on – and then succeed – they’ve taken time to prepare, to look at what the possible…

It drives me mad when our industry talks about brands being authentic. It is thrown around on social posts, videos and blogs – like a sticking plaster you can slap on a brand to make it all better. It perpetuates the illusion that to be authentic, you just need to…

Despite the success that B2C organisations have seen, B2B companies have been dragging their feet when it comes to Instagram. And we get it. Starting, managing, and maintaining an Instagram account takes a lot of resources. Not only does the messaging need to be on point, but the feed and…

In the world of social media marketing, Twitter Lists are important. Brands, businesses, and marketers alike use Lists for various reasons. They can be public or private and can provide you with lots of relevant information that ultimately helps you be the best you can be.

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 address…

Often, when explaining what we do for a living, social media managers will be met with blank stares, frowns and pleasant smiles with an “oh, sounds complicated!” comment. This is usually because social media users aren’t at all aware of how channels work, and how we have to figure…

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 good…

Last week I had the pleasure of talking with Neville Hobson, the Director of Digital Marketing at Internet Society, about all things social media (you can listen to the pod or watch the video). First off the bat was the topic of trust. We’ve blogged…

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 do…

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!…

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…

OMG! Have you seen the latest lockdown content from Nike? Wow! Now this is the content we need to entertain us. https://twitter.com/Nike/status/1288845608694902786?s=20 I know Nike have deep pockets, but you don’t need to have big budgets to create attention grabbing content on social. We’ve been saying since the…

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…

Writing for social media ads might seem like a no-brainer, but there’s a lot more involved than you may think. Social media is a noisy landscape, and you can’t simply rely on your creative to get your audience’s attention – you need them to buy into what you’re selling…

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 of social…

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…

It’s that time of the week again – time for your #socialsnapshot. We’ve got you covered for the latest in all things social media. So sit back, enjoy and take it all in. Users can now broadcast their Messenger Rooms via Facebook Live Facebook has announced a…

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 up their…

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…

A few months ago we wrote about Fleets, Twitter’s answer to ‘Stories’ – which is Instagram’s answer to Snapchat! Whilst Fleets still haven’t rolled out to everyone, they are now working on creating a ‘collaborative’ version: “We are testing something new for some people using Fleets in…

72% of B2B marketers use social media advertising or promoted posts, so it’s no secret that paid social media is vital to generating sales and delivering ROI. But with the influx of users and increase in social advertising, how do marketers set themselves apart to ensure…

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…

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…

When it comes to social media marketing, Facebook is always the go-to platform for many marketers – especially when you find out Facebook users sign into the platform an average of 13.8 times a day. And with a platform that hosts multiple tools to help you set up and…

As always, the world of social media is non-stop with news and platform updates. And of course, this week is no different! So, dive right in and find out the latest happenings with our Social Snapshot… Facebook’s announced another algorithm change. Another week, another algorithm change. This week,…

Tik Tok for business has just recently launched, providing a plethora of tools to help brands and marketers utilise the short-form video app for their ad campaigns. “TikTok For Business is where you can unleash your brand’s creative side.

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…

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…

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 importantly, what…

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 that 46%…

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 slowed to…

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 what about…

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…

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 available and frequent…

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…

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, a way…

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 years ago, B2Bs…

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 no longer…

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…

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…

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 the key issues…

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 Coronavirus” with…

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, but also…

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 of sounding…

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 summed up…

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…