Social media platforms Immediate Future

Social media platforms

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…

Q3 spend results, a new ‘Neighbourhoods’ feature and an extended time limit on live streams for Instagram – let’s dig right into this week’s Social Snapshot: Instagram extends time limits on live streams to 4 hours Annoyed you can’t archive your livestreams? Wish you could stream for…

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…

Sometimes it can be hard to stay up to date with the ever-changing world of social media! Stick with us as we take you through our weekly roundup of everything you need to know… WordPress turns blogs into Twitter threads WordPress has released a new function that allows users to…

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…

Are you like me? Do you enjoy, nay, LOVE, Halloween season? It is by far the most enjoyable season (don’t @ me, I *will* fight you!) I absolutely love seeing the amount of creativity that goes into costumes, make up and media. I mean, even coffee get’s the spooky makeover!…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

For this week’s social snapshot, we’re bringing you the top social news that’s on our radar (and feeds). It’s been a big news week, with lots of features, programs and insights guides. So, let’s jump straight in! Some users are now able to view Instagram Stories on Facebook…

You read the title correctly, some Facebook users have been allowed the option to choose if they want to view Instagram stories on their Facebook feed. The Instagram Story spears on your Facebook Stories feed with the IG rainbow border to differentiate from Facebook’s own Stories. Matt Navarra shared a…

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.

A lot has happened in social this week. Whether it’s a new feature, guide, or masterclass, it’s something you need to know! Stick with us and you’ll be up to speed in no time… LinkedIn publishes new guide. Many marketers, especially B2B businesses, use LinkedIn ads but may…

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…

A lot happened this week in social, so we’ll get right to it. TikTok continues to gain rapid momentum and the social giants are trying to keep up, so we’re seeing a lot of advancements in AR functionality. Moreover, the upcoming US Presidential Election has led to significant…

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…

Sometimes it can be hard to stay up to date with the ever-changing world of social media! Stick with us as we take you through our weekly roundup of everything you need to know… Pinterest rolls out skin tone search & AR. Pinterest has expanded its Skin Tone…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Social media is ever-changing, and sometimes it can be hard to stay up to date! Stick with us as we take you through our weekly roundup of everything you need to know… Screen-share comes to mobile Messenger. After bringing the option to desktop earlier this year, Facebook has…

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…

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…

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…

One of the latest releases from Twitter is the Audio Tweet! Now, I must admit I am a sceptic with this function – I’m not sure that, when social media is so visual, an audio-only format will be useful or used. However, sound is important in branding (tune in to…

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,…

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

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

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…

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…

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%…

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

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…

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 updated in…

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…

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…

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

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…

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

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…

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 of anyone…

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…

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

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

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 important…

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 set to…

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

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…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It’s always interesting to find out what’s happening in the world of social media, but we understand that sometimes it’s hard to keep up. That’s why we’ve rounded up the most interesting articles that we just had to shout about. Keep on reading to find out what you’ve missed out…

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

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

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…

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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,…

We may be winding down for the Christmas holidays, but the world of social media is showing no signs of stopping! With lots of new features being launched in the past week, it can be hard to keep up. So, we’ve rounded up the best articles to help you get…

If you’re a small business looking to grow and haven’t considered the potential benefits of using social media, you may want to keep reading. We’ve put a concise list together touching upon just some of the many reasons social media is an effective tool in helping grow your business. Increase…

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…

This past decade saw leaps and bounds in the social space. To name a few – we saw the launch of Instagram and Pinterest, data breach scandals with Facebook and massive breakthroughs in video apps garnering nearly 1.5 billion TikTok downloads. The sector seems to be changing daily, with new…

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

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a critical tool for any business as it can ensure you stand out in a very crowded online environment. But did you know that social media also has a part to play in your SEO plans? How? By tying into what Google looks for –…

Social media marketing benefits businesses in many ways, not least as it facilitates a unique, direct relationship with your customers. However, many businesses, despite having and managing a social media presence, are failing to recognise one of the key benefits of this media – social listening. What exactly is social…

Marketing teams are busy. Task lists swell daily. I’m not sure any marketer manages to achieve everything they set out to annually. Evolving sales collateral, event planning, commissioning reports, briefing the spring, summer and Christmas Ads, launching NPD, or improving demand generation. There is much to achieve as a team.

At IF we love all things social. So, we’re always interested in staying up to date with the latest happenings and bringing them to you in our weekly social snapshot! Read on for a roundup of the best articles we just have to shout about… Twitter’s testing tweet…

Creating and finding content to share on your social channels never ends, it is a lifelong commitment. And it is true that timely content is crucial to engage your following. But you don’t need to pressure yourself on just creating newsworthy posts; evergreen content can be posted in ‘quiet times’…

If the last week few weeks in the world of social media x politics have taught us anything, it’s that the public does “give a toss” about the cut and thrust of social – even if this politician doesn’t think so. In October 2019, Twitter announced they’d…