Social media platforms Immediate Future

Social media platforms

The world of social media is a wonderfully interesting place, with new features and tests being announced nearly every day. In case you missed out on any of the announcements over the past week, we’ve rounded up the best articles all in one place! Snapchat looks to stay ahead…

In an effort to make Instagram a more healthy and safe place online, they platform has been testing out hiding like counts on profiles, “the idea is to de-pressurize Instagram”, and make it a space that’s more focused on connections, conversations and community, especially for young people. Hidden likes have…

As a consumer, you’d be forgiven for missing the change in product branding which occurred this week by Facebook. Sorry, FACEBOOK. Their announcements around the rebrand focus on their objective to be “clear” about which products belong in their wheelhouse. This effort may seem little more than…

Another week has passed and my, what a week it has been! We love staying up to date with the latest happenings in social, and we’re sure you do too. That’s why we’ve rounded up the best articles from the past week we just have to shout about… Instagram…

We recently saw the amazing Kipchoge run the marathon in under two hours. Kipchoge and his team achieved this after their dedication and focus over many, many months. So, you are asking yourself, what has this got to do with social? Here’s why! The big ‘C’ – commitment Like a…

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…

Starting anything new can be scary, and for some, social media marketing is no different. Whether it’s a brand new channel to you, or you’re testing new content, new paid strategies or going after a new audience, there’s an element of bravery needed. At IF, we’re always aiming…

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! Carry on reading for the best articles we’ve found and just want to shout about Facebook starts testing News,…

The announcements are always non-stop in the world of social media. Whether it’s a new format, test, article on best practice or quarterly update, we’re always finding out something new. So don’t worry if you’ve missed out on anything, we’re here to get you up to speed with an informative…

The age-old question… when is the best time to be posting on social media? It’s a tough one to answer. Especially if you don’t have the time to test with scheduling times, or spend time looking into the all-important data. You may have landed with huge engagement figures on Wednesday…

LinkedIn is playing catch-up again and has announced the new facility to create and manage events on the channel… finally! The functionality promises to allow us to “create private events, event update notifications, search filters to invite the right attendees”, and you can find it in the…

If you’re reading this, you’re probably already familiar with the Business Manager on Facebook, and perhaps using it to great advantage in your paid social strategy. For some, the next step is considering markets outside the UK… nope, I’m not going to mention the ‘B’ word! Having attended Facebook’s recent…

Instagram has started rolling out a new format for Stories called “Create Mode” which will make all of its tools easier to access and apply. The current highlight of this mode is the “On This Day” option, similar to Facebook’s ‘Memories’. The feature will show users a post that was…

Another week has passed and my, what a week it has been! We love staying up to date with the latest happenings in social, and we’re sure you do too. That’s why we’ve rounded up the best articles from the past week we just have to shout about… Instagram…

It doesn’t seem like long ago since Instagram announced it will be entering the world of eCommerce. And it definitely wasn’t long ago that users of the platform could create their very own AR filters. To maximise the usage of both features, Instagram is testing a…

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…

We love staying up to date with the wonderful world of social media and we’re sure you do too! So, we’ve pulled a variety of articles into one place that we just want to shout about, whilst keeping you up to date… Snapchat expands ad length limits, announces new…

Sometimes people reply to your Tweets about things you don’t want to see. And sometimes you just don’t want any replies to be seen at all. So, to help, Twitter has been testing out a new feature that lets you do just that. After launching an initial test for users…

] The world of social media is a wonderfully interesting place, with new features and tests being announced nearly every day. In case you missed out on any of the announcements over the past week, we’ve rounded up the best articles all in one place, because you know, we’re good…

Not many things in life are guaranteed, but one thing is for sure – there’s not much originality when it comes to social media trends these days. Instead, the big guns continue to scope out the latest crazes, trends and innovative tools from their competitors and then create a…

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 a range of articles that we just want to shout about! Keep on reading to find out what’s been happening… …

There have been some great releases recently from the social platforms which make us all into creators – but before you leap into testing them, consider why. Is it just a “be first” mentality, or have you come up with a great idea and you’re looking for the right medium…

Episode 2 *spoiler alert* don’t read unless you’ve watched! Since its move to Channel 4, Bake Off has offered advertisers the opportunity to be part of this cake obsessed community for 8 weeks of autumn. After the initial move to a commercial station (which came with some negativity), advertises embraced…

Instagram (or more likely, Facebook) are developing a new app called Threads – a messaging app where you can automatically share your location, speed, and battery life, as well as the usual stuff like text, photos, and videos with your ‘close friends’ list. Users will be able to opt into…

Over the past few weeks we have seen multiple announcements from Twitter; filtering direct messages, swipeable lists, and 6-second video ad bidding. Now, the platform has announced its testing a new, larger image carousel format for advertisers and it seems they’re really trying to up their paid game. After…

Another week has passed, and what a week it has been! We’ve rounded up the best articles and updates from the fast-moving world of social media to get you up to speed in no time. Twitter launches 6-second video ad bidding, providing new options for video marketers. https://po.st/8MSXcA…

The future of Instagram looks fun, funky and a whole lot more filtered! That’s because they’ve recently opened up the Spark AR filter creation platform for all users, allowing anyone to create augmented reality filters and publish them on Instagram stories! This will open a whole host of new options…

Ahhh Tumblr – what once was a buzzing hive of indie creators, a place to share your work and interact with others and its booming creative community, has slowly been meeting its demise over the past few years when they decided to ban adult content from the platform, and flag/ban…

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 a range of articles that we just want to shout about! Keep on reading to find out what’s been happening… Instagram…

Instagram is perceived as the favoured social media platform by many, and including it within your social strategy is a must. But for years, marketeers (us included) have struggled with scheduling posts due to the app not having its own scheduling tools, turning to external apps and sites. And…

It’s astonishing the number of people who proclaim this without having even tried using the platform for B2B. “Facebook is more of a consumer channel. We use Twitter and LinkedIn.” Yet, when pressed, the spokesperson rarely has any supporting evidence or experience as to why they’ve landed at this conclusion.

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! Snapchat launches major new ad campaign around the…

The UK and most of Europe is currently experiencing a heatwave – as I write, the temperature in London is set to reach 38º Celcius… scorchio! So how are you planning to deal with this? Hire some air-con? Hibernate in the Ice Bar or, to be fair, any bar that…

Another week, another snapshot. We’ve rounded up the best articles for you in one place, so you don’t have to go anywhere else! Read on for more… Pinterest adds new self-help tool to assist users dealing with mental stress and fatigue. https://po.st/q9V8ox Pinterest has added a new…

Over the months Twitter has been testing out new ways of clarifying users replies, be it highlighting replies from an original poster or identifying responses from connections etc. These features have been rolled out on their beta test app “Twttr”, this included colour coding to signify replies, which was then…

Fallen behind on the past week’s news? Fear not, we’re here for you with a roundup of the best updates and tips that we want to shout about. Keep on scrolling for the latest updates and tips from the industry! Twitter announces full rollout of the platform’s new desktop experience.

The social media world is constantly evolving, and new tools and platforms come and go. One platform that has staying power is Pinterest due to its traffic-driving and converting capabilities; however, the key question for many brands is should we be active on it? I’m (P)interested, tell me more… Pinterest…

Are you up to date with LinkedIn? LinkedIn pages have a few new ways you can improve the visibility, content and followers – here’s a checklist you can use to make sure you’re maximising this platform – because they have over 500m users! Tagline There’s a space under your company…

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. Sorry, ads are coming to TikTok.

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 a range of articles that we just want to shout about! Keep on reading to find out what’s been happening… Instagram’s…

Another week has passed, which means one thing… time for another Social Snapshot! This week we’re bringing you a variety of content; channel reports, platform updates and ways to help you improve your social strategy. We’re always here to help! Facebook’s working on a new ‘preview’ option for page posts.

Social media is often criticised for the damage it can do our mental well-being, especially with regards to depression and feelings of inadequacy in teenagers and adults alike increasing. But what about the positive impact that social can bring to our lives, where we truly feel that social is a…

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 a range of articles that we just want to shout about! Keep on reading to find out what’s been happening… Fortnite…

Week on week we are drawn into the news, finding out which latest updates our favourite social media platforms are testing or launching. But sometimes it feels a bit like déjà vu, right?! Just a few months back at SXSW festival, Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger admitted to…

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. In…

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 what…

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 gradual decline,…

Week in week out, all the major platforms are constantly tweaking, updating and testing in a bid to increase engagement and make users more active. These updates aren’t always ground-breaking, but they’re slowly implemented to improve usage based on how users interact, and ultimately to make the experience more streamlined.

If you’re fascinated by the increasing use of AI in marketing, then the latest campaign from a kitchen utensil brand takes some beating. Spotify worked with Tramontina to allow us to “discover the flavour of your favourite song” – it’s beautiful and brilliant. It’s also extravagant for what…

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.

We all love a good story, don’t we? Whether we’re sharing or watching, stories continue to have a huge influence on the way we share, market and influence on social media. It’s a deep-rooted feature that all major platforms have at least experimented with, and with Instagram paving the…

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 apps’ ideas,…

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 turns…

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 usual.

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.

If you spend time on Facebook, you will know that it has become a crowded landscape indeed. Yes, content is largely personalised to the user with prioritised content relevant to their interests, but it has grown so quickly that the News Feed can, at times, feel unmanageable. The result of…

Amongst the excitement of F8 it can be hard to stay up to date with the social news. But, fear not, we’ve rounded up the best articles from the past 2 weeks for you below ⬇️ Because, you know, we’re good like that! Snapchat releases latest update of trending topics…

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! Vine returns as ‘Byte’ – but is it too late for a comeback?…

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 ways to get…

Instagram is on a roll right now, announcing update after update. And just yesterday they released a new ‘check out’ in-app shopping feature. Yep, your online shopping days has just got a whole lot easier. Development on the platforms shopping tags means users will now be offered to ‘check out…

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Coming from us? We must be bonkers. But, hear us out! To do good, meaningful and impactful social media, you need to be serious about it. Here are 8 reasons why you might want to reconsider your use of social media. If…

Tinder is probably the first and most famous example of what we all know as ‘the swipe’. Mobile navigation today is all about the swipe, and now even YouTube is joining in. Their latest update will give users a way to navigate between videos. By…

Visuals play an important part when it comes to social campaigns, and the continuous rise of image-based formats like Stories means that visuals are here to stay for good. Now, if you’re not using high-quality images, you’re definitely missing out – but with optimal image formats changing all the time,…

With so many users active on social media over the holidays, there was a huge panic over a rather substantial, unexpected change to Instagram. Here’s what actually happened and what it means. Instagram had intended to update the beta version of the user interface for a small number of people.

It’s curious that since Twitter doubled its character count to 280, people have become politer. The latest data shows that 54% more tweets use the word ‘please’ and 22% use the word ‘thank you’, which is probably making customer service more bearable. Another result from this change is that Twitter…

Since announcing partnerships with publishers out recently, and in the past testing a more Netflix-esque offering, Snapchat brings us news of Snap Originals. Tapping into the lucrative reality show market which frequently gathers herds of young people who often morph into influencers, the new effort will be…

It’s fair to say that social media receives more bad press than it gets appraisals. From the Cambridge Analytica scandal to the continuous battle against fake news, the bullying problem amongst youngsters, negative effects on mental health…the list goes on. These issues shouldn’t be ignored, but sometimes we…

Facebook updates are endless. If you use the platform to share branded content, you need to know what’s changed and what’s new, but it’s just taking up so much of your time. It might seem like a whirlpool that you keep getting caught up in. Now, they’re building up the…

We’ve heard plenty about the Facebook platform this year. The F8 Conference was Facebook’s chance to bring it back and tell users, (and the world) what the future has in store. In light of recent news, data privacy and GDPR plays an enormous part! What will Facebook offer…

In this week’s Serious Social, we’re updating you on the Instagram changes and the latest on Facebook’s fallout! Shoppable posts. What can they do for you? Online retailers won’t want to miss this – you can tag and link products in your Instagram photos! This is really streamlining the…

You’ll wanna jump back onto Twitter when you hear this. Twitter has dramatically changed its ad proposition in the last 18 months and it’s been a great success. For their platform, for our agency, and it can be a success for you too! In this week’s Serious Social…

It’s the new social media app being touted as the next Instagram, and celebrities and influencers alike are flocking to give it a try. The platform was actually started years ago and positioned itself as a competitor to the other social giants in the space; i.e. Facebook,…

Express yourselves! Say more with Twitter’s latest tweak We can all agree that saying everything we need to within the character limit on Twitter can become quite tedious and at times extremely frustrating! Yet somehow, being the super-species we are, we have adapted and now excelled at this. In 2006,…

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 to be able…

It’s safe to say that the use of visual content is going to stick and there is a wealth of data that can be used to support the benefits of this type of content. On average, visuals perform 4.4 x better than text-based content and as social media marketers, we…

“Don’t blog about Snapchat” was the recurring mantra / running joke in the IF office over the course of 2016. It was easier said than done because, of the Big 5 social channels, Snapchat dominated the news last year and likewise, the IF blog.

From the swampy depths of the primordial app soup, what was previously a deceptively simple single-cell organism has mutated into an entirely new beast and is now slouching toward social to be born. That’s right folks, PRISMA is going social. The hugely popular app, which uses neural network technology to turn…

The quality of Periscope’s live streams is about to skyrocket thanks to the launch of Periscope Producer. It’s a bold leap forward for the Twitter-owned live-streaming platform which, until now, broadcast content exclusively shot on mobile devices. Periscope Producer allows content creators to stream highly polished video…

A goldrush of sorts is happening in the tech world amidst rumours that Twitter could be up for sale and the list of potential suitors for the channel is growing by the day. It’s hard to tell at this point who the serious contenders are. However, this hasn’t stopped the…

Many would argue that YouTube has been a social network of sorts from the get-go. Users have the ability to subscribe to certain channels (ie. follow), like, unlike or comment on certain videos (ie. engage) and share those videos with a wider audience. However, the channel was…

Following hot on the heels of Twitter’s announcement that the platform was introducing #Stickers as “…a fun new way to add creativity to your photos and connect them to the world on Twitter”, the platform has now invited brands to join the party with “Promoted Stickers”.

Twitter’s new marketing campaign opens its doors to non-users clearing the misconceptions they have with the brand and its purpose. CMO Leslie Berland announces the new campaign saying that it’s content and ads will spread awareness of what Twitter has to offer and invite non-users to give…

Aaahh, the coveted Twitter Blue Tick. Once a symbol of status and prestige, the Blue Tick signified that you had made it in social. The Twitter Gods had deemed your account worthy of the highest validation. To put it into perspective, of the 310 million monthly active users…

Live-streaming has been around for a long time, but the ease and availability of numerous tools such as Meerkat and Periscope have made it possible for anyone to “go live” and broadcast to the world. Years ago, marketers used to spend huge budgets on TV advertising, billboards, print media and…

Sharing your thoughts and expertise can go along way with driving conversation and proving you’re a valuable Twitter contact. Twitter chats may seem like the last thing on your to do list but it’s worth the time and tweets. Answering industry leading conversations and networking with like-minded professionals can set…

It’s official – Instagram has shaved, traded its fixie for an Audi A8, suited up and launched Business Tools. Considering the platform has over 200,000 advertisers and upwards of 400 million users, many would say this move was inevitable. Credit Suisse estimates that Instagram’s ad business brought in…

Many digital marketers that I’ve spoken to recently are not active on Snapchat. Most have given it a go, but either their family and friends weren’t using the app, or their friends and family weren’t sharing the most engaging of content. Both are understandable reasons for not enjoying the experience,…

Following in the footsteps of Facebook, LinkedIn is now working on its own version of Instant Articles, a feature that makes it possible for publishers to host fast loading, immersive mobile content, accessible instantly within LinkedIn, rather than linking users back to their own site. According to…

I think I may be the only person getting excited about this, but in case you hadn’t heard, Periscope is now allowing users to doodle over their live streams. Officially it’s called “sketching” and is available to iOS users, after a pilot was launched just a month ago. The live…

At IF, we pride ourselves on evolving. Curiosity is one of our brand values, championed daily by our fabulous staff. Our event format has been well received for many years but it was time to evolve. After a few months of planning and tinkering, all was…

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 as…

Chances are your social timeline is featuring a lot of commentary around new Facebook features. Some being available immediately others with defined development roadmap. But why the sudden flurry of comms. Well, for the unaware, Facebook has just closed their annual developer conference – F8. The annual gathering in San…

The moment social marketers have been waiting for has finally arrived. The 20% text rule on Facebook adverts has changed. I can hear the cheers from here. Don’t pop open the bubbly just yet – let’s look into the details first. So what has Facebook actually said?…

So it’s happening. It was only a matter of time. Instagram is planning on using algorithms to organise content within timelines, as announced on their company blog this week. Following in the footsteps of their owners Facebook, who started to move away from a chronological display way…

Whether you run your own business, work in an agency or in-house time is money. Creating and sourcing content to distribute through your channels is time-consuming and after all that you have the task of scheduling it all. It is important that you are getting the best return on the…

E-volution Working in an ever developing industry that requires a balanced knowledge of data management, strategy and creative flare is a never ending challenge. A wonderfully colourful challenge that demands any given media agent (of any typical agency that works with technology) to submit to a never ending practice of constant wit sharpening.

Many of you might be surprised to read that the seemingly infinite hoard of Facebook users click the iconic “like” button more than 6 billion times a day, driving the relentless social machine that is rapidly absorbing the Internet. This, however, was not enough for Facebook’s chief product officer Chris…

Monday 1st February sees the launch of Shield 5. The UK’s first ever Instagram-only drama series. By no means the world’s first Instagram-only TV show, as US audiences have enjoyed several platform-dedicated shows in the past: Desert Friends Artistically Challenged…

Charles Darwin once famously said: “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change”. Fast forward to the 21st Century and Darwin’s principle of ‘survival of the fittest’ is still very much relevant, although this blog won’t…