Social Networking Immediate Future

Social Networking

Today, we're taking a daring plunge into the treacherous waters of "CREATIVE BURNOUT" – cue the dramatic soundtrack! 😱

Social media definitely has transformed the way businesses communicate with their customers. It’s no surprise, right? But guess what? With the right community management strategy, your brand can build awesome and lively communities! In this blog, I will share some tips to help you foster stronger connections with your audience.

I’m sure we’ve all seen by now, Elon Musk’s rebrand of Twitter to “X” – I wanted to take this opportunity to have a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly. Let’s start with… The Good. Is there? Taking such an iconic brand and changing it to something…

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…

Well well well, what do we have here?! Looks like Twitter is making moves to allow verified organisations to post job openings in app! As shared by user Nima Owji; BREAKING: #Twitter is working on a…

Instagram is testing out the ability to generate AI custom stickers based on text prompts.

TikTok's generative AI tool for avatar creation

What is Instagrams new Quiet Mode and why do we need it?

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…

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

There really isn’t an idea that Meta won’t pounce on the moment something starts gaining traction. The next “cool” thing to take off is BeReal

Branded Likes, coming to a Twitter near you.

Hulu lets independent artists and studios go wild with their logos for truly outstanding idents.

Are you looking for better ways to humanize your brand? It can be all too easy to just post on IG about your product or service and see the engagement flag. I think it is important not to lose sight of the human element and spotlight the creative talent behind…

With social news popping up every day, we know it can be hard to stay up to date. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Take a look at the latest happenings in the world of social media through this week’s social snapshot. 👇🏼 LinkedIn tests new option…

Instagram is currently testing paid subscriptions with a small group of creators in the US giving them exclusive access to content and features such as subscriber-only Lives and more. In this blog we’ll take a look at some of the features which could become the future of Instagram.

Well, it was only a matter of time before LinkedIn joined in on the audio social bandwagon, and why not? With more businesses using LinkedIn for live streams and webinars (thanks pandemic), it only makes sense to have their version of Clubhouse. …

With 2022 just around the corner, who knows what we will see, but before that happens, I thought it was worth remembering those brand campaigns that made us laugh and will still be talking in the new year. This year business has gone all out with their marketing campaigns.

Following the success of our first webinar Talkin’ ‘bout ‘employee advocacy’ revolution, we invited our panel of experts for a follow-up conversation to help tackle the challenges that businesses face when building and growing an employee advocacy programme. Katy Howell, CEO at immediate future, was…

In light of World Mental Health Day, I wanted to take this moment to talk about creativity and mental health. We’ve all been there with burnout. So often as designers, we think of this as a normal part of the creative process. But I’m just gonna…

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…

Okay, okay, we get it. It’s good to take inspiration from things that are working, but clearly, these things aren’t working for others as well as they are for TikTok. In this new instalment of “what else can we be INSPIRED from by TikTok” Instagram…

Hello and welcome to our latest Social Snapshot News Roundup! Let’s dive right in: Clubhouse – the uber popular social audio app – launched its Android version this month, bringing with it one million new users, and a million more are sitting on the waitlist. The app…

Yes, I absolutely did say that! And don’t worry farmers, this has nothing to do with you lot, I promise. After years of our photos and artwork being subjected to weird cropping, Twitter has FINALLY rolled out their new image display for mobile, and let me tell you,…

Clubhouse has given us all a little peek into some recent updates that will be happening to the app. These include the beginning of Android testing and higher quality audio. First off, when checking out someone’s page, you’ll now be able to see any upcoming…

A few weeks ago, we wrote a piece on when it was best to stand out from the crowd, and if done right, can create some truly engaging content that sees other brands jumping on your bandwagon. The most recent occurrence…

In an update that doesn’t come as a shock… although has me going “hmmmm??” Reddit is currently testing out its own Clubhouse-style audio social. However, the most notable difference is the voice chat feature being available to moderators, and also subredditers who purchase a “power-up” subscription. …

In our recent webinar, Big Brand Secrets For Creating Audacious, Killer Content, Katy Howell, Laura McNally, and Karly Boyce sat down to talk about how brands can create bold, brave, and daring content. The conversation delves into what bold looks like to them, the process involved in creating…

As we all know and have seen, Twitter has been working on their Spaces tool and more specifically trying to improve their Spaces experience. Currently, the only way to join is to open the…

Will Clubhouse live up to the hype? Will it last? Frankly, no one knows. But what is clear is that audio is coming into its own. Twitter is rolling out Spaces, and Fireside is waiting in the wings with…

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…

In the era of ‘FAKE NEWS’, Facebook has begun its rollout of ‘Facebook News’ for users based in the UK. This service will be a tailored choice of Facebook approved news sources that users can consume on the web or the official Facebook app in its very own tab. With…

We’re just about ready to down tools and dive into the mince pies! BUT, before we do, we’ve got one last round up of the news, updates and announcements on social this past week. TikTok adds ‘Year in review’ In many ways, 2020 has been a year…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.

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…

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…

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.

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…

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…

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,…

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…

A New App from Facebook? Venue – an app that brings people together to experience live events in an interactive way. What does this mean? According to Facebook – “Venue aims to give fans an interactive second screen experience, curated…

Another week, another whirlwind of social media updates – stick with us as we take you through everything you need to know: Twitter allows users to choose who can rely to Tweets Twitter is testing a new feature that allows users to prohibit entire groups of people…

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…

As we’re all suffering lockdown fatigue, the social platforms are pushing on with new features to beat the isolation. A look at Q1 earnings, explains why there is a dash to create even more compelling reasons to stay on social. After all, there are more people spending more…

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…

(…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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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)…

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…

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…

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.

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

There were lots of announcements to take note of at the latest F8 developer conference, but which are the ones you really need to know, and what do they mean for your social media strategy? Groups and Events are the new black In an update that Zuckerberg is…

71% of businesses advertise on social media. And even more businesses plan to start. Work and social media can go hand-in-hand if you take the right approach. In our most recent Serious Social, we spoke about how social media stands on legs of communication and…

Over the last week, we’ve heard a lot about the data breach between Facebook and Cambridge Analytica. 300,000 users shared their data and, as a result, 50 million users had their data taken without their express consent. Mark Zuckerberg has finally made his statement. You can see it …

With digital ad spend growing year-on-year, 2017 was the year that overall digital ad spend finally surpassed TV spend. Total global digital ad spend came to a whopping $209 billion, which is a huge 41% of the entire market. TV is now trailing behind with a…

If you still haven’t considered including Instagram as part of your Paid Ad spend, I’m hoping by the time you’ve finished reading this, you’ll change your mind. From its launch in October 2010, Instagram has become one of the most popular Social media channels with …

It’s 2017 and there are many wonderful things about the way the world is today versus where it was, even as recently as a few decades ago. And if you read The Better Angels of Our Nature, you start to feel really positive about mankind’s…

Back in 2010 rumours began to surface that the big G was working on a new social platform. I encourage you to remember what a carefree time 2010 was. Usain Bolt was world sportsman of the year. Barack Obama still had, mostly, black hair on his head. Sophie Dahl…

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.

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…

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…

How many times have you swayed away from social content, thinking, “What pile of absolute fluff?” That’s right- you are todays customer- a well-informed, savvy and socially aware individual who has access to vast sources of data which hold the truths & certainly the untruths of a brand.

I think about the future of social media often. I wonder where it’s all going. The pace of technological change is beginning to outstrip our capacity to make sense of the world around us and it’s only going to accelerate further. Tech begets tech. The devices we create…

There have been massive changes in the Twittersphere this month with the arrival of Twitter’s new block feature wiping out unwanted users and the character count updates. We all thought removing photos and usernames from the Twitter character count was the cherry on top, but recently Twitter announced…

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…

What! Yup. If you have just one social strategy then you may as well consign it to the dustbin. Social is now too sophisticated for one strategy with a social channel (platform) agnostic approach. Every social network now has different audiences, varying behaviours and whole swathes of content formats…

From conferences to books and a plethora of blog posts, we are obsessed with targeting Millennials – especially through social media. But there is a hidden gem on social media. A demographic that at best is being ignored and at worst stereotyped. “Wake up to the social savvy…

I’m sure that many of you are well versed in brand building in the traditional sense, but when it comes to your own personal brand, how would you rate your online brand identity? These days, everything from landing a new job to scoring a hot date can result in…

When I was writing this I did think to myself ‘aren’t we all sick of talking about post-millennials?’ But upon a bit of pre-Xmas digging and realising that these tech-savvy go-getters were going to save Christmas by vowing to spend more than ever before…

These days the buzz seems to be around ‘social listening’ – it sounds cool, it sounds sexy, and there are a million and one tools out there ready to take your money to offer you a world of insights into your customers, markets and online audience. However, in…

On the first day of Christmas, whilst the rest of us were getting excited about opening the first door of our advent calendars, powerhouse couple Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, announced the birth of their first child, Max. And if this wasn’t enough excitement for two of…

As we near the end of 2015 I wanted to avoid a ‘social media trends for 2016’ style blog piece. Of course everyone will be eyes on for what is going to happen over the next 12 months, how the platforms will adapt and technology updates will take…