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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…

As the year draws to a close, many social media platforms and companies take a look back at the best bits from the year. Just last week we saw Twitter share the top Tweet trends of 2019 and TikTok published their top 10 content…

Let’s be honest, we sometimes overcomplicate marketing activities. Planners can be accused of planning a plan to create a plan. Creatives are claimed to create complex artwork for the sake or showcasing their talent. Strategists are believed to strategise the best approach for strategic construction of a tweet in line…

Companies have been making use of eye-catching visuals for a while now, more so within the past year. All you need to do is take a look at the Apple App Store and see the gorgeous illustration for their stories, and with the end of the year fast approaching, we…

As the UK gears up for an election on 12th December, there is no doubt you will have noticed that your social media accounts are being flooded with screenshots of political tweets alongside other posts, ads and conversations. Social media is now a BIG media platform for the political…

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…

It’s that geeky time of year for the creative soul, where Adobe releases its latest developments for its packages. Software such as Photoshop, Illustrator and After Effects have published updates to fend off the rivalling design packages such as Sketch, Pixlr, ProCreate and CorelDraw. Not to mention us users waiting…

It’s been a known fact that since the rise of social media there’s been a constant battle with the world of Broadcast TV. The fear was first noticed by TV stations who were scrambling when media platforms such as YouTube and Facebook were amounting to users that blew local TV…

In B2B marketing, it can be tempting to rinse and reuse marketing strategies that target decision-makers and upsell your offering. However, like the social media landscape, no formula for success remains the same. Just like B2C marketing, we need to factor in changing audience behaviours and the ways we reach…

And so it continues… Facebook is following in the footsteps of Instagram and going ahead with testing the hiding of like counts. Starting in Australia, users will still be able to see their own like count, but this will be hidden from everyone else. Instead, followers will only be able…

]Earlier this year, we discussed how the introduction of AR on platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram is a real game-changer. The interactivity levels skyrocketed and we saw a new way consumers engage with social media and create content. Fast forward to now, and Instagram has promoted its integration with…

If you’re a B2B marketer, there’s no doubt that you’ve had to sit through countless meetings, presentations and lesson modules that follow the same three-pronged strategy: 1. What’s the buyers’ problem, 2. How does my technology fix it? and 3. How can I prove that my product is the right…

It’s no secret that the streaming sector has become the go-to medium for consumption of media. Although short-form has social media as the perfect tool, research has concluded that long-form video is still championed by the living room television. Although consumers may start their long-form media on a handheld…

I mean, it’s been at least a few weeks since Insta copied a feature from another app, so guess what? Instagram is delving into the world of lip-syncing, hoping to one-up the karaoke king of apps, TikTok. TikTok, the social video app where you can watch people lip-syncing or having…

Since the dawn of IGTV, content creators have been battling with whether to post their long-form video content to YouTube or Instagram. To some degree, it makes sense to have these two very different video content platforms – Instagram is mobile-first, but YouTube has the…

Facebook’s annual F8 developer conference is our opportunity to look beneath the hood on new features and functionality that Facebook is delivering. Where are they going? What does that mean to us? And, how are our feeds going to look? Questions framed around these topics are asked by media and…

If you’ve been following our blogs for a while, you’ll know that we rave about video content on social. And no, we’re not done with the raving yet! Video content is something that Facebook really care about, and they’re constantly making changes so that valuable content gets served to the…

As the platform updates were announced, the attendees of F8 2019 just had to share their excitement! Ironically, they all took to Twitter to share what they found out at the Facebook conference so, we’ve compiled a few Tweets for your viewing pleasure. Some are skeptical over the secret crush…

Yesterday saw day 2 of F8 2019, and as predicted, AI and VR stole the show. The speakers discussed the safety of AI and VR online, the updates to systems and algorithms, and why this is so important for the future of tech. To get you up to speed, we’ve…

“The future is private.” This is the key theme from day 1 of the Facebook F8 developer conference that kicked off last night. We saw announcements from the likes of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, and my god, these updates are making the future of technology look very bright indeed.

User-generated content – or as you may know it, UGC – is any form of content created by consumers and social media users about a particular brand, product, or place. It’s fast-growing within the social media marketing world and it’s definitely something you should implement into your social strategy. But,…

If you’re like us, you’ll always be on the lookout for the latest updates to all things social, as we strive to maximise their powers and try to understand if they’re worth digging into. Sometimes we get game-changing updates which shift the course of the social landscape and create…

Healthy eating and healthy foods have become a significant part of everyday life. People care about what they eat. They want to know where their food comes from, how it’s made and how they can eat better. And they talk about it on social. A lot. We…

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 Facebook’s testing a new stories-like, ‘swipeable’ news feed. …

What’s the first thing you do in the morning? If you’re like me, you reach for your phone to switch off the alarm, take a look through your app notifications overnight and maybe read and respond to a few emails. We’re not alone, my phone-addicted friend, not by a long…

LinkedIn is an excellent platform that every business should use, whether it’s foradvertising, brand content, recruitment, or showing off achievements. We’re hearing more and more that social media is a pay-to-play space. Platforms know that paid advertising isn’t going anywhere, so they’re updating their organic offerings to keep businesses, marketers,…

Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with the fast-moving world of social media, which is why we’ve brought to you a round-up of the latest updates and tips from the industry! Keep on scrolling for your latest fix… Snapchat launches updated, faster Android version. https://po.st/O4JsoG Snapchat…

Generation Z, the ‘new generation’ – your new consumer. They’re tech-savvy, have grown up with social media, and they care. For companies to stay ahead of the game, it is important to understand your consumer, and potential new consumers. Whether you’re already targeting them, or you’re looking to move towards…

We bloomin’ love April Fools Day! It’s a fun chance for brands to get fun and a bit naughty. And what better place to shout about it than social? Here’s a round-up of some of our faves from this week. Mission Foods announced the launch of Tablecloth MEGA wraps…

Influencer marketing can really power up your social media strategy providing you build relationships with the right influencers. Ask yourself are you following or considering the recommendations below before you embark on your activity. 7 top tips to work with influencers: Know your audience: Every successful influencer marketing collaboration starts with knowing the…

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 Instagram tests letting you scroll through videos. https://po.st/rF5aum REWIND! #Instagram seems to be testing out a seek bar…

With all the algorithm changes, updates and technical twists being rolled out week to week, the big players in the world of social media ensure we are constantly on our toes. These changes may not always be game-changing, but every now and then something comes along which promises to send…

From the Mannequin Challenge, in which groups of people remained motionless in videos, to the recent Microwave Challenge, in which people slowly turn while sat on the floor, social media challenges seem to exist purely to inspire hashtags and a bit of fun. After years of ridiculous challenges, (remember “planking”?!)…

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! Twitter to introduce a ‘subscribe to conversation’…

Well, largely because client-side staff haven’t worked on film shoots. Typically, you’ve not benefited from seeing how video production should be scoped, planned, resourced, executed, and edited. It’s not your fault. You don’t necessarily know the right questions to ask. Yet. You entrust in video producers to take you on…

The ROI on a brand’s social media activity is one of the most debated, most interesting, and often the biggest conversations we have with our clients. Let us explain what we mean… We know consumers use social media platforms for learning more about products and retailers and reading product reviews.

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 platform updates, channel reports and ways to help you improve your social strategy… Does interest tagging on Facebook increase traffic?…

Consumers want authenticity, they need to trust you – so if you’re only including well-crafted, heavily branded content in your social media plan, you’re on to a loser. Marketers do a great job, no, really they do. Juggling the need to engage with followers and fans, build brand trust and household…

If you are a savvy copywriter with creative flair, then you will have produced a couple of Tweets whilst running multiple accounts that may have gone viral. Other than saving these tweets by liking it or screenshotting it, why not physically have a Tweet you could share with the world…

Dark mode has been around for a while now with a number of apps and operating systems offering it as an option. Some people generally just prefer the design while others suggest their battery lasts longer by using it. One thing that’s undeniable is that it’s just a lot more…

Well, what a great start to March it has been already! It’s hard to keep up when there are updates being released every day, so we’re here to lend a helping hand. We’ve rounded up the best articles for you in one place so you don’t have to go anywhere…

Success on social media differs for everyone. Something we deem as successful may be viewed differently to someone else, and we all have various strategies to lead us to our victory. Everyone can agree that high engagement rates prove your content has been effective, but which social platform does your…

At the heart of your social media strategy are two things – your audience and content. By not putting the effort and time into producing valued and engaging social media content that will motivate your audience, you will be left feeling extremely frustrated with your results. Thankfully it isn’t an extremely…

Snapshot time! In a week filled with news, it’s hard to keep up… which is where we come in. We’ve rounded up the best articles for you in one place so you don’t have to go anywhere else! Users can now apply to be part of Twitter’s beta test…

No one: Me: writes a blog on brands authenticity and influencers Over the years it’s clear that social media has introduced a brand new way for us to communicate, impulsively shop, and see content from parts of the world that leave us in awe. On social, we are constantly served…

Another week has passed, which means one thing… time for another social snapshot! This week we are 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! 10 Instagram tools you need in 2019.

As I’m sure you are aware, Facebook recently announced they are working on combining its messenger with WhatsApp and Instagram. Allowing cross-communication across the platform for its users. The new messaging system will allow all three platforms to remain separate, however, users will be able to send and reply to…

Guess who! We’re back, back again, bringing you news that we just have to shout about! Stay with us and we’ll get you up to date with the latest happenings in social in no time! LinkedIn launches its own variation of live streaming called ‘LinkedIn Live’ https://po.st/MbkaPS Calling…

Social media throws down a gauntlet down to all marketeers, whether you are talking to consumers or businesses. With the potential of reaching tens of thousands of followers, how do you stay relevant? The answer to this is rooted in the traditional marketing practice of creating then referring to user…

It’s clear that we are in an age where a trend will start from someone or a small community, it then gets shared online and before you know it, it is shared over social reaching millions of people who are then altering their lifestyle to this trend. This is what…

Hi… us again! Bringing you a roundup of the best social media news from the past week. Stay with us and we’ll get you up to date with the latest happenings in social in no time! Instagram Adds Option to Link to Instagram Stories, Expands Stories Promote Tool…

We’re sure you’ve spoken about it plenty already, but let’s talk some more about the SuperBowl. One of America’s biggest sporting events, and also a time for companies to promote themselves on a monumental scale! The half-time ad break costs an average of $4million per ad (I know, crazy right!),…

It might be cold outside, but we’re talking holidays and the insights travel brands need to get noticed. It’s a crucial sales period for the travel market, so how can brands drive bookings through social – there’s a lot more to do than share pictures of…

Welcome back, to another week of IF Social Snapshot! A wonderful roundup of social media news that we believe you should know. Stick with us and you’ll always be up to date with the latest happenings and new updates on social! Facebook’s planning to integrate its messaging platforms…

Imagining social media as a party helps to make sense of the best way to approach it as a brand and importantly how you should behave. Let’s meet three different party goers to explain what we mean. You walk into the party and introduce yourself to the first person you…

*Drum roll, please* Introducing IF’s Social Snapshot!! A weekly roundup of social media news that we want to share with you. Here you can find a range of sources keeping you up to date with the latest happenings on social and new updates we want to shout about. Transparency and preventing…

Who would have thought that after spending hours on creative and strategy planning for your social channels, that to beat the likes on Kylie Jenner’s Instagram photos, all you needed to do was post a picture of an egg! Clearly, it’s a little more challenging than this, as posting a…

It’s always a struggle to keep everybody happy – especially on social. For businesses, there are many risks. Some risks, however, are worth taking. Here are 8 rules to follow to avoid any disastrous outcomes! • Negative comments about consumers/clients. Now this is pretty self-explanatory. If you post negatively about…

According to GfK data, travel bookings in the last few weeks are lower than expected. December saw a drop of 13% and the first week of January this year is 9% lower. The pressure is now on squeeze the pips out of the busiest buying period for the holiday industry.

Sometimes all you need is to read a quick blog post to motivate you into making a new decision.Like how you want to experiment on social media platforms such as Instagram, but you might just not have the confidence to. Look… what’s the worst that can happen it’s just social…

It’s a retort I’ve given to my wife, family, and friends many times. I’ve also, rather frustratingly, had to issue it to senior marketers far too many times. For reasons I cannot fathom, Social Media is still badged by some as being for the kids, or the cool brands, or…

So, you have checked your analytics for the week and your followers on Instagram has gone up! *Celebrates* However genuine those followers are, you want to ensure that you are doing all you can to keep them there and engaged. Whilst it’s challenging to grow your brand on this busy…

Since 2016 Twitter users have been frustrated with the way their feed has been presented to them, an issue brought on by changes to the platform’s algorithms. Twitter added this in to highlight current affairs, trends and updates as they happened, meaning that users weren’t always able to see their…

Memes have been around for quite some time now. The word “meme” itself is Greek, meaning “that which is imitated.” Memes are so commonly shared that, based on Google Trends, “memes” are becoming a more popular search term than “Jesus.” Recently, a tumblr user shared what many…

Instagram is testing another new feature to improve the social platform for influential creators. According to The Hollywood Reporter*, a small group of Instagram users are testing new “creator accounts” on the social platform that provides them with added attractive features. Similar to business-focused profiles on Instagram that were introduced…

As another year draws to an end, it’s time for Facebook to release the annual ‘Year in Review’, taking a look back at the best (maybe most memorable) things to come out of 2018. And yes, I know what you’re thinking, but honestly it really wasn’t all bad! The platform…

It’s that time again when everyone looks back on the year to remind themselves of all the work they’ve done and look at what performed really well, what shocked people, what didn’t quite work out as initially thought, etc… It’s a time of reflection but it’s also a chance to…

I’m not even going to reiterate to you how fast this year has gone by! But, as the year comes to an end, I thought I would share with you some of the most tweeted topics and trends from Twitter’s annual #ThisHappenedReport. As we crawl out…

Over recent months, we’ve seen a bunch of additions to platforms that encourage users to share, engage with and enjoy music via social media. Harking back hundreds of years, people only heard music in concerts, in churches or concert calls with hundreds of other people. Music was inherently a social…

The latest Facebook feature allows users to curate and share saved posts with selected friends and collaborators. They’ve packaged this latest update as a way to to make organising gift purchases during this holiday season easier for all their users. Of course, the timing of the launch is meant to…

What’s Driving the TikTok Trend? TikTok, the app born out of the online lip-syncing trend, is now the name on everyone’s lips. Just a few weeks ago, it was the top free app on Apple’s App Store, and inspired a new regular segment on…

Instagram is hot property right now and slowly but surely becoming Facebook’s golden goose. So it’s no surprise the social giant is putting more efforts in to make sure people are spending even more time inside the app. One annoyance when it comes to Instagram Stories is that sometimes you…

You know that stage, post break-up, where you change your hair or your clothes to make yourself feel better? Well it seems Instagram is doing just that, with new changes being disclosed every week. Just last week we saw the announcement of fake followers being removed from the platform and…

When you’re running a campaign, it’s so easy to get WOWed by the longest numbers in your analytics. Reach and impressions are two of the metrics that are likely to be the largest. They’re both important in the right contexts, but there are some other metrics that you may not…

A new generation, one that no-one can put their finger on to how they became so adept in technology. How they use their spare time to create profiles on social media, that now make them more money than the average degree-holder would make. How they are so influenced by youtube,…

It’s been a good year for social media. Marketers are steadily shifting more of their budgets into social media marketing. In the second quarter of 2018, global advertising spend on Instagram was up 177% year-on-year and, subsequently, influencer marketing continues to grow. But, because social media influencers are…

What sins have you committed in the past week? Have you told a lie… or a couple? “That pitch you did James was fantastic! I really believe you can take the company somewhere far!” Maybe you’re greed lead you to have more on your plate then…

Instagram has got another revenue-generating option for their Story feature in the pipeline, which should prove to be a fantastic addition for their 2 million active advertisers. The update, similar to Facebook’s ‘boost’ option, will make it easier for brands to make their Stories appear as adverts and means they…

2012 was a great year for comedy on the internet, we had Vine! This short-form video platform really stood out in the video market as there were a very limited number of apps that could even try to compete. Snapchat had just launched their 10-second video sharing, Instagram…

Facebook have announced a variety of new features are coming that will allow users to express themselves through music. It all feels a little MySpace-esque, however, they’re hoping the additions will enhance their focus on moments, as Tamara Hrivnak, Facebook’s Head of Music Business Development says, “moments are remembered and…

As Aristotle once said: “One swallow does not a summer make.” And, if Aristotle was busy Instagramming today, he would undoubtedly post: “Instagramming a TV Advert does not a Social Media strategy make’. Ok, so he may prefer Facebook over Instagram, as, let’s face it, he’s a little outside the…

Let’s talk about the value of our client work. We’re wholly committed to doing a great job for every single one of our clients, meeting their individual needs with the aim of smashing goals and making a huge impact in the world, whether B2B, B2C or charity. The work we…

Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Pinterest…we could even push it as far as Mumsnet. Your brand could sit on all of those platforms if you truly wanted to connect to ALL demographics. But, which one is right for you? If you want to hear it from a 23-year-old…

This is probably why we love social media marketing so much: everything changes continuously and evolves constantly! Not too many years ago the idea of watching a show on a mobile device would have horrified most of us… How could a tiny little screen, such as our mobile, allow for…

Every year millions of creatives around the globe wait in anticipation for what is seen as the biggest creative conference in the world – Adobe MAX. Every year it leaves people walking away speechless and this year was no exception. From moving stills to designing an animation that…

We all know that the Facebook algorithm changes almost daily at the moment. With all the constant changes, it’s hard to know what Facebook will now choose to classify as incriminating and will choose to demote, and there’s no doubt that the platform is clamping down on content. Earlier on…

We’re out and about again! This time, our CEO Katy was captivated by insights at the Brandwatch Now You Know conference, learning how digging up data can open up creative opportunity for brands. Katy’s very own roundtable discussion got people from all sorts of brands fired-up, talking about…

There’s been a great deal of talk over the past few months of the future strategic moves that LinkedIn might be making. As always, LinkedIn is extremely slow at implementing radical changes. The result of this perpetual situation is that the social network of the working people has announced one development…

Ask any marketer, and they’ll tell you that generating engagement on social media all comes down to persuading your audience to respond to you. In order to persuade, you need to apply simple psychological strategies to trigger emotional responses from your audience, as a result of them viewing your content.

Can Youtube exist without its UGC base? Surely not in the form we know today, but this might not just be hypothetical speculation. YouTube users are currently leaving the platform at an alarming rate, in favour of the Google video colossus. It seems to be a mix of “burnout” syndrome,…

It’s been 4 years since Facebook bought the messaging app WhatsApp for a whopping $22 billion, and so far the app has remained ad-free. However, that is about to change in 2019, as WhatsApp plans to roll out targeted ads to its more than a billion users. A…

Have you considered making Facebook Groups part of your Facebook marketing strategy? Recent research from Facebook has shown that Groups are seeing more engagement than pages. Groups allow you to start conversations in a way that feels more private, and everyone that joins the Group is likely to have similar…

It’s easy to think that strategy is a siloed task best undertaken by a planning team, but that’s far from the case. The best strategies are delivered by a multi-disciplined team with differing levels of experience. And never more so than when it comes to social media – there…

I’ve spent most of this week doing interviews. I’m combing for the next batch of talent to join immediate future. It’s something that I thoroughly enjoy, particularly when a vacant role is entry level. There is an unbridled enthusiasm and honesty that you only experience from people looking to make…

Ads have existed on Instagram Stories for a while now and are earning the platform a fortune, with a daily userbase of 400 million. Recently, having reached 300 million daily users, Facebook has followed in its footsteps with an identical ad proposition. The first brands to test the format…

Once upon a time, Kevin and Mike loved playing with pictures. They created the Instagram app in 2010 to share their passion for photography and image composition, in particular the famous square format. The app, though, grew much bigger and more powerful than the two dads ever expected! It…

Once overlooked, Pinterest has been going from strength to strength in the social stratosphere. For travel, beauty, and fashion brands, it offers the perfect opportunity to showcase products or experiences, and now they’re looking to improve their influencer offering. Pinterest have realised influencers are becoming more and more active on…

It’s our travel edition! On this week’s Serious Social, we spoke to the CEO of Sagittarius, Paul Stephen, about his experience working in digital marketing for travel clients. The travel industry is so commoditised, it’s important for brands to stand out on social. To do…

Sure, sure… high street economy is a bit on the low side with big franchises announcing closures of big flagship stores, but not everything is lost. The economy, though, is not sinking worldwide. Markets are just shifting towards the easier (at least for the consumer) e-commerce. The online…