X Immediate Future

YouTube go for the cord-cutters with TV ads

Let’s talk about the video giant, YouTube. YouTube viewership is increasing on TV. Its apps for smart TV and gaming consoles are growing and growing among viewers who prefer to watch on the big-screen, instead of the little screen in their pockets. In the past, YouTube saw…

A Brief History of Social Media

Did you know that the first social media site was called “Six Degrees” and was founded in 1997? Many believe that it’s Facebook that has largely reshaped the way we connect and stay in touch with each other; however, this type of networking can be traced back…

Spectacles strike back – Snap isn’t giving up on the wearable camera

Snap has just released a second generation of its Spectacles. Yes, you read that right. Spectacles, the “wearable” camera in the form of sunglasses, were what most of us thought would be the first and last attempt Snap had at creating a hardware product. With only 150,000 pairs sold and…

Instagram’s new feature makes for snappier Stories

This week Instagram have announced two new updates that will streamline the functionality of the platform, both for personal and business use. The first is a multiple photo upload feature, meaning you can add up to ten photos or videos to your Story at one time. You can edit each…

Facebook push for live video content with Premieres feature

In this week’s Serious Social, we’re chatting about the new Facebook Premieres feature! It’s Facebook’s solution to keeping pre-recorded live videos within the platform, and will make it easier for publishers to post videos without the expensive external software! It’s a solution that will certainly encourage more video content,…

Facebook reveals an increased use of pre-roll ads and more…

Facebook reveals an increased use of pre-roll ads and more… We’ve all heard of Watch – Facebook’s platform for shows. Having released this to a small US-based audience in August 2017, Facebook shared episodes — live and recorded — that followed a storyline or theme. With promising results, Facebook are…

Snap inaugurate augmented reality m-commerce

Users love new, inspiring features on social media – that’s no secret! Remember earlier this year, when Snap debuted an in-app AR ecommerce experience for Nike’s Jordans? Well, it clearly wowed customers, because Snap has released a new feature that it’s calling “Shoppable AR”. What does it…

Facebook Premieres bridge the gap between Lives and edited content

Just when you thought Facebook couldn’t better its video proposition, it’s done it again – the platform is using a select group of creators and broadcasters to test a new format called Premieres. To the average Facebook user, the videos will look a lot like Lives – viewers will be…

Instagram Adds New Profile to Showcase Design & Creativity on the Platform

On the 15th of April, Instagram, in conjunction with Dezeen at Milan Fashion Week, launched an initiative in the form of a specialised profile called @design. The premise behind the move is to showcase the work of Instagram’s design team, as well as that…

Facebook’s ‘Loyalty Prediction’ ad tool

Facebook’s new Loyalty Prediction ad tool We’re all familiar with Facebook’s targeting. Together with detailed demographics, user preferences and past actions, we’re able to deliver relevant messages to refined audiences through the platform. A confidential document, examined by The Intercept suggests that Facebook may be working on…

Our opinion; JD Wetherspoons’ social withdrawal

JD Wetherspoons has announced its exit from social media. You’re bound to have plenty of questions. Why come off social media? Will it hurt the brand? How about the long-term? Should other brands follow suit? We’re giving you the answers in this Serious Social. As a single-brand operator, the…

Spoons calls it quits – What did we learn?

Many of its 44,000 Twitter followers were shocked at yesterday’s announcement that JD Wetherspoon will be closing all of its accounts across all social media platforms. The reasoning behind this bold decision however, remains relatively vague. Wetherspoon’s CEO, Tim Martin, listed a few reasons why he’s calling it quits –…

Facebook updates their Story

Facebook Stories haven’t exactly taken off, particularly in comparison to Instagram, however the platform isn’t giving up, and have recently added two new features that could take Facebook Stories from mediocre to masterful. Facebook have access to AR driven digital object detection and spatial recognition tools, and they’re making use…

Episodes of Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories have been going strong for a year and a half, gaining success and slowly reeling in the Snapchat Stories users. In this time, brands have been experimenting with the feature and use it in many different ways. A few companies are doing it differently – Bustle being one.

A straight-talking summary of GDPR-enforced changes to Facebook’s Paid Media proposition

Facebook’s Paid Media proposition is changing. After the data breach, and with GDPR coming up, it’s clear why they’re doing it. But, if you use Facebook for advertising, you’ll want to know what’s changing and how. As a Facebook partner, we’ve got all the finer details. In this week’s…

YouTube TrueView for Reach

YouTube have had some great updates recently, from their new YouTube Studio with improved metrics, to their new dashboard. It seems they’re currently pulling out all the stops. To add to the new Studio interface, this week they’ve announced the option to buy shorter, skippable ads through their new product,…

A chronological shift and an ecommerce twist for Instagram

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…

LinkedIn goes all-in on B2B with video sponsored content

LinkedIn has been criticised for its lack of sponsored video support for quite some time now and most of us have almost given up on the idea that it will ever ACTUALLY happen. However, last October it began beta-testing video for sponsored content with more than 700 participating advertisers. The…

Facebook’s GDPR plans? Goodbye partner data

It’s been a tough couple of weeks for Facebook. Understandably, many are disappointed by the delayed reaction and slow apology for the Cambridge Analytica data breach. With GDPR on the horizon, EU citizens have more rights than ever before with regards to who holds their data and why. Users from…

Insta’s shoppable posts have crossed the pond

UK-based e-retailers! You’ll step up your social when you hear this… Instagram are giving UK online retailers the chance to publish shoppable posts. Shoppable Instagram posts have been on the horizon for a while. The feature was available to American businesses last year, so it was only…

How to win brand loyalty with one word

Do you want to build brand loyalty and stand out from the crowd in a busy marketplace? Well, you need to first answer the question “why?”. “Why does your brand exist?” And no, you’re not allowed to say profit! So, go on, have a little think… Do you exist because…

BREAKING NEWS: What does Zuckerberg’s statement really mean?

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 …

How your business can make the most of Instagram’s Stories

Since its recent algorithm change, Instagram now rewards posts with high engagement. Your reach is based on how much interaction your posts are getting. Anything from video views to comments and shares, if your post receives high engagement, it tells Instagram that your content is quality and worthy…

The blue tick as we know it…

Recent news from Twitter suggests there are plans in the pipeline that could see us all the proud owners of our very own blue ticks in the future. Twitter verification has been under scrutiny for a while now, with most users seeing it as a symbol of endorsement or credibility…

Twitter has got its (Advertising) swagger back

The past few years have been a roller-coaster ride for Twitter. Success stories broadcasting their flotation and rise to $69 a share (in January 2014) were followed by column inches informing us of declining revenues, their share price crashing to $14 (in May 2016), ensuing staff cutbacks and comprehensive restructuring…

Increase LinkedIn engagements with top topics from 2017

There are plenty of tactical ways to use social media for B2B marketing. The first question… which channels are you using? Well, we all know that B2B loves LinkedIn. But, how should you be using LinkedIn? There has been a huge focus on LinkedIn over the past year. The platform…

Latest Google feature brings mainstream social AR marketing one step closer

The latest news out of Google is that they’re opening up Maps so developers can create the next big mobile gaming phenomenon, in the mould of Pokémon Go. While initially this seems like great news solely for gaming, there’s no reason this shouldn’t get marketers excited too. The…

Facebook algorithm changes: what we now know

Wanna know how to thrive on Facebook in 2018? Here’s what Facebook’s second algorithm change means for brands. It focuses on prioritising content from friends and family, so it’s no surprise that has sparked huge concern, interest and conversation for brands. Publishers, marketers and news outlets will have lower…

Now YouTube Studio has left beta we all have improved analytics

Remember June last year when YouTube announced a beta trial of YouTube studio, its new hub for Creators? It’s been a while, so you’d be forgiven for not remembering. The good news is, after 9 months of testing, the new hub will be rolled out to everyone…

Facebook Launches #SheTalksGames Initiative

Off the back of International Women’s Day yesterday, we thought we’d keep the ball rolling by highlighting an interesting, and timeous, initiative by Facebook. The Women in Gaming website has been created by the social media giant to encourage collaboration, story-sharing and connection with women in the…

Facebook’s latest offering tailor-made for travel brands

Facebook and Instagram are increasingly being used in the consumer holiday planning process. According to a recent survey commissioned by Facebook, 68% of Millennials found ideas and inspiration for their most recent trip on Facebook, and the same goes for 60% on Instagram. Travel advertisers on Facebook won’t have to…

When’s the best time to post on Facebook? ⏰

Knowing when to post on your social channels is a constant challenge. It depends on many factors – first and foremost, your audience. Which time zone and countries are they in? What does a normal day look like for them? Are they mobile users or desktop users?…

Could Instagram be implementing video call features?

Instagram has developed into far more than a photo-sharing app and it’s showing no signs of stopping. It’s recently been reported that we could be seeing video and voice calling added to the expanding list of features. Secret codes have been found hidden in the app’s APK (android application package)…

Facebook seizes the opportunity to become the LinkedIn for low-skilled job seekers

The all-consuming Leviathan which is Facebook has seen an opportunity for continued growth. You may have already seen the out of home advertising, where Facebook shows its alignment with micro businesses, your local barber, a small florist and the like. Now, to complement that messaging, Facebook has…

3D posts on Facebook are a reality

With the launch of Facebook Spaces last year, Facebook aimed to democratise the world of social VR, and in October announced functionality that brought immersive 360 images (not just videos!) to the Facebook newsfeed. Until now however, posts have been limited to those created in Oculus Medium, and you have…

YouTube just updated its live-streaming offering

For years YouTube was the go-to platform for video content and only had a relatively small live-streaming offering. When it came to live videos, we saw a number of platforms enter the arena; Periscope and Meerkat to name but a few. And more recently we’ve seen Facebook’s video proposition go…

What is Vero?

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,…

Snapchat losses are NOT Kylie Jenner’s fault

For the past year, CJ, MD at immediate future, had been commenting on Snapchat earnings calls on BBC News (broadcast), national and trade press: saying that Snapchat is on a path to failure. As losses continue to pile up, and a spotlight is placed on recent changes at the…

Snapchat now lets UK users create their own bespoke Lenses

Brits, listen up! Snapchat has a new feature, which will allow UK users to create their very own personalised Lenses directly from the app for the first time. Always wanted to give it a go? Now you can! According to Snap, over 70 million people use the popular face and…

Snapchat’s leap of faith into e-commerce

Nike’s Jordan brand teamed up with Snapchat to pre-release the Air Jordan III “Tinker” trainers after this week’s NBA All-Star game. After the game, people who attended the Jumpman All-Star after-party in LA were able to scan an exclusive Snap code and buy the trainers directly through Snapchat. Although Shopify…

Has Facebook summited?

It’s a question I’m regularly asked. I’m fortunate enough to be a BBC News room regular, commentating on Earning Calls for each Social Media channel. Irrespective of the prime brand being discussed, the topic of Facebook’s ability to sustain incremental profits always arises. Today, Facebook isn’t just the powerhouse of…

Why the drop in Facebook referral traffic isn’t a bad thing & what you should be posting to minimise the loss

You heard it from the main man himself, so it should be no surprise when, less than a month later, there already seems to be a 6% decline in Facebook traffic to publishers. In the long run, this drop in referral traffic is intended to result in…

Social Commerce Needs More Social Video

It hasn’t even been two years since Facebook proclaimed that by the beginning of the next decade the platform could be ‘all video’, but it already feels like this prediction is fast-becoming a reality. For some time now, YouTube has dominated the online video clip space. But…

Facebook Launches Messenger Kids App on Android

Whether you allow your child access to social media or not is a particularly controversial topic which doesn’t have an easy answer. One thing remains clear, children will access the platform with or without your consent. After consultations with parents and national associations, Facebook recognised this and has developed an…

Facebook’s latest feature: Lists

Facebook have officially rolled out their Lists feature globally today. The feature is aligned to the status update box, along with the options such as Photo/Sticker, Polls and so on. With the recent shift to make Facebook a platform to help users connect to their loved ones, have more meaningful…

Now you can set up shop on Instagram

Over the last few weeks we’ve seen copious amounts of updates from Instagram, and just last week the platform announced that it has been testing a new way to enable brands to push purchases on the platform, in the form of ‘Collections’ ads. We first saw ‘Collections’ campaigns on…

Here’s why you should use Pinterest for seasonal advertising

It’s no secret that Pinterest users curate boards to plan birthday parties, weddings, Christmas, Halloween and every other occasion. Choosing a holiday destination, buying seasonal clothes, party planning. This is exactly why consumer brands should be using Pinterest for seasonal advertising. Pinterest is a place for beautiful images and products.

Facebook Watch to challenge YouTube in 2018

It’s been common knowledge for some time that Facebook wants to be a video programming hub and original content provider to rival Netflix or Hulu, for the sole purpose of increasing video ad space. Following…

New update from Instagram – 3 is the magic number

We first saw ads on Instagram Stories just under a year ago, a format that has over 300 million daily users. Last week Instagram announced that it is expanding its ad capabilities by introducing carousel ads to Stories. Recently, brands were limited to using just one image on their Instagram…

Time to seize the Twitter Sponsored Moments?

It may seem as though the initial moment passed without much fanfare in October 2015 when Twitter Moments rolled out. It was then released to influencers and creators in August 2016 then the wider public in Sep 16, but… didn’t really set the world alight. At its…

Instagram’s API finally allows scheduling

We know that Instagram doesn’t stop when we all leave the office at 5:30pm, and at the weekend, when we’re all making the most of our two days off, it’s especially alive. Whilst there have been unofficial solutions like Schedugram, which we’ve made the most…

3 reasons assumptions and biases scupper social marketing

There’s that supercilious phrase, “if you ‘assume’, you make an ASS out of U and ME”. Bloomin’ awful expression, but it did pop into my head when I read this summary of research on MarketingProfs. It takes a look at how marketers get it wrong when they…

Influencer Marketing – From mega to micro

Influencer Marketing – From mega to micro Using a celebrity or sports personality to endorse your brand or product is no new concept. However, in 2017, we saw brands use social media to find new and effective ways to use endorsement and incorporate it into their overall marketing strategy.

WhatsApp Officially Launches App for Business

Earlier this month, the WhatsApp Business app officially launched in markets such as Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, the U.K. and the U.S. A wider roll-out is planned later in the year. The addition will see business profiles and new messaging tools available for customers as part of a…

Make your Instagram Stories POP with latest GIF support

Instagram is at it again! The latest update includes an integration with GIPHY, meaning only one thing – Stories are going to be a lot more animated! GIF stickers can now be added to all of your Story photos and videos, and the fact that they’re from GIPHY’s database means that…

Snap ‘n’ share…with your Grandma!

Not a Snapchat user? Doesn’t mean you won’t be finding out more about it… On Tuesday, Twitter announced that you can now share certain stories outside of the app with a shareable link & open them on a webpage, mobile browser, or within Facebook & Twitter. At the moment, the…

GDPR, increased social use…it’s time for a social media policy review

We know the clock’s ticking for May 25th, and there’s still scepticism around the application and effects of GDPR for every business sector. One thing is clear though, there are definite concerns for marketers. This blog answers a lot of questions, but glaringly, without the opt-in holy…

Why you should celebrate your brand’s anniversary on social

Anniversaries are a great opportunity to celebrate the high points from the last year. They also give brands an opportunity to devise a social campaign to make strengthen their brand messaging and appeal to a particular audience. For optimum success, they’re best celebrated alongside a news story, launches, initiatives, products,…

Content Is Facebook King Again

Following Mark Zuckerberg’s decision to once again change the inner workings of the Facebook news feed, the real impact of the newsfeed algorithm change is becoming clearer. Initially, publishers and advertisers alike were thrown into a panic by assuming the change meant the end times had come and we were…

I guess this is how the wider world views social influencers?

Here’s a story about a young lady who wanted to spend five nights in a luxury Dublin hotel. As she says herself, it was to be for “an early Valentine’s Day weekend”. Nothing too unusual there. Here’s the kicker, because of who she is, rising social media influencer Elle Darby,…

Google is great at gamifying machine learning

The latest trend on social? In the US, it’s comparing yourself to 70,000 works of art and sharing your best match. Sounds fun, right? However, there’s a lot more cool stuff going on in the background than you think. Google has been experimenting with gamifying AI algorithms…

Can Twitter become brands’ new favourite platform?

It’s been quiet at the water cooler recently, what with having to wait FOREVER for GoT to return. But, even if you’re not a business, the recent Facebook news means Zuckerberg’s plans have got everybody talking. January as a slow news month? Not anymore. Facebook’s long shadow…

Compelling content & conversation- Social media 101

Last week, Mark Zuckerberg made a bold statement about his plans for 2018. With the aim to fix and improve the social network, he stated that big changes will be made to Newsfeed. The algorithm will now prioritise user posts over public content, such as posts from businesses, brands…

Social Media Trends in 2018

We are all, in some way or another, completely reliant on social media. This makes us a captive audience and ideal recipients on which to trial new things. Given the global penetration of social media, here are our 5 trend forecasts for the new year. Facebook Watch will lead the…

How to spice up your Facebook polls with GIFs

Facebook is saturated with brands on the constant lookout for new ways to engage with their audiences. We’re all fighting for our voices to be heard. Getting people to engage with brands on social media is getting harder, and people’s opinions are becoming more and more valuable. Unless your content…

Facebook M is dead. Will AI live on?

It appears Facebook bit off more than they could chew with their AI experiment, the powered virtual assistant, better known mysteriously as ‘M’. Released in August 2015, M is a text-based virtual assistant that involves using human employees to train an artificial intelligence system. After being offered to around 2,000…

Longer Shows & Larger Pages Get the Facebook Thumbs-Up

Following Mark Zuckerberg’s prediction that video will be the largest driver of business for Facebook over the next two to three years, it is easy to see, that the desire to become a ‘video-first’ platform is at the heart of their efforts. A further…

Digital ad spend soars in 2017

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 $178…

How Snapchat rules the cinema

Did you know it would take you 10 years to view all the photos shared on Snapchat in the last hour? In amongst all of the cat videos and selfies are a surprising amount of conversations about cinema. Snap Inc. recently teamed up with Greenberg and the MPAA to conduct some…

Will 2018 be the year of social media banking?

While social media companies are often dragged over the coals as a result of how they handle their platform content, their responsibility to protect vulnerable individuals or how they contribute to the countries they operate in through taxes, there doesn’t seem to be much commentary yet on their suitability as…

Why you should follow Hashtags on Instagram

In the rush of Christmas parties, present buying and mince pie munching, you’d be forgiven for not realising the importance of an announcement Instagram released on 13th December. Luckily for you, it’s January, there are no excuses and we’re here to give you the low down. When you open up…

2018. How will your brand be heard above the noise?

It’s now the start of a brand new year, where new trends emerge and new opportunities for content creation arise. We hope you’ve had your fill of turkey and all the over-indulgent trimmings you could get your hands on this Christmas. We definitely did. However, it’s now time to look…

Best 15 marketing, social and digital podcasts recommended by industry leaders

Staying on top of the latest in the fast-changing marketing industry is a challenge. There isn’t much time to stop and read or watch everything you want to. Podcasts offer a superb alternative to getting your social, digital or marketing fix whilst you carry on doing something else. I listen…

Lens Studio – with love from Snapchat

Snapchat have now made it possible to create your own AR lens. By launching a new desktop app that can be used on both Mac and Windows, Snapchat intend to make it easy to create AR objects and experiences on top of the geo-filters we all love! Snapchat have come a…

Like, share & comment on this blog! Facebook cracks down on engagement bait

We’re all guilty of blindly interacting with engagement bait. Like! Vote! Share! React! To things that… actually aren’t that engaging, but yet we do it. Does this mean that our own content quality control filter is failing? I mean, am I realistically going to win an X Box One for…

Instagram spreads the festive cheer with latest update

They say money never sleeps and it appears neither do Instagram’s developers. The latest update is jam-packed with holiday spirit, so if you’re not into sending actual Christmas cards (you know, the ones that come in envelopes), Insta’s new creative tools might be just for you. Like recent Instagram…

A new addition to the Instagram family

Social platforms have become much more than a place to share words and pictures. You can stay in touch with your Aunt, play Scrabble with her and tag her in hilarious cat videos. Social has long replaced traditional forms of communication like writing, to keep in touch. In many cases,…

Will there be an AI-pocalypse or can we make sure machines just do their jobs?

Terminator? No joke. It’s been used as a lazy, negative cypher for AI for years, but it’s now actually developing at visible speed and catching up to 80’s premonitions. However, according to an article, Google’s DeepMind ‘has simple tests that may prevent AI apocalypse’. Phew.

Facebook is pinning its video hopes on music and 360

It seems like Facebook wants to take over the internet, and every week there seems to be a development that brings it one step closer. This week the giant’s giving Snapchat a break and is focusing on video once again. Since the launch of its TV proposition (a damp…

Facebook won’t give up hope on the poke

Do you remember when Facebook was still competing with other social networks like MySpace and Friendster? Back then, any cute feature that was a fun way to interact with other on the platform could give a network an edge over the competition. The ‘poke’ was a nice way to let…

Instagram launches huge changes to Stories

Christmas has come early in the world of Instagram with two new features which will change the face of Instagram as we know it! Pretty huge, right? So, what are the new features? The first of the two features is Highlights. This new feature will appear directly underneath your bio…

Christmas is so over. Focus on the New Year or lose out.

Christmas is done. It’s over. There is no more time for planning. Execution is (well it better be) in full flow. It’s time for marketers to turn their planning heads to the New Year. And I don’t mean the 1st January 2018. I mean 16th February. Chinese New Year (CNY)…

2018 could mean Social media starts at 6 years old

So, a six-year-old can now be on Social Media? Yes, you read that right! Facebook have released an App that targets parents with children younger than 13. This is Facebook’s first product aimed at children and they are not the first to focus on this large, untapped audience. Whilst it…

The Big Snapchat Redesign

Snap has been under a lot of pressure since it’s Q3 Earnings report and as we have reported recently change has been on the horizon for a while. In an attempt to invigorate their stagnating user growth beyond the 3% mark and boost their low revenue Snap Inc.

Serious Social 30/11/2017

We welcomed a broadcasting behemoth to our office for this week’s Serious Social. Gavin Dawson, head of comms for international markets, came in from the BBC to look at what we do, and discuss the changing role of social for broadcasters. How do you create content and always-on plans…

Get the lowdown on Snapchat’s upcoming revamp

Snapchat is undergoing an extensive app re-design, billed its ‘biggest redesign in years’, in a bid to keep their audience engaged, attract new users & regain their position in the social platform battle. This will see a redesigned user interface, making the social platform easier to use, and ultimately more…

Facebook ups charitability for #GivingTuesday

Facebook is an incredible platform for raising awareness of causes and being a means for people to donate to those causes. We often hear heart-warming news about stories spreading across social and raising enough money for life-saving operations, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and reuniting families. Yesterday was #GivingTuesday and Facebook upped their…

Snapchat says you won’t find its audience anywhere else

Following its shocking Q3 results (which I’m not going to talk about again, promise), Snap is still keen to prove its worth to brands with big budgets. This time, the company has commissioned app analytics tool, App Annie, to report on the amount of time Snapchat’s users spend…

Naughty or Nice? Pinterest’s got it sorted

‘Tis the season we all start panicking about what will land under who’s Christmas tree. Whether it’s family, actual friends (which is a much smaller list than my Facebook friends), or a random colleague (if they happen to be your Secret Santa at work), buying the RIGHT Christmas present can be…

What will be in your 2018 social strategy?

It’s that time when we start to reminisce about the year we’ve had. What went wrong? What was a success and what can we do better next year? We’ve seen updates galore from all platforms. Twitter increased their character limit, Snapchat launched a self-serve ad manager, and we’ve lost count…

Facebook takes on YouTube with Creator app

In recent months, video content has bloomed. We’re seeing more of it than ever and it’s hugely successful as a content form across platforms. So, Facebook are rising up to the demand and success of video and taking on YouTube with their new Creator app. What can…

“Tweet about discounts and don’t forget the hashtag” they said

One week until Black Friday, and businesses all want to run a wow factor Social campaign to entice customers. The question is: Are you equipped with your strongest Black Friday strategies yet? If you think about it, just like you, almost every other business wants to make the most of…

5 kinds of YouTube videos driving shopping patterns

Over the last few years, video has shown its might in every way across social media platforms. No longer the preserve of costly and time-consuming production studios, the medium has been revolutionised by social media. Immediate, available and free, the reach of digitised video has meant a plethora of new…

Snap Strikes Back with new Ad Manager updates

It’s been a week since Snap’s shocking (though somewhat expected) Q3 results, and yet we’re already hit with some exciting news! Snapchat has rolled its advertising self-service tools onto a single platform with Ad Manager 2.0. The new Ad Manager unifies several of Snapchat’s existing ad buying and management tools,…

Will we be seeing a follow hashtag feature on Instagram?

We ❤ Instagram, but it seems like the days when we were able to see content that we’re actually interested in on our feed, are slowly slipping away… For a while now, it seems Instagram have been prioritising and promoting posts that generate a lot of engagement, and these very posts have…

Snap Chat’s Revitalisation

Following Snap’s Q3 Earnings report it’s become apparent that a big change needs to happen if Snapchat is to remain a credible player in the world of social media. According to the report Snapchat’s user growth is down to a meagre 2.9 percent. Revenue targets weren’t met to the tune…

News Spreads like Wildfire on Social

It seems like new features are being added to social media platforms every day. People are spending more time on their mobile devices like phones and laptops, on social media, and less time reading the daily paper or watching the TV. Traditional news platforms are becoming less popular, and news…

Facebook Introduces Messenger Plugin for Business Sites

Now that the festive season is upon us, the sound of a call centre will never be music to an irate consumer’s ears. Whether it be a product query, a refund or to simply ask a question, watching those seconds turn into minutes, into tens of minutes on your mobile…

Do they know it’s Christmas? Yep, the seasonal ads are here

At IF, it’s been slowly and now concretely drummed into us: Christmas is coming. If your clients aren’t ready yet, then you need to be. Internally, it means designing our Christmas card, sorting the festivities and most importantly, making sure we are effortlessly ready to deliver everything before 2017 magically…

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YouTube go for the cord-cutters with TV ads

A Brief History of Social Media

Spectacles strike back – Snap isn’t giving up on the wearable camera

Instagram’s new feature makes for snappier Stories

Facebook push for live video content with Premieres feature

Facebook reveals an increased use of pre-roll ads and more…

Snap inaugurate augmented reality m-commerce

Facebook Premieres bridge the gap between Lives and edited content

Instagram Adds New Profile to Showcase Design & Creativity on the Platform

Facebook’s ‘Loyalty Prediction’ ad tool

Our opinion; JD Wetherspoons’ social withdrawal

Spoons calls it quits – What did we learn?

Facebook updates their Story

Episodes of Instagram Stories

A straight-talking summary of GDPR-enforced changes to Facebook’s Paid Media proposition

YouTube TrueView for Reach

A chronological shift and an ecommerce twist for Instagram

LinkedIn goes all-in on B2B with video sponsored content

Facebook’s GDPR plans? Goodbye partner data

Insta’s shoppable posts have crossed the pond

How to win brand loyalty with one word

BREAKING NEWS: What does Zuckerberg’s statement really mean?

How your business can make the most of Instagram’s Stories

The blue tick as we know it…

Twitter has got its (Advertising) swagger back

Increase LinkedIn engagements with top topics from 2017

Latest Google feature brings mainstream social AR marketing one step closer

Facebook algorithm changes: what we now know

Now YouTube Studio has left beta we all have improved analytics

Facebook Launches #SheTalksGames Initiative

Facebook’s latest offering tailor-made for travel brands

When’s the best time to post on Facebook? ⏰

Could Instagram be implementing video call features?

Facebook seizes the opportunity to become the LinkedIn for low-skilled job seekers

3D posts on Facebook are a reality

YouTube just updated its live-streaming offering

What is Vero?

Snapchat losses are NOT Kylie Jenner’s fault

Snapchat now lets UK users create their own bespoke Lenses

Snapchat’s leap of faith into e-commerce

Has Facebook summited?

Why the drop in Facebook referral traffic isn’t a bad thing & what you should be posting to minimise the loss

Social Commerce Needs More Social Video

Facebook Launches Messenger Kids App on Android

Facebook’s latest feature: Lists

Now you can set up shop on Instagram

Here’s why you should use Pinterest for seasonal advertising

Facebook Watch to challenge YouTube in 2018

New update from Instagram – 3 is the magic number

Time to seize the Twitter Sponsored Moments?

Instagram’s API finally allows scheduling

3 reasons assumptions and biases scupper social marketing

Influencer Marketing – From mega to micro

WhatsApp Officially Launches App for Business

Make your Instagram Stories POP with latest GIF support

Snap ‘n’ share…with your Grandma!

GDPR, increased social use…it’s time for a social media policy review

Why you should celebrate your brand’s anniversary on social

Content Is Facebook King Again

I guess this is how the wider world views social influencers?

Google is great at gamifying machine learning

Can Twitter become brands’ new favourite platform?

Compelling content & conversation- Social media 101

Social Media Trends in 2018

How to spice up your Facebook polls with GIFs

Facebook M is dead. Will AI live on?

Longer Shows & Larger Pages Get the Facebook Thumbs-Up

Digital ad spend soars in 2017

How Snapchat rules the cinema

Will 2018 be the year of social media banking?

Why you should follow Hashtags on Instagram

2018. How will your brand be heard above the noise?

Best 15 marketing, social and digital podcasts recommended by industry leaders

Lens Studio – with love from Snapchat

Like, share & comment on this blog! Facebook cracks down on engagement bait

Instagram spreads the festive cheer with latest update

A new addition to the Instagram family

Will there be an AI-pocalypse or can we make sure machines just do their jobs?

Facebook is pinning its video hopes on music and 360