Search results for "influencers"

Instagram– a gift that keeps on giving…

Instagram– a gift that keeps on giving…

Earlier this month, Facebook spoke of some very exciting planned updates for Instagram to be rolled out throughout 2018. Given the platform’s Stories feature now has 300M active daily users alone, viewing organic and brand-based content, it makes absolute sense for substantial investment. It really is the perfect…
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Fancy shopping around for your next influencer?

Fancy shopping around for your next influencer?

Facebook is building a Branded Content Marketing search engine to allow brands to find the best influencer partnerships for their marketing, particularly where Facebook ad campaigns are concerned. Brands can search based on certain parameters like location, interests, gender and education. You can save selected creators in a private list…
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Snapchat redesign V2.0

Snapchat redesign V2.0

Snapchat redesign V2.0 Snapchat recently revealed an all-new layout which quite frankly was unpopular amongst most of its users. Here is a list of some of the dreadful changes that were made: The addition of more navigation buttons The removal of Creators from the Stories list Messages and Stories from…
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What is Vero?

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,…
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Facebook Watch to challenge YouTube in 2018

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…
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Time to seize the Twitter Sponsored Moments?

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…
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Influencer Marketing – From mega to micro

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.
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The Big Snapchat Redesign

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.
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Get the lowdown on Snapchat’s upcoming revamp

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…
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Snapchat says you won’t find its audience anywhere else

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…
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Facebook takes on YouTube with Creator app

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…
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Snap Chat’s Revitalisation

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…
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Serious Social 09/11/2017

Serious Social 09/11/2017

  What are you talking about? Shopping. What are you talking about? Reality show influencers who break the rules. Serious Social gets serious around the clampdown on influencers not declaring brand endorsements, while the Instagram conversation centres on social commerce, and how it’s a match made in shopping heaven.
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Spectacles’ Spectacular flop

Spectacles’ Spectacular flop

Just when we thought 2017 couldn’t get any worse for Snap, turns out Spectacles are a commercial flop. Snap’s first attempt at creating a hardware product failed to excite customers past their initial purchase. Despite the initial hype, the company has sold only 150,000 pairs to date, and less than…
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Instagram pods – peas or war?

Instagram pods – peas or war?

If you’re an Instagram junkie you’re probably already clued up on Instagram comment pods, however, if you’re clueless, here’s everything you need to know… Although they’ve been around for a short while already, I only became aware of the ‘Instagram comment pod’ concept recently. Most likely because I don’t have…
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Step-up, stand-out and succeed on Instagram

Step-up, stand-out and succeed on Instagram

Yet, Instagram has over 700m active users (that is almost 6 x that of Snapchat) and 400m daily active users (It’s reported to be the second most engaged platform after Facebook). 75% of total Instagram users are outside the US and over 80% are connected to brands…
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Happy 10th birthday hashtag! But was 2007 a socially vintage year?

Happy 10th birthday hashtag! But was 2007 a socially vintage year?

One of the friendlier pieces of social news this week (that’s not Snapchat slump related) was the celebration of ten years of the hashtag. That humble little symbol that identifies messages on a specific topic blew out the virtual candles after a decade of activism (#blacklivesmatter), brand brilliance (Always’ #LikeAGirl)…
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Is instagrammability the new advertising?

Is instagrammability the new advertising?

In our ‘blink-and-you’ve-missed-it’ digital world, social media is leading the way in which most of us receive information. Instagram’s influence continues to grow. The platform topped 700 million monthly active users earlier this year and Instagram Stories reached 250 million daily active users just over a month ago. As we’ve been…
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Instagram Bulks Out Its Live Capabilities With Collaborative Videos

Instagram Bulks Out Its Live Capabilities With Collaborative Videos

A new Instagram feature lets users team up to broadcast live videos, opening up all kinds of possibilities for collaboration. The latest update is one in a string of changes to both Facebook and Instagram, intended to encourage more people to use live video on their platforms. While it’s only…
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Facebook Stories gets two updates – and we’re still not convinced

Facebook Stories gets two updates – and we’re still not convinced

If there was an update we didn’t really need on Facebook – it would be Facebook Stories. Like Instagram, the addition sits very obviously at the top of your mobile feed. Yet, nobody seems to actually be using it, and it remains permanently empty. (Seriously, apart from that one friend…
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Social Media Searches on Job Applicants –The Clampdown

Social Media Searches on Job Applicants –The Clampdown

‘All the world’s a social media platform…’ The internet has been called an unregulated Wild West, a digital playground, a threat to society, and more. Realistically, it’s taken 25 years to grow into something that we simply can’t live without. We live our lives on there, and it’s an extension…
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How to Write Great Branded Content

How to Write Great Branded Content

There are a million and one blogs out there that talk about how to write great content, and while some have valid points, there’s one thing they tend to miss. Great content comes first and foremost, from passion. Great content can’t be made to fit an audience. It can’t come…
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00-Instagram is here – have you got the licence to post?

00-Instagram is here – have you got the licence to post?

Nowadays, influencer marketing is playing a major role in brand marketing. It’s not a fad or a passing trend, it’s here to stay. From micro influencers, to stars with millions of followers, brands are investing a lot of money to place their products with the right people, and…
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Dads on social? They’re well connected thanks to the Dad Network

Dads on social? They’re well connected thanks to the Dad Network

Here at IF Towers there are some older dads in the mix. Yep, there’s traditional dad stuff like photos on desks, and dad jokes flying around, but as is our business, we’re living and breathing social. It’s not the sole preserve of the young. We invented it doncha know! So,…
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Live Event Social Media Checklist

Live Event Social Media Checklist

Pre-planning is absolutely vital to effective social media before, during, and after a live event. The recent evolution of live social has led to a mass increase in live video streaming and events are a huge part of that. According to…
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How the new Facebook Live features are even better than you realise

How the new Facebook Live features are even better than you realise

It’s against best practice guidelines to start with a negative, but I’ve never been one for rules and taking lessons from the mistakes of others. Had I done so, then I would have found a tropical island to live and go fishing around, as an old man once advised me.
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Instagram sends a direct message to Snapchat’s users

Instagram sends a direct message to Snapchat’s users

I don’t know about you but I am tired of writing and especially reading, blogs with the same narrative, but here I am doing it again. Instagram has copied Snapchat… and if I had a penny for every time I have read about this topic I would have at least…
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Facebook Live split screen broadcasts are finally here!

Facebook Live split screen broadcasts are finally here!

Cast your mind back to the hazy days of June 2016 and you might remember that Facebook announced something very exciting at Vidcon – the ability to livestream with a friend on a split screen broadcast. Almost a year later, some different iterations along the way in the Mentions app…
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5 simple steps towards influencer marketing success on social media

5 simple steps towards influencer marketing success on social media

You’ve probably heard that word-of-mouth has been identified as one of the most valuable and effective forms of marketing, influencing up to 50 percent of all purchasing decisions. In digital marketing, this goes well beyond recommendations from peers. These days, influencers are the key to word-of-mouth marketing. Research from…
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Facebook Steps Up Against Fake News

Facebook Steps Up Against Fake News

Facebook has just quietly rolled out its latest development in the fight against one of its biggest issues – the distribution of fake news. While the term has rapidly become adopted into pop culture (I visited my sister this weekend, and when I found my clothes in her wardrobe she…
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4 ways to increase your CEO’s social media presence

4 ways to increase your CEO’s social media presence

The expertise, guidance and knowledge that CEO’s have to offer is invaluable! Tap into your CEO’s brain by putting them forward as ‘thought leaders’ on social media. Raising awareness for your business, attracting new potential customers and creating a community is the start of a long list of benefits. Can…
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Sneaky brands that bend the rules will pay more than a fine

Sneaky brands that bend the rules will pay more than a fine

For years, the mantra touted by every social expert is that brands need to “be transparent and honest” when engaging in social networks. Whilst the rewards of social marketing are undoubtable, occasionally organisations make mistakes or fall into holes. It happens. Most learn and move on. But some…
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Why get a dog and bark yourself?

Why get a dog and bark yourself?

You already know why your business needs a social media presence, as you’ve already experienced that social media provides a golden opportunity to talk to your existing and prospective customers or engage with those who will shout about your brand.  Its highly likely that a social media presence is something…
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Making Your OOH More Social

Making Your OOH More Social

From Snapchat’s Spectacles to the Amazon Dash Button, 2016 has seen a heavy focus from brands and advertisers on integrating digital and physical. This was also adopted in the marketing sphere, and several of the most notable campaigns this year came from ideas that found a way to use digital…
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Three Top Tips to Ace Live Social

Three Top Tips to Ace Live Social

Live social is an art. For some it comes naturally. Those with a flair for creating content on the fly and sharing their lives moment-by-moment will certainly have an advantage when it comes to live-posting at an event. However, without a deeper understanding of your client’s brand, the key messages…
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Is this the influencer you are looking for? Maybe.

Is this the influencer you are looking for? Maybe.

Influencers are all the rage these days – whether it’s a YouTube star, an Instagram model, or a renowned blogger, majority of brands are or would like to work with one. We have worked with a few of them and while the number on their subscription bar might be impressive,…
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How to Start Writing – Content Creation for the Uninspired

How to Start Writing – Content Creation for the Uninspired

First things first: content creation for the sake of content creation is a waste of everyone’s time. Yours. Your audience’s. Even Google’s. Don’t do it. That being said, there are times when the content deserves to be written but the inspiration isn’t there – particularly when it comes to social,…
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Full Disclosure: Is Sponsored Content the Death of Influencer Marketing?

Full Disclosure: Is Sponsored Content the Death of Influencer Marketing?

There seems to be a new form of digital marketing dying every week, according to the internet – the latest victim apparently being influencer marketing. It’s not, of course (sorry, spoilers), it’s simply running into the issue that all organic-feeling mediums face when crossing into the mainstream as a legitimate…
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How to generate reach on YouTube for your brand

How to generate reach on YouTube for your brand

For a lot of brands, having a YouTube channel as part of a social media strategy may seem as if it’s not worth the hassle. For one thing, making good quality long-form videos is certainly on the expensive side of the content creation spectrum. Also, there are 300 hours uploaded…
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The 4 trends of ‘micro’ in social media

The 4 trends of ‘micro’ in social media

Social media is meant to be all about the one-to-one conversations. Yet the large reach of many social networks often sits counter to this philosophy. The truth is that brands may well want to be part of the conversation, but the temptation to target reach numbers is too overwhelming. After…
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Why actionable insights are a huge step for YouTube creators

Why actionable insights are a huge step for YouTube creators

  Back in 2006, the quickest way to grow your audience on YouTube was to have your video make it on the home page of the site. In those early days of YouTube, an actual human was curating the content that made it on to the home page (crazy,…
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How even the smallest brands can make use of Snapchat

How even the smallest brands can make use of Snapchat

Since Snapchat’s conception in 2011, we’ve seen its meteoric rise to become one of the most used social networks in the world. The network currently boasts over 100 million daily active users along with 400 million snaps per day being sent all over the globe. For an app that only came…
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3 Key lessons from my dissertation on social media influencer marketing

3 Key lessons from my dissertation on social media influencer marketing

My post-graduate degree comes to a close with a 15,000 word dissertation on influencer marketing. With the pressure of getting that word count in, I was at risk of losing sight of what I was actually trying to find out. But upon reflecting on all of the things I’ve learned…
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Vloggers and YouTubers watch out!

Vloggers and YouTubers watch out!

Vloggers and YouTubers watch out, YouTube is making some changes to its platform. The new feature will see a social timeline added to the platform, which will allow users to share a range of different content including photos, links, videos and text posts with its subscribers. The new ‘Backstage’ feature…
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The rise and rise of Facebook advertising

The rise and rise of Facebook advertising

It’s no secret that Facebook is killing it when it comes to the roll-out and monetisation of video on its platform. The platform’s second quarter earnings, which were published last month, revealed that more than 1.1 billion people are currently using the platform each day and ad…
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Will Snapchat’s new feature open up doors for brands or become a distant memory

Will Snapchat’s new feature open up doors for brands or become a distant memory

Snapchat’s new Memories feature is being advertised as a new way for users to share old snaps and stories – but the consumers are not the only ones that use Snapchat. So what does this new update mean for brands…
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You walk the walk so why not talk the Twitter talk?

You walk the walk so why not talk the Twitter talk?

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…
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The 6 rules to not screw-up your influencer marketing

The 6 rules to not screw-up your influencer marketing

Influencer marketing is this year’s craze. Not just because marketers are increasingly wanting to use it, but because there is much debate on whether there is any value in doing it at all. Blogs and networks are lit up with the discussion. At immediate future we started out in activating…
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The golden rules for B2B social messaging

The golden rules for B2B social messaging

Great B2B social media content has many facets. We often hear about high-quality visual social content that can double – or even triple – engagement, the principle of ‘shattering’ larger assets or cutting video to work better in-channel on social. However, the unsung hero is often the copy, the message.
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The influence social media has on the beauty industry just grows and grows

The influence social media has on the beauty industry just grows and grows

Over the last few years, an overwhelming number of beauty consumers have focused their attention to the advice of beauty vloggers in order to judge cosmetic products, how to wear them, and if certain products are worth purchasing. Precisely why it makes sense that almost 60% of…
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3 Ways How To Make Your Content Strategy Evergreen

3 Ways How To Make Your Content Strategy Evergreen

Don’t you love when you finally have a grasp on something only for it to change instantly? Both Twitter and Facebook have announced major changes coming to their platform. Both of them have one thing in common: the focus on bringing value to their…
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Superbowl 50 – Battle of the Brands 2016

Superbowl 50 – Battle of the Brands 2016

Superbowl; The Olympic games of modern marketing and definitely a leading event in competitive and cutting edge digital marketing tactics. More than with any Superbowl before, brands were positioning their narrative across multiple channels (TV, Social; Twitter Snapchat, Instagram) on an increasingly active timeline, talking to different channels and audiences…
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Twitter’s ‘brand enthusiast gallery’ is cause for enthusiasm

Twitter’s ‘brand enthusiast gallery’ is cause for enthusiasm

Of all of the consumer tech and social media news coming out of #CES2016 last week, I wasn’t expecting news of a new Twitter ad product to be one of the most talked about. But with its ‘brand enthusiast gallery’ (purely a working title, I hope),…
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28 things guaranteed to happen in social in 2016

28 things guaranteed to happen in social in 2016

There have been many predictions for how social media will play out in 2016. But enough of the speculation…here are 28 things that are guaranteed to happen. Do you agree with them? Have I missed any? Shiny new platform labelled the ‘next big thing’ will emerge. Digital professionals…
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8 fundamentals to an award winning paid social campaign

8 fundamentals to an award winning paid social campaign

We were very proud to win Best Use of Social Advertising at the recent Social Media Buzz Awards recently. Fist pump. We did so on a modest budget, pipping big agencies (Ketchum, Starcom, Havas, Manning Gottlieb OMD) and big brands (Starbucks, KFC, Phillips, Unilever, Heineken) with our work for Southbank…
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Defriending, unfollowing, decluttering your social profiles

Defriending, unfollowing, decluttering your social profiles

I have been on Twitter and Facebook for almost 10 years now. Like most folk in social media; I am a social person. I love my social connections. I want to connect and be connected to (who doesn’t want to be liked?). The trouble is that I am now following…
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Open letter: Let’s stop the neglect of social media professionals

Open letter: Let’s stop the neglect of social media professionals

This is an open letter to brands and agencies (and a call for support from industry associations) to stop the neglect of those working in social media. This issue came to a head for me when last week I had a conversation with a young social media professional. She asked…
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Influencer marketing is NOT dead

Influencer marketing is NOT dead

You may have read about Essena O’Neill, the teenage online ‘influencer’ who recently deleted her social media accounts due to pressure to maintain the perfect image. Although she had hundreds of thousands of followers and various companies contacting her to market their products, the time and energy it was taking…
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Market research doesn’t have to be costly

Market research doesn’t have to be costly

All brands, big or small, can benefit from market research. And it can feed into an organisation at any level – whether that is for something as big as a re-brand; a change in strategy; a product launch; or something as ‘simple’ as a seasonal campaign. However, market research can…
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Should social be owned by PR or marketing (and how important is sponsored content)?

Should social be owned by PR or marketing (and how important is sponsored content)?

IF have been working in social for more than eleven years, and this question has consistently been asked throughout. “PRs will shape your narrative and manage your reputation – as we’ve been doing for years with your media relations”, some might say. Marketers will challenge: “now social is the most…
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London Fashion Week’s digital makeover

London Fashion Week’s digital makeover

London Fashion Week 2015 witnessed brands lighting up the digital world, from Burberry’s use of Snapchat, Hunter Original’s use of Periscope, and Topshop’s use of Pinterest. The digital world has introduced brands to a limitless audience. The use of Pinterest and Instagram in London Fashion Week enabled brands to show…
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How crazy golf can unlock the power of your connected network

How crazy golf can unlock the power of your connected network

We call it ‘the power of a connected network’; uniting your workforce to harness the potential influence available on social. “Well that’s just social media tosh”, you might say. I assure you it is not. And here’s why: The most overlooked use of social is internal communications and it’s staggering.
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Usefulness is key for brands to really connect at festivals

Usefulness is key for brands to really connect at festivals

The festival season is here and brands globally are cashing in on sponsorship, branding, presence and product demos of all kinds; taking over stalls, stages, arenas, performers and musicians to get in front of the most dynamic audiences, be in the background of their selfies, and inevitably be part…
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How to target B2B clients at events on social

How to target B2B clients at events on social

With all kinds of summer events on the agenda and the corporate convention season already rumbling away, marketers are increasingly looking for reliable ways to bide the attention of attendees, eager to solidify connection with their target prospects and make sure they stay on their radar to develop a promising brand relationship.
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9 realities of real-time marketing

9 realities of real-time marketing

In a world where the average consumer expects a response within the hour (42%, Edison Research), and has the attention span less than that of a goldfish (8 seconds for humans, the goldfishes’ is 9 seconds), constantly connected from wherever they are – the prospect of ‘real-time marketing’ seems like…
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Re-mapping your thinking – 3 ways to identify B2B prospects on social

Re-mapping your thinking – 3 ways to identify B2B prospects on social

Recently, I have been working with clients across a wide range of verticals in the B2B space, from pharmaceuticals to chemical engineering to sports equipment. These disparate markets have completely unique business challenges, requirements, sales processes and routes to market. However, there is one thing that many of these companies…
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Elevate your employees on LinkedIn

Elevate your employees on LinkedIn

LinkedIn’s latest product utilises the connections of employees in order to publish and curate content with up to ten times the reach of the average company page. “Did you know the average employee has 10 times as many connections as a company has followers?” – LinkedIn LinkedIn Elevate offers your…
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5 vital tips for social (and by the way, some marketing directors are idiots!)

5 vital tips for social (and by the way, some marketing directors are idiots!)

Yes that’s right. There are (unfortunately) far too many senior marketing professionals, even boardroom directors, who are to blame for consumer brands failing on social. Simply put, whoever signs off their approval for junior marketers running social are idiots; whoever hasn’t bothered to understand the critical role social plays for…
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Twitter versus a competitive Meerkat

Twitter versus a competitive Meerkat

“Exciting times for live video streaming” isn’t a term we expected to say this side of 2015 but the rate of new apps being introduced that are able to bridge the functionality gap, (Pan Pan, Nutshell, Hopper, Tworlds) has seen a big increase in the last few months. A gap that certain mainstream social channels…
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What has Instagram got up its sleeve?

What has Instagram got up its sleeve?

The big social media giants, mainly Twitter and Facebook, have been making quite some noise lately announcing constant functionality and advert changes in the last few months. If you need a refresher you can find out more from our previous blogs: Facebook’s Product Ads target specific products to those…
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Influence is not equal – there are three types for starters

Influence is not equal – there are three types for starters

So Facebook has at last, after 4 years, got its patent to identify influencers and experts in a social network. And so influencer marketing comes back centre stage. I say it comes back, because when immediate future started 11 years ago, influencer marketing was a hot tactic.
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What is the future of the social media department?

What is the future of the social media department?

As we move through social media maturity, with some organizations already focusing on optimizing activity and performance based models, the question is – when does social media just become part of everything else? And what is the future of the social media department or even team?…
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5 great tools to discover fresh and relevant content

5 great tools to discover fresh and relevant content

Sourcing fresh content that genuinely engages and adds value among your community is always a challenge. Making sure you discover content that is not only fresh but also on-trend and totally relevant for curating back to your social following is key to gaining positive…
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5 steps to B2B Real-time social for Thomson Reuters

5 steps to B2B Real-time social for Thomson Reuters

Yesterday we wrapped up a social command centre for the Thomson Reuters brand Accelus OrgID. It has been a week of frenzied content creation, tweeting and posting. All designed to amplify the company’s presence at Sibos 2014 (a major financial trade conference) and drive leads. And in our experience, real-time…
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Are all social marketers at risk of developing a split personality disorder?

Are all social marketers at risk of developing a split personality disorder?

Despite the ubiquitous nature of social media and its increasing impact in digital marketing, the majority of marketers fail to maximise the channel’s full potential. We are seeing it time and time again. What many seem to have forgotten is that social is sold on relationships. In an earlier blog…
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3 reasons why Tesco’s CEO needs a social presence

3 reasons why Tesco’s CEO needs a social presence

Since yesterday, Dave Lewis, Chief Executive at Tesco, has been in the firing line. He is new to the role and battling against a crisis that, whilst not of his making, puts him centre stage. Yet a search on the networks shows that Mr Lewis has no…
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Dom Dwight: creating inspiring social content without big budgets

Dom Dwight: creating inspiring social content without big budgets

Last month we were joined by Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate, perhaps better recognised by their brands Taylors Coffee and Yorkshire Tea. Brand Communications Manager Dom Dwight, AKA Coffee Enthusiast, delivered a presentation on creating inspirational social content. The outcome? We all left feeling rather inspired! Funny and endearing, Dom…
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How Twitter mute button has further highlighted questions about the value of your followers

How Twitter mute button has further highlighted questions about the value of your followers

This week Twitter launched a new feature allowing you to mute those pesky users who Tweet too much or sporadically at a time that is just not working for you. Useful right? Probably not so much for brands… Disclaimer: I followed @JustinBieber to illustrate the muting of someone who…
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Maximise your social media measurement with Lucy Wren at the Social Speakeasy

Maximise your social media measurement with Lucy Wren at the Social Speakeasy

For many brands using social media, you want to prove one thing: that your campaigns are delivering ROI. Whether it’s the number of Facebook likes, Twitter followers, the number of retweets, clicks to your landing pages, email registrations or product downloads, there are a multitude of metrics that…
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Take note – LinkedIn publishing power is a BIG opportunity

Take note – LinkedIn publishing power is a BIG opportunity

Roll up! Roll up!  Brands that are already investing heavily in LinkedIn will be licking their lips at the prospect of the new publishing power about to be at their finger tips (see the full article on the LinkedIn blog). LinkedIn influencers, launched in 2012, saw powerful…
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6 social media 2014 predictions from some of the most influential industry authorities

6 social media 2014 predictions from some of the most influential industry authorities

As usual predictions for 2014 abound. Rather than add to the melee with only our voice, we asked some of the most influential movers and shakers in digital to tell us what they thought would be big this year. Interestingly, even though we asked for opinions individually, the feedback revealed…
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5 Twitter tools you should not ignore

5 Twitter tools you should not ignore

Twitter is a truly fascinating social platform. Launched merely 7 years ago the company is now valued at $24bn. Some argue this is an over-valuation (Twitter is yet to make a profit), however the numbers speak for themselves: 230+ million monthly active users 500…
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Hummingbird, Hangouts and now Helpouts: Google takes ‘How to’ content to a new level

Hummingbird, Hangouts and now Helpouts: Google takes ‘How to’ content to a new level

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_video link=”“][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Are you struggling to cook a specific dish and need urgent cooking advice? Or looking to improve your home but need guidance from someone who knows best? Or are you having computer problems and need help fixing it? Sometimes it’s helpful to speak to someone who has…
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28 free social media monitoring tools

28 free social media monitoring tools

Who hasn’t been trying to monitor their online performance and hit a road block because you can’t access the proper tools? Maybe you’re up to your eyeballs in meaningless figures and graphs? All you need is a little context, some simple analysis, a general overview – but you don’t want…
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Fashion Week prepares to use social media as its catwalk

Fashion Week prepares to use social media as its catwalk

Fashion labels are among  some of the best brands when it comes to utilising the power of social media. The richness and constant stream of visual content makes for a great partnership. Nowadays you would be hard-pressed to find a fashion label that is devoid of any social media presence.
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The arrival of the long awaited LinkedIn groups redesign

The arrival of the long awaited LinkedIn groups redesign

Despite the rising popularity of such LinkedIn features as the company page, the influencers section and the newsfeed, LinkedIn groups are one of the most popular features of the platform. Search for any industry, and you will find top groups with their membership in tens and even hundreds of thousands.
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Exploring lesser-known social platforms – Part 2: Viadeo

Exploring lesser-known social platforms – Part 2: Viadeo

Today is the second post in my 3 post attempt to look at lesser-known social networks. As you may remember, in my previous post I assessed the usefulness of Plaxo, a cloud-based contact book. Today we will explore Viadeo. What is Viadeo? Everyone is talking about LinkedIn these days,…
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A toast to Tealeaf!

A toast to Tealeaf!

Social Media has become an increasingly important part of a B2B strategy, although many businesses are still finding it difficult to grasp a hold of the power in social media. Pioneering campaigns have shown that the medium plays an essential  part of many organisations that want to engage with other…
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How do you Develop the Quality and Value of your Business Communities?

How do you Develop the Quality and Value of your Business Communities?

Your business is full of experts. And people who know a lot about what they do is extremely interesting to others. Some businesses are starting to move towards being an authority in what they do, to get people to buy into their expertise, rather than just telling people they are…
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Events best practice: Creating a hive of social media activity

Events best practice: Creating a hive of social media activity

Following on from Adam’s blog ‘From Monaco With Love’, and whilst I’m still buzzing from the excitement of managing the social media conversations around the IBM #SmarterCommerce Global Summit last week, I’d like to share some of the key learnings and insights the team garnered…
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Do you like the new LinkedIn design?

Do you like the new LinkedIn design?

LinkedIn have recently rolled out the new layout, and there is a noticeable buzz within the social media world around it! The new design has already seen a couple of phases, and each time it happens, you see people talking about it! As Em Donnely mentions, the notification toolbar has…
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Live Brand Social: Recommendations are results

Live Brand Social: Recommendations are results

Word of mouth is a coveted form of marketing. There is nothing like your customers talking positively about your brand, product and services. Google suggests that the value is on the Zero Moment of Truth where consumers jump online to check out a brand before…
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3 ways LinkedIn is becoming the discovery channel

3 ways LinkedIn is becoming the discovery channel

With 200 million registered users and over 11 million in the UK, LinkedIn must focus on helping its user base expand their networks and engage with the platform on a deeper level. In the same way Facebook has introduced Graph Search to help it’s users to discover more within the…
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3 ways Everything Everywhere uses LinkedIn to its benefit

3 ways Everything Everywhere uses LinkedIn to its benefit

LinkedIn has become the corporate equivalent of Facebook. It is difficult to find a major brand that still has not activated its presence on the platform. And yet, being on LinkedIn is not the same as using it to its full potential. Everything Everywhere ticked at least 3 boxes…
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Pinterest pins hopes on a more profitable proposition

Pinterest pins hopes on a more profitable proposition

With the ink barely dried on Facebook’s latest announcement, you could be forgiven for thinking that the social network was feeling marginally threatened by the likes of visual counterparts such as Pinterest. Facebook’s latest redesign places a clear emphasis on visual content, sending the message to brands that text-only content…
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LinkedIn continues to walk on the path of success

LinkedIn continues to walk on the path of success

LinkedIn have reached a milestone 200 million users this week. An impressive stat for any social media site. Perhaps not quite in the same league as Facebook who have 1 billion active monthly users, but definitely catching up with Twitter who have around 500 million registered…
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Five useful content planning tools

Five useful content planning tools

For years, content strategists have been hiding in the wings, quietly coordinating the show, while the social media rock stars take centre stage. Not anymore. A media frenzy surrounding the information overload debate, combined with the growing impact of social search, mean that the need for sophisticated content planning is…
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Google+: how social media marketing could evolve

Google+: how social media marketing could evolve

Google+ has really got the social media world excited. Twenty-five million users in 6 weeks, makes the growth of similar social networks like Facebook and Twitter look positively stunted in comparison. And the blogosphere is just as fired up – a quick Google blog search for Google+…
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Social media marketing: what not to do

Social media marketing: what not to do

Social media marketing is not new. We’re all familiar with the basics and brands are actively engaging with their consumers on a daily basis. So, why are people still doing it incorrectly? Here, we share what to do and, more importantly, what not to do when it comes to the…
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