0 

Posts tagged “Instagram”

Back to all posts

Social Media & Digital Marketing June 2025 Roundup

Posted on 26th June 2025
 
We’re at the end of June – which means the time has come for another social media and digital marketing roundup, covering all the news from this month. 
 
Here’s all you need to know... 

Facebook To Make Video Creation Easier 

If you frequently upload videos to Facebook, then this will be useful for you. Facebook, over the next few months, will transition to all videos being shared as Reels. Reels also won’t be restricted when it comes to their length or format. Video content you’ve already shared will remain on your page. The video tab will also be renamed to the Reels tab, and your Reels and Feed privacy settings will be unified – if your Reel settings are different to your Feed settings, you’ll need to reconfirm your audience settings when you first post after the change. 

Instagram Focuses on Creativity 

In a new blog by Instagram boss Adam Mosseri, Meta have revealed their plans to push creativity on Instagram as it celebrates 15 years of operation. One of these features is trial reels, which allows you to share a reel with non-followers – helping you to see how your content will perform before being shared with your followers. As per Instagram stats, trial reels have encouraged 40% of creators to post more often - with 80% seeing an increase in reels reach from non-followers. 

More Updates To Edits 

Investment is also being made into their new app Edits, where the restyle tool has been relaunched to incorporate AI. 
 
They’ve also introduced key frames to help users make more precise edits, the ideas tab now has a saved audio section and the ability to leave sticky notes on audio you’re interested in. New text effects have been added, and you can now remove background noise from your voiceovers thanks to new voice enhancements. 

Threads Continues To Grow 

Threads has continued to see growth, making it the 8th-most-downloaded app for the month of May, and 2nd most downloaded app for those using the IOS App store. 23 million downloads of Threads took place in May – a million more downloads compared to April – and Meta is rolling out even more features to keep people using Threads over competitors like X or Bluesky. 
 
Firstly, Meta has started testing out a feature users have been asking for, but Meta has been reluctant to add – and that is DMs. Separate to Instagram’s DMs, Threads has started testing this in-app feature in Hong Kong, Thailand and Argentina – if implemented, it may draw even more users away from X and Bluesky. They’ve also simplified the way custom feeds can be accessed, and the Threads team have been hard at work to ensure that posts including a link are gaining traction. In November, Adam Mosseri said that links didn’t get many comments and that they didn’t see much value in them – but that now seems to have changed, with more options to add links on your profile and the option to see how links you’ve posted are performing with a new analytics feature rolled out in May.  
 
That’s all for this month! Have a great June, and remember to keep an eye out for more news in the digital marketing space over the coming month. 
Finally, your social media marketing tip is: Your very first campaign is always your worst-performing one. 
 
But it’s the starting point. 
 
The only way it gets better… 
 
Is if you stick with it, test properly, and stop relying on your feelings instead of the data. 
 
You don’t need a huge ad budget. 
 
You need a clear offer, the right audience, and a plan you’ll actually follow through on 
 
Read more

Social Media & Digital Marketing May 2025 Roundup

Posted on 29th May 2025
 
We’ve reached the end of May, which means it’s time for another social media & digital marketing roundup. 
 
Here’s a look at all of the news from the last month. 

Threads Active User Base 

Threads has revealed their active userbase has now reached 350m users – bringing them closer to X. Threads saw an increase in active users around October 2024, and it has kept growing month by month. X claims to have 600 million active users – which whilst still a way ahead of Threads, does show that the gap is beginning to grow – especially with X continuing to lose users, especially in Europe. X has lost over 11 million users since August 2024 in the EU, and is also losing users in the UK – casting doubt on its apparent growing active user’s figures. That being said, Threads, which is also making an effort to separate itself from Instagram, has firmly positioned itself ahead of Bluesky as the viable alternative to X. 

Updates To Edits 

Instagram’s Edits app has been updated with new features. Over 100 new fonts have been added, animations, beat markers and an inspiration section have also been implemented - as well as new vocal effects and an ‘apply to all’ option for tools. Instagram are aiming to keep the app updated with new features weekly, but whilst it’s free to use for now, there is a chance the app will have to introduce paid options – especially when they begin to roll out AI powered tools. 

Meta Ad Updates 

Meta have announced Ad updates at NewFronts 2025, across Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. 
 
Instagram wise, Meta have started to test Reels trending ads - these act a little like TikTok’s Pulse ads, displayed amongst other, trending reels. They’re also testing Trends in Instagram’s Creator Marketplace, which will, as per Meta, “allow advertisers to discover real-time culturally relevant insights on Instagram”. Creator Marketplace API will give businesses the ability to connect with high-quality creators and make data-driven decisions about their partnerships. 
 
Video ads are being tested on Threads, letting businesses “expand their reach and engage with their audience in a familiar way across multiple platforms”. 
 
Facebook Reels will see a roll out of video expansion, which helps advertisers get better outcomes from their videos. New ad formats will also be applied to Facebook and Instagram, now allowing Partnership Ads with one partner in the ad’s header and Facebook Live Partnership ads. 

TikTok Live DMs for Customers 

If you use TikTok live to sell your items, then this may be helpful for you. TikTok are rolling out an option to switch on DMs during livestreams, allowing you to generate leads directly from broadcasts. There’s now an option titled LIVE setup for client acquisition, and it gives you an option to include a message CTA button on your livestreams so viewers can quickly get in contact if they’re interested in what you’re advertising. 
That’s all for May! Have a great June and keep an eye out for more updates over the coming month. 
 
Finally, your social media tip this month is: You do not need high production to make video work in your ads. 
 
In fact, sometimes a simple video filmed on your phone outperforms everything else. 
 
The goal is not perfection, it is connection. 
 
Show your face. Talk directly to your audience. 
 
Explain what you offer and why it matters, clearly and calmly. 
 
Keep the video short. Thirty seconds can be enough. 
 
Use captions so people can follow along with the sound off. 
 
And always end with a clear call-to-action. 
 
Video builds trust. It makes you feel real. 
 
That alone can drive more clicks and conversions than a polished graphic 
 
Read more

Social Media Marketing: Top Tips For Small Businesses

Posted on 1st May 2025
 
There are many ways to grow your small business, but one of the best ways to do so in 2025 is through social media marketing. Choosing to go down this avenue can help drive engagement, boost sales and make you a competitive force in your industry, but you first have to work out how to make social media work the best for your business. 
 
Here are some top tips you can use to get your small business started with your social media marketing. 

Understanding Your Audience 

The key to your digital marketing is knowing exactly who your audience is. If you don’t know who your ideal customer is, then you won’t be able to target your content accordingly – potentially attracting the wrong audience to your social media pages.  
You should have an idea of the type of person you want to purchase your products, and you need to really focus in on their characteristics and traits – especially if you’re planning on running ads. Things to think about the gender of your audience, their age, income, location and their hobbies and interests. When you have all of this information, you should be able to build up a picture of your audience, which will then help you to create your content according to their wants and needs. You can pair your information on your audience with your branding, ensuring you have a cohesive style across your platforms which also attracts the specific audience that you are marketing to. 

Choosing The Correct Platforms 

It’s imperative that you select the right platforms to market your business on. There’s a plethora of choice out there, but platforms hold audiences that may better or worse for your business to post on, and you shouldn’t have to spend time on the ones that are less likely to perform and fail to hit your goals. Focus your attention and content onto the platforms where your audience is already spending the most time: 
 
If you’re all about visual branding, then Instagram is the perfect place for your posts – allowing you to create a feed that looks professional and inviting to new followers. 
If you’re more about engaging with your community, promoting to your local area and establishing yourself before running ads then Facebook is your go to – and it’s the most popular choice worldwide for businesses, with 86% using the site for marketing (Statista). 
LinkedIn is great place to go if you’re less about B2C marketing and all about B2B marketing. This is where you’re likely to find likeminded business owners who are interested in what you have to offer them, and is the best place to advertise any of your professional services. 
YouTube & TikTok are ideal if you’re creating video content. Whilst you can post longer videos on TikTok, it’s best to have these on YouTube – whereas TikTok is a much quicker paced app that requires you to instantly capture your audience’s attention. 
 
One thing to consider is the age group of your target audience, as this can help point you towards the right platform for your business. If your audience are Gen Z then TikTok, Reels or Instagram generally are the best to leverage. Millennials are also on TikTok, but they also form the most popular audience on a number of different platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and X. Gen X and Boomers are most likely to be found on Facebook, but also do crossover with YouTube. If you’re selling, then Sprout Social found Facebook, TikTok and Instagram to be the top 3 platforms for making direct purchases. 

Consistency 

Success isn’t something that’ll come instantly, and requires you to show up regularly. Content calendars and scheduling tools can help for peace of mind and ease if you aren’t able to take time out of your day to post on your account. Posting consistently allows your audience to begin to become familiar with your business and your content, keeping you at the forefront of their minds and feeds when they open up their social media. If you haven’t been posting already, then you may have to test different strategies with your consistency including frequency of posts and timing of posts until you find the one that brings you the most audience engagement. 

Quality Over Quantity 

That being said, you should prioritise quality over quantity. Having a lot of posts may sound like a good idea, but they also must provide value to your audience. If you’re aimlessly posting lots of content with no clear direction or strategy, you may have populated your pages with little engagement to show for it. Instead, focus on creating high-quality graphics, copy and videos that allow you to really show your how your business is an answer to a problem that your audience is having, give them more information about what your products or services do, and make them want to find out more. Your posts should be branded, and working alongside the goals and campaigns you mapped out before you started your social media marketing. 

Don’t Just Sell – Engage 

Social media is exactly what it says – social. It’s not a place for you to sell, sell, sell – even if that is the end goal to your campaigns and posts. When advertising products, you’re not just telling people to buy something, but you need to show or explain to them why they should be investing in your product/service. You need to build rapport with your audience, show them that you can be a trusted brand that delivers on your promises and that you’re happy to answer any questions in a prompt and professional manner. You have to warm up cold audiences, and by interacting with them, building a relationship and providing excellent customer service you can help to guide them in direction of a purchase after your post has already sparked interest. 
Social media may seem like a big task when you first start out, but hopefully these tips will help you to create a winning strategy that allows you to establish your business as a new force within your industry that knows exactly how to use digital marketing to its advantage. 
Read more

How To Effectively Write Copy For Different Social Media Platforms

Posted on 13th March 2025
 
Copywriting plays a key role in your marketing campaigns – sitting alongside your visual elements in both ads and general posts as a way for you to get more information across, speak directly to your audience and generate interest and sales. 
 
Each platform requires different styles and lengths of copy that can be effective for your business when marketing on social media. Here’s how you can write copy for Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and X. 

Instagram 

Instagram is a visual platform, and your main efforts here should lie with your images and videos. Here, your copy can be used to give context to your visual elements, but it shouldn’t be too long. Instagram recommends using 3-5 hashtags, and using your call to action early on in your caption is more effective than leaving it to the end of your post. If you do have more to say, using infographics is a good way to keep followers hooked – as they’ll likely see on their feed before they see your copy. 

Facebook 

Facebook is still the third most visited website behind Google and YouTube, and has over 3 billion active users. Sprout Social research found that 60% of people use Facebook for product discovery – meaning it’s incredibly important you get your copy right if you’re using Facebook for your marketing efforts. Facebook has a character limit of just over 63,000, so there’s a lot of room for you to get your message across. Despite this, people aren’t coming onto Facebook to read long blogs or sales pitches – you have to grab their attention quickly – keeping in mind the KISS model (Keep It Short and Simple) when it comes to writing your copy. In fact, Buffer’s research recommends that using 80 or less characters give’s posts a 66% higher engagement rate. Anytime you post a link or a picture, use a short, persuasive and catchy piece of copy alongside it. 

X 

X (or Twitter) is a little more complicated – whilst premium accounts have 10,000 characters to work with, non-premium accounts have 280 characters to work with – which isn’t a lot of room if you have a lot to say. With around 240 characters being the recommended amount, you should make sure your points are concise enough to fit, but also detailed enough to get your point across. Tweets with hashtags get 2x more engagement, but using more than 3 hashtags a post can see a drop in engagement. You can also create your own hashtag relevant to your business which helps people find your products and services. 

LinkedIn 

When creating copy on LinkedIn, you need to approach it a little differently to how you approach your other social media platforms. On Facebook, Instagram and X, you’re talking to consumers – on LinkedIn, you’re talking to other businesses, so you’ll have to change up your language and marketing plans too. Whilst you can use LinkedIn to push simple posts or job offers onto your connections’ timelines, it’s also a great place to repurpose your blogs and get them out in front of other industry leaders – showing your expertise and building trust in you and your business. You can upload these as articles – picking a catchy title, writing or pasting in your content and using an attention-grabbing picture. 
Copywriting forms a big part of your social media marketing efforts, and understanding the different methods and styles to use on different platforms can help you form your plans for each site more effectively. By tailoring your approach, you and your team will have a clearer idea of how to approach your social media sites, and improve your engagement. 
Read more

Social Media & Digital Marketing February 2025 Roundup

Posted on 27th February 2025
 
2025 is well underway, and now we’ve reached the end of February - which means it’s time for another social media and digital marketing roundup! 
 
Here are all the stories from this month! 

Meta Updates Advantage+ Ads 

Meta have revealed new features and updates to their Advantage+ Ad campaigns, continuing to grow their focus on AI tools and solutions. They’re currently testing a streamlined Advantage+ campaign setup to help shopping and app campaigns benefit from AI optimisation. They’re also introducing an Advantage+ leads campaign, which now lets advertisers find the highest-quality leads using AI. Opportunity score will be expanding to more advertisers, letting users improve their campaign performance using recommendations from Facebook, including AI optimisations. 

Threads Performance 

Threads has reached 320 million monthly users, and with ads being slowly tested and rolled out on the platform the site’s growing audience is certainly something to keep an eye on. A survey by Sprout Social discovered that 53% of marketers are using Threads, with 23% looking to add it to their upcoming strategies. In Buffer’s analysis of 10 million posts on both platforms, Threads actually drove more engagement than X – with a 6.25% engagement rate compared to 3.6% on X. 

Text-To-Speech Introduced on Shorts 

Don’t want to do your own voiceovers? YouTube have rolled out text-to-speech on IOS for Shorts, currently allowing 4 different voice options for users. The feature has been popular on TikTok for some time, with YouTube quickly optimising their Shorts feature to continue to challenge the popularity of the platform – especially during a turbulent few months for TikTok, especially over in the USA. 

TikTok Marketing Calendar 

TikTok have released their 2025 marketing calendar, allowing users to see key dates, events and trends that are currently ongoing so they can leverage engagement and take advantage of the current landscape of the platform. TikTok provides quarterly overviews, but you can print out an overview of the whole year with important dates highlighted. 

Instagram Adds New Metrics 

Instagram has added new metrics to their system. Called Views Over Time and View Rate, Instagram now lets you see how many views your content is getting compared to your average viewership, if your views are coming from followers or non-followers and what percentage of people continue watching after the first 3 seconds. They are also providing tips to users, letting them know about their reels performance and if it’s resonating with viewers – helping to shape your marketing plans for Instagram going forwards. 

Introducing Edits 

Edits, a new app by Instagram, was introduced last month – and now we have more information on what you can actually do using the app. Designed essentially to be a CapCut competitor, Edits works in a very similar way – allowing users to streamline the process, turn static images into videos using AI, add captions and have enhanced video quality. They’re also teasing a future feature, allowing collaborators to leave comments in real time to help improve videos before they're posted. 
That’s all for February! Have a great March and remember to keep an eye out for any updates over the next month…. 
 
Finally, your social media tip is: One of the biggest misconceptions I hear is that Facebook ads should start delivering instant results the moment they go live. It’s like expecting to plant a seed and have a tree grow overnight—it doesn’t work that way. 
 
Here’s the truth: ads need testing and optimisation to perform. When I run campaigns, the first thing I focus on isn’t instant sales—it’s gathering data. 
 
➡️ Is the targeting right? 
➡️ Are people engaging with the ad creative? 
➡️ Is the message connecting with the audience? 
 
This testing phase is where the magic happens. It’s where you figure out what works and, more importantly, what doesn’t. Then you tweak, adjust, and refine. 
I’ve seen campaigns that started slow but, after a few tweaks, turned into major wins. The key is patience and a willingness to dig into the numbers. Ads are a process, not a quick fix. 
 
So, if your first ad doesn’t deliver instant results, don’t panic. It’s not about the quick win—it’s about building a campaign that delivers sustainable, consistent results over time. 
Read more

Social Media & Digital Marketing January 2025 Roundup

Posted on 29th January 2025
 
Happy New Year! We’re at the end of the first month of 2025, and there have been quite a few updates over the last couple of weeks that would be worth noting if you’re using digital marketing for your business. 
 
Here’s all the news for this month! 

Reels Time Limit Expanded 

Instagram Reels have been extended to a 3-minute time limit – so if you want to make longer content to post on your Instagram, you’re no longer restricted to getting everything into a 90 second clip. This move, despite Instagram initially saying keeping Reels under 90 seconds is ideal, allows them to be much more competitive with TikTok – who has been allowing longer videos for quite some time now, and YouTube Shorts, who updated their time limit to 3 minutes earlier this month. 

Google Introduces AI Agents For Retailers 

AI remains a big topic in the digital marketing space for 2025 – with Google now offering retailers the chance to use an AI Agent that helps shoppers find exactly what they’re looking for. With AI now giving shoppers access to answers in seconds, Google expects this to be the way forward for future consumers. Here’s what they had to say: “Retailers can now use AI agents to personalize the customer experience by offering tailored product recommendations, answering questions in real-time and guiding shoppers through the buying process. AI agents can also streamline operations by automating tasks like inventory management, customer service and even loss prevention, allowing employees to focus on higher-value work.” 

The TikTok Ban 

Recently, TikTok was banned in the USA…then unbanned less than 24 hours later. President Trump gave the app a 75-day extension – with suggestions it could be purchased by Elon Musk or Microsoft, allowing it to stay operational within the United States. Whilst it doesn’t directly impact the European market, if TikTok is to get permanently banned in US, it could possibly open up a world of opportunity for businesses in the UK to capitalise on a market that has been freed up by the exit of American companies. We’ll have to wait and see what happens, but it’s certainly something that will remain a big topic in the news until the app does – or doesn’t – leave pp stores in the USA. 

Instagram Updates 

Instagram has started off the new year updating user profiles – saying goodbye to the square format on grids, and introducing a rectangular one instead. If you need to change your graphics, the new ratio is now 4:5. Boss Adam Mosseri said that the change reflects how people now use Instagram the most, but reassured those with carefully curated grids that they will be able to make changes to re-align their images: “We started with the tall grid because most photos and videos that are uploaded to Instagram at this point are vertical and rectangles do a better job showing off those photos and videos. That said, I know some of you spend a lot of time tweaking your grids and this blew all of that up, so we’re going to improve the ability to customize those thumbnails to make it easier to get back to a place you’re happy with.” 

Threads Makes Long-Awaited Updates 

Threads have made some big updates this month – which may make the platform much more attractive to marketers who’ve either been using the app or thinking of adding it to their social media marketing plans. Firstly, users can now schedule their posts within the app – giving people the choice whether to do it natively, or by using a third-party tool. Secondly analytics have been rolled out for everyone – a great sign for those using the app for marketing purposes, as now you can check how well your content is performing – whether that’s overall or based on specific posts. Finally, Meta have announced that Ads will be coming to the platform – with tests being carried out in the US and Japan before being rolled out globally. 
That’s all for January! Keep an eye out over the next month for more updates, and have a great February! 
 
Finally, your social media tip of the month is: Are You Leaving Money on the Table by Ignoring Your Email List? 
 
When I talk to business owners about their Facebook ads, one of the first questions I ask is, “Are you using your email list?” And honestly, I’m surprised how many people say no. 
 
Your email list is full of warm customers—people who already know your business and are more likely to buy. Yet so many businesses focus on cold audiences and ignore the huge opportunity sitting right in front of them. 
 
Using your email list for ads lets you: 
 
✅️ Re-engage customers who haven’t purchased in a while. 
✅️ Cross-sell or upsell to people who already trust you. 
✅️ Turn warm leads into paying customers with the right message. 
 
I’ve seen it happen time and time again. Clients who thought they’d “maxed out” their sales started targeting their email list, and the results were incredible. Warm customers are the ones who convert the quickest—and often at the lowest cost. 
 
If you’re running ads without leveraging your email list, you’re leaving money on the table. It’s that simple. 
Read more

Top Social Media Trends To Watch In 2025

Posted on 5th December 2024
 
Social Media Marketing is constantly evolving, and with the end of 2024 fast approaching we can now predict some of the trends that we may be seeing in the next year. Staying ahead of the curve, keeping updated and implementing these strategies and tips into your 2025 plan can boost your marketing performance. 
 
Here’s a look at the trends to watch in 2025. 

Short Form Content 

Short Form Content, thanks to TikTok, Reels and YouTube Shorts, has been on the rise in the last couple of years, and now is the content being pushed more and more across social media. Attention Spans have been decreasing, and with the fast-pace style of social media nowadays if you’re not hooking people in straight away, they’ll just move on to the next thing – which is why you need to ensure your short form content impresses in just a few seconds.  
There are no signs that audiences are shifting away from short form content, so having it as part of your marketing strategy in 2025 can boost your performance and unlock new avenues and new platforms your business may not have considered before. 

AI-Powered Content 

AI has slowly been on the rise the last few years, but saw it’s first big boom in 2024 after social sites, scheduling tools, and search platforms integrated it into their models. Whilst there are ethical concerns around using AI, and many complaining that it removes the personalised feel that users on social media are craving in recent years, it hasn’t stopped the big social platforms from pushing its usage more and more. ChatGPT was the first real significant sign of change after it’s release in 2022, and things have only sped up since. McKinsey research suggests Generative AI usage has increased by 32% in 2024, and whilst you don’t have to use it many marketers are now looking at how they can use AI features to boost their content output, design and ideas. 
 
Don’t just use AI because you can though – really get to grips with what the platforms you are on are offering, learn how to use them best for your business and then discuss with your team before implementing it as part of your business model. As we’ll see later, consumers are actually leaning towards more ethical marketing practices – which could make using AI tricky, especially with concerns about the environmental impact of using sites such as ChatGPT – but it doesn’t seem like there will be an uprising against it any time soon, so if you feel like it’s right for your business, use it responsibly. You could always keep going with the plan you have now to – if AI isn’t something that will enhance your marketing that’s currently performing well for you, don’t just bring it in because everyone else is. It could just become your niche to be the business that doesn’t rely on artificial intelligence! 

Social Commerce 

More and more people are using social media for finding products and services than they are with search – and with Gen Z now becoming the star generation for targeted marketing, social media is the way to go for advertising. Gen Z have now reached a point where they’ll be earning their own money, and as the first generation to grow up with the social media we know today at their fingertips, they are far savvier with what they’ll purchase, and what marketing speaks to them. If they’re your target audience, think about the types of content that is popular with this generation – short form video content, general video marketing and influencer marketing – and what platforms they’re most likely to frequent – TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat and Instagram. TikTok, Facebook and Instagram all allow you to have your own in-platform digital stores, which will help you sell and advertise products without having to take your audience off these social platforms. Utilising paid advertising is also a great way to sell through social media – though this may lead people off the platform, it will help you to connect with your audience and boost conversions. 

Ethical Marketing 

Ethical Marketing is a technique based on your company’s values and principles, focusing on honesty, transparency, user privacy, responsibility, and sustainability. Now more than ever, audiences are conscious about data protection and the impacts company’s and products are having on the earth, and will often look for businesses that meet their own values, and those who are completely transparent about their products and services. Being honest about your practices, how you’re working to become a more sustainable business and how data is used will all help to build trust whilst also making your commitment to being a more ethically and environmentally conscious clear. 

Niche Influencer Marketing 

Big Influencers are no longer the go-to for audiences, as niche influencers are on the rise. Whilst they may cultivate a smaller audience pool, they allow you to connect with influencers who’s content revolves around the same audience you are looking to reach out to. It’s a highly targeted form of advertising through using influencers to promote your products, which unlike using big names who have potentially irrelevant audiences to your business in their followers, the niche influencers will be talking to people who need a product just like yours. It’s a great way to boost sales, and with many audiences gravitating to these smaller, authentic influencers finding ones that align with your business can be great to use in your strategy for 2025. 
Social Media Marketing is always changing and evolving, and keeping up can be difficult when you’re also trying to run your business. Using these trends, you can prepare in advance and enter 2025 with the experience and knowledge in these growing, popular digital marketing efforts. 
Read more

Social Media & Digital Marketing November 2024 Roundup

Posted on 28th November 2024
 
 
The end of November is here, and before we move into the Christmas period, we’ll be taking a look back at the biggest and most relevant social media news from this month! 
 
Here’s the latest news from the last month… 

Following Hashtags Removed on Instagram 

After a surge in unrelated content being used under hashtags on Instagram, Meta have announced that users will no longer be able to follow hashtags on the platform. Whilst they’re still able to be used in posts, users will now have to search a specific hashtag instead of seeing it pop up on their feed as it would if they were following it – a potential limitation to marketers who rely on hashtags for visibility. 

Reddit Overtakes LinkedIn & X in The UK 

Reddit has become one of the UK’s most used social media sites, overtaking both LinkedIn and X. Why? Well, Google updated their search function this year, giving Reddit a huge boost in organic search traffic. Ads on Reddit appear in threads and on the homepage as if they’re part of the conversation or just another post, which is great for functionality and for getting the attention of users. Whilst the 97 million global user mark is smaller than some of the big-hitter platforms, it still remains one to keep an eye on over the coming year. 

Bluesky On The Rise After US Election 

After Donald Trumps Victory in the 2024 US Presidential Election, the announcement of Elon Musk’s new position in Government has caused a stir in the world of Social-Media. Musk, owner of X, has had a controversial run since taking over the platform – removing the way blocking works, adding in a subscription-based service, de-boosting posts with links, changing link reviews, pushing his own content onto timelines, and of course, changing the name from Twitter to be more in line with his own brand. Due to his affiliation with the US Government, many users have been looking for an alternative, with Bluesky emerging and growing at an incredible rate. 
 
The app was in development before Musk took over X, and was created by developers who were behind Twitter in 2019, including former CEO Jack Dorsey (who left the project recently). It was an invite-only platform up until February 2024, and saw an uptake of users after X was banned in Brazil this year. Now, it’s growing beyond expectations – gaining over a million users a day, it’s completely overtaken another alternative – Threads – in both usage and growth. Bluesky shot to the top of the Appstore charts after the election, with X continuing to struggle, and whilst it’s still very much in development users haven’t yet been put off by some of the missing parts that made X an attractive platform originally. 

TikTok Launches AI Studio 

In order to help you with marketing 24/7, TikTok have launched their new Symphony Creative Studio – which they have explained by saying: “Input the information and assets for your brand or product, or import them directly from a URL. Symphony Creative Studio generates a range of video options with unique layouts and scripts. These videos draw inspiration from TikTok’s top-performing content and incorporate licensed assets - videos, images, sounds, and avatars sourced from partners like Billo and Getty Images - all cleared for commercial use to help make your content TikTok-ready.” 
 
Whilst the use of AI has been debated, especially when it comes to marketing and the shift in audiences favouring authenticity, the new system has proved popular in China – so TikTok will be hoping that success translates worldwide. 
That’s all for November! Have a great Christmas if you’re celebrating, and keep an eye out for any updates over the festive season in the social media and digital marketing world. 
 
Finally, your social media tip for this month is: Anyone can create an ad campaign... 
 
Doesn't mean it's going to be any good though 
 
Any business owner can log into an ad account, click a few buttons and launch their first campaign 
 
I'm not going to tell you that you can't... because you absolutely CAN 
 
You may even get a few quick wins 
 
But you'll likely get nothing or results that aren't as successful as you need them to be 
 
But it's OK because you can then say that "paid ads don't work for my business" 
 
But do you truly believe that?! Or is it just to save face from the failed campaign 
 
It took me years of learning (you never really even stop learning). I've spent hundreds of thousands on paid ads but I've got the results to back up any claims I make 
 
Endless split tests, creative testing’s, analysis 
 
Evenings spelt learning new ways, testing different things 
 
Thats the difference... 
 
You can go learn it yourself if you want results in a few months or even years (but you more than likely want those results now) 
Read more

Social Media & Digital Marketing October 2024 Roundup

Posted on 24th October 2024
 
 
October is coming to an end, which means it’s time for our 2024 social media roundup! 
 
We’ll be looking at all the newest updates across social platforms that can help you in your digital marketing journey. 
 
Let’s see what’s happened in October 2024... 

Threads Continues To Grow In Popularity 

Threads has seen a slow but steady increase in popularity over the last few months, and has now reached the top of the download’s charts on iTunes, and sits at #7 for Google Play. X, it’s competitor, doesn’t feature on either chart – potentially due to the fact it’s not a new app, although Instagram and Facebook are still going strong with downloads. 

X Facing Even More Competition 

Speaking of X, the constant changes have been met with negative feedback – the newest being that the block feature is changing, so you’ll still be able to see content from accounts you’ve blocked and vice versa, but you can’t interact with it - with the only way to avoid these accounts seeing your posts is going private. This has seemingly driven people away from the app and to Bluesky. Bluesky is a relatively new platform created by X’S (or Twitter’s) former CEO Jack Dorsey, and this month it gained almost half a million users in one day. The interface of Bluesky is incredibly similar to that of X, but has more interactive features than the platform which sets it apart. Should Bluesky continue to see a rise in users, X will have to make big, positive changes to keep their existing users onside. 

Updates To Google Shopping 

Google are introducing AI to Google Shopping to help users search for items they’re interested in, and boost a brands connection to their audience. As explained by Google: “The new Google Shopping experience uses AI to intelligently show the most relevant products, helping to speed up and simplify your research. You’ll now get an AI-generated brief with top things to consider for your search, plus products that meet your needs.” 
 
They’ll let users know when a suggestion has been made by AI by labelling it as ‘experimental’ – allowing users to feedback if something isn’t quite right to improve how the system operates. 

Search Filter Updated On Facebook Groups 

Meta is introducing AI to the search function in Facebook Groups, helping users search for certain phrases or questions by initiating a chat with the group’s AI to receive answers. This can save time for businesses who struggle to keep up with their audience within their own groups, with AI helping these members instead with any questions they may have that have already been answered by you or another user previously. 

New ‘Best Practice’ Dashboard On Instagram 

Instagram will be rolling out a new feature over the coming months to creators on the platform looking for further insights into their content. Separate from the current insights’ dashboard, the Best Practice Dashboard will give users the following information: 
 
• Creation: Get information on how often to post, how to grab attention, advice on reel length and more. 
• Engagement: Know how to understand your metrics and relate to your audience 
• Reach: Learn about algorithms and follower growth. 
• Monetization: Get advice about making money via Instagram. 
• Guidelines: See updates to policies and community guidelines. 
That’s all for October – have a great November and keep an eye out for any beneficial social media updates that could appear over the next month. 
 
Finally, your social media tip is: I know, I know—we don’t want to talk about Christmas too early, but if you're running an e-commerce business and hoping to cash in on the festive sales, now’s the time to get your Google and Facebook ads ready! 🎄 
 
Don’t leave it till you’re hanging up the tinsel—start thinking about your ad strategy now, so you’re fully prepped when the Christmas rush hits. 
Let’s get your campaigns sorted! 🎅💻 
Read more

5 Ways You Can Optimise Your Instagram Profile

Posted on 13th September 2024
 
 
If you’re using Instagram for your marketing but are noticing that you’re not getting a lot of engagement or that your posts aren’t performing consistently, chances are you don’t have an optimised Instagram profile or strategy that will guide you to getting your desired outcome each time you post. Having great visuals is one thing, but it’s the components that surround them that form the key to your success on Instagram as whole. 
 
Here are 5 ways you can optimise your Instagram profile. 

Optimise Your Profile 

Optimising your profile requires a few tweaks here and there which can strengthen your overall presence and boost your professional appearance to those on the outside who could become potential customers of yours. 
Firstly, make your profile public and then register for a free business account so you can begin tracking your analytics and engagement. 
 
You need to brand your account using your logo as the profile image, your business name for your Name and Username sections, add your ethos or slogan into the bio and take advantage of links by either linking to your website or using a platform like Link Tree to link to multiple websites, making it easier for your audience to find you. 

Use Keywords 

People will type keywords into the search bar, so you need to use a primary keyword that matches these searches. You can do this by putting your keyword alongside your business name, for example if you’re a fashion business, you can use the word ‘fashion’ in your name so that your business pops up when someone searches that word. 
 
A secondary keyword relates to your primary keyword – using our example, ‘clothing’ ‘outfits’ ‘designer’ or ‘luxury’ all would work in your bio to boost your positioning when these words are used to search for a business just like yours. 
 
You then need to create a strategy for your hashtags – treat these like keywords. On your posts, use hashtags that are relevant, valuable to your content and a mix of more general and post-specific tags. This will help people discover you when they look up these specific hashtags, and will show up in feeds if users already follow said hashtags. Instagram algorithms prefer hashtags to be contained within post captions instead of comments, which was previously the best strategy. Make note of this before creating content to post on Instagram and ensure it’s put into practice with each post you upload. 

Image Caption 

Beyond hashtags, your captions are still hugely important – even if Instagram is more of a visual platform. Use your secondary key words but don’t over-do it as this can be off putting – consumers still favour authenticity and originality, so don’t switch up on brand voice and the way you market just to ‘fit in’ on Instagram. There are ways of seamlessly working in these secondary keywords into your content and chances are, you’re already using them when creating captions anyway – you just may not be aware of their power just yet. Strike a balance between engaging your current audience and attracting a new audience so you can see a steady increase in the audience that’s unique to your business. 

Use Alt Text 

Instagram will automatically add Alt Text if you don’t use it, but it’s best you take this extra step to accurately describe what’s in your image and help visually impaired users understand your content. Accessibility is a big thing on social media, and you shouldn’t isolate what could be a huge part of your audience by avoiding the alt text feature or allowing Instagram to guess what your image is. You can access the alt-text section by clicking on ‘advance settings’ and selecting ‘write alt text’ under the accessibility section. 

Track Your Analytics 

Like with anything on social media, your analytics tell you everything you need to know about your performance. It’s why having a business page is so important, as this gives you access to your detailed analytics. By knowing your numbers, you’ll be able to see the bigger picture about your engagement, what content your audience are most interested in, where your posts don’t make an impression, when your audience are online and how well you’ve performed over specific time periods. Keep on top of your analytics, as they’re telling you vital pieces of information that you need to operate at your full potential on Instagram. 
Instagram is a great platform for marketers who are looking to reach out to their audience, create interesting visual content and becoming a leader within their industry. Try out these tips today and get your profile fully optimised and set up for success. 
Read more

Social Media & Digital Marketing July 2024 Roundup

Posted on 25th July 2024
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We’re reaching the end of another month, and during July we’ve seen a couple of updates to the Social Media & Digital Marketing world that are worth being aware of. 
 
Here is everything you need to know…. 

New Creative Options Added To Shorts 

With Shorts becoming one of the most popular ‘new’ features on YouTube in the last year, the platform has been working hard to ensure that it remains to be used and becomes even more of a rival to TikTok. This month they’ve rolled out some new features, including auto-layout for Android users, a text—to-speech option (much like TikTok), auto-captions that can be customised, the ability remix already remixed videos and, in a move like the sticker template on Instagram, the ability to use the new ‘Add Yours’ sticker and join in with other users based on the sticker prompts. 

YouTube Spaces 

In another move by YouTube, they’re also adding community spaces. Channel membership has been a thing for a while, allowing loyal viewers to get different perks should they sign up – this was then followed by the Community tab where creators could make posts either for all viewers or just members. 
 
Now, Spaces will allow not just the creator but also viewers to make their own posts and interact with one another within the channels Community Space, opening the platform up to becoming a more social and collaborative media platform. It’s currently being rolled out on selected channels, with hopes, if it’s successful, it will be rolled out across the platform soon. 

Overlay Ads On Reels 

Reels, like Shorts, seem to be Meta’s focus right now – with over 200 billion daily views - and they’ve been making changes over the last year to keep up with rivals and keep users on Facebook on Instagram instead of switching to TikTok or Shorts.  
 
Now, Meta is making it easier for advertisers to get engagement with their ads via reels, allowing an overlay option for ads either between clips or for ads to expand on the second playthrough of the reel. 

Small Update For TikTok Users 

TikTok will now allow users to add their own thumbnails to videos, which may help with grabbing user’s attention, creating cohesive profile feeds and luring users to click on videos on your profile. We’ve seen a the power thumbnails have had on YouTube, with different trends popping up over the years which, when used correctly, have maximised video views. Whilst TikTok in itself works different to YouTube in terms of it’s display, the new option to add a custom thumbnail could still have a big impact. 
That’s all for July! Have a wonderful August and remember keep an eye out for any more digital marketing or social media updates. 
 
Finally, your social media tip is: Analyse your Post Performance 
 
Seeing which posts get the most reactions and reach is key to growing your visibility. 
 
Simply head to your Facebook driving school's Meta Business Suite and click insights in the left column. You will see an overview of all your content with their reach (how many devices it appeared on) and reactions (likes, comments and shares etc). 
 
From there you can monitor what works and what doesn't. 
 
Simply do more of what works and less of what doesn't 😊 
Read more

How To Sell On Instagram

Posted on 6th June 2024
 
 
 
 
Social media has been increasingly used to sell products over the years, with many taking advantage of the ever-growing list of features available to users who are looking to these platforms for sales as well as engagement. 
 
Selling on socials doesn’t just limit you to creating ads – although this is a good way of getting your products out onto the feeds of the people you ideally want to target. Instagram is just one platform offering a ‘shopping’ function to users, keeping their audiences interacting with their page without having to exit out of the app to find products. 
 
Here’s how your business can sell on Instagram... 

Getting Set-Up 

Firstly, you need to make sure you meet the following requirements stated by Instagram in order to set up a shop: 
 
• Be located in one of these markets - Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine*, United Kingdom, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, United States 
• Have an Instagram business or creator account 
• Comply with Instagram's merchant agreement and commerce policies. 
• Connect your Instagram account to a Facebook Business Page 
 
You can use a site like Shopify or manually upload through Facebook Business Manager to put your products onto Instagram. You should keep your product inventory on these sites updated as you get new items in your store. 
 
You then need to submit your account for approval to Instagram. You can do this by accessing your Professional Dashboard > Get Started > Select Catalogue > Submit For Review. 

Instagram Shop Posts 

When your account is approved, you can then upload photos and tag your products within them. To do this simply upload to the grid as you would usually, and then select the ‘Tag Products’ option. This will allow you to search for a product and select the right one before sharing to your audience. You can go back to your old posts and tag products too if needed to give your feed a more consistent appearance and boost your performance on social media. 

How To Optimize Selling On The Site 

If you have access to Instagram Shop Posts, then don’t change your posting style just because you want to use the features. Keep your posts consistent, tag your products and give them a natural feel on the feed. You may want to change your content strategy slightly when it comes to new product releases or sales, but don’t let these sales style posts take over from your usual social media marketing efforts.  

Use Influencers  

Influencer Marketing is something that may be possible for your business to take advantage of, even if the influencers you pick aren’t some of the top names in the industry. If you send a product ton them and they ake a post promoting and tagging your brand and what you’ve sent, you’ll be attracting their audience and potentially start making more sales thanks to the power of the influencer you’re working with. Building up industry connections like this can be really helpful in getting your business out there beyond promotional posts or adverts. 
 

Create Your Shop Page 

When you’ve posted nine shoppable ads on Instagram, you can then open your shop page, which will display all of your products linked on posts in one section, which users can then click to buy. Users can also save these products for future purchase from this tab, making Instagram a great place not just for purchases but also for creating wish lists too. 
 
Selling on social media is a big part of what makes digital marketing so powerful, and you’ll be able to take advantage of all of these features when you get yourself set up on Instagram. Take a look into the benefits of Instagram shop and get started today. 
Read more

Archives

Tags