Where do you go to find the latest and greatest of online marketing solutions? The news moves slower than social media does, so that’s where we went to find the most recent issues and give you our take on them. With a panel of unique personalities, you will get a look into how the news and trends affect us here at Customer Magnetism.
This week, our panel consists of Jake, Vicky, and Drew. Jake is the in-house brand promotion guru who keeps his finger on the pulse of brand outreach. Vicky is all things content, she lives, breathes and eats it, unfortunately. And Drew is our Digital do-er, he’s the one you want to talk to when it comes to your digital strategy, he’s got it down pat.
Trend 1
Instagram goes live with an ads API – how will this affect social media marketing over the next year?
Jake: Prepare to start pushing more budget into social ads. This is a new playground for social marketers to start advertising to the 300M users and since Facebook owns them, I would assume the targeting and dashboard should be relatively similar.
Vicky: I think we’re going to see brands that get it right and brands that get it wrong. It’s going to be a year of trying to see what does and doesn’t work on Instagram. Top brands have already run some sponsored posts/ads and they’re subtle enough that I don’t think they’ve seen much negative feedback. I think if Instagram gets littered with ads, they’re going to see a downturn in usage and people moving over to SnapChat.
Drew: Image is the best way to story tell. Brands who can GO BIG from an idea standpoint and find unique ways to grab the attention of Instagram users will score major points. Not convinced there will be many conversions direct from in-app ads, but especially with the growth of Re-Gram, tons of social equity and brand visibility.
Trend 2
Businesses are finally learning what Imgur’s reach and demo could do for their brands – do you think it is a good idea to tap into that market?
Jake: The short answer is no. These “community run” platforms are very suspicious and will sniff out a sales pitch in a second. When they do, there goes your credibility. If you do want to tangle with this beast I would suggest taking a very giving and user-focused approach. Think Amex Open Forum.
Vicky: I think if the right brands tap into the market then it will work really well for them. Imgur has a specific audience and if you’re a fit for them then go for it. It’s like if you saw an adult diaper ad on Reddit, it’s just not going to work.
Drew: I don’t think it fits every business model or brand, but again, the ability to translate a message through a visual medium is priceless. After all, ‘A Picture says a thousand words….’
Trend 3
Study shows that office temp is based on 40-year-old sexist practices – Is it cold in your office?
Vicky: If I moved to Antarctica with the Penguins, it would be warmer than the office.
Drew: Yes and I absolutely love it. The cold part, not the sexism, but hey, if I have to be sexist to keep from sweating….(is HR going to see this??)
Tweet of the Week
Our favorite Tweets from the week, just cause.
Jake: @FastCompany
See the video here.
Vicky: @Cuse
Drew: @HonestToddler
Opinions come easy around here as you can see. We’ve shared what we think about the online marketing topics trending on social media, but we want to know what you think? Agree? Disagree? Share your thoughts in the comments below.