Spring has sprung here at lotus823! As March fades away and April begins, we are excited about Q2 and some of the changes we’ve seen in the digital marketing space this month.
Let’s take a look back at some of the topics we thought were relevant in March:
What is Newsjacking?
While you may not have heard the term used before, you are likely familiar with the concept of newsjacking. Newsjacking can be defined as leveraging a trending topic to generate attention and exposure for your brand. We’ve got some good, bad and ugly examples of newsjacking from major brands that can help you determine the best way to leverage trending discussions in a classy way.
When It Makes Sense To Join a Social Trend
Now that you’re familiar with the concept of newsjacking, it’s only natural to envy the chance circumstance of a trending topic. There are some things to consider, however, before jumping into your Twitter or Facebook newsfeed and aligning your brand with a popular hashtag or catchphrase. Newsjacking should only be done when a brand can make the phrase or tag their own, relating it back to their brand and keeping things relevant. This blog post breaks down the questions you should ask yourself when considering a newsjacking strategy, which can help manage your expectations of going viral.
Marketing Case Studies: Celebrity Endorsements Gone Wrong
Not all press is good press, and while celebrity endorsements can be a powerful marketing tool, what happens when your brand’s beloved celebrity makes a mistake? How does this affect the business once it’s aligned itself with an individual? Our resident celebrity expert, Beth Keuling, takes a look at a series of case studies where celebrity endorsements went terribly wrong. From Lance Armstrong to Michael Phelps, we can help suggest the next steps for a brand suffering from sour endorsements.
Some of our favorite marketing stories from March:
Instagram Announces Algorithmic Timeline
Last month, we discussed Instagram’s latest steps to become a legitimate sibling for Facebook, giving brand managers numerous ways to leverage the platform for marketing success. With users ranging from household brands to Pope Francis, Instagram seems to be doing exactly that. In mid-March, however, Instagram shared some news that startled quite a few: Instagram is moving to an algorithmic timeline. This means, your Instagram feed will no longer display posts in chronological order. Instead, Instagram will now display the posts it thinks are most relevant to you first, just like its parent company Facebook.
In a New York Times article, Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom stated, “On average, people miss about 70% of the posts in their Instagram feed. This change is about making sure that the 30% you see is the best 30% possible.” The question is: will we care about that 30% or will Instagram lose its “instant” feel?
The Underdog of Social Media
It’s no secret that Twitter has spent the last few months struggling to survive in the ever-changing world of social media. During Twitter’s 10th birthday celebration, however, we were all reminded why we still love the platform. Apple’s support team even joined the network this month to provide instant IT support before sending users to an Apple Store. Similarly timed was an announcement by Twitter’s CEO and co-founder that the 140-character limit is here to stay (yay!). And so, it looks like there is hope for Twitter.
Sources say Google has its eyes set on livestreaming. YouTube Connect is said to be their Periscope-killer, coming soon. Do you think this will affect Twitter’s recent momentum?
More Facebook News… and a jab from LinkedIn
If you thought you’d get through a marketing roundup without some Facebook news, think again! New features continue to roll out from the media company, including Instant Articles, which will be available to all publishers April 12. Instant Articles are designed to give publishers a faster, more organic way to share content on Facebook. Some believe that Facebook is simply building this feature as another way to dominate the digital advertising arena, moving readers from individual blogs onto Facebook. This announcement was coupled with Facebook’s algorithm update earlier this month, which favors Live Video in your newsfeed. Meaning, if a friend or page you follow is streaming live on Facebook, you’ll see it first. Is Facebook’s growing list of media channels intrusive or comprehensive? Only time will tell.
That said, LinkedIn doesn’t seem to be giving up on becoming the most powerful social network for B2B relationships. In early March, LinkedIn debuted new targeting options for marketers, allowing a list of up to 30,000 companies to be targeted with a single ad. These new capabilities bridge the gap even more so between Facebook and LinkedIn’s advertising platforms. Which platform do you think will be most powerful for brands trying to generate leads through social media?
