Friend for friend?
I'm so happy to be back! And it looks like I wasn't the only one who was ready to return. After close to a month-long break, Chrissy Teigen has returned to Twitter, saying she's ready to "take the good with the bad." (That pretty much sums up social media 🤪).
In today's news:
Why being social on social media is more important than ever
Instagram continues to test like count visibility
Facebook sweetens its Business Suite
And wishing YouTube a happy anniversary 🎉
Read on ⬇️
Getting social... on social
Given the strict lockdown measures keeping us all apart, many of us are looking to connect more than ever. And there's proof. The top social networking apps in Canada right now are almost entirely messaging apps, dating apps, and friending apps, according to mobile app analytics firm App Annie.
So if you're looking to build on this trend and find ways to engage with your online community (which is always a good idea), here are some examples of brands that are working hard to connect with their followers. 👊
Ask a question
It sounds so simple, but asking a question is a great way to drive conversation among your followers. It's used by many brands, particularly on Twitter. For example, it's not unusual to see TikTok tweet a question, such as: "The year is 1996; what's on your FYP?" or "What song or sound do you hum while you're in the shower?" Sure, they might get a few random replies about why an account was banned, but in general, these type of questions generate hundreds of likes, replies and retweets.
Other ways to ask a question:
Create a poll. Burger King isn't shy about surveying its followers about their food choices.
Create trivia questions. Check out the Shedd Aquarium's Trivia Tuesday tweets.
Talk to each other
One of my favourite brands from childhood is McDonald's (for anyone else out there who grew up in the 80s and held their b-day parties at Mickey D's, you know what I'm talking about). And now with social media, I could just reach out and say hi. That's exactly what the Microsoft Twitter account did recently, tagging a number of brand accounts (including McDonald's, Xbox and Spotify) to "catch up." Not only did the Xbox account reply, but many others jumped into the conversation.
But you also don't have to wait to be tagged on a post — you can like, reply and comment on posts from accounts in your online community any time. And don't forget to respond to comments (perhaps even snarky ones; take it away @zariasmusic).
Co-create content
In addition to big-name brands, many influencers are also always looking to connect with their community. One way to do that is to co-create content, and what better way than to participate in a "challenge." A recent example: @grandadfrankk on TikTok decided to emulate "Rich White Lady" videos originally created by @nicholas_flannery (the videos are impressions of the women from the HBO series "Big Little Lies"). Break out the cardigan, because unlike the dance challenges, I might actually be able to participate in this one!
Other ways to co-create:
With TikTok, you can "Stitch" videos together, which allows you to use part of another person's video in your video
TikTok — and now Instagram Reels — both offer the option to "Duet" a clip, which allows you to create a video while also featuring someone else's video next to yours (often used to react to and/or highlight a clip)
Have any other ideas on how engage on social? I'd love to hear them: hello@thesocialplatypus.com.
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ICYMI
Instagram may let users choose like counts
For Instagram users in Canada, public like counts have been hidden for a while. But now it looks like Instagram wants to give its users a bit of choice and not just turn this option off completely. According to Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, the company is testing three options: choosing whether to see like counts on other accounts, turning them off on our own posts, or the "original experience." Mosseri said they are also "exploring a similar experience for Facebook." Instagram initially started testing hiding like counts on posts and videos in Canada in 2019. At the time, the company said it wanted people to "focus on the photos and videos you share, not how many likes they get." The test continued to roll out globally, but given this latest pivot, it looks like not everyone was happy with a complete ban on likes.
Facebook adds new features to Business Suite
Facebook's Business Suite, announced in September 2020, is FB's way of amalgamating all accounts and activity in one place, so that business owners can be more efficient with their social media efforts (and not to be cynical, but with FB facing calls to break up its different companies, it also helps further entrench each app with one another... but I digress). The company recently announced new features for Business Suite, including being able to schedule Stories for Facebook and Instagram, and editing scheduled posts. (BTW: you can do this on Creator Studio). But good to know for when we all end up on Business Suite.
IN OTHER NEWS:
🔴 Instagram launched a Reels "Remix" option (ahem, TikTok Duet). Here's how to use it.
🔴 Facebook announced Analytics is disappearing on June 30, 2021
🔴 TikTok introduced auto-captions
🔴 Pinterest announced its first-ever Creator Fund (in the U.S.)
🔴 LinkedIn is launching a Creator Mode + Cover Stories
APP-LIKE
TikTok was downloaded more than 58 million times in March 2021, according to mobile app analytics firm Sensor Tower. But not to be outdone, Facebook and its group of properties took the next four top spots for most downloaded non-gaming apps globally.
ANNIVERSARY-LIKE
This week marks the 16th anniversary of the first-ever video uploaded to YouTube. "Me at the Zoo" was uploaded on April 23, 2005 (and currently has 161 million views). Since that first upload, Google-owned YouTube has become a powerhouse of a platform, boasting 2 billion+ users. Fun fact: The most viewed video is Baby Shark Dance, with 8.3 billion views. And if you're looking for some useful marketing stats, this blog post from HubSpot has you covered.
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