Facebook, I really do try to only call you out when I need to, but it gets harder and harder to avoid. For example, how do you expect me to respond when The Wall Street Journal publishes an exposé featuring internal memos that suggest you downplayed research on the negative impact of Instagram on teens' mental health (among other bombshell discoveries). 🙄 You can read more details in Time magazine. And because I'm fair, here is Instagram's response.
In today's top stories:
The Honeypot (and other ways to deal with spam)
LinkedIn goes dark
YouTube launches a podcast
And Snapchat is officially 10 years old
Read on ⬇️
Spam, Ma'am
Anyone who has worked in social media has probably experienced having their posts spammed. In my experience, it may be by someone known to the organization, or those angry about a certain issue. But the messaging is always consistent, is often unrelated to the post, and aims to convey their annoyance over a particular issue. This recently happened to a client of mine, and so I thought I would go over some strategies that you may, or may not, be aware of.
A Honeypot Strategy
While working as the social media strategist at Wilfrid Laurier University, more than a few PR problems cropped up. We would always post about the issue, but inevitably when we would try and move on, there were always people who didn't want to let the issue go (particularly if they felt it hadn't been dealt with fully or properly). So, we would use what we called the "Honeypot" strategy, which essentially involves creating a new post about the issue with the intent purpose of giving this group a place for them to direct their comments. This way, we could move on and begin posting about other topics, and they had a place to share their views (a win, win).
A Tech Strategy
In addition to creating Honeypots, the platforms also offer technical options for managing conversations.
Twitter: You can choose who can reply to a tweet, with three options — Everyone, people you follow, or only people you mention. Note: If you choose "only people you mention" but you don't mention anyone, no one can reply.
Facebook: No matter how much you'd like to delete a comment, it's generally not a good idea unless it violates your comment policy. An alternative is to "hide" comments. The comment will still be visible to the user and their friends, but hidden for everyone else.
Instagram: You can hide comments and message requests that are abusive. You can also "add words, phrases, numbers or emojis to your Custom Word List to be hidden from your comments or message requests."
A Personal Strategy
It is best practice to move a conversation offline, and never try to resolve an issue on social media. But in the case of my client (and in many cases at Laurier), the so-called spammer was known to the organization. In those situations, it's best to reach out personally to try and resolve the issue. They may be spamming posts because they feel like they have no other recourse, and that's never good.
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SOCIAL SNACKS
LinkedIn Goes Dark
Dark-mode fans rejoice! LinkedIn is starting to roll out dark mode on desktop and the mobile app. The Microsoft-owned company said they made the switch to "put accessibility and inclusivity at the forefront of our product experience." And while many will likely welcome the change, LinkedIn does offer one warning — it could affect how your logo appears on the platform. The company recommends checking it between now and October 2021 (which is likely when the rollout will be complete). If you want to test out new logos and images, here are the images specifications for LinkedIn. And if you want to know how to switch back and forth between dark and light mode, here are the instructions.
Setting Up Shop
With just 14 weeks until Christmas, Instagram released details on how to prepare your online shop for the busy shopping season ahead. Featured videos include how to create engaging product photos for your feed (although, Instagram points out that many consumers like to purchase "from brands that post real, raw or unpolished content"). The Instagram blog post also includes info on how to tag products on Instagram "to attract more customers" and how to create collections via Facebook Commerce. During the pandemic, more people got comfortable purchasing via social media platforms. It will be interesting to see what happens this holiday season...
ICYMI
🔴 Twitter expands the use of ticketed Spaces [@Spaces]
🔴 Facebook adds new features to personalize business communications [Facebook Business Blog]
🔴 TikTok announces new resources to support well-being [TikTok Blog]
🔴 Snapchat wraps the Arc De Triomphe [Snapchat Blog]
🔴 LinkedIn launches a $25-million fund for creators [TechCrunch]
🔴 WhatsApp begins testing a yellow pages-style business directory [The Verge]
PODCAST-LIKE
YouTube Gets Creative
You may not have thought you would ever hear the words YouTube and podcast in the same sentence, but it's happened — the Google-owned company just launched its first pod, and it's all about the Creator Economy. "The Upload: The Rise of the Creator Economy" is being hosted by Brittany Luse. "Throughout the series, Brittany will introduce listeners to creators with channels of all sizes who are building dynamic and thriving businesses," YouTube said in a blog post. The first guest will be Canadian-born creator extraordinaire Lilly Singh. The podcast launches on Sept. 22nd, with new episodes released every Wednesday. Happy listening!
UPCOMING CONFERENCES
TikTok World (Sept. 28)
B2B Forum by MarketingProfs (Oct. 13-14)
Social Media Strategies Summit Higher Education (Oct. 18-21)
Social Media Strategies Summit (Oct. 20-21)
BIRTHDAY-LIKE
Ten Years, In a Snap
Happy birthday to Snapchat, which officially launched on the App Store in September 2011. While it originally had a reputation as a "sexting" app, Snapchat changed social media forever by inventing "Stories," introducing disappearing content, and creating innovative lenses (🐶🌈). Facebook, fearing the competition, famously tried to purchase Snapchat in 2013. Co-founder Evan Spiegel gave Mark Zuckerberg a "hard no." Today, the app boasts more than 280 million daily active users, and recently launched a successful TikTok copycat, called Spotlight. Here's a look back at the last 10 years, thanks to Mashable.
Since we're talking about birthdays... on Sept. 27th, Google turns 23. Stay tuned for the Google Doodle!
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