Manifesting that tweet
Managing Social Media is Hard Enough — Staying Up to Date Shouldn't Be.
What the NFT is going on?! Twitter announced last week that it's rolling out the ability for some users to set non-fungible tokens as their profile pictures (which will be in the shape of a hexagon, instead of a circle), according to CNN. Meanwhile, there are reports that Meta is exploring plans to make, sell and showcase NFTs on Facebook and Instagram. Damn, I'm not ready for this.
Here are today's top stories:
If you have metrics on the mind...
Instagram begins rolling out a new subscription feature
TikTok wins 2021, but Instagram makes some gains
And manifesting that tweet
Read on ⬇️
Metrics on the Mind
The @TwitterBusiness account recently tweeted: What social media metric do you pay the most attention to and why? And, as usual, I stayed for the replies, which included everything from engagement and click-thru-rate, to purchases and impressions. So I thought I would take a few minutes to dig into metrics. But if you already know what's what about metrics, feel free to skip this section. Otherwise, stick around...
Why Measure
You put a lot of time and effort into your social media marketing, and metrics will not only tell you where you are succeeding, but also, where you might want to change things up. For example, you might find that you're getting better results on one platform over another. So, you might want to invest in the one that is performing well. Metrics can also tell you what types of content resonate best with your audience. And all of this leads to one thing — more efficiencies. You'll be able to get more strategic at creating content that converts, in the places where your audience is most engaged.
What to Measure
I wish I could tell you that if you measure "x" that you'll get every piece of info you need. But honestly, it depends — it depends on what your goals and objectives are. For example, if your goal is to get more people to attend your events, then you'll want to look at event responses and sign ups, as well as reach on any posts/ads. And I always recommend measuring quantitative and qualitative metrics. So, in this example, you could also look at which platform generated the most event sign ups, and the types of people who are signing up (are they in your target market?).
What About Measuring Followers?
From my earliest days in social media, I'd often hear people/experts say that you shouldn't measure "followers" because it's a vanity metric. But there are two things to consider here:
You might not want to measure followers, but your manager/client might want you to
And if you're starting a new social media account, you'll need to increase your followers in order to measure engagement (or anything else)
So while you should never just measure followers, in some cases, you're going to need to keep track of this.
The Good Stuff
If you measure your metrics regularly (i.e. monthly, quarterly), at the end of the year, you'll be able to spin all that gold into a report that tells a story of your social media marketing efforts. And like a story, it should explain where you started, what you did along the way, and where you ended up. Consider an overview listing major organizational events, as well as your goals and objectives, how your efforts performed against your strategy, and changes you'll make the following year.
Remember to celebrate your successes, and try not to measure your accounts against anyone else's. "Comparison is the thief of joy" ~ Theodore Roosevelt
SOCIAL SNACKS
Subscribe Me
Instagram is living for Creators right now, announcing a new subscription feature that it says will ensure monthly recurring income on the app. According to an Instagram blog post, Creators will be able to set "a monthly price of their choice" to provide exclusive content in the form of: Stories, Lives and Badges. Price tiers will range from $0.99 to $99.99, according to The Verge. And Meta says it won't take a cut of those fees (for Instagram or Facebook subscriptions) until at least 2023. Currently, this is only available for a small group of Instagram users, but it will likely become more widely available. Twitter also has a subscription feature (Twitter Blue), which I actually pay for.
It's the Remix
Instagram announced last week that its Reels Remix feature has been expanded so that now you can use both feed AND Reel videos to create content (when it was originally launched in March 2021, you could only remix a Reel video). And if you're wondering what the heck a Remix is — basically, a Remix allows you to take one of your videos, or someone else's video, and record your reaction to it in a side-by-side video view. It's basically the same as the TikTok Duet video. If you want to learn how to create a Remix on Instagram, the Creators Instagram account breaks it down for you.
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ICYMI
🔴 TikTok to integrate Stories with its main 'For You' video feed [9to5Mac]
🔴 Snapchat says Snapchatters are feeling the love ahead of Valentine's Day [Snapchat Blog]
🔴 LinkedIn releases its 2022 Global Talent Trends report [LinkedIn]
🔴 Meta says this interactive game will teach internet safety on Messenger Kids [Meta Blog]
TIKTOK'S CREATOR CARNIVAL
TikTok is hosting a Creator Carnival on Feb. 3rd, which is promises will be a 'virtual extravaganza.' Session topics include 'TikTok for Business: What's New in 2022' and 'How Community Commerce is Making is Making Entertainment More Shoppable.' Learn more.
APP-LIKE
Instagram Makes Some Gains
TikTok was the most downloaded app worldwide in 2021, according to mobile app analytics firm Sensor Tower. No surprise there. BUT Instagram also made some pretty significant gains last year. It was the most downloaded app worldwide in the fourth quarter of 2021, according to Sensor Tower's recent Data Digest. It was Instagram's best quarter since 2014, and the first time since 2019 that a Meta-owned app had taken the top spot. And the only other app to beat TikTok in the last two years was Zoom (in Q2 of 2020, for obvious reasons). We'll see if Instagram can keep up the momentum.
INSPIRED-LIKE
Manifesting That Tweet
I had no idea so many people were manifesting their dreams on Twitter. But it turns out the company did, and turned it into a campaign called "Tweeting It Into Existence." Twitter is highlighting 12 "Very Important Tweeters" (aka: VITs, aka: singers, actors, athletes and others) on billboards across Canada and the U.S. featuring their original tweet and an image of them manifesting those dreams. For example, the billboard of Canadian actor Simu Liu features his 2018 tweet "Ok @Marvel, are we going to talk or what? #ShangChi" and him in his Marvel gear. We also love this one of Issa Rae, featuring her on the red carpet and her 2010 tweet, "When I grow up, I want to be a more successful version of me." Mission accomplished.
What do you want to manifest?
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