Each month, our team of social experts dig through the trenches of the internet to find the biggest, best and most important news coming out of the social platforms we and our clients use daily.
With 2022 around the corner, everyone is looking for the next big thing in social media. In Hootsuite’s annual social trends guide, you can get a sneak peek at what’s to come (higher spends on TikTok, for sure) and what’s here to stay (creators aren’t going anywhere, folks).
What it means for brands: We don’t claim to be psychic, but we’re already seeing the effects of social media on post-pandemic shoppers. TikTok is moving past “that thing my kid spends too much time on” and quickly catching up to Facebook and Instagram in highlighting new brands and products. This line from trend 2 hit us right in our social marketer hearts: “Brands that want to stand out in 2022 will have to work harder to create ads that mirror and enrich the distinct experience offered by each social network.” Gone are the days of sharing the same ad across platforms, and to that we say good riddance.
Instagram’s latest collaboration tool, the “Add Yours” sticker, has rolled out worldwide. The sticker invites people to respond to other users’ Stories by sharing a photo on the topic of choice, creating a public thread. Everyone is then able to see who else has responded to the prompt by clicking on the sticker within their own story.
What it means for brands: We love user-generated content (UGC), and the “Add Yours” sticker gives brands the opportunity to ask for more of it. With an active engagement strategy, the “Add Yours” sticker will be an amazing feature for brands looking to highlight their community content.
Instagram has now added the link sticker for all users. Previously, an account needed 10,000 followers to share links via swipe up.
What it means for brands: So much for that goal of 10,000 followers. 🙃 Honestly, it’s a good move for Instagram to allow anyone to share links, especially small businesses and brands who previously haven’t put effort on growing their Instagram presence. Heading into the holiday shopping season, we expect to see an uptick in social selling from Instagram because of the change.
Twitter launches subscription service, BlueFor just $2.99 a month, you can access Twitter’s newest revenue driver, Blue. The monthly subscription allows users to preview and change tweets before they’re sent, update the app icon and color scheme, and access articles from USA Today, BuzzFeed and the Washington Post without advertising.
What it means for brands: At the moment? Nothing. Twitter hasn’t released any data on subscription numbers, and the benefits don’t seem to match the cost (though small). If Twitter allows these users to edit tweets though, we’ll be the first to sign up.
Spotify rolls out Podcast ads via self-service platformSpotify has added podcast advertising to it’s self-service platform, starting at just $500. Spotify Ad Studio will draft the script, record the voiceover and produce the ad at no additional cost to brands. Ads can be purchased by audience or by show.
What it means for brands: Podcast advertising continues to grow in popularity – a growth of 19% in 2021 alone. By providing an easy option to create, product and buy ads, Spotify is ensuring brands choose their platform for entry-level reads.
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Ashley Parks specializes in social media strategy and content development. She has over ten years' experience managing and developing social media marketing campaigns, digital advertising, content and engagement strategies for consumer brands. When she’s not reading the latest article on AdWeek, Ashley can be found wrangling her two dachshund mixes or cheering on her favorite sports teams, the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Blues with her husband and daughter.
