Tag: Social Media Agency

Mastering Insta’s New Algorithm

Cherith AndesBlog, Marketing, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , , ,

In March of 2018, Instagram launched an announcement that uprooted the Instagram community.

Article from Huffington Post

For the last two years, Instagram has operated on an engagement-based algorithm, prioritizing posts that received the highest engagement. Instagram posited that this system allowed its users to enjoy content that mattered most to them. (Sound familiar? *cough* Facebook *cough*) However, Insta fans revolted, claiming that the algorithm violated the platform’s real-time dynamic and forced businesses into paid strategies.

The Change

After two years, Instagram took the hint. The revamped algorithm that launched in late March unveiled two major changes.

1. “New Posts” Button

In the past, Instagram utilized an auto-refresh function that interrupted the user’s experience by unexpectedly bumping him or her to the top of the feed. Now, with the New Post button, users have the option to refresh their feeds at will or simply continue scrolling through posts. Notably, this button is still being tested and slowly offered to users. While not earth-shattering, the adjustment eliminated a common thorn in the side of the Insta community.

2. Newer Posts at Top of Feed

Of more import, Instagram will now give priority to “newer posts.” While not a complete return to chronological feeds, the algorithm accounts for the post’s recency, ensuring that your feed isn’t clogged with stale posts from days past. Instead, users have access to current updates with an opportunity to engage in a more real-time dynamic.

What Does This Mean for Businesses?

Pay attention to when your audience is online and active. It matters again! For business accounts, this data is readily available within Instagram’s Insights function. (Incidentally, it also provides additional demographic data to inform target marketing.) By no means disregard the types of content that have garnered strong engagement in the past. Simply include timing into your equation to maximize efficacy.

Best Times to Post

As a bonus tip, research from Sprout Social pinpointed these as the best times to post on Instagram:

  • Wednesday: 3 p.m.
  • Thursday: 5 a.m., 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.
  • Friday: 5 a.m.
  • “Safe times” to post are 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Tuesday – Friday, with Sunday securing the least engagement.

Keep an eye on analytics and a heart for genuine, meaningful content to continue growing your Instagram. And remember, treat it like a coffee-shop date: real, personal conversations held at a convenient time for the other party.

Looking for more tips? Learn how to take an Insta-worthy photo!

Read More

Is the Death of the Hashtag Scandalous?

Dana PhelpsBlog, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , 1 Comment on Is the Death of the Hashtag Scandalous?

Today’s guest post is brought to you by the incredibly smart and fabulous Sam Halle, Clairemont intern.

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery…

It hasn’t been long since Facebook wove hashtags and tagged mentions into its social platform. Now? It’s Twitter’s turn for a notable update. Perhaps the “Twitbook” jokes will start to hit a little closer to home for both services now.

Twitter announced its profile redesign this week, promising a “whole new you.” Interestingly, this whole new me looks quite familiar. The redesign bears a striking resemblance to Facebook’s three-column design. New users will immediately see the change, and existing users will receive their new look in the coming weeks.

PR gurus, take note of the following updates:

  • Users’ web profiles will now include a larger avatar profile photo;
  • Web profiles will also now include customized headers – with a photo (think Facebook or Google+ cover photos);
  • The font size of tweets that receive the most engagement will in users’ feeds, making notable content easy to find;
  • A user can now pin a Tweet to the top of his or her profile page (similar to the pinned post feature on Facebook); and
  • Filtered timelines – Tweets, Tweets with photos/videos or Tweets and replies – are available.

Lately, Twitter has been making an appearance in headlines for its efforts to increase its accessibility to new users. This profile redesign is clearly a step toward doing so. Get a glimpse of the changes by checking out these already redesigned profiles: @flotus, @kerrywashington, @zacefron or @channingtatum.

There have been other moves toward making Twitter more accessible as well. First, Twitter has begun to introduce a metric of post views to each Tweet in order to increase engagement and measurement. Second, the Favorite, Retweet and Follow buttons were made more prominent in the recent mobile app update, a change that has increased interactions by more than 35 percent. Lastly – and most controversial – Twitter reps have hinted that the company may phase out its infamous @-handle replies and #hashtags.

What do you think about Twitter’s new look? What – if any – implications will it have for clients’ PR or branding? Are you ready for the death of the #hashtag?

 

 

 

Read More

How Pinterest Should Influence Your Marketing Spend: 3 Tips

Dana PhelpsBlog, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , 10 Comments on How Pinterest Should Influence Your Marketing Spend: 3 Tips

If you’ve heard of Pinterest, you probably already know it is one of the fastest growing social networks. I think the only thing that is growing at a faster rate is the number of blog posts on all the whizbang things you can do as a Pinterest user. Don’t get me wrong, I love using Pinterest for fun and reading lists of Pinterest tips. Even more fun? Figuring out how to use it for business.

Isn’t that still the big question for those of us in PR, marketing and social media? How should my business be using Pinterest? Or maybe you are asking it this way: how does Pinterest fit into my marketing plan? Or maybe even…what is the value of Pinterest? If you are looking for information on what Pinterest is, how to set up a Pinterest account or how to use Pinterest, this post is not it. (I suggest reading Pinterest 101 and the other sections on the Pinterest Help page.)

The point of this Pinterest post is to take a step back and think about a few things companies can do to harness the power of all those people who have already gone cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs over Pinterest. These three tips are based on the work we’ve been doing with our clients that I suspect apply to all or most organizations.

The Prada sunglasses I pinned from the Nordstrom website.

  1. Before you think about pinning, think about others pinning you. If you’re already pinning and haven’t checked to make sure that images from your company’s website can be pinned, stop reading and do it now. This is particularly important if you sell a product and have product photography. As an example, I recently pinned a photo of Prada sunglasses I was considering as a splurge purchase after trying them on but leaving them behind at Nordstrom. Still thinking about the designer shades the next day, I found them online and decide to see what my friends thought by pinning the image directly from the Nordstrom website. With more than 313 repins and 116 likes, I kinda have to think I’m not the only one who is thinking about clicking the order button. The tip: make sure your website is Pinterest friendly so that pinners can pin images that link directly to your website. Tools such as Flash and website photo galleries that might have given your website umph just last year might not work for Pinterest. Talk with your web designer or IT manager about the cost of making these changes and make it a priority in your overall marketing spend. Continue reading “How Pinterest Should Influence Your Marketing Spend: 3 Tips”
Read More