by Hannah McKernonWith so much going on in the world of social media each week, it can be hard to keep up - and 2021 is starting at pace. Fret not everyone, we’ve got it covered for you and have collated some of the recent top social headlines.
Join in the conversation with us over in our Facebook group, we’d love to see you there to talk all things social!
What can you really communicate in a six-second video ad?
These days, a lot - as per a new study conducted MAGNA Global, in association with IPG Media Lab, and Snap Inc., as video consumption habits evolve, shorter ads are now proving increasingly effective.
Though it got a good start in 2020, 2021 is the year branded content will truly come into its own according to Ottavio Nava, co-founder and chief executive at We Are Social Italy and Spain. To make a success of the medium, he says marketers should glean lessons from the likes of Ben & Jerry's, Lavazza and Circles.Life.
Branded content reached new heights in 2020. Long seen as a valuable add-on to marketing campaigns, and particularly effective when combined with traditional paid-for models, we are at now seeing just how powerful the medium can be as a strategic brand building tool.
The Drum article | Image source: Circles.Life
With more and more people turning to social platforms to stay connected amid the COVID-19 lockdowns, it comes as little surprise that Facebook reached record highs for both audio and video calls on both WhatsApp and Messenger this past New Year's Eve.
But the numbers do highlight an important trend. As more people become accustomed to staying in touch via video, the normalisation of the medium could have a lasting major impact on the future of day-to-day work.
LinkedIn has announced a new 'Products' tab for Company Pages, which will provide a dedicated space for businesses to showcase their product offerings and highlight key features via their LinkedIn presence.
As explained by LinkedIn:
"With Product Pages you can spotlight product endorsements and testimonials by your users, gather ratings and reviews from current users, and generate leads with a custom call-to-action button, such as a demo request or contact sales form. In the new “Products” Tab, you can add new products you want to feature and include rich media like videos or product screenshots, descriptions and more."
Influencers have come a long way in the past 10 years. They have evolved from having fun creating content on a platform to being business-savvy professionals. As we head into 2021, consumers are demanding more from the influencers they pay attention to and trust. They are looking for transparency, authenticity and genuine value, and brands need to step up.
