The visual content trend is only getting stronger. This week, we have 3 new social media features that focus on video. Instagram’s Live Rooms give us a new way to collaborate, TikTok’s Q&A feature encourages easy responses to your audience, and WhatsApp’s video calling on desktop could mean trouble for Zoom.

Get A Live Room: Collaborating From Home

For the last year, many of us haven’t been in the same room as our colleagues and business partners. We’ve had to find new ways of communicating and collaborating to keep these relationships going. The latest option from Instagram, Live Rooms, allows you to take Instagram Live to the next level, by adding up to 3 other users to your broadcast. This is a great new way to engage your followers with Q&As, tutorials, interviews, or anything else you can think of.

So why go live with other users? One reason is that you can provide valuable content to your following. Q&As and interviews can give your audience tips and perspective related to your product, making them more likely to go to your brand when they’re looking for information. You’ll also have your account boosted to someone else’s following, which could gain you some new followers and interest in your brand. Finally, if you have an Instagram Shop, remember that you can tag products within a live video. With someone else’s following tuned in, this is a surefire way to get new eyes on your products.

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?

If you feel like you’re not doing enough with your social media, this is an easy step to make engaging, unique content for your Instagram profile. So how can you pull this off? Reach out to an influencer, business, or other account and make a plan to collaborate together. Talk about possible topics and the value you can bring to one another. Lead up to your Live Room session by getting your audience engaged. Call out the user you’ll be teaming up with, state the day and time you’ll be going live, and ask your followers what they’d like to know.

On the day of, get yourself in front of some natural light with a clean background and go live! Instagram Live is not about getting everything perfect. Go in with some topics or an outline, but not a script. Allow some pauses for thinking and switching topics – it’ll save you from talking over each other. And when it’s done, get brainstorming about what you can do next! People who enjoyed what you have to say will be more likely to check out your account and tune in again.

We Asked, TikTok Answered: Q&As for Creators and Businesses

TikTok’s Q&A feature is now available to all creator and business accounts! To activate this feature on your account, you’ll have to navigate to your settings and privacy page, select “Creator”, and then select “Turn on Q&A”. This will allow you to easily see your audience’s questions, respond to them through videos or comments, and have it all summarized on your profile. You’ll know what information your audience is looking for and be able to engage with them in exactly the right way. 

Let’s break down how TikTok’s Q&A works. First, when users comment on a TikTok video, they’ll be able to designate whether their comment is a question for the creator. The creator can then respond with a new video, which can feature the question as a sticker and link back to the original video. While in a live video, creators will see questions pop up as they come in and be able to give a quick response. The questions and responses will also be available on a new Q&A tab on your profile!

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?

This feature is a great way to encourage questions from your following and engage them with information they care about. It’ll give you consistent ideas for new content. When you’re done answering a quick question, feel free to expand on it in some original videos. This tool will provide insight into what your audience is thinking, so use it to shape your TikTok strategy. 

Producing content for TikTok can feel intimidating to start. A lot of businesses want to get into TikTok because of its younger audience but just aren’t confident about making relatable video content. If this sounds like you, give yourself some inspiration by following TikTok’s new business account and searching for small businesses similar to yours. You can also gain some insights from TikTok’s free Ready Set Grow Summit on March 24th!

WhatsApp Takes It To The Big Screen: Desktop Video Calling

WhatsApp continues to prove that it’s not just another messaging app. Do we use it for family group chats? Sure, but WhatsApp has also been growing as a platform for small businesses. Their latest feature is another that rides the line of professional and personal: Video calling for desktop. We’re definitely going to see people using this to connect with family and friends over distances, but it also has utility for connecting coworkers while working from home. 

As working from home became the norm for many U.S. businesses, Zoom was the standout star for meetings and culture hours. Google revamped its video calling to make it a more viable option, and now WhatsApp is joining the game. The advantage that WhatsApp might have is in video calling between businesses and clients. If you’re already having a conversation with a client or customer on WhatsApp, calling them from your computer will be quicker and easier than switching over to Zoom or Google Meet.

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?

Desktop video calling is definitely going to be interesting on a personal and professional level. We’re excited to try this to connect with our families and friends, and for collaborating with our team while working from home. As far as normal business operations go, this might not be useful for every small business. We’re recommending giving this a try if you need to meet with your clients to provide services or offer consultations. 

This means if you provide a B2B service, WhatsApp video calls might be worth exploring. Try using video calling with your employees or a trusted colleague to start. Compare the platform with other means of calling your clients, such as Zoom and Google Meet. Even if it isn’t the right tool for connecting with clients, we’re happy to have another option for connecting together even while we’re apart. 

Ok, now what?

Now that you’re up to date with the latest industry news, it’s time to invest in a team that specializes in all things social media and digital marketing. We can help! Liquid Creative is a full-service marketing agency ready to help your business operate to its fullest potential without missing a beat.

This week we’ve got new insights, numbers, and ideas to help us create our social media content. Snapchat hit us with a report about Gen Z, YouTube is giving tips for creating Shorts, and Facebook keeps it real with COVID-19’s impact on small businesses. 

Snapchat’s Guide to What’s Hip With The Kids

In Snapchat’s latest report, they dubbed Gen Z as “the Snapchat Generation” before diving into trends and insights from their users. Their findings confirm that the younger generation is more likely to communicate visually, with memes, emojis, and photos. They’re dedicated to inclusivity and activism, and drive change by buying from brands that support their values. When it comes to advertising, they’re attracted by compelling narratives and immersive experiences, so think outside the box in your next strategy session!

 

YouTube’s Shorts Report: Encouraging Community & Creativity

YouTube has been exploring short-form content to stay in the running against Instagram Reels and TikTok. Now they’re compiling a bi-weekly report of ideas and highlights for the Shorts community. This is a great resource for creators who are just getting started with short-form content, with everything from tips for beginners to the mindset that should go into your videos.

This week’s tips were all about setting the right tone with your video content. Be authentic with content that’s relevant to your brand and enjoyable to you! Short-form video content can be a lot more spontaneous, so go ahead and say what’s on your mind. Take a minute to assess your lighting, outfit, and background, and you’re ready to film. Keep the vibe in mind as you’re filming, and then edit away! Effects, background music, and text can reinforce your tone and keep things interesting.

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?

Even if you’re not using shorts, this is a good resource to inspire your content creation. For example, the first strategy tip in this week’s Shorts Report is to focus on authenticity. If you’re making original videos on any social platform, you could benefit from subscribing to notifications on the Shorts Report post!

Facebook Shares the State of Small Business

In partnership with Small Business Roundtable, Facebook has published a report based on surveys of small and medium U.S. businesses. The results show a slow recovery, with fewer businesses being closed in December as compared to last April, and fewer people being out of work. It also details how businesses have adapted to stay open or re-open.

A majority of small businesses are now incorporating social distancing measures to keep their employees and customers safe. To keep their businesses open, 25% of small businesses have changed their business hours and 18% have given employees location flexibility. As consumers have started switching to online purchases, 87% of businesses are now making sales through digital channels, up from 65% before the pandemic. 

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?

This report shows us just how many businesses are still being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It puts words from small business owners and consumers alongside the numbers. While the focus is on business, it also looks into our well-being, challenges at home, and general outlook on the future.

About half of small business leaders reported that they required emotional support in the two weeks prior to the survey. Meanwhile, women were twice as likely as men to cite domestic responsibilities, such as childcare and education from home, as the reason that they would not reopen their businesses. As we begin to see the start of a recovery, a third of small business leaders anticipate that it will take more than 6 months for their lives to return to normal.

Ok, now what?

Now that you’re up to date with the latest industry news, it’s time to invest in a team that specializes in all things social media and digital marketing. We can help! Liquid Creative is a full-service marketing agency ready to help your business operate to its fullest potential without missing a beat.

Get it? It’s because we’re talking about Instagram Reels. Okay, nevermind. We’ve got best practices from Instagram, a TikTok trend report, and a new resource from LinkedIn!

Instagram Insists: Reels Aren’t For Reposting

TikTok’s rising popularity, and the possibility that the app would be banned in the U.S., led to Instagram Reels in 2020. The similarities between the two features are clear. Some have even called Reels a “TikTok clone”. However, Instagram is now trying to distance itself from TikTok reposts in a post about best practices for Reels. Instagram says it won’t recommend your Reel to accounts that don’t already follow you if it contains watermarks that show it’s recycled from another app.

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?

Reusing content across platforms is a huge time-saver that helps you reach a larger audience. The best way to avoid an obvious repost from TikTok to Instagram is editing your videos outside of these apps. Create your content first, and then upload it to each app. For more about creating Reels, check out this video example from Facebook and follow Instagram’s Creators account for inspiration and tips.

What’s Trending on TikTok

TikTok has released a report of the trends they saw in 2020! Their U.S. report gives us a glimpse of how we coped with our weirdest year. The top content categories were home and garden, camping, video games, and cooking. The report also gives us a look at the most popular content and top growth categories across the app.

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?

We’re hoping these trends can inspire you to create different types of content on TikTok! For example, since diaries and vlogs are the most popular category overall, you should feel free to shoot a few behind-the-scenes videos of your business’s day-to-day. Meanwhile, if those content categories (such as home and garden) can be related to your business, we encourage you to check out the U.S. report for the top hashtags to use and other tips!

LinkedIn’s New Digital Magazine

LinkedIn has launched a new, free resource: a digital magazine called Return to Growth. The magazine focuses on the business landscape in 2021 and how we recover from the unexpected challenges of the last year. The first issue addresses how to plan a successful recovery, reminds us to appreciate our resiliency, and reviews some new practices and lessons we learned in 2020.

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?

Did I mention that this resource is free and digital? There’s no reason not to give it a peak! The magazine includes both LinkedIn-specific information and general marketing reminders. Flip through and see if anything calls your name, or send the link to your marketing coordinator!

Ok, now what?

Now that you’re up to date with the latest industry news, it’s time to invest in a team that specializes in all things social media and digital marketing. We can help! Liquid Creative is a full-service marketing agency ready to help your business operate to its fullest potential without missing a beat.

Last week’s trend of adding safeguards to social media continues on TikTok. Meanwhile, Instagram protects users from accidental post deletion and YouTube steps up to the plate for sports fans.

Penalties for Unverified Content: TikTok

TikTok has created a flagging system to discourage unverified content on its platform. The company has already been removing content with false information in collaboration with fact-checkers. Now, videos with unverified information will display a warning banner across the top as they play. As a further step, these videos won’t be recommended on the ‘For You’ page, and users will be reminded that the content is unverified before sharing. 

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?

This is a smart move for TikTok, which gives us confidence in the longevity and practicality of this platform. It’s also a reminder to keep all information accurate and relevant to your brand! If you’re not sure about a claim, don’t share it or include it in your content. You’re building a relationship with your audience, and you don’t want to give them any reasons to distrust you. 

Felt Cute, Might Restore Later: Instagram

Instagram has changed how posts get deleted to save you from accidentally deleting posts! Content deleted within the last 30 days can be accessed and restored by visiting Settings > Account > Recently Deleted on your Instagram app. You can also permanently delete your content there, after verifying your identity. 

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?

You might not need to use this feature, but it’s good to have just in case. Even if you’re not tap-happy enough to delete posts by mistake, this safeguard will protect you from having hackers delete posts if they gain access to your account. Either way, we’re happy to see an extra level of protection for our content.

A League Of Your Own: YouTube Sports

YouTube is no rookie when it comes to sports content. This year it might be crowned MVP with its new personalized destination for sports fans. YouTube.com/Sports is filled with all the sports content you could want: highlight reels, live sports, videos from official sports leagues, athlete interviews, and more. 

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?

Television used to be one of the best ways to reach an audience. Now, YouTube is sharing this space with them. Video is an impactful medium for reaching your audience, and YouTube offers a wide variety of targeting options. If you haven’t considered advertising on YouTube, you should reevaluate whether it’s worth adding to your marketing mix.

Ok, now what?

Now that you’re up to date with the latest industry news, it’s time to invest in a team that specializes in all things social media and digital marketing. We can help! Liquid Creative is a full-service marketing agency ready to help your business operate to its fullest potential without missing a beat.

 

In the age of do-everything-from-home, your business’s online presence is becoming more and more important. Luckily, we’re continuing to get new ways to show off our brands with the peace of mind that your content is in good hands.

Social Media Answers the Call for Trust

Recently, social media companies have been called to address disinformation and harmful content on their platforms. Twitter’s community-based Birdwatch and Facebook’s independent oversight board are direct responses to this problem. We’re also seeing other social media platforms stepping up to address or anticipate issues. TikTok announced changes to its default privacy settings for younger users, Pinterest is prioritizing and showcasing its social impacts, and YouTube is releasing health content to inform its audience. We’re seeing new initiatives and policies everywhere to rebuild trust in social media.

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?

Trustworthy platforms are a great thing for your business. We love to see these companies listening to and addressing issues so that we can both enjoy these platforms ourselves, and feel confident in using them to promote our brands. Trust in social media means more users on the platform, which means more engagement and views on your content. It’s also a great reminder for how we should operate our businesses: Honesty and transparency are essential in communicating with your audience.

Stories Aren’t Just for Social Anymore

Since Snapchat debuted stories in 2013, many other companies have come out with new takes on the format. Tapping through fullscreen, visually immersive content has become the new standard for creating easy-to-digest content. You can also host stories on your own website! While this has been an option for some time, Google is now featuring web stories on their app, giving brands much more incentive to create them. To start creating your own stories, check out Google’s WordPress Plugin, MakeStories, or Newsroom AI!

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?

If you’d like to take advantage of this trend, select some of your best story content from the past to host on your website. This can breathe new life into old content, and make it accessible for new visitors to your website. For more information, creation tools, and examples, visit Google’s web stories page.

Just The Important Bits with YouTube Clips

YouTube is slowly rolling out Clips, a new feature that allows users to share a 5-60 second snippet of a video. Currently, this is only available for a limited number of creators’ content, but you can try it out for yourself on YouTube’s sneak peak video! This seems to be a continuation of YouTube’s exploration of short-form video content they launched this past fall.

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?

Clips aren’t available for all videos on YouTube, which means that people aren’t going to be able to Clip your videos just yet. It’s a good time to start thinking about how your business could use Clips in the future. Video snippets could be used on your blog, website, or even in conversations with clients with this easy-to-use new tool! With this upcoming feature in mind, what video content can you create now that would make useful Clips in the future?

Ok, now what?

Now that you’re up to date with the latest industry news, it’s time to invest in a team that specializes in all things social media and digital marketing. We can help! Liquid Creative is a full-service marketing agency ready to help your business operate to its fullest potential without missing a beat.

While we’ve been staying at home, social media has become all the much more important for keeping our audiences informed, engaged, and connected. This week, Twitter and Instagram are giving us more insights into how we connect with our audience, while Pinterest is giving us a new way to do so!

Stories That Keep On Giving: Pinterest

Pinterest has created a new form of content on their platform: Story Pins. These Pins are a better way for businesses and creators to engage their audience, and they don’t disappear after 24 hours like most social media stories. Plus they can be pinned to boards by viewers as normal, keeping them discoverable forever! Check out Pinterest’s examples of how you can use Story Pins here.

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?

If your business isn’t on Pinterest, this might be a good time to create a few Pins. Pinterest is a place where tutorials, blogs, and inspirational photos can thrive. Start with content that you already have – from product photos to an instructional blog – and watch it gain new life as it gets Pinned on different boards!

Online Customer Care: Twitter

Twitter released a report focusing on how brands can provide value on their platform. The full version is 48 pages, so here are some cliff notes. The most common types of content Twitter users value are savings and deals, an easy place to find the information they need, and relationship-building and humanizing content. Brands also benefited from responding quickly to problems and treating individuals like VIPs.

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?

Businesses that maintain a Twitter account should make sure that they’re checking their messages and mentions regularly. Someone messaging you could go from disgruntled to a customer-for-life based on how you handle the interaction. It’s also a good idea to make sure you’re sharing information about your business, especially sales, on Twitter as well as other platforms.

One Place For Everything: Instagram

In their continued effort to elevate small businesses on the platform, Instagram is making understanding your performance and following easier with the Professional Dashboard. The dashboard will feature insights and trends based on your post performance, tools for running your account and boosting your business, and curated inspiration and tips.

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses?

Instagram is an ally for local businesses! It’s a great way to get new eyes on your brand with geotagging and hashtags. Now, the whole system is even more approachable with an all-in-one dashboard. Use your insights to inform what types of content you post, take advantage of tips curated by Instagram’s team, and watch your following grow!

Ok, now what?

Now that you’re up to date with the latest industry news, it’s time to invest in a team that specializes in all things social media and digital marketing. We can help! Liquid Creative is a full-service marketing agency ready to help your business operate to its fullest potential without missing a beat.

Last week, we shared how you can get discovered faster. Now, we’ve outlined exactly what you need to know to get your ideal clients clicking purchase. 

Tagging Items Within Video Clips: Youtube

Youtube’s new shopping feature will help people discover and purchase your products faster. The app has launched a live test to enable creators to tag products within their video clips. Viewers can view the tagged products by clicking a shopping bag icon. From there, viewers have access to purchase options for that product and related videos.

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses? Once all creators can tag products, shopping will become more and more popular inside the Youtube app. If you don’t have one already, create a Youtube account for your business and share links to featured products in your videos. Begin partnering with influencers to advertise your products in their videos so when tagging does become available to all, viewers can purchase your products without ever leaving the app.

New Insights to Highlight Video Performance: Youtube 

In the first 24 hours after upload, you can see how well your Youtube video has performed and compare two different videos, side-by-side. The purpose behind this new data insight is to help creators refine their strategic approach for posting and maximize their video performance.

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses? If you want to gain key insights into reach and resonance with your audience, use Youtube’s newest metric option to see how well your video has performed in its first 24 hours. With these greater insights, you can maximize your discoverability. 

Removing ‘Our Story’ Section from Pages: Facebook

On February 28, the ‘Our Story’ section from all Facebook Pages will be removed. Facebook is encouraging all users to shift their ‘Story’ description to the ‘Additional Information’ section.

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses? If you want to continue connecting with your customers, move the information listed in your ‘Story’ section to the ‘Additional Information’ section before the change occurs. If you don’t, users will no longer be able to read about your business, making it harder to connect with Page visitors. 

 

Ok, now what?

Now that you’re up to date with the latest industry news, it’s time to invest in a team that specializes in all things social media and digital marketing. We can help! Liquid Creative is a full-service marketing agency ready to help your business operate to its fullest potential without missing a beat.

Getting discovered —  It’s something we all want. We’ve outlined exactly what you need to know to help your ideal clients find you faster and easier so you gain the leads you’ve been waiting for.

New Pages for Hashtags: Youtube

Youtube’s newest update can help viewers discover your brand faster. Viewers who’ve searched or clicked on a specific hashtag will see a new dedicated page that only contains videos listed with that hashtag. The most popular videos are listed at the top of the page. 

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses? Linking strategically chosen hashtags to your video content can maximize your discoverability inside the Youtube app. If you aren’t using hashtags already, what are you waiting for? Viewers have been gifted this new way to find content that matches their interests. With the right hashtags, they’re a click away from finding you.

Introducing the New Pages Experience: Facebook 

With the help of Facebook’s redesigned pages, you can build community and achieve your business goals easier. The redesigned layout is simpler and includes a dedicated news feed to discover and join conversations and follow trends. Pages no longer include Likes but instead showcase Followers. Easier navigation is provided between personal profiles and Pages, and users will now see more actionable insights with more relevant notifications. Trusted Page admins can now have full control or partial access to admin controls. 

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses? Once all users experience this change, it’s your turn to get familiar with the new Pages experience Facebook is offering users. Researchers have designed a new layout to help you market your business better and establish greater connections within your community. With knowledge on navigating these new features, you can achieve your business objectives.

Swipe-Up Links Added to Stories: LinkedIn 

You can gain leads faster with LinkedIn’s newest update. Businesses can now add swipe-up links to Stories. However, the feature is only available if you have the ‘follow’ option turned on for your profile and 5,000+ followers on a page. You’ll be able to see unique views and link click statistics by clicking the eye icon on the bottom right of your story. 

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses? By adding swipe-up links to your Stories, you can help consumers conveniently discover your products and services. You can create Stories that directly link to the product your marketing or a contact form to increase lead generation. 

Ok, now what?

Now that you’re up to date with the latest industry news, it’s time to invest in a team that specializes in all things social media and digital marketing. We can help! Liquid Creative is a full-service marketing agency ready to help your business operate to its fullest potential without missing a beat.

Last week we touched on the newest TikTok and Twitter features on track to launch in 2021. Now, we’ve outlined exactly what you need to implement in your marketing mix to win this new year.

Google Adds Short-Form Video Carousel in Search Results

Google’s newest search feature could change your 2021 content approach. A new carousel of short-form video is in testing to appear in selected search results where direct links to relevant TikTok and Instagram Reels video clips will appear. As marketing through short-form videos is on the rise, this new feature will allow creators to maximize their discoverability on search results in Google.

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses? If you want to be on the front page of a Google search result, implementing short-form videos in your content is valuable to think about when it comes to SEO consideration. If you use TikTok clips or Instagram Reels in your content approach this year, it could give you an advantage over your competitors.

 

Influencer Marketing Shifts Toward TikTok and Instagram Stories 

More than ever, advertisers will need to adapt to the changes in consumer behavior on social platforms. Influencers are shifting away from full posts and posting shorter content on TikTok and Instagram Stories, according to Klear’s State of Influencer Marketing 2021 report. While the use of the hashtag #ad on Instagram declined 19% year-over-year, the use of sponsored Stories rose by 32% and the use of sponsored TikTok clips rose by 130% in 2020.

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses? If creator partnerships are not in your marketing mix yet, now is the time to connect with influencers and up your advertising game.

Ok, now what?

Now that you’re up to date with the latest industry news, it’s time to invest in a team that specializes in all things social media and digital marketing. We can help! Liquid Creative is a full-service marketing agency ready to help your business operate to its fullest potential without missing a beat.

We’ve outlined the newest TikTok and Twitter features on track to launch in 2021 so you know exactly how to prepare your marketing efforts for the new year. With a clear picture of what’s coming next, you won’t miss a beat.

New Shoppable Live-stream Experience: TikTok 

TikTok takes its next step in its eCommerce Push. For the first time, TikTok is testing the option for users to shop inside the app during live-streams. Walmart and TikTok will be partnering on the first pilot test of the new shoppable product experience. During a Walmart live-stream, users will be able to purchase fashion items without leaving the app. 

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses? As this new shoppable product experience prepares to launch, you can be one of the first businesses to give users the ability to purchase your products easily. If you aren’t already using TikTok to market your business, take a look at the Small Business Resource Center that was recently created just for you. It provides you with practices and resources on how to connect with your audience and drive results.

Twitter Launches Spaces

Twitter’s newest feature gives consumers another way to join the conversation and connect with what makes your business pop — your brand voice. The new Spaces feature allows people to connect directly in an intimate, conversational Space. Along with the live testing that’s happening with Spaces, Twitter is also testing other features such as reactions similar to hand gestures, a very early version of live transcriptions and sharing Tweets in Spaces. 

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses? As Twitter prepares to launch Spaces to the public, let your business be the first to be heard. Through Spaces, you can add a layer of connectivity between your business and its followers. Don’t miss out on this new opportunity to connect with your audience in a way unlike ever before.

Twitter Adds Topics 

Twitter is testing a new feature to spark more positive engagement and discussion within the app. Topics highlight things users have in common when replying to someone they don’t follow or engage with. In return, Twitter hopes to remind people of what connects them at a starting point to encourage more meaningful conversations. 

What does this mean for Gainesville Businesses? Your business can use Topics to see what type of interests appear among your audience. It can also help your brand community to foster better connections and grow.

Ok, now what?

Now that you’re up to date with the latest industry news, it’s time to invest in a team that specializes in all things social media and digital marketing. We can help! Liquid Creative is a full-service marketing agency ready to help your business operate to its fullest potential without missing a beat.