Smarty Social Media

A moment of gratitude for our team of talented Smarties! As the year draws to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect on everything we’ve accomplished together. Our 2024 word of the year was “growth” – and we’ve done just that! Together, we channeled our passion and expertise to accomplish amazing things over the last 12 months. In 2024 we… ?? Onboarded 8 new clients ?? Won 6 awards and were named a finalist for 2 more ?? Launched 75 campaigns ?? Created 1,081 pieces of content ?? Led 500 hours of Social Academy training ? Completed 45,319 Asana tasks (yes, really!) And as we look back proudly on all we’ve done, we can’t help but look forward to what’s to come in 2025. From our team to yours, happy New Year! ??

These platform updates might change how you approach social ?? ?? YouTube Will Now Manually Review More Videos for Ad Sustainability - YouTube is starting to integrate manual, human assessments of content uploaded to the platform to determine whether ads can be placed before the clip. - The ratings range from yellow, to green, to red—green meaning that ads can be displayed, yellow requiring a more in-depth review, and red meaning that ads cannot be placed on the video. - The benefit? There is a likelihood that this new process will introduce more ads to the platform, which according to Social Media Today, is YouTube’s major focus this year. ?? Instagram Begins Live Testing of “Blend” Reels Sharing Feature - Instagram is introducing a new “Blend” feed, allowing users to merge their content streams with friends. - By “blending” the two feeds, participants in the conversation will be served content from both users’ algorithms. ?? Threads tests adding “interests” on profiles to connect users with topical discussions - Threads started testing a new feature last week that would allow users to add their personal “interests” to their profile. - The idea is to display relevant conversations to users based on their selected interest, and in turn, ensure an in-app experience that is tailored to their unique needs. So what do these updates mean for you?? - YouTube is priming itself for more ad placements by adding automatic, manual reviews of videos. This additional step is intended to identify more videos that qualify for ads and in turn, increase monetization opportunities. So, if YouTube is not currently a part of your strategy, now may be the time to consider exploring opportunities on the platform. - Meta continues to introduce new features to Instagram and Threads to promote deeper engagements and opportunities to customize the content users see. While these new features may not impact your brand directly, they serve as a great reminder that content tailored to your audience’s unique interests and needs is critical for driving engagement and interest. Know your audience, and create content accordingly. ?? Read more on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gm-nT3QQ ?? Read more on Instagram: https://lnkd.in/g5ttQGHm ?? Read more on Threads: https://lnkd.in/gX_TppuS

Behind every great campaign, strategy, and success story is an even greater team. Today, we celebrate the incredible people who make Smarty Social what it is—smart, creative, and unstoppable. Happy #EmployeeAppreciationDay! ???? #BestTeamEver #SocialMediaExperts #BehindTheScreens #SmartySocial

From longer Instagram Reels to AI-powered tools and LinkedIn engagement shifts, last month was packed with updates that could impact your strategy. Missed anything? We’ve got you covered. Catch up on the biggest changes in our latest social media digest.??? #SocialMedia #Marketing #SocialMediaUpdates #LinkedInNewsletter

These platform updates might change how you approach social ?? ?? LinkedIn displays impression counts for comments. - According to the platform, “Comment impressions are counted every time someone views your comment.” Keep in mind, this metric is not unique, so when a user views the same comment twice, it is counted as two comment impressions. - For #socialmediamanagers rethinking their approach to reporting, keep in mind that this metric will require a manual pull, as comment impressions will only be displayed in isolation and will not appear in any dashboards. ?? LinkedIn tests a connections-only feed option. - Recent research indicates that users are more likely to engage with content from their peers. To encourage greater interaction on the platform, LinkedIn has decided to roll out a “Connections only” feed. - The idea is to give users more control over the kind of content they see displayed and, of course, to drive deeper engagements on the platform. ?? How the Instagram algorithm weighs video length. - Last week, Adam Mosseri provided insight into how the algorithm responds to longer videos, amid concerns from influencers. - According to Mosseri, the algorithm calculates relative watch time based on a clip’s completion rate, BUT it also looks at watch time in isolation. - While his statement indicates that both are a factor in video performance, it remains unclear which metric is favored by the algorithm. ?? Flashes takes on Instagram with a new image-based app on Bluesky Social. - The new social app was recently launched on the Bluesky network, introducing Instagram-like features to the platform. - This recent launch is intended to attract social users who may not be interested in the text-based format that dominates the Bluesky platform.? - You can currently share photo posts up to 4 slides and videos up to 1 minute on Flashes, but it’s important to keep in mind that any content shared to Flashes will also appear on Bluesky. So what do these updates mean?? - While length is up for debate, video is still king on Instagram. Now that you can share longer videos, consider experimenting with different durations to see what resonates with your audience. - The latest LinkedIn updates suggest that meaningful engagements on the platform should be your priority. - While Flashes' launch is exciting, its success remains to be seen. We recommend monitoring its performance before diving into a new platform. ?? Read more on Instagram: https://lnkd.in/gwCv5gXg ?? Read more on Comment Impressions: https://lnkd.in/gh-6RsZQ:? ?? Read more on the LinkedIn feed: https://lnkd.in/etSGCt-U ?? Read more on Flashes: https://lnkd.in/gcaTbm4d

? What happens in Vegas… ends up on social. This past week, we partnered with our clients, Signature Kitchen Suite and LG Pro Builder, to bring their KBIS and NAHB International Builders' Show activations to life across social media. Our Smarty team members (Michelle Prieve, Emily Aker, Emily Olstad, Courtney Mollett, and Marlee Learner) were onsite to capture all of the excitement throughout the biggest industry events of the year. And while you might have seen the fun, social-first content throughout the week, what you didn’t see was the strategic planning, pre-production calls, and of course, our on-the-ground team hard at work. We are beyond thrilled to see our behind-the-scenes efforts come to life – here’s to another successful year! #KBIS2025 #SignatureKitchenSuite #SmartySocialMedia #SocialMediaManagement

And just when you finally start to wrap your head around the latest social updates, this happens ?? ?? LinkedIn launches improved newsletter metrics - Email sends and email open rates were introduced to LinkedIn Newsletters last week, enhancing your ability to report on your comprehensive digital footprint. - Consistently tracking and analyzing these metrics can help your team optimize your Newsletter content to encourage engagement from your audience. ?? Instagram rolls out DM enhancements - Users can now translate messages within a DM conversation for 99 languages, streamlining conversations with users. - Messages can also be scheduled within Instagram DMs, allowing users to pre-draft messages up to 29 days before sending. - Invite other users to a group chat using a QR code, making sharing IRL simple and seamless. ?? YouTube expands voice replies - Creators can now respond to comments on their videos with audio replies. These short clips can be up to 30 seconds, and are intended to bring more authenticity and connection to creator interactions. ?? So what do these updates mean for you?? Across the board, social media platforms seem to be introducing new features to encourage deeper interactions with users. As in-app interactions become increasingly important, these optimizations seek to drive meaningful engagements and build community. Explore these articles from Social Media Today, LLC ?? ?? Read more about LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/gnGQvZDd ?? Read more about Instagram: https://lnkd.in/gGEyiVXD ?? Read more about YouTube: https://lnkd.in/grTfw475

We're #hiring a new Account Director in Orange, California. Apply today or share this post with your network.

We are so excited to welcome our newest addition to the Smarty team, Courtney Mollett! Courtney is a seasoned client service professional with a knack for elevating social content in the luxury space. She has spent the last 15 years working with clients on paid, organic, and influencer marketing on social, largely within the automotive and hospitality space. We are thrilled to have her on board! #SmartySocialMedia #NewTeamMember #SocialMediaMarketing

Exhausted ?? but filled with so much pride after our fourth Super Bowl week with Align Technology for the #Invisalign brand. This was our most integrated, action-packed week yet–activating day to night all the way up to the big game! ?? Confidence clinics at Super Bowl Experience with players & influencers ??? Radio Row with Offensive Rookie of the Year, Jayden Daniels ?? Presenting sponsor at the NFL Honors Red Carpet & Awards ?? Capturing social content with talent like: Cam Jordan, Damar Hamlin, Pat Surtain II, Diana Flores, Kristin Juszczyk, Greg Olsen and more! ?? Featuring junior reporters in action including Taylen Biggs at NFL Honors ???? Partnering with game-changing women in sports: Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment at the Annual Women's Sports Luncheon and The 360 Agency at the Women Raise the Game event. Anyone who's worked event activations at this scale knows it’s not all glitz & glamour–it's months of strategic planning, meticulous preparation, 15-20 hour days, and pivoting at lightening speed. We're so fortunate to be a part of an incredible team that worked together to pull this off, not only for Super Bowl but across the NFL partnership all year long. As I reflect back on the week, the most rewarding moments are those of true partnership and collaboration, when we roll up our sleeves and get in the trenches with our clients and partners to make magic happen, and have fun together along the way. ?? Thank you to the Invisalign marketing team for trusting us to drive the social strategy and capture all the excitement to bring it to life in real time: Kamal Bhandal, Adeline Skov, Matthew Sotto, Tonya Love, Jessica Shannon & Dominick (Dom) Samson! And agency partners, Multiplier and Fruit Studio teams: Caryn Swibel, Luke Bennett and Payton Rausch. And the the Align corporate communications and PR teams for your partnership as well: Dina Basin, Zeno Group, MSL (Global) + Carlye Burchell. Special shout out to the Smarty Social Media team-Michelle Prieve's detailed management, the behind-the-scenes team monitoring and publishing (Della Wyser Julie Jensen Kellie Arens Sophie Getz Paige Leonardi Raya Johnson), and the rock star on-the-ground team with me making the almost impossible happen: James Wong, Marlee Learner, and Chelsea Latimer Meyer. I am always so proud and humbled to work with such a talented and dedicated team who are always willing to go the extra mile...and always with a smile! ??