Social & Digital Trends: April 2019

Snapchat is looking to facilitate real-life meet-ups through Snap Map

• The new UI will allow users to check-into locations and provide a status update.
• Snapchat is also looking into a virtual passport to track your check-ins.

Study shows influencer marketing is shifting to an always-on strategy

• 42% of marketers have shifted to an “always-on” mentality.
• 74% of marketers leverage their influencer content across channels to showcase brand authenticity.
• With 25% of US internet users utilizing ad blocking software, influencer marketing can help brands reach these consumers.

How industry-leading luxury brands are leveraging social media

• Social listening can give brands an edge on market needs.
• Engage customers through memorable experiences to differentiate from competitors.
• When activating influencers, skip the traditional metrics (reach, engagement) and look further.
• By understanding industry trends, you can make bold statements that align with your customers value.
• For example, Versace noticed an increase in conversation around ethical fashion, driving an announcement that the brand would no longer be making fur products. They saw a 24% increase in perception of the brand in relation to ethical fashion after the announcement.
• Optimize your content to be relevant with your audience to drive visibility, engagements and opportunities to interact with the brand.
• Don’t blow off customer questions and mentions on social media - net sentiment is 17% higher for those who have interacted with a brand.
• Consider partnering with complementary brands large and small to reach new audiences.

Why YouTube should be a part of your advertising plan

• 96% of 10-24 year-old American internet users use YouTube
• YouTube reaches more American 18-34 year-olds than any TV network.
• Ad space includes Display Ads, Overlay Ads, Skippable Video Ads, Non-Skippable Video Ads, Bumper Ads and Sponsored Cards.

Creative considerations for Instagram and Facebook Stories

• 500 million people use Instagram Stories and 300 million use Facebook Stories each day.
• 80% of stories with voice-over or music drove better lower-funnel results than ads without sound.
• Top performing ads integrate branding and key messages at the start.
• 73% chance of product-focused creative driving better lower-funnel metrics than people-focused creative.
• 89% chance of campaigns that emphasized the CTA driving more conversions than without emphasizing the CTA.
• There is a 75% chance of campaigns with mixed format assets driving higher value for lower funnel metrics than video or static only assets.

New research shows the majority of Twitter users don’t tweet

• 10% of users are responsible for 80% of tweets
• These top 10% of users are mostly women, focusing on politics.
• Overall, Twitter users are younger, highly educated and wealthier than the general population.
• The median age for a Twitter user is 40.

Facebook commissions study on Instagram users

• 53% of those surveyed say they would follow a brand just for the content.
• 66% of people use Instagram because they can engage directly with brands.
• 87% of survey respondents said they took some kind of action after seeing product information on Instagram.
• 54% of users have bought a product right after seeing it on Instagram
• From a content perspective, the majority of users prefer authentic content compared to something that’s beautifully produced.

Instagram creator guide helps users make the most of the platform

• Facebook encourages creators to post at least once across the Instagram feed, stories, live and IGTV
• Drive engagement through stickers like question, poll and quiz, as well as tag fans using the @mention
• You can now post longer videos to stories, up to 1 minute
• With branded content, make sure you’re transparent, relevant and authentic
• Tease IGTV content with countdown stickers, stories, and published content in the feed

Podcasts ads will double share of audio market by 2022

• Podcasts will reach 4.5% of all audio advertising in 2022
• Currently, there are 62 million US listeners each week
• 53% use YouTube, 29% use Apple Podcasts and 28% use Spotify
• Almost four in five (78%) podcast listeners said they don't mind ads or sponsorship message
• With Spotify, 53% of listeners are between 12 - 34

Quick Hits:

• Facebook's looking to bring Messaging back into the main app
• Facebook is testing a version of the News Feed in which users will swipe, story-style.
• Facebook is testing upvotes and downvotes for comments, similar to Reddit.
• Instagram is experimenting with the removal of like counts from posts, with only the creator able to see their total number of likes.
• Instagram rolled out a quiz sticker for Stories.
• 78% of Gen Z has read a review when buying a product in the past 30 days.
• Social networks may have to prevent users under the age of 18 from liking posts, according to new privacy rules preventing data collection.
• Twitter is launching a feature in June allowing users to hide replies that don’t contribute to the conversation.
• Snapchat plans to include 6-second ad inventory for Discover shows