Facebook is dodging election nightmares, unsending messages, AND playing matchmaker?? Quite a busy week, we’d say. Find out the dirty details on this week’s #MMSocialReport.
#MMSocialReport October 5, 2018
Things are starting to shake up as Facebook begins to take over whatever is left of the OG Instagram. Also, precise location sharing on Facebook? Creepy much?? Find out all about it on this week’s #MMSocialReport:
#MMSocialReport June 8, 2018
The world of social media was buzzing with new features this week, from Instagram tables to Twitter restrictions. Read on to find out how the world of social is expanding:
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#MMSocialReport Oct. 6, 2017
There is no better way to end the first week of October than with a #MMSocialReport! This week Instagram announced a “poll” feature while Snapchat ad revenues begin to decline. In other news, U.S. Lawmakers write a letter to Twitter in regards to preventing users’ racist and violent behavior.
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Metter Media’s Favorite Gifs, In Honor of the 30th Anniversary of the Gif
Ah, the gif. Whether you pronounce it “jif” or “gif”, what would the Internet be without this image format? Stationary and boring, that’s what. So when we heard that the gif was celebrating its 30th anniversary today, we thought: an excellent excuse to look at our favorite gifs all day! The resulting round up is below; a potpourri of our go-to moments in pop culture and beyond, played on an infinite 3-second loop.
The Wendy’s Phenomenon: Brands Being “Cool” on Social Media
Standing out on social media is hard. To grab a share of those precious views, clicks, retweets, and likes, brands often try to ride the wave of the newest internet trend, sometimes to mixed success. Look at Denny’s “zoom in on the syrup” post on Twitter (173k likes, 123k retweets):
That post led people on a mini-scavenger hunt around a seemingly benign image, only to end in a punchline that took advantage of the existential nihilism popular with Denny’s younger audience. The trend originally came from Twitter user @SNCKPCK, who made several of these wholesome little scavenger hunts.
Then, of course, there’s Wendy’s sassy Twitter as well. The account often gives snarky replies to people trying to start a fight on the platform. These sort of “clapback” interactions with customers and other brands can make a brand seem down-to-earth and relatable, which is necessary to stand out in a crowded market like fast food.
However, brands should be cautious about which trends they onboard onto their social media strategy. One wrong move on social media can quickly become a public relations snafu, risking the brand image and making it seem insensitive or out-of-touch. Brands should always pay attention to the timing and context of a trend — or they risk being caught out in a tricky political situation, as happened with Epicurious, when they used the tragedy of the Boston Bombing as an avenue to promote themselves.
A post that hasn’t been well-crafted or thought-out can fall flat and lead to a brand being the butt of a joke, rather than part of one. Remember when “bae” was new? Brands jumped on the phrase, using the lingo in hilarious and embarrassing ways, leading to one of our favorite twitter accounts. We here at Metter Media even wrote a blog post about it.
The modern consumer wants to get up close and personal to the brands they use. A branding mishap can therefore make loyal customers feel betrayed, like their friend wasn’t who they thought they were. Remember a few months ago when Shea Moisture released an ad featuring mostly White women — when their main consumer base was Black women? Although the ad had a positive message, the sudden change in message sparked backlash (although they mostly recovered quickly with an on-brand and authentic apology).
The most important thing to keep in mind is that brands need to stay true to their voice. A great deal of strategy and effort should go into that voice, and it’s not worth risking it for a fleeting trend. Remember: what works for fast food won’t work for an insurance brand. A trend that looks like it may be fun to engage with may simply not be appropriate for your brand.
Think about how Yelp can make or break restaurants, or how the United fiasco has led to a spike in news related to air travel. An easy way to prevent sticky situations is to have a social media expert on board and to have a solid strategy in place. Social media can be fickle, and managing it takes more time and effort than most brands are willing to give. While it’s true the internet provides for fast turnover, it’s also true that anything online never truly goes away, either. What seems like a simple misstep can spiral out of control and create a much more lasting negative impression.
The best social media branding creates a personality that is authentic. Consumers these days are internet-savvy, and can easily see through a transparent attempt to latch onto every hashtag trending on Twitter. The best advice, then, is to be choosy with the trends you incorporate into your brand. The last thing you want is to end up as Wendy’s next target.
Metter Media LLC is a Boston-based social media management company that implements community-based, localized social engagement strategies small businesses and corporations alike. Need help with your social media? Email Lauren today.
Facebook Stories: Imitation, But Not Flattery
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. That may be true in some situations, but when you’re one of the most successful social media networks in the world, does imitating your competition help or hinder your success?
Don’t get me wrong, I love a good Story — but when I want to post a Story, I go to Snapchat, because that’s what it’s for.
Working in the social media world, I spend a lot of time thinking about and posting content. But lately, I’ve been finding it difficult to decide which app to post to, because they all have overlapping features — and, frankly, overlapping audiences.
Metter Media Social Report, March 31, 2017
Facebook takes over on this week’s #MMSocialReport — from Facebook Stories to Facebook fundraising, the social media app had a huge week for unveiling new tools and features for their users. But what do you think about it?
Metter Media Social Report, Jan. 6, 2017
In this week’s #MMSocialReport – An in-depth prediction of social media trends for 2017, how Facebook’s new technology aims to help people, a look into Timehop’s past and future, Facebook’s newest venture into virtual reality, and big expectations for Microsoft and LinkedIn.
Metter Media Social Report, Dec. 30, 2016
It’s time for the last #MMSocialReport of 2016! It has been a crazy but monumental year for social media — in both good ways and bad. In this week’s report: a review of some of the most important social media milestones of 2016, the podcast popularity boom that led to audio-only Facebook Live broadcasts, Snapchat’s newest craze, Twitter’s new 360-degree Periscope live streams, and an insightful analysis of the year’s fake news problem including why you won’t find it on LinkedIn.