How to improve branded content on TikTok 

Marketing on TikTok is different from other platforms. It is harder to place pure advertising but instead relies on the character and story of the generated content. Therefore, according to Andrew Hutchinson, it is important to familiarize yourself with the content of the “For You” page in order to get the maximum output. 

TikTok, in collaboration with IPSOS, has published a study specifically for this purpose, which gives us insights into the success of branded content on TikTok. In their infographic, they share creative best practices for maximum impact. Here are a few of the tips mentioned: 

1. Creators should play with the product and show usability
2. Use songs in your ad; if you feel like it, combine it with a voice-over
3. Create a character for your ads; this will ensure greater ad memorability and a strong brand impact
4. Show your logo, product, etc. at the beginning of the video and not towards the end
5. Highlight the product statement or claim

Easy advice for a good Social Media strategy 

Effective social media channels start with a good social media strategy. A good social media strategy helps to ensure the future success of a brand and enables targeted campaigns. The team of Mavsocial presents a list of helpful tips for dummies in the area of a social media strategy: 

1. Set your goals and objectives (especially the target KPI’s of a campaign)
2. Assemble a diverse team (from a variety of departments)
3. Clarify your target groups (based on the buying behaviour and other factors)
4. Compare (look at your competitors and think about what appeals to you)
5. Choose a platform (different platforms reach different targets – focus on one at the beginning)
6. Stay structured (with a content plan and a constant look on the calendar you have everything at a glance)
7. Monitor (once your campaign is up and running you can see if your strategy is delivering the desired results)

Instagram launches new collab function 

With this new feature, Instagram makes collaborations even easier to tag and gives creators the credit they deserve. From now on, the self-selected profile category will also be displayed under the respective names on the post’s link. This could be a boost for small creators or people who are often overlooked. As users can now also see the category of the contributor, their role in the creation of a picture may also become clearer. 

According to Instagram, the new function should therefore also work and be used for underrepresented groups and marginalized creators. According to Andrew Hutchinson from SocialMediaToday, there have already been similar requests from the TikTok community. Reason for this is that there is no sufficient function to give creators credit. The problem occurs primarily when black creators create a trend that is then popularized by mostly white influencers. With the new People Tag, Instagram wants to prevent this and specify a creator’s contribution to a photo or video. Instagram hopes that this will give a boost to creative credits and open up new opportunities. Or in Instagram’s words “ensuring the world knows who is driving culture“. 

New Pinterest shopping updates 

In their annual Pinterest Presents talk, Pinterest unveiled new changes, especially in terms of shopping. These include numerous improvements from Idea Pins to in-stream shopping.  

Also new, for example, is “Your Shop” – the personalized store is included in the Pinterest app and shows users their latest interests and suggests them items based on their tastes. According to Andrew Hutchinson from SocialMediaToday, this could mean more people clicking on tabs for Pinterest, allowing them to better highlight the interests of their users.  

Linked to the store, there is another Pinterest shopping update: In the future, you will easily be able to buy products with just one click in the app. This way, the in-app experience is not disturbed and the customer is more quickly guided to buy products directly without having to think about it for a long time.  

But in order to optimally target customers, Pinterest has also improved its Pinterest Trends feature. This allows companies to better understand what might be working right now and what trends are on the rise. Pinterest, therefore, wants to ensure that its users can easily buy products with a single click in the app.  

Pinterest wants to ensure that its customers have the ultimate shopping experience. The new AR decor function is now available for this purpose. As mentioned a few months ago, there was already a run-up to launching makeup in AR. Apparently, the function went well, because now Pinterest is also expanding to the decor area. This way, you can place pieces of furniture in your home and perhaps save yourself the trouble if the product you received doesn’t fit after all. 

We are looking forward to further changes on Pinterest and the intensification of in-app shopping! 

Snapchat insights 

When we want to run campaigns or strengthen the awareness of a brand, this is usually done via the usual channels Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook. But the following statistics show us why we should also take a closer look at Snapchat for advertising purposes. 

Snapchat could be a new way for companies to engage audiences through fun and interactive ways. The following statistics published by Hootsuite might show you how interesting Snapchat can be for your brand: 

1. Nearly 319 million people use Snapchat every day
2. The interest in Snapchat for business has increased immensely
3. Almost 90% of Snapchat users also use Instagram regularly
4. 63% of users use AR filters 
5. The spending power of users goes over $4.4 trillion
6. Snapchat is optimal for targeting Gen Z

Youtube’s offer for free TV shows 

Youtube has been offering the function of watching movies on the platform for some time now. But from now on, users can also watch up to 4,000 episodes of TV for free. The only condition: ads are running during the show.  

The series can be watched on all Youtube platforms, i.e. on the internet, on the app and on a smart TV.  

Although Youtube was relatively late in offering free TV series, it can be an advantage for them that many providers already provide free TV. This is because they are already aware users are willing to watch TV series online. Therefore, it makes sense that people watch their series on Youtube while they look for other content on the platform.  

However, this creates danger for other providers. Since Youtube is the largest of the platforms, many users are likely to migrate and choose Youtube. New customers are also likely to watch their chosen series on Youtube, as the app is already installed on most devices. 

Youtube’s plan, according to Jay Peters from The Verge, is to add up to 100 new shows and movies every week.  

Author:

Anna Lemke