Category: Social Media + Influencer Engagement

How TikTok took over: using short-form video for business

Olivia NolesBlog, Marketing, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , ,

For the past few years, short-form video has been taking over social media. The algorithms built around these videos give creators the opportunity to go viral overnight. Read how TikTok took over and our tips for using short-form video for business.

How TikTok took over:

TikTok, a short-form video platform that currently has 1 billion active users worldwide, is at the head of the short-form video.

TikTok’s short-form video platform combines the successful features from other apps, such as the music library and lip-synching feature of Musically and the inside-joke culture around Vine, a short-form video app that thrived in the beginning but ultimately failed.

TikTok combined these loved features of previous apps with an algorithm that made creators and businesses blow up overnight. Unlike any other before, the TikTok algorithm rewards content above all else. It no longer matters how many subscribers or followers you have. Any valuable, quality content has a chance of going viral.

Other reasons TikTok has become so successful is because it is easy to use, the library of sounds creates a community, the short-form video caters to humans’ short attention spans and the custom “For You Page” shows users content they enjoy.

using short-form video for business

Since TikTok’s success, short-form videos and similar formatting and algorithms can now be found across nearly all social media sites. Instagram has Reels, Reels can be seen on Facebook and YouTube has launched YouTube Shorts.

You may be uncertain about the longevity of short-form videos because of Vine. Today’s platforms are different than Vine and more likely to succeed because the apps offer monetization options for creators and are pro-business. With how easy it is to reach new audiences, you should be using short-form video for your business.

How should I use short-form video for my business?

TikTok:

TikTok may be right for your business if your target audience is younger (16-30). It’s a great platform to invest time in because the algorithm shows users content they are likely to enjoy, making your viewers more likely to be interested in your product or service.

To increase the chances of having a video go viral, use trending songs, content styles or jokes, and hook the viewer at the beginning of the video.

While consistent, organic content is a strategy we recommend for any social media platform, TikTok also offers many beneficial advertising opportunities through its TikTok for Business platform.

TikTok for Business serves as a marketing hub for businesses’ accounts and gives businesses the ability to create five different types of ads:

  • TopView: ads that users see when they first open the app
  • Infeed Videos: ads that pop up in between user content
  • Brand Takeovers: allow brands to create images, GIFs and videos that link to webpages or promote hashtag challenges
  • Hashtag Challenges: allow brands to promote a branded hashtag that you can craft to increase engagement and awareness
  • Branded Effects: branded lenses that businesses can put in the foreground or background of videos

Instagram and Facebook:

Instagram has announced that it is no longer just a photo-sharing app and introduced its own version of short-form content called Reels. With a similar algorithm to TikTok, Reels is one of the fastest ways to grow on Instagram.

using short-form video for business

Tips for successful, organic Reels:

  • Share your Reel only to the Reels tab to reach new audiences  
  • Share the Reel in your feed to reach your followers
  • Enable the “recommend on Facebook” setting when posting the Reel to make it viewable on Facebook
  • Use trending sounds, or sounds with a small arrow next to them, to increase your chance of going viral

Ad content can also be created for Reels and will help businesses reach greater audiences. Instagram Reel ads are a feed style, meaning they show up in between organic reels on the reels tab, explore and traditional feed.  

YouTube:

If your business is active on YouTube, you may want to implement YouTube Shorts in your strategy. Shorts is a relatively new feature on YouTube, and there are currently some pros and cons with utilizing the feature:

  • Pro: Can reach new audiences through suggested content
  • Pro: Can increase channel views
  • Con: On the desktop, Shorts are shown with your typical videos, which can clog your page and distract from your long-form content
  • Con: can decrease watch time analytics
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Instagram: No longer just for photos

Clairemont InternBlog, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, Trends, , ,

When Instagram launched in 2010, it was a single feed stream of singular square photos. Over the years, Instagram added options for video, stories, IGTV, Guides, Reels and even shopping within the app. In the most recent update, Adam Mosseri, company head of Instagram, states that Instagram is “no longer a photo-sharing app.” 

Instagram’s goal has always been to keep users in the app for as much time as possible. The networking service’s research findings have shown entertainment as the number one reason people use the app by a long shot. To captivate users against the millennial audience on TikTok, shopping websites and other competitors, Instagram has evolved. Moving forward, they plan to focus on more video content, creators, shopping and direct messaging. 

To make the app more enjoyable for users, Instagram will also experiment with recommendations, or showing users content in their feeds that they are not already following. To make these recommendations more personalized, it is launching a version that includes personalized topics so users can hand select which topics they want to see more or less of. 

What do these changes mean for creators and businesses?

The Instagram algorithm favors content that contains the newest features and keeps users on the app. Instagram has seen the growth video is driving across all platforms and wants to lean into it more. Therefore, creators and businesses should shift content creation to video formatting when possible, preferably to reels and IGTV videos. 

If you are a business with the ability to tag shoppable products through Instagram, you should be jumping at the opportunity to provide your customers an easier way to shop while gaining an advantage in the app. Anytime Instagram launches a new feature, you should be implementing it to your social media strategy as soon as possible. 

Need help launching your own Instagram account for your business or organization? Reach out to us; we’d love to help!

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The Best Super Bowl Marketing and Why

Clairemont InternBlog, Marketing, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , ,

Photo credit: Pexels

While the Super Bowl looked different in many ways this year, the tradition of brands shelling out millions to vie for our attention with 30-second ads remained the same. 

From big-name celebrities to catchy jingles, there were lots of great marketing campaigns this year. Below we outline some of our favorites and share why they were effective from a marketing perspective. 

  1. “No Way, Norway!”
    This General Motors ad starred comedian Will Ferrell as a passionate electric vehicle driver. When Ferrell finds out that Norway greatly outproduces the United States in electric vehicle production, he is outraged. Ferrell plans to assemble a team to make a stand in Norway, except they all accidentally travel to the wrong Scandanavian countries. We liked this ad because it was lighthearted and comedic, but still clearly got the point across that GM is committing itself to produce more electric vehicles. Because electric cars are better for the environment, GM is showing that the brand cares about the future and is helping to invent a better tomorrow. 
  2. “Swimming Upstream”
    After a year full of trials and tribulations, Toyota’s ad addressed the hardships of life head-on. The ad told the life story of Jessica Long, a U.S. Paralympian and double leg amputee who was adopted from Russia as a child. The ad showed that while Jessica faced many struggles, she persisted and found success and happiness in life. We loved this ad because of its phenomenal storytelling. Storytelling is one of the best ways for marketers to connect with their audiences and leave a lasting impression. While you might not directly think of Toyota when you think of a brave Paralympian, this story of persistence perfectly ties into its tagline: “Let’s Go Places.” 
  3. “Alexa’s Body”
    This hilarious Amazon commercial followed along with an Amazon employee who came up with the idea to put Alexa technology into a humanlike body. The commercial takes a turn when she puts Alexa technology into actor Michael B. Jordan and can’t stop drooling over him in front of her husband. According to post-Super Bowl social media analysis, this commercial made the biggest splash. Amazon saw a 110 percent growth in social media activity and growth within 24 hours of the Super Bowl. The second-ranked company on the list, Paramount, only saw a 54 percent boost. This ad is a great example of how powerful humor can be in marketing if it is executed tastefully and strategically. 
  4. Budweiser’s CSR
    Instead of spending $5.5 million on a 30-second Super Bowl ad, Budweiser donated a commercial slot for coronavirus vaccine awareness efforts. While it was the first time in more than 30 years that fans didn’t get to see the iconic Budweiser Clydesdales on the big screen, the brand still gave viewers a glimpse of their adored horses via Twitter. On each commercial break, Budweiser tweeted out a video of the horses carrying a mystery item across rugged terrain and asked followers what they thought the item was. At the end of the game, Budweiser revealed that the Clydesdales were carrying a cooler full of beer (shocker!). We loved Budweiser’s marketing strategy for several reasons. First, by choosing to donate their Super Bowl advertising budget to coronavirus vaccination efforts, it shows its audience that corporate social responsibility is important to the brand. The campaign also harnessed the power of video by using stunning visuals to draw viewers in. If you’re interested in integrating video content into your marketing campaigns, check out our blog on strengthening video strategy. 

If you want to develop a marketing campaign but aren’t sure where to start, contact us! From planning to execution, we can help you along every step of the way. 

By Clairemont intern Anne Claire Foreman, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

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4 Stellar Social Media Resources

Clairemont InternBlog, Marketing, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , ,

The numbers don’t lie. Social media is everywhere — used daily for news, entertainment, socialization and, you guessed it, marketing. 

Nearly 50 percent of the world’s population utilizes a social media platform. That’s approximately 3 billion people. What’s more, most people spend more than two hours a day scrolling through their social feeds. 

Brands and businesses have successfully capitalized on this massive marketing opportunity. Thirty-seven percent of consumers find purchase inspiration through something they’ve seen on social media, and 71 percent who have had a positive online brand interaction are likely to recommend the product to others. 

Top 4 Clairemont Social Media Resources

With this enticing information in mind, utilize some of our social media secrets + a sprinkle of your own creativity for a strong marketing recipe.

3 New Hacks for Social Storytelling

In need of top-notch tips to invigorate your Instagram? These small changes can make big improvements to your social media strategy. 

Beef Up Your Video Power

Video content combined with savvy strategy and terrific tools: it’s a game-changer. 

The Social Race: Paid vs. Organic Exposure

Discovering the best way to lock in exposure can get complicated. Utilize these strategies to leverage the benefits of both paid and organic exposure. 

Making the Most of Your Hashtags

If you’re ready to up your hashtag game, employ this tool for #BigResults. 

Want more? Check out our take on TikTok!

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Looking Back on 2020 Trends

Clairemont InternBlog, Marketing, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , ,

This year has undoubtedly been an eventful (ahem, crazy) one! Just like 2020, trends are hard to predict but vital to stay on top of as a communications professional. Changes in the marketing landscape can be influenced by huge global events (i.e. COVID-19) as easily as an unexpected effort to create a Broadway musical via TikTok (see Ratatouille the Musical).  

Check out these trends that made an appearance in 2020.

Lockdown, Laptops and Laying Low at Home

The COVID-19 pandemic kept most Americans behind closed doors and away from others throughout this year. Inevitably, this led to a widespread consumer shift to increased time online, with 39 percent of people polled saying that they spent more time on social media sites like Instagram and Twitter this year. 

Here are a few stats that show how marketers are handling the pandemic … and how consumers are responding: 

73 percent of advertisers held back campaign launches, with 52 percent anticipating to resume or increase their advertising budgets during the summer of 2021. 

87 percent of consumers have said they appreciate brands that make an effort to provide updated and important information amid the pandemic. 

37 percent of customers said they want advertising to make them feel safe and give them a feeling of normalcy, and 31 percent said they want ads that evoke positive feelings. 

76 percent of small- and medium-sized businesses have leveled up in SEO, social media and data analytics skills. 

Email marketing, websites and social media marketing are top tactics that businesses leveraged during 2020.

Incredible Internet Trends

From April’s Tiger King craze to TikTok’s sudden rise in popularity, 2020 has been a wild ride filled with interesting social media moments. 

Let’s dig into a few of them, shall we?

  1. TikTok tapped into popular culture, taking it from a Gen-Z-dominated app to something people of all ages enjoy. Starting in March, TikTok was downloaded onto people’s devices more than 115 million times, breaking the record for the most app downloads in a quarter. TikTok caused skates to be sold out almost everywhere and convinced almost everyone to attempt whipped coffee in April. Its users once trolled the president himself. 
  2. Instagram Live saw a 40 percent increase in usage, with brands figuring out new ways to tout their products and services. 
  3. This year, activism and political discussion took the limelight on social sites that previously prioritized light-hearted content. More than ever, users took to their socials to share their political beliefs and support causes they hold dear.

Yearning to read up on more of this year’s trends? Scroll through this site’s synopsis. 

Artificial Intelligence Yields Tangible Results

Amid an age of technology, artificial intelligence has proven to be a significant way to gain a competitive advantage this year. 

Why else have companies made the choice to incorporate AI into their business plan? A recent survey shows that 75 percent of respondents adopted AI because they believed that it will allow them to “move into new businesses” and be an incentive for new organizations to enter their market, among other reasons. From helpful chatbots to in-depth analyses on consumer behavior, artificial intelligence will soon be behind basic communication, product recommendations, content creation and so much more. 

According to artificial intelligence education site, Techgrabtye: 

“Artificial intelligence is the biggest commercial opportunity for companies, industries, and nations over the next few decades” and “will increase global GDP by up to 14% between now and 2030,” which means that “AI latecomers will find themselves at a serious competitive disadvantage within the next several years.”

Sounds pretty convincing! 

Curious about curating content to tackle every up-and-coming trend? Browse our top content creation resources here! 

By Clairemont intern Anna Beth Adcock, a senior at NC State.

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