In recent news, an article I wrote featuring fellow creatives in the coffee industry is in the newest issue of Standart magazine. Next week, I’ll be in Kansas City for the USCC event. If you’re there, I’d love to say hi!

This section is about *listening* today. In social media, this term is different from “monitoring,” though they are related. How so? Monitoring is keeping an eye on your mentions, tags, hashtags, brand, etc. and responding as necessary. Listening is stepping back from the action part and seeing if there are trends worth paying attention to.

Brands use listening tactics to develop future products, create new campaigns, and even grab sales leads.

In relation to the coffee industry, listening can be used for your own brand and within the industry.

In your brand: You notice an uptick of stocking questions about dairy alternatives. If you have them, you realize you might need to publicize them more or make them more visible on the menu. If you don’t, you could consider adding them to your menu.

In your industry: More and more people in the industry are discussing the ready-to-drink market as a way of reaching new consumers. You take a look at current market research, think that it’s a low risk for your cafe to try to offer one drink, and see how it performs.

For additional reading, take a look at the two articles I’ve written on listening on Facebook & Twitter. They include tips on what you should be monitoring in the first place.

The complete guide to Facebook listening

[BYLINE] Facebook listening is taking all of the information you’re given on Facebook, like comments, recommendations and private messages, and identifying trends in them.

The complete guide to Twitter listening

[BYLINE] In this guide, we’ll review the benefits of social listening, specifically on Twitter, and how you can execute this for your own company.

Instagram is testing a Public Collections feature (resembling Pinterest) and a new title option for Instagram Live.

Facebook is migrating (starting in September) all of their ad campaigns to the automated campaign budget allocation system. This likely won’t impact you too much but it’s worth taking a look at. The Brand Collabs Manager is now available for creators & brands in the UK & Germany.

Twitter is working on a Hide Tweet feature for replies to tweets. Today, they released a video analytics dashboard, now accessible from your profile.

Pinterest is projected to file for an IPO this year. This is worth a note as an IPO filing does have operational effect on the company and how it may release future features.

How to Craft a Brand Manifesto [Guide + Examples]

A brand manifesto describes why your organization exists, its purpose, and why people should care about your brand. Check out this guide and the following examples to learn how your brand manifesto can help you engage an audience and persuade them to support your brand.

Survey Reveals How Consumers Really Judge Brand Authenticity (and Influencers)

An overwhelming 92% of marketers believe that most or all of the content they create resonates as authentic with consumers. Yet the majority of consumers disagree, with 51% saying less than half of brands create content that resonates as authentic.

The Complete Guide to Instagram Influencer Rates in 2019

Instagram influencer rates are one of social media’s best-kept secrets. And paying the right price can pay off big for brands. But what is the right price?

Delete Never: The Digital Hoarders Who Collect Tumblrs, Medieval Manuscripts, and Terabytes of Text Files

When it comes to their stuff, people often have a hard time letting go. When the object of their obsession are rooms full of old clothes or newspapers, it can be unhealthy—even dangerous. But what about a stash that fits on 10 5-inch hard drives?

Mexican Brewers Cup Champion Carlos Maqueda Denied Visa

Carlos Maqueda, the 2018 Mexican Brewers Cup Champion, was denied a visa to attend the World Coffee Championships in Boston this April. World Coffee Events has commented on this.

The Surprising Power of Simply Asking Coworkers How They’re Doing

[HBR gated] It builds connection and helps us all feel less lonely.