Some thoughts on trends
And 20 Facebook Stats to Guide Your 2021 Facebook Strategy
Some thoughts on trends
By Jenn Chen • Issue #122 • View online
For a while, before Revue was bought by Twitter and made their paid subscription feature free to use, I’ve been toying with the idea of running a paid newsletter. I would still have a free one and whatever I write in the paid would eventually make its way out to the public, just on my own schedule. It would also be single pieces (what has usually appeared in the Thoughts section) instead of sections of links. Would someone want to pay to read a newsletter that would fluctuate between marketing and non-marketing? Or am I just jumping on the next writing trend? I’d love to hear some thoughts if you have any.
In other news:
- A few days ago marked two one-year anniversaries: the first wedding one for my friends and the last time I went to a social event. Yay?
- SAG-AFTRA added a new Influencer Agreement for TikTokers, IG creators, YouTubers, and creators on other platforms. As long as the influencer is creating branded video or audio, they are able to join the union (in the US).
- For those who use Google calendar, they added new features: work hour segments and repeating out-of-office replies to better manage your time
Some thoughts on trends
When you work in marketing, part of your job is to keep an eye on trends. And these trends are everywhere, not limited to your own industry or even marketing. At which point do you decide that a trend is worth investing in? I don’t have a clear answer on this but I can tell you what sparked this post.
This is not a think piece on the Gen Z vs Millennial trend argument (is there even an argument?). Plenty of pieces already go in on this. What I was thinking about was if you were wanting to advertise to Gen Z, you’d not only have to speak their language but also show it – so in this case, your models would switch to middle hair parts and wide-legged jeans.
If I were to illustrate the relevance of trends to a brand, I would draw concentric circles with the innermost ones being memes/current pop culture and industry (remember reclaimed wood?). Then, I’d add influences like social media (feature-specific trends) and visual marketing/art (photography and typography). Closing it out would be global and generational trends.
Some trends blow by really quickly so your decision is usually easy. You ask yourself, “Is this in line with my brand?” and then do it. For example, the meme of Bernie with his mittens sitting in various places. Other trends take more investment in time and money. Is TikTok really a good choice for your brand? You won’t know unless you get into the app and play around.
I know that slow and steady can be a good way to keep a business going. However, a refusal to adjust to trends, especially when all signs point to the trend sticking around for a bit, isn’t the best marketing move, either.
Something to ponder: are you/your brand one to lead and be a trendsetter or are you more wanting to sit back and let others fail first so you can learn from their mistakes?
20 Facebook Stats to Guide Your 2021 Facebook Strategy
Stay up to date on the most important Facebook statistics in 2021, and apply what you learn to your overall Facebook strategy.
Quick text updates & links on what's new on the networks
Instagram added Live Rooms with 3 other people, cross-app messaging with users on Facebook.
Twitter is testing a lot of things: voice messages in DMs, asking you if you really want to tweet that potentially offensive comment (not the first time they’ve run this test), super-follow paid creator subscriptions, safety mode to auto-block trolls, and integrating e-commerce into tweets. In its most recent investor meeting, they talked about increasing revenue and a faster pace of developing features.
Facebook added Shops for those in Canada and the UK.
In other platform news, LinkedIn added a few new features including Stories, Clubhouse passed 10 million downloads, and Dispo (invite-only) launched last week and is now the 4-th most downloaded social media app.
Helpful links on how to improve your digital marketing
Write Like You Talk: 12 Tips for Conversational Content
Conversational writing is the antidote to monotone content. That said, let’s talk.
contentmarketinginstitute.com • Share
Adapting Your Conversion Funnel to the Shifting Mindsets of Consumers in a Post-Covid Landscape
In the post-covid environment, it is mandatory to adapt your conversion funnel to your consumers’ shifting mindsets.
Social Audio: What It Means for Marketers and Businesses
Learn what marketers need to know about emerging social audio opportunities such as Clubhouse, Twitter Spaces, and Fireside.
www.socialmediaexaminer.com • Share
Anything I've enjoyed reading recently
How to Remember a Disaster Without Being Shattered by It
Margaret McKinnon survived a midair catastrophe, then became a major researcher of memory and trauma. Now she’s studying how the pandemic will haunt us.
Stanford study into “Zoom Fatigue” explains why video chats are so tiring
A new study from Stanford University is investigating the very modern phenomenon of “Zoom Fatigue.” The research suggests there are four factors that make videoconferencing so uniquely tiring, and some simple solutions that could reduce exhaustion.
Heather Lanier explores the pressure to perform happiness.
An update from my container garden!
Crossed another wishlist plant off my list! The very sassy ficus ginseng.
What'd you think?
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