Social Media Archives - Digital Marketing Devon

X: Twitter’s Evolution and What It Means for You

The recent rebranding of Twitter to X has generated waves of curiosity and speculation among digital marketers, businesses, and social media users in general. The digital world has been abuzz with the news of this transformation led by Elon Musk. As a digital marketing company, we’re here to try and break down the changes that X is bringing to the table – how they affect both everyday users like you and businesses like ours in the realm of social media. So here’s what we know so far…

The Familiar Bird Takes Flight: A Fresh Look with X

Remember Twitter’s iconic little bird logo? Well, it’s taken a backseat with the arrival of X. This shift isn’t just about appearances; it signifies a broader shift in X’s identity. Elon Musk’s vision extends beyond just rebranding; he’s envisioning a new way for us to connect and interact online. We’ve already seen a shift in the platform with X lifting bans on certain accounts and subscribing to get verified badges – those blue checkmarks. However, we’re being told it’s more than just a fresh new look…

Adapting to Change

As a digital marketing company, we’ve noticed X isn’t showing up in our scheduling tools as before. This suggests a shift in how content spreads. It nudges us to rethink our strategies and embrace a fresh approach, even if it means stepping out of our comfort zones. For businesses and digital marketers, these adjustments have already begun to reshape advertising strategies and scheduling practices.

Ambitious Goals: X’s Super App Aspiration

Elon Musk’s ambitions for X go beyond being just another social media platform. He envisions a one-stop hub where communication, commerce, and even financial transactions converge seamlessly. Imagine being able to chat with friends and manage your finances, all in one place! His idea is to create a ‘Super App’ an idea he had for PayPal before that went in another direction, inspired by Asia’s WeChat.

Redesigning Ad Tactics

For businesses, X is waving goodbye to the account promotion ads that used to give accounts a spotlight. This change forces businesses to explore alternative ways to stand out and gain followers. A challenge, sure, but also an opportunity for innovation. For businesses and digital marketers, these shifts could recalibrate how we advertise and manage content on X.

Empowering Content Creators

Creators, brace yourselves! X is lowering the bar for joining their Creator Ad Revenue Share Program, making it easier for more people to earn from their posts. X want to focus on video content and bring that more to the forefront of feeds. Plus, your creations will have an extended life on your audience’s feed of 48 hours (rather than 24) for more room to shine. Subscription content and X (tweet) replies are also getting a front-row seat, so brace yourself for a flood of engaging content!

In the transition from Twitter to X, Elon Musk’s influence is reshaping the digital landscape. X isn’t just a social media rebrand; it’s a step towards a more interconnected online world. For businesses, creators, and regular users, navigating these changes might take some adjustment. As X continues to evolve, we’re here to unravel the story of how it’s shaping the way we engage, share, and explore the digital realm.

If you need help with social media management find out more about our services here.
If you found this blog helpful, let us know on social media! Find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X) and LinkedIn.

How to increase your Instagram engagement

Instagram is one of the most vital social channels for your social media marketing. Instagram is considered to be the best platform for engagement and even more so for brand engagement rate. Not only is engagement an important way to ensure you are communicating with your audience but it’s also important you have good engagement on your posts to help boost your reach.

Here at Function28, we have put together a list of tips to use when on Instagram to help increase your engagement:

Share interactive stories

These stories will encourage your audience to interact with your content, for example create polls, this or that (would you rather) etc. This is an effective way to gain engagement as well as helping you to understand your audience better.

Create carousel posts

A carousel post means you can add multiple pictures to one post rather than having a singular picture per post. Carousel posts have been proven to gain more engagement.

Ask for responses on your posts

Encourage your audience to interact with you in the comments on your posts by asking questions. This shows your audience that you care about their opinion and the more engagement you have on your posts, the more likely it is that it will get seen elsewhere.

Be consistent with your posting

It’s not necessary for you to post every day, as your content needs to be meaningful, but it is important that you are consistent with your posting. We recommend posting at least 3 times a week on Instagram. Additionally, it’s good practise to get in the habit of posting to your Instagram stories frequently too. The more stories, the more personal and human your brand feels.

Utilise your DMs

Use your direct messages to engage and answer questions about your business. Consumers are increasingly turning to social media to enquire about businesses so use this as a tool to build a relationship with your audience.

Take time to engage with other accounts

Like, comment and engage with other accounts similar to yours and build up a community. They in turn will help share your brand with their audience, helping you reach more of your target market.

Create engaging content

These can include giveaways, ‘how to’ videos or behind the scenes. Anything that will inspire a share or a comment.

Use hashtags

Hashtags are very important but have to be used correctly in order to be effective. For more information on how to use hashtags effectively we recommend reading a blog we’ve written in the past – #OverIt – is the hashtag dead? – Digital Marketing Devon – Function28

If you would like any assistance with your social media marketing contact daisy@function28.co.uk

BeReal – Can I use the newest social media platform to market my brand?

If you’ve not heard of the social media app that’s continuing to rise in popularity, fear not, it’s only really just found its feet – but since then it’s been running. Be Real is a photograph-based app that offers an authentic alternative to Instagram. The idea is at any time of the day you could be notified to share a snapshot of what you’re doing and a selfie. You only have two minutes to do this, otherwise, you lose the privilege to view your friend’s pictures that only last 24 hours. It’s promoted as a platform that encourages its users to post “real”, honest, and unpolished photos of themselves and their day-to-day life, that only friends can see. Its selling point is that it’s not Instagram – no filters, no picture-perfect photo opportunities, and most importantly no brands and advertising!

However, does this mean that brands won’t use this app as another opportunity for marketing? Truthfully, if a brand was advertising to a younger audience Be Real could be a likely space to do so. Although users of the app might feel that this defeats the object of the new platform, it could still be an effective strategy in marketing your business. Chipotle, a famous Mexican fast-food restaurant based primarily in America, is infamous for having a successful social media strategy. They are the first known brand to use Be Real for marketing, posting promo codes for free food to the first 100 people to view their picture of the day. There are many opportunities for marketing, depending on what your brand is and who your demographic audience is. Think models showing themselves wearing and advertising high-end makeup or teens living out exciting adventures with a particular canned drink always in shot.

There are plenty of opportunities for marketing using Be Real – food for thought if you’re thinking of innovative ways to market your brand. However, for now your bigger social media platforms will most likely be more effective.

For any other advice on social media management for your company message daisy@function28.co.uk

The Rise of the Reel

We already know how effective Instagram can be used to market your business if you don’t – it’s worth checking out a previous blog post of ours “How to… Instagram for business” for some excellent tips and advice. However, you may notice with the updated version of the app, Instagram is featuring a lot more short-form video content on our feeds – so much so that they have almost taken over from pictures! We, of course, have TikTok and its popularity and success to thank for this! If you use Instagram to promote your business, jumping on the hype of creating these 15-90 second videos can be vital in attracting people to your business page. So here are some top tips on how to use reels as a valuable marketing approach.

1. Choose what sort of reel you want to create

Choose whether you want to provide an informative video about your business or a funny video that might not totally relate to your business – but will attract views and interaction! Reels are meant to be entertaining and engaging so it’s important to not take these too seriously and have fun with them. Informative reels I’ve watched myself, include lots of before and after’s or videos showing the process of how they do something; for example, “pack an order with me” or “shoe this horse with me!” I have even been known to spend hours watching somebody pressure washing driveways! Users find these satisfying to watch and it educates them on the process of what goes into your business, therefore making it personal and relatable. This doesn’t mean your reels always have to be work-related, like I said – have fun!

2. Add transitions and music to your videos!

Adding music and transitions is important to make your video fun and entertaining! With reels ever-growing in popularity, Instagram has made reel tools and features more accessible and easier to use, so navigating your way around the app shouldn’t prove too tricky! It’s important to try and match the music and transitions up, as ensuring your video is in sync will look more professional.

3. What’s trending?

Usually, there is a popular trend or sound circulating at the time. By jumping on the bandwagon and using the sound or creating content that is trending virally, you will optimise your exposure and ultimately get more reel views. Even if it means partaking in a silly challenge, this will more likely end up on the feed! So, get researching – just be aware that reels are addictive, so cancel any plans for the next couple of hours!