Let me start off by saying that this is a judgement free zone. If you have ever clicked a video link only to find yourself 3 hours later watching something completely unrelated – I would like to welcome you to the club. With over 4 billion monthly video views on YouTube, it is evident that we crave instantaneous visual content. One of the most popular topics on video sharing sites is beauty. It’s time to say goodbye to fashion magazines and in-store make-up demonstrations because YouTube has all the answers. YouTube gurus cover all subjects from makeup to skincare to DIY projects. These vloggers are powerful social influencers with loyal followings and high levels of engagement over most social media platforms, not just YouTube. We watch their videos to learn what products they buy, what stores they shop at and what beauty techniques they use. These expert channels supply us viewers with a constant stream of original content that keeps us going back for more.

Brand channels such as NARS Cosmetics and OPI have approx 10,000 subscribers on YouTube while beauty guru’s channels have hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions of subscribers. For example, vlogger Michelle Phan has over 3 million subscribers! It made me ask myself: Why can’t the company channels reach the same activity levels as individual vloggers?

Beauty gurus are a combination of your favourite celebrity and your best friend, they are well known, admired, personable and most importantly, accessible. The one-on-one video style has the same effect as a face-to-face interaction, proving to be exceedingly more influential than a brands commercial. Some company channels have even tried to imitate the vlogger style of videos but have been unsuccessful. Here’s an example from Urban Decay’s attempt.Why you ask? A reason could be that when the user sees the companies channel name, the user automatically assumes the content is biased and therefore ignores it.

YouTube vloggers are influential because they are reachable. They post on a schedule, provide irresistible content, reply to comments, and build content around viewer requests. We also develop a connection with them by learning not just about beauty but also their lifestyle. For example, Lauren Riihimaki, who goes by the username laurDIY has been posting videos since December 2011 and has over 115,000 subscribers and a massive 3.2 million video views. Her videos include DIY Skull Cut Out Shirt, No Heat Overnight Curls and The Boyfriend Tag. She posts a video every Sunday and each video receives thousands of views and comments.

Lauren and Michelle only make up one part of the YouTube guru elite. They are influential because they give unbiased product reviews, unique video ideas and continuously stay connected with their audience. To put it simply, the videos these gurus post are downright addicting and I dare you to watch just one.

What’s changed: (to name a few)

• When we opened our doors YouTube existed but since then Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Pinterest, Google +, Vine, Instagram and many more have become big players in the social media space.
• Internet shopping increased by 26% in the last year – so we can assume it’s increased by over 200+% in the last 8 years. Our first clients were afraid of using paypal and thought people wouldn’t trust the service.
• Magazines are dying at a rapid rate. Only the cream of the crop are surviving. Mags dropped 9.5% last year alone.
• More and more businesses are adopting social media as part of their communications plan.
• Mobile, Mobile, Mobile – multiple screen sizes and multiple user experiences on different devices. We aren’t designing for our desktops anymore.
• The authenticity is disappearing online – Marketers ruin everything – I should know I’m one of them.
• The largest demographic? Mommy blogger directories and communities are massive and are only getting bigger.

What’s still the same:

• If you are not passionate about the subject – you won’t keep up with it.
• Content is still king.
• Visual content has and probably always will receive the most shares and clicks.
• Video is definitely growing but photos are still leading in the content sharing arena.
• Email marketing is still on top.
• Google’s algorithms have changed (they change all the time) but strong content is still a big factor when looking for google ranking.
• The more niche and focused your blog/website the better.

We’ve seen more technology, social options, screen sizes and e-commerce in our field. It doesn’t matter what changes occur when it comes to marketing, one thing will always remain the same: you need to connect to your target market emotionally – in print, on TV and on the web.

I’m looking forward to hanging out with robots and living in an open world with little privacy – definitely thinking that will happen in the next 8 years. Maybe I should be careful of what I wish for.

LAY OUT
Following suit from their mobile app and trends from popular sites around the web, the new lay out eliminates scroll bars, buttons and larger sidebars – leaving you with a small neat icon based navigation to the side. The layout is now wider and full of the good stuff that you want to see.

PHOTO SIZES
The most noticeable difference will be the increased photo size. It was reported that photos make up over 50% of users’ news feeds, so increasing the size presents a clear and more detailed way of viewing others’ photos. There is a distinct shift from merely presenting photos – to creating a visual story. Photo albums and one-off Instagram photos will be presented in a much clearer way. As a result, brand pages might want to place more emphasis on their quality of photos. Additionally, brand pages can harness the new layout and really capitalize on visual storytelling – curating beautiful albums that speak to your audiences. News stories that are shared from a third party (even Pinterest photos) will feature a larger photo, larger font and longer description – so the opportunity to catch more eyeballs is definitely there.

FILTERING
As we discussed here, users will have the ability to filter their news feeds based on friends, games, photos and music. It is still slightly unclear about where promoted and branded content will fit into this navigation, and if it will ultimately be more beneficial for brand pages.

MOBILE
Another interesting aspect of the redesign is that it will be aligned with Facebook’s mobile layout. It was inspired by mobile – which speaks volumes about where Facebook users are hanging out these days. Facebook wants the experience to be seamless across phone, tablet or computer. The navigation will mirror the current setup on Facebook’s mobile app – running along the sidebar. Facebook’s cross-platform alignment is a great move, allowing users to feel like they are never missing anything because they are viewing it on a smaller screen or an app. Users are moving to a mobile culture – and Facebook recognizes this fact and plays to its strengths.

Facebook’s facelift has already begun rolling out and is available via wait list. It will be interesting to see how brand pages and promoted content get filtered – and how pages will respond to the bigger, clearer and more visual presentations in the coming months. You can sign up for the Facebook News Feed Wait List —–> here.

We can’t wait.

Later today, Facebook will make an announcement unveiling the latest changes to the newsfeed. Currently, all we know is speculation that the new layout will allow users to filter the content shown in their newsfeed based on categories. Pictures (Instagram included), Music, News, Videos, may all be sortable options.

With this new layout – the benefits could be twofold: the user now has more streamlined control over what is seen in their newsfeed, making for a more enjoyable user experience. On the flipside, this layout could open up more space for advertisers and partners. Advertisers could really target their audiences and have their product stand out in a sea of content. The filtering systems could give apps like Instagram and Spotify a lot more dedicated screen time.

It will be interesting to see this new layout unfold and how exactly it will impact brand visibility. With the option and power to be selective, will it mean that some brands will lose visibility? Or, will users be tailoring their content more appropriately – making branded content even more impactful? We’ll be listening in to the coverage today and will follow up with thoughts on how these changes could affect how we use Facebook.

That’s the question that brands are asking themselves when it comes to the newest offering to the world of social media, Vine.

Launched for iPhone on January 23, 2013 it has already generated a ton of buzz (some unwantingly) and brands are already looking at ways that they can leverage this new tool in their marketing plan.

But before you jump in head first and start posting, let’s take a look at Vine and what it might mean for your brand.

What is Vine?
Owned by Twitter, Vine is an app (currently only available on iOS) that allows users to create and share 6 second videos from their phone or tablet. The app has been described as a cross between YouTube and Instagram where videos are uploaded and posted instantly on the Vine app while allowing users to tweet and share on Facebook.

Why it works.
6 seconds is longer than you think, and also shorter than you think. It is long enough to speak in quick sound bites, make fast announcements and spout out taglines. It is also short enough not to lose viewers’ interest. The videos playback on the Vine app and loop much like an animated GIF – watching to see where the loop ends and begins can be very addicting.

Why you need to think about it.
It’s popular. Right now people are talking about Vine every day. That buzz is creating an opportunity for brands to jump on and create content that people will see and like and talk about within their networks.The looping action of the videos also lends itself well to some very creative and artistic opportunities that can lead to more shares and exposure.

Why you need to think twice about it.
A 6 second looping video may not fit into your marketing strategy or brand voice. Forcing yourself or your brand to use a new tool just because it’s available isn’t necessarily a smart move. We would suggest sitting down with your Marketing and Social teams and thinking about opportunities and options for determining your next steps.

Do we think it will last?
Yes. While there are still improvements to be made (filters, sharing videos from other users’ feeds, draft status, availability on Android and BlackBerry) before it becomes as good as it gets, it has loads of potential. Vine also has respected ownership with funds that can be accessed for improvements. Vine is the evolution of Instagram that we believe the world is ready for and the more available and advanced it gets, the more useful it will become to brands.

Our advice?
1. Have someone on your team download the Vine app and create a brand account with your information.
2. Sit and talk with your marketing and social media teams about the opportunities Vine presents and if it can apply to you.
3. Investigate what other brands are doing.
4. Make a strategic plan.
5. Most importantly: Do what is right for your brand!

Research Your Influencers
One of the biggest points from the report was highlighting the slightly disjointed relationship between brand marketers and influencers. The report says that often, brands look to influencer’s ComScore when choosing someone to work with, when in reality, this might not always be the best source for finding an influencer to work with, as the numbers do not always fairly represent the influencer. In order to establish Influencers to help your brand reach audiences that you might not have access to, conducting research beyond ComScore numbers is key. What kind of following do they have? How responsive is their community? Is it always growing? There are other elements to consider when approaching an Influencer. You also have to recognize if they will be a good fit for your brand. Just because your product might be in the same industry as an Influencer’s expertise, it might not correlate well. Research your Influencers and take a look at their community and their content before you jump right into numbers.

Measuring Your Success
There still remains the slightly sticky topic of ROI and measurement on a ‘successful’ campaign when Influencers are engaged for a promotion. Technorati’s report outlines that there is a lack of uniform metrics to effectively measure the success of campaigns. Influencers are looking to pageviews and traffic whereas brand marketers are looking at Facebook likes. Before finalizing a campaign, it is within both parties’ interests to define what a successful campaign would look like. That is to say – if the objective is brand awareness and reaching new demographics, pageviews and traffic sources might be of value. If you’re looking to Facebook likes, you might want to reach out to an Influencer who has a strong Facebook community. None the less, having a conversation prior to campaign launch about objectives will help drive the campaign forward and yield more satisfactory results.

Get Mobile
We all know by now that your brand should be social but what does that mean? It means that you should be connecting with audiences through Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc. 90% of brands have a presence on Facebook. That’s a staggering number – and you don’t want to be left out. YouTube and Facebook are the top two sources used on the Internet. Over the next year – spend on social will rise 59%. What’s more interesting is that spend on mobile is expected to increase 79%. With those numbers you definitely want to make sure your site is responsive (you can read more about responsive design here). You don’t want to alienate any part of your audience or advertisers by not having a mobile friendly layout for your website. Pay attention to your analytics and see where your traffic is coming from. With mobile digital spend on the rise, you definitely want to be accommodating to the trend. What are your takes on this years report?

We’d love to hear your agreements, disagreements or general comments!

If you watch any of the most popular shows on Television these days you have no doubt seen a hashtag somewhere on the screen.

Years ago, before the advent of social media and instant sharing, we were restricted to a phone call with 1 friend if you wanted to talk about your favourite shows in real time. If you were lucky you had 3-way calling and you could really gossip about how you felt about your favourite characters and storylines and plot twists.

And now we have Twitter. It’s a 500,000,000-way call that allows the whole world to talk about Snooki and Pauly D, who’s killing zombies on The Walking Dead or who’s getting a rose on The Bachelor. Twitter has become an instant option for sharing thoughts, feelings, disappointments and downright outrage about your favourite shows. Every week we see hashtags like #TheWalkingDead #BachCan and #ANTM filling our timelines and taking over the trending topics board.

Note: If you know that you’re going to miss an episode of your favourite show you can use a Twitter client like Tweetdeck and filter out all tweets that contain your show’s hashtag!

This year 1 show took social media in television a step further and did it in an exciting way for all fans. Cycle 19 of America’s Next Top Model introduced fan voting and online conversation as an equal part of the judging panel and is using super famous fashion blogger Bryanboy as the voice of the fans and the internet community.

In the first episode of the season there was almost a mention per minute of fan voting, Facebook, blogs, social media, text, online and included scenes showing audience members on their phones with tweets being displayed on screen as well as the girls on Skype with friends and family members. During the auditions and judging panel Facebook likes and votes were mentioned in almost half of the clips and ranged from negative to neutral to positive. It was a game changer and instantly showed that the audience was going to have a strong and equal voice in how Cycle 19 of #ANTM would play out.

While many reality shows have had fan voting as part of their process (American Idol, The Voice, X Factor) none have ever captured “online sentiment” as a qualifying metric in the judging process. Cycle 19 of America’s Next Top Model has changed that. You don’t have to call or text a certain phone number to support your favourite competitor. All you have to do is talk about them online. Tweet about your favourite girls, and the ones you don’t like. It’s a huge step and one that could revolutionize the way television, and especially reality television is created. And hats off to #ANTM for introducing this new feature during a college themed season.

The online engagement is a brilliant way to make the viewers and fans feel as though they have had a voice in who wins their favourite show. It is also a great way to increase viewership in a target market that loves social media, sharing and having their two cents heard. For example, I don’t think that 60 Minutes would have the same success as #ANTM, but American Idol might. Time will tell if America’s Next Top Model is the leader of a new wave of television and social media integration. The smart money is on yes.

Be ready to Tweet!

Facebook mobile has introduced “share” as an option for iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) and Android users. At first glance it seems that posts with links, photos and videos have the share option available, but that may change to include simple status updates in the future.

The sharing option is great for people who want to share stories that their friends have posted or photos that they have been tagged in. But this new addition to Facebook’s mobile platform could also be great news for brands as shares have always been sought after, but missed out on with mobile viewers. As of September 2012 there were more than 425 million active users accessing Facebook through mobile devices across 200 mobile operators in 60 countries – these users who were not able to share content posted by their favourite brands. By tapping into those fans, brands posting quality content should see immediate increases in shares, viewers reached and more.

It may have been a long time coming, but now that it’s here the mobile sharing option may be one of the biggest upgrades that brands have seen in  quite some time.

Stay tuned for more information and details about the impact of Facebook’s mobile sharing option!

Twitter has recently been updated with what they describe as “our mobile-first strategy”. The feature that everyone seems most interested in is the ability to upload a header photo. We love how this provides an opportunity for a brand to display both a logo and, at the same time, provide a human face to their followers.

Like previous versions, you are also given the ability to upload a personalized background image. Only twitter.com displays background images: They will not show up on mobile devices.
Please Note: Background and header photos can not be animated GIFs – awww shucks.

The “mobile-first strategy” is most noticeable when reviewing a user’s recently referenced photographs. On mobile devices you are able to easily swipe through photos quickly using a gallery located below the user’s three most recent tweets. On twitter.com, over to the side, you have an initial gallery of the last six referenced photos. Go in any deeper and there is no longer any preview of any kind: You must load each preceding image individually.

It’s no secret that one of our favourite twitter features is its capability to create and organize users into lists. Although these capabilities are incorporated across all platforms, the different mobile devices seem to be limited to individual features.

There are two categories of lists:
1. Subscribed to (this includes lists you have either created yourself or have chosen to follow )
2. Member of (lists that others have added you to)

Twitter.com
All lists are displayed in the order in which they were created or you were added to.

iPhone & Android
“Member of” lists are displayed alphabetical.

Unfortunately on the iPhone you cannot create or add lists and there is no indication of their individual privacy settings (whether or not the list is shared or public). The android allows you to create lists but only displays lists that you’ve created yourself. The iPhone lets you see both types but only the last 18 that you were added to.

We know lots of conversation is occurring around twitters mobile and profile pages but we thought we’d just focus on lists because we really love them and believe they are underused and undervalued. Let us know if you notice anything new that we missed.

And other times they can become annoying, frustrating or boring. The key is finding a way to turn those repetitive questions into quality answers that lead your community exactly where you want them. While also providing quality information and resolution for your community.

The challenge lies in how you direct them without becoming stale, short, sarcastic or bored. The truth of the matter is that most of the people that Tweet at you or send Facebook messages haven’t taken a look at your feed or previous posts or the questions that other people have asked. They have their question and they would like their answer.

With that in mind, here are some tips that we have that may help you moving forward with your repetitive community.

• Act like it’s the first time that you’ve ever heard the question. Think to yourself, “great question” and answer it like you may never hear it again.
• Remember that there is a very good chance that the person asking the question is new to your brand and has no background on the subject. While you may spend 98% of your life thinking about your brand and products and services, they don’t. They asked the question because they don’t have the answer.
• You are the expert. Your community comes to you with questions because they expect that you will have the answers that they don’t have. Whether this is the 1st time or 500th time that someone has asked you about product X from your brand is irrelevant, you’re the expert with the answer that they need. Give it to them.
• Use your resources. If your brand has a website with product info pages, news or blog posts use that content to answer questions and get your community members more engaged with your brand. Also, you can use content you have created for facebook, pinterest, youtube or other networks to help with reources.
• Be thankful for the questions and the community. Without them there is no brand, no product, no service and no you. While it may not be glamorous or exciting every time you hit refresh on the page, it’s why we’re here.

Every question that gets asked is an opportunity to raise awareness of your brand, improve brand sentiment, cement your brand as an industry leader and HELP YOUR COMMUNITY. Use them to your advantage. Seize those opportunities and create something larger than what you have now.

In the end that’s why we’re here as community managers. To manage, help, engage and interact with the community. Keep up the great work!