ICYMI: We're Living In a Social Tug of War

Here's what happened on social media this week, January 20, 2023

[TikTok ad via Brendan Gahan]

This is news and trends for and about creators and anyone working in social. Thanks for reading!

I’m still digesting the survey results from last week but tried to insert some more actionable insights in today’s newsletter. Let me know what you think! I’ve also turned on paid subscriptions for anyone who wants to show their support (and get access to some extra resources) but this newsletter will continue to be free to anyone who wants to subscribe.

💻 ROADMAP

📲 Instagram Updates:

• Instagram is rolling out three new tools meant to help users — especially teens — manage their time and what they see on Instagram: 

  • Quiet Mode: this is like setting yourself away on Slack. Quiet mode turns off notifications, sets your activity status to ‘In quiet mode’ and automatically sends an auto-reply when someone DMs you.

    This seems like the most interesting new feature, carving out space for unplugging whether you’re a creator or social manager, and letting people know not to expect a response. 

  • Hidden Words for Recommendations: If you’ve banned certain words, emojis or hashtags in your comments or DMs, you’ll no longer get content recommendations with those words in the caption or the hashtag.

  • Not Interested Multi-Select: this allows you to hide multiple pieces of content in Explore that you aren’t interested in all at one time. 

  Will any of these things actually be helpful for teens — especially teen girls who suffer with the effects of the app on their mental health? Maybe. But I’d love to see some more overt tactics. Why not take a page from Gas app? It’s an anonymous social app that encourages teens to gas each other up (aka compliment each other). The app is so popular it was just acquired by Discord after reaching 1 million daily active users. If you’re going to “borrow” features from other apps, let’s start with one that offers compliments and positive affirmations.     

📲 TikTok Updates:

• TikTok is testing a new Podcasts feature that allows you to listen to audio even if you switch away from the app, according to Insider. The move is seen as a way to compete against YouTube, Spotify and Apple for podcast listeners — and watchers. A recent Morning Consult survey revealed 46% of people prefer podcasts that include video.  

  If the Podcasts feature is released, brace yourself for long form TikToks. The typical podcast length currently sits at 38 minutes, which means the short-form video app would have to allow for video uploads beyond TikTok’s current three-minute limit.  

📲 YouTube Updates:

• YouTube is experimenting with giving creators the ability to add a location to their Shorts during the posting process on mobile. Currently, location tagging is only available after you post.

  This Creator Insider news comes on the heels of TikTok’s recent push to encourage location tagging in its app, including this ad highlighting TikTok as a Google alternative. Ultimately, this is good news for creators and retailers even if the competitive updates are exhausting.

• YouTube is adjusting its profanity policy based on creator backlash. In November, the company enforced a new policy that warned “profanity used in the title, thumbnails, or in the video’s first 7 seconds or used consistently throughout the video,” could lead to a loss of ad revenue. But the impact that was having on videos created prior to the announcement led to an outcry from creators. No sh*t. 

📲 Twitter Updates:

• Twitter says it’s intentionally blocking third-party apps. While the company announced it was enforcing long-standing API rules this week, it hasn’t explained what rules apps such as Tweetbot and Twitterific had broken. Note: Check to ensure your content management system is still publishing tweets!

Waffle House has had enough of your TikTok modifications

Everything Georgia @GAFollowers

Waffle House is not playing with y'all.

👆🏻 CLICK THRU

▶️ YouTube Replaces TikTok as VidCon Title Sponsor
YouTube’s reclaiming the spotlight as VidCon’s title sponsor after TikTok took over the sponsorship spot in 2021 and 2022. Previously, YouTube had been a BFD at the digital creator conference. Or as Colin Hickey, VidCon’s svp operations, put it: “YouTube has always been an integral part of VidCon because it is one of the biggest players in the digital ecosystem.”

Based solely on my own baseless speculation, this must have been a fascinating deal for VidCon to negotiate now that every app wants to be seen as the best platform for creators. This sponsorship gives YouTube a stage to position itself as the destination for short-form creators and an opportunity to reinforce the narrative that they’re best place for creators to earn a sustainable income.

Where you at, Instagram?!  

📲 Amazon is paying influencers to test its new TikTok competitor, Inspire
Ahead of the launch of their short-form video feed, Amazon paid influencers to make content for Inspire. One influencer was offered $250 for every vertical video uploaded that was less than 30 seconds (up to 10 videos), according to Insider’s scoop.

🌼🌼 Free the nipple: Facebook and Instagram told to overhaul ban on bare breasts
Meta’s advisory board says their anti-nipple policy — the company bans bare-chested images of women — impedes right to expression for women and trans and nonbinary people. Meta has 60 days to respond publicly to the board’s recommendations to update its policy “so that it is governed by clear criteria that respect international human rights standards.” If your work revolves around women’s bodies, this is your moment. 

👚 TikTok’s fashion creators forge ahead in face of potential US ban
“I don't think that an outright [TikTok] ban is the hill most US lawmakers want to die on. But, it's clear that there is enough support to ‘do something’ about TikTok that it's likely that some type of anti-TikTok measure will eventually pass,” eMarketer analyst Jasmine Enberg told Vogue Business as fashion creators consider the risk that TikTok could disappear.

tl;dr: a full TikTok ban probably won’t happen but it does reinforce the importance of a diversified social media strategy.

🛍️ Dyson Airwrap and Tarte lip balm top list of $3.6B in products bought via influencers
LTK released its Most Loved Awards report this week, revealing shoppers bought over $3.6 billion worth of goods via its influencer affiliate links in 2022. The top products most recommended probably look a lot like your TikTok or Instagram feed:

• QVC: Dyson Airwrap

• Tarte: Maracuja Juicy Lip Balm

• Elemis: Dynamic Resurfacing Pad

• Ulta Beauty: Lancôme Lash Idôle Lash-Lifting & Volumizing Mascara

• Lululemon: Everywhere Belt Bag

• Our Place: Always Pan

• Stanley: The Quencher H2.0 FlowstateTM Tumbler (40 oz.)

💡 WHY IT WORKS

Social Media Managers Are Becoming the Main Character

Setting the Stage: First off, if you haven’t watched Away’s outdoor escape (with social managers from Shake Shack, Saie Beauty, and Getaway) that was featured in Rachel Karten’s last newsletter, do yourself a favor and watch this charming TikTok video.

Why This Video Works: We are stronger together — just look at the brands clamoring to join the trip in the comments. The video is like watching a Marvel movie with some of your favorite brand characters coming together for one epic, all-star reunion. Audiences love to imagine the people they admire are all besties who hang out regularly, especially if they’re able to tag along via behind-the-scenes video.  

Now, Rachel Karten reports that Away is already planning their next Social Media Manager Escapes trip with more brands and that we’re likely to see more social media manager-led partnerships in 2023. 

Why the Social Manager As Main Character Doesn’t Always Work: As Karten points out, there are several risks associated with a social media manager becoming the face of a brand, including not getting properly compensated for such a highly visible role.  

Companies also assume a risk if a beloved social manager leaves since they can’t always be easily replaced. 

So, if you’re pushing for a collaboration like this at work, be aware that leadership may have some legitimate concerns. Reassure them you’ll develop a plan for a creative transfer of power if you decide to leave after becoming famous as the face of the brand.

👩🏽‍🤝‍👨🏻 PEOPLE

• The winners of the 2022 American Influencer Awards were announced last Friday night -USAToday

• A “Micro Influencer” Embraces Her Smaller, Engaged Audience -BuzzFeed

• Jennifer Coolidge hilariously joined TikTok -TikTok

• Madonna wipes her Instagram in preparation for a suspected tour announcement -CNN. 

  *Deleting social posts or going dark is a popular tactic used by artists and brands alike to prime their audience for a comeback, a major update or an announcement. Some of the best examples of accounts that pioneered this tactic include Taco Bell wiping its timeline back in 2014 to launch their app or Taylor Swift going silent across the web in 2017 before announcing the drop of the first single from her upcoming album, Reputation.  

📖 ALSO ON MY RADAR…

• How sparkling water brand Spindrift harnesses its ‘Spinfluencers’ to generate buzz -ModernRetail

• Former Instagram employee debuts thrilling novel about Silicon Valley’s toxic side -SFChronicle

• Top Twitter influencers say platform is getting worse under Musk -NBCNews

• Smaller brands are finding TikTok to be a more profitable advertising channel -Modern Retail

• Dozens of media companies set 2023 content deals with Twitter -Axios

• Netflix's deal to televise the SAG Awards could be the future of the award show industry -Axios

• Getty Images is suing the creators of AI art tool Stable Diffusion for scraping its content -The Verge

• L'Oréal Hands Over the Creative Reins to Influencers Over 40 -AdWeek

📣 AMA

This was an interesting situation someone submitted with the survey I sent out last week — thanks to everyone who responded! I'm testing this as a new section where people can submit questions but would love to include more feedback than just my own. If you have any thoughts about the scenario, please leave them in a comment below — I'm sure others would appreciate hearing what you think!

“I'm 23 working to make engaging content for a primarily 30-45 audience while also trying to bring in younger trends and ideas. The older age group does not seem to want to interact with the content, and I can't crack them! It's tricky to stay in touch with an older crowd.”

There are no details about the company or industry this person works in, but my general advice would be to think about the platforms they’re on just as much the content they’re producing. 

• A social manager might be producing incredible TikTok content but their audience is actually scrolling Instagram or connecting in Facebook Groups. Always make sure the platforms you’re posting on align with your target audience’s demographics. (See: Social Media 2022 Demographics) 

• Also consider the activities people engage in on each platform. Based on your audiences’ personal interests, are they looking for entertaining content or are they looking for useful information about your brand or product? (See: Social Media Activities By Platform)

• Finally, this Teach Me How to Gummy TikTok video from Bayer is a really good example of mashing up a current social trend with a beloved character older audiences would appreciate. Try new trends and ideas to keep it fresh but include a familiar touchpoint your audience can relate to, whether it’s the language, music or talent you use. (See: An Overview of Nostalgia Marketing and its Benefits)