Hanging On by a Thread

Morgan Moresco on August 9, 2023

Written by: Frankie Ciccotto

Few online events were as inevitable as Meta’s release of its highly awaited application Threads, a text-based conversation space where communities of like-minded people can come together to discuss trending topics, share current photos, or just casually scroll through who they follow to keep up to date. Whether you’re a digital creator or a casual poster, Threads aims to be the next Twitter alternative, amassing 30 million user signups within 24 hours of release. Now, two weeks later, that online platform has grown to over 100 million members worldwide, securing the title of the fastest-growing online application of all time.

Securing Your Handle

As Threads is directly linked to Instagram, setting up a new account could not be made any easier. For users with an active Instagram profile, it’s as easy as downloading the application from your iOS store, logging in with your Instagram credentials, and boom — you’re ready to start posting your first thread. Your Instagram handle, profile picture, and bio have the option to automatically transfer over to your Threads account. In contrast to Twitter, its main competitor, Threads has a 500-character limit, whereas Twitter has a cap at 280. In each Thread post, users can additionally include links, photos, and videos up to five minutes long, further giving Twitter a run for its money. So far, the app is proving to be extremely user friendly.

What Can I Use This For?

Threads aims to target a multitude of markets, including content creators, casual posters, and everyone in between. Their current business model rejects the implementation of monetization, meaning traditional forms of advertising are prohibited — for now. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, stated that his main goal is to make the product work well, and he expects the user base to grow far beyond that of Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. While Meta clearly states that traditional forms of advertising and branding are not in the cards for Threads, this creates the option for traditional marketers to do branding and promotion on their own, without a built-in ad-monetization strategy. For the moment, it appears that Meta is attempting to acknowledge the need for built-in marketing materials without subjecting users to an overflux of traditional ads.

This seems to be Meta’s way of keeping basic users happy so that they are not turned off by an overabundance of adverts before Threads can actually become a staple in our day-to-day social media usage.

With millions of people already flocking to Threads, scrutiny has arisen. One of Threads’ founding principles includes the ability to limit news as well as political and social debates — creating a “friendly shelter” to limit the amount of information spread on the app. It seems the app is more focused on bringing niche communities together, whether they are focused on sports, music, fashion or entertainment.

The app is booming, users are excited, new content is brewing, and communities are alive and thriving. What more could a new app’s entrance into the social media world hope for? The threat of the unknown is what most users are perplexed about. How far is Threads willing to go to appeal to all consumers? With only three weeks up and running, Threads is off to a great start, but it is clear that work still needs to be done if it truly wants to become a front runner in the social media limelight. With its already ever-present commitment to positivity and moderation, Threads has the opportunity to become the default conversation-based app, winning over users seeking a refreshing change. On the other side of the coin, it has the opportunity to raise fear in those who believe the app’s main purpose is to limit and supervise what we say online. The question is: Will Threads be the ultimate gateway app that changes how conversations in the social media world are made, or will it backfire, and leave this revolutionary app hanging on by a thread?

Augmented reality will change how people experience the world around them, and it will expand the social reach of advertisers who will be able to directly engage with the consumer.

Breaking Down Cannabis Policies on Social Media Platforms

Morgan Moresco on May 25, 2023

Posting about cannabis-related or CBD products on social media can be tricky. Regulation of the words used on creative and in captions/hashtags can cause your post to be flagged and your account to potentially be suspended.

Cannabis-Related No’s and Go’s

A good rule of thumb across all platforms is that you shouldn’t share images of the marijuana plant or people smoking. And stay away from the obvious words relating to cannabis: marijuana, weed, cannabis, kush, high, joint, THC, pot, and so on.

A common replacement across all platforms is “canna,” however, this can still be flagged. Everything is about carefully wording your captions and being strategic with ad campaigns, if possible. Here are some general guidelines for the major platforms to keep in mind.

Facebook:

Posts: Marijuana, cannabis, CBD, etc., are safe to use in organic content if it is educational and informative. Facebook bots can be fickle about this, but any issues can usually be resolved quickly.
Ads: Only topical CBD products can be advertised on Facebook, and you should still avoid using any cannabis-related language.

Instagram:

Posts: Instagram is a key marketplace for all businesses, but your cannabis/CBD company will not be able to utilize Instagram Shops. Many cannabis/CBD companies also opt for minimal to no hashtags in posts to protect their accounts.
Ads: Since Facebook and Instagram are both under Meta, their policies are pretty similar. However, in ads, you can use “hemp product” but not “CBD product.”

TikTok:

Posts: TikTok users have some fun workarounds when it comes to hashtags and caption wording. Alternative terms and spellings of cannabis-related words include “ouid,” “w33d,” “st0ner,” and “b0ng.”
Ads: TikTok is very aware of its young demographic, so they make cannabis/CBD advertising impossible.

Twitter:

Posts: Twitter is another place where sharing cannabis-related educational content is permitted. Many companies opt to share articles or their own blog posts.
Ads: Twitter only allows topical CBD products to be advertised. And you should only target locations/states in the U.S. where CBD is legal.

LinkedIn:

Posts: LinkedIn is very open to the sharing of information. If you promote primarily educational and informational content, then you’ll be fine. And, obviously, there are no restrictions to what you can show as your company name.
Ads: You still can’t directly advertise your products, but ads can show educational information that will still lead new people to your page/website. LinkedIn has never shut down an account and all ad reviews go to real people, who may be more forgiving than bots.

Pinterest:

Posts: When it comes to organic content, Pinterest is forgiving about using words/hashtags like cannabis, CBD, and hemp. People post informational graphics and recipes that usually don’t see any issues.
Ads: Pinterest is one of the only platforms that actually lays out its CBD-related advertising guidelines: “We will allow ads for topical hemp seed oil products in the United States that contain negligible amounts of THC and no CBD and make no therapeutic or medicinal claims.”

Google:

Ads: Since January of 2022, Google has started enforcing stricter rules and policies for advertising, which has significantly and negatively impacted cannabis/CBD ads through the platform. It is considered best to avoid it entirely and advertise elsewhere.

The Take-Away

Clearly, it’s not easy to advertise, let alone post, cannabis and CBD content on any platform. We hope, as various forms of marijuana become legal across the country, that social media regulations will change along with the laws. But until then, the keyword is caution.

The information listed about these social media platforms’ policies do not guarantee that your accounts won’t be shadowbanned or flagged at some point. In many cases, bots are the first ones to check accounts, and they can be unforgiving. But, we hope, this can help to avoid that as much as possible.

Contact 270M to learn more about how we can help promote your CBD business the right way.

Optimize Community Management for Your Brand

Morgan Moresco on April 24, 2023

By: Danielle Gazda

Good social media content and a good product are the baselines for a successful online presence. However, great customer service keeps people coming back. Achieve the best online customer service with proactive community management.

What Is Community Management?

Community management is run by an individual or team that acts through the brand’s social media accounts. They address questions in direct messages, respond and engage with comments, and help the brand stay present in the wider community.

Community management is made up of all these bite-sized activities that can be done across social media channels to generate a brand’s organic, personable reputation.

Best Practices for Community Managers

Direct Messages

Whether it’s Instagram DMs, Facebook Messenger, or other platforms, it’s important to review these direct messaging channels daily. This is where people will often direct questions and complaints about products and orders — and they should be addressed in a timely manner.

Knowledge of your brand and what it sells is very important for this type of activity. Be sure to have an FAQ that community managers can refer to or a customer service email that can be shared for more in-depth questions. Give your community managers as much information as you can. They’ll be able to help your customers better and continue to grow your FAQ document as new questions arise.

Comments

It is nice for community managers to be active in the brand’s own comments. For smaller brands, try to respond to them all with an appropriate short reply, the answer to a question, or simply an emoji.

If you typically receive dozens to hundreds of comments per post, you can take a more measured approach. You can respond to the first dozen or so comments that the post receives or check the post frequently and reply to various comments as they come up.

Be sure to always respond to comments made by partnered brands or influencers. This includes unexpected comments from celebrities or influencers you don’t currently work with to build those relationships.

Community Engagement

Don’t forget about the wider community your brand is a part of. Like and comment on posts that are relevant to your brand and industry. These can be posts by those partnered brands and influencers to show your support, posts about industry news and knowledge, and fun, broader content.

Comments don’t have to be extensive. Simple replies such as agreement or emojis will often do, since this shows that your brand is aware of its larger community.

User-Generated Content

A brand’s image is only as good as what its most loyal customers have to say about it. Utilize user-generated short- and long-form content to your advantage. Potential customers are more likely to make a purchase after seeing real people use a product or service. This is great free content to share in places like Instagram Stories — but be sure to request permission before posting it directly to your feed.

Has your brand been keeping up with community management?

Purchasing Popularity: Verification Subscriptions

Morgan Moresco on February 23, 2023

Written by: Danielle Gazda

For years, brands and content creators have worked hard to build loyal communities and notable social media accounts in order to earn their verifications. The elusive and exclusive blue tick of verification across Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter is now a purchasable commodity. It’s part of a growing trend toward paid social media subscriptions.

Snapchat+

The first to provide a subscription service was actually Snapchat. In August of 2022, they announced Snapchat+, an “exclusive, experimental” service available for $3.99 a month. This innovative idea is decently priced and meant for the most consistent and passionate users of the photo-sharing app. Some of the exclusive features of Snapchat+ include various icons, notification settings, the Story Timer, and a badge. This exclusivity has produced moderate results for Snapchat with 2.5 million subscribers since the announcement in August 2022 to February 2023. This is compared to its 750 million active users and 375 million daily users.

Other apps have taken note of this success and have begun to integrate subscriptions of their own, providing additional incentives and services for users — and an alternate source of income.

Twitter Blue

Elon Musk announced in a tweet on Nov. 1, 2022, that blue checkmark verification would be purchasable through a Twitter Blue subscription for $8 a month. This announcement came with mixed, but primarily negative, reactions. Public figures would now be obliged to purchase Twitter Blue to maintain their verification, while Musk cited this as a way to “give Twitter a revenue stream to reward content creators.”

Twitter did release information on the updated Verification Requirements. It addressed some of the concerns and outlined the grandfathering of accounts that were previously verified through the original system. The company also specified that accounts must be non-deceptive with verification revocation a possibility for those who violate subscription policies. No matter the rules and criteria put in place, a verification no longer carries the weight it used to.

Meta Verified

Now, three months after Musk’s announcement, Mark Zuckerberg has revealed that Meta platforms will also be offering a verification subscription. It’s being marketed as a safety net for creators. Meta’s official announcement describes the program as “a subscription bundle on Instagram and Facebook that includes a verified badge that authenticates your account with government ID, proactive account protection, access to account support, and increased visibility and reach.”

Users can verify their accounts so Meta can work harder to remove bots, as well as fake and impersonated accounts — though reporting offenders has not been fruitful in the past. Creators are already voicing discontent, as they’ll be forced to purchase Meta Verified to protect their real public accounts.

Note that because this system is based on verifying an individual with a driver’s license or similar document, as of now the subscription is not available to businesses.

What’s Next?

While these changes don’t directly affect personal accounts, they do affect brand and creator accounts. It’s important to weigh the positives and negatives for your brand when considering a purchase of these verification subscriptions. They do come with other useful tools, like the ability to edit posts, longer tweets, etc.

Will you be purchasing verifications for your brand when available?

Trends to Integrate Into Your 2023 Marketing Strategy

Morgan Moresco on December 12, 2022

Written by: Danielle Gazda

At the beginning of 2022, the digital marketing community prepared for the start of a massive digital expansion. This expansion was the true start of a more integrated and accessible metaverse. It includes the increasing use of AI/AR/VR and other new tools in social media and advertising. In social media specifically, video content would be king in 2022, which was proved to be true. We saw this with the rise in TikTok’s popularity as Meta and Twitter declined.

2023 presents opportunities for continued digital expansion across social media, marketing, and everyday life.

Here’s what we’re expecting to see in 2023.

Social Media Content

AI Algorithms

Social media platforms, especially Facebook and Instagram, will continue to push AI algorithms. These algorithms are supposed to show consumers content that relates to them. While individuals may not relish the idea of seeing fewer posts from family and friends, this opens up more opportunities for brands to reach a wider audience that is more likely to convert.

Digital Representations

Avatars, NFTs, and AI-generated art are all becoming more prominent across social media. While there is a juxtaposition between wanting more original content with NFTs and opportunities for digitally generated content with AI, both show that digital art is the future. More brands may find themselves generating NFTs as a form of revenue for themselves or as fundraisers. They will also likely begin using AI-generated art to create the promotional content they need.

E-Commerce

Livestream Shopping

Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest are looking to livestream shopping as the next way for brands to sell on their platforms. While these platforms are testing and having success with this feature in other countries, it hasn’t quite made it to the U.S. yet. Expect to see more announcements about this from social media apps in 2023.

Customer Service

Mobile/in-app shopping and online shopping overall have continued to increase as Gen Z reaches an independent purchasing age. The key to happy (and repeat) customers is personalized customer service. There are many options across social media, in Messenger, DMs, WhatsApp, etc., that allow businesses to automate replies to common brand questions. This is a great way for customers to have an inquiry answered or resolve an issue quickly. However, it’s important still to have real people available on the back end to intervene with more complicated requests.

General Marketing

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing continues to be a superior way for brands to gain exposure and bring in revenue. Partnering with influencers whose audiences intersect with your own can boost sales. And influencers perform a variety of services, whether it’s posting on their own social media or creating video content for you to share on your own platforms.

Advertising

Social media advertising remains the best way to gain reach, conversions, and more for your business. As the space becomes more crowded with businesses, it can be hard to find your footing. The holiday season, a time when spending increases greatly, is the best example of this. Refined targeting to reach audiences that meet your business goals is the best way forward. SEO, tagging, and defining your audience will get you to your goals.

What are some of your digital marketing predictions for 2023?

Use Social Media E-Commerce to Boost Your Business

Morgan Moresco on April 22, 2022

Written by: Danielle Gazda

E-commerce in social media apps has come a long way in the last couple of years. Online shopping in this form was inevitable, but it developed much more quickly than most people expected. The pandemic forced people to stay in their homes and created a demand for more ways to shop online — it also opened a range of possibilities for retailers.

Based on Black Friday and Cyber Monday trends of recent years, online shopping is becoming more and more popular. Making purchases is even easier now that people can shop directly in commonly used social media apps.

Meta’s apps, Instagram and Facebook, have been at the forefront of e-commerce. Facebook even had a leg up with its Marketplace feature, which allowed any individual to sell products or resell items. Instagram and Facebook Shops, however, are more geared toward businesses. Thanks to algorithms that look at what customers are interested in, these shops have helped small businesses gain followers and sales, with or without paid advertising.

Your business can create e-commerce shops today!

Instagram & Facebook

Since these apps are both part of Meta, their commerce policies, community guidelines, and fees are the same. Setting up a shop on either platform is free and done primarily through the Commerce Manager on your company’s Facebook page.

When you set up your e-commerce shop, you will choose whether your customers will check out through the apps or if they will be sent to your website. There are pros and cons to both.

The major pro to in-app checkout is that customers will be more likely to complete a purchase. As people are pulled to websites outside of an app, often they stop and don’t buy. Even if they do browse the website, they are less likely to complete a purchase than if they could just buy through Instagram or Facebook.

The con is that there are fees involved with choosing to do checkout through Facebook and Instagram. While the fees are not ridiculously high, you may want to reduce any money loss if you have a small business. Whichever app a purchase is made in, Meta gets 5% of the total purchase per shipment. There is also an established flat fee of 40 cents if a purchase is $8 or less. (These fees are being waived through June 30, 2022, to help small businesses post-pandemic. It is unknown if this will be extended.)

It is also important to know Meta’s Commerce Policies and Community Guidelines about what businesses are permitted to sell through the apps. There are some restrictions. As an example, companies that sell CBD or marijuana-related products will not be able to sell through the apps.

TikTok & Pinterest

TikTok is in the e-commerce game with its shopping feature now available in most countries. It also presents the option of in-app checkout or website checkout. Fees of 1% to 5% could apply, which seems to be based on where the buyer is located. It would be safe to assume that the standard is 5%, as it is with Instagram and Facebook. If you choose not to create a shop on TikTok, you can still provide a link to your website in your bio.T

Pinterest does not have in-app purchases but is still extremely popular with shoppers. You can link to items or your website directly in the Pins you make. Many people peruse Pinterest for inspiration, and with a business account, you can tag up to 25 items in a single Pin. This is extremely popular for fashion and furniture/homeware sites because you can tag each individual item that you think customers can buy.

The Takeaway

Choosing to set up e-commerce shops in popular social media apps is a great idea. It generates more exposure, allows you to tag products directly in your posts, and provides an in-app catalog for potential customers to browse without leaving the app. Whether you choose to do checkout within the apps or through your website, you’ll still be on the right track. You can also pair shops with paid advertising or boosted organic content. This may be beneficial to help garner that early exposure — but do it sparingly so you don’t spread your budget too thin.

E-commerce is the way of the future. So get your foot in the door now.

Contact us to help you get started on your e-commerce journey.

Tips for the Best Social Media Community Management

info on October 5, 2021

By: Stephanie Albert

Community management is an essential part of growing an online following that is connected to your brand. It is the process of interacting and engaging with current followers and the actions you take to attract new followers.

Here are five important practices to consider if you want to gain followers and keep the ones you already have.

1.Engage with content your brand is tagged in: Frequently, brands will be tagged in content from happy customers who want to tell their friends about their experiences. When customers tag your brand in their social media posts, be sure to thank them for their support, and let them know you’re glad they enjoyed your product or service. There is also the possibility that your brand will be tagged in negative reviews. Be ready for this. Have a plan that is aligned with your brand identity for responding to these comments, and try to resolve issues whenever you can.

2. Respond to Direct Messages (DMs): Check your messages as frequently as possible — once a day at the very least. While you should think of all DMs from your customers as being important, there are two types of DMs that are particularly useful in helping to build an online brand. DMs received when your brand is tagged in a user’s story can be used to gain user-generated content that can be reposted to show consumers enjoying your product or service. Also valuable are DMs that contain questions about your business or products. You can earn loyal customers by interacting with people and giving them the answers they are looking for.

3. Like and respond to comments: In conjunction with responding to DMs, engage with followers by liking and responding to comments they leave on your posts. Users generally enjoy being recognized by the brands/products they like, and this type of engagement is a great way to increase the positive feelings customers already have about your business.

4. Follow relevant accounts: Follow accounts relevant to your industry, and engage with the content they post. By interacting with this content, the name of your business will appear in the likes and comments on the post, so consumers will have another way to find you.

5. Follow relevant hashtags: While you’re looking for relevant accounts to follow, try following relevant hashtags, too. They can help you find out what kind of content is popular in your industry, and discover new consumers who might be interested in your product.

By paying attention to what’s popular through other relevant content and connecting with current and prospective followers, community management has the potential to greatly increase the engagement your content receives. When it comes to growing your brand’s following online, engaging through community management is key to your success.

Advice from an Agency: How to Create a Strong Social Media Image

info on January 15, 2021

By Annie O’Rourke

Incorporating a positive social media image drives high levels of user engagement and allows your brand to market its services.

Start utilizing social media for your small business

Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter are just a few of the many social media channels that are most important to incorporate for your small business.

It is important for your business to become a highly active user on all social media channels. Social media allows your business and brand to eventually be more visible and searchable. Research the different social media channels to understand which would be best for your brand, and create accounts on the channels that are most fitting. For example, if your products are photogenic, utilize Instagram because its feed is focused on visuals. Incorporating this technique allows your business to develop a platform of their own to further market their product and services. If you’re not sure where to start, 270M can help!

Keep up with current events and social media trends

Show your followers you know what you’re talking about.

Social media is all about sharing different ideas and content. By incorporating current news and events, people will feel that your brand is a credible source. Post the latest coverage and news about your product or brand to your stories and feed. For example, if you’re a beauty agency, remember to not only post your product but also post the latest information and breaking news about the entire beauty industry itself. This allows your followers to engage and connect with your page.

Create a consistent image across all social media platforms

All of the social channels your brand uses should reflect a similar style throughout to keep your brand coherent.

For example, keep your color tones, brand voice, and brand messaging consistent throughout all of your brand touchpoints. Having brand consistency is essential because it ensures that your brand is recognizable wherever a consumer interacts with it. A strong social media image is not just a recommendation, but a necessity for your small business. 270M is here to guide you through the next steps regarding all aspects of creating an impactful social media image.

Our services at 270M will help you move in the right direction in order to reach high levels of user engagement.