We’re a quarter of the way through 2018 and it’s time for some trend spotting. Despite a rocky start to the year including some troubling news about privacy on social media, new research shows that social media use continues to be on the rise. Among which demographics and on which platforms might surprise you – so be sure to dig into the trend articles below to find out who’s using which platforms. Reading this around lunch time? You’ll want to see which fast food brands are best at tantalizing taste buds. And, if you’re daydreaming about summer vacation, learn more about how savvy brands might just enhance your downtime. Finally – a few tips about Instagram and Snapchat will leave you with some news you can use.
Trends
The Next Web: Social Media Use is Increasing Despite Privacy Fears
Chances are you know someone who has abandoned social media or certain platforms due to privacy fears. You might even have considered removing your brand’s presence – but before you make any decisions, read this recent research which shows that the number of social media users worldwide grew by more than 100 million in the first quarter of 2018. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg…
QSR: Which Restaurant Brands Rule the Social Media Universe?
Whether or not you’re a fan of fast food, it’s always fun to take a peek into a familiar industry and see who’s winning the social media race to engage with customers. This recent study looked at the top restaurants in the $200 billion industry and shares who comes out on top on Facebook and Instagram.
Adweek: How to Use Social Media to Bring Customers Closer to Your Brand When They’re Vacationing
Summer is just around the corner and while you might think people take a break from social media when they’re on vacation – it turns out the opposite is true. Whether you’re a location-based business looking to pull in tourists or a brand looking to keep up with your fans when they’ve got more time to engage, this article offers some good tips.
Adweek: 9 Instagram Tips From High-Reach Instagrammers
An Adweek poll of around 600 social influencers revealed Instagram as their favorite platform. Almost 80 percent of them are using Instagram stories, and another 50 percent are using albums. Learn top tips from these power users in this helpful article.
Digiday: Instagram Stories Have Become Traffic Drivers for Publishers and Influencers
Curating an audience on social media is one thing – but converting them from social into an audience you truly own, such as a targeted email list, is even more valuable. Experts share how they’re converting about 2 to 5 percent of impressions on Instagram stories into valuable conversions in this short piece.
Snapchat
The Verge: You Can Now Build Your Own Face Filter For Snapchat
Exciting news from Snapchat this week – the platform is releasing seven new templates in Lens Studio where creators will have the chance to create digital masks. If this sounds too technical for you, take heart, as the templates range in complexity and creators can build face filters in a few as five minutes. We can’t wait to see what you create!
Venture Beat: Snapchat Launches ‘Shoppable’ Augmented Reality Feature in Lenses
Snapchat has launched a new ‘shoppable’ augmented reality (AR) Lens feature for advertisers worldwide. With more than 70 million users using Lenses in Snapchat daily, this is a feature worth reviewing for any brand considering using Snapchat advertising to reach its consumers.
On the Blog:
- Starbucks Shows it Takes Discrimination Seriously: We love to showcase companies that handle a crisis scenario well, and this week Starbucks gets a nod from our own Jeremy Story in this blog post.
- Get Grounded Spotlight: Denver Children’s Advocacy Center: Hear from CenterTable team member Justin Szykowny as he summarizes one in the series of recent Get Grounded Spotlight videos.
