What Brands Can Learn About Live Content From HQ Trivia

For years, people have touted live content as the next big thing. First, Justin.TV paved the way with 24-hour streaming. Before long, seemingly every app in the world introduced live-streaming capabilities. But even while the opportunity to go live has grown exponentially, the content that captures the most attention is often the latest Netflix original. […]

Breaking Down Why CPMs Rise During the Holidays

This article was previously published at Social Media Today. You’re running campaigns as usual, good ones. Campaigns that have succeeded in the past. Some might have even returned best-in-class results. All of a sudden, though, the cost of those same strategies and campaign structures increased in October, and your November numbers are even higher. What […]

The Social Lights 2018 Social Media Predictions

A lot happened in the past 12 months. Social media is responsible for far more than many would have ever imagined possible. From social commerce to augmented reality to political influence, social platforms were under the microscope in 2017. As the calendar year winds down, headlines like “Social trends to watch in 2018” fill up […]

5 Social Media Hacks to Give the Gift They Never Knew They Needed

Is there anything more depressing during the holiday season than finally resolving to type “Christmas gifts for mom” or “what should I get my brother for Christmas?” Other than making a mistake while coloring in your Starbucks cup, not much comes to mind. Every year, we find ourselves grasping at straws, searching for some semblance […]

How Marketers Can Use Facebook Groups to Foster Brand Loyalty

Facebook is doubling down on its commitment to a closer, more connected world. From Zuckerberg’s 5,000-word manifesto in February to his updated vision for the platform, the social giant is set on bringing people together. In mid-July, Facebook announced that brands would be able to create groups within their Page. We’re really, really big fans […]

How Amazon could force Facebook’s hand in eCommerce

This article was previously published at Social Media Today. Jeff Bezos and Amazon are drawing attention with recent rumors about launching a personal messaging app. The app, reportedly called ‘Anytime’, would link users through one-to-one messaging. Additionally, it’s rumored that the app would include integrations for many Amazon service offerings. The following snippet comes from Marketing Dive: Further, […]

Reimagining Human Connectivity at Social Media Week

Four days, 27 sessions, and 114 Instagram stories later, social strategist Gina Vo landed back in Minneapolis. We sent Gina to Los Angeles, which played host to one of the nation’s four Social Media Week events this year. The event sported a tagline of “Reimagining Human Connectivity,” a compelling topic after Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook manifesto […]

Object Recognition Setting the Stage For Mixed-Reality Advertising

If you’ve kept up with social media news and updates over the first half of 2017, you’ve read the words “object recognition” about as often as you’ve read “Facebook copies Snapchat.” Pinterest’s Lens was among the first public-facing applications introduced around object recognition, one of their many moves aimed at integrating into the real world. […]

Pinterest, the 5 W’s, and Real-World Relevance

By nature, Pinterest drives users into the real world. Whether through baking recipes, DIY projects, or fashion trends, pinners are constantly discovering new ideas on the platform, executing the ideas, and bringing their results back to the platform. This process is so streamlined and automatic that 93 percent of Pinners use the platform to drive […]

Status Update: Recapping Social Media in Q1

Social media platforms came out firing in Q1 with major announcements that are sure to make waves across social media over the coming months. From Facebook launching copycat features in its ongoing quest to be everything for its users, to the marketing world converging on social media, marketers will (or at least should) start reevaluating […]