Category: Uncategorized

Written by Caroline Legrand
Edited by Allison Herrera

Having a unified message across your brand sounds pretty basic, right? We at Uptown Girl Media agree; but, maintaining a congruent message can become a hassle when advertisements are broadcasted across multiple platforms.

Think about it: we create and post varying content for different social media platforms, and that content differs from non-digital content. The same video posted to Instagram will not have the same success or impact on Twitter or on a commercial. Why? Each platform contains a difference audience.

Unifying your brand message is imperative to the success of your business. By creating and sharing content that is representative of your brand across all platforms, viewers will recognize your content and your brand awareness will increase.

When it comes to keeping your message in line with your brand values across all social media platforms, an English realty company called the Michael Graham Estate Agents takes the gold. One tactic that Michael Graham practices is using their social media accounts as a portfolio for their work. I mean, c’mon, who doesn’t love a feed full of beautiful places and spaces?

By committing to unify their brand messaging, Michael Graham was able to reach new goals.

• Michael Graham saw a 100% increase in monthly website viewers,
• A 10% click-through rate on social campaigns, and
• A $600,000 shift from print to digital advertisements.

Before Michael Graham successfully unified their messaging, they experienced confused customers who were seeing different messages on their print and social media content. From there, the company’s social media team now works to keep consumers aware of the brand. Now, it’s almost impossible to not recognize a piece of Michael Graham property.

Let’s unify your messaging! If you’re interested in cultivating brand awareness for your company, Uptown Girl Media is ready to create content to support you. Email us today at contact@uptowngirl.media, and we will set up a complementary consultation.

Written by Allison Herrera

Many people use social media as a tool in terms of boosting a brand. But, many people become impatient, desperate or are simply uneducated on social media (which is totally okay – that’s why people hire us, the professionals on all things digital marketing)…and that results to purchasing fake followers, likes, comments and the usage of bots…AKA EVERY SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETER’S NIGHTMARE. When you partake in these unethical practices, you’re only hurting yourself…for MANY reasons. Today, I’m touching on only seven reasons inauthentic engagement (fake followers, bought likes/comments, bots) is *serial* killing your social media page.

Loss of Integrity & Reputation

Your company’s integrity and reputation should be more important than your “popularity” online. By purchasing more followers, you give off the impression that your brand is more mainstream than it actually is. But unless you’re Kylie Jenner, rising from 0 to 3,000 followers in a matter of days tends to make people suspicious…which reflects on your integrity and reputation.

Your audience is even becoming savvier in spotting what raises red flags on social media accounts, which includes fake followers, bought likes/comments and bots. There are even guides out online, which help users decipher what accounts are trustworthy. What it all simply boils down to is engagement.

The lack of engagement on an account is what reveals whether your account is authentic or not. Organically grown Instagram accounts tend to follow engagement patterns. Here are the average engagement rates for genuine Instagram accounts according to Markerly:

• < 1,000 followers average about 8% engagement
• 1,000 – 10,000 followers average 4% engagement
• 10,000 – 100,000 followers average 2.4% engagement
• 100,000 – 1 million followers average 1.8% engagement
• > 1 million followers average 1.7% engagement

If your level of engagement is either significantly above or significantly below these numbers, people will question your brand’s worth, which is why you need to continuously engage with your audience, share quality posts and work on attaining genuine followers who resonate with your brand. You can also typically spot fake engagement by comparing the ratio of likes to comments on the photos somebody shares.

Just as if you have a significant number of followers, yet an incredibly low engagement; you can raise suspicion if you buy likes. Why? Because it can push your engagement statistics outside an acceptable range.

Genuine brands build their following organically. Although this takes time and much work, you will be happier in the long run by not losing credibility from taking shortcuts. If you are dishonest online, your followers will begin questioning whether or not you are also dishonest in other areas of your business.

Fake Followers = No Engagement

Like I said earlier, inauthentic accounts are detected simply by analyzing engagement. Engagement is key when running successful social media accounts and campaigns. We always tell our clients that followers and likes are always nice, but they don’t necessarily result in a sale…engagement is what leads to that money, honey! So, fake followers/likes are worthless if you’re looking for a return on investment.

Fake followers don’t actually engage with your account, and if you’re a brand, you want to influence your followers to buy a product or service. If your followers don’t engage with you, you aren’t influencing them in any way. Bought followers also don’t actually see anything you post, which lowers your engagement. This ultimately provides zero results when selling products or services to your target audience on social media.You want genuine followers who are actually interested in your brand and, at the very least, look at your posts.

Social media algorithms also thrive off of user engagement…but with fake followers, fake likes/comments and bots, your engagement rate is off, due to the inauthenticity and lack of strategy. Social media accounts analyze your posts through an overall engagement rate – the percent of people who…

• Saw your post
• Liked your post
• Saved your post
• Commented on your post
• Sent your post to other followers
• Clicked on your post/profile

The above, in turn, determines how many more followers see your posts from there. When you buy likes or comments, your content is now more unlikely to be seen, which hurts your overall reach. This now opens another can of worms…

Unreliable Data and Wasting Ad Money

When creating a marketing or communications campaign, we always look at who our targeted demographic is and peep at our audience. Unfortunately, if you engage in practices with fake followers, bought likes/comments and bots, your demographic data is now skewed, which results in unreliable marketing efforts. Paying for engagement on your social media page will then cause confusion in terms of proper strategy. These problems include…

• Understanding who your consumers are
• Developing long-term strategy
• An inability to connect with authentic and engaged users
• The capability to create impactful campaigns
• A proper schedule in terms of when your audience is most active

Due to the reasons above, you end up wasting ad money with fake engagement. The purpose of an ad campaign is increasing the number of impressions and promoting engagement. But, if your page is comprised of fake followers, fake likes and fake comments, your ad money will promote your content by targeting that audience – FAKE spam accounts and FAKE uninterested accounts, who don’t even see your content…they just “like” it.

Why does that happen when running ad campaigns? Because ad campaigns go off of ENGAGAMENT in order to resonate with interested audiences. If your engagement is inauthentic, your ad will reach inauthentic accounts, which continues promoting inauthentic engagement. It’s a hamster wheel that’s a headache and a half to get off of. Because of these issues, paying for engagement on social media is not be the best return on investment.

There’s No Profit

You don’t earn money using fake followers, bought likes/comments and bots. Hasn’t this clicked by now? In fact, there’s a higher chance you will lose money due to…

• People discrediting your brands integrity and reputation due to dishonesty online
• Instagram can purge your “followers” and suspend inauthentic accounts

The purpose of having a social media page for your brand is to sell your product or service. By falsely boosting your numbers, you have no strategy to sell. Your data is unreliable, your ad campaign money is wasted, your credibility and reputation are tarnished, etc. None of your fake followers or bots will generate leads or follow your call to actions by clicking on your website. Inauthentic engagement doesn’t buy products, purchase services or promote your brand. If you have an uneducated audience, all your fake interactions yield to is making it seem like your brand is bigger than it actually is.

As I already touched on, automation ends up hurting your brand more than anything. Many people believe that if you have tons of followers, other brands or consumers want in with what you’re offering, but that is 110% false. Remember when I said engagement is everything? I wasn’t joking. People are now taking note when it comes to engagement rates; and, as I previously said, people are becoming savvier when determining what accounts are authentic and organically promoted. As social media marketing evolves, brands and consumers have access to more tools and knowledge that deciphers fake engagement from the real deal.

Unlike genuine followers who will purchase products or actively promote your brand and refer you to other customers, fake followers will do nothing of the sort. Instead, you’ll spend money on dormant accounts that won’t provide any return on investment. You’ll even end up spending more money than planned due to social media vigilance.

With Instagram on the lookout and actively removing fake followers/accounts, you set yourself up for failure, because you end up constantly buying them back to keep with appearances. By the time you know it, you’ve lost more money than intended. That money could have been better invested in more genuine marketing efforts; but hey, what do we know 

PR Nightmare

Bots are exactly what they are called…robots! So, they don’t receive social cues from a post’s context or a caption beneath a photo. Instead, they generate comments based on hashtags, which many people don’t know how to properly use.

Bots can sometimes provide a Public Relations nightmare through their fake and overly enthusiastic comments on behalf of your account. For example, no one wants to see “Nice!” under a Black Lives Matter post saying, “I can’t breathe”. So. Inappropriate.

Generic comments from bots on behalf of your account can sometimes land on the wrong post, may link to a distasteful account, provide no value in terms of connecting with potential clients and are anything but genuine. Don’t forget, your actions are visible online. So, that “million-dollar client” might be turned off from an inappropriate like or comment.

Organic engagement is key. Although bots are used to “boost engagement”, you you’re your engagement to be true to your brand, tasteful and to properly reflect your standards. You’re better off putting in the time instead of money, when it comes to authentic interactions. This way, you and your team can strategize what accounts to engage with, how to engage and use your authentic voice.

Unethical – Instagram Can Purge Your Followers & Suspend Your Account

Although there is no “Internet Police”, it is unethical to buy followers, likes or use Instagram bots, because you are ultimately lying to your audience. Buying fake followers and likes are also against Instagram’s Terms of Service. Instagram discourages buying followers and likes because it goes against why the app was created – to cultivate authentic connections. Instagram merely wants members to have an pleasant user-experience and encourages users to be present and upload posts/engage with other users in real time.

As a result, Instagram purges fake followers and can also suspend accounts involved in such practice…which then looks incredibly bad on your brand if it’s suspended due to dishonest practices. Perhaps Instagram will slap you on the wrist the first time they suspect you of engaging in unethical practices, but they won’t be so forgiving a second time. At least, if they catch you.

Instagram wants its members to have an enjoyable user experience. Therefore it puts quite some effort into finding and eradicating false accounts. Instagram makes regular purges, searching for fake accounts. They have considerable experience of finding fake accounts and know all the signs to look out for.

According to Instagram’s former Community Evangelist Jessica Zollman, Instagram has a team dedicated to identifying spam. Since 2014, Instagram purged millions of fake followers from many accounts on Instagram in order to generate more authenticity on the platform.

Bought Followers Bring Spam

When you buy fake engagement, you open your account up to spam posts. Some purchased followers are sometimes disguised as spam. This might affect your Instagram account, or any other accounts associated with it, like your email address. Any opportunity for spammers to spread their spam is fair game after you open the gate.

Closing Thoughts

Let’s use social media what it was intended for – to build genuine relationships and connections with your audience through engagement. Although purchasing followers, likes and comments may be seductive and the use of bots gives an allusion of saving you time, all this fake engagement does is hurt…you’re only hurting yourself. Think about the long run when working with social media. It’s always better to have a small, focused and active community than a bunch of fake followers that will never interact with or buy from you. So, remain genuine online, and don’t sell yourself short. If you have any questions about social media, email us today at contact@uptowngirl.media. We’d love to help you out!

Written by Allison Herrera

The “new normal” is isn’t so “new” anymore…and if you haven’t pivoted your marketing strategy since Covid-19 hit, you’re going to fall behind in 2021. Due to this pandemic, consumerism is changing quicker than evolution planned, and it will never look the same. In our opinion, it shouldn’t. Why? Because our priorities as a society are shifting.

Increased Internet Traffic

Based on research, The New York Times revealed what most of us already assumed: the “coronavirus has changed the way we internet.” Our tolerance for screen time has never been higher, and that’s not likely to change. Neha Singh, managing director of marketing and innovation at BAM Communications, says, “During most crises, marketing teams are the first to go, but this crisis is different. Right now, Internet usage is up by 50 to 70 percent.”

In order for brands to keep up with consumers’ 50-70% increase of Internet usage, brands must double down on engagement efforts. Organic marketing is key when it all boils down to Internet traffic. That means, you may need to revisit your approach to organic traffic.

Organic Marketing

During this time, Singh says, “customers may not be buying,” due to many financial reasons, thanks to Covid-19. But, customers, “are engaging” online, according to Singh. This means your digital presence needs to be pushed consistently, especially since more people are spending time online, as we previously mentioned. As cities progress into higher phases, consumers are coming back, which is why it’s critical for businesses to shift their marketing strategy into a plan that best reflects and meets your clients’ needs AND keep the company’s focus on marketing – ready to capture consumers once again. Along with selling a product or service, events are also pivoting, which shifts interaction.

Most in-person events are now online, where engagement with a target audience is crucial. You’re now competing for your viewer’s attention…which isn’t exactly a walk in the park. Organic marketing assists in effectively capturing your audience.

Although some events are back to being held in person, participants are also encouraged to engage through digital means. Both in-person events encourage interaction online, such as checking in at locations or tagging companies in pictures posted online.

How can you boost organic connections and build brand trust?

Provide relevant content
Updating what products/services you offer
Addresses client concerns
Experiment

Experimenting

This is a wonderful time for experimentation, when it comes to digital marketing strategies. Just like advertising as a whole has shifted, so have brands. For example, outdoor brands probably have a new audience, due to an increase in outdoor activities. Another example is a shift from eating out to eating in – more people are probably ordering more food delivery or takeout, due to capacity limits in restaurants. Do you see how your product or service may remain the same, but outside forces shift the “who”, “when”, “how”, “where” and “why”? Hence, it’s a great time to experiment, and companies will, “need marketers who can stretch your dollar and who aren’t afraid to experiment,” according to Singh.

Us humans are also craving interaction, whether it’s online or (safely) in-person. But, due to an increase of online screen time, companies should focus their efforts on digital marketing and shift interaction from in-person to online. This is where organic marketing comes into play.

Marketing strategies should now move forward on the basic idea of using content to create powerful connections online and kicking off conversations. Quarantine has taught us that online conversations are just as impactful as face-to-face interactions. If chefs are hosting cooking classes through Zoom and bands are hosting virtual concerts on Facebook Live, brands also have a broad range of resources and opportunities to connect with communities. By humanizing your brand and communicating to consumers about their deepest concerns and innermost thoughts, you can cultivate an ongoing conversation, even among those who may not be financially ready for your product/service.

Covid-19 impacted the advertising industry long-term, as successful marketing accelerated a shift to digital. Due to Increased Internet Traffic, brands must shift their efforts to digital marketing strategies, through Organic Marketing and Experimenting. As brands work on striking a balance, marketing strategies reflect success based on how brands adjust and improve their digital marketing efforts. If you need some direction with pivoting your marketing strategies, especially when it comes to organic marketing and experimentation, we can help! Send us a message here, and we’ll be glad to assist you.

Written by Allison Herrera & Caroline Legrand

Using IG Live is a great option right now, while life as we know it is still mostly digital. It allows you to connect with your clients and followers in real time. The best opportunities for using IG Live allow you to…

• Share a promo
• Show a behind the scenes
• Or even share what working from home looks like right now…and it lets viewers ask questions while you’re filming that you will be able to answer on the spot

There are many different avenues that you could touch on while sharing. For example, you can share products for clients to view and educate viewers on programs you offer. You can also share intel for students or other professionals in your industry. Lastly, you can promote a networking alliance or simply provide an authentic connection for followers, in order for you to organically grow.

Hopefully these questions or people seeing a face and hearing a voice will provide connection and produce a possible client, or at least a sale. Remember, our goal at the end of the day for businesses on social media is to convert viewers into clients.

IG also notifies followers that you are going live and boosts your video in the stories to gain views. It can also be saved and highlighted for others to look back on. Surprisingly, live videos have the highest rated organic interactions on Facebook, so it may be worth it to look into going live there as well. Don’t believe us? Click here to see a breakdown of Facebook Live stats.

Live video isn’t going anywhere, and the future of social media is leaning more and more towards video content (think about the popularity of TikTok and Instagram Reels – click here for our blog post on Instagram Reels). Whether it’s pre-recorded or live, video is king when it comes to content…and knowing how or when to utilize it is key. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at contact@uptowngirl.media – we would love to work with you!

Written by Caroline Legrand
Edited by Allison Herrera

Every now and then, we come across a company with little to no social media activity. While some people are just not familiar with using social media for business promotion, others simply do not allocate resources for digital advertising. Whether that’s you, or if you’re just looking to improve your digital content, we are here to tell you why social media is ruling the advertising world.

From 2014 to 2018, non-digital advertisements faced a $10 billion decrease in revenues. On the contrary, from the same years, digital advertisements saw a $60 billion increase in revenues. Even from 2018 to 2019, digital advertising revenues led non-digital revenues by $6 billion. Now, they lead by $15-20 billion.

When it comes to digital advertising, video is king. Video content on social media generates more sales than any other content format, locking in right below $30 billion in 2018. Luckily, that’s our specialty at Uptown Girl Media.

But in case the numbers haven’t sold you on solidifying your social media plan, just remember that social media is B-I-G right now. Almost everyone is on social media and they spend a large amount of their time scrolling through it. People do not read magazines as often anymore, but they do read the individual articles that are commonly shared through social media platforms. We do not know what the future of social media holds, but we do know that it is the best bet your company has for a successful campaign.

Companies like Shapermint allocate 80% of its marketing budget on Facebook and Instagram alone. Why put all your eggs in one basket? Well, they are still reaching their marks and bringing significant sales to the company through their digital advertising on the sites, so they say, “Why Not?”

Written by Allison Herrera & Caroline Legrand

The most grandeur marketing campaigns of the year also happen to be a part of America’s largest sporting event. People anticipate all year, or at least from pre-season on, whether or not their team will be in the Super Bowl. As Americans, we know where next year’s Super Bowl will be held before we know who even won this year’s game. But, as much as America loves football (Who Dat!), not everyone watches the Super Bowl as a sports spectator – we watch for the commercials. In my honest opinion, unless the players are sporting black and gold uniforms with a Lombardi trophy in hand, the commercials are arguably the best part about the Super Bowl.

Starting with the 2020 Super Bowl, though, brands were starting to change the game. With the 30-second spot for a commercial costing up to $5.6 MILLION, brands are searching for other ways to utilize the Super Bowl hype. In 2019, instead of purchasing a commercial spot, Skittles produced a musical in New York on the day of the Super Bowl. Actors such as Michael C. Hall performed a song titled “Advertising Ruins Everything” in remembrance of old advertising musicals for companies like G.E. and J.C. Penney. The show sold out in less than a week.

Stella Artois opted out of a Super Bowl media spot, too. Instead of creating a commercial, Stella Artois hosted a weekend-long party in Miami set with musical performances, celebrity appearances, pop-up restaurants and ferry-yachts that let visitors skip out on the traffic from the causeway. The yachts were adorned with the Stella Artois logo, of course, for all riders and those stuck on the causeway to see. Other companies that opted out of commercials include Burger King, Sketchers and Wix.

Overall, less people are watching the Super Bowl than in recent years, and advertisers want their audience more engaged (hence, the Miami parties and New York musicals). From 2017 to 2019, the number of viewers fell from 111.3 million to 98.2 million. But, one thing everyone is watching during the Super Bowl besides the television, is social media.

Using social media to advertise during the Super Bowl is a great way to catch the attention of consumers glued to a 2nd and 3rd screen, while also boosting customer engagement – which is what all brands want right now. Whether you’re tweeting about a bogus call or posting an Instagram Story about the Super Bowl snack spread, people are on social media platforms. Not only are people living on social media platforms, but they are engaging with other users, brands, etc. by liking posts, replying to stories, answering polls, sharing posts, watching videos, commenting beneath posts…

Not only does social media campaigns help boost engagement (which sparks conversation) – they are also affordable, especially for smaller budget companies who would otherwise never advertise during Super Bowl weekend. Social media campaigns don’t cost anywhere near the price of a Super Bowl commercial spot, yet they have all eyes on it at the same time as that $5.6 million dollar spot is airing. For a fraction of the price of a Super Bowl commercial spot, you can run an effective social media campaign.

While it’s clear why brands invest big bucks into Super Bowl airtime, brands such as General Mills, GNC, Gatorade, T-Mobile and Petsmart (just to name a few) choose to spend efforts with an engaged audience on social media. Contact us at Uptown Girl Media today, and we can show you how this can be done for your company during football season, or we can prepare ahead of time for Super Bowl advertising. And for those of you who love the commercials though, fear not. TiVo, who usually allows people to skip ads, plans to revive an option to skip the football and only see the commercials.

Written by Caroline Legrand
Edited by Allison Herrera

Digital advertisements and marketing are becoming more and more popular every day. With fast paced media and less in-person connection, it is more important than ever to make sure you are developing a relationship with your customers. At Uptown Girl Media, we do this by storytelling.

It really is as simple as telling a bedtime story, except it’s all about your brand. Add strategic messaging, and voila – you’ve given your customers a base to connect with you! Here is a little information about how a company does just that.

Away, an Inst-Famous travel brand selling luggage, became an icon for storytelling by literally writing a book with the launch of the company in 2016. Founders Steph Korey and Jen Rubio interviewed 40 creatives including travel bloggers and photographers to compose a book with all of their insights titled The Places We Return To. With the purchase of a book, customers received a gift card for a suitcase.

The Places We Return To also set the tone for their marketing practices to this day as Away maintains a blog and a quarterly print magazine titled Here. The production is separate from the commerce website and even has its own Instagram, @here.mag where writers share their city guides, travel tips and experiences.

One aspect of being a storytelling brand is telling the stories of your consumers. Away does this by sharing photos of followers who travel using their luggage. Most of the Instagram content is curated from user generated posts showing exquisite travel destinations and photos of iconic places and spaces. They also incorporate the hashtag #travelaway to keep all of their user content in one place.

Away derailed itself from a traditional retail model by not having a permanent storefront. Their Instagram shares pop-up locations when they happen, but the premise of the company and its interactions is that they are brand driven, not sales driven. Ultimately, that is what storytelling can do for your company.

Another brand we love that markets through storytelling is airbnb. They paint their marketing strategy as a wanderlust page that silently whispers, “you could be here”. It does exactly what their caption guarantees – “opens the door to interesting homes and experiences.” EXPERIENCES is the key word.

My father has always told me to follow my passions and that a career, life and money would follow. By telling your brand’s story and following the passion that started your company, it is possible to be a brand-driven organization and not worry (or at least over worry) about sales. Sales will follow passion. Share yours.

• « Top Typography

• Written by Allison Herrera & Caroline Legrand

  Typography is great for when you’re watching videos in a public restroom or on a boring Zoom call where you’re piping in every now in then. But, successful typography keeps an audience captivated during a video. By using engaging fonts and effects, you can take your video game to the next level. Here are our favorites:

  Large Lettering

  As seen on Netflix’s “Mindhunter,” bold statements are in…and nothing says bold like taking up the whole screen with block letters! Large letter is great because it easily grabs your viewers’ attention without much thought. Pro Tip: differing from regular to Italics for emphasis is a genius tactic and separates the information for viewers to consume it easily.

  Layered Text

  Let’s be honest, watching a cell phone receive a notification just isn’t as satisfying as watching your favorite characters on screen and seeing their notifications pop up for you to decipher. More and more movies have invested in layering text on a screen to create an effect, which is more entertaining and offers a cleaner transition, rather than phone screens taking up the whole screen. Plus, you get to experience your favorite characters’ emotions as they read some juicy gossip!

  

  Visuals in Text

  In my opinion, Marvel Comics has a great example of this style. Creating visuals within your text can bring the words to life, especially when used in a logo or movie title. I like the example of Marvel because it briefly and effectively tells the brand’s story (at least fans will pick up on it).

  

  Interactive Typography

  Interactive Typography is without a doubt the coolest typography trend that’s EVERYWHERE right now, and we cannot get enough of it! Another way to describe Interactive Typography is by calling it Kinetic Typography. Kinetic (meaning movement) segues into what Interactive Typography is – an animation technique that uses moving text to capture attention, set a tone, and entertain, by making words more impactful and adding an artistic element.

  INTERACTIVE TYPOGRAPHY

  Do you have a favorite typography option? DM us on either Facebook or Instagram – we would love to hear your opinion. Please let us know if you have questions, comments or concerns!

• Written by Allison Herrera

  This month, Instagram released a new feature in the U.S. called “Instagram Reels”. Instagram Reels is another opportunity for Instagram users to creatively express themselves on the platform, much like on TikTok, a rival app. Instagram Reels offers users a set of creative tools in creating fun, engaging short clips to share with their followers. They essentially show off…

  • 15-second videos – multi-clip reels
  • Audio, text, special effects and stickers
  • A new dedicated Feed on the Explore page

  

  With over 25 million businesses utilizing Instagram, it’s time for you to step up your game and shine within the crowd. With brands like Louis Vuitton, Sephora and Walmart already utilizing the platform’s new feature, we’re urging businesses to follow their lead. Just like we promised in our blog post Optimizing Video Content, we are going into depth on what Instagram Reels is, it’s importance & how you can use it. Here’s the skinny on what Instagram Reels features…

  • Several editing tools, which include AR effects, speed controls and the option to align multiple clips (Pro Tip: these are great for cleaner transitions)
  •  Options to share on the Explore page and Stories – a place that over 50% of Instagram accounts use every month, causing your brand to have a larger change of drawing in new followers
  •  A dedicated section of your profile where all of your Reels live and the option to post Reels in your feed, both similar to IGTV posts
  • The attribution of audio – if you include original audio (the sounds you recorded in your video), your audio will be credited to you. This gives other users an opportunity to use your original audio for their reels; but as we previously mentioned, the audio would be attributed to you, the original creator of it

  Many say Instagram Reels is an attempt for the platform to compete with TikTok. Both apps sport the same goal: provide users with an environment where they can create and share short videos with others. But, although Instagram Reels is very similar to TikTok, the two also feature many differences.

  

  Instagram Reels are important for many reasons. The first is you can tap into a whole new audience, people who prefer quick content that’s easy to digest. These short-form videos that Instagram Reels promote are popular, especially with Gen-Z. Brands can also collaborate with influencers, by creating content via Instagram Reels. Also, without going into logistics, Instagram has a tendency to “reward” users when they utilize all of the platform’s features. Most importantly, we over at Uptown Girl Media predict that Instagram Reels will have success similar to TikTok.

  Facebook (who owns Instagram) is notorious for pushing new features that their rival apps developed. Let’s rewind back a few years ago to when Facebook replicated the Snapchat Stories feature, by carrying it over to Instagram. Now, Instagram Stories are more widely used and popular than Snapchat Stories. Although it started off as a clone of Snapchat Stories, Instagram Stories are now an effective channel for brands to showcase their personality and build their audience. Now, let’s think about the power of influence. Combine all of those highlights together, and gear it towards Instagram Reels. How can the feature not succeed?

  Tiktok is also under fire – just Google “TikTok ban” and you can find all the research you need. We’re not here to talk politics, but if the U.S. follows India’s lead in banning the app, Instagram Reels will naturally fall as its successor (unless Microsoft buys the app, which has been in discussion as a potential opportunity…but that’s a whole other conversation). Either way, TikTok’s public image hasn’t been all positive for everyone; whereas Instagram hasn’t had any PR messes, at least this week.

  With TikTok creating a culture based on short-form videos, it shouldn’t be a struggle for the new Instagram Reels feature to gain popularity. In our opinion, TikTok creating this hype is merely a step for Instagram to take their app to the next level. Instagram can finish building the house TikTok set the foundation for, since Instagram is one of the most widely used apps in the world and translates between more generations than TikTok.

  Although Facebook’s initial attempt to compete with TikTok by launching an app back in 2018 called Lasso failed (Lasso shut down on July 10, 2020), we believe Instagram Reels is bound for success. With TikTok’s statistics rising over the past few months (more than back in 2018) and Facebook learning from past mistakes, we wouldn’t sleep on Instagram Reels, if you care about growth and success on social media. Businesses can utilize Instagram’s new feature multiple ways, but here are 5 creative ideas business profiles can grow on…

  1. Repost TikTok videos on Instagram
  2. Share educational content
  3. Showcase products
  4. Share behind the scenes
  5. Announce sales

  

  Before we wrap up, we aren’t saying to delete TikTok, but you can enhance your social media game by either creating more unique content on Instagram (a larger platform with multiple features other than Reels) or you can reuse your content from it by translating it to Instagram. A great example is ColourPop Cosmetics. By utilizing both apps, you can…

  • Bring your Instagram followers who are not on TikTok a new type of content
  • Help expose your TikTok content to new audiences on Instagram
  • Gain new followers on Instagram based on unique content by utilizing TikTok’s short form strategy

  If you’ve made it to this point in our post, it’s a no-brainer that brands should grab the opportunity to be some of the first creators on Instagram Reels. What do you have to lose? If you have any questions about Instagram Reels, campaign ideas or creative strategies regarding individualized success for your specific company or brand, please reach out to us at contact@uptowngirl.media for support.

• Written by Caroline Legrand
  Edited by Allison Herrera

  Did you know that SmashBurger and WhatsApp were created during recessions? That’s right. Although we are social distancing right now, we do not need to stay inside the box (or the house) when it comes to our business.

  For most companies, the current circumstances are nothing like business as normal. Plans for the year, events and launches have been altered. But, by pivoting to a new route and adapting to the extenuating circumstances, you can maintain communication and connection with your customers.

  Enter the webcam. Your laptop most likely has one on it, your phone has the capability to duplicate one and your desktop has the ability to connect to one.

  

  From Google Hangouts and Zoom Meetings to Skype happy hour, webcams are keeping communities connected and changing the way that businesses are marketing during stay-at-home orders.

  Although we seem to live in a largely digital world, we realize how much we rely on face-to-face connection when we lose the ability to have the physical presence of a loved one, friend or even co-worker.

  Skin and hair care companies are sharing videos with tips and hacks for their products, holding social media competitions and giveaways, and ways to keep a wellness routine. Fitness studios are moving online and providing videos to their clients and followers to keep them moving and healthy, and universities are holding classes over video where students can still connect with professors.

  Some examples of companies we’re loving right now utilizing video on Instagram:

  • @dnice – utilizing IG Live for DJ and dance parties
  • @littonavenue – utilizing videography to create courses for followers
  • @body__shoppe – this New Orleans fitness studio pivoted from hosting classes in person to live streaming through webcams. Although they’re no longer “live”, their business model expanded as they now provide “on demand” classes, thanks to re-visioning during this crazy time
  • @primallypure – hosting virtual skin care challenges and providing tips through video
  • @n.o.c.c.i – hosting virtual conferences, that would otherwise be cancelled

  While webcams may not provide a hand to hold or a friend to hug, they can provide the closest connection to face-to-face that we can manage right now.

  

  Utilizing a webcam to stay connected with your employees and customers is vital during social distancing. Here are a few tips to help your business mindset during these challenges:

  • Ask how your employees are, before asking what you need them to do
  • Listen to your customers and pivot your marketing to serve their updated needs
  • Focus on enriching and providing quality content for customers to keep them loyal to your company
  • Do not compare your business to last year’s revenues or goals, adapt and focus on sustaining your business
  • Take the opportunity to grow your brand and develop proper policies and strategies

  If you have any questions about making video work for your company, or how to simply think “outside the box” when it comes to utilizing video, please reach out to us at contact@uptowngirl.media for support.