Instagram SEO: Why is it changed in 2023?

Hi, The change to Instagram is constant, social media marketers are sick of constant these changes. I track them every week and the recent change is Instagram SEO.

 

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is a term we usually associate with Google or other search engines. But have you ever considered its relevance in the realm of Instagram? Yes, that's right - Instagram SEO is real and can give your brand the competitive edge it needs. 

 

This guide draws from the insights of my research & experience with Instagram SEO. My understanding of Instagram SEO will provide a new angle for businesses and aspiring social media managers. So, let's dive into the state of Instagram SEO.

 

Instagram SEO vs Search Engine SEO

 

The fundamental aspect to recognize here is the stark contrast between Instagram SEO and traditional search engine SEO. Why is this so?

 

It primarily comes down to user intent. Instagram users gravitate towards the platform for its visually appealing content, making the imagery or visual content the prime focus of Instagram SEO efforts. While on search engines, text reigns supreme, on Instagram, it's the images that speak louder than words. 

 

Then comes the frequency of algorithmic changes. Search engine algorithms, especially Google's, are notorious for their frequent updates. You can always find me talking about the recent SEO changes in the newsletter. Instagram, however, isn't as predictable. The platform doesn't inform its users about algorithmic changes as often as its search engine platforms like BIng & Google do. 

 

Another critical difference lies in search behavior. The way users look up topics and the phrases they type in Instagram's search bar differ vastly from how they search on Google or other search engines. You can’t expect a user to type a 30 word text on Instagram, most searches are short.

 

Navigating the New Normal: Profile Names and Instagram SEO

 

One of the most common Instagram SEO practices recently witnessed a significant shift. For years, many of us have added keywords to our Instagram profile names to increase visibility. And discovery of your profile was enhanced with this Instagram SEO tactic. 

 

Instagram Profile SEO example of keyword social media

Source: Instagram search

 

This approach had been working effectively until Instagram rolled out its verified badges this year. Now, to acquire these badges, users must only use their legal names. However, for those who aren't particularly interested in obtaining these badges, the practice of adding keywords to profile names remains beneficial for discoverability. 

 

But the decision stands between a verification badge that brings more features and credibility to your profile, through it people notice you more. And a keyword after your name that helps people find you faster than your competitors. 

 

Instagram Alt Text: An Ethical Consideration

 

Instagram Alt text isn't an arena for keyword stuffing. It's a feature that caters to users with screen readers, giving them a better understanding of the content embedded in images. Misusing this feature by cramming it with irrelevant keywords is not only unethical but also counterproductive. Always remember, Alt text should contain relevant, descriptive sentences that truly represent the content of your images. 

 

I recommend you to read this free resource from Alexa Heinrich called Accessible-social, built to educate marketers about the importance of Alt text on social media. From that, the decision is yours to flood alt text for Instagram SEO purposes or keep it clean & relevant.

 

The Hashtags Strategy in Instagram Search

 

While the correlation between hashtags and Instagram SEO isn't direct, dismissing hashtags as unimportant for SEO would be a grave mistake. Keywords-focused hashtags can aid in attracting a more targeted follower base who are truly interested in your offerings. These dedicated followers are more likely to search for relevant hashtags, making it a valuable strategy to increase your visibility.

 

Rethink keyword hashtags as you were a person looking for a targeted solution. You don’t care about the size of the hashtag, recent posts or design. What you care about is the right solution for X problem. That is why I would suggest using keyword-oriented hashtags.

 

Instagram Hashtag SEO example for marketers

Source: Instagram Hashtags

 

The Role of Visual Identity in Instagram SEO

 

Instagram is, first and foremost, a visual platform. The visual identity of your content can make or break your Instagram SEO game. Therefore, it is essential to comprehend what types of images and visual content rank for specific keywords and to tailor your content accordingly.

 

 

Instagram Visual Identity value example for SEO purposes is shown in the image

 

A sound understanding of your industry's visual trends and audience preferences can guide you in this process. I would suggest using my Pinterest design strategy for Instagram SEO, You can read it here. But here is an Instagram design strategy repurposed from my pinterest guide. 

 

Copy - Go to Instagram or Google keyword planner, search your desired topic. Copy the top ranking keywords. And come back to the Pinterest In-app search box.

 

Copy - Search the Instagram keyword and analyze the first 10-15 ranking posts. And go to a text comparison tool . 

 

Action - That tool will give you insights on what keywords that post mentions the most. And from check the average keyword frequency on each post

 

Write - The action is to write a post or Instagram copy targeting that specific keyword on average X times. By doing that, you will be able to rank on Instagram faster and easier.

 

a visualised version of my instagram set strategy

source: Jaskaran saini

 

The Art of Captioning for Instagram SEO

 

Captions can be powerful tools in your Instagram SEO toolkit, but they need to be wielded with care. Alienating your existing followers by stuffing keywords into your captions, all in a bid to attract new followers, is a recipe for disaster.

 

Instead, try to incorporate keywords organically into relevant sentences. You could even create an Instagram SEO caption template as a guide to follow every time. I have another post on writing golden Instagram captions.

 

You can learn how to write better captions from that and integrate keywords within your posts.  This strategy allows you to maintain the natural flow of your captions while still adding value to your SEO efforts.

 

Building Authority: The Key to Instagram SEO

 

Much like traditional SEO, Instagram SEO rankings are influenced by the authority your account holds on specific topics. Regularly discussing related topics helps you establish yourself as an industry expert, making your profile more likely to pop up in Instagram search results.

 

This process might take time, but the payoff is well worth the effort. Building Topical authority on Instagram also helps you to get more relevant clients for your business. As they see your expertise in a topic from miles away. 

 

An example of authoritative Instagram SEO profile

Source: Instagram profiles

 

Insights from Pinterest SEO: A Valuable Lesson

 

Although they cater to different user bases, Instagram and Pinterest share common ground when it comes to SEO. Both are visual platforms where user interaction significantly impacts content ranking. All interactions like Likes, saves, comments have points allocated to them, those points increase your rankings. 

 

A smart strategy is to include engaging call-to-actions at the end of every post to encourage your followers to interact more with your content.

 

A Balanced Approach to Instagram SEO

 

As we learn about different elements of Instagram SEO, one thing is clear: a balanced content strategy that appeals to both the algorithm and your audience is the winning formula. It's a delicate dance between understanding what the algorithm promotes and what your audience resonates with. 

 

There's no denying that Instagram SEO is still an evolving field. The strategies that work today might not yield the same results tomorrow. Because when I surveyed many Instagram marketers on reddit about “best social media search engine”. Instagram came at the bottom as it is developing and you need to create content & captions highly relevant to a topic. To stand out and rank on Instagram search. 

 

I have a positive approach toward Instagram SEO and it will see improvements over time. But, by staying informed and adaptable, you'll be able to steer your Instagram strategy in the right direction. Even when there is no improvement in terms of Instagram search. Always have an up-to-date Instagram strategy. 

 

Instagram marketing changes every week, it's crucial to maintain an open-minded approach, a courage to learn and adapt like all famous social media managers. 

 

Jaskaran’s Personal Bite:

 

SEO is a new topic to Instagram and all of the social media platforms. But as all of our social media feeds are getting filled with more content. All of users are looking for content personalized for their problems. Businesses & creators will win this content war by personalizing their content for an Ideal reader. For me, I love this as this is a long time coming.

 

 

Tailoring your content for an ideal buyer persona is the key to landing on your customer’s Instagram search page. And I wish you best of luck trying to land on that page. I know you will by following my strategies!

A Pinterest Marketing Guide That Works + Strategies

Most brands do marketing for pinterest in the wrong way. Pinterest ranks highest in terms of user satisfaction. The platform is getting acquired by Gen-Z audiences in 2023, yes the revenue growth on pinterest is slow & steady. Pinterest growth in terms of users is increasing as last quarter, the platform reached 463M+ monthly active users.

 

 

I have always loved Pinterest because of my love for fashion & graphic design. And I have learned a lot about Pinterest from marketing clients on the app & using the app for my own interests. And from a single conversation with Pinterest employees. 



This guide will focus on understanding pinterest as a platform & marketing channel. I have similar guides on each social media app. And sharing why different Pinterest myths are told to sell expensive courses, the hidden truth of Pinterest. 



Understanding Pinterest 

 

Pinterest falls under the category of niched social media platforms. What are niched social media apps? The social media platforms like Tumblr & Snapchat are currently utilized by a variety of audiences. But they aren’t like big and essential social media platforms. A lot of niches & Industries are too small on Pinterest. There aren’t enough people searching for your industry or product on the app. Meaning you have to work even harder to find the small communities built around your business. 

 

For that reason, You have to do the market research first before you go all in on Pinterest marketing. I would suggest beginning with doing research on Pinterest Trends. Through Pinterest Trends search engine, you can find how big your market is and what people are searching for on the app. 

 

And you can read the latest 2023 Pinterest trends report discussing growing conversations on the app. Yes, pinterest marketing data doesn’t lie but manual research is necessary too. Your manually curated data and insights are foolproof and you learn a thing or two about creating Pinterest content.

 

Pinterest is known for its positive user and content culture. The recent research from Pinterest shows that brands & businesses positive brand content boosts shopping incentives. Andmakes pinterest users take faster buying actions. 

 

An infographic from pinterest’s positivity research

Source: Pinterest

 

 

From a practical perspective, This means you should use positive social media copy for Pinterest content. And prefer to use positive brand colors  for your pinterest content design. In terms of having a positive colored Pinterest templates database, Canva is a great tool. But you’re only one search away from finding everything about Positive content colors. 



Pinterest, sister of Google. I refer to Pinterest & Reddit as brother & sister because both of these platforms can help you indirectly build your SEO authority. Pinterest Boards rank on a variety of google searches because Pinterest acts as an authority in X amount of niches. 

 

An illustration of why businesses fail doing Pinterest marketing

(Bad illustrator: Me!)

 

 

That is why you need to think of your Pinterest marketing from you building authority in a specific niche across the pinterest (social media platform) & Pinterest Website (Your SEO authority builder). 

 

Packing it all up, Understanding “What is Pinterest?” means:

 

 

You could say it is simple, take these points and try to do marketing for Pinterest using only these 3 with sustainability. You will be 90% successful on Pinterest. 



Pinterest Algorithm 2023

 

Joining various discussions on twitter & reddit, I found out there was a recent shift in Pinterest Algorithm. As after a recent problematic incident on Pinterest in March 2023. The platform had to take new actions to protect young users of the social media app. Those actions lead to introduction of new safety & policy changes. After that, Many Pinterest users saw a change in content discovery, they reported seeing irrelevant content for a few weeks In April 2023.

 

In May 2023, the Pinterest engineering team announced new changes to the Pinterest algorithm.  You can read the blog here, but it is too technical for a non-engineer to understand. I asked for help from my engineer friends to simplify the pinterest changes & how the algorithm works.

 

 

A visual representation of Pinterest algorithm from their engineering team.

Source: Pinterest Engineering on medium

 

 

How Pinterest Algorithm ranks your content

 

Pinterest ranks new content based on your feed based on previous content interactions. And the content with the highest probability to get clicked on by you, is shown when you open the app next time. 

 

For Content ranking on different keywords & Boards, It is ranked higher based on number of engagement factors. Different engagement metrics: Like, Save, share, Repin & comment have different points allocated to them. Making the content ranking possibilities go higher for your Pinterest Pin. 

 

And practices like organized Pinterest Boards & posting Topical Pins also play a major role in helping you rank higher on Pinterest & Google search. 

 

This is a general overview of how the algorithm works from years as revealed by engineering teams at Pinterest & Pinterest Board Advisors I listened to at an private product management event. 

 

Here are the recent changes to Pinterest Algorithm, The simple yet powerful changes are Pinterest trying to promote diversity on the platform & trying to maintain a more positive environment for fashion, beauty & cultural content. 



Why this affects these body-related content & brands is simple. Pinterest wants to end the bias around the perfect skin & content focused toward one community & neglecting others. For that reason, I recommend diversifying your pinterest content & boards. To promote a shared interest rather than a perfect interest to pinterest audiences.



The second change focuses on relevancy. Pinterest improved their keyword targeting search engine. The platform will show more relevant posts now through improved search. That is why focus on better keyword research for relevant Pinterest content creation. 

 

Other than these two main changes, we don’t have many changes coming to Pinterest Algorithm. 



Using Pinterest for Marketing

 

Pinterest influences my purchase decisions a lot but you can’t track my journey as a marketer. Because I leave the platform to make those decisions. And this is a huge issue for my marketers, Pinterest isn’t direct marketing. It is referral & word of mouth marketing at its best.

 

A pinterest user’s saved pins are shared to the public building the word of mouth for your business indirectly. Many only download pinterest images, and look for products on google. You aren’t there, a big mistake. Pinterest content is always flowing and marketing your business, but you only doing Pinterest and neglecting other channels will keep you at a money loss. 

 

That is why Pinterest marketing leaders figure out your consumer search & social media marketing to get 99.9% juice out of your Pinterest marketing efforts. 

 

Step 1: Figure out your Design Identity 

 

Pinterest businesses & marketers are often seen complaining about not getting outbound clicks to their website. People are saving & engaging with content, but it's hard to get the desired CTR. The reason: Unoptimized Pinterest Design.

 

 

A visual representation of good vs bad pinterest design

(Source: Jaskaran)

 

 

Your content design & aesthetic is the design identity of your business. When someone saves your pinterest content, the likelihood of them seeing another post of yours increases. But when your business has an inconsistent design, the dots don’t connect. Your content doesn’t reach that same audience consistently. You start a CTR problem on Pinterest by doing that!

 

Pinterest is home to graphic designers & users who love to consume visual content. You have to think about that element. To find what type of design & aesthetic is working for your competitors and how you can remix that design with your current web or brand design. You have to find a common point between both. 

 

Pinterest Design Strategy

 

Use Lightroom presets: For your product photos, Fashion photography try to use adobe lightroom presets. With this you can match the aesthetic to similar viral pinterest pins. And do marketing for pinterest very aesthetically. 

 

My Design Strategy: I simply audit the business client and look at their current business design. Visit Coloors, to generate different palettes to find the most relevant alternative color that is working on Pinterest. And advise them to create content in that design color, by doing that they won’t lose the appeal to other customers. While creating mainly for Pinterest.

Step 2: Plan your  Content Structure 

 

Whenever you start with any social media platform, you feel like what to do next after hitting publish on your first post. And this process is different on each platform. For Pinterest, it is important to figure it out or you will have to wait longer to see any result. A good content structure built from the start is the key to early pinterest success. 

 

First step is to plan your pinterest board names & topics based on the keyword research. Head over to Pinterest Trends or do a regular Pinterest search. Brainstorm a few Pinterest boards based on the search results. And create those Pinterest boards with detailed descriptions about that topic and include the keyword within the text. Including the Pinterest keyword is recommended, not Keyword stuffing. Keyword stuffing ruins the user experience for users with screen readers on google & Pinterest.   



Second step is to define what other Pinterest creators you are planning to engage with and repinning their content to your own Pinterest board. Why? Because those creators have built their topical authority on Pinterest for years or the past few months. You are building your Pinterest board’s authority faster off them. 




 

Third Step is to plan your content formats and what you want to share in terms of content. For Example, Pinterest Idea Pins are great to reach an engaged pinterest audience as that audience isn’t looking forward to an instant solution. Rather to discover new Ideas and content interests, use Idea pins to build onto that audience base. Sharing product behind the scenes, business story & educational content. 

 

The Regular Image Pins are utilized by all pinterest users but at best this pinterest content format reaches the users looking for an instant solution. That is why create content focused on product usage, tips and education to  make them click through instantly. Why I have education mentioned on both is because regular pins have a more recognisable button that leads to more clicks.

 

The Pinterest Video Pins are the best for engaged audiences that are following you. Yes, these don’t have the best CTR. But these are very useful for community building and many times short-form content reaches Google search page. Bringing in the best traffic to your Pinterest website.

 

The last step is trying to get your pinterest pins repinned to established Pinterest Boards of other businesses & creators. In 2023, it is harder to get your pinterest pins repinned to those boards. Because many people either are charging for joining those boards or putting the Pinterest board behind a Pinterest marketing course. 

 

You don’t have to pay for that, I would say skip this step. Or reach out to the Pinterest board creator directly through email or through other social media channels to get a response about joining the board. 



Step 3: Distribution Strategy

 

In the previous step, I already mentioned a few distribution parts of PInterest. But Pinterest needs overall distribution to work at its best and you will in return have better ROI over time & money spent on Pinterest. 

 

In-Pinterest Distribution

 

As mentioned in the Pinterest content structuring part, it is important to distribute your content to a number of Pinterest boards. First, don’t distribute your pinterest pin to a single board. Repin the content to all the relevant boards. And try to create at least 2-3 relevant boards on one topic or product. That helps you to get the most out of your distribution. 

 

And the second act is to invite other pinterest users & creators to join your board. Because more industry relevant profiles repinning to the board will give the algorithm a positive signal. 

 

Outside-Pinterest Distribution 

 

Outside the platform, you can embed pinterest pins into your Website: blogs or Product pages. As that shows pinterest a website authority and a relation between your website and pinterest page. I have seen blogs rank better on google if the topic is highly relevant on pinterest and Google. The chances of your website page showing up goes up considerably.

 

Besides website integration, Pinterest content repurposed to Instagram does pretty well. It used to do very well, but now Pinterest-Instagram integration is no-longer available. Creators used to love that feature, as many instagram businesses had a ritual to automatically share their IG posts to Pinterest. No longer possible, but I recommend you to repurpose the valuable content to Instagram on a consistent basis. 



Paid-Pinterest Distribution

 

Using Pinterest Ads to boost organic content that already works is one of my favorite strategies. But don’t do it without paid media buying guidance. As running pinterest Ads & filtering audiences isn’t as simple as using Facebook Ads. You can spend all your budget and have zero return on Pinterest Ads. When done wrong.  That is why I recommend you to read this Pinterest Ads guide before running a paid Pinterest campaign. 




Step 4: Content Deliverability 

 

What I have experienced with Pinterest with many businesses is content deliverability issues. Meaning we had 100k Pinterest followers, but the last 30 pins didn’t reach more than 10k Pinterest views combined. And with engagement research, I can confirm that Pinterest is not a follower-first platform, it is more of a viewer-first social media app. 

 

A follower first platform is Instagram, sharing the content with existing followers first before pushing it to a bigger audience. 

 

A viewer-first platform is Tiktok, Reddit and Pinterest, content is likely to be pushed to a number of audiences not only followers. And that is why you don’t reach your majority of the followers on these platforms.

 

To fix that, I would recommend focusing on community management from the start. Build onto that message of moving your pinterest audience to either following your pinterest board or your product/blog email list. That will help you to reach the followers that really want your content. 

 

Additional Tactic would be doubling down on Pinterest Idea PIns because of research and client insights. I have learned that Idea PIns are very much like a combination of IG stories + TikTok. You reach more existing followers through Idea Pins. 

 

Community building needs to be on your Pinterest strategy board in real-time.



Step 5:  Keyword Growth Strategy 

 

Listen, I love pinterest but I can’t ever reach the desired results. And Pinterest content on my personal board is almost with either no-keywords or irrelevant pinterest post titles. What is the problem here? From my perspective, the issue here is Prompt-engineering. Now, we’re very much aware of AI. Almost all social media apps are working on LLM models to give your target audience better results. For now, the content moderation to distribution on Pinterest  is controlled by moderators & content systems. 

 

The end user seeing a relevant result relies more on the visual identity & Heading formatting of your Pinterest content. Why I say that Photo recognition models are the most developed systems and having relevant visual content & including the specific keyword in that post is the best practice. 

 

To prove that, Upload a Pinterest Pin with a text over it and a very recognisable design to Dall-e, even though you shared the best design. The regenerated content will have different words in the AI-generated image. Kind of proving that even if you have a highly relevant design, the system/algorithm will not make a perfect prediction. It will always be a little off. 

 

For that reason, using keywords in the visual content is important to increase the probability of ranking on that keyword. This is the visual keyword strategy to do marketing for PInterest. 



The text keyword strategy is to never do keyword stuffing and attentive captions for Pinterest content. Do the passive pinterest captions to make them read and feel confident about visiting your website. 

 

I recommend including a keyword once in the post title & twice in Pin description. Do the research manually through Pinterest Trends. 

 

Or you can follow this strategy of mine. I search for the keyword I want to target. And analyze the first 10 Pinterest posts ranking, submit their website url into Google keyword planner. By doing that, I get more refined pinterest keywords that are easy to target & rank on. The more personalized your keywords are, the better quality traffic you get from Pinterest.



Step 6: The Secret Ending

 

The last part of your pinterest strategy should be being patient. Most Pinterest business & creator accounts take time to scale as authority & content posting signals are recognised by the algorithm slowly. And it takes a little more time to make people revisit your Pinterest boards on a regular basis to learn more about your business. And after that your Pinterest growth will slowly take off and when it does. The important part becomes studying your Pinterest analytics to build upon the existing growth.  



Studying Pinterest Analytics

 

Pinterest Analytics are easy to understand and you can essentially track them to always enhance your strategy. Here is what organic Pinterest analytics tell you.

 

First, Impressions are the number of content views gained from Pinterest users. When they opened the app, website or searched about something within the app. A good number of impressions leading to  little  Engagement showcases, a content design appeal problem. The content doesn’t showcase the need to click.

 

Second, Content engagement is a form of interaction with content from users. It could be clicks, saves or comments. A bad engagement to outbound clicks ratio showcases that you have a Call-to-action & social media copywriting problem.

 

Third, Total vs Engaged Audience is a statistic based on audience that engaged with content vs audience that saw first impressions of the content. The same rule mentioned in the first point applies here. 

 

Fourth, Likes & comments are very rare. Saves/bookmarks are the likes of Pinterest. The common currency. Making the likes & comment interactions more valuable to learn about the end user at Pinterest. 



Fifth, Pinterest has percentage analytics for Pin Clicks & Outbound clicks. You are able to see the percentage of clicks vs real-time pinterest/outbound clicks. 

 

Overall from all different analytics you learn about X problems or loopholes in your Pinterest Strategy which is very useful for all business owners & marketers. Always build your pinterest marketing strategies around the right data & insights. 



Common Pinterest practices 



I try to focus on a number of people reading this blog, meaning this guide is a mixed juice of everything pinterest marketing. And this section aims to provide a set of beginner practices for marketers & business owners.






My Pinterest Strategies

 

This is more of a confession because I got started with Pinterest blogging before I started with social media marketing. And since then, I have been using this strategy for my blog & few of my clients too. I don’t hold back my secrets, Here is my first Pinterest marketing strategy created years ago:

 

CCAW Pinterest + Google Strategy 

 

This strategy stands for Copy, Copy, Action & Write. It is very simple and even though I didn’t write this guide to rank on google. I used this strategy to do keyword & competitor research. 

 

Copy - Go to Pinterest or Google keyword planner, search your industry topic. Copy the top ranking keywords. And come back to the Pinterest In-app search box.

 

Copy - Search the Pinterest keyword and copy urls of the first 10-15 ranking pins. And go to a website traffic checker. 

 

Action - The website traffic checker will give you insights on what keywords that blog or product  ranking is on. And from my experience, most pinterest blogs don’t rank high on Google. By doing this you have a chance to take action. 

 

Write - The action is to write a blog or Product page copy targeting that specific keyword. By doing that, you will be able to rank on both Pinterest and Google search. 

 

It is a quite simple Pinterest keyword strategy, I only recommend one addition to this strategy to include that specific long-tail pinterest keyword in your Pinterest image pin. It can enhance your chances of ranking even more. 



AI-powered Strategy 



First, you need to have an AI tool like Bing AI, Midjourney or Dall-e. Why? Because these tools have photo recognition and regeneration features. Bing AI recently introduced a photo recognition feature, you might have it or not. It is still in beta. 



First Step is give the keyword or Pinterest content title to generative  AI and find what you get in terms of relevant results for that keyword. 

 

And compare the results to Pinterest content ranking for that keyword. The results will not match, but you can see based on knowledge of AI. The tech still can’t create relevant Images about that topic. Showcasing that systems make errors, even when you have highly relevant Pinterest Pin Design. 

 

For that reason, create pinterest content for your brand and keep the design identical to stay relevant and connected to the core topics. 



Second Step is to upload your original Pinterest content and upload the example to Dall-e or Midjourney. And analyze what type of regenerated results you get from your own content. And compare those results again to top ranking Pinterest content. 

 

You will learn what more identical versions you can create for your Pinterest Business account. I have a video tutorial recording about this strategy coming out. Till then you can subscribe here to get informed about it through The Social Juice newsletter. 



Why this strategy works: I believe this strategy is for all Pinterest businesses that have a strong consideration for pursuing pinterest marketing. As it is a little time consuming, you will always create relevant content for your business. And you get rewarded by the Pinterest algorithm for being the relevant business. 



Latest Pinterest News 

 

In my newsletter, I cover the latest pinterest trends & news every week. You can find the latest ones here, there could be chances I haven’t edited this part in a while. And you are reading old updates, that’s why visit this social media updates page with new updates every week. 





FAQs 



Is Pinterest Marketing Effective for your little biz? 



Yes, Pinterest delivers traffic to your business based on relevancy & credibility. After doing market research, You will know if the Pinterest audience for your little biz exists on the app. And it does, you only need the right visual & pinterest copywriting strategies. 



Should you invest in a Pinterest marketing course? 



No, I would say after reading this guide. You can go on to experiment with Pinterest and with patience and strategy you will achieve desired results. Pinterest courses are often overhyped and never regularly updated. Yes, There are various famously appraised courses on pinterest marketing. 



One that comes into my mind is The Pinterest lab by Jenna Kutcher. Her course is one of the most viral pinterest marketing courses, and it is somewhat valuable. But not $297 because Pinterest is very simple and you can master it with time and understanding of your niche. 

 

What I would say is when you are hard on time, consult with a social media strategist. I would be happy to assist you with pinterest marketing. You can book a strategy call (it’s free). Plus, if my schedule doesn’t allow me to work with you, I will be happy to help in finding a pinterest marketing consultant. 

 

But don’t waste your money on a Pinterest marketing course costing hundreds of dollars. 



What's the most important component of Pinterest marketing?



I would say the Visual storytelling component is the most important part and you have to educate yourself a little bit about visual marketing. Before pursuing Pinterest, as you will get the best out of pinterest with this education about telling a story visually. Here is an amazing guide from the School of Visual marketing. 



Is Pinterest part of a marketing mix? 



Pinterest is an important part of the content marketing mix. Alongside Wikipedia, twitter, facebook & google because all of these platforms are go-to sources for valuable information. Reddit is also part of this marketing mix. 

 

What you need to know is in this marketing mix. Don’t make the mistake of using a bunch of clickstream tools to track everything. All that work will amount to nothing. 

 

Try to focus from the start that either the website landing page is the end of the funnel or a Pinterest page. The end goal should be the focus and build the structure around it. You will end up building a desired marketing mix. Because there are various hard to measure marketing metrics here, you will fk up trying to track each part. 

 

Focus on the end. My friend. 



What type of businesses is Pinterest marketing known for? 



Take a guess, The money making businesses. All social media platforms are known for most money making niches. On Pinterest, E-commerce & affiliate marketing topics are most researched for and the platform is utilized by affiliate marketers & e-commerce marketers. 



And small businesses too because their audience is on the app. But the case for e-commerce  & affiliate marketing existing is Pinterest has an audience of females with high spending power. And many entrepreneurial marketers target those pain points to make them spend more money on the platform. Making Pinterest famous for Affiliate & e-commerce marketers. 



What are the best Pinterest marketing tools? 





Where to sign up for Pinterest Business Account? 



You can visit the Pinterest Business center to find a prebuilt guide on how to kick start your Pinterest Business account. It is very easy to setup and you get instant access to more marketing data. 



Are Pinterest Ads worth it?



Most marketers I have talked to have mixed opinions on Pinterest Ads. There are various statistics published by Pinterest Business on how well their Ads perform. But every social media platform has a business center showing their Ad network is the best. 



For Pinterest, it is all about A/B testing. I will personally not touch Pinterest Ads without a minimum budget of $10-15k to spend on their platform. As you have to be scrappy in the first place to find the working Ad formats and audience targeting options on Pinterest. 



Pinterest Ads are known to work very well for D2C businesses and small businesses. And many advertisers advocate for pinterest ads in Fashion, beauty, health industries. I personally have seen Pinterest partner with big D2C brands continuously as brand partners to run Long-term campaigns. 



I have pointed out what I have experienced and observed. Neglecting all the biases about Pinterest Advertising in 2023. 



The Best Pinterest marketing agency? 



Most content & Social media marketing agencies are relevantely good at Pinterest marketing too. You can reach the best local ones in your network and ask them a few questions mentioned in my guide. Compare their answers with this pinterest marketing guide. The agency with the most identical answers is the best one to hire. Or you can hire me as a fractional Pinterest marketer for your business. Reach out today! 



What’s the future of Pinterest marketing? 



The future of Pinterest is very safe as the platform will continue to quietly develop their user experience offerings. And share highly relevant posts to users with help of generative AI. 



Pinterest has always remained niched to an audience and it is healthy because going too broad to offer everything. Kills the real user base and their love for the platform. 



To pursue more revenue, Pinterest will make some changes as all the platforms do. The focus of Pinterest is currently on attracting more creators through their creator funds & introducing new content creation features. 



What I want to see from Pinterest is a feature like Instagram broadcasts to help creators & businesses  build in-app communities that are loved by everyone. Because when Pinterest was coming up, Many marketers scaled their Facebook groups solely through Pinterest, and few still do that. For that reason, I would love for Pinterest to act on this opportunity. 



To read future conversations & insights about social media trends, I would recommend visiting this blog: Social Media Trends in June 2023.



Why is Pinterest the best for your business? 



Maybe it isn’t. You can read my other social media marketing guides to choose between pinterest & other social media apps.

 



All other guides are in working order, these guides take more than 60 hours on average to write. As I am not a writer, these are my personal guides, I have to go back and forth to make sure I didn’t miss anything. 

 

That is why I appreciate you sharing this guide with small business owners & creators that need this to grow their business. 

 

Or you can subscribe to my weekly newsletter and receive the best insights & marketing forecast every week. 



This was Jaskaran, Your favorite social media strategist! 

Marketing & Social Media News - First Week of July 2023

This week in Marketing & Social Media Updates: 21st August to 27th August. We have a number of updates coming to TikTok, Meta’s Algorithm & other apps with release of Digital Services Act.

You can join our newsletter: The Social Juice to receive these updates every week without no BS.

 

Top 5 Updates of the Week

Tiktok

Instagram & Threads 

Meta

Twitter (X)

YouTube & Creators

Google

Agency News

Brands & Ads

AI News

Microsoft 💾

Pinterest & Snap 🕹️

Reddit 

LinkedIn 🔋

Marketing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Top 5 Updates of the Week: 

 

Google News

 

Tiktok: 

 

Instagram News

 

Meta : 

 

Twitter: 

 

YouTube: 

 

Agency News: 

 

LinkedIn:

 

Reddit :

 

Brands & Ads: 

 

Microsoft :

 

AI News:

 

Pinterest & Snap:

 

Marketing: 

 

 

 

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This week in Marketing & Social Media: 19th June to 25th June Marketing Updates. We have a major update to Tiktok & Instagram for Advertisers. And new tools for creators!

 

 

Top 5 Updates of the Week: 

 

 

Google:

 

 

 

Tiktok: 

 

Instagram

 

 

 

Meta

 

 

Twitter News

 

 

YouTube

 

 

Agency News

 

LinkedIn

 

 

 

Reddit News

 

 

Brands & Ads

 

 

Microsoft  News 

 

 

 

AI News

 

 

Pinterest & Snap

 

 

 

Discord News

 

Marketing 🧃

 

 

 

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This Week In Marketing: June 12th to June 18th Marketing & Social Media Updates. We have major Advertising Updates from Meta, Google & Pinterest. And LinkedIn killing carousels and other features.

Before we dive into these updates, you can subscribe here to never miss anything marketing.

 

Top 5 Updates of the Week

 

 

Google Search News

 

Tiktok News

 

Instagram News

 

 

Meta  News

 

 

Twitter News

 

 

 

YouTube News

 

 

Agency News

 

LinkedIn News

 

 

Reddit News

 

 

Brands & Ads News

 

 

Microsoft  News 

 

 

AI Marketing News

 

 

 

Pinterest News

 

 

Marketing News

 

 

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This Week in Social Media & Marketing Updates: 5th June to 11th June 2023. We have major social media updates related to AI developments. And first looks of Google’s new SERP page with perspectives on mobile.

 

 

Before we dive into these updates, you can subscribe here to never miss anything marketing.

 

Top 5  Marketing Updates of the Week

Google Search & Ad News

Tiktok Updates

Instagram Updates

Meta News

Twitter News

YouTube Updates

Agency News

LinkedIn Updates

Reddit News

Brands News

Microsoft  Ads & Bing 

AI Marketing News

Pinterest Partners

Marketing News

 

—————————————————————————

 

This week In Marketing: 29th May - 4th June 2023. Instagram’s Posting preference update, SEO changes & AI Content Engine Agency. A ton to discuss & adapt.

 

But Before we do that, You can subscribe here to receive your weekly marketing recap in email. In case you don’t want to miss any future updates.

 

Top 5 Updates of the Week

Google Search & Ad News

Tiktok News

While trying to stay alive in US, Tiktok secrets continue to unfold and this week isn’t looking good for Tiktok.

Instagram Updates

Meta News

I received comment two weeks ago about people at Meta giving up on metaverse. But news this week tells a different story.

Twitter News

YouTube News

Agency News

LinkedIn Playbook

Snapchat News

Reddit

Brand Campaign  News

Microsoft  & Bing Chat News 

AI Marketing News

Pinterest News

I have observed, Pinterest’s latest platform trends & changes show signs of bran trying to capture growing interests of Gen-Z audiences.

Marketing News

We have Peloton trying to adapt & grow after getting a pandemic rise & fall growth. And BeReal trying to stay above the waters in Social Media Race.

 

The Social Juice Newsletter

I cover latest social media news & Marketing changes every week in the newsletter. And in our monthly & quarterly editions you find deep breakdowns of how these updates affect your marketing business.

This is an archive feed of the newsletter. Every sunday morning  you will find all the social media updates listed here. An email sent to you with extra breakdowns & resources to help you.

 

You can bookmark if you prefer website & subscribe below to receive an email version.

Digital Marketing Trends June 2023: What Changed?

Tiktok News: Changes Affecting Creators & Advertisers 

 

Tiktok made major changes to its platform. With the launch of their new creator fund “creativity program beta”. They have encouraged the top 4% of creators to push more long-form content. 

 

And this push is also delivering results for Top Advertisers in the space. This fund was launched alongside a new Tiktok Ad format, PulsePremiere. These Ads currently in beta are shown after a trending piece of content. 

 

For Music Marketers & Artists, Tiktok launched #newmusic to support upcoming artists. 

 

And after that boom, we got smashed with the TikTok US state ban in Montana. There is a huge controversy around it but this news isn’t affecting marketing spend. 

 

Executional Angles 🎬

 

Tiktok’s Ad platform and creator marketplace are getting better. The updates aren’t public. I have tracked a few cheeky practices from the Tiktok product team to gather more user data and better their Ad platform. Expect better location-based targeting in the upcoming few months. 

 

For organic, With the new creator fund. Many long-form content creators are seeing an engagement hike for their content. You can experiment with long-form content as a business to connect longer with the audience. 

 

And a nice sign is TikTok is now pushing more content from “people you follow” to the For You page. As mentioned in my Tiktok marketing post, this is something new and encouraging for brands. 

 

Upcoming: Tiktok is testing an AI Chatbot similar to snapchat. This launch will help them keep users more engaged. 

Pinterest News: Affecting Organic Content

 

In April, Pinterest got into huge issues with user safety on the platform because many users were targeting young audiences. After that Pinterest made a few changes and at the beginning of May, launched their transparency report showcasing how they are filtering harmful content. 

 

A great callout here is “Gen-Z is on Pinterest”. Every single platform mentions that they have Gen-Z users on their apps to attract advertisers. But data from different research shows that Pinterest has a growing Gen-Z user base, especially for diverse and Female audiences. 

 

Bring back to the latest content ranking system and algorithm changes to Pinterest. Earlier this week, I shared this blog post from the Pinterest engineering team about the latest updates to the platform. 

 

Executional Breakdown of Algorithm 

 

First of all, how the Pinterest algorithm ranks content is very simple and it's all based on user interactivity. 

 

All different engaging elements like comments, save, share, and like give the content system a signal to rank your content for relevant topics. As revealed by their engineering team in this post and by the previous product manager at Pinterest on Lenny’s podcast. 

 

The new changes to Pinterest are very simple: 

 

Diversifying your content, Pinterest is making changes to the content system to make sure the content it ranks on the app isn’t too sensitive toward a demographic. That is why they want Pinterest businesses and creators to diversify their Pinterest boards and content strategy. 

 

This affects niches like Beauty, Fashion, and other lifestyle-related brands. Don’t try to sell the idea of clear skin or a perfect body shape. Pinterest is looking to provide a better and healthy space for young audiences. 

 

The second change is “keyword search”. In the blog post, there are mentions that the algorithm will try to show more of the content that includes identical keywords & sentence structure to “user search queries”. To promote more relevancy and better content to users. 

 

These are the main changes, I will share more on Pinterest in my upcoming blogs to help you overall with Pinterest marketing. 



Platform Changes:  Pinterest users can now add links to every single Posting format. And added a new platform analytics feature for better insights. 

Twitter News: Regaining Advertiser Trust & Bots 

 

With the new Twitter CEO coming in, One of the Top Advertisers mentioned their comeback to advertise on the Bird app. But mid-micro advertisers are still not loving the Ad platform. 

 

Besides advertising, Twitter continues to launch new services and features for Blue subscribers. And decreasing creator monetization requirements, increasing the video upload limit to 2 hours. The other focus is on attracting more advertisers to the platform. 

 

A lot going on forTwitter. But the biggest issue is that Bot spam is at its peak, removing bots was one of the biggest promises made by ElonMusk. Still not delivered. 

 

I have my fingers crossed for June. 

 

Execution Considerations: 

 

Twitter is getting better at recommending relevant tweets under the original tweets you read. And as you know it is mentioned on Github that the Twitter connection network plays a huge role in getting content discovered. 

 

I recommend refining your network and networking with the right audiences. Kinda old advice but the platform is testing new prompts related to this. That is why you should click on it. 

 

Agencies & Brand News: Who got the best campaign? 

 

Starting with the world's biggest marketing agency will get even bigger with a new partnership with Nvidia. WPP is partnering with Nvidia to use its AI technology to level up its campaigns. Link!

 

Shorty Awards took place in May and here is the full list of winners. Have a look and get inspired for next year. 

 

VCCP, a London-based creative agency, is launching an AI-creative agency. The usage of generative AI is increasing very fast and adaptation is the key now. Link!

 

This month was filled with brand and marketing events. I found a curated list of brand marketing events that took place in May. Link!

 

The New Bud Light is “The North Face”. The new campaign featuring a drag queen is catching negative attention like Budlight. Link!

 

Jaskaran: I started tracking agency news for the newsletter last week, for future monthly recaps you will find more and better recaps. 

 

Instagram News: Targeted Advertising! 

 

Believe it or not. Meta is moving fast with Instagram now. Tiktok announced their search ads will roll out slowly to marketers, and last week Meta came in clutch and announced “Instagram search Ads”. You can access them through the Instagram marketing API. Link!

 

Besides that Instagram made a huge spark as the information about a new Twitter viral came up. Meta is expected to launch a new decentralized Twitter-like app for their users in June. Many are excited about it. It could be a great opportunity for businesses as many find IG very hard to scale. 

 

Decentralized means your followers can follow you on the new app with one click. This app can help you reach more existing followers on IG & FB. 

 

Other than these two, there was a list of updates including a new creator fund announcement. But not much impacting your organic growth. 

 

PPC News: New Policies Kicking In

 

For the second half of 2023, Advertisers in the UK & EU need compliance with these new Google Ad requirements. Link!

 

Google and Walmart both took steps to make media buying and Ad creative creation easier. You can read here about Google’s new approach to media buying and how Walmart here is trying to help businesses with Ad creatives.

 

Microsoft is moving fast with Bing Chat Advertising, You can now use Chat Ads API to integrate ads within Bing AI. Link!

 

There were a few other marketing product updates for Microsoft in terms of improving targeting and utilizing AI. One of my favorites is the recent UET update to their analytics dashboard. 



For more information, I recommend revisiting our last emails & read this recent Google marketing live recap. 

 

Meta News: Data Limitations & AI for Marketers 

 

Meta is stuck. Yes, because they have developed one of the best AI languages and structures to benefit marketers. For example, this new engineering blog showcasing its new AI content structure is golden. Link!

 

At the same time, Meta is having huge issues in the EU & UK with their data usage. The platform Received a $1.2B fine and now UK representatives are limiting data usage for Meta. Good for privacy but points to a huge problem for paid media marketers. 

 

Meaning Meta’s future is bright due to AI research & frameworks but data issues are like close friends showing up every single day. 

 

Other than this, Meta is launching AI tools to help marketers create better Ad creatives. Link!

 

In April, Meta increased its involvement in AI to push organic content and in May was focused on utilizing AI for paid media offerings. 

 

Facebook: New Lead generation forms features and a few updates to Facebook reels were key product updates. 

 

WhatsApp: New Updates to WhatsApp Chat features with the addition of Chat Lock, sharing with captions & new polls feature. 



SEO News: It's all changed but…

 

With multiple announcements, Google search page structure & how content is ranked will be changing. The new interface is expected to prefer AI-generated results but for June. This new feature is opt-in, users on the desktop can choose to get AI results within a search. Changing their Google page experience. 

 

Many SEOs are predicting a 70-80% traffic drop in the upcoming months. But many experienced SEOs believe changes are good and the traffic for the future will be more quality-oriented. 

 

These insights linked below are from the best SEOs and their opinions on recent search engine marketing changes. 

 

 

The technical SEO world is going through many changes. My advice is to keep your focus on the content strategy part for a while. And improve that! 

 

Youtube Updates: New Ad Formats & Algorithm

 

After doing $40B in revenue last year. The platform announced new Ad formats at IAB Newsfront. With the launch of 30-second unskippable Ads on Connected TV. 

 

Where Youtube is headed with Unskippable Ads is the future of online movie & content streaming. Either platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and other services have to give up a share of revenue. Or they need to go back to unskippable Connected TV Ads format to pay the writers. 

 

Coming back to Youtube, Every week on their “creator insider” channel they announce various new updates. The highlight was the recent update of community post creation for all users. 

 

Partnering with Influencers and using community posts to target core audiences is one of the best strategies based on this new update.

 

Marketing Research : What Changed?

 



LinkedIn News: Continued Organic Growth 

 

As the round of layoffs is not stopping, LinkedIn is having its best time. The in-app activity continues to increase and now the platform has 930 million monthly active users, closing in on the 1 billion mark very soon. 

 

LinkedIn is embracing AI in May with new AI features to help with messaging, job descriptions, and other hiring processes. 

 

All that growth doesn’t mean everything is great. As the platform laid off 700 employees this month. 

 

Overall, LinkedIn is doing good and viewers are loving their new marketing campaign. Watch! 

 

Reddit: E-commerce World

 

I wrote about this in my updated social media trends post. Reddit is working on various new e-commerce features. 

 

While many believe that the nature of Reddit doesn’t fit e-commerce offerings. Many product reviews and conversations take place on Reddit and users get the ability to integrate products from other businesses within the content. It could work very well. 

 

Using these features to self-promote is impossible but with the right execution. It can do a charm. 

 

Others:  Reddit is going through a bot followers scam. 

 

Mini-Bites: Snapchat, Airbnb & Others





What Jaskaran Wrote: 

 

  1. How Social Media Algorithms Work 
  2. Tiktok Marketing Guide
  3. Future of Content Marketing
  4. Is Influencer Marketing Dying? Jaskaran

 

And a few other insights on my blog. I don’t send out my blogs in emails. You can bookmark it and revisit it once a week. 



May Newsletter Editions To Read: 

 

 

I hope you are now caught up with everything marketing. When not, share what I left out. It's the best way to help me do better 🌟 

Is Influencer Marketing Dying? (No BS Guide)

My message for you is

Influencer is dead; Influencer marketing is Alive

 

1. Influencers Die; Brands Don’t Adapt

Influencer marketing is expected to grow but brands are making the same mistake of hiring trendy influencers that die. They die because they are promoting you on Friday and Your competitor the next day.

Making the trust of influencers die.


2. You are doing creator marketing

 

Only 14% of creators are influencers. Not every creator will have a huge impact on your orders. That is why I advise you to take the principle of 11 Brand touchpoints to your Influencer campaign.

Form long-term partnerships with those creators focused on content. They charge less and you can negotiate long-term deals using the 11 Brand Touchpoints framework.

 

3. Calculate Promotional Engagement

 

Don’t fall for the overall engagement rate. Most creators have their viral moments. Making their average engagement rate look good.

Always ask for engagement rates on their last 3 organic posts and engagement on the last 3-4 Promotional Posts.

Some creators might delete their old sponsored posts but they might have numbers to share with you. It is a red flag if they are hesitating to share analytics with you.

 

4. Great Influencer marketing Influences, The Influencer

 

You could have a great influencer marketing campaign but that impact dies when a campaign is over. Because you influenced some of the consumers to buy.

But not influenced other influencers to talk about your product organically. The brands spending millions on Influencers are trying to achieve that.

This requires a heavy budget or you need to growth hack your way into leading a creative growth strategy.

 

5. Overvaluing or Undervaluing Influencers

 

The biggest issue with influencer marketing for agencies and brands is comparing costs to Paid media.

Many creators are uneducated about charging their worth and the same goes for Brands. This is something parts need to work on.

What I advise is like you do networking  at entrepreneurship events. Try to network with Influencers first by hanging out at online spaces where they exist. Or share the messaging behind you reaching out.

Truth is worth more than promising them future influencer partnerships.

 

6. The Fake Agency Model

 

Going back to the roots of Influencer marketing. As Youtube kicked off the big level influencer marketing, the agency model was this:

You cold outreach the brand and pitch them idea of using influencer marketing. And lie about having a network of creators to boost your brand. In reality, you don’t have direct relation with those influencers.

And you do the same thing with Influencers. Pitching them a list of Brands under your belt.

This model is now getting exposed. Creators are brands are connecting with each other.

Only few are standing out, By either focusing on influencers or marketing data. And important for all is building healthy relations with influencers

A good examples are RAD AI using Data and Jellysmack funding their own creators.

 

7. Doing Social Listening to prevent Budlight

 

Yes, you have a new brand messaging campaign going forward. And Influencers are the new hype.

Your content does not impact only followers of an influencer. That content is distributed by users and algorithms to everywhere.

Making the importance of Social listening significant. Listen to audience interests of your existing audience on reddit, twitter and community forums.

Before you deploy your Creative influencer strategy.

8. AI, Influencers and UGC

 

There is a huge disruption in this space now. Because Meta & Tiktok are increasing their Ad targeting capabilities with AI and helping paid media agencies.

And then as I mentioned earlier Influencers losing spark, is causing a move from IGC to UGC (user generated content).

Meaning the new strategies I’m building for people include less influencer focus. But more focus on audience targeting through paid media and better UGC content.

This will affect the influencer world a lot. Especially if Influencer earnings get impacted, they will need to be more comfortable with Ad Creatives and pricing.

 

9. Study Influencer / Ambassador  programs

 

Brands like Lulumelon, Adidas, Amazon & even Walmart have well-structured programs you should study them.

And spy on influencers that worked for them. Try to build relationships with those working influencers.

They are already testing and spending millions on these influencers. You can steal the best out of their campaigns.

Beating Social Media Algorithms: AI, Influence & Types

 

We have been told that algorithms are stopping our content. And now reaching your followers is harder than ever. The problem isn't the algorithm. 

 

While it is true. Reaching your existing followers is now hard due a change in social media algorithms. But reaching new ones is getting easy. I know that is kind of like saying you can’t meet your mom on mothers Day but you can meet the mother of your friend living in Germany. Organic Mother Reach!

 

Kind of strange isn’t it? But don’t take the stress off it. I’m here to explain to you how social media algorithms work.  And what you can do to learn social media algorithms and master organic marketing on social media. 

 

Before you move further, these insights I am writing are from my work with TikTok, Instagram & others. And the opportunities I had in the past to meet engineers behind these apps. 

 

And working at agencies & running my one to help businesses reach their ideal audiences. The goal here is to share why social media algorithms exist to help you!

 

History of Social Media Algorithms 

 

Social Media marketers can only adapt to these algorithm changes, we can’t control them. Every Time an online algorithm changes, The best strategy is to analyze how these social media changes impact user engagement. 

 

Because you need to always have a direct social media user flow to connect and build a better community. 

 

Meta, Twitter, Tumblr, and all these platforms changed their algorithms twice completely in the last decade. Here is why social media apps use algorithms now:

 

Curated Algorithm 



At the start of Social Media, We had curated algorithms. These had the job to curate content from the people & accounts we follow or want to receive content regularly. 

 

This format of Curated Algorithm had loopholes because social media apps felt they were at a loss. Because after a time point, users had nothing to consume and they would leave the platform. 

 

Mark & the social media brothers thought they were at a huge loss. And Product Managers started to brainstorm new ideas, giving birth to a new algorithm. 

 

Recommendation Algorithm 

 

Most social media platforms started to track user behavior. And other activities in terms of what they talk about in the comments, Stories & other interactive elements of social media. 

 

Originally this was around 2015-17 when Meta, Pinterest & other social media apps started to come into focus for Businesses. This algorithm initially kicked the era of influencers & online Brands. 

 

Businesses with great content marketing & Organic Influencers started to become a bigger part of social media. Because these recommendation algorithms started to recommend engaging content in masses. 

 

Since 2015, we have seen a huge development to better these algorithms. But as many know growing organic is now harder than ever. As these algorithms now have more quality & guideline levels than before. 

 

Below I have tried to break down some of the algorithms created by ML engineers to run platforms like Meta, Tiktok, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. 

 

 

The Moderation Algorithm (IG, Twitter & Tiktok) 

 

Most of these social media platforms use “write-path classifiers” to moderate your content and this algorithm analyzes your post the minute you upload it. 

 

Meaning this is the first system of social media you need to crack to make your content go further and reach more people. 

 

What is the job of Write path classifiers?

 

When you upload your post on Instagram, Pinterest, or Facebook. 

 

First, This algorithm analyzes your content to make sure it is not violating any content guidelines. 

 

Then, the algorithm compares your content to the previous content available on the platform to find if it is relevant to the platform. 

 

How does social media algorithm figure out that?

 

Write-path classifiers are content filters used to make sure quality & relevant content reaches the user. Nothing inappropriate. 

 

And these filters analyze your content pixels, visual identity, captions & text in your images to analyze if the content is eligible. To get pushed to your existing followers. 

 

This first algorithm does not use engagement factors to push the content further to more people. 

 

Only these factors are taken into account to push your content to Home or following feeds on social media. 

 

This social media system is not associated with helping you reach new followers through Explore or For you page. But your content needs to pass this first test to get engagement & reach. From your existing followers & then get pushed to more people. 



Fun Fact: A lot of your favorite platforms in 2015-17 only had this algorithm. That is why many creators & businesses grew faster in that era when compared to 2023. But now improving social media algorithms, we have a new content distribution system to prevent irrelevant and harmful content from going viral. Because unwanted content is always ready to beat social media algorithms. 



The Growth Algorithm (IG, FB & Twitter) 

 

This is the most important algorithm you need to understand in 2023. To reach new followers and grow your sales on social media. 

 

This algorithm exists on every single platform but the role of this model is less significant on Tiktok & Youtube Shorts. 

 

This algorithm is called the “Read-path model”. Unlike Write-path classifiers, this algorithm does not leave the engagement factor on the table. 

 

After analyzing the content based on the visual & Text identity. This social media algorithm moves to the engagement factor. Meaning when someone posts a piece of content and it is eligible for the first push to existing followers. 

 

The next step algorithm takes is factoring engagement metrics like comments & likes mainly to give the content a second push to more followers. 

 

And after that validation, your content reaches organic social media feeds. 

 

Here are a set of social media feeds that use read-path models to push your content further: 

 



I can confirm this ML engineering “read-path model” is being utilized by these platforms to the fullest. Regarding other apps, they use similar models but how people engage with the content on those apps is different. 

 

Like Pinterest, You can have an engaging piece of content or strategy based on what I mentioned here. But elements like your website & Industry play a huge role in helping you grow. 

 

That is why I recommend taking this data and insight into best consideration for IG, Twitter & FB. Try to understand who engages with your Content regularly. 

 

Have a look at their profile, find their unique interests, and understand the key personas who engage with your content. This might help you reach the audience & customers that root for your business. 

 

And the best advice is not to use your friends and family to get the engagement. There are other ways your connections can support you by resharing your content in stories or DMs with their friends. But relying on your friends to get more engagement will leave you with an unwanted audience. 



Generative AI Algorithm (Meta, Tiktok, LinkedIn & Twitter) 

This is the latest social media algorithm causing a change in content distribution and content quality measurement systems.

Meta was the first to embrace generative AI to boost in-app engagement and make users spend more time on relevant content. And we got confirmation at the starting 2023, with Mark revealing that AI is helping Facebook get back on track. And users are more active on the app than ever. This change in social media algorithms caused by Ai isn't limited to Meta as you will find by reading further. 

 

Woah! Wasn’t that shocking news for everyone? Yes, Facebook is not getting adopted by Gen-Z. But for now, CTO & Mark shared that AI is helping them keep users engaged. 

 

And as I tracked Meta’s latest updates in the newsletter, During the Q1 2023 Meta Earning Call. Meta announced they are doubling down on the usage of AI to recommend the content. Pointing out again, this directly impacts your current engagement & growth on Meta platforms: IG & Facebook. 

 

Generative AI is tracking the user interactions with your content to promote it to a newer and wider audience. 

 

The current State of Meta’s Use of AI from User Experience is different! 

 

Besides Meta claiming the in-app engagement is up and growing. The new AI algorithm is not serving people or creators well. Many have complained about their content not reaching the right audience. 

 

And often the creators are getting their content shown to the same list of followers. Neglecting a majority of their old followers. 

 

In terms of Non-follower Engagement, Many are experiencing that they have been getting more Explore/organic reach. They are not reaching their target audience. And the same statement comes from content consumers, irrelevant content on explore pages & Facebook is making them leave the app. 



Now, these are different user experiences, I have gathered from Reddit, Twitter, and Instagram. And validated with insights from Product Managers. 

 

July Update: Facebook (Meta) shared this week how AI algorithms work to share and refer your content to newer audiences. You can read more about it here and find the content recommendation factors mentioned in the Image below:

 

Instagram post ranking factors revealed by parent company meta

source: Meta

 

Why do I use Product managers for validations of AI algorithms?

 

The reason is simple, product managers today at Spotify, Netflix, Pinterest, and others know that AI is making mistakes. And they know consumers generally have a low tolerance for irrelevancy. But they have to look forward and embrace the change to build better products for the future. 

 

That is why I went to Product Managers. And My best insight is the usage of Generative AI to distribute your social media content is in development at Meta and other platforms too. 

 

The algorithm is making a few mistakes but with time. Generative AI will reward content with great quality, with greater distribution. 

 

Am I too empathetic about AI distribution for Social Media or Meta? What is My Goal? 

 

No, I am only giving you a message about the involvement of AI in social media to distribute your content. Previously, it was only content systems doing their job. Those systems got better and AI will too. 

 

Your Job is to know how these algorithms work & state of them. Because now you know the AI algorithm at Meta is learning and still in development. 

 

You can be aware of this and try to connect with your followers directly through Direct messages. Or encouraging them through stories to connect with you on a higher level like an email newsletter or private community. 

 

Get that burden off social media algorithms. And adapt to manual content distribution for 2023 on Meta platforms. 

 

Coming back to the Use of AI at TikTok 

 

Starting with Tiktok, They kind of introduced this AI algorithm to social media space by having an algorithm. That continuously adapts to user interaction 

 

I talked about the TikTok Algorithm in one of my older posts, explaining how tiktok suggests new content. You can find the post here, and read a detailed version. 

 

The important thing I want you to know about is the Growing and dying interest on Tiktok. The data shows TikTok users are on the platform, to develop new interests. Rather than connecting with friends or building deep connections. That does not mean users don’t build those connections. 

 

They do if the content or creator is engaging and appeals to the user. I’m only introducing you to the regular sentiment. 

 

That regular sentiment is what People at Tiktok know and have their algorithms designed for! They show you content frequently based on your recent interactions. And sometimes those interactions change, causing your whole tiktok feed to change.

 

And this phenomenon occurs more frequently than you would assume. That is also the reason why you search “Tiktok Trend” on Google. Often you will see a glimpse of negative TikTok trends impacting children, showing a different side of the app. 

 

This very targeted algorithm is a blessing and curse at the same time. That is why Tiktok needs a better moderation algorithm, to control their AI algorithm. 

 

Can you translate this into a marketing language? 

 

I’d be really happy to do that. In conclusion, The algorithm is very targeted and you can reach your target audience. But escape that audience very easily because the changes of Interests on TikTok are fast. 

 

That is why always have effective CTAs and advise your audience to always leave a follow. That will help you reach them again. 

 

Can we clap for the newbies: Twitter & LinkedIn?

 

The case of Twitter is simple, they even have their Algorithm open-source on Github. You can pay that a visit to understand how they use engagement factors to recommend your content to more people. 

 

You will find the read-path model is explained in more detail specifically for Twitter. And I don’t need anything to add here. Besides the user experience and insight from Twitter employees. 

 

The user experience shows that Twitter is recommending irrelevant content on the new “For You” page. A selective style of content is trending more on Twitter and alternative/different content often gets unrecognized. Showcasing, the algorithm is going through changes. 

 

My Advice for businesses is to identify what performed well on Twitter's “For You” Feed for your feed. And pick the best formats to recreate the content with your take or context. 

 

LinkedIn, AI is our savior 

 

The bigger picture is I’ve covered all LinkedIn updates since the beginning of the year 2023. And 80% of them were about AI or UX. 

 

Why is the usage of AI for LinkedIn the new vision? First massive layoffs at Big Tech and other industries have caused a huge spike in the number of daily active users on LinkedIn. 

 

And as I told you at the beginning, the Curation vs recommendation algorithm is the idea.

 

 LinkedIn still works on the curation algorithm. You can look at how the LinkedIn algorithm Works explained by their engineering team. Here is the link to the original post. Nothing special, after passing through classifiers. It is all curated content from your network based on the engagement factor. 

 

Well, As you know that curation does not lead people to stay on the app for a long time. They have also started recommending new content based on your previous interactions. Now you get Generative AI content picks in your feed, to keep you more engaged. 

 

Are there any issues with this change? 

 

Well, Organic reach on LinkedIn will increase. The only user experience backlash here is the current state (March-May 2023). Many users are seeing content from the same network of people more frequently like 5-7 posts from that same LinkedIn influencer. And content from other connections is buried. 

 

And the new content recommendations in the notification tabs are 5 out of 10 times irrelevant. 

 

Packing it up, Organic reach is up. But as I am writing today. My initial research suggests a lot in terms of AI developments is required at LinkedIn. 



Am I Stressing you out with all the Social Media AI? Or leaving you with no clue about what to do? 

 

There is nothing you can do. Other than hiring me. I’m kidding. But imagine you never knew about all this, you would be part of 1000s of others blaming algorithms. Or 100s of Gurus selling quick growth. 

 

When in actuality there is no hack, no loophole. All there is is your understanding of how these platforms work. Which I tried to tell here! 

 

And then come back to marketing basics: Doing the market research, building Customer personas & then implementing a strategy to achieve the ideal goal. 



Social Media is marketing served in an alternative form. Now you know the AI form of Social Media, it is a newborn. Taking the attention away from your content by crying like a baby. But you want peace, to find that create a strategy to bypass all the crying and reach the audience. 

 

To help you do that, I have written guides on Tiktok marketing , Instagram, and more writing. 



Common Algorithm Ranking  Factors 

 

There are common algorithm factors cited by Hootsuite, Sprout Social & many others. In their posts about social media algorithms, You can find them pointing at engagement factors like posting times, Hashtags, and relevancy. These factors can also make an impact on how an algorithm promotes your content. 



But Aren’t these factors the same on every single platform? 

 

On Instagram, Interactions/ Connection Engagements are important. And the important ones are “Direct engaging Interactions”. Like Messaging or Comments. 

 

We can say the same for Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Every connection-focused platform will focus on network interactions to push relevant content. 

 

On Tiktok, Content Engagement is important. Any form of engagement with a piece of content. Leads to a similar style of content. 

 

We can say the same for Pinterest, Youtube, or even Netflix. Previous content engagements impact your current feed and what suggestions you get in the future. 

 

The only change is people on these different platforms, prefer different styles of content. 

 

Even though they engaged with a LinkedIn text post about the Table Clothing business. They would not want the same type of text posted on Instagram. 

 

That is another factor coming into a play called “Content preferences”. 



Even though you understand these two factors: Connection & Content engagement. 

 

The most important factor to take into account is the “content preferences” of your audience. These are the three common factors of all social media algorithms you need to break the social algorithm jail or at least escape. Trying to reach your target audience. 



My Strategies Based on Social Media Algorithms 

 

I have built different strategies around these algorithm insights for my clients. And I never hold back my secrets. Because social media strategies require execution, 

And many fail with perfect execution. And I don’t wish that upon you. 



Take One Out 



In the first social media algorithm breakdown, we learned that Instagram and other platforms use Classifiers to validate the content and push it forward. 

 

From that learning, I came up with a social media strategy called “Take one out”. 

 

How this strategy works is very simple: 

 

First, You do social listening to learn what type of content is making a spark in your industry. Try to make a list of competitors and pieces of relevant content. 

 

Second, Try to find the common structure or frameworks being utilized in those selective posts. For Example, It could be an Instagram aesthetic, Twitter Thread Hook, or LinkedIn Topic. 

 

Pick that one element and add it to your original piece of content. Why you do that is simple, A similar concept is already validated and working on the platform. You take the working element of that content and add your value to the original post.

 

But why not? Add everything from that viral content with a small change. Mainly because that takes the spark from your content away. You will be like all the other creators & businesses, jumping on a trend. 

 

And this is not a trend. This is a strategy to integrate working elements of another piece of content. To increase the possibilities of your content discovery on social media. 



Network Bubble 

 

During the pandemic in the NBA bubble, Jimmy  Butler took the benefit and started a coffee business. And charged heavy prices for the same $4 coffee. Because the players did not have any changes. Only Big bills to hand over to Jimmy. But that was a one-time opportunity. 

 

A similar opportunity you get when you start your LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter account. The network plays a huge role in kick-starting your growth on social media. 

 

During the 'The growth' social media algorithm breakdown, we learned that your network can make or break your account. That is why from the start try to build relationships with industry businesses and creators. 

 

Get that targeted engagement from the start to reach the most valuable audience faster. I know this is hard to implement because you might have an old social media handle. 

 

It is a little late, but not too late. Try to refine your network and create a new bubble to revive your organic growth. 



CTAs, CTAs & CTAs

 

I know there are well-known theories on Tiktok and Instagram that calling out “link in my bio” is social media sin. The social media algorithm will never forgive you if you say that! 

 

No, it is not the social media algorithm. Most of the time it is Human Psychology. 

 

First, many types of research suggest that people treat each other differently on social media. And this also differs from platform to platform. The more anonymous people can be on social media, the more different they treat each other. 

 

Second, We all don’t like to take orders from anyone. Using a simple CTA like buy my stuff “link in the bio” sounds harsh to many followers. They don’t express that feeling but ignore the content. 

 

That is why always have Indirect Call-to-actions and be creative with how you represent what you sell or want them to do. 

 

Coming back to the bigger point! 

 

The strategy is to utilize CTAs to the fullest, trying to connect with your audience in DMs or outside social media apps is possible with them. 

 

You can use templatized CTAs, they are only one Google search away. But the best ones will be crafted by you with practice & understanding of your audience. 

 

This is all you need to implement this strategy and own your social media audience. 

 

Takeaway 

 

The initial goal behind writing this article was the same as usual. I feel like social media algorithm is a component of social media marketing often misunderstood. 

 

You only need an understanding of the technical parts of it and track how these algorithms change. And you will find new changes either here in an updated version of this post or in my weekly newsletter. 

 

And after understanding these parts. You need creative strategy and execution to do successful social media marketing. It is not easy or quick, but anyone with this knowledge will execute social media campaigns and grow better. 



This was Jaskaran, Your Favorite social media & Influencer Strategist. Hidden in the dark mountains of Reddit as u/lazymentor. 



Frequently Asked Questions

 

I will be updating the list of FAQs based on requests and queries about social media algorithms shared on my reddit & newsletter.

 

What is the problem with social media algorithms?

 

Your content doesn't rank on hashtags, explore page or fails to reach viral growth. The reason could be you have an unoptimized content strategy and no account authority. You build your account authority by being a relevant source for X topic. And by having a scattered content strategy that shifts on regular basis. You are now stuck in a constant phase of no organic reach. To fix this, I would advise start focusing on building a social media content loop to discuss key topics of your industry on regular basis to build the authority first and then experiment with virality content. This will fix your personal problem with social media algorithms.

 

Are Social Media Algorithms AI?

 

 

No, Social media algorithms in 2023 are designed content systems by programmers to filter content based on your tracked interests. But the role of AI is increasing as AI can do a better job of working with those social media distribution to share more relevant content. Meta and LinkedIn are the first ones to adopt AI for social media.

 






Creating A TikTok Trend: Overnight Success

Trends on social media apps can make or break your brand or following. But a tiktok trend can change your life in 2023. Before 2020, it was Instagram. During early days of social media, we had Vine & Myspace. Writing this gave me a nostalgia rush.

 

I track TikTok trends for my living and it is very rare for me to miss an ongoing trend. But it happens, because trends could be really niched or broad. It is all based on the story, industry and timeline of a trend.

 

As I mentioned in the title: Overnight success. TikTok trends can help you reach millions of people overnight. And I help brands identify those trends to use for marketing purposes.

 

For Example, Identifying the wes anderson trend on TikTok to help brands recreate that viral moment with their own angle. Have a look at the video from creator keith afadi. He had an organic viral video about "wes anderson tiktok trend" and Adidas used that exposure from the trend.

 

This what brands do either they start trends or find the best ways to integrate their name & presence within a trend. Just like Adidas did with Wes Anderson Trend.

 

 

Coming back, This is What I do. But today I'm here to help you create TikTok Trends & grow faster than your competitors. This is a huge content creation opportunity, That is why the starting point is: What are Tiktok Trends and how are they different from other social media trends.

 

 TikTok Trends Vs Other Social Trends

 

Like I tried to explain earlier every social media app had their own trending phase. And all of them impacted the generations & media world in some way. Now, the new king is TikTok and the app is different than other platforms. It is mainly due to the culture and interactions.

 

Whenever a trend takes place on Instagram, people tend to reshare the viral video or post onto their stories & DMs. Mostly within their friends circle. Not many repost the trending content  to their profile, that is why less people are involved in that trend.

 

But on TikTok, Users are not connecting with their friends. As my survey of 500 TikTok users shows that TikTok users don't interact with friends on the app. Most of them still use IG & WhatsApp for real-time messaging.  They share the trend by reacting to it or Reposting onto their profile.

 

Most often, Users will duet and stitch the trend to show themselves reacting to the video & enjoying the content. This different approach on TikTok helps creators & businesses reach 10-20x more people than an Instagram or Twitter Trend.

 

Twitter Trends are very similar to Tiktok, but the recent decline in user engagement and all changes to Twitter. The bird app is losing a little bit of its old spark.

 

Another reason TikTok trends are more effective is because TikTok itself tend to promote some of these trends. If Tiktok thinks the messaging behind trend is cool. They will push it from behind the scenes. And I can myself confirm that because when I was part of TikTok during the starting days. I was part of discussions about promoting certain trends & macro creators.

 

At last, TikTok trends are getting more coverage than any other social media trend. Last time I saw a bigger Instagram trend than TikTok was early 2022. When Kylie Jenner complained about Instagram copying Tiktok. It was also indirectly about TikTok. Proving going viral on TikTok is the new dream for brands & influencers.

 

 

What is A TikTok Trend?

 

Describing Trends is always hard. Whether it is a Tiktok Trend or a Cultural one. Because every trend has a different definition and meaning to it. TikTok Trends have different aspects and elements. And those components define it.

 

A trend going viral because of a trending sound or music can be defined as a relevant Trend. Because X number of people on the platform are finding that trend relevant. At the same time and it will grow over the audience in few days or weeks. These TikTok Trends come & go very frequently.

 

A trend making a spark due to an issue can be defined as Discussion Trends. As more and more people are building the interest and joining the conversation at different times. These TikTok trends stay for a period of time and many times come back. Often occur when a keey person of Influence like a creator or brand does something attention-worthy.

 

And trend going viral due to another trend can be defined as Wake-Up Trend. Meaning participants of X trend will provoke a new set of participants to start a why trend. A great example is Top 10% Influencers promoting similar products, started a new trend of micro influencers DE influencing those purchases made by macro creators.

 

Honestly, TikTok trends take place in various formats and the important part is identifying & jumping on the right trend. Because you don't want 1M followers with $0 sales and -1000 followers every time you post.

 

Choosing Right TikTok Trend

 

I have two definitions of finding the right trend. The first is as simple as 1+1 math. You can go to Tokboard to find new trending sounds or music for your content. And reach a variety of audiences with your next post. Or you can visit TikTok creative center to find outdated trends and rely on your luck to go viral.

 

In both of these you lose a chance to reach a bigger & targeted audience. Here is what I recommend to identify new TikTok Trends.

 

 

First, make a list of trending creators & businesses in your niche. The ones going viral currently. Because you have the list of these potential firstcomers. What you do by spying on them is be faster than others & seize the opportunity. This is proven to work, as latest data from Mckinsey & Hubspot shows that most businesses can do content better by only doing 10% better than competitors.

 

Keep an eye on them, make the second move. Yes I am saying second. Because you are creating better version of a validated TikTok Trend created by X.

 

Second, Hire a social media manager or use social listening tool both of these options help you identify trends without spending hours on content research. It is a great option because to find right trends & influencers, my usual time spend is around 2-3 hours. and it is not an enjoyment when you use Tiktok for research.

 

 

Third is look at the nature & format of TikTok trend. Because various trends are never directly related to an Industry. You need to build a creative strategy to integrate your brand into the video. For example, when I worked on Instagram Influencer trends adding a 5 second camera shot about Nike was the idea. We would take a viral running video of an athlete and in the potential repost of that trending video. The same trending video was relaunched with new content integration.

 

I love this way of using Viral Trends in the right way. And I asked my social media marketing friends. They said the same thing, size or topic matters less if they find a way to integrate brand into the TikTok Trend.

Birth of a Trend

 

I mentioned above that Trends are hard to define and the nature of a trend defines the  duration, effectiveness and follower growth. I tried to pick some of the latest and most loved trends to share how trends are born on TikTok.

 

And how you can use my strategy to grow followers by overtaking social media trends, more than just TikTok.

 

In simple, Trends are born based on Newton's theory. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

 

Music Trends

 

Most music trends are born when the new music reaches an ideal audience to create an equal reaction of people showing their love for the music in very identical ways. In TikTok's case generally by music admirers & creators reacting to the soundtrack when it launches to general public. You might find everyone name dropping their best tracks off the album, sharing best song lines & other practices. All that leads to a TikTok music trend.

 

In practice, Music labels are now either paying those music admirers & creators to react to soundtracks within a period, to make a fake trend loop. Or Artists taking the role of music creators and doing content about their best album lyrics & songs to build their own small trend. For Artists, it is a lot of work but many artists like Charlie Puth, Benny Blanco & Russ are now experts at this strategy.

 

 

Brand Trends

 

These trends are mostly inorganic because brands are spending money behind the scenes to start a trend. But often that money is well spent if creators go viral. And general public starts creating free content about the brand. How Brands give birth to a trend is very simple.

 

Brands reach out to Macro creators with millions of followers & ask them to talk about their upcoming products in an interactive way. The reason I say interactive is because no users is going to promote your business directly for free. Most of these creative campaigns are indirect & clever.

 

For Example, barbie launched a free profile picture creator ahead of the upcoming movie "Barbie". Seeking more exposure for the upcoming release. To catch the attention of regular users, first they partnered with big creators to hype up the barbie profile picture. That marketing done by a small list of macro creators generated more than 100M online impressions for Barbie.

 

TikTok helps brands even more to go viral without influencers. As, TikTok offers advertisers a specific Ad format called "branded hashtags" focused on promoting a new brand trend or offer directed at their ideal buyers. Not as effective as partnering with right influencers. But my clients had great success with this  Ad format.

 

Creator Trends

 

These trends are created by creators with a unique content style and selling point. And they create an idea or framework worth trying for other people or creators. And these creator often well-known and even though copying them isn't bad. But if you reflect too much of their style in your content, you will get called out. For example,  now there are 100s of creators using MrBeast's framework but only few get called out. Because they don't have their own angle or style to differentiate them from others.

 

 

That is why when you do creator trends, try to either credit the originators like MrBeast or try to have your own unique selling point. To divert the attention towards your business.

 

 

Cultural Trends

 

These TikTok trends are born without control (especially the best one). Cultural trends on social media take birth with time & they are always evolving. Because the birth happens through content consumptions. People consuming different content on the app build their own cultural beliefs about their respective industries. And that gives to cultural trends, generally a list of hot talking topics. These topics when often talked about go viral within the community. Creating a new point of discussion.

 

In practice, Kids culture on TikTok is divided. A sector likes seeing kids on the platform because its cute and funny. Other sector does not want parents monetizing their Kids. Whenever a brand talks about one of the section, there is spark on both sides causing positive & negative engagement.

 

Joining Cultural TikTok trends require commitment but you get rewarded more and better.

 

Attention Trends

 

These TikTok trends are created by attention seeking individuals and often these have more negative affects than positive. Because even though Gen-Z's attention span is decreasing from past few years. There is a huge difference between attention grabbing content vs trend. Everyone doing it makes it easy to notice.

 

For example, now many users are sick of Entrepreneur turned creators using same taglines & transitions to capture their attention. Consumer of your content realizes that you aren't creating value. It is all about hooking them.

 

That is why be precise with your content creation decisions before jumping on these trends.

 

 

The list goes on, birth of a trend is 10% like birth of a child. Your memories & perspectives explain the moment of birth the best. Same is with Trends,  I tried to define the Common TikTok trends to help you Identify similar Industry trends.

 

To find the heart of a trend, you will always need a personalized approach. And it is important too, because once find that part. Use that to create an alternative trend on TikTok for your business or personal brand.

 

 

Followers Gained from Trends

 

I define followers gained from trending content as "McDrive Followers". The reason behind that is when you're in a drive thru, you make a faster and impulse purchase. Especially when there is a huge line behind you. Followers gained from trends are quick-follows and many times those followers don't engage with other posts after the follow.

 

That is why I Always recommend, do an introduction or niched post to get the connection going with newly gained following.

 

In some scenarios, Your followers might not see your new content if your trending post was too irrelevant compared to your regular content. That is why I mentioned twice in this post, only do relevant trends.

 

My Trends Strategy

 

I have a simple process to build TikTok Brands. I generally start with doing social listening using tools at RAD AI  and will look up content topics on Google Trends to identify potential ideas & topics.

 

After that, Searching those topics on TikTok to find what content is performing well on the app. And I generally don't search direct keywords solely about a topic like "best fashion shoes". These type of searches leave me to nothing but basic content. I search for branded keywords & indirect keywords. Like I might search for lifestyle or vlogging content.

 

Because in few posts, Creator might have strange or cool fashion elements getting a random audience to talk about fashion. Those indirect conversations happening across TikTok. Help me to come up with a better creative strategy for client's brand.

 

After that, I will pick Organic elements already trending content to increase possibilities of my content getting discovered. I have gone through this process many time. And it might sound simple but finding right material. And structuring is the hardest part.

 

I can't teach you that, But with time and practice you will get better at curation of different ideas & concepts. To start your own TikTok  Trend!

 

Best TikTok Trends of May 2023

 

My personal favorite TikTok Trend is CoreCore, it is a trend started by Gen-Z micro creators to raise awareness regarding high content consumption & decreasing attention spans. This Trend features motivational & reality promoting clips in HD or 4K quality. This Cultural Trend will likely stay forever on the app. And it should stay for the good of Gen-Z. The Brand Takeaway is High quality video editing & transitions help your trendy content perform better.

 

The DeInfluencing Trend on TikTok is a great opportunity for marketers to finally elevate their Influencer marketing strategy. Handing Influencers new products and moving to next influencer will no longer work. All the brands are doing the same with Influencers, handing out products and done. People are not going to buy your product when the next day same influencer is using another brand. The influence will die!

 

 

That is why learn from this new TikTok trend and adapt to new influencer marketing practices. Maintain a healthy relationship with your influencers, work long-term to build that influence over their audiences. That is how influence  and this Trend of Deinfluencing will die!

 

 

Keith Lee's Creator Trend is a blessing for small businesses to survive in these hard times. His content trend proves a point that you can build a following sharing the truth if the market is full of liars. Another reason his content is an inspiration for business & creators is to discover businesses locally SEO practices are becoming harder. And he is the new Tiktok Map for consumers to discover trust worthy food spots.

 

[More to be added soon]

 

Bonus: Anatomy of a Trend

 

I love this breakdown of how Trends take place in the fashion world. The creative industry is the best place to take inspiration for building new social media trends. On Social & TikTok only difference is the tools are different for building a trend. The principles mentioned in the infographic are applicable to your social media strategies too.

 

An infographic describing Anatomy of a trend, focusing how trends are born

 

I hope this infographic helps you expand your vision on creating trends within an industry on social media or offline. This Infographic was created by Sean at 8 ball newsletter. I love his newsletter, but no new editions from past 6-8 months.

 

The End

 

I personally feel starting trends that stand for your business or community help you build better customer relations. Trends are part of your brand culture. And social media is crucial part of building brands in 2023. The conversations around your business are happening there!

 

You only need to be conscious of those talks & state of your brand culture to build new trends. And then execute the strategy built on those factors to start the next TikTok Trend.

 

Inform me when you are trending or Hit me up on LinkedIn to review your strategy!

Tiktok Marketing: A Guide To Scale [12 Strategies + Examples]

Growing on TikTok is looked at like it is easier than other social media platforms. The problem is it is not that easy, because the level of growth you need on each of these platforms is different. The number of followers you have on TikTok does not hold the same value as the number of followers you have on IG or Youtube. 

 

But that is a story for another time. You are reading my guide on Tiktok Marketing from the “One-page series”. If you haven’t read my Instagram marketing guide you can and subscribe to the newsletter for future guides & Insights. 

 

To understand TikTok, Let’s start with the algorithm and discuss the nature of Tiktok. How both are different from most other algorithms: 

 

TikTok’s CEO on Algorithm 

 

After the recent US Ban issues, Tiktok’s CEO Shou Chew did a Ted Talk about Tik Tok. During that event, He explained that TikTok uses a machine learning algorithm to preview content to users. 

Which eventually every platform does. 

 

And he continues to explain that it is basic mathematics. If a user likes videos 1,2,3,4 out of 10 videos shown to him by Algorithm. The next 10 videos will be relevant to those 1,2,3,4 video liked previously by the user. And that user always remains in a content loop of similar content. 



What it means for businesses and creators is that TikTok culture plays a huge role in growing your account. Because the algorithm is showing similar content to everyone and that could be trends and most viral content formats. That loop of identical content builds what we call Tiktok Culture. 

 

The culture changes and never remains the same. But you have to adapt to those trends, Sounds & content styles to be part of the Tiktok cultural conversation. And generate awareness regarding your business or creator journey. 

 

A good example of Tiktok culture is #corecore. Started by Gen-Z audiences to talk about how content consumption & trends are affecting their attention. 

 

To blend into the culture, Creators use similar topics, editing styles, and most of the time the same sounds. Even though the main content in your video is different, these factors help the algorithm deliver your content to the right audiences. 

 

TikTok Moderation Algorithm

 

TikTok is always in question because many times adult and propaganda-related content slips through the algorithm. To cause a huge problem for teenage users and new audiences. 

 

That is why Tiktok content and moderation policies change very often. And after analyzing 46+ TikTok client profiles, this platform takes longer to validate your content for its users. And push it to everyone. 

Unlike IG & Twitter, Tiktok many times does not push your content immediately after it is published. 

 

It can take the platform longer to validate your content. In a few cases, this can result in your video getting stuck at a certain number of views like 4000 views. And then, you see no new engagement. 

 

That is why you should always repurpose your old content on TikTok. There were times for my clients when the same video with 20k views in January, reached 234k viewers when reposted in March. 

 

That is why you believe your piece of content was good. Try to repost it to your profile after a short period. I always say algorithms are moderators, they make mistakes too. That is why I always give it another try. 

Miseducation of TikTok Algorithm

 

There is a new problem with TikTok. And that is social media gurus saying they talked to TikTok and now they know the recipe to go viral on Tiktok. For context, here are a few videos of creators bragging about their conversations with Tiktok: 

 

 

First I would like to address that Tiktok has representatives, people in marketing & creator partnership teams. With jobs to make creators stick to their platform and have them create more content. No one from the engineering or product team is spilling the beans to hack the algorithm. 

 

If you view the clips above, you will find creators recommending longer content, more engaging & using different growth tactics. And these types of things are told by people at Tiktok to encourage user engagement for their benefit. 

 

They are indirectly saying that posting more content makes people stick to the platform for longer. And that does not help you to grow your own TikTok account. Why? Because to do what they are telling you, you need to build a TikTok content strategy. 

 

These cheeky hacks won’t work. Unless you understand your niche and the state of content formats. And other elements of TikTok Marketing. 

 

By now, I know you have a clear understanding of how the Tiktok algorithm operates and what does not matter to grow on Tiktok. 

 

Moving forward, I would like to take you on a journey. From starting a tiktok account to growing it to your desired number of followers. 

 

Understanding TikTok Before Start

 

There are researches on Tiktok that prove 80-90% of users never upload a video on the platform. And my survey of 500 Tiktok users proves that 70% of Tiktok users never engage with their Friend's content on the platform & 30% don’t follow their friends. 

 

What does this mean for your business? This suggests that Unlike Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter who follow your account don’t make that much impact on your account growth & who you reach ( I am not suggesting the impact is zero).  Especially when you start your journey on Tiktok. 

 

What matters from the start of your journey: who interacts with your content, which is the establishing point of your business. 

 

That is why don’t start your Tiktok Account if you don't have the right content strategy to reach the right audiences. Now, what happens if you start your journey and the first interactions are with your company & friends? 

 

Analyze their feeds and see what content they are viewing and how often they interact with content like your business. If they are interacting with similar content daily. 

 

You will be on the right path to reaching the right audiences from the start. I will explain this idea with a small roleplay

 

Roleplay Time: 

 

Chad suggested to Maria that Tiktok is blowing up. And said she should start one for her cookie business. 

 

So, she did and started posting her videos of making cookies. Chad and friends followed her and liked the first few videos from her profile. 

 

But then Chad never sees Maria's videos on his feed because he is interacting with puppy videos the whole time. Even if he switches to “following Tab” he is following like 200 accounts that are more relevant to his identity than Maria’s account. 

 

And Maria asks him why he never interacts with her videos. He says your content never shows up. And from the first few interactions with the wrong people is getting Maria no new orders. And only random people engage with her posts, they never order. 

 

Both are stuck. 

 

Simple Breakdown: Think of TikTok as a media platform, not social media platform. First, you have to figure out the media part to establish your presence on a certain topic. And get the right people who are genuinely looking for your content. 

 

Your friends might have different interests and that is why your videos will land very few times on their “For You” page. That is why you need to invite people with similar interests or your creator friends to engage with you. That will help you more. 

 

So, from the start, your main focus should be on creating Content focused on the right users. And trying to engage with people who are constantly engaging with similar content. 

 

This is before you publish your first video, the planning part of where to begin. 

 

Setting up your Account

 

Honestly nothing fancy here regarding setting up your account. Like other social media platforms, you create a regular account. 

 

And for businesses and creators, You have to visit Account settings to switch your regular Account to a Business profile on Tiktok. With that, you will be able to view account analytics and get access to Advertising & all other business features. 

 

And I recommend from the start you should bookmark, the TikTok newsroom where they announce new features and campaigns they are doing to improve Tiktok. 

 

It is an easy setup. You choose a branded and professional username for your account. Make it easily searchable for users. 

 

And after that, We have to write our TikTok Bio. Many advise that fill that section with everything about your business don’t do that. Keep the profile description short. 

 

And after that have CTA to make people take further action. Until 1,000 followers you don’t have the option to add a Link in your bio. When you achieve that, you can add a CTA focused on visiting your website or buying the products. Under 1k followers, try to include CTAs focused on messaging your business, following on IG, or emailing you about X. 

 

The last part is utilizing your pinned posts section on Tiktok Mobile. On the Desktop, Users see your feed with all the latest videos, with no pinned feature.

 

TikTok Pinning Strategy

 

You have three opportunities to make the profile visitor fall in love with your content or understand your business. But most creators & businesses don’t use the first 3 pinned posts to benefit themselves. 

 

They pin their most viewed posts at the top. Making a huge mistake. Those viral posts don’t represent your content or business. Most viral posts appeal to a broad audience. But your business speaks to a target audience of buyers interested in buying X. 

 

That is why try to pin a video about your business. What do you sell and what is the story of your brand? 

 

And after that share a current post about your recent ongoing offers or business events to get them into the current loop. These tools will help them understand your business. 

 

The third post should be filled with value or relatability. Because you need to showcase that your account is not only business and product videos. You are on TikTok to entertain and provide value to the brand supporters and new fans. 

 

After that, you have your whole TikTok feed to make the user fall in love with your content & business. But these first 3 posts allow you to control what the visitors/ non-followers see when they land on your page. 

 

A more strategic approach to convert cold audiences into new TikTok buyers. 

 

TikTok Posting Framework 

 

Posting on TikTok is simple. I don’t want to make it complex. You can go ahead and publish your content without any effective measures. 

 

But to get ahead of your competitors and discover new followers. I recommend you take these steps before you hit publish on your next Tiktok post. 

 

First, Do the social listening part of the posting strategy. Find what is trending within the niche. 

 

 

You can easily do that by searching your targeted keywords on Tiktok or you can use tools like Brandwatch or Mention. These tools will help you do social listening and also tiktok post scheduling. 

 

After that, To increase your chances of reaching a newer audience. Try to use trending audio in the background of your Tiktok video. Because many new viewers on Tiktok don’t follow anyone yet, they are looking for new content & interests. Using trending audio helps many creators get discovered. 

 

The dancetok era on Tiktok is dying but Music is still influencing users to watch & find content. 

 

Here are two resources I use to find new trending audios: Tokboard & ShortFoam. Both are free, and one is a website and the other is a newsletter. 

 

And the last point regarding Hashtags. 

 

I have worked with creators in the past. Destroying their posts by adding 20-30 hashtags and on the other hand businesses adding zero hashtags. 

 

Both are wrong, Hashtags are not growth oriented to help you grow. On any platform. Hashtags have the role of representing topics, trends & niches by showing the relevant content to those factors. 

 

That is why you should use hashtags but the ones that connect with your post. Tiktok’s search engine is loved by many because it shows more relevant results than IG, LinkedIn & Twitter searches. 

 

Combine Hashtags with SEO. Use keyword-focused hashtags that people search for and your content shows up at the right place. 

 

Tiktok launched search Ads in March and data shows more and more Gen-Z users adopting Tiktok search. Both point at the idea, of how your content could be discovered by customers through a “tiktok search” or hashtag. Even if it did not do well on the “For You” page. 

 

That is why at the end, You should use hashtags and keywords within your caption that connect with your video. Even though the keywords or hashtags are narrow. Because by doing this, you are utilizing your content for the ideal buyer, not everyone. 

 

Others: On Instagram, we can see the best times to post on the platform for your account. On Tiktok, we don’t have this feature yet. You can read this report from Buffer to learn about the best posting times on Tiktok. They did their research, data was limited. It is not like you should post at these times only. Try to test different posting schedules to find the best time suitable for your account. 

 

Tiktok Content Strategy 

 

Tiktok content strategies change for many businesses and create consistently. If you are a creator or business, who does a lot of product or trendy content. Because when the platform decides to focus on new objectives. 

 

Your organic reach will be affected by their actions. 

 

Like recently, Tiktok’s new Creator Fund 2.0 was launched. It is called “Creativity Program Beta” and focused on getting creators to create longer and quality content. 

 

Since the launch, Many creators started complaining that their organic reach for short-form content between 12-40 seconds was down. 

 

Another aspect of how TikTok as a platform makes changes to affect content strategy is when the platform decides to push a specific style of content. 

 

During the starting days of Tiktok, the platform pushed Mom creators to attract a female audience to the platform. Making the families of top creators join the Tiktok loop. Many Insiders know this aspect of Tiktok. 

 

By telling you these two factors, I want to help you understand that posting more and more about Trends & Products should not be the main aspect of your strategy. 

 

First, try to focus on including storytelling and personal brand elements in your TikTok content strategy. 

 

For Example, Brands like Duolingo, Microsoft, Bose, and Scrub Daddy do better on Tiktok than Gap, H&M, and many B2C platforms. Because they have Social media managers as their brand identities on Tiktok. 

 

Your logo, brand images & product videos are not brand identities on Tiktok. Your social media manager or an influencer showing up on your account is what people connect with. That human element is what makes people connect with the brand. 

 

Many people now read the Washington Post because of their social media team. Because How they entertain and connect with users is magic. 

 

Coming back to the main point, besides jumping on Tiktok culture which changes every once in a while. You should focus on having storytelling and branding elements in your content that make people stick to your content. 

 

Alternative Content Strategies 

 

Video Editing Style: Many creators especially in the photography niche. Stand out because of their editing style and unique ways of representing content. 

 

A cool example is @brandino.wang 

 

He is now growing his home accessories business on a massive scale. How did he do that? He posted continuously about his minimal apartment and editing on those videos was eye-catching and smooth.  

 

What his ideal audience of minimalists will love. Showing that if you want to show minimalism, it does not need to be full of videos about that culture. You can visualize that minimalism with a style of videos to please that audience. 

 

Character Building:  In any niche, 90% of characters aka creators and businesses are doing the same thing. They have the same formats and read the same scripts with minor changes. 

 

Only the weird and user-focused characters stand out.  

 

A nice example is @henrybelcaster 

 

Even now many have started copying him. He was the first character that brought different characters like animated elements to his business-related content. 

 

Most creators had the same subtitles going over their chest and telling a story copied from blog posts. Only focused on grabbing the attention, not making people stick to the video. 

 

Henry is a great example of using characters in your content to keep people watching. Those characters could be animated or you could dress as someone else. Creating a metaphor or character to make people resonate more. 

 

Grab & Steal: This is one of my favorite strategies but works for creators only. If you are a business, you can be creative with this strategy. To find an angle to utilize it for your benefit. 

 

A big example of this strategy is @keithlee

 

Besides him being a great food critic. What genuinely worked for his content was Grabbing a Viral piece of content, and stitching his take. And stealing the attention of his video. 

 

This is a great strategy, there are various videos about your industry. Going viral because they appeal to a broader audience. But those are not the best videos, they have an attention factor. 

 

The strategy is to use that attention factor to attach that video in the starting. And then share your valuable insights on X subject or your product. 

 

This way you are getting the most out of both pieces of content and growing faster. 

 

**

You can bookmark this post now, as I will be adding more alternative strategies and insights about trends that work for everyone. Not only to grow your account but also to help you build those true fans. 

 

**

 

Tiktok Insights 

 

In your Tiktok Analytics tab and Post Analytical section. You have two major KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to focus on and grow faster. 

 

First, In Your profile analytics. Check your video views and compare them to profile views. 

 

If you are getting massive video views but that traffic is not converting into profile views. Meaning your viewers are not visiting your profile and they scroll past your content after watching. 

 

Don’t let that happen, try to include CTAs in your caption or video to increase the number of profile views. And get more followers from the same amount of every week. 

 

Here below you can see what the post views and profile views tab looks like. This example has about 4-5% fewer profile views than what established creators get on the same number of views. 



Now, when we talk about Post analytics. The most important Insight is the Retention rate. Finding out how long your viewers are watching the content. If your retention rate is too low and people are not watching the video till the end. 

 

It means your content needs improvement. Don’t move to the next part of the strategy or create more content. You need to review your content and get feedback from your team or audience. That criticism and advice will help you get your retention rate up. 

 

These tool elements of Tiktok growth are in your hands. You can’t blame algorithms. Track these metrics/insights regularly, you will discover what CTAs and content ideas work to help you. And which steps you took were against the growth strategy? 

 

What about other metrics in Tiktok Insights? 

 

Likes, comments, shares, and other metrics are easy to study and as simple as analytics on other platforms like IG, Twitter, or LinkedIn. I’m writing a bigger guide on KPIs and metrics useful for social media marketing. You can count on me to see a new guide in a few weeks on that topic. 

 

Tiktok Outbound Strategy 

 

Outbound engagement strategies play an important role in social media. On platforms like Twitter & Instagram organic growth is getting harder. To achieve success creators and social media managers are spending more time engaging outside their accounts. 

 

Engaging with other creators, businesses, and big influencers to send algorithms signals about their social media presence. And secondly to build an audience network of people that also wants to grow like you. So, they engage with each other to maintain a level of engagement. 

 

If you are very beginner to the outbound & Inbound strategy elements. Inbound engagement is when you interact with your followers in your feed, stories, or DMs. To build better fans. 

 

Outbound engagement is when you interact with posts from other creators, trending posts within your niche & network with Big influencers. To reach new people. 

 

Both types of engagements are important. That is why social media strategists use outbound strategies to discover new followers on hard-to-grow platforms. 

 

Coming back to Tiktok, There are not many opportunities like IG, LinkedIn, or Twitter to do outbound. Because most focus on TikTok is on content & media. 

 

But creators do outbound strategy by engaging with each other’s content occasionally to start building a genuine connection with each other. 

 

In a few scenarios, Creators go out of Tiktok to connect on Instagram. By doing that, they try to collaborate and understand each other's audiences. And that helps both of them grow. 

 

This is the reason in the early stages of TikTok we saw Creator groups were formed to help every member trend on the “For You” page. 

 

Meaning you don’t have to spend an hour or two like Instagram to steal audiences off other creators and give algorithms better signals. You can collaborate and network outside the platforms to work together and grow. 

 

When you associate your business account with other businesses or creators. You are building your authority in the niche and increasing the chances of getting your content seen. 

 

Other than this strategy of collaborating and associating your account with established creators. You can always do stitch & duet-type content to show your activity within a creator or business network. 

 

Tiktok Influencer Strategy 

 

I will start with a harsh truth. Your Tiktok content will reach fewer existing / old followers compared to your content on Instagram. In practice, If you have 10k Tiktok followers chances of your content reaching 10% of that is lower on this platform. Compared to you reaching 10-15% of your old followers on IG. 

 

But the thing is we can’t see how many existing followers on Tiktok viewed that post. But Industry data proves that Users on the app don’t open the Following & Friends Tab as often as they should to see your content. Most time is spent on the “For You” page. 

 

Meaning that your own Tiktok handle does not reach most of the followers. You should not fall for the number of followers on an influencer account. 

 

To work with Influencers on Tiktok, check their previous engagement on the posts, and read their comments to analyze the level and quality of engagement. That matters the most to identify if the creator is reaching a new audience daily. 

 

Another step regarding starting with Tiktok Influencer marketing is understanding industry practices & campaign strategies. I see there is miseducation regarding influencer marketing with brands pitching the creators in the wrong way. And sometimes overpaying for the influencer content. 

 

You should introduce yourself to the whole idea of influencer marketing before moving forward. 

 

If you are focused on Tiktok Influencers, I would recommend you sign up for these resources: 

 

 

Working with Influencers remains an important element of Tiktok's marketing strategy. Great for awareness and brand messaging. 

 

For the bottom of the funnel, Try to guide your influencers about your marketing goals. And after that, you need to maintain a healthy relationship with influencers to work with them for long-term success. 

 

TikTok Advertising 

 

TikTok Ads are working, even with US Ban issues. In March, Advertisers spent more money on Tiktok Ads. Yes, the Ad spending on Tiktok increased by 11% in March. But that does not mean you go and spend your whole budget on Tiktok advertising. 

 

Marketers still agree that they prefer Meta Advertising platforms for bottom-of-the-funnel & conversion-oriented campaigns. But for brand awareness, Tiktok is taking the spot and the Ads are working. 

 

The beginning part of Tiktok Advertising is understanding the different Ad formats and audience targeting steps to take. 

 

Different TikTok Ad Formats 

 

I will start with one of the most loved Ad formats by marketers. TikTok introduces new Ad formats now and then. One of the formats launched a few days ago with detailed targeting to deliver better Ad results. 

 

Spark Ads 

 

Brands leverage content created by Users and Influencers in this type of Ad format. They find existing content focused on their brand and ask the user or Influencer for usage rights to run Ads. 

 

In these campaigns, Users allow 30-60 days of content users access to the Brand for Advertising purposes. 

 

This TikTok Ad format is doing wonders as the creatives blend into “For You” page content. Giving the viewer a similar experience to organic content. 

 

Earlier it was businesses using organic Influencer & User content. Now, the Ad culture has changed. 

 

There are UGC content creators where users with no special audience or Influence create content for these advertisers. Showcasing the use of their product as a real customer of that product. 

 

Then, some Influencers work with Brands for organic posting about their product on their feeds. And then demand access to Paid Media rights, for running Ads on Tiktok. 

 

I have observed that users are now also releasing that these are not organic product reviews and Influencers don’t use them regularly. So, the effects of Spark Ads, UGC & IGC content are declining. 

 

To stay in a growth state, I again recommend building better relationships with the Users & Influencers you work with to run Ads about your product. 

 

In-feed Ads 

 

Similar to Ads on all social media platforms. In-feed Ads are promoted pieces of content shown in-between organic content on the “For You” page. 

 

You can use business managers to run In-feed Ads with customized Ad creatives or use your old posts. 

 

Introduced early last year, You now also have the feature “promote” to quickly run In-feed Ads using your organic Tiktok content. Simple! 

 

But it is still recommended to run campaigns from TikTok Ads Manager for better Ad targeting & studying the performance of your different Ad sets. 

 

Brand Takeover Ads 

 

This Ad format is best for brands looking to introduce the audience to a new product line, event, or Brand launch. Overall a campaign that focuses on making the most out of the attention they get from someone opening the Tiktok. 

 

Brand Takeover Ads are previewed when you open the app. These Ads overlay over the whole feed for the first 3-5 seconds of the user opening the app. 

 

Meaning this Ad gives you more assurance of the user seeing your Ad on Tiktok to a certain watchpoint. Before they scroll past it. More chances of conversion & increased Brand awareness. 

 

But this Ad format requires the Brand to have a minimum budget of $50,000 or more. The format is well-trusted by likes of brands like Louis Vuitton & Hulu & other big brands. 

 

Top View Ads 

 

This format of Tiktok Ads is similar to their Brand Takeover offering. Your Ad is previewed to the Tiktok Users when they open the app and after a 1-2 second delay. That piece Ad will be embedded into the Main “For You” feed. 

 

This format is well-known to derive better conversions and overall results. You only have to nail your first impression of the Ad creative to utilize these Ad formats to the best. 

 

Treat the first part of the video like a youtube thumbnail. Your average viewer is going to judge it from the start. 

 

Branded Hashtag Ads 

 

These Ads also show up at the start of your feed when you open Tiktok App. And everything is similar to Top View Ads but with a branding element. 

 

And the Ad creative requirements are different. TikTok requires Advertisers to include a branded hashtag representing their campaign. Showcasing a new offer or opportunity for brand lovers to jump on the trend and use that hashtag. 

 

The main objective to run these campaigns is to increase the number of user-generated content around your brand. Brands have used this format in the past to jumpstart a trend around the upcoming movie, DTC product. Even with Tiktok promoting its own offer #BookDay. 

 

Branded Effects  Ads 

 

With this Ad format, TikTok allows brands to use Tiktok Effect House to create branded filters and Stickers promoting their campaign. 

 

This format works well for brands looking for organic awareness by promoting the usage of branded filters among users. 

 

First Brands partner with Macro Influencers and then they start to use their presence in the Ad campaign. Showing Influencers use that branded effect in the Ad campaign. Leading the Brand to the right path of more organic user content. 

 

Collection Ads 

 

This format of Ads was newly launched last year and also had a new major update this year. You can read more about it here. 

 

Collection Ads are more Tiktok shopping-focused Ads. Initially launched to compete with Meta Shopping Ads & Advantage+ campaigns. 

 

This format of Ads showcases the Tiktok user a collection of Products available to see in your Instant Gallery. (Instant gallery, a tiktok e-commerce feature)

 

In that gallery, the user can see your product catalog before visiting your website to make the end purchase. This is a really useful format for e-commerce businesses & DTC marketers. 

 

Tiktok Pulse Ads (New)

 

This Ad format was previously in testing. But last week (4th May), Tiktok announced this new Ad format alongside the news regarding the launch of the new creator fund 2.0. 

 

In this new Tiktok Pulse format, Your Ads will be previewed next to the Top 4% content on Tiktok. 

 

What this means for Advertisers is Tiktok analyzes most viral content at the time of your Ad campaign. And it places your Ad next to that piece of content. 

 

Shared on the Tiktok newsroom, This new Ad format is focused on building more trust and increasing Ad performance. 

 

This Ad format will slowly roll out to all the advertisers. Now is the waiting time for small advertisers. For enterprises, no better time than now to reach out. 

 

Free TikTok Resources 

 

To help with advertising, organic, and content posting. Tiktok itself is here to help, the platform continuously launches free reports and resources for businesses. 

Tiktok Ads Academy 

 

We talked so much about Ads. You might think you need a course on running Ads on Tiktok. Before you reach another fake TikTok Guru. 

 

This is a free course launched by Tiktok in 2021 to help small businesses and new ventures run Ads on the platform. 

 

Tiktok Keywords Library 

 

This is a free library launched in Dec 2022 to help marketers and advertisers discover the latest keyword trends. And to find what CPC and advertising rates are people paying for on the platform. You can visit the library for free. 

 

Tiktok Insights Library

 

At this library, You can find all the latest data about campaign ROIs, the State of Tiktok Ads, Industry Metrics, and much more. Tiktok continues to add new data to this free library regarding new demographics, Gen-Z  & Mobile devices too. A bookmark-worthy resource. 

 

Tiktok Ads Library 

 

Similar to Facebook's Ads library, Tiktok has its own Ad library filled with all the Ads currently running on the platform. You can spy on your competitor's Ads and take inspiration from well-performing Ads. Here’s the link to the free library. 

 

Tiktok Creative Center 

 

Even though I shared two resources earlier to find new trending sounds. And recommended you use social listening to discover new creators. Tiktok can also help you if you don’t want to do manual research. At Tiktok creative center you will find the latest data on trends, sounds, creators, and strategies too. 

 

This is a great free resource, but as someone who works a lot with social media businesses and influencers. Their predictions on trends and strategic tips are not the best. But better than not knowing anything about the latest TikTok Trends. 

 

Tiktok Guides & Research 

 

These are a list of free guides, content calendars, and research tiktok launched in the past few months. I know about them because, In the newsletter, I share everything new related to TikTok for my subscribers: 

 

 

These are the few best resources launched by Tiktok to help the businesses and creators of the app. You can bookmark this blog or add the newsletter to find new resources every week. 

 

State of TikTok May 2023 

 

We kicked in the month with Tiktok announcing the new creator fund and launching Tiktok Shops in Beta. 

 

With both of these actions, Tiktok is showing that they are here to dominate. A lot of creators started to fear the TikTok US ban and also decided to move to Youtube & Instagram. 



But now things are changing. Tiktok also introduced a premium content feature called “Series”  in March 2023. Allowing creators to charge for their content and one of the creators shared in r/Tiktokhelp on Reddit. That he made more than 40k from selling a premium piece of content. 

 

And now the new creator fund 2.0 is also paying creators well. Making them stay on the app and push more content. 

 

For advertisers, Tiktok introduced Pulse Ads. This new Ad format is connected to the creator fund 2.0. Meaning your Ads will be shown in-between quality content created by publishers. 

 

Yes, with these changes. Many have expected that TikTok is aiming at long-form content with a minimum length of 1-minute. To make the users stay and also allow Advertisers to target their ideal audience. 

 

Tiktok is becoming an ideal content distribution platform now. Other than this, many content policy changes were made after the US Ban hearing. Due to that, my last advice is to make sure you follow the new content guidelines. Because many users are also complaining about getting their accounts banned. 

Best Tiktok Tools 

 

 

Honorable mention: Canva is another amazing design tool for marketers and advertisers to create social media campaigns. 

 

Best Brands on Tiktok 

 

I have created a list of brands to take inspiration from to grow your own Tiktok account. These brands are doing their best to scale the business with the help of Tiktok organic & viral growth.





Tiktok UGC Content Strategy 

 

You need to train your Creators about your content formats. It seems like a small world when reaching out to creators until you talk to them and realizes they don’t know about trends in your industry and on Tiktok. 

 

They don’t have the same trends and products on their “For You” feed that you want them to create content for that’s why you need to train them. 

 

Train them what? You have done your market research and know your audience and competitors well. The creator is unknown to all those things. That’s why, You need to guide the creators about your competitors and what content formats are supposed to go viral. 

 

I recommend creating an influencer Kit to help the creator with Content creation for you. Navigate them through your business challenges and show them what your audience might like. 

 

Don’t just hand out the product. If you do this, the UGC creator will have a better portfolio to show and you get better conversions. 

 

Tiktok Hooks Strategy 

 

This is my favorite Tiktok strategy to hook people at the start of your content and then make them remember your brand. Tiktok moves fast, making people remember your video is important. 



Using primacy and recency effect.

 

The primacy effect refers to the better recall of keywords from the beginning of the list/video (first three or four grabbing words) whereas the recency effect refers to the better recall of keywords from the end of the list/video (last three or four power words) than middle items of the list. 

 

With the Primacy effect, Creators always try to connect with your most relatable memory about X topic in the beginning & with the recency effect they try to recall that memory again in the end. 

 

Why? There have been a lot of experiments conducted about the Serial Positioning Effect where people always remember the first few words due to long-term memory & the last words due to their working memory.

 

Meaning trying to mention the key subject like your brand name at the start and then again before the end of the video. To make people remember your brand and also watch the video. 

 

For further on writing effective hooks and titles, You can read my analysis of writing titles like MrBeast.

 

Instagram Vs Tiktok Strategy 

 

There is a huge difference between Instagram and Tiktok when it comes to growing on both platforms. Even if we are talking only about Instagram reels against Tiktok. 

 

I tried to talk about Instagram vs Tiktok in my previous post. You can read that post where I have expanded more on the strategies you need to master both of these social media platforms. 

 

Content Breakdown of the Month 

 

This Tiktok video from Max Klymenko is a masterpiece. He used the Pepsi bottle as a metaphor to make people stick to the video for longer. As he reviews the chips every while he eats them. The audience sees him drinking Pepsi after that, bringing attention to the starting point in the video where he mentioned this product is owned by Pepsi. If he drinks it after eating the chips. 

 

Meaning whenever the audience will be likely to lose interest. His drinking of Pepsi brings the audience back to the common point. Making the audience think, how many Pepsi products were in the video? 

 

For Creators & Businesses: Use an extra element or metaphor in your video to keep the audience hooked for a longer period peri.

 

The End 

 

Normally many people sell courses and e-books with less information than this. But I am on a mission to share complete marketing guides on social media brands. 

 

You can read my Instagram marketing guide launched in April. I’m working on updating that guide for May 2023. The next guide will be on LinkedIn marketing. 

 

All insights you read came from my experience as social media & Influencer marketing strategist. What you read on my blog was earned from real-time work and research done by me. Trying to help businesses and creators. 

In case you need more help with Tiktok marketing, you can contact me. 

I would love to do a review of your tiktok account. 

How Future of Content Marketing is Changing?

 

In 2023, Content marketing is breaking down and businesses are having a hard time growing their business through content. And It is not AI. 

 

It is because content systems and formats are changing at a fast pace and the impact is on direct marketing. 

 

First: Change In SEO 

 

The data from sparktoro shows that almost 50% of Google searches end up as zero-click searches. And the user never clicks through to visit your website. 

 

This number is increasing with Google evolving its SERP with new UX additions & updating the old features. More and more Google searches will be answered without making users visit a website. 

 

Costing businesses using content marketing. And the impact is expected to increase as Google’s new chatbot will be integrated into search. To answer your queries based on the data you have on your blog or website. 

 

What are the solutions to this SEO problem? 

 

The importance of branding identities and personalizing your content will increase. 

 

For Google SERP, brands will need to include elements like Insights from their teams, names of those experts, and better branding integration. 

 

Even though recent trends show that many websites have stopped adding their Sitename at the end of Blogpost  Titles. The trend is expected to change. As when the information is shown on SERP, not your website. You need to highlight your name to make people connect that value they got with your own business. 

 

The second is brands will start to do limited SEO. 

 

Meaning showing up for random searches won’t help. Better tracking of where your brand shows up will get more important. 

 

Start Targeting long-tail keywords that are lookalikes and identical. Because it will help brands keep the target audience in the loop. 

 

When you go broad with SEO and spend more time. It will still work for brand awareness. But the demand for better content structuring will increase. 

 

It will be less about 

 

How to write a blog ~ How to design a blog ~ How to monetize a blog ~ How to sell a blog 

 

More about 

 

How to write a B2B blog ~ What to include in a B2B blog post ~ Best B2B blog categories ~ B2B content template ~ B2B blog post length - … 

 

Trying to keep the one ideal searcher within your loop to convert them with your content. Because when SERP shows previewed content at the top. Maybe for the first or second time, that user won’t visit your website. 

 

But with them seeing your brand associated with the last two posts and the value. They will visit the site to check more of your work. 

 

Second: Change In Social Media 

 

Even though now we have 5 links in our Instagram Bio. The traffic to websites from social media platforms is decreasing. 

 

Similar web’s latest research suggests social media referral traffic is declining for most publishers and businesses too. Vice and BuzzFeed did not suffer alone to die. 

 

Traffic is down for most of these publishers. And it is because of a few different reasons. 

 

First is Twitter & Pinterest. After Elon Musk’s takeover, Link sharing took a dip and Elon was even blocking links to a few publications and substack. 

 

And then Pinterest went through a policy and alleged algorithm changes. After it was revealed few people were using the platform to target young users. That shift to make the platform more secure affected a lot of bloggers making their pins go down in rank. And users also complained about the changes. 

 

Second is the consideration change. The video marketing push on social media has changed the behavior of online users. Impacting their decisions like leaving the platform to read the content. 

 

When they are getting the same content on Tiktok or Instagram in a different format more consumable format. 

 

Third is content distribution. Old distribution strategies don’t work. Reposting your blog or event content will not impact your social media traffic. You need to recreate the blog post into the optimized format of that social media channel to get the most out of it. 

 

What are the solutions to fix the social media problem? 

 

The first is to think of social media content distribution strategy as a content recreation strategy. 

 

Understand the formats of that platform and the nature of the audience. Pick the parts of the content that will be most relatable to the audience. 

 

 

All these needs might shift based on what type of audience exists on these platforms. But adapting to them is more important than ever. 

 

What content adaptation can do is easy to catch on social media. Washington Post’s Instagram account grew to 6.5 million followers in the past few years with the adaptation to Instagram carousels. They used trending IG format + storytelling to build that audience and derive traffic back to the website using CTAs at the end. 

 

While BuzzFeed News copy-pasted most of their blog content & statements onto their Instagram handle. And many businesses are doing social media content like that! 

 

Please don’t do that, to make social media users visit your business or publishing site. Try to adapt to their needs on IG, Tiktok, and other channels before you complain. 

 

Third: Growth of Personalized Content 

 

The age of private communities and channels is here. Many Brands like Ahrefs & Sprout Social have started their private communities for customers and community members. 

 

These communities provide personalized content for the user's needs. No need to target 1000 different user identities on the Internet. You only have to fulfill the needs of your community members. 

 

And provide structured value in conversations, AMAs, Group meetings, and other community elements. These eventually help everyone get the most out of it. 

 

And Gen-Z users are loving this idea as they want their own privacy-focused curated content space. 

 

For businesses, this is not a problem. But a new part of content marketing. 

 

Earlier it was the goal to make people sign-up for your mailing list. In the email, the control is over the audience, not the deliverability of your content. That is why: 

 

Personalized content spaces like chat groups, WhatsApp broadcasts & private communities will help brands reach their audience even better. Even with all these marketing changes coming to Search & Social Media.

15+ Social Media Trends & Insights in October 2023

Social media platforms are changing every week and besides all those changes. We are constantly getting the same plagiarized advice from marketers & company blogs.

 

We kicked off 2023 with some major changes in the first quarter and these changes might impact your social media strategy or help you to create better content & strategies for your business.

 

July Update: Another quarter is over and we have a new text app launched by Instagram called “Threads”. Bringing another long-term social media trend to learn and study.

 

I’ve been able to pull these insights together as I track these changes for 10,000+ marketers every week and work everyday to help businesses do better at social. 

 

And this post is part of my on-going content series “one-stop”. Here you will find the latest social media trends & insights from company officials, insiders & marketers added consistently. 

 

I don’t want to give you the crappy stuff, only valuable data backed Trends & insights regarding social media marketing. To begin with: 

 

Tiktok is no-longer about short form content 

 

You heard it right, TikTok is shifting its company goals & testing new ideas to shift the focus from short focus content to long form. 

 

With the launch of “Creativity Program Beta” TikTok aims to make creators post content with a length of 1 min or more. And asks you to post original content on the platform, less trends & more originality. 

 

Since the launch of this new type of creator fund, many creators have started experiencing fluctuations in organic reach when they post content within 15-30 seconds. 

 

The platform wants a long period of user attention and that’s why it is pushing creators to be more original & share long form content. 

 

This shows a demand trend in long form content that makes people stick for longer periods & TikTok can integrate Ads within the content. 

 

Another factor showing Tiktok isn’t the king of Short form content anymore. We have a trend regarding YouTube Shorts growing faster than Reels & Tiktok. The ban regarding Tiktok making a highlight in March also helped Youtube Shorts get the attention of creators & businesses to start publishing more content on Youtube. 

 

Overall both of these trends have contributed to this point of TikTok shifting focus to have creators & businesses create long form engaging content. 

Monthly Update: This month of June, Tiktok has been embracing AI. As there were tweaks of an AI chatbot coming to the platform. And Tiktok also launched an AI Ad Script generator. The AI fever on TikTok is here!

 

Twitter’s New Algorithm 

 

Since 31st March, Twitter “For You” feed algorithm is live on Github and available for anyone to access & track the updates regarding the algorithm changes. A move Elon musk made to showcase transparency at twitter. 

 

But at the same time, we got to learn how the algorithm is changed & works in 2023. 

 

First, Pay for reach on Twitter is a thing. As studying the algorithm we learn that Twitter Blue subscribers get more reach than regular users on the “For You” feed. 50% of the content on “For You” is recommendations and 50% from people you follow. And from that data to reach the 50% new people & get your content pushed by twitter automatically. Then, Twitter Blue will help you. 

 

Second, But still the most impactful factors affecting your organic reach are Likes & retweets; these boost your organic reach by 10-20x compared to a factor like Comments. 

 

Third, Algorithm labels tweets from Elon Musk & tracks various accounts + topics continuously. And that indicates to us that respectable sources & accounts on twitter might have a better chance of getting their content seen. That’s why new brands should always build their authority on Twitter first. 

 

Fourth, Outbound links are hated. This trend of Social Media Networks hating outbound links to websites & blogs is not new. And we got confirmation about this through Twitter’s source code. I believe this is a gentle reminder that always put outbound links in comments to make sure the reach of your best tweets don’t drop. 

 

These were some new insights & updates regarding the Twitter algorithm. Twitter is constantly changing and I hope a new algorithm revealed will help a lot. 

Monthly Update: Twitter started june with focus on Video content features after they hired their new CEO. And now they have introduced long-video uploading features, playback speed. And working on various new options like screensharing, Background video player & more.

+ from July, there are chances most big creators will start seeing their earnings from Twitter Reply Ads.

 

BeReal is Dying like Clubhouse 

 

You can still find posts about “Social Media Trends in 2023” and they might’ve a whole point of mentioning that BeReal is the best platform in 2023. But unfortunately they were wrong, The BeReal growth trend is decreasing from the past few months. 

 

And the amount of time users spend on BeReal is also less than all social media platforms in the Industry. If this wasn’t enough BeReal announced that they don’t have a plan to start advertising on the platform. 

 

How will they survive? Well, it is about culture & the brand messaging of transparency. The App still blends into Gen-Z culture & teenagers are using the app to connect with their friends. The audience is very identical to Snapchat. 

 

But the issue here is that culture attracts new people slowly. That’s the reason Snapchat pays creators more money than Youtube & TikTok to stay on Snapchat & share exclusive content. This opportunity is available for BeReal too. But they don’t have a consistent flow of revenue to pay creators to stay on the platform. 

 

Overall, BeReal is all about Brand Messaging & Culture now. The platform is still in a transition phase to be a marketing channel for businesses & creators. 

 

AI Content Recommendations on Facebook & LinkedIn 

 

Your Circle of connections on LinkedIn will make a huge impact on how your content is suggested to other people. As in march, LinkedIn announced that there will be an increase in suggested posts with help of AI & algorithms. 

 

You will be seeing more posts that your connections interacted with in some way like liking the post or commenting on it. For Creators & businesses, this means that build a useful LinkedIn connection network as your content will be suggested to right people through this small tactic. 

 

About Facebook, In Meta’s Earning Report 2022 we learned that use of AI to recommend users new content has increased at Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg said that the usage of AI is keeping users more engaged. 

 

This increased usage of AI on Facebook points us at that it is important to create clear & quality content targeted towards your current audience/followers. The algorithm first analyzes those engaging user profiles and then recommends new users. 

 

Proving us that the network of creators & followers you have + how they engage with your content impact growth. And the impact is about to increase in 2023. 

May Update : In the new Meta earnings call, They mentioned they are now going to double on AI recommended content.

 

June Update:  LinkedIn announced one of the biggest content creation feature yet. You will be able to generate a complete linkedIn post out of a minimum text limit of 30 words. Then, Generative AI will be able to create more text of that quick insight from you. LinkedIn is about to get more cringe.

 

And there were many other LinkedIn AI changes announced in month of June, these updates are going to change LinkedIn Trends later this year. You can read all other updates here!

 

Edutainment content is Changing 

 

In 2021-22 we saw an increase in creation of edutainment content because social media brands were advised to stop product posting & provide more value to people for free. 

 

But now everyone is doing that especially on Text focused Content platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn & reddit. Edutainment Content isn’t enough if you’re doing “how-to” or “Tips” content for your audience. 

 

Because the standards are now higher since the launch of ChatGPT. Regular Educational content isn’t what people are demanding. They are asking for “How I” & “Journey” content that depicts how different things helped you. 

 

Educational content on social media now requires a person of subject that people connect with or you provide better educational content than AI. 

 

In both ways, Educational content in 2023 is demanding more than just value. You need to add other elements like brand values, storytelling & Personas to this type of content to have success.

 

And then structure your social media sales funnel, accordingly to your content strategy for different social media platforms like TikTok & Pinterest.

 

Creators can’t make everyone buy impulsively 

 

It’s not 2020 anymore, people aren’t new to the world of Influencers. They are realizing that Influencers aren’t using the products they promote if they only did one-time mention of the product. The market is booming, creators are getting more and more brand deals. But Users are also getting pitched 10 different products by the same influencer/creator in a span of 30 days. 

 

That’s why we are seeing a rise in #deinfluence on Tiktok & Instagram, Real-time Product users are informing others about products & creator marketing. This new trend showcases brands that are viral due to great marketing but actually have a bad reputation for their product lines. #deinfluence is a fair warning for brands to not spend money before validating user reviews & product. 

 

The Creator market isn’t just a free ticket to go viral, it can backfire too. It has changed. What Big brands are doing is something different from newbies in social influencer marketing. 

 

They are finding creators that find their products valuable & actually use them. And brands are working with them for a long period to have an impact on the audience. These are generally micro-influencers. Regarding Big influencers, brands are experimenting with audiences & signing up deals that build a relationship between products & creators. 

 

The days of working with an influencer with a million followers and getting orders are gone. You need strategies on how your social media presence is influenced through influencers to gain profit in the long term. 



The new Instagram isn’t Organic but helpful

 

The organic growth on Instagram isn’t increased but it is neutralized. As far as I know after certain statements from January, we know the platform worked on some changes to fix organic reach issues across all media formats. And now we have better chances of growing through Imagery content too, like IG reels. 

 

Why I mentioned helpful is that the Instagram team & CEO are informing SMBs and creators consistently about certain elements of marketing on Instagram. 

 

First, Instagram doesn’t deprioritise your content if edited in TikTok, Capcut or other editing apps. But recommends you to stop using watermarks on your content. 

 

Second, Instagram’s CEO confirmed Hashtags don’t impact engagement that much. And I also shared why in my “one-stop” Instagram guide. 

 

Engagement is different from reach, by engagement Adam meant interactions you get from your existing followers & audience. Hashtags don’t impact that, but hashtags may impact organic reach on your post if they are relevant to content you post. 

 

Third, Instagram’s new hidden university “Instagram University” for creators is a program 

that is led by Employees & experts at Instagram to help creators. And many students have revealed that keyword research is an important factor to make your Instagram content do better. That’s why focus on searchable keywords & include them in your posts. 

 

After reading this, don’t go searching “Instagram university” on google. There is another course by a fake guru with the same name “Instagram University” and you might get spammed if you sign up for that course. The official course is for US creators & Businesses only with invite access. 

 

Overall, Instagram Team is trying to educate people about marketing on IG and busting the myths about the platform. 

 

Monthly Update: The organic Reach can make a comeback with Instagram broacasts rolled out globally. I am using this new community sharing feature to utilise most of  IG, and getting more engagement for my content + clients. As it is a great content distribution source for creators & businesses.

Social Listening is more Important than Posting 

 

I certainly believe we are now on the opposite sides of social media marketing. If you're a new business in the world of social media marketing and just started focusing. You are still on the regular side of brands trying to build a social media presence. And you can risk a lot to generate brand awareness for your business. 

 

If you are established and have a brand presence on social media. But now focused on the next step or level of brand awareness, it is important to take a step back & start listening. 

 

Listen to the conversations already happening around your business & what people are saying about your business, content and products. Is it positive or negative? Maybe there is something that needs to be improved. 

 

Before you chase the next viral post, understanding the state of your social media presence is crucial. Because you don’t want to go viral and see your existing audience talk bad about you in the comments of that piece of content. It impacts your social brand image & also leaves a bad impression on a potential new audience. 

 

That’s before you go on your next viral adventure, keep track of your social audience. Listen & talk to them about your brand & their concerns. Social media is also about social understanding! 

 

Don’t press publish without listening. 

 

Ad Tracking Changes In Europe 

 

As of April 2023, EU users of Instagram & Facebook can opt out of Ad tracking & they will no longer be served personalized Ads. And this change can impact Ad targeting in Europe pretty heavily. 

 

What does this mean for social media advertisers? This can generate a big push towards better market research & Ad creatives to convert the audiences besides the major targeting changes. A better job needs to be done on the Marketing side. 

 

A small tip for Advertisers is running Ads through Influencer Accounts with access to Paid partnerships, they can target look alike audiences of that influencer to have a better conversion rate in Facebook Ads manager. 

 

Overall we will see how the Ad targeting is impacted with this new change & how many users will opt out of the Ad tracking system. 

 

Gen Z Users aren’t loyal 

 

A report by McKinsey shows that Gen-Z aren’t loyal like other generations. They will switch up to another brand if they are cheap or a better option. Besides having a favorite brand they love. 

 

What does this mean for social media marketers? Many Brands ignore their competitors like they aren’t even in their market. But they are and your audience on social media knows them too. 

 

What Gen-Z behavior shows us is a need to provide informative content about your industry & products consistently to have a better chance of keeping them tied up with your brand. 

 

A less informative consumer is a wanderer and that’s why you need to inform them consistently. 

Try to do that through Instagram stories, BTS Tiktok content & Community forums/chats. 

 

This small move to inform your customers consistently will change your social game & make the audience more loyal. 

 

AR is changing Retail & VR is still slow

 

AR filters are bringing a huge change to retail & DTC markets. The change isn’t on a huge level, but a report from Snapchat suggests that AR filters help shoppers make easier buying decisions. 

 

By launching AR filters for brands, through the usage marketers learn a lot about the average consumer of their product. 

 

Regarding VR, the growth has slowed down while among Fashion Brands it continues to grow. Brands like Tommy Hilfiger and H&M are still doing Metaverse events to keep the users engaged. 

 

But on a higher level with Meta & Google slowing down & shifting their focus from VR products to AI & advertising. We are seeing a slow down in the use of VR to connect with social audiences. 

 

Also with Snapchat’s Ad business slowing down in Q4 2022, what we have now is a neutral state for AR & VR trends on social media. But I’m pretty sure these trends will grow back in the next few quarters. 

 

Meme Marketing on the rise 

 

Since the TikTok takeover, meme marketing is growing at a faster rate and now is part of social media strategies to get new eyeballs on the business. 

 

But there is also an issue regarding meme marketing, most memes originate from different internet cultures & people. And established brands always need approval from legal teams to jump on meme trends. As the brands will be profiting from the attention gained through that meme. 

 

Now you aren’t copying the whole meme, there is new original content added by your team. Not in every case, but in a few cases you might need to get copyrights to use the meme. Especially when you use the meme post to run Ads. 

 

You will not get sued for your meme post on a brand/business account. I only want you to be informed about the benefits & consequences. 

 

Meme marketing is growing very fast on Tiktok as the platform rewards broad content that everyone finds relatable. That’s why most big brands like Microsoft, Duolingo, Hilton & many others are jumping on meme marketing trends to find new audiences & get more reach on social media. 

 

And on other platforms like Instagram, reddit & Twitter meme marketing always works. The impact is short but research shows brands associated with humor are more memorable to consumers. 

 

Pay for Social Media 

 

Besides Tiktok & Pinterest, we now have paid subscriptions features on every other social media platform. Have a look at the number of platforms offering premium options: 

 

 

One of the reasons people agreed to pay for new Meta paid subscriptions is account security & Identity verification. Having a look at Twitter Blue, we have more than 50% Blue subscribers with less than 1,000 followers. 

 

For Twitter & Meta people are paying to have a better experience on the platform & feel their data is secure. Yes, both platforms have promised more reach to paid users. But the impact on growth will be less and more on maintaining a healthy presence on these platforms. 

 

That’s why brands & creators are also opting in for these subscriptions to make sure it is easy to find their business & account when there are fake bot accounts scamming users on these platforms. 

 

On other platforms, Snap, LinkedIn, YouTube & Discord. Users are signing up for extra benefits to enjoy limited features of the platform. 

 

Pay for Social Media isn’t a bad trend. But it is an exit strategy for these companies as Data laws are getting strict, Advertising business is slowing. 

 

If Meta & Twitter introduced Ad free Pla  like Reddit premium, the impact of “Pay for Social Media” will be seen among advertisers & PPC marketers. But for now Meta has confirmed there are no updates regarding a new Ad free plan. Elon on other hand shared that Twitter might offer a high priced version of Twitter blue offering an Ad-free experience. 

 

No need to fear for now if you advertise on these platforms. “Pay for Social Media” is a wise Investment for your business in 2023. 

 

Owning Your Social Media Traffic 

 

Besides Instagram now allowing upto 5 links in your profile & LinkedIn last year releasing Links button for posts. Data shows that traffic from social media platforms remains flat and is dying slowly. 

 

And around 30-40% of the traffic on social media platforms is directed towards each other. Facebook’s widely viewed content reports are released every quarter. And in the last two quarters, most traffic driven to a link was for a Youtube video & a Tiktok. And the top 20 most visited links are either Youtube, IG or Tiktok. You can see the majority of traffic is going to the social media brands. 

 

This slow death of social media traffic is affecting publishers the most. With Buzzfeed News dying & Vice is looking to fill for bankruptcy. When we track trends, we see their traffic from social media is slowly dying. And SEO traffic also remained flat. 

 

What it means for businesses & creators online is, how the internet works is changing. Someone viewing your content or visiting your website is not that much of a value. 

 

You have to own your social media traffic at a place where you have better control over your ideal audience. That is why Newsletters, forums & Communities are becoming the new norm for media businesses. And your business should also adapt to it. 

 

Why? Because regular Information is available today in so much abundance. No one wants to only read, they want to interact on that piece of content. 

The average user experience required to fulfill is changing, the bar is going higher. 

 

It is time to find new ways and formats to own your social media traffic and provide your space to those people. Then, they will learn your purpose and share your business with others. 

 

In some way, we are going back to basics of marketing, growing from word of mouth. But the road to reach that growth is extended because the paths are changing.

 

State of Reddit: New E-commerce Wave

 

Reddit is making a lot of effort to differentiate themselves from all other social media platforms. Even though other social media users view redditors differently from years, redditors might experience a change in upcoming months.

 

 

If you are unfamiliar, Reddit have a set of different teams to grow their offerings to marketers and businesses.

 

 

Karmalabs Team at Reddit have the job to work with agency clients and brands to run Advertising & partnership campaigns. These teams are also expanding globally and reddit is working on future of its Ad business.

 

The second team is RedditX, this team isn’t that public like Karmalabs. There are various leaks about this team works on future of reddit like upcoming changes &  new product offerings.

 

The team worked on Reddit Talks previously and the new highlight is the team working on e-commerce features. Yes, integrating e-commerce into reddit might sounf strange to many.

 

 

But my experience as a reddit user is I get my fashion & product advise off this app. And I can see reddit offering businesses “shops” feature. A feature like this will allow reddit users to embed prdoucte into their comments.

 

 

Yes, reddit user is very much against self-promotion. But we aren’t talking about e-commerce from that angle. Because that is very hard to implement.

 

 

But Reddit having a Meta like  e-commerce checkout and product tagging features will improve the user experience.

 

June Update: Reddit went through a 48 hour blackout this month with 8,000+ sub-reddits protesting against them. Why protest? Reddit is going to charge developers & AI tech to use its API integration. Those APIs till today were free to use and loved by many. But now, the quick change is here.

 

 

While reddit now is back to growth timeline. But the change broke user trust in the social media platform. Many communities & users are still protesting against them in different ways.

 

This is a similar situation to Twitter’s API changes, developers hated it. Twitter didn’t die, most protestors came back. An equivalent playout will be seen in the case of Reddit.

 

What It means for Reddit Marketers: 

 

 

This reddit blackout will have a major effect over reddit advertising offerings, as the conversations in every sub-reddit shifted. And many reddit communities transitioned from Safe for work to Not safe for work communities.

 

 

All that change will cause a problem for advertisers. On other hand, Organic reddit marketing remains unharmed. As those community discussions never stopped.

 

 

In June 2023, Reddit remains one of my personal favourite Social listening platform. And it is because, amid the blackout, I was able to use the app for social listening & building buyer identities using Reddit conversations.

 

 

I stand in solidarity with reddit users, third-party developers & moderators, as I have my own tiny marketing community. I hope for the best in terms of Reddit’s growth as a social media platform & information source.

 

 

MrBeast Content Cloning

 

 

The latest social media trend among brands & creators is to steal the attention of MrBeast in multiple ways to build their social media channels. And finally MrBeast has spoken about this change in the creative business space.

 

 

 

The MrBeast Formula works, but rethink before hijacking another big Youtuber or Brand’s awareness for your own social media growth. Because that doesn’t build your messaging. It only speaks to that X audience of Brand or Creator you are hijacking for growth purposes.

 

 

MrBeast is now talking about not going on any podcasts other than Colin and samir to share his lessons. As often, his strategies are used incorrectly and young creators are losing that creativity trying to replicate him.

 

 

And he is right, Algorithms have made creator seek shortcuts to come up and build their followings. This is somewhat not that harmful for creators, for businesses don’t use these strategies as the future of social media is all about attention. And you will have a hard time converting audiences into buyers off attention content.

 

+ What I think about attention content is similar to internships. You offer to work for free and do more hard work to get the job & opportunities. Just to realise later that it wasn’t worth your time & energy. Decision is yours, you have to be careful. Don’t use MrBeast as an escape or viral hack on social media.

 

 

This has to be the worst social media trend of 2023 so far!

 

Behavioural Design

A neglected part of social media strategy is design, the social media user interface changes happen more frequently today. But talking to marketers on reddit & social, most of them never change post design or minor content layouts. In Behavioural design, simple act of nudging or adding new text or design elements can cause a change.

For Example, Instagram adding collections to “Instagram Saves” was a behavioural design experiment to encourage users to save more content. Because after that users became more categorised and curated. Or Instagram moving ‘copy link’ from a design where that old button was alone, now all sharing options are tied together. Why aren’t you changing structures of your content? The ideas and words inside them change but how the design encourages others to like doesn’t.

 

Work on that, experiment with simple ideas as adding ‘like’ emoji within your caption or carousel. Or always having small prompts in your video content, at the top of it or the bottom. Experiment design, track behaviour. I suggest reading this free guide to learn more about behavioural design for social media.