Mediaboss Marketing

No one really wins when a pandemic hits, but 2020 has been huge for social media. Entire populations have been encouraged or required to stay at home, concerned about infection risks, and feeling the need for connection even more than usual due to heightened uncertainty and anxiety. As a result, the shift of living our social lives online instead of IRL has sustained an alarming acceleration period.

And Im not just talking about the massive growth in engaged usership on TikTok and Instagram. LinkedIn, the B2B social network, has also shown a huge spike in both the amount of published content and the volume of engagement with that content, according to data compiled by Transmission.

Credit: TransmissionThis opens up opportunities for marketers to enlarge their share of social attention, but only if you pay attention to the changing ways that consumers are using social media.

You cant just unpause your social and expect the same kind of response that you enjoyed pre-pandemic. Heres what to do instead.

People who are living in the shadow of the coronavirus, adjusting to working from home and deprived of regular social activities interact differently with social media than they did back in January. Initially, there was a massive spike in virus-related news and stories as people struggled to understand their new reality.

But the infodemic quickly tapered off, and people looked for ways to relieve serious anxieties and fears. Research by Taboola found that engagement with pandemic-related material peaked in March. By mid-April, the mood had already changed.

Engagement data from PathFactorys user base since the beginning of the pandemic, on the other hand, shows that interest in COVID-19-related topics in the context of B2B content attention minutes has endured. Its worth noticing here that the long tail is in content not directly related to the virus itself but rather in content related to how businesses should content with the new normal. Topics such as virtual events, cybersecurity and the need to adapt have commanded attention well into the summer.

Credit: PathFactoryMental health, joining an online community, and a desire to distract and self-educate became the driving factors for social media usage. Marketers who overlook these patterns risk facing something of a backlash. Consumers and B2B decision-makers may be too preoccupied to make precise comparisons between products or consider the merits of new solutions. You cant expect too much deep thought from leads who have precious little emotional bandwidth to spare. Thats why the top and middle of the funnel are where its at nowadays.

B2B marketers have to tread a fine line. You need to be sensitive to the pandemic and the toll its taking on your audience, but you cant be seen to be milking it. Some humor is great, but only the right kind of humor. Oh yes, and CoronaCommFatigue is a real thing.

Although marketing might seem like a minefield today, its really not as tricky as it sounds. Just go back to the basics of what youre doing. Understand your audience and deliver value. Its just not the time for promotions, self-congratulation or aggressive hard-sells.

Create the content your audience craves to lighten the burden of lockdown, whether thats diverting them with entertainment, building a creative online community, or helping people improve their emotional health. Save messaging meant for the bottom of the funnel for a later date, while you build brand equity by responding to the mood of the moment.

Mental health has been coming out of the shadows and making an appearance in marketing for a while now, with marketing campaigns like Nikes 2019 In My Feels, which raised funds for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and a collaboration between Sweaty Betty and River Island with anti-bullying charity Ditch the Lie.

COVID-19 pushed this trend to greater prominence, with 40% of consumers aged 13 to 39 saying they appreciate brands addressing mental health during the pandemic.

The social media platform companies themselves are meeting the need, too. Snapchat launched a Here for You tool a week earlier than originally planned, together with extra resources to help people cope with the coronavirus. TikTok, meanwhile, promoted a #MentalHealthAwareness hashtag, scheduled live sessions with mental health experts, and invited people to share their states of mind.

Brands that are rising to the occasion are getting it right to a surprising degree. Jansport already has a large following of Gen Z and Millennials, so its made the most of that by stepping up to meet their mental and emotional needs through the hashtag #LightenTheLoad. Beginning in May, Jansport hosted weekly open conversations with mental health experts on Instagram Live.

Credit: #LightenTheLoadIts the perfect blend of referencing the difficult reality and delivering real value, without overdoing the corona-theme or ruining it by pushing in a discount offer at the end.

Staying at home means isolation and loneliness for many people. Acknowledge it by finding ways to bring people together through your content.

Hashtag challenges on TikTok stimulate users to create and share content, making them part of a larger global community. A Lightricks survey found that over 70% of participants said that using a creativity app helped them overcome anxiety.

The company is arguably best known for its Facetune and Videoleap mobile apps for visual manipulation, but research that eventually informed its new Quickart product found that people are not only bent on creating content a key part of the experience is about using it to connect with others. During the pandemic, the amount of creators using Lightricks apps shared 90% more visuals than they had prior.

Credit: LightricksThe same need to connect is evident in the B2B world too, as the summer conference season has gone virtual. TrustRadius has found that the professional community is unlikely to return to in-person conferences for several months, with 72% of respondents saying that they expect to resume attendance in 2021 or later.

B2B networking and professional development has taken place both on social media and in meat space for decades now, but in 2020, its virtual-only. But smart B2B brands are finding ways to ensure that going virtual actually enhances the conference experience, while also scaling up on the conversational community aspects of their social media presences. The TrustRadius study shows that Q&A sessions and other interactive elements are among the top draws attracting people to virtual events during the COVID-19 crisis.

The Content Marketing Institute, for example, has been promoting its newly online-only #CMIWorld conference with a themed series of pre-conference webinars, Slack community discussions and Twitter chats, and the engagement has been impressive.

Marketers today would do well to remember that sometimes community is about more than serving the interests of a brand. When the pandemic first hit and layoffs were starting to snowball, Michael King, a B2B marketing influencer and founder of iPullRank, wrote this tweet as a way to help the wider marketing talent ecosystem.

The posts and the resource he promoted in them went on to blow up. The spreadsheet now has around 1,000 rows, a testament to the power of trade professionals helping one another.

Social content doesnt have to be heavy to help users deal with big issues. Boredom is a real burden and one that younger workers have found especially hard to bear. Some 50% of Gen Z respondents to one recent poll said they feel bored and want to see more entertaining ad content.

You dont have to leave it all to TikTok to raise the mood, either. B2B marketers can and should allow some lightness into their feed. Instagram is becoming increasingly popular for B2B marketing, and the very nature of the platform lends itself to a more playful approach.

Credit: Mark SchaeferB2B thought leader Mark Schaefer shows how to do it. Hes been more personal than ever on his Instagram profile, posting photos of nature views from his home. Even when he promotes an upcoming content asset, he manages to poke some gentle fun at his own home decor choices.

The coronavirus changed every area of our lives, so its not surprising that it also changed the way we use social media. Brands can and should still use social media marketing to keep their company top of mind, rather than going dark, but marketers need to pay attention to the new expectations of social media audiences.

Content that delivers value by addressing mental health issues, building a community, or entertaining your audience will add to your brand reputation and serve you well in the long term, even if sales need to take a back seat for the time being.

So youre interested in marketing? Then join our online event, TNW2020, to explore the latest brand marketing tech, trends, and challenges.

Published September 14, 2020 08:00 UTC

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Marketers: Change how you approach social media in the post-COVID-19 world - TNW

September15, 20205 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Sixty-two percent of Americans wereworking from homeas of late spring, according to a May 2020 Gallup survey, makingecommerceeven more critical toany successful marketing campaign. Social channels are especially helpful in encouraging customer demand, which offsets risk amid a deep recession.

Instagram in particular is one of the most profitable sites for promoting goods and services, especially if you operate in a niche thinkfashion and beauty, travel, health and fitness, food, consumer goods, home and decor and digital services that makes heavy use of multimedia content. In fact, ecommerce makes up 15.8 percent of total interactions on Instagram, according to a January 2020 report by Socialbakers.

Heres how marketers, independent contractors, freelancers and small-business owners can expand their reach and acquire new customers on Instagram.

Instagram has 120 million U.S. users, according to analytics firm NapoleonCat. More than 200 million global users visit at least one business profile daily, according to Instagram, and 60 percent of people say they discover new products on the platform.

Create a business account so the Instagram marketplace knows that you exist, advisesTony Noskov, founder of Snoopreport, a firm that developed Instagram Activity Tracker for individuals and businesses. An Instagram business account lets you see real-time metrics on engagement so you can adjust strategy, interaction and content to attract inbound interest on goods and services. A business profile enables brands to publish location, store hours, website and phone number. Put a call-to-action button that moves consumers along the sales funnel to possible conversion.

Thirty-seven percent of U.S. adults are Instagrammers, and 63 percent of them visit the site daily, according to Pew Research. Noskovs Instagram Activity Tracker lets anyone monitor a public users likes, comments, follows and other activities.

For businesses, the tool is helpful for building a list of influencers and for benchmarking competitor strategies. Instagram also comes equipped with native tools that allow users to optimize photos and videos without having to pay for additional software or services.

Related: 10 Marketing Strategies to Fuel Your Business Growth

Between March 1 and July 10, 132,580 businesses closed around the country, according to Yelps Economic Impact Report. Social marketing can mitigate economic risks by unforeseen forces. Its prudent to seek deep-pocketed clients or customers who refresh the work pipeline so you can better sleep at night. Allocate one day per week to be actively engaged on social channels or with online promotion.

If youre busy with current projects, you should still commit at least 10 percent of your workweek to marketing. You may find higher-paying gigs that come with less headache. Delegate by hiring a low-cost intern who wont mind earning money and class credits to use Instagram for business.

An effective approach when using Instagram is to first define your target buyers. Businesses can define market segments in several waysm including demographics, values and lifestyle, consumer behavior, disposable income and geography. By identifying their ideal buyers, marketers can customize messages and offers, as well as concentrate on a smaller group of consumers who benefit the most from a product or service.

Companies are in a better position to optimize marketing efforts, pricing, product design, shipping and other aspects of their businesses when they better understand their customers. This can lead to improved key performance indicators (KPIs) like click-throughs, conversion rates, profit margins, customer satisfaction and other important business metrics.

Who is your ideal client or customer, and how do they interact with your Instagram content? What keywords, hashtags, photos and videos do they respond to? What communication styles best resonate with them? One helpful approach is to create a buyer persona a fictional representation of a few ideal customers based both on experience and data. By knowing who specifically youre targeting, you can improve content, sales and marketing, product design, delivery and other aspects of customer acquisition.

Related: How to Land the Digital Marketing Job of Your Dreams

An Instagram strategy shouldnt be set in stone; it should be liquid. You must continually optimize methods based on new preferences and trends, but once youve gained actionable insights from top accounts, you can begin to create aesthetic visuals for your brand.

The key is to capture amazing photos and videos and to tell stories that spark lively discussions from people who will like, comment and push your brand. Write compelling captions that convey the essence of your craft,i.e.what makes you tick and why youre the right person (or product) for the job. Display client stories or give audiences a behind-the-scenes look at how things operate at your place of business.

The end strategy you settle on will depend heavily on your industry and target buyers. Thats why its important to observe and understand why top performers are converting the way they are. Something in your approach resonates with them and aligns with how they consume and engage with your Instagram content.

Once youve found a good fit, keep your foot on the proverbial gas pedal.

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Karras exemplary leadership skills and talents have helped him initiate his media company called Karra Media, growing each day with more clients.

As we start speaking about the technological advances and the many developments that the digital world has been seeing from the last few years, we would realize and understand that all of us have really come a long way. A few years ago, when social media platforms were still growing, experts from the industry had predicted the development it can bring to the business industries of the world, but nobody did ever thought that youngsters would come at the forefront of the industry and with their exemplary leadership skills and talents would make use of the social media platforms in such a manner that it could drive brands and businesses towards more growth and success. Proving his mettle in the same is Srikar Karra, the young man who has been sought by many entrepreneurs and businesses today to take care of their social media marketing and through his branding expertise help them to achieve newer heights of success.

Today, to position people, entrepreneurs, brands and businesses on the pedestal of success and help them grow across the online mediums and social media scene is the need of the hour, especially after the outbreak of a global health pandemic as many businesses have now taken to social media and online mediums to better their name and status across their industries. Optimizing the opportunities provided by social media, Karra as a young talent is leaving no stone unturned to leverage these mediums and provide the best fruits out of the same to his clients for further positioning themselves for success through his prowess in social media marketing and digital branding.

When Karra turned 19, he decided to venture into the digital media world, after realizing the growth it can give him to his career and the fruits it can provide to clients. In the year 2016, he widened his social media platforms and worked upon to increase his followings on the same. Gradually, his follower base increased and he jumped into the digital media world to help people enjoy the same fruits as he did through optimizing the power of social media. TikTok was already growing and Karra used it as his prime platform to garner more followers and make his strong reputation among millions of users and many competitors as well.

His increasing presence on social media platforms led him to originate his full media firm called Karra Media, which today is one of the leading companies that help clients grow their social media following and help them connect a deeper bond with their audiences, increasing their reach and presence. So far, this astute young business personality has scaled several online businesses, leading his way to the top, achieving incredible feats in an already competitive industry. Working with content creators, executives, influencers, entrepreneurs and many others, Karra has helped boost their overall status and presence in the social media world.

Today, he enjoys combined followers of more than a million and also manages an extensive network of over 100 million followers. He has given a new face to so many rising and small online businesses that today they have become one of the leaders in their respective fields.

Taking out time from his busy schedule of managing his media firm, Karra turned into an author as well with his book named Best of Life Hacks: Thirty Nerdy Life Hacks That You Never Knew, which has gone ahead to become an Amazon Bestseller. The young talent had started working on his NGO in high school itself and came up with Insight Chess Academy to coach kids in the game of chess.

Understanding the importance of digitalization and wanting others to understand the same, Karra believes that people should utilize social media platforms in the best manner to flourish with the changing times of the world.

Follow this young digital leader now on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/srikarkarra/?hl=en and visit his website http://www.srikarkarra.com/.

Gloria Rhonheimer is originally from Newfoundland and now lives in waterloo. Her writing is more inspiring. She has written several articles, she obtained a B.A in English from Memorial University. She worked as a reporter for the A.T daily news before deciding to devote himself full-time to writing.

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Srikar Karra: A young branding and digital marketing talent, making it huge with his incredible reach globally through social media marketing -...

WebMD and Twitter have partnered to showcase health content on the platform.

The partnership will put WebMDs health content to the Twitter feed and Twitter Moments. The video and Moments content will help educate consumers about health topics and highlight patient stories on what its like to live with and manage chronic conditions and other health issues.

The content will be tied to health awareness events, like Migraine Awareness Week in September and Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. WebMD will provide social-friendly explainers, myth-busters, medical animations, video content and patient stories to be featured on Twitter.

Twitter delivers timeliness like no other social platform said Paul Bar, group VP of product marketing and product at WebMD, in a statement. With Twitter, WebMD can amplify our meaningful, medically-reviewed health content even further to inform and inspire.

The video content will also become part of Twitter Amplify, Twitters library of premium live and on-demand video content.

The collaboration is Twitters first health content partnership.

We are thrilled to be working with the industry leader in endemic health content, said Lisa Bookwalter, Twitters director of health client solutions, in a statement. Conversations about health are exploding on Twitter. Were bringing together the dynamic environment of a social feed with best in class condition specific content. This partnership brings forward a first to market opportunity for marketers to be a part of the health conversation through brand safe video content.

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WebMD partners with Twitter to showcase health content - Media News - MM&M - Medical Marketing and Media

MIAMI, Sept.17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Global healthy-aging innovatorMONAT Global Corp(MONAT) announces unprecedented success in its expansion from haircare and skincare into wellness. The rollout of MONAT Wellness, a five-piece, custom-formulated and scientifically-backed collection, sold a record-breaking $10 million in its first 24 hours, nearly three times the brand's first-day projection and 10 percent of its aggressive first-year forecast. The move into wellness marks MONAT's third category expansion, following its launch into skincare last year, which generated $4 million in sales on the first day and $150 million for the first year.

Created alongside the holistic-wellness expertise of physician Brent Agin, MD, MONAT Wellness includes an impressive lineup of highly effective, low-maintenance products designed to deliver both instant and long-term benefits: MONAT Energy, an all-natural drink mix to fuel your body and mind; MONAT Balance, a combination pre- and pro-biotic capsule; Collagen Key, a vegan collagen powder to support total beauty from within; Sleep Drops, a soothing sleep elixir, and Total Greens, a convenient daily superfood boost.

"We noticed the shift taking place in the way consumers think about their approach to a healthy lifestyle and looked to fill a void in the current marketplace," said Ray Urdaneta, MONAT CEO and Co-Founder. "We knew from market research that there is still significant opportunity in the category, especially now with consumers being increasingly focused on health. The overwhelming response is further validation that we've developed something truly different and meaningful in the space."

MONAT Wellnesslaunched on September 12th at the brand's digital conference, MONATions IMPACT Week 2020, which drew an audience of more than 45,000 from thirty countries during its four days of broadcast. The launch has also received significant media attention to date with top publications such as Women's Wear Daily, NewBeauty, Happi, and more.

"MONAT Wellness is a true reflection of who we are at MONAT and where we are headed as a brand: a health and wellness company focused on living your best life at any age," said Stuart A. MacMillan, MONAT President. "We are excited to continue doing research to expand the line and innovate in the years to come."

MONAT Wellness is available on MONATGlobal.com and through the brand's 390,000 Market Partners.

About MONAT GlobalMONAT Global is an international healthy aging haircare, skincare and wellness brand founded to help people everywhere enjoy beautiful, healthy, fulfilling lives through exceptional, naturally based products; a fun and rewarding business opportunity; and a culture of family, service, and gratitude. Founded in 2014 and headquartered inMiami, Florida, MONAT provides groundbreaking opportunities through a novel Social Marketing approach to Direct Sales. MONAT's product development is led by Chief Science OfficerAlan J. Meyersand supported by a Scientific Advisory Board comprised of eminent professionals in medicine, cosmetics, haircare, science and health. MONAT offers a unique and exciting business model and one of the most generous compensation plans in the U.S., Canadian, U.K., Irish and Polish markets.

Facebook:/MONATOfficial |Instagram:@monatofficial |YouTube:/MONATOfficialTwitter:@MONATOfficial |Pinterest:/MONATOfficial

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