November Social Media Updates
Social media for food brands: The trends you need to know as we make our way through November.
Planning on stepping up your social media as we roll into summer. Keep these digital updates top of mind, to ensure that your food and beverage content gets in front of hungry eyes.
Enough of the chat, let’s dive into the trends you need to know about this month:
- Articles for LinkedIn pages
- Facebook Reels introduced in US
- TikTok Reached 1 billion users
- Facebook Rebrand
ARTICLES FOR LINKEDIN PAGES
Articles on LinkedIn are nothing new. Longform writing has long been a feature of the professional platform, but for the first time, pages (AKA brand accounts) will be able to post articles too!
So, what does this mean for your business?
- Longform, educational content helps audiences connect with your brand: Taking the time to write an article-style post may seem like a large time investment, but informative and educational content is essential in helping your audience make a personal connection with your brand.
- Repurposing exiting content: If you already have blog posts or longform content sitting on your website, you’ve already got the hard part sorted. Now, you’ll be able to repurpose those to engage with your fans on a new platform.
- More eyes in more places: In 2021, brands know that they need to meet audiences where they’re at. LinkedIn is one more space to interact, engage, and provide further education on your products.
- Brand messaging: LinkedIn is the perfect platform for giving audiences an inside look at your brand. By sharing your core values, or behind-the-scenes insights, it can help turn audiences into lifetime fans.
FACEBOOK REELS INTRODUCED IN THE US
On September 29th it was announced the reels would now be available on FB, as well as IG (in the US). Given the way these rollouts work, we can expect this feature to reach Australia soon as well.
What it means:
- More video content in your Facebook feed: We’ve seen it on Instagram, and now it’s coming to Facebook: Reels rule all. If you’re not on it yet, now is the time to invest in some eye-catching video content.
- Increased cross-platform integration: The introduction of Reels fits with the continuous trend of stronger and stronger cross-platform integration. According to Facebook, “We’re testing the ability for Instagram creators to have their reels recommended on Facebook.” We have a feeling the line between FB and IG is about to get verrrrry blurred.
TIKTOK REACHES 1 BILLION USERS
Speaking of video content… the TikTok trend is running strong. At the end of September, TikTok accounted that it reached over 1 billion users confirming that the super-addictive platform is here to stay.
How it relates to your brand:
- Video content is a must: Again, if you’re not creating video content by now, you’re already behind. Make sure your brand is putting out high-quality video content, some of which may be repurpose-able for various other platforms as well (yes, we’re talking about Instagram Reels).
- More marketing on more platforms: Not only is TikTok a wonderful place to showcase the quirky side of your brand and get that gen-z audience on board, but it also opens the doors to many more marketing opportunities. We’re talking sponsored ads, influencer collabs, competitions. All the social media marketing you’re used to, just on a new platform.
FACEBOOK’S META REBRAND
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, chances are you’ve heard about Facebook’s rebrand to Meta. “Under the Meta umbrella,” dezeen explains, “the company is now attempting to create a platform where users will be able to ‘socialise, work, learn, play, shop and create’ across various apps.”
How it affects your social media marketing:
- Focus on the content, not the platform: In keeping with the trend of cross-platform integration, Meta makes the point loud and clear – social media as we know it is dead… RIP. As we see more and more with each update, the distinction between each platform is disappearing, and Meta emphasizes that this is only the beginning. For brands who rely on their socials for marketing, the biggest takeaway here is to rely on the quality of your content, rather than agonising over how to “beat the algorithm” of a certain platform.
- Maybe VR? Another key takeaway from Zuck’s announcement was an expectation that VR will be a central part of our communication in the not-so-distant future. If brands want to get ahead of the curve, it’s worth considering what kind of virtual immersion experiences or events might suit your audience best. VR wine tasting, VR cooking class? maybe even a dance party? Who knows… best to keep one eye on the horizon?