Today in Digital Marketing - 163: Brands and #BlackLivesMatter

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Starting point is 00:00:28 Get the Rakuten app or join at Rakuten.ca. R-A-K-U-T-E-N dot C-A. Big brands are speaking out about the Black Lives Matter movement. Facebook is running a new ID check on select profiles. YouTube's new feature might make boring videos more bearable, and are Instagram stories on their way to overtaking your feed? It's Monday, June 1st. Happy Global Day of Parents. I'm McKenna Hadley-Burke from EngageQ Digital, filling in this week for Todd Maffin, and here's what you missed today in digital marketing. The Black Lives Matter protests sweeping the U.S. were the main topic of conversation across

Starting point is 00:01:11 social media over the weekend. Netflix, TikTok, and YouTube were among big brands that shared statements of solidarity in support of the movement. Nike took a strong stance in a viral video that featured the phrase, for once, don't do it. In a statement from Reebok, the brand said, we are not asking you to buy shoes, we are asking you to walk in someone else's. HBO, SoundCloud, and TBS changed their Twitter name to the hashtag Black Lives Matter. Social Media Today compiled examples of how many social media platforms also found ways to show their support.

Starting point is 00:01:45 Facebook, Twitter and Instagram changed their official profile images to black and white versions in a show of support. Instagram also encouraged people to use the hashtag share black stories. And Twitter posted a lengthy thread where they shared resources and tips. If you haven't already, use this as a reminder to revisit your brand guide and talk to your clients about whether to engage, and if so, how. Facebook announced that they will be ramping up the verification process for high-reach personal profiles in the U.S. According to Social Media Today, these new identification requirements will include setting up two-factor authentication and confirming the user's country of origin.

Starting point is 00:02:29 Profiles that don't comply could face some real ramifications. Without completing the necessary steps, users risk reduced post distribution and reach. According to Social Media Today, if the user is also a page admin, they could be blocked from posting or engaging as a page. Definitely something to take note of if you're based in the U.S. and your personal Facebook profile has a large audience. This is especially important if you're a page admin for a brand and don't want to be relegated to engaging as your personal profile on your brand's page. In Facebook's announcement, they say the new verifications are designed to, quote, ensure the content you see on Facebook is authentic and comes from real people, not bots or others trying to conceal their identity, unquote. If you manage a YouTube account,

Starting point is 00:03:20 you're going to want to pay attention to the new feature they released late last week. Video chapters is the latest way to give viewers control over their watching experience. The benefit of using chapters is to allow publishers to segment a video with timestamps that correspond to key topics or scenes. This way viewers can jump to the part of the video they're most interested in without scrubbing through the entire thing. For those viewers on mobile, YouTube added an additional vibrational cue to make moving through chapters even more intuitive.

Starting point is 00:03:53 Quoting TechCrunch, users will feel a slight thump that informs them they're moving into a new chapter, unquote. TechCrunch predicts this feature will make YouTube a more desirable platform for sharing long-form content. Chapters could prove to be very useful for segmenting more informationally dense videos, like lectures, reports, or explainer videos. With all of the talk about shortened attention spans, YouTube appears to be answering the call with a proactive solution. This isn't to say that everyone is optimistic about the new feature.

Starting point is 00:04:23 Some publishers responded to YouTube's announcement on Twitter with concern that chapters could entice more people to drop out of videos sooner or decrease watch times overall. YouTube claims the opposite. In their announcement, YouTube said, quote, But considering the feature is still in its infancy, it'll be some time before we know whether publishers will love it or lose it.

Starting point is 00:04:52 If you're hoping to get more eyes on your Instagram stories, you might be pretty excited about the new stories layout that Instagram has been testing with select users. Some have seen a double story layout on their feed. That means twice the amount of stories will be visible for selection when you open the home screen, making it easier to pick and choose whose stories you want to watch without swiping endlessly. Quoting from social media today, Instagram will likely look to switch the main focus of the app from traditional user feed to a stories feed from the get-go, unquote. This movement away from the static feed to a stories-focused feed seems to align with an overall shift across social media platforms

Starting point is 00:05:31 to prioritize fresher content, like live videos. Although we love Instagram stories, we're not sure we're ready to say goodbye to the traditional feed just yet. But with Instagram reporting that over 500 million accounts use Instagram stories every day, if you've been slacking on your story skills, it's time to get back up to speed. That's it for today. You can find more information and links to the articles we mentioned in our show notes. I'm McKenna Hadley-Burke. Talk to you tomorrow.

Today in Digital Marketing - 163: Brands and #BlackLivesMatter

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