With Easter coming up this weekend, it's time to get creative with some seasonal content. The stay at home economy during the pandemic are itching to see the freshest and most innovative content! Have you ditched the winter wardrobe yet? Need to consider a new spring grading for your grid? Here are a few things you can do to fill your feed with some Easter inspired content, whilst at home.
Topics: Blog Migrations
Although we have been inclined to avoid talking about Covid-19 too much, and have focused on the positive elements of businesses and talent alike – we cannot ignore the incredible effort that is going on amongst global and smaller brands. We want to acknowledge those businesses who have turned their resource and factories around to support the battle against the spread.
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Welcome back to our weekly summary of what's happened in social media this week. From the weird to the downright useful updates to apps in addition to reactive content that will help brands through this unsettling time, we have it covered. So, here is what caught our attention this week.
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Many people don’t take the advantage of learning and development opportunities, as so many of us just don’t have the time in our busy lives. However, with the recent enforcement to remain at home, it opens up time to explore and educate ourselves with the skills we want to expand.
Take a online training course
Online training courses are a great way to strengthen and expand your skill set, whilst also being easily accessible. You can use this time to further understand areas of your current profession or expand and learn a new venture. Either way it's a highly effective way of educating yourself and can be completed at your own pace. If you need any inspiration go check out HSC. Edx, and Skillshare.
Get a mentor
Why not use this time to connect with someone on Linkedin with greater experience than yourself, to help better your professional development. By gaining a mentor, you can attain valuable new skills and life lessons by the knowledge a mentor will have. A great mentor will not only help you solve any challenges you face, but will tell you what you need to hear and not what you want to hear. They will give you real feedback you need to put you in a position to advance.
Read, read, read and look for problems to solve
With more available time, it's important to take advantage of this and put it to good use. The most valuable tool we can have to develop and broaden our skills is by reading. Reading and understanding topics, and exploring new areas is a great way to grow your own skill set whilst also challenging your brain.
Keeping fit at home
Additional to broadening your skills, research has suggested that it is vital to keep fit alongside. By working out it can help us be more focused, alert and productive at work. Being more active can put you in a more positive mood, help with a better night sleep, help make better food choices throughout the day and help build more muscle more efficiently.
Invest in key equipment
If you want to up your home workout game, then it’s time to invest in some fitness essentials. Grab yourself some weights, some resistance bands and any other kit that can help your routines. Whilst you can still get by with things around the house, adding weights to key exercises such as squats and lunges will add a new dimension to your workout routine. Additionally, become a member of The Influence Room and check out one of our latest brand opportunity with manta, where they are offering their new 'Next Generation Foam Roller'.
Make the most of your surroundings
You might think that being at home might be quite restricted, but guess what? You’re wrong! Get creative with the stuff around you. Use the stairs or dining chairs for tricep dips or for seated squats. Whatever it is you can find a way to help assist your workout. And don't forget you don't need the gym to perform simple floor exercises.
Use social media/ workout videos
As most of us will be spending a lot more time on social media, you can use this time to start following more online fitness coaches and bloggers, such as. This can help you pick up some tips and home workout routines that you can save and use for later. Someone who we are loving right now is Joe Wicks, as he's offering free live workouts everyday at 9am and they are sure to get your heart rates going.
Topics: Blog Migrations
The impact of Covid-19 has led to our clients to reach out for advice on how to create specific content that drives engagement, click throughs and brand authenticity in the right tone. Advocates is one channel, but we also open up the option of collaborating with other brands who are also finding their feet during this time.
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As with most things in tech, the social media world is very fast paced. Every day changes and updates are rolled out to different platforms and new strategies and tactics are always being formulated. It can be hard work to keep on top of it all, so to help you out we’ve compiled the latest news from our favourite platforms, to keep you ahead of the curve. This is our weekly feature, so keep an eye out!
TikTok launches celebrity-hosted, daily live-streams to entertain users amid COVID-19 lockdown
TikTok has launched the #HappyAtHome initiative to help lighten the mood amid the current lockdown, while also giving users a chance to ask questions of experts and engage with celebrities on the platform. It will see well-known musicians, actors, comedians and more share a series of live-streams on the platform at 5pm, every day of next week.
Pinterest has introduced a new personalised feature for daily inspiration
As people adjust to a new normal, they are coming to Pinterest to stay inspired. Therefore, they have introduced the, "Today tab", a source of daily inspiration with curated topics and trending pins, which will make it easy to explore popular and timely ideas.
Facebook releases new digital literacy resources for kids and parents, tips for supporting remote workers
With kids spending more time online, as a result of school closures, and many parents having to work at home, they are unable to supervise what their children are doing. As a result, Facebook launched the initiative “Get Digital”, which includes several educational areas, each of which features a video overview, and links to a range of tools and resources to help improve digital literacy. This should help young people develop the competencies and skills they need to more safely navigate the internet.
Snapchat has launched its mental health feature early due to Coronavirus
Its "Here For You" feature will show safety resources from local experts when Snapchatters search for certain topics, including those related to anxiety, depression, stress, grief, suicidal thoughts and bullying. Due to the current pandemic it has now expanded its search terms such as "Coronavirus" and "COVID-19", which provide content from the World Health Organisation and other partners.
Instagram is testing Snapchat-style disappearing text messages
Instagram is preparing to copy Snapchat's most popular feature where it clears chat threads whenever you leave them. This could make users more comfortable with having rapid-fire, silly, vulnerable, or risqué chats, thereby driving up the reply notifications that keep people opening Instagram all day long.
Twitter's number of active users soar, but ad sales are declining
The Coronavirus outbreak has made social media services such as Twitter vital for a broader population than usual, as people look to stay abreast of the latest news from authorities and keep in touch with friends virtually. But many advertisers have pulled marketing budgets to rein in costs because of the virus-related uncertainty, and others are hesitant to advertise alongside coronavirus discussions for fear of associating their brands with the sensitive topic.
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With a pandemic at large, it is important to remember the positive aspects of this period of isolation that we are in. It is a great time to learn, take time out to do thing's you haven't got around to, connect with people (calling them) and read! With a huge percentage of people now digitally scrolling throughout the day, and the emphasis on working from home - it is important to take a break, and so why not read a book? It is a great way to switch off after a day, and relax - or a nice way to have a lunch break to split the day up from your laptop and phone.
Topics: Blog Migrations
With the pandemic now hitting global economies and businesses hard – influencers are likely to be affected with marketers deciding what they are willing to pay for sponsored posts, with a likely 15-25% drop in rates for sponsored posts from brands.
Brands need to act now, at a time where 4% of consumers trust what influencers say online – the need for transparent storytelling and authentic brand experiences is now more than ever. Over 66% of people partaking in a research piece by influencer marketing platform IZEA said that they would spend more time on social media during confinement at home lockdowns due to covid-19 – this cements the need for brands to find an effective way to connect with a captive audience seeking content, services and entertainment.
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In a time of great uncertainty and stress, there are only a few things that can act as a form of escapism. At The Influence Room, we understand that self-isolation can be quite lonely and so we believe that podcasts can provide this form of escapism when you most need it, from fantasy dramas to humorous marital chatter. We have collated our favourite 10 podcasts right now, to act as the perfect solitude from isolation.
Podcasts:
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This period is a trying time for everyone - businesses, people and animals alike. Recognising and keeping to governmental & NHS advice to stay at home and practise social distancing is integral to preventing the virus spreading further, so we have come up with suggestions of how to relieve any anxiety, mental stress and keep positive and upbeat during this time.
Exercise
When you get your blood flowing and your body moving, you release endorphins, such as serotonin which teaches your body how to react better to difficult situations and combats stress. There are now thousands of free yoga and exercise classes on YouTube; we love a good Joe Wicks, and many gyms, content curators and athletes are now live-streaming classes from home. If you are not in actual quarantine, go for a walk or run outside, whilst still practicing social distancing. This is an easy way to also keep yourself in a routine and maintain some normality. As a suggestion - you might find it easiest to stick to if you make yourself a schedule for each day where you factor in your exercise.
Meditate
When you first start, meditation can feel very difficult to get into. Nowadays our minds are constantly moving at 1000 miles an hour and we often forget to take the time to stop, breath and recenter ourselves. Meditation is a great way to combat stress and reflect on what we should be thankful for, which is key during this isolating and lonely time. There are now 100s of apps and tutorials to get you started. We would suggest beginners try Calm or Headspace.
Speak to people
Now more than ever, speaking to people is vital to ensure you keep positive during this time. Calling your colleagues rather than emailing them, scheduling a call with friends and family every day and even getting the neighbours numbers and giving them a call once in a while is vital. We all thrive off talking to each other - and isolation should not stop this at all.
Take up a new hobby
A hobby is an invaluable and often forgotten treasure in the modern world. A hobby is something you should do purely for yourself or for fun. During quarantine it's a great time to start doing something with your hands, whether it is learning to embroider, painting or finally doing that 1000 piece puzzle your aunt gave you two years ago. By doing something tactile, you engage your brain more and, much like exercise, it helps you produce more endorphins.
De-clutter your life and mind
Everyone will have a list of ‘life admin’ that needs to get crossed off. Nowadays we are so busy and rarely get the time to do things we want to do, let alone the chores we should do. During quarantine it is the perfect time to have a spring clean, repurpose your wardrobe or simply change that light bulb that hasn’t worked for a year. It is also a great chance to look at your schedule and social life, assess how you spend your time and think about if you are using it in the right way or the way that makes you happy.
Think about what you’re grateful for
Whether it is starting to write a line and day or keeping a journal, this is a fantastic way to keep track of your thoughts, and during times when you are feeling down, you can look back and reflect on what is important to you. A great way to begin is at the start of the day write down 3 things you are grateful for and then just before you go to bed add in why.
Pamper yourself
Much like meditation, a bath is the perfect time to slow down, take a break from being online and have some time to yourself. A relaxing bath can be made even better with bubbles, salts, oils, candles and face masks. At times like this it is important to treasure the little things and simple pleasures in life.
Learn something new
The internet is now full of online courses for you to try. Learning a new skill will give you something outside of work to immerse yourself in and help take your mind off these difficult times. If you are keen to learn a new language Duolingo is a fantastic app which you can download onto your phone or for something a bit different, check out edX or Skillshare.
Cook and bake
Many of us many find cooking intimidating and I am sure we all know that sinking feeling when a recipe goes horribly wrong. But now all restaurants and bars are closed it is the perfect time to get creative in the kitchen and learn a new skill. If you don’t have cook books at home there is a whole library of recipes online and if anyone is interested in learning how to make their own artisan bread, try out Sourdough.
Most importantly...
Remember that you’re not alone
We should all practise self care, but it is also important to have a support system and maintain a community, which for some is extremely challenging during quarantine. Whether it is checking in with friends via facetime, chatting to colleagues on your daily hangout or simply giving a loved one a call, it’s really important to maintain some sort of social interaction. If you are able to go outside consider taking the time to help others, as there are lots of elderly and vulnerable people that will need support with buying groceries and other everyday tasks. If you are ever feeling extremely lonely, isolated or feel you have no one to talk too, you can always call the Samaritans for support. And remember, the whole world is in this together, you are not alone.
Topics: Blog Migrations
The Influence Room - ready to help you, right now.
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On this week’s podcast we have the brilliantly talented, Gordon Smart, broadcaster, businessman and father. He talks to us about his long career in journalism, his other ventures and plans for the future. Gordon Smart is a former showbiz editor of The Sun, Editor of The Scottish Sun and currently Radio X evening show host. A lifetime spent on both sides of the media fence gives him a unique viewpoint on what makes great storytelling.
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Influencer marketing is fast becoming a channel for brands to acquire new customers, enhance brand awareness with new audiences and increase conversations around brand activations. Traditional marketing budgets are being re-jigged to favour digital, social and influencer marketing - and with this there is a necessity to monitor and measure influencer marketing campaign effectiveness.
Determining ROI can be a challenge, therefore deciding on the metrics and ways to measure the success of a campaign will focus the campaign, and also provide brands with insights when it comes to reporting on what worked and what didn't.
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Mental health is a very relevant topic that has dominated the landscape over the last couple of weeks, spurred by the recent tragic event of a UK TV personality’s death. This is just a reminder of the implications of social media’s rapid rise- and the relationship it has with young people’s mental health, which has gained significant amount of attention in recent years.
Topics: Blog Migrations
With influencer marketing campaigns flooding our feeds, it is essential that influencers are creating personal and effective content that resonates with their own 'brand' in addition to the brand they are collaboratively working with. Consumers are savvy and acutely aware of brand endorsements and flat product mentions.
Over 60% of consumers believe authenticity is the most important attribute for an influencer campaign - Consumers are influenced by the creators they choose to follow, largely because they relate to them, and therefore trust them. Therefore, influencers need to ensure content are true to their own aesthetic, with the times, and stand out from the crowd.
So, here are a few things to consider to spice up your coming brand campaigns.
Topics: Blog Migrations
We have just waved goodbye to 2019, a year full of surprise platform updates, new trends and newcomers rising steadily in popularity that have caused mayhem (in a good, and bad way) for brands and talent alike.
Tik Tok has become THE platform to watch, with its rise in popularity in 2019. It was the most installed app in Q1 of 2019, and now has over 8m monthly active users who are spending up to 46 minutes per day consuming videos that are 15 mins long. With this, there has been a drive from brands and creators alike to develop campaigns that are authentic and transparent, reflective of a shift in the industry and how content is consumed.
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We are delighted to announce a new deep dive data tool for clients of The Influence Room. Audience Analysis gives a thorough analysis of TIR members’ audience data, sponsored posts , previous brand campaigns, and look alike influencers.
A wide range of additional features are also available.
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