May 30, 2018: Instagram launches re-sharing feature and the ability to mute posts, “Finstas” take Gen Z by storm, negative reviews gain value, Forbes releases most valuable brands report and Facebook & Google get blasted with GDPR lawsuits
Here’s what’s worth knowing this week:
Amplify This, Mute That
Instagram announced several new updates expected to roll out over the coming weeks, which will allow users to share someone else’s post with their friends via Stories, along the ability to mute posts. The new re-sharing feature allows you to add your own commentary and tag others in the shared Instagram post. Only public accounts can be shared, and account owners can opt out of this feature. Additionally, the long-awaited muting feature lets users hide posts from certain people without unfollowing them. But is muting on Instagram constitutional? President Trump’s Twitter blocking sure isn’t.
What it means, IRL: People asked and Instagram listened. Since the launch of Instagram, users have been looking for an easy way to share other people’s posts on their own feeds – first with the Repost app and then with the Instagram Stories via screenshot. Now, with this new re-share button, users can share and comment on others’ posts without specifically copying them to their own feed. Hallelujah. And, even though this new muting feature may be a blessing for those of us who want to rid our feeds of annoying content, it has the potential to dwindle a brand’s organic reach on the ‘Gram.
Make it work: The potential for Instagram’s re-sharing feature lies in the opportunity to amplify and repurpose influencer-generated content across the network. As such, brands on Instagram have the opportunity to leverage the entirety of the influencer marketing mix, working with micro-, macro-, and mega- influencers to create content and partnering with influential advocates and loyalists to amplify that content.
As far as the muting feature goes, brands need to be proactive in understanding what type of content their audience is liking, sharing, and getting excited over. Failure to do so can cause you to get muted.
No New Insta Friends
As Instagram continues to surge in popularity, so too has the pressure on its users to create seemingly “perfect” profiles. The unwritten rules of the platform make you think twice about posting too much and obsess over over sharing that perfect image – even if it is just another photo of your boozy brunch. For this reason, some users – mainly Gen Z girls – have started creating fake Instagrams, or “Finstas,” where they have a safe space to candidly overshare, be silly and feel less pressure to be perfect. A place where the traditional rules of Insta don’t apply – think ugly selfies, screenshots of funny family group texts, ridiculous memes, etc.
With more and more consumers seeking brands who tell authentic stories, Finstas provide brands with a fun way to connect with consumers and influencers on a more human level. Although Finstas aren’t right for every brand, if it does align with your consumers and overall brand strategy, consider inviting a select group of influencers & marketers to create a co-branded Finsta.
Are Negative Reviews The New Black?
Trustworthy reviews now have a bigger influence on online purchase decisions than family & friends do for 68% of US shoppers. But, if you’ve put all your focus on avoiding negative reviews, it’s likely time to re-evaluate your ratings & reviews strategy. In fact, negative reviews can actually be beneficial to your business – 85% of consumers look for negative reviews in order to make informed purchase decisions – and among consumers between the ages of 18-29 this number raises to 91%.
Bad reviews provide consumers with a more authentic representation of your product experience – but, needless to say, you need to have a game plan in place to respond to any and every negative review. FYI, 51,7% of consumers expect businesses to respond to their negative review within seven days so it’s important to continuously monitor your reviews – whether that be on a social channel or the web.
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
Last week, Forbes released its annual report of the world’s most valuable brands – with Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Amazon among the leaders. While their winning products and services have helped them take the cake in their respective sectors, brand equity is what ultimately led them to dominate.
What these brands have in common is not only their amazing products and brand marketing, but also their ability to generate organic influence – often times forming a coalition of influence that enables intersections to happen organically, in many instances. As such, it appears that organic consumer influence and advocacy is a proxy for brand strength and value.
GDPR-U Kidding Me
That didn’t take long. On the first day of GDPR enforcement, both Facebook & Google have been blasted with lawsuits, with privacy advocates accusing the companies of forced consent. The lawsuits, which seek to fine Facebook and Google roughly $8.8bn each, call out the companies for forcing consumers to agree to an all-or-nothing terms of service, where GDPR mandates conditional consent based on users’ privacy preferences.
With GDPR in full effect, it’s important that marketers are fully aware of all of the policy changes so that they can do as much as they can do to comply with the new standards. Although we don’t know how these standards will be enforced yet, the outcome of this lawsuit could be very telling.
To see how Mavrck is prioritizing consumer trust and personal data privacy, look no further than here.
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