Matters of Influence: Week of 9/28/20

Influencer marketing news moves at the speed of social media. Every platform update, algorithm tweak, and current event makes a huge difference to the influencer marketer. We’ll help you keep up.

Featured headlines

TikTok Download Ban Is Blocked by Judge (Wall Street Journal)

Nearly two months ago, TikTok publicly promised that they were “not going anywhere,” and today, they’re doing everything to fulfill that promise. The catchphrase that started as a t-shirt slogan has become a legal and political statement, as TikTok fights tooth-and-nail against the app store ban and wins. Coming off the tails of yet another promise that TikTok is “here to stay,” this issue foreshadows a bumpy road ahead–but what will they say next? For now, the TikTok team is tackling controversial ads and removing offensive content in the hopes of creating a more positive atmosphere and maintaining its status as a leader in influencer marketing.

Pinterest Makes Play for Influencers with New Story Pins Feature (Glossy)

After recently earning tremendous engagement and large amounts of new users, Pinterest is adding a story feature to the platform–but with a thoughtful, creative spin (in this case, their stories appear alongside other types of content, and do not expire). These fresh, creative updates alongside the recent study showing that a majority of Americans trust Pinterest to protect their data prove that the platform is only getting more popular. Dust off your old favorite DIYs and recipes, and take advantage of the perfect moment to plan your Pinterest strategy–just in time for the holidays.

[INFOGRAPHIC] 4 Trends Changing the Marketing Landscape in 2020 & Beyond (Social Media Today)

Though most of us are reluctant to look into the future after 2020, it’s looking pretty bright for marketers. When terms like automation and artificial intelligence get thrown around, they’re usually related to production and information industries–but they’re not the only ones with a smarter future ahead. The ability to automate tedious tasks will leave marketers and interns alike with more free time and mental space to hone the strategic and creative skills that no machine can replicate. In the meantime, we can still let science do the work when it comes to social media algorithms and data-based engagement optimization.

Featured blog

Creative original content can be a challenge to make without knowing where to begin. One of the most effective strategies for creating content is usually the first one to be overlooked: lean into the trends that are already working. Identifying qualities of the content that resonates the most with your audience is the first step to figuring out the trends that work, and using them to create truly engaging content. Read more for some tips and strategy for planning content around what’s already working.

Julius product spotlight

Many marketers often default to their vertical to determine what type of influencer they want to work with. Are you a fashion brand? Okay, then a fashion influencer will be a great fit, right? Yes, that’s what our topic tags are for–but let’s get creative and think about new stories and angles to appeal to a wider audience. With Julius’s interest tag, users can discover influencers by their affinities, hobbies, and preferences. For example: let’s say you wanted to host a poker night for fashion influencers to bet on crazy outfits. You might want to tap into the interest tag “poker” to make sure they’re a poker fan, or are knowledgeable about the game. Want to learn more about our tags? Check out this Help Center article.