Category Archives: Observation

Ideas, Observation

How to share your social media accounts on instagram using linktree

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Hi All,

Inna Piven on Instagram
My Linktree URL on Instagram

If you’re looking for a simple solution for sharing multiple of your social accounts on Instagram, try Linktree. Currently I’m using a free plan that offers a number of useful features. I was able to share links to my university academic profile, a blog and social media accounts. Linktree allows you to copy your link URL and/or download a QR code and post it into the ‘website’ field of your Instagram or Twitter bio, or share it in Facebook content. You’re welcome 🙂

How to add links to Linktree

It’s relatively easy to add links to Linktree. The platform is self-explanatory, it contains all the steps needed for users to figure out how it works. So, let’s get it started.

  1. Start with the “Links” button to add links you’d like to share with your followers/audience. Click “Add New Link” and provide a name for your link and a URL. You can also reposition your links – click on the three dots in the left-hand panel to re-order the links.
  2. Go to the “Appearance” section to choose a theme for your Linktree landing page. You have a limited choice of background images/colours and button styles if you use the free plan. But to be honest, it’s good enough to start with.
  3. The next stop is “Settings” which mainly provides PRO features such as email and SMS signups. Under “Settings” you can choose how you’d like to connect with your followers. Linktree allows for downloading a QR code as well as a URL of your landing page.
  4. Lastly, post your QR code or URL across your social media channels.
  5. You can also explore the PRO option which is next to “Settings”.
Linktree QR code
QR code generated by Linktree

While the QR code seems to be a good option for my blog home page, for social media accounts I use a Linktree URL considering that you have just a few lines to give visitors all the important information about you that they need. Hopefully Linktree will help to get a little more exposure for my blog and social media channels. Let’s see 🙂

Observation

Happy 2021!

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When reflecting on the year, I am reminded of Bob Dylan’s famous quote – there is nothing so stable as change. I believe that we can all agree that this year has taught us to always be ready to reinvent ourselves, be in tune with what is going around us, and quickly adapt to change.

Talking about change, here are my top 3 predictions for digital marketing in 2021. Personalisation, personalisation and personalisation – it applies to all aspects of marketing. Start introducing the people behind your brand as in general nobody likes to deal with faceless organisations. But more importantly, get to know your audience/your customers first, talk to them and listen – it will help you find creative ideas not only for your content strategies, but also new prospects for your business. So, let’s get personal in 2021!

Happy New Year!

Observation

Why adopting new communication channels isn’t enough

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We’re so excited to use new communication channels in business which is understandable. We try to be ahead of the game with chatbots, emails, social media and content marking, search and display ads – you name it. We’re so excited to introduce a new digital service which we hope will be a game changer and put us on the map. Sure, but sometime it seems like we forget WHY we develop a new service or product, or launch a new communication channel.

The fact is we can adapt multiple communication channels, but for our customers there is still just one – our customer service regardless online or offline. I believe the biggest challenge is not about advancing our digital communications, but how to make our messages coming from our channel mix consistent and relevant to customers. So, before we decide to introduce our nicely-designed chatbot or new app, let’s think about our customers first.

Would your chatbot help to solve their problems as soon as they occur? Would your website 24/7 help-line be able to answer your clients’ questions without redirecting them to other channels or departments? Would your app help customers get required information in a one-step process? We don’t want to overwhelm our customers with unnecessary and often useless information, do we? So let’s get back to basics and think how we can help them to get from Point A to Point B before reaching for any fancy new technologies.

Yours in lifelong learning

* I borrowed this signature from Sakhile, my Digital Analytics Course Success Manager at Massachusetts Institute of Technology 🙂

Observation

Digital humans as influencers?

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Do you follow digital humans on Instagram? According to StopPress, “a new wave of influencers is already here”. Last week I had a conversation with my colleagues about how AI will shape the future of marketing. While agreeing with many predictions, I was not sure about why we used the future tense in the discussion as AI is already shaking things up. I’m waiting for the day Instagram digital influencers replace current brand ambassadors, so that instead of hiring Julia Roberts for Lancôme, just custom build a virtual one based off the looks, personality, and slang promulgated by social media users to drive engagement. For example, @lilmiquela (a “change-seeking robot” with 1.8m followers) and her digital human friend, @burmudaisbae.

digital humans on instagram
Image from @lilmiquela , Instagram , 2020

These are perfect examples of where I see branding going. Obviously, there are plenty of possibilities associated with AI that can massively change a PR or branding strategy – but there are also many questions around digital humans moving from the sphere of pure entertainment to becoming poster-children for political and social movements…Let me know your thoughts.

Observation

The lost opportunities

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As it’s almost the end of 2019, I’ve decided to have a look at the most notable events in branding and marketing and create my personal top three list for 1) the lost opportunities and 2) best exploited opportunities.

Today let us cheer for the lost opportunities. First place goes to Smirnoff Vodka, who erected a billboard poking fun at the technical issues of Lime e-scooters. The cheeky billboard appeared in central Auckland just the next day after the scooters were temporarily banned by Auckland city council. It was a quick, well-thought out and planned reaction that, unfortunately, was not exploited any further. I was patiently waiting for a sequel on social media – but this did not happen. All Smirnoff Vodka managed to get is average coverage in the local media. The company fell short of using IMCs.

Second place belongs to Fly Buys, who mistakenly sold a $2000 Apple iPhone 11 at $140. Fly Buys said it would refund all customers who snapped up the bargain…Clearly consumer-brand relationships totally slipped their mind. Looking at responses, they definitely should have honoured the deal instead of offering a refund. The company fell short of consumer relationships.

In third place is Starbucks’ unwittingly anachronistic coffee cup on “Game of Thrones”. Even though experts say Starbucks has earned millions in free publicity because the social media community wouldn’t stop talking about it, the company, surprisingly, didn’t take full advantage of the event. Their response was very quiet, and hardly noticeable. I would have expected Starbucks to play a better role in the “after show” party. The company fell short of UGC, ambush marketing, and cross-promotion.

Image by The Verge https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/6/18530917/game-of-thrones-got-season-8-hbo-final-last-of-the-starks-starbucks-coffee-cup-blooper

Seems like these companies have been taking pointers from Abe Weissman (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), who said: “Just because there is a door does not mean you use it.” What’s your list? What’s your take on it?