Ever had a customer review so good you wanted to slap it on every piece of marketing collateral? While we can’t quite recommend that as a marketing tactic, LinkedIn’s latest update to its Thought Leader Ads tool will let you boost those reviews in front of new audiences.
Previously, brands could only use Thought Leader Ads to promote posts made by verified employees, but now marketers can choose to sponsor content fromunaffiliated userson the platform — think client and customer testimonials or posts from brand events. Companies will get the chance to better leverage organic user-generated content and boost brand awareness, with a few minor restrictions: the user must be a first- or second-degree connection and you’ll need permission first before promoting.
When designing a LinkedIn strategy that emphasizes quality content following the platform’s newest algorithm changes, this new tool could help fill those gaps. But it’s best to use it sparingly — your own thought leadership content should still make up the majority of your social presence. Promoting posts is best in moderation, even when you’re getting rave reviews.
TL;DR:LinkedIn’s Thought Leader Ads update lets businesses sponsor non-employee posts, making the most out of organic user-generated content and increasing brand awareness.
First Impressions Matter
What do social media marketers and SEO marketers have in common?
No, this isn’t a set up to a bad joke — with Google’s most recent update, they’re now both gunning for the first page of search results. Google announced it will start displaying your brand’s most recent social posts when searchers look up your business, including everything from LinkedIn to TikTok to Pinterest. While posts will auto-populate, businesses are encouraged to manually connect their social profiles to ensure the correct content is showing up.
Modern marketers don’t need to be told twice the value of social media. But with Google drawing additional eyes to your posts, it’s more important than ever to be buttoned up on social, with a clear voice and consistent posting. After all, you don’t want that throwaway Tweet or one-off LinkedIn post to be the first impression a potential customer ever gets of your brand.
TL;DR: Google will begin adding a business’s most recent social media posts on the search results page, a reminder for marketers to be intentional with every piece of content.
Tick-Tock, TikTok
If offices still had water coolers, we’re sure the TikTok ban would be the number one topic this week. After multiple threats to ban everyone’s favorite time suck, the U.S. House of Representatives finally passed a billthat would either force TikTok parent company ByteDance to divest from the app in the States — or ban it completely from app stores.
The bill still has to pass the Senate, and if it passes there’s still the question of whether or not ByteDance will sell, so a total ban is still a long way off. There’s no need for marketers to panic just yet, but it’s a good reminder to keep social strategies flexible and not put all your eggs in one platform’s basket. You never know when your favorite social site will be acquired by a tech titan … or banned by the United States government.
TL;DR:TikTok could face an eventual ban from U.S. app stores, a reminder for marketers to stay flexible when strategizing for social media.
WHAT LIT US UP
Who Run The World?
If you’re going to talk the talk, make sure you have what it takes to walk the (cat)walk. In celebration of Women’s History Month, Rent the Runway is empowering women across all industries by spotlighting their workplace achievements with its latest campaign.
CEO Jennifer Hyman’sLinkedIn postannounced the company’s pledge to give away $1 million in Rent the Runway subscriptions to women who've recently experienced career success, along with an additional $1 million donation to nonprofit Dress for Success Worldwide. She shared that while society loves to celebrate a woman’s engagement, for example, people are less enthused about a story detailing how hard a woman worked for a promotion in her career — and Rent the Runway wants to recognize those professional achievements just as much as personal ones.
The message immediately resonated with the career-oriented LinkedIn audience, garnering nearly 3,000 comments so far recognizing women for their career accomplishments, all using the branded hashtag #RTRShowOff to submit an entry.
In a business environment where many brands are pulling away from social commitments and avoiding anything potentially controversial, Rent the Runway shows the power of sticking true to brand values and empowering your customer base. Following in its (high-heeled) footsteps can help your company foster a supportive and loyal community.
TL;DR: Rent the Runway’s $1 million in gifted subscriptions to women achieving great things in the workplace shows the value in sticking to your mission and empowering your customers.