This document summarizes 20 tips and trends in social media marketing that were discussed at a conference. Some of the key points include: focusing on creating snackable and consumable content for platforms like Facebook and Instagram; using video and live streaming more across channels; leveraging influencer marketing but ensuring long-term relationships; embracing new formats like stories, chat platforms, and virtual reality; and recognizing that paid media is increasingly necessary to reach audiences at scale. The document emphasizes adapting to changing user preferences and behaviors across multiple social media platforms.

1. Curated by Matt Cochran & Stephen Brown
Based on Trends Harvested at #SMWLA
20 Tips & Trends in Minutes20

2. 20 There’s a New Media Funnel!
Image:
Millennial Agency
@mllnll
Awareness
Develop perception
Ads – convert to users
First party data
User data
Saturate
Custom audiences
Facebook Insights tool
Paid influencer
marketing
Data planning, data
analysis
PowerEditor in
Facebook and
Instagram

3. 19
“Think like a marketer;
act like a creator.”
"Stop interrupting what people are
interested in and become what they are
interested in.“
– Gabe Gordon, Reach Agency
Amazon Video as a way
to have creators get
paid for their content

4. 18 Genre Hop!
Don’t worry about jumping in
and out of platforms – nobody
cares.
People embracing more
expressive communications. The
YouTube social media team
espouses genre hopping,
experimenting with different
vibes, different platforms,
including in-console feeds.
YouTube’s presenters made the
candid observation that they
jump in and out of platforms as
needed. If one isn’t working,
don’t throw good resources after
bad. Get out and try something
else. Your nonexistent audience
won’t care.

5. 17 Create snackable content.
LittleThings USA (for over-35
year old women) tests content
rigorously before posting to
Facebook – all snackable content
(Tasty-style dog treats recently
performed well)
@LittleThingsUSA
"I realized our audiences want
consumable content quickly" -
Kevin Jonas

6. 16
"Community first.
Simplicity matters."
Key principles from Jim Squires, Director
of Marketing Operations, Instagram
apply in many facets of business:
• “Brands stand out by fitting in.”
• Quality of content should be the same
in both paid and organic campaigns.
SalesLoft positioned its executives “in the
clouds” as part of successful Instagram
B2B campaign. #smwbrandsoninstagram
@Instagram

7. 15
Choose channels
wisely...and creatively!
Be true to your brand and the social channels that
make strategic sense. Learn from your community
and how they prefer to interact, and design
campaigns based on their preferences. It’s hard to
go wrong if you start with that foundation. Drive
more business value on every platform. What is the
business objective? Likes and comments are not a
business objective. Match the business objective
with the strength of different platforms.
LinkedIn
• Gwen Stefani launched an
album on LinkedIn
• During Target security
breach, CMO posted to
LinkedIn
• Dell asked 43 brand
ambassador employees
to start writing on
LinkedIn to chronicle
experiences
• You can see how you’re
ranked within your
company

8. 14
Create a culture of
contribution…
UGC = User Generated Content
Coke fans delighted to be featured on
billboards
Ensure you have permissions:
@cocacola

9. 13
It’s Not Just Hip to Be
Square!
• Landscape, carousel, “Layout”
(collage), hyperlapse time
lapsed video and 60 second
video among new
permutations of Instagram
• 60% of people learn about
products or services on
• 70% of direct response
Instagram campaigns have
seen a lift in actions
• 75% of Instagram users are
outside of the U.S.
@instagram

10. 12
National Geographic –
now “NatGeo” - the
top brand on
Instagram amidst sea
of celebs.
Lunar eclipse was
timely, relatable recent
example
Collaborate with
storytellers…
From Claudia Malley,
CMO, @NatGeo

11. 11
Think of Facebook in terms of personal discovery…
Facebook is still very
powerful!
..and Instagram about visual
representation and artistic,
creative inspiration!

12. 10 Video is Essential.
Partner with others to
do a series –
LittleThings partnered
with GoFundMe.
@LittleThingsUSA
Don’t obsess over the quality of
content. Yes, quality matters. But
some of the most “viral” videos
are low-budget segments filmed
with an iPhone. A compelling blog
post can be three short
paragraphs. Audiences crave
authenticity, not perfection.

13. 9 Sound Off!
• 85% of videos on
Facebook are watched
on silent mode autoplay
• Content creators at
#SMWLA were all
trending toward audio-
free video content
• Subtitles essential and
also helpful for SEM!

14. 8
Live video streaming
comes of age!
• Facebook Live video is the wild
west but an ideal way to directly
interact with your consumers…
• Live video is an intimate platform
but it will eventually tap out on the
quality side.
• Just since we’ve returned from
#SMWLA, we’ve seen live video
from Congress floor and in
police/shooting incidents
Streaming groups in ATL gearing up to
leverage Periscope, Facebook Live, 360
Video in new ways!

15. 7 Get Vertical!
Making videos vertical allowed
NatGeo to adapt to formats
such as Snapchat, all the while
leaning into purpose
7 of the top 10 Instagram
videos are NatGeo videos!

16. 6
Millennials Come in
Many Forms
60% percent of Millennials say an experience is "better" when shared on social media!
Source: @getchute

17. 5
• "Chat" has surpassed "social” with Kik as
the preeminent platform for teens
• 40% teens (Generation Z) using Kik
• Teens will use chat to form relationships
with brands: Chatbots "help turn brands
into friends“
• Chat will absolutely be the future of
customer service and mcommerce.
• Chatbots can be transactional and
artificial intelligence driven
Chat Surpassing Social…
@kik

18. 4
• Text based posts are 4X
more likely to be negative
than image posts. Thus
brands are turning to
Instagram
• Also, use search data to
drive editorial
• Smarter media targeting:
When are people online?
Where are they consuming
content? What message do
they need?
Words Only = Asking for
Trouble
Source: @getchute

19. 3
• Influencer doesn't have to be a Kardashian –
rather, someone with word of mouth impacting
followers
• Need longer-term relationships with influencers
• Pick people who are the best at what they do
• Influencers are worth more than audience reach –
will have role in marketing communications
moving forward
• Do they move the needle for awareness or intent?
• Influencers want bigger deals with brands
• Don’t just post to Instagram, incorporate paid
media as well
• B2B still person to person – find a way to speak to
that person
Influencers Come of Age!
@davidyarus

20. 2 Virtual Reality 2.0 is Here!
• “3D was in hands of Hollywood
studios; VR is in hands of
storytellers - lots of possibilities
to recreate, immerse”
• Socialized VR all the rage -
Ghostbusters Experience NYC,
Ready Player One film '18, Toybox
by Facebook, Google Cardboard,
Oculus, Immersive Journalism
• In 1995 folks thought the web
was just a library; now virtual
reality is *just* entertainment.
Disruption ahead!
@PhilipRosedale
@GoogleVR
@ImmersiveJourno

21. 1 “RIP Organic Reach”
“There are too many sources of content to
hope, much less expect, a video, gif or other
creative to go viral. If it does, fantastic! But if
you really need ROI, expect to pay for your
audience. Asking influencers for freebies is a
thing of the past; they expect to get paid.”
The “P” in PESO is becoming critical currency!
“Notion of creating viral video & relying on
earned media alone = ludicrous in age of big
data & paid”

22. Let’s Discuss Strategy!
Contact Us
Stephen Brown
Chief Innovation Officer
Cookerly PR
404-816-2037
stephen@cookerly.com
@StephenATL
@Cookerly