How to tap into existing social media communities for effective influencer marketing
Luke McCarthy
November 12, 2024
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Whether it was Instagram redefining opportunities for small creators or TikTok launching a new app, little time was wasted in improving content tools.
That means influencers and brands can look ahead to the summer with ripe opportunities to boost engagement.
But if you’re unsure how, Vamp is here to help by listing all of May’s biggest updates below in one place.
So get comfortable, take your time and enjoy our monthly round-up.
Meta confirmed it was revamping its Instagram algorithm to give small creators a better chance of distributing to wider audiences.
In a blog post, it said there would be a change in its ranking formula to “give all creators a more equal chance of breaking through to new audiences”.
That means a change to how Instagram suggests content, particularly on Reels.
Changes also include replacing reposts with original content in recommendations, adding labels to reposted content so they link to the original creator and removing content aggregators from recommendations.
Meta said: “Previously, in surfaces with recommended content, reels were ranked primarily based on how an account’s followers engaged with them.
“This meant that accounts with the largest followings often saw the most reach. We have been working on a new way to rank recommendations to give all creators an equal chance of breaking through.
“Through this process, every piece of eligible content (e.g, content that is original, does not violate our community guidelines, has no visible watermarks and satisfies our recommendation guidelines) is shown to a small audience we think will enjoy it regardless of whether they follow the account that posted it or not.
“As this audience engages with the content, the top performing set of reels are shown to a slightly wider audience, then the best of these are shown to an even wider group, and so on.”
For influencers, especially those with small audiences, this marks a significant opportunity to invest time in new content with the promise of a fairer showing.
Rather than feeling like a fishing expedition, creators will now know content stands a stronger chance of going viral.
Meta said at the end of April this would be rolled out “over the coming months”.
Are you one of these small businesses desperate for a boost in engagement? Vamp can help with our social media guide for small businesses.
In May, Instagram began testing the use of Notes on Feed Posts and Reels, which was available to a select number of users.
This follows experimentation with Notes in inboxes and profiles.
For influencers and brands, this may mark an opportunity to increase engagement.
Perhaps you’re a food influencer sharing your latest dish, a little Note to say “my best dish yet” may give that post the boost you need.
Or you’re a brand sharing an image of your latest product, even a small fire emoji could prevent a swipe up.
Crucially, it appears this feature is best suited to creators targeting younger audiences.
Meta has previously claimed that Notes are striking a chord with younger audiences. In June last year, the company claimed more than 100million teen accounts had shared a Note in the past 90 days.
On the subject of social media analysis, are you keen to hear what people are saying about your brand or products? Vamp can offer help with our guide on social media listening.
WhatsApp users who use the app’s Communities feature will now have a new way to organise events.
A blog post on its website explained that anyone with the app can create an event, with those invited able to respond, allowing others to know who is going.
This could be very important for any influencers who firstly use WhatsApp as a means to communicate with viewers (in the way an increasing number of news outlets did last year), and secondly those whose content translates into events.
Suppose it’s an incredible yoga retreat, a vintage clothing stool or workout class, you can update fans on your next event.
What’s more, it’s a great chance for influencers to access instant feedback from fans, who will be poised to provide reasons they can’t wait, or why it may not be for them (location, price or date, for example).
Meta said: “To help bring communities even closer together, we’re introducing a new way for people to organise events on WhatsApp, and launching organised replies to Announcement Groups so members can respond to important updates from admins.
“With events it’s now easier for people to plan their get togethers directly in WhatsApp, whether it’s setting up a virtual meeting or birthday dinner.
“Anyone can create an event and others can respond so the whole group knows who is coming. Guests can also find the event in the group’s information page, and those going will get an automatic notification when it’s getting close.
“Events are coming to groups that belong to a Community first, and will roll out to all groups over the coming months.”
Speaking of events, are you interested in launching a new, social media campaign? Vamp can offer help with our guide on launching your own here.
YouTube, in its latest move to compete with TikTok, has moved to improve the quality of its Shorts.
Now, the video-sharing giant has added new video playback options which will likely result in a more satisfactory experience for viewers.
A video quality option now appears in Shorts settings.
This includes Auto, which adjusts the quality in line with connectivity, Higher, which uses more data, and Data saver, which is the lowest quality.
A statement from YouTube read: “Once a viewer has made a selection in the Shorts player, the selection will be applied either until a new selection is made, or upon exiting the Shorts player.”
For creators, any update in the arms race for short-form video is worth paying attention to.
With the impending prospect of TikTok being banned in the US, an increasing shift to YouTube Shorts could be a very real possibility.
Now with better quality video, there has never been a better time to experiment with content on Shorts.
While a potential ban in the US still looms, TikTok continues to offer flagship opportunities for content creators.
And in May it launched TikTok Studio, a new management platform aimed at experienced users and people creating for the first time.
Posting directly from TikTok Studio, uploaders can use tools including auto caption, photo editor and autocut.
In an update shared to its website, TikTok said: “Whether you’re a seasoned creator, a newbie debuting your first video, or a small business managing content creation while managing a business, TikTok studio provides free, easy-to-use creation tools and centralised operational capabilities designed to efficiently streamline content workflow.
“Using their TikTok account to log in or sign up, creators can upload, film, edit and post to TikTok directly from TikTok Studio and use tools like auto caption, photo editor, and autocut to polish their content with professional finesse”.
For influencers and brands, it is noteworthy that all published and scheduled posts can be reviewed and managed.
There is also an option to filter and search for specific comments.
That could prove very helpful for influencers who prioritise feedback and interaction to boost engagement.
Suppose you’re sifting through comments and want to find questions only so you can respond, now TikTok provides this option.
Within the app, Studio replaces Creator tools and the Creator Centre webapp.
But on a desktop browser, you can still access the full range of tools and resources at www.tiktok.com/tiktokstudio.
Finally, TikTok Studio will also test as a standalone app.
For influencers, other key features include the ability to review performance to a better standard, including audience behaviour and monetisation.
On May 24, it said TikTok studio was available for download to android users in select regions in Google Play Store, with availability expanding to Apple App Store in the coming weeks.
It’s extremely hard keeping up with X (formerly Twitter), but we’ve done our best so you don’t have to.
The latest update from Elon Musk’s empire is that X is testing a shortcut for Communities in its bottom navigation bar.
That may result in an increased number of users heading to Communities, which can be exploited by influencers, particularly if it becomes permanent on the navigation bar.
In a post on X, the company said recent updates to Communities include a new explore page for top posts by topic.
There is also now an option to discover new Communities by topic.
For brands and influencers, experimenting with Communities may serve as a rewarding move given X’s claim that more and more users are engaging with it.
Did you, in this increasingly complex tech arms race, find our updates useful?
We hope so, and if you did, we will continue to look out for the many changes that are likely to happen in June.
Vamp will only look for the information useful to content creators, small and large.
We hope to see you then.
