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Staying on Top of Social Media Trends
Do you find it hard to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of social media? With the release of new platforms, features, updates and the continuous shift in algorithms, remaining on top of online trends can be tough, not to mention time consuming.
However, being informed is crucial when it comes to being a successful online marketer. To give you an insight into how we stay up to date to best serve our clients, we have some suggestions for keeping you in touch with what's new in social media.
Blogs and News Sites
Blogs and social news websites offer a fantastic way to stay well versed in online trends. Subscribe to blogs or check back weekly (once a month if you are really short on time). Our favorites include:
* Buffer Blog – Thoughts on Social Media and Online Marketing
* HubSpot
Google Alerts
A simple, powerful way for keeping up to date on industry news, your own business and competitors is Google Alerts. In short, you will be alerted by email every time Google discovers new search results for the topics you want. Ask for alerts on the social media channels that you use, receive news about industry changes and monitor your own business (and who is talking about it) online. Trust us, you will save A LOT of time!
Sign up here
Twitter may be in decline but we find that it is still a highly valuable resource for staying abreast of what’s happening in the news and across social media. We like to choose who we follow, shall we say, “wisely” and what could be easier and less time consuming than following industry leaders and scanning their 280-character tweets? Don’t forget that checking out what’s trending on Twitter can be helpful too. As well as Buffer, Social Media Examiner and those mentioned in the blog section above, profiles we get a lot out of include:
* Mashable @mashsocialmedia
* Wired @WIRED
* Social Media Today @socialmedia2day
* AdWeek @Adweek
* Tyler Anderson @tylerjanderson
Podcasts
Podcasts are one of the best ways to stay briefed on industry updates. If you feel like there is not enough time in the day to add any more to your to-do list, podcasts could be the medium for you. Maximize your time by listening to a pod while you’re driving, taking public transport, having your morning coffee, taking the dog for a walk, anything – that is really the beauty of podcasting, you can take them with you anywhere you go. Our personal choices include:
* Social Media Social Hour Podcast with Tyler Anderson
* The Science of Social Media from Buffer
* Online Marketing Made Easy with Amy Porterfield
* Social Pros by Jay Baer and Adam Brown
Social Media and Branding for New Maui Clients
It’s been a busy start to 2017 and the weeks feel like they are flying by but we are beyond happy with how this year has started off, with so many cool new projects and clients.
The first we’d like to mention is a slipper/flip-flop company called Ha’awi. This is a new Maui venture owned by three fantastic, inspiring and ocean-loving women who wanted to create a fresh slipper brand, inspired by their love for Hawaii. Their vision is not just limited to designing attractive and beach-ready footwear but also to perpetuate Hawaiian values and the spirit of aloha, while giving back to the local community. To say that we were inspired by their vision when we first met is a huge understatement.
Funnily enough, we initially met the trio of women behind Ha’awi shortly after they’d paid a visit to one of our other clients, Star Noodle. While eating at the restaurant, they saw the 30 Acts of Aloha t-shirt that Jenny had designed in mid-2016, found out about us and got in touch. You’ve got to love those kind of connections.
After meeting to discuss the project, we were thrilled when Ha’awi chose to work with us, using Jenny’s graphic design and branding skills to come up with a series of logos to launch the new company.
A sample of Cake Media's design work for Ha'awi.
There will be plenty more news coming up about Ha’awi in the future but for now, remember the name! We know that this Maui startup is going to be huge.
Elsewhere, we feel very honored to reveal that the Old Lahaina Luau is now one of our clients. In late January we started managing their social media across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, with the focus on driving engagement, organic follower growth and customer service.
Performers at the Old Lahaina Luau.
This Luau is owned by Na Hoaloha Ekolu, the parent company of Star Noodle, Leoda’s Kitchen & Pie Shop and Aloha Mixed Plate. It’s a phenomenal organization and we are deeply grateful to them for the work they have sent our way.
We genuinely love what we do—creating and sharing fresh and unique content, interacting with followers, writing and design, assisting with customer service and getting to be creative every single day. For us, there really is nothing better.
We’ll soon be bringing you exciting news about our work with a swim/activewear company, based in West Maui. Stay tuned for more details!
Thanks for visiting, Laura and Jenny
Instagram: New 'Likes' and Comment Control
Instagram announced more changes yesterday, with a range of comment control features that are intended to make the social media platform a “welcoming place for everyone.”
As seen in Tuesday’s blog from Instagram co-founder and CEO, Kevin Systrom, users now have the ability to like individual comments and—as the feature rolls out throughout the week—you may notice that each comment now has a heart next to it.
As Systrom wrote, “Liking lets you show support and encourages positivity throughout the community.”
From a social media marketing point of view, this is a great time-saving and engagement-building feature. Some Instagram comments certainly call for an individual response, especially when it comes to customer service queries. However, when you simply want to acknowledge a comment or show your appreciation to a fellow user, you can now tap the heart icon in much the same way that you’d give the thumbs-up on Facebook, double tap an image or ‘like’ a tweet.
The photo-sharing platform has also introduced a way of turning comments off on any post, allowing the image to stand on its own and removing the opportunity for cyberbullying and offensive remarks. Trolls, zero. Instagram, one.
Users can also now remove followers from their private accounts, without blocking them and without notification. As Systrom added, “In the past, once you approved a follower, there was no simple way to undo that decision without blocking them. Going forward, if your account is private, you can remove followers by going to your list of followers and tapping the … menu next to any person’s name.”
There’s more. Another addition to Instagram comments is the ability to anonymously report self-harm posts—connecting people who may need help with helplines and organizations that can offer support.
Making the internet a more welcoming place, taking on online harassment and adding another way to engage with fellow users, we are all in favor of Instagram’s latest changes.
Released this week, the new features should now be available to you. Engage and enjoy!
Thanks for visiting, Laura and Jenny