This week on Social in Six, we’re talking about Instagram’s latest move into collaborative social, with Blend, TikTok’s push into shopping ads and search, and YouTube’s focus on creator-led shopping. Elsewhere, Facebook’s rules for video uploads have changed, while Reddit and LinkedIn both have exciting updates to their ads offering, branching into generative AI, live events, and Connected TV or CTV.

 Got a question or suggestion for the Social Minds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected].

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What we learned this episode: saying people don’t care about product-focused posts isn’t true. What today’s guest says, is they don’t care by default. Doesn’t mean you can’t make them. That guest is John Thornton, senior creative at Surreal and ex-SMM & copywriter at Innocent Drinks. Surreal’s product posts and ads make people care - as do Innocent’s. So in this episode, we’re on a mission to find out how the hell John does it. Why do some brands just *get* how to make their product pop, while other brands are in the trenches? Expect to learn where self-awareness trumps ‘story’, why “soft outrage” often equals success, and how you’re probably breaking that promise you made to humanise your brand.

Got a question or a suggestion for the SocialMinds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected]

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SocialMinds Live is back, and we’re heading to London!

Listen to this quick update to get the lowdown, and be among the first to register your interest to hear Oatly, SharkNinja, American Express and more, in the flesh.

To find out more, visit https://www.socialchain.com/event/

This episode is proudly sponsored by Riverside.fm. Click here to try it for yourself, and use the code socialminds to get 15% off any available plan.

Today’s Social in Six covers several strategy-changing updates – including a new LinkedIn algorithm that doesn’t care when you published your post, only what you’re talking about; a direct Instagram competitor app from TikTok called TikTok Photos (👀); and a TikTok AI tool that automatically identifies products and generates native Shop links. 

We also have to talk about Instagram’s Creator Marketplace getting a global rollout, all the new ad tools with Meta’s Advantage+ update, and Elon Musk’s plan to hide likes, replies and reposts from view in the feed.

Keep listening until the end of the episode to hear our news about SocialMinds Live returning for 2024, or click here for more information on how to register.

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This episode is proudly sponsored by Riverside.fm. Click here to try it for yourself, and use the code socialminds to get 15% off any available plan.

Sidemen was eight years into their YouTube journey when Arcade Media stepped in to manage the operation. As if they weren’t already, since then, the group has surpassed heights that most creators only dream of. In this episode, we’re joined by Arcade co-founder and manager of Sidemen, Jordan Schwarzenberger, to find out how the magic happens. Expect to learn the number of staff working every day to ensure the boys don’t get burnout, why Jordan’s team sat down last year and agreed to put brand building before brand deals, and what Covid really did to the creator landscape - as the industry wrestles to catch up with the consequences. This is the side of Sidemen you don’t hear about, and is a must-listen for anyone interested in influencer-dom.

Got a question or a suggestion for the SocialMinds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected]

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This episode is proudly sponsored by Riverside.fm. Click here to try it for yourself, and use the code socialminds to get 15% off any available plan.

This week on Social in Six, we’re talking all about Instagram’s latest peek at TikTok’s homework, Meta’s new tool to tackle video ad conversion, and how X plans to win back advertisers and creators. We also discuss the ongoing drama between Universal Music Group and TikTok and its impact on artists and TikTok’s culture, TikTok’s new shortcut set to dominate search for Gen Z, and LinkedIn’s latest feature to turn your web visitors into paying customers.

Got a question or a suggestion for the SocialMinds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected]

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Booking.com is the first port of call for many a traveller when they’ve got a trip to plan. But it isn’t the only online travel agency out there. So how is it staying ahead of the game? On today’s episode, its global social media director Laura Kaye reveals how Booking.com remains top-of-mind for holidaymakers through unique social creative. Find out how the brand deals with complaints in the comments, the most effective strategies for leveraging influencers, and the key to balancing high-performing ‘travel porn’ with ownable, distinctive content.

Got a question or a suggestion for the SocialMinds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected].

Social in Six is back for the new year, and already there’s lots to talk about. This time we’re sharing TikTok’s new AI chatbot that’ll give you content ideas, why it’s important for Threads to have a write API, and the first stage of Google’s cookiepocalypse set into motion. We also talk about TikTok’s commerce spend push in the West, Instagram Reels outperforming TikToks for views, and what qualities made the most popular YouTube ads last year. Got a question or suggestion for the Social Minds podcast?

Get in touch at [email protected].

The crystal ball is out once more as we’re joined by Pinterest’s director of marketing for Europe, Louise Richardson, who comes to our studio armed with this year’s Pinterest Predicts report. This year, look out for trends like tropic like its hot, where we’ll see everything from food to décor go tropical, to making a racket, where badminton’s popularity is breaking out of China and seeping into things like shoes and accessories!

Got a question or a suggestion for the SocialMinds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected].

As 2023 draws to a close, Eve takes a look back (or should we say listen back) to some of our favourite moments from this year’s SocialMinds interviews. It’s impossible to pick favourites from every expert we’ve chatted to over the last 12 months, but these five were chosen because of how they reflect another year in social media marketing for all of us – from the mood around generative AI to the rise of creator rhetoric. Got a question or a suggestion for the SocialMinds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected]. Links to each interview featured in today’s episode:

Mob - Jake Gauntlett

Doing Things Media – Scott Dunn

Rory Sutherland – Ogilvy

Hootsuite – Billy Jones

Formula 1 – Sam Baker

Mob Kitchen – famous for its accessible cookbooks and Instagram recipe videos – remains one of the most popular food pages on social. Considering how many food creators and how much recipe content currently sits online, that says a lot. So how does Mob differentiate itself from all the rest? In this episode we’re joined by Jake Gauntlett, Mob’s head of content, to learn: the tips and tricks behind a believable creator-led approach, what cultivating a community *actually* looks like (not just saying the word) and how Mob has managed to migrate its budgeting fanbase to new subscription service, Mob+, as the publisher looks for alternative revenue streams to traditional brand deals.

Got a question or a suggestion for the SocialMinds podcast? Get in touch at [email protected].