103: Social Media Inflation is Real

Social Media Inflation is Real Like economic inflation, social media inflation is happening. As more and more people flood the social media platforms, are your followers really valuable? How do you get value from your followers? Now is a great time to strategize, if you haven't, or hire an agency to help you increase the value of the followers you do have. First of all, it’s worth noting sluggish performance by the more established platforms. On Facebook in particular once brands realised people were only following them to get free stuff, they stopped giving it away. Now there are fairly few reasons to follow big brands on the platform, barring the occasional event opportunity. You can also see a big dip back in March when Facebook cleaned up as many inactive and bot profiles as it could. According to the report this period saw large brands lose the most, with Pepsi dropping a massive 1.8m fans. Twitter is following the same path, and while we’ve talked about Twitter’s numerous difficulties which may be contributing to this, I’d assume that users are more likely to follow individuals on the platform, with brands getting a look-in for customer service. Likewise, Pinterest appears steady but unspectacular – the Opera web browser of social media networks, suggesting it has developed a loyal audience but has passed its early high-growth stage. LinkedIn is of interest here, because user numbers appear to have surged on the platform recently, with brands seeing roughly 3% average monthly growth rate. However, LinkedIn’s attempts to re-position itself via its publishing functions have resulted in a storm of content which may have resulted in brand messages being buried. Finally Instagram. At 6-to-8% average growth month-on-month, it’s ruling the roost. In many ways this is unsurprising. Users in general have taken to image-sharing platforms with gusto, and Instagram has been working hard to attract brand partners over the last two years, with strong results. Andiamo! About Vincenzo Landino: Vincenzo is an entrepreneur, speaker and host of the Brand Boost Podcast. He is the the founder and Creative Director of Fifty 2 Creative, a digital ad agency specializing in brand amplification and digital storytelling. With experience as a brand correspondent, Vincenzo’s portfolio includes a 1 billion impression campaign launch for Applebee’s as well as work for Mazda, Kia Motors, Paul Mitchell Schools, Barilla Pasta, DC United, Tinder, and Zoomph. Outside of his professional life, Vincenzo is a die-hard Steelers fan, avid golfer and wine maker. About Fifty 2 Creative Fifty 2 Creative is a Digital Media Agency that focuses on brand amplification, customer experience and storytelling through various digital platforms. We strive to master the ins and outs of your business, who your ideal customer is and how to deliver the best experience to them every time. We take a unique approach to each client knowing full well that every business has different needs in the digital marketplace. Above all else, Fifty 2 Creative’s mission is to build long-lasting, meaningful relationships. Our clients are part of our family, not just another checkmark in our portfolio. Who is Jed Record? Jed Record is the CEO and founder of Likeforce, a digital content and training agency which has the unique distinction of hiring college students and training them to manage social media for businesses in their communities. In addition to being a speaker for college audiences around the country about Likeforce and social media, Jed also speaks on a