Serious Social from immediate future

Don’t wait for lockdown to lift and then start your brand planning – you’ll lose valuable H2 ground.

Website: http://www.immediatefuture.co.uk 

Social profiles: 

·       YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IFTubes 

·       Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ImmediateFuture/ 

·       LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/immediate-future/ 

·       Twitter: https://twitter.com/iftweeter 

·       Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ifinstas/ 

Don’t wait for lockdown to lift, conduct your brand planning now.  This episode was recorded live on Facebook, on Friday 17th April 2020.  

CJ – 

Stating the obvious, the first half of this year numbers have taken a bit of a kicking, through no fault of your own, the global crisis we're all facing is having a huge impact on businesses right now, it's affecting all of us - there are those that have been affected more. Our friends in the travel industry are really suffering right now, and friends have been furloughed and people that would work with have been furloughed, it's affecting many, many people right now, and hopefully the economy can bounce back very quickly so that we can get a many of those people back into work as at all possible. 

I want to be talking today about how you can ready your brand for when post-lockdown lifts and it's important for a couple of reasons - one, we heard yesterday lockdown continues for another three weeks, there were those that are just pressing pause on everything right now and kind of waiting to see what happens with all of that rather than realising the planning to take a big proposition to market, and collecting that content, and shaping it, and strategically making it sound - it can take that six to eight weeks. So, the question I put to you is, do you want to be the boardroom that when the lockdown is lifted, you're at a position where you can hit go? We're starting to get out, a bit of normality and you just press a button to say go on the campaign and the content goes out and you start to avail on the opportunities that will be there in the second half of this year. The economy will come back - might take some time, but it will come back. The government are doing a lot to pull it up. Or do you want to be the business that waits for lockdown to be lifted before you start discussing any of this? And just to put into context, if you wait another, I don't know five, six weeks before you start discussing what's going on, and then you start your planning exercise you could be 12-14 weeks away from getting content out. Meanwhile, those have been on the front foot that are actually looking at ways in which they can drive forward the business now up and hit the ground running when opportunity comes, they will be capitalising on opportunities a month or two ahead of you. Really important stuff. 

For full show notes, view our podcast page: http://immediatefuture.co.uk/podcasts/

How are our digital communities changing, and how can we better engage with them?   This episode was recorded live on Facebook, on Thursday 9th April 2020. 

Website: http://www.immediatefuture.co.uk 

Social profiles: 

·       YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IFTubes 

·       Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ImmediateFuture/ 

·       LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/immediate-future/ 

·       Twitter: https://twitter.com/iftweeter 

·       Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ifinstas/ 

Belle - 

It’ll come as no surprise to anyone watching that digital attention is at an all-time high

Kantar have just reported a 70% increase in web browsing

with social media engagement increasing by 61% over normal usage rates.

But it’s not just online - perhaps, like me, there’s a new sense of community in your local area such as a neighbourly WhatsApp group. We’re waving to passers-by, looking for rainbows in windows on our daily walks, and clapping in unison for the NHS heroes. We’re part of a community with a common set of values, putting our trust in leaders, but also in brands and influencers, to look after us - and our trust in them is what our survival depends on. The situation we’re in is naturally building a strong sense of community.

A key component of what constitutes a community is support, so it makes sense that in this challenging time, we’re seeking that support. The business community sprang into action with more webinars and live sessions like this one, but of course, we are all part of multiple tribes - so in any given day, you might be engaging with a video like this, followed by a catch up with your friends on Houseparty about what to cook from your store cupboard over the weekend.

For full show notes, view our podcast page: http://immediatefuture.co.uk/podcasts/

What planning must you do for the inevitable new normal? What we know is - fundamentally the pandemic is changing some big factors in society from economy to technology. We know need to be on top of that because we need to understand where our role is as brands and it's uncertain, that play out that will happen is an uncertain future, so how do you plan for uncertainty?

Website: http://www.immediatefuture.co.uk 

Social profiles: 

·       YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IFTubes 

·       Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ImmediateFuture/ 

·       LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/immediate-future/ 

·       Twitter: https://twitter.com/iftweeter 

·       Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ifinstas/ 

Welcome to the Serious Social podcast, created by the straight-talking social media experts at immediate future.

How to plan your social media for tomorrow, today.   This episode was recorded live on Facebook, on Friday 3rd April 2020.  

Katy - 

Hi, my name is Katy Howell, I'm CEO at immediate future, and welcome to our Serious Social live from our homes. Today I'm going to talk a little bit about something really important to do now right now, when we're busy, which is planning for tomorrow today. 

We have been frantic the last couple of weeks, we have been frantic. Nearly every marketing department has decamped somewhere else - homes and other places, and of course met with a completely changing society. But things are beginning to get into a place where we're kind of balancing out. We know what we need to do - now is the time to look up look at the mid-term and long- term in marketing, to understand what is changing now, what has changed, what will change down the line, and what will stay the same. 

So, I know we’re spinning plates, but now is the time to plan. What we know is – fundamentally, the pandemic is changing some big factors in society from economy to technology. We know need to be on top of that because we need to understand where our role is as brands and it's uncertain, the play out that will happen is an uncertain future, so how do you plan for uncertainty? 

Well sixteen years ago, I decided to launch a social media agency before there was a thing called social media, and one of the things I've learned in 16 years is how to plan when you have no idea what the future holds! None! I had no idea whether or not Twitter would take, I didn't even know MySpace would disappear. I had to plan for a changeable environment, so I thought I'd help you guys, and help myself as well by thinking through what it is - what are the fundamentals we need to do right now to think for the future. Why is that important to us to do it now?

For full show notes, view our podcast page: http://immediatefuture.co.uk/podcasts/

Right now, as a Social Media Marketer, the single most important thing you can do is listen. Tuning into what's going on around you, within your sector and within social conversations will ensure success during this uncertain period.

Website: http://www.immediatefuture.co.uk 

Social profiles: 

·       YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IFTubes 

·       Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ImmediateFuture/ 

·       LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/immediate-future/ 

·       Twitter: https://twitter.com/iftweeter 

·       Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ifinstas/ 

Welcome to the Serious Social podcast, created by the straight-talking social media experts at immediate future.

This episode was recorded live on Facebook, on Friday 27th March 2020. CJ explores how to connect with your audience without disrespecting our current societal challenge. 

CJ - Today we’re going to look at the topic of how we can stay connected with our audience without falling foul and disrespecting this horrendous situation we're currently facing as a society right now. I don't think anyone needs me to detail exactly what's going on in the world we have some amazing people. But what can you expect from this Facebook live, well we're going to help you stay connected with your audiences - it's really tough right now isn't it; we need to be respectful of what's going on with Covid-19. We absolutely need to be respectful of the amazing people that are working tirelessly to help us right now. We saw at 8 o'clock last night just how poignant it is that we thank not just the NHS workers who got the applause last night, but care workers. In fact, this morning it was bin day for me, and just seeing the bin being collected it made me realize just what a great nation of wonderful people we've got who, when it really matters, they go the extra mile and they pull together - and that's what we're seeing as a nation right now people adapting to a unique environment. 

We're working from home rather than in our offices, we're faced with challenges have not necessarily had the technology or resources that we’re used to. For example, me not sure if the live was going out correctly or not – but one of the challenges we've got is how and should we continue posting content for our audiences. Well, the short answer is you absolutely should, but you need to take a fresh look and you need to take a look at the type of content that's going out. 

So, for example, if you're trying to be really salesy right now, you're just going to frustrate people at a time when there's a lot of anxious individuals, there's uncertainty in the world, people are facing income challenges, health issues and worse. It's not going to take much for somebody to see a piece of content and become, justifiably, a keyboard warrior - if you're going out and trying to sell to people who don't want it, it's just going to frustrate and annoy. 

For full show notes, visit our web page - http://immediatefuture.co.uk/podcasts/

Welcome to the Serious Social podcast, created by the straight-talking social media experts at immediate future.

In this episode, we’re talking data. Associate Director Belle Lawrence is joined by Managing Director Colin Jacobs as they discuss the data you should be collecting from social media and how to utilise it within your marketing mix.

Our website: http://www.immediatefuture.co.uk 

Social profiles: 

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IFTubes 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ImmediateFuture/ 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/immediate-future/ 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/iftweeter 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ifinstas/ 

Belle - So, CJ, when we go to conferences, we hear a lot about data in social and it's being heralded often as a great hope for marketing. Is that the case? 

CJ - Is it important and does it have an impactful role? Yes.

Is it this new thing? Absolutely not, it's been around for years.

Well, obviously, you don't know what you don't know, so, I don't want to sort of come across condescending, but I find it bizarre. There's a lot of agencies, too many agencies that claim to be social media agencies and they're only just opening their eyes to data, that is wholly wrong.

So yes, very important, but no, it's not this new great thing. You should have been using data for years to inform your marketing mix.

It's the great thing about social, isn't it? I mean, a number of us have worked in other disciplines whether that's traditional marketing out of home, TV, public relations. The beauty of social is there's a tangibility to it.

You know instantly the eyeballs that have seen it versus those that haven’t.

There's none of this, ‘well there's an opportunity for 200,000 people to sleepily cross the road and look at this billboard’ - there's none of that in social media, which is great.

Belle - So, what can we track in social?

CJ - Yeah, a really good question.

There's a number of metrics and there are vanity metrics and there are sanity metrics. And I'm going to split the two, because there will be a number of people watching this that will go "Woah, a like is no sort of metric in marketing!"

Well you're right, but you're also wrong. The vanity metrics, likes, engagements, video views, yes, they are a bit, "Look at us we've done some great things." But if you're not getting the vanity metrics your content's not resonating with the audience.

So, you need some of the vanity to give you the "You're doing the right thing." If none of your content is getting vanity metrics you’ve got a lot a change that you need to make pronto.

But once you're delivering that you then need to move on to the sanity metrics. Where you're starting to measure your share of voice the equity your brand's holding your position within the market and there are some sophisticated tools that you can do this with.

Some of the viewers from traditional media will know that you can go and get Nielsen reports. And they'll show you whether you've moved on from 5% market share to 6%. But within social, there's a lot that we can get organically.

... for full show notes, visit our website: http://immediatefuture.co.uk/podcasts/