Do you want to pay to play? Find out how ad spend in social media is evolving. You'll also learn eight ways to use Hyperlapse for marketing, what a brand enthusiast actually looks like (and where her value lies), and how to run searches through Twitter in a way that brings better results, fast. Skim to boost your social smarts!
Think of your furry friends. Budweiser released an ad for its own Be(er) Responsibility Day that's shot up the viral ad charts with a friendly, unpreachy glimpse into the life of a 20-something who's responsible with his beer—which matters, because his sweet dog (gold currency in social) is counting on him. The ad, at 13 million views, also scores because it avoids overexploiting the cute pet factor. The ad includes a hashtag, #FriendsAreWaiting, which people are using to fawn over the ad and also promote Budweiser's efforts, every September, to keep drunk drivers off the streets. Nice!
Sorry for algebra! Muslims worldwide have adopted #MuslimApologies, a hashtag being used to publish tweets that attempt to counter demonization of Islam by reminding people of Muslim contributions. Building from the more serious #NotInMyName, used by Muslims to denounce terrorist groups, #MuslimApologies is a hair more hipster—but no less weighty. Used over 30,000 times in the last two days, "apologies" include "Sorry for Algebra, cameras, universities, hospitals, oh and coffee too."
I'm sorry it was a Muslim woman, Fatima Muhammad Al-Fihri, that established the world's first university. #MuslimApologies
— Sérine (@Sinseriously) September 24, 2014
Never again struggle with string around your finger. Twitter and Amazon found a clever way to get people to promote products while adding value to the act. Building on the #AmazonCart service launched earlier this year, the #AmazonWishList hashtag lets you put items in your shopping cart when you reply to a tweet. Simply connect your Twitter account to Amazon. When you see a tweet with an Amazon product link to something you like, reply with #AmazonWishList. The item will be wish-listed for you automatically.
What next for Hyperlapse? Christian Karasiewicz rounded up eight ways to use Hyperlapse for Instagram marketing. Tips include building buzz for new products, as in the Foot Locker unboxing video below. You'll also learn how to use Hyperlapse to sell an experience, or bring people behind the scenes of an anticipated event.
For those who prefer Vine, don't worry: New Media Rockstars brought together its eight favorite stop-motion Viners. (Yes, with Vine's new uploading tool, you can use Hyperlapse for Vine, too! Just don't exceed six seconds.)
And speaking of unboxing—the act of watching people literally unbox a new product for the first time (it's even a hit with toddlers!)—the Blue Man Group created its own tongue-in-cheek take on the trend. In the video, below, watch blue hands try, with bizarre reticence, to unbox a new iPhone. It doesn't just remind us of the potency and strangeness of this cottage industry, it also points to the aggressive attention Apple pays to pretty packaging. How can you ruin it?!
Twitter search for better results. This list of 10 ways to search Twitter more effectively will make it easier to get what you want out of the textual weedbed that is Twitter, including quotes or phrases (search with " " around the phrase), tweets that include two items (effective use of AND and OR), or excluding tweets with a certain term (the minus symbol). You'll also find out how to embed or save searches. Now you can put down the garden shears.