Let's get Verified!

Everybody wants that coveted blue tick on their profile and we know you do too - no need to be modest 😉. Whilst they aren’t a direct endorsement from Facebook, they do signal notable and authentic accounts to the everyday user. This can obviously be incredibly useful when you become the victim of fake account impersonations or if you need to gain the trust of the masses. But like anything useful, they aren’t always easy to come by (in fact, the process can be quite the opposite). But fear not - because, here at Spin, we will guide you through every step of the process.

Firstly, it's really important to know that Facebook requires the following criteria to be met:

- You must be a real person or a registered business (easy, right?)

- The account must be the singular presence of what you are representing (except for multiple language needs for global accounts).

- The account must be public and have an about section, bio and profile picture (we can help you make a cracking profile).

- The account must have at least one post (make sure to make it a good one).

- It must represent a highly known brand or person (a tad tricky for newbies).

Secondly, Facebook verifies accounts that have been featured in multiple news sources. It's important to know that they don't consider promotional content to be part of this. This news source scan has recently been expanded to include more Black, LGBTQ+ and Latinx sources (wooo!). You can add up to five articles in your application to give Facebook as much context as possible. Don't be shy, it's your chance to show off all your good work.

After submitting, the process also involves Facebook examining your brand's “cultural impact” - pretty vague. Luckily, Facebook gives us some indication of what they search for through the following two prompts: has the account holder gone viral lately? Is the account holder creating a buzz in their community?

And then you wait. Sometimes for quite a while.

Something to bear in mind is that once you (hopefully) receive your blue tick, Facebook recommends creating a two-factor authentication as your account may become the victim of hackers trying to sell your prized possession. Don't let this happen after all your hard work.

If your account doesn't (currently) manage to meet the rigid criteria - don't fret! There are many other ways to let people know your account is authentic. That's exactly what we are experts at. Here are two quick tips:

- Always make sure to link your social accounts from your official website - and other social profiles (like Twitter/Linkedin). Make your own little verified ecosystem - who needs a blue tick anyway?

- Make sure your account produces quality, and meaningful, content. Show a little behind the scenes, create a Q&A with the founder and make the best looking feed the world has ever seen!

A big ask we know - but you can always keep your eyes peeled on our own Instagram for even more expert tips on how to do this. See what we did there? This account is authentic (this one… not so much). Happy Verifying!

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TikTok x Ticketmaster: Buying concert tickets through your FYP

What do Demi Lovato, the WWE, and Usher all have in common? Well, they’re just three of the artists and entertainment companies who are now benefiting from TikTok’s latest partnership with Ticketmaster. The new feature will allow users to purchase tickets for events directly through the TikTok app, meaning that you can go from scrolling through your FYP, to dancing along to Usher’s “Yeah!” in just a few taps.

Eligible creators will be able to search for relevant Ticketmaster events through the “add link” function before posting a video. They will then have the option to “add to video” which will display the Ticketmaster link to the event towards the bottom of the video once posted. Users will then be able to click on the link and, in a similar fashion to the Tiktok shop, will be taken to the Ticketmaster website in-app to continue browsing.

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Spin Welcomes Fujifilm & Instax to the Roster

Japanese multinational conglomerate Fujifilm has appointed Spin to carry out an ongoing strategic social media service to continue to drive and develop their growth to new audiences.

A brand that is world-renowned for their work in the realms of photography, optics and wider electronics. Headquartered in Japan and first established in 1934, Spin couldn’t be happier to partner with the brand and support their innovation across social with the intrinsic synergy from their image-focused products to the constant evolution of the platforms we use to share this very outcome.

Explore more from Fujifilm & Instax here:

– https://global.fujifilm.com/en/

– https://instax.com/

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Spin is an award winning pure-play social media agency that combines the sharpest creative minds with the smartest performance specialists. For more information or to enquire about scaling your brand through social please email hello@spinbrands.com

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Instagram in The Age of Video

Things are changing… again (and again, and again).

Instagram has, rather ironically, faced widespread backlash from a static asset created by photographer @illumitati and shared by thousands, including the queen of lip kits (and chickens) Kylie Jenner. We all know the famous phrase ‘a picture can say 1000 words, but here we are seeing the defiant power of a picture when put in the hands of everyday users

Here’s a quick Spin-centric rundown of why this happened, what happened next and what this means for brands.

Why Now?

It’s simple really:

When we think of TikTok we think of short video clips.

When we think of YouTube we think of lengthy videos.

When we think of Twitter we think of sassy snippets.

When we think of Facebook we think of our mums.

And, when we think of Instagram we think of a feed of static images.

Not so fast! Early this year, Instagram began testing a brand new version of its app’s home feed that featured full-screen photographs and videos, similar to TikTok, and the response was very very loud. Users said the feed was cluttered, ugly and pushing for the primacy of video far too hard. This was no accident; this feed re-jig came hand in hand with other recent changes which include an increasingly algorithmic main feed, a push for TikTok-style “reels” videos, and the increasing presence of a remix function.

These changes have led to everyday users struggling to interact with their friends and family’s posts which get sucked down the bottom of the algorithm in favour of ads and (poorly) recommended posts, hand-curated by the algorithm.

Soon, the post by @illumitati began to spread like wildfire, with a whole app seemingly uniting behind a shared hatred for the new update. The post, overall, gained 2.2 million likes and 43k comments. And, eventually, the spreading of this post led to collective action – with a petition being signed over 300k times.

What may seem like a funny or playful post, could be disastrous for Instagram. Let’s not forget that when Kylie Jenner last talked smack about a social media app, the tweet reduced its market price by $1.3 BILLION (🪦 RIP Snapchat).

What’s Going on Now?

Adam Mosseri, Instagram’s CEO (aka the cause of many SMMs’ stress and anxiety), quickly responded to the widespread criticism with a video (lol) carefully doubling down on the controversial changes. He told his audience that Instagram would “continue to promote photographs,” but made sure to reiterate that: “over time, more and more of Instagram will become video.”

The reaction to this? Similar to this brilliant slack from a client:

What does this mean for brands?

It may seem like a lose-lose scenario, but fear not, here are some quick tips on how to ride this wave for social success:

Push for authenticity 🔥

Audiences are sick of their feeds appearing manufactured, ad-centric and controlled by the algorithm. Now, more than ever, producing authentic and engaging content is key. Show a little humanness with friendly faces or relatability. Gone are the days of a polished Instagram (whether that be in video or static format), so act like the best friend and not like the big brand.

Use (real) reel content 📹

Look, video isn’t going anywhere. So, it’s a perfect time to experiment with reel content and see what sticks. The likelihood is your reach will Skyrocket. Again, just keep it as authentic as possible.

Keep in mind what people want 🪧

Maybe it’s wouldn’t be a bad idea to play around with statics and see if you can hit the sweet spot of engagement: people are hungry for the return of pictures. Yes, your reach might drop, due to the ever-changing algorithm, but your audience will appreciate a feed made up of a variety of content. Don’t be a one-trick pony: have a content plan based on statics, Carousels, Reels AND Stories.

Virality is still a thing 🦠

It’s kind of crude, but the mass spreading of this post shows us that ‘things’ can still go viral. Don’t give up hope! Here is our go-to guide for all things viral.

Play it by ear 👂

Things are changing every day. New trends rise, and old social media sites fall. Algorithms change, but sometimes the users do not. A great social media presence requires A LOT of social listening, reading and knowledge. Keep up to date on everything social.

Or, what if we told you that there is a dream team of social media experts waiting to help you out with this confusing digital landscape? Experts in the algorithm AND the everyday user. We are here to help. Spin is an award-winning pure-play social media agency that combines the sharpest creative minds with the smartest performance specialists.

For more information or to enquire about scaling your brand through social please email hello@spinbrands.com

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