Ever wonder why your Instagram growth hits a wall? From one-person businesses cracking wise online to the largest brands in the world, the frustration of a static following and decreased engagement is a shared experience. 

We’ve all heard “the algorithm” discussed in hush, reverent tones on social media. “Blame the algorithm,” “we musn’t displease the algorithm,” and “Dear Algorithm, please bring me X kind of content.” 

Get ready: the holiday shopping season in 2023 is gonna be one for the record books. The NRF predicts spending to jump by 3 to 4% from 2022, with total holiday shopping spend clocking in over $950 billion in November and December.

What does word of mouth mean in a world that’s more interconnected than ever? Everything. It literally means everything for brands. And brands that aren’t tracking their online rep can’t contribute to their own narrative. They also miss opportunities better listeners don’t. 

Many brands stick to a core few social media platforms for marketing, usually Meta or LinkedIn. There’s nothing inherently wrong with picking a lane and doing it well, but brands with strong visuals seriously need to consider branching out to Pinterest. 

Pinterest is one of the unsung heroes of social media marketing, quietly bringing in tons of views and engagement while being largely ignored by many brands. 

Influencers shape the cultural landscape by establishing a connection with their audience, by offering people everything from role models to gurus to entertainment. But how does the digital landscape change when the people doing the influencing aren’t even real? Can they still connect with people?

What is “social media targeting?” It’s not when you send cute dog videos to a cat person, no. It’s the practice of delivering highly relevant content and ads to specific segments of the audience. 

On June 29th, 2023, FTC announced major changes to its online and influencer marketing regulations. Even worse for potential regulation flaunters, the FTC pushed the maximum penalty for each violation from $46,517 to $50,120. We’ve seen even the biggest celebrities get dinged for violations, too, though the FTC has shown it will go after small influencers just as readily. 

Influencer marketing is some of the most effective marketing out there, which is why it's a $13.8 billion dollar industry.