In our social driven world, businesses and brands know the basic steps to building a seamless social and e-commerce shopping experience — utilizing content, making multiple touchpoints shoppable, and pushing customers to product pages (PDPs).

But actioning your own social commerce strategy is way easier when you can emulate real life social commerce case studies and learn how they drive success for brands like yours.

Shoppers increasingly want to see products being used in real life by other shoppers (who’s using it, how it’s being used, and how they can see it fit into their own life). And as the demand for authenticity skyrockets, brands have to find unique ways to build consumer confidence. 

One clear-cut method to building that confidence is user-generated content. User-generated content, or UGC, is a type of social proof that lets shoppers see trusted individuals using and recommending products. According to our Shopper Experience Index, an annual study into changing shopper behavior, over half of shoppers (55%) are unlikely to purchase a product without seeing related UGC. UGC works in creating community, building customer engagement and trust, and driving social commerce revenue on social and PDPs.

Top 5 social commerce case studies

Let’s take a look at five unique social commerce case studies we’ve seen for some killer UGC strategies.

1. MAM

Calling all parents of little ones! Everyone wants the best for their children, and that’s exactly what premium baby products manufacturer MAM set out to do by creating extra-safe baby products. To maintain an authentic, transparent customer experience, a UGC strategy was vital. 

MAM’s goal was to collect more UGC and showcase it in more places — everywhere their shoppers are. The solution? The brand implemented Social Commerce to complete their full-funnel solution. And it skyrocketed their growth.

Social proof doubles traffic and conversion rates

The tool that drove the most impact for MAM was Bazaarvoice Galleries, an on-site display of content. With Bazaarvoice Galleries, MAM curates authentic social photos and videos posted by advocates. From this UGC, the brand created beautiful, shoppable product galleries to showcase products.

For MAM, Galleries drove a 258% increase in time on site, a 108% increase in conversions, and a 58% increase in average order value. (You heard that right!)

“The [photos and reviews] speak to themselves. It’s the voice of reason almost, like an assurance that this product does what it’s meant to do. And, of course, we knew the end goal would be that we could get that really lovely UGC onto our retailers’ sites,” said Daniel Smith, National Account Manager, MAM.

MAM also drives traffic and revenue with Like2Buy, the first link-in-bio solution to bring shopping to Instagram. They were able to make the path to purchase much simpler with Like2Buy, and never have to worry again about those customers lost on social media. With Like2Buy, MAM saw a 105% increase in click-through rate, a 157% increase in site visits, and a 35% increase in average order value.

In real money, the boost in traffic and conversions from Like2Buy alone drove an extra £96k in annual revenue for MAM.

Read the full case study here for a more in-depth look at a full-funnel social commerce strategy.

2. Hobbycraft

Any art enthusiasts out there? Or fans of over-delivering on your ROI? We love a good DIY project — and so does Hobbycraft, the UK’s largest arts and crafts retailer with a whopping 24,000 different products available for sale. A social commerce gold mine, if you ask us.

Hobbycraft recognized this, too, and wanted to showcase customers’ beautiful projects to help inspire purchases and boost their conversion rate. To do that, they incorporated UGC collected from social media campaigns to their website.

Hobbycraft agrees that incorporating UGC into their content strategy has had a positive impact on the ROI of their business.

“UGC is more authentic to our customers and complements our traditional brand product imagery,” explains Lauren Couston, Digital Product Content Manager, Hobbycraft.

And this shift in content is paying dividends for Hobbycraft. Using Bazaarvoice to display UGC from social channels like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok has increased Hobbycraft’s click-through rate by 95%.

In addition to driving traffic to the website using UGC, Hobbycraft also incorporates Bazaarvoice Galleries on their home page and PDPs. In total, they have seven galleries across five page types.

Boosting conversion with Bazaarvoice Galleries

“We are now very much showcasing the voice of our customer,” Helen explains.

We love to hear it. Not only do customers like to get inspiration from the UGC they see, but they also like to submit their own UGC via submission buttons on Hobbycraft’s website.

This new approach to content is working like a charm. Utilizing Bazaarvoice Galleries on the Hobbycraft website has already led to a 219% increase in conversion and a 24% increase in average order value. Even more, the average basket size for customers who have interacted with Bazaarvoice Galleries has increased from around £25 to around £30 per customer.

And the biggest win of all: Hobbycraft achieved their annual ROI target within eight months of working with Bazaarvoice.

Read the full case study here to learn more.

3. Iconic London

The makeup and beauty industry especially is all about reviews and recommendations, especially on social media. Who wouldn’t want to see how a $30 lipstick performs and looks on someone that looks like yourself? 

To meet this expectation, UGC collection is more important than ever for this specific industry. Iconic London, a UK beauty brand, realized this and positioned themselves as a digital-first brand above all else. 

“We’ve been very good at outreach, making people aware of the voice of the brand, but we’re in a competitive industry with a lot of brands with great messaging and fantastic products. What we needed to do was find a way to make the social piece work for us, both in awareness and financially, and that’s what Bazaarvoice helped us to do,” says Eleanor Assa, CMO, Iconic London.

Yet, building a full-proof, well-rounded UGC strategy was proving to be difficult, especially conceptualizing how UGC could be used across social platforms and the e-commerce site. The first step they took was discovering how Instagram can work hand-in-hand with their e-commerce site.

Building the relationship between social and site

Oftentimes, brands make the mistake of building two distinct, separate experiences: one on their social platforms and one on their e-commerce site. The aesthetic, photos, product layout, and more are just different. This isn’t necessarily a good thing.

When your customer discovers your brand, whether that’s browsing Google or scrolling through Instagram, you want them to feel there’s an authenticity present. When the shopping, community, and brand experience does not match across the board, authenticity is lost.

One way to solve this problem? Do what Iconic London did and turn your social content into a shoppable experience.

Everyone loves the simplicity of Instagram and being inspired to make a purchase. But, one thing many brands haven’t been able to solve is how to bring those new or returning customers to their actual site to make that purchase. Enter: Like2Buy. Like2buy directly mirrors your Instagram feed, making the user-generated (and branded) content shoppable via links to product pages. 

“We know that our customers like shopping in a social environment. It’s the way the industry is going, but especially Iconic. So having Like2Buy allows us to maintain that social shopping experience a bit longer. It allows it to overflow into the website, onto the product page, and the homepage,” says Lizzie Newell, Head of Marketing, Social, and Campaigns.

Make the path to purchase that much simpler with Like2Buy, and never worry again about those customers lost on social media. Furthermore, once they reach the site, make sure their shopping experience goes uninterrupted with Bazaarvoice Galleries.

The importance of time on site

Nowadays, there are more distractions than ever before, especially if you are just in “browsing mode” while shopping. With no intent or purpose, you are less likely to be convinced to shop around if you aren’t interested in the first minute or so.

But, if you see a homepage full of engaging, shoppable content versus static images with no ability to browse, you will want to stay. Bazaarvoice Galleries, an on-site display of content that can exist almost anywhere on site, enables shoppers to really see products in action.

In the last year, Iconic London saw their customers spending more time browsing UGC and product pages because of their Galleries, with a 361% lift in time on site. They positively benefited from taking into account their customers shopping habits and desires when buying makeup.

“Time on site is a really exciting one for us. We were very pleased with that increase because I think that just proves that what we suspected about our audience was right — they like to have a browse, they like to look at people who look a bit like them. And at the same time, they’re looking at multiple images and product pages,” says Lizzie Newell, Head of Marketing, Social, and Campaigns, Iconic London.

Placing UGC across your storefront will not only drive those sales, but it will also drive traffic to almost every page that is important to the shopper. In just 12 months of harnessing the power of social commerce, Iconic saw a 126% lift in conversion rate, and an 11% lift in average order value.

Read the full social commerce case study here for a more in-depth look.

4. Urban Barn

Have you ever been in the market for a new sofa but wanted to know how it looked in the real world, not just a showroom? And so scrolled through countless photos or videos of it, imagining it fifteen different times in your room? Well, if you have, you’re not alone.

Urban Barn, a furniture and decor company, knew many of their customers visit their website before coming into a store to actually buy the item they’re looking for. With furniture being such a large purchase, too, it’s essential to show a diverse range of products in diverse settings, fresh up the content often, and build inspirational collection pages. 

Although Urban Barn has beautiful brand-owned content, they used UGC to really inspire shoppers to build their own, unique home with Urban Barn products by incorporating it across their social channels and website to meet shoppers everywhere they are.

The art of the hashtag

There’s nothing wrong with directly asking your customer for UGC. Instead, it’s empowering and showcases that your brand genuinely cares about building a supportive, interactive community. 

Urban Barn collects UGC by encouraging customers to post images of its product using the hashtag #Rightathome. From this pool of content, they then select the photos and videos they feel most authentically represent them and their community. 

What people also forget is that UGC, and collecting it via a hashtag, is entirely free. No expensive influencer partnership or brand photoshoot required. Instead, it’s a win-win on both sides. People love being featured on social media and on a website, and you get beautiful content with no heavy-lifting on your end.

Furthermore, sometimes customers know the brand better than the brand does, especially in the furniture industry. There are countless styles and looks out there, which all all worthy of being displayed

“Customer images show the diverse styles of interiors and different angles of the products that are not often captured by our in-house photographers,” said Ainslie Fincham, Director of Marketing, Urban Barn.

When Urban Barn started placing this UGC across their website and social channels, they saw major lifts in time on site, conversion, and average order value. The numbers were great to see but Sasha Becker, Director of E-commerce at Urban Barn, knows the reason they built this strategy was, in the end, to align with their mission — inspiring others. 

“Our end goal is to create beautiful spaces that people can come home to and feel good in,” said Becker. 

To say they did that would be an understatement. The strategy has already led to a 270% lift in time on site, a 59% lift in conversion rate, and a 29% lift in average order value.

Read how Urban Barn utilize UGC beyond just social commerce in the full case study.

5. Samsonite 

We’ve left (arguably) the best case study in social commerce til last. Sometimes all you need is a new campaign to really kick-start your social and e-commerce strategy! Just ask Samsonite.

After leveraging ratings and reviews heavily, they felt it was time to explore more ways they could improve their customer’s shopping experience. Samonite’s two main focuses were driving product discovery and providing content across the site to inspire their shoppers.

Sourcing the UGC and brand-owned content was never an issue for the accessory brand, though. The challenge was driving product discovery and providing consistent inspirational content from social and marketing channels.

By launching and leveraging Bazaarvoice Galleries, an on-site display of content, this solution enabled them to put beautiful, inspirational content on multiple pages rather than just on Instagram, for example.

However, they didn’t just stop there. 

Use campaigns to elevate your content

Not only did they implement galleries, but they also sourced relevant, new images and videos by running a campaign at the same time.

“This year, we had a really robust summer campaign which featured a new product launch, our Elevation Plus collection, at the forefront. We worked with a ton of influencers and got a lot of content added to our galleries, and I think it made for a really engaging experience, both on our own sites and through the content we distribute to our partners,” said Meghan O’Keefe, Senior Digital Marketing Manager at Samsonite. 

Samsonite didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. They had plans to run this campaign, but they took it the next level by strategically partnering with influencers and using the #takewhatsyours to gather incredible UGC. It was a low-lift action, yet made all the difference for driving traffic and revenue. 

By the campaign’s end, they’d gained over 27k posts. Furthermore, Using Bazaarvoice Galleries has led to:

• 4x higher conversion rates
• 5x increase in time on page
• 254% increase in revenue

That makes it one of the most successful social commerce case studies to date. Read it in full here.

Become the next social commerce case study

There’s no reason why this time next year (or sooner!) you aren’t one of the social commerce case studies everyone is talking about.

As the social media landscape changes year after year, brands must evolve and act accordingly. Responding to the customer’s needs is the only way to stay relevant and continue seeing a lift in engagement, trust, and revenue. 

Yet, trends come and go as quickly as you can say “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” nowadays. Social media and e-commerce managers are constantly having to keep the pulse on what’s performing and what’s not, which is no easy task. But, regardless of if TikTok or Instagram is winning this week and not the next, UGC will continue performing well for brands.

Global social commerce sales are expected to reach $1.3 billion this year. So take a note from these five brand case studies and rethink your social commerce strategy. Is UGC a part of your conversations? Because it should be. And if it isn’t, get in touch with us and learn how the #1 in UGC according to G2 can help you get started.

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The ultimate guide to social commerce conversion

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There’ll be plenty of linked articles, impressive stats, fun new things to digest, and you may even spot your own brand in there.

(Psst — if you’re new to social commerce, you can catch up here)

We’ll be updating this every month so make sure you don’t miss out, because social moves quick. Feel free to jump to your desired month, otherwise let’s dive right in.

January. February. March. April. May. June. July. August.

September social commerce news

Teamwork making dreams work 

As they say:

• Recess, the popular sparkling water brand, is now the official mocktail of the USC Trojans football team, which is a first for college sports. Looks like students can have a bit of “Recess” time in university after all
• What’s the appeal of the new iPhone 15? It has incredible video capabilities. Just ask Olivia Rodrigo – her new music video was exclusively shot on it
• Vitamin Water taps into the gaming community to promote their new zero-sugar drink
• September was Fashion Month, and TikTok partnered with their own Fashion Collective — a group of creatives – to promote stylish content throughout the app

Influencers influencing

They’re the cause of my large credit card bill:

• What was your childhood dream job? Veterinarian? Teacher? Well, Gen Z’s main career aspiration is to be an influencer
• But, influencing works, and there’s a large community that isn’t being marketed to — 28% of TikTok users are Gen Xers. Only 5% of brands target that cohort with influencer marketing. Uhm, brands get on this
• LinkedIn added a feature for users to search for posts by LinkedIn creators

These apps are fillin the social media gaps

• TikTok just doesn’t stop. Their shopping feature launched in the US, they now have their own Billboard chart, and they’re hoping to kick Bezos’ butt during Black Friday with special deals
• Twitter shares its plans for the future, and none of them include changing the name back to Twitter
• Youtube tests a gaming feature called “Playables”
• You can now have multiple personal profiles on Facebook, so, for example, you can keep personal and professional relationships separate

And now time to hear from our friends from across the pond!

London Fashion Week takeover:

• “Bond Street” station tubes departed from “Burberry Street” during LFW, in celebration of the popular British brand. They even popped up at Norman’s Cafe for a fun collaboration

And APAC is calling 

A word from down under:

• Nescafé partners with the public health promotion charity R U OK? to encourage Aussies to connect with loved ones over a cup of coffee
• The Bathurst 1000, a supercars championship, is coming up in Australia, and who is one of their sponsors? Repco. Their ad together is pure fun

August social commerce news

August — a month that feels like the “Sunday scaries” of summertime — has come to a close, and we’re past Labor Day now, which means Fall is on the horizon. For those Swifties out there who are still confused, no more blasting “August” — we’re now in “All Too Well” territory.

Now, let’s Fall into some social commerce news. 

These ads are rad

These brands’ advertising teams must not have taken a summer vacation: 

• McDonald’s dips into their savings for their largest ad to date — the “As Featured in” campaign feels like pure nostalgia
• Instagram launched two short films, “Small Fries” and “Send Off,” to win Gen Zers back from TikTok and showcase how the app can help foster connection
• Instagram tests a new multi-advertiser display that would appear between Reels
• The youngins aren’t watching TV anymore, which means they’re looking to social media to buy new CPG products
• Chanel is setting up a diner in Brooklyn to celebrate the launch of their new perfume. Field trip to NYC, anyone? I’d love to spend $30 on pancakes

Back to school

I loved the shopping, but I could’ve done without the “school” part:

• Inflation is out to get us again — consumers are expected to spend more than $40 billion on back-to-school supplies. Yikes
• But retailers will surely enjoy this boom, especially since college kids are spending $$$ on elaborate decor and expensive electronics. Dormify is tapping into this lucrative market, too
• Look out! Shein and Forever 21 have joined fast fashion forces in hopes of expanding their reach. Wonder how this will play out

Feeling slap app-y

I can’t stop with the puns:

• Ever feel like talking to Abraham Lincoln? Well, you’re in luck! Meta has developed a Chatbot to mimic Honest Abe and about 29 other personalities
• BeReal tries to stay relevant with “friends of friends” feature
• Over 390,000 accounts on TikTok have at least 1 million followers. And the app has plans to stay on top – looks like it’ll ban links to e-commerce sites like Amazon soon to help bolster its Shop feature
• Instagram tests a new feature for users to add images and videos to an existing post

No Sleeping Beauty

The beauty industry never sleeps:

• Sephora has partnered with 55 emerging, diverse artists to use their music across TikTok and other socials. This is all about representation, inclusivity, and equity
• e.l.f. Cosmetics has acquired Naturim for $355 million

And now time to hear from our friends from across the pond

EMEA weighs in:

• BrewDog beer pledges to embrace sustainability to guarantee there will be, “beer for your grandchildren.”
• The Women’s World Cup received lots of press this year (rightfully so), and Twitter wants brands and marketers to know how to capitalize on this event. Take Orange France’s ad for example – French fans adored it

July social commerce news

Barbenheimer — which now has an entire Wikipedia page dedicated to the Internet meme –—took July by storm. The marketing strategies worked. The movies have grossed over $1 billion globally so far, and I’m over here watching everything unfold on social commerce.

X marks the spot

Elon Musk has been makin my job easy as a social commerce news reporter:

• As everyone knows (unless you’ve not opened a phone or computer for a month) that Twitter has been rebranded as X.
• The Twitter acquisition has seen a mass exodus of Gen Zers, to LinkedIn of all places! 
• Esther Crawford, previous Twitter product manager, weighs in on the future of X

TikTok til you drop

Is anyone giving Kesha credit for coining the name of this app!?

• A new format is launching on TikTok! An entire post can just be text, and the posts look incredibly similar to Instagram stories
• Amazon promoted Prime Day on TikTok with an interactive “Duel for Deals” game show. Alix Earle joined in on the fun, which is a smart move by Amazon considering Gen Z girls would buy a toilet plunger if she promoted it
• Music usage has been a major debate on the app, but don’t you fret — TikTok has recently gained licensing to Warner Music’s entire music library
• Benefit, the makeup brand, launched their new mascara solely on TikTok for 2 days. They also went live on TikTok Shop for 48 hours

AI + Gen Z = match made in heaven?

Let’s just say these two are like Aperol and prosecco – summer’s hottest duo:

• PSA to all musicians, actresses, and artists, over 40% of Gen Z thinks AI music, movies, and art will replace human-made content in 20 years. And this viral AI Drake song may prove that stat
• ChatGPT experienced some technical difficulties this month, which meant people actually had to write something original for once. Students didn’t love that!
• Instagram is dipping their toes in AI

Let’s get sporty!

Or just sit on the couch and watch others run around:

• Join in on celebrating the FIFA Women’s World Cup on TikTok and Snapchat
• Nike gets in on the FIFA fun with “What the Football,” a video promoting past and present women’s soccer legends
• Heineken taps F1 driver, Max Verstappen, to promote their alcohol-free drinks and responsible driving

Wimbledon shakes up the fashion world 

• At arguably the most watched, prestigious, and fashionable tennis tournament of the year, a custom Gucci bag appeared on the arm of the italian youngster, Jannik Sinner. Talk about a smart, free marketing campaign for Gucci, considering 54.3 million people streamed the tournament

Microsoft Teams will be adding the new Maybelline Beauty app, which allows Teams users to choose between 12 different AI-powered beauty filters for video calls!

June social commerce news

School’s out and the sun is shining. We observed many important dates (Happy Pride and Happy Juneteenth to name a few!) and we survived the longest day of the year.

We may or may not see the cage match between Zuckerberg and Musk, but their apps, Twitter and the new Threads, will surely be brawling it out for months to come. And if you’re a brand looking to get started on Threads, this article can help.

Put on your thinking app on

I just can’t keep up with the updates:

• Australia is fed up with Twitter, saying it’s the top platform for hate. Maybe that’s why so many brands are taking social media breaks
• Instagram users can now download publicly posted Reels 
• People have opinions on LinkedIn’s new Generative AI post prompts, and the concerns are fair. As a platform meant to display your professional competencies, it may have just gotten easier to pretend you’re a bit more qualified than you are

A recession? Brands don’t think so

If people keep buying, brands will just keep innovating and creating:

• Bond, a new shopping platform, is creator-focused rather than product-led. Finally someone might be getting the livestream shopping experience right!
• Sephora changed the beauty industry forever and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to leave that store without spending money
• Ritual and Poppi, CPG startups, are testing out CTV campaigns to hopefully target younger audiences 
• Speaking of drinks, Slurpee just went through a major brand refresh

EMEA weighs in

Just some brands having a little bit of fun: 

• Dash water pokes fun at Prince Harry to promote their new lime flavor
• Asics EMEA created a poem in celebration of #WorldRunningDay, which coincides with their new slogan “Nothing Feels Better.” However, I can definitely think of a few things better than running. Laying on the couch, maybe?

Lastly, check out Agency Cliquish, a full-service management agency founded exclusively to support and champion Black digital creators. Over Juneteenth weekend, Taylar Barrington-Booker, the founder, officially unveiled her agency’s client roster and social channels.

Happy July! Now start Threading!

May social commerce news

When you’re becoming King at noon but you have to take something out of the oven at 11. pic.twitter.com/4kSAhCoSVY

— Philip Cowley (@philipjcowley) May 6, 2023

Money & momentum 

Platforms are growing and people are pretending a recession isn’t going to make them regret their $2,000 credit card bill:

• LinkedIn has reached 930 million members and Fiverr is capitalizing on this engagement with some hilarious job titles. I’d like to apply to “Someone Who Laughs During the Worst Moments on a Call who also Works in Client Success” 
• Let’s all say thanks to YouTube because they raked in the big bucks for the U.S. Economy
• Ubiquitous is paying three people $100/hour for a 10-hour TikTok watching session. Check out these neck braces if you do decide to apply!
• Surprise surprise — consumers are still shopping but, nowadays, with a purchase of a designer bag, people are receiving crippling anxiety and financial distress, too

That hot celebrity gossip

Us Weekly but the cool, younger, techy version:

• Adidas decided what to do with the 1.2 billion worth of unsold Yeezy Merch. I think it’s pretty cool.
• The Kardashians and multiple kitty cats descended upon New York City for the iconic Met Gala. The carpet was live streamed and garnered 53 million views from those of us pretending to be fashion critics for a night
• Beyonce literally doesn’t stop dominating the world and now she’s about to dominate the haircare industry.

Getting out of your comfort zone

Brands and apps are trying something new this month:

• The Italian Tourism ministry just turned an art icon into a virtual influencer. Italians are mad but I honestly love her vibe 
• Comments are the new creative brief, so start paying attention to them
• Bytedance is considering entering the book publishing world 
• Sweetgreen is testing their Infinite Kitchen technology in none other than the town I grew up in. This is the best thing that’s happened to Naperville moms since they became empty nesters

Bye bye!

April social commerce news

What do fannypacks, influencers, and 100° weather have in common?

Coachella! Here’s the brand activations I’d stand in line for:  

• Adidas and Bad Bunny designed a new shoe and celebrated him being the first solo Latin artist to headline Coachella, creating a giant pop-up greenhouse covered in more than 50,000 flowers. And if any of the flowers were missing, all security had to do was find the nearest millennial cause they’d surely be wearing a flower crown 
• Amex was focused on the young ones, as more than 60% of its new consumer cards in 2022 were issued to millennials and Gen Zers
• Clinique opened Hydration House to coincide with their “Protect your Glow” campaign. Petition to get this in Austin ASAP

Confessions of a Shopaholic 

Attempting to give up shopping for a month, but I’ll be appreciating these brands from afar:

• Men’s Warehouse launched Wedding Wingman, a digital concierge service aimed to streamline the wedding outfitting process. I took the quiz and they said I’d look darling in anything 
• RE/AE, ThredUp and American Eagle’s online resale shop, hopes to encourage shoppers to buy vintage and secondhand. Head over to Snapchat to virtually browse the storefront 
• Poshmark, a leading online marketplace, tries it hand at livestream shopping  
• And Coach really is making a comeback with its circular sub-brand, Coachtopia. Bags are made out of recycled and repurposed leather  

App-arently some people have opinions 

What’s life without some complaining and praising and then complaining again? 

• People are not loving the Snapchat AI feature 
• Twitter did some good for once and published its recommendation algorithm. Thanks Elon? 
• Speaking of Elon — he polled his followers on bringing back Vine or not, and sounds like it’s a possibility. Time to dust off my tiny shades and recreate the dance that altered my life  
• And Instagram aims to support in-app shopping by helping brands easily find UGC to share

That’s the end of the social commerce news for April. See you next month!

March social commerce news

Spring has sprung and that means hibernation season is over. March was madness, April is fooling, and you’re finally getting used to the time change. With that, there’s plenty of news from the social commerce world, so let’s get started. 

But AI love you

AI is turning heads with what it can do, but it’s probably better to lean into it than fight it. Brands and retailers are certainly betting on the social media shift and it’s been dubbed the latest big tech trend:

• Microsoft brings generative AI to CRM product suite in a new solution, while Meta’s ‘year of efficiency’ brings lofty AI ambitions
• Meanwhile Coke is asking consumers to generate art with new AI platform (sounds like someone in the creative department is working smarter, not harder)
• And probably my favorite thing from this realm this month — Levi’s is testing AI generated models

Digital > virtual > AR

Buzzwords galore. But brands are putting their technical hats on and giving the people what they want: 

• Corona launches a virtual clubhouse and store on its site, while Aperol heads to Coachella with a digitally-driven gathering hub. The alcohol companies are on top as usual
• Clinique launches Clinique Lab — a digital environment for customers — and Maybelline enlists its first-ever digital avatar for a mascara launch
• Alo Yoga launches a digital collection in the metaverse
• Toyota and Yahoo are partnering for an AR-powered car shopping experience, Tripadvisor is pairing AR with street murals to promote San Diego, and we’re over the hammy about Denny’s serving up an AR experience with their new menu overhaul

Investing in our youths.

We must focus on the youth for a better tomorrow. But also mainly for the fact that we know over half of Gen Alpha watch shoppable content:

• Estee Lauder launches their new collection, Nutritious, in a bid for Gen Z attention
• We love how Northwestern Mutual and Pinterest have teamed up to give free financial advice to Gen Z — from pinning to planning (and yes, I did take the test that was reminiscent of the better Buzzfeed quiz days)
• Home Depot is taking Kids Workshops to the metaverse on Roblox

Just some interesting things

The headline says it all:

• Unilever found that influencers have the greatest impact on consumer sustainability choices. And Heinz is highlighting soil degradation with Fortnite Island in ongoing environmental protection and sustainability efforts. Great because the Earth could really use a win
• 75% of marketers expect to spend more on TikTok even as the ban looms
• And new social media platform alert! Is this another hit from ByteDance? Lemon8 is rising up the app store charts and is deeming itself a cross between Instagram and Pinterest

Happy things 

• Hard Mountain Dew hosted a ‘Definitely Over 21’ bash at a retirement community
• Duolingo does it again with their new show out soon 

That’s all the social commerce news for March. Come back soon!

February social commerce news

February was short but mighty in terms of time, events, and social commerce news. Awards season, Rihanna’s pregnant again, and there was a big football game in there at some point. Which, speaking of, go social commerce!

It was all about the shoppable ads

This month was all about how social media marketing performs against traditional ads:

• Michelob Ultra and Instacart support Super Bowl push with shoppable TV ads, while Priceline hid travel deals in digital ads during the game 
• Wendy’s is taking it off the field to be the first to test Roku and Doordash’s deal around shoppable TV ads — soon I’ll only have to blink and I’ll have purchased something right to my doorstep

Virtually possible

Apparel and beauty have always been innovators so it’s no surprise that these two industries are full steam ahead on technical advancements: 

• Alo Yoga unveils a virtual store alongside beauty and workout content and Tatcha also launched a virtual store
• Adore Me is set to host a shoppable, livestream runway show
• Savage x Fenty delves deeper into fitting room tech

TIKTOK CLEAR UP

While it feels like we were just here (three years ago), the big social commerce news this month is the continued negotiations and political efforts aimed at granting the President and administration power to ban TikTok. It’s not currently happening. Only those using government-issued devices have seen a ban imposed, starting February 27th. Either way, brands are keeping on keeping on: 

• Behr Paint is connecting with millennial homeowners on TikTok, Chipotle embraces another trend with a new menu item, and a new integration with Mercedes Benz displays content on in-car screens (Please don’t TikTok and drive!)

We know everyone has been ChatGPT-ing also, but that’s barely news by this point — we prefer to stick to the more exciting social commerce news.

January social commerce news

Austin is without power, storms are everywhere, and Phil saw his shadow, meaning six more weeks of winter. But with the Lunar New Year ushering in the Year of the Rabbit, there’s hope for 2023 just yet.

Beauty is in the AI of the beholder

Beauty brands win innovation time and time again: 

• Neutrogena and Nourished are using AI to craft customizable 3D printed gummies
• YSL beauty ties Web3 to online shopping experience
• Read how Estée Lauder and Macy’s discuss how data, AI, and TikTok are influencing customer behavior 

Pulse on the platform

Keep reading for fun new things to know about tech platforms:

• In-app spending continues to surge in China, pointing to continued opportunity for Western social apps
• Instagram Chief says photos will get more focus in 2023 since they focused too much on video and they’re also removing the Shop tab while TikTok is doubling down
• This is neat — YouTube launches new ‘Study Hall’ initiative which will enable users to earn college credits online
• Blockchain and the metaverse continue to command CMO interest despite snags

Brand new(s)

Our favorite social commerce news is recapping the cool things brands are up to: 

• *whispers into microphone* Sport Clips uses ASMR to drive 15% jump in brand awareness
• Chex Mix is also making noise by remixing ‘Baby Got Back’ for Bagel Chips revival
• Timex enters Web3 with Bored Ape NFT collaboration
• McDonald’s uses an AI powered ad for Lunar New Year
• Welch’s Fruit Snacks ties big game giveaway to QR-code enabled ads
• Drama with M&M’s as “spokescandies” take an indefinite pause amid polarizing rebrand. A&W address M&M mascot’s ‘polarizing’ lack of pants in a riff on the uproar
• And David’s Bridal launches wedding planning platform with a vendor marketplace

Seeing double

Both Chipotle and Martha have been busy this month: 

• Chipotle is targeting Gen Z with wellness Snapchat lens on menu items and rolling out their ‘Freepotle’ rewards with TikTok and IG prize wheel
• Martha Stewart uses Tito’s Vodka around the house for ‘DIY January’  and is making her metaverse debut with Oreo

Game day ready

Everyone’s excited for Rihanna’s big concert next weekend:

• Campbell’s Chunky tournament blends football with the metaverse and livestreaming
• Miller Lite & Coors Light are going head to head for their first Super Bowl back in over 30 years
• All bets are on with Molson Coors and DraftKings turning Super Bowl ad into a betting opportunity and FanDuel betting big on Gronk in the first Super Bowl spot
• Heinz says it’s time to ditch Roman numerals for Super Bowl 57
• And will you remember Busch Light if they enlist Sarah McLachlan for Super Bowl?

For more than just news, learn how to make social commerce profitable below.

FEATURED RESOURCE

The ultimate guide to social commerce conversion

Read here

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Nowadays, global brands are bigger than ever before, most likely due to social media and the boom in online shopping leading to increased demand for products worldwide. The international e-commerce market is expected to total $6.3 trillion in 2023.

By marketing their products on social media and pushing customers to their international sites, global brands can sell their goods to almost anyone, which might not have been as possible 20-30 years ago. But, how can you attract shoppers when you’re only appealing to one segment of people? It’s difficult.

It’s not easy to cater to 8 billion people in one fell swoop. 42% of consumers say they never purchase products and services in other languages. So just as “one-size-fits-most” clothing fits very few people, we know that content marketing is not “one-size-fits-all” across the globe. 

This is where local content can save the day. But, how do you localize your content for international audiences in today’s shopping ecosystem? 

What is content localization?

Content localization is the process of adapting content to be relevant for multiple, local audiences. This means understanding language and cultural differences, symbols, references, colloquiums, and more before going to market globally. Content localization matters because whether you’re already a global brand, or looking to expand internationally, it’s what consumers want to see:

Not only does a content localization strategy require your business to have a strong brand image, but it also demands a rich understanding of various groups and cultures, which you can achieve through education and research. 

If these audiences aren’t kept in mind when creating a marketing strategy, it will be increasingly difficult to show up a cohesive, all-inclusive brand.

Tips for successful content localization strategy 

Are you looking to become a global brand? Or Follow these five proven tips for appealing to multiple audiences with local content and becoming the brand people associate with your product or service.

1. Get social

The more your brand can show up on social media the better — especially when it comes to reaching people far and wide. Shoppers, more than ever, are spending time discovering products, doing their research, and reading reviews on social, so take advantage of this and focus your efforts on your socials.

One way to successfully build a worldwide presence is by spreading out your content across multiple channels and even handles. For example, using different Instagram handles for various locales enables your content to last longer and live in more places. If your business has large communities in the US, Europe, and Australia, consider building separate social accounts for each segment. This way, you can get more specific and tailored with your content depending on the region.

Take Sephora for example – they manage multiple Instagram handles successfully by understanding the intricacies of their global communities. Sephora’s main account, for their U.S. market, mentions U.S. based sales, products, and services. However, their handle dedicated to Australia includes solely Australian based user-generated content (UGC), events, products, and more. By profiling Australian Fashion Week, an event that’s otherwise not very relevant in other countries, Sephora established themselves as a brand that knows how to tap into current events and appeal to their patrons in Australia. 

So, before committing to multiple handles, take time to understand your audiences. How do they shop? What content performs best? What social platforms are they showing up on? Dive deeper into your social analytics and take a good look at the data – it never lies. In doing so, you can develop your specific KPIs and objectives for each audience. 

Your followers will provide you with free market research, as long as you spend the time reading their comments, understanding where their knowledge gaps may be, looking at what gets the most likes, and more. Each region will have different priorities when it comes to shopping – brand trust, convenience of product, price, and more. 

Spend time both surveying and sharing content on your social media platforms. This is how you go from good to great when building a global brand.

2. Get real translations

It sounds like an obvious strategy, but content localization needs to start with translating your content. Translate it, then localize it.

Obviously, translation isn’t the only thing that companies must do to reach a global customer base, but it’s certainly one of the fastest, easiest, and most frequently overlooked.

Nataly Kelly, VP of Localization, Hubspot

Most of us aren’t experts on multiple languages — that’s just how it is. But, language, as we all know, can say a lot, and you want to make sure it’s saying the right thing. 

When it comes to creating local content or translating from one language to another, it’s important to find real people who can translate rather than relying on AI or other online tools. One mishap could cost you a lot or completely misdirect your audience. This is a simple mistake that can be avoided with quality translation. 

KFC went through a bit of a translation fail when their famous “finger-lickin good” slogan got translated into Chinese. If they were to have consulted a native Chinese speaker, this likely wouldn’t have happened and would’ve caused less of a ruckus when a passerby sees this sign. 

Although incorrect translations can sometimes be harmless, it does show you put little care in accommodating to that specific place. Why would someone want to buy from a brand that doesn’t think to even fit into their culture or language?

A good way to collect local content and talk like your customers (wherever they are) is through product reviews. Specifically, transcending borders by translating your product reviews. Your customers are already talking in their own language so they’ll be there ready for new customers in a new location to find.

Brother International, for example, used translated reviews to expand into seven new markets and found that customers who interact with these reviews are 2x more likely to click a call-to-action.

3. Learn social norms

The key part of content localization is, obviously, making your content local. Once you’ve spent the time doing your due diligence on social media, you’ll discover there’s social norms that are quite specific to a region.

Just think about simple phrases that are wildly different in New York versus London — tired vs knackered, elevator vs lift, trash vs rubbish, etc. Or the fact that red is generally a negative color but in Chinese culture is considered lucky. Even time and date formats differ the world over. Specific content localization items to think about include:

When brands are hoping to show up globally, it’s crucial to acknowledge that some content may work in some places and not others. Businesses must carefully consider the visuals of your UGC and promoted posts before going ahead and posting them. 

For example, McDonald’s, arguably the world’s most recognizable fast-food chain, doesn’t reuse ads or marketing assets for all their audiences because, for example, promoting Big Macs with cheese to people in Israel isn’t necessarily appropriate or fitting.

If you go to any McDonald’s around the world, you’ll find region-specific food in each one, and this is something they’re proud of. This is why you’ll see, across their social media, ads, promotional videos, and more, they acknowledge the intricacies of the community.

However, it’s important to educate yourself first before jumping on what you may assume is a social norm. In reality, that social norm could actually be a stereotype that’s dated or inappropriate nowadays. It’s better to loop in a regional source when building your global marketing strategy than just simply guessing. 

4. Tailor UGC on regional sites and marketing campaigns

If it’s winter in Australia, Australians don’t want to see swimsuits and flip-flops, which makes total sense. For this reason, make sure to be tailoring your content accordingly. 

If your e-commerce site is full of UGC and brand-owned content, you’re most likely already seeing incredible lifts in average order value, time on site, and conversion. But, if you’re using the same content over and over across your regional sites, you may be missing out on lots of revenue. 

You can easily distribute and display specific content on some sites and not others with Galleries Localization. Peloton is a fantastic example of this:

Their German website caters to their German audience with unique UGC across their site, including a full page dedicated to their community’s images and videos not found on the American site. 

Galleries Localization can easily be accomplished through the Bazaarvoice Social Commerce platform, and it’s something that will save you time and money. It will help those sales skyrocket because your audience will feel seen and heard wherever they are.

5. Analyze success by region

Monitoring your marketing strategy’s performance enables you to uncover what’s working and what’s not working. When you look at metrics regarding social content, such as engagement, likes, followers, and more, you can determine what’s successful in each region. This goes for content performance and the number of reviews on site, as well. These are all performance metrics that will help you analyze your audiences better.

One thing to note is that different regional strategies can be aimed at achieving different things. It’s all about meeting your customers where they are, and that’s not going to be the same place for all communities. Don’t just evaluate total engagement rate for each localized IG account and call it a day; remember your KPIs for each locale when determining success and return to those KPI’s when you go astray. 

Get global success with content localization

Working across the globe is no small feat, especially as it means understanding more places than just your home or culture. But, showing up globally as a brand can take your business to the next level – it’s all about just knowing how to do so. 

Knowing when to enter into a new region and how to successfully pull that off will pay off in the end. Remember, 72% of consumers said they would be more likely to buy a product with information in their own language. All you need to do is learn how to localize your content. We know — the biggest global brands work with us. 

If you’re looking to expand globally, the best way to get started is with UGC. Learn more ways you can use it engage global shoppers with local content on our dedicated content localization page.

LEARN MORE

The retail marketer’s guide to global expansion

Read here

As Twitter keeps evolving, with little to no warning, questions have been raised around its future and how that might change. But no matter the name, the popularity and population of this app — with over 237 million daily users — will never falter.

This means that now more than ever, brands should be building out and perfecting their Twitter X marketing strategy, especially since 79% of Twitter users follow brands.

Is Twitter now called X?

With this rebrand, people are unsure if it’s really X now or if it’s still just Twitter. To cover all angles, we’re going to be calling it Twitter X, so that way everyone wins.

Twitter X revolves around real-time conversations, which are mostly word-based, whereas other platforms rely on pictures, videos, and more to carry their message. Just the sheer fact alone that 55% of people on Twitter X get their news from Twitter X illustrates how much this platform is a hub for commentary and discussion.

But as the discourse around Twitter changes day by day, it can be difficult for brands to stand out amongst all the noise and find their place. 

Most importantly, it comes down to understanding your audience on Twitter X and knowing why they may be engaging with you on the platform over others. For example, what do they want out of you that’s different? How are their scrolling and shopping habits different on Twitter X? 

5 ways to build your Twitter X marketing strategy

Before putting pen to paper on your Twitter X marketing strategy, you’ll need to consider these questions above. Once you’ve given that some thought, use the following 5 tips for building out your brand’s Twitter X strategy. 

1. Stay true to your brand and brand message

This one should be a no-brainer across the board. Customers want to see brands show up authentically as themselves. Because we live in a world of technology, humans lie-detecting abilities have arguably improved, especially when engaging with social media. It becomes increasingly obvious when a brand tries to stick out for all the wrong reasons.

Returning to your business’ purpose statement when strategizing for X will be like following your North Star – it will never lead you astray. Take General Electric for example.

GE doesn’t necessarily use Twitter X to promote their latest product or sell you something. Instead, they’re focused on sharing their expertise and exciting people about their newest innovations, especially since they are an organization focused on the future of energy.

By posting this content to Twitter X, they’re enabling their followers to join in on the conversation — something they otherwise may not be able to do on Instagram or TikTok.

Conversely, Ryanair, a low-cost airline, is known for its self-deprecating humor across all social channels. Consistency is key on social media, and they don’t shy away from the jokes on Twitter X.

Whether your content revolves around humor, education, products, or more, people appreciate when a brand knows their niche and sticks by it. 

2. Lean on brand safety versus just following trends

When a trend arrives, it can be easy to jump on immediately without second thoughts. That’s how you go viral and alter your business forever, right? Well, yes and no.

Trending content can be fun, playful, and help get your brand out there. However, what about the dark side of trends? Can just posting trending content actually hinder your engagement, community, and revenue? Without a careful Twitter X strategy, it can. 

Tampax, a feminine care brand, tweeted a very inappropriate joke last November. Hoping to jump on a trend, they took little care in wondering what they were actually saying and how people would react. In return, they were destroyed by users, and people even started using #BoycottTampax in response. Although Tampax removed the Tweet and apologized for the mistake, they haven’t used the platform since. 

This is just one example of many where posting a trend has backfired horribly, and it can change a business and its status for a long while.

If businesses lean into being funny and playful too much on Twitter X, they run the risk of getting into trouble, getting into conversations they don’t want to be publicly involved in, and causing more damage than good.

This isn’t to say Twitter X can’t be enjoyable and lighthearted. Instead, it’s just about understanding how this text-heavy platform relies on open conversations and unfiltered dialogue. So, if you aren’t willing to take both positive and negative responses, you should stray away from being too flashy and trendy.

3. Consider using Twitter as a Q&A platform with your customers

Oftentimes, shoppers and consumers are searching for places to find answers about certain products. They may turn to customer support via email, phone, and more, but the wait time can be excruciating and frustrating. This is where Twitter X can come in handy. 

Brands that lean heavily on their customer support team can repurpose X, Twitter’s rebrand, as a new customer support channel. Since 64% of customers on Twitter say they’d rather message a dedicated support handle than call a business, there’s no reason not to leverage the app as yet another customer care channel.

For example, Jetblue, the airplane company, and LinkedIn, the employment-focused social platform, have taken to Twitter X to get questions answered in an efficient way. 

If you’re a brand or business looking to expand your customer support and want an easy place for people to find you, consider leveraging X as a Q&A platform. It helps build social proof, especially if customers see the business actively engaging with difficult questions and following up with quick response times. It can make all the difference.

Similar to how 74% of brands say having Q&A on their e-commerce site significantly impacts business, Twitter claims the same thing. 60% of purchasers who engaged with a brand via tweet said that it had some influence on their activity.

Get on Twitter X and discover the power of interacting with your audience to help build trust and community.

4. Use videos and images in your Tweets

Although Twitter X is predominantly driven by text conversation, users still want interactive features, like gifs, images, or videos mixed into their feed. We’re now in the age of short-form video content (think TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Youtube Shorts), which means users are craving that imagery across all social platforms and it should be incorporated into your Twitter X strategy.

It’s what consumers are accustomed to and that’s now extending to Twitter X. There’s two billion video views each day on the platform and Tweets with video receive 10x more engagement than Tweets without video. That’s an incredible boost of interaction and something brands should take advantage of when building their Twitter X voice.

Airbnb mixes up their Twitter X content with images to attract customers to rent through them. 

Whether their audience is just browsing the rentals or seriously considering a vacation, Airbnb utilizes the power of imagery to engage with their audience and get them excited about the various places they could stay. These cool camping options make users want to go check out the website and explore where else they could travel to.

Bose, on the other hand, utilizes an ad they made with Coco Gauff to promote their headphones on Twitter X.

Users can interact with the video and also have the option to go shop the product directly via the link. Even if they stay on Twitter X, they still get to see the product in action and see a seasoned athlete using it. Social proof anyone?

Video and images on Twitter X help amplify your words, making them stand out within a person’s feed. Whether you’re creating organic Twitter content or repurposing short-form videos from Instagram or TikTok, there’s no reason not to begin playing around with more image-based Tweets and seeing how your audience reacts. 

5. Get to know your audience with polls

Everyone loves sharing their opinions and seeing what others think, especially on Twitter X where these types of discussions are happening on the daily. One easy way for your brand to curate a conversation, understand fan favorites, and gather feedback is through Twitter X polls. Simply asking unique and creative questions will have your followers talking and encourage others to join in on the fun. 

Better yet, you can use polls to help guide your Twitter strategy. Music production company Honest productions uses polls to ask their followers the kind of content they want to see.

What type of content are you most interested in? Vote below!!! #honestproductions

— Honest Productions (@HonestPro_) September 12, 2018

Once a poll closes, everyone who voted will get notified about the result (plus you can leave results public anyway) which can really increase engagement and conversation.

Twitter X or Threads strategy?

It wouldn’t be a conversation about Twitter X if Threads wasn’t brought up. Threads is far newer to the scene so there’s really no telling the direction it may go or the audience that may decide to use the app.

However, it has its advantages, and if a new app is receiving attention, why not join in on the fun and see what it’s about? Our advice is this: they’re not mutually exclusive. Build your brand on both and watch engagement soar.

Check out this guide to learn more about Threads and how to use it to its full potential.

Boost your Twitter X marketing strategy

In recent times, Twitter X has been full of surprises and changes. The rebrand has definitely shaken up the social media world but that doesn’t mean users or brands are leaving. If anything, it’s only increased conversations around the platform and why it’s so important to so many people. 

We know one thing is for certain — this platform is going nowhere. With nearly 400 million users worldwide, it’s still a goldmine for your brand to engage with. Consumers will always appreciate brands building community and consistently sharing authentic content across their social platforms, and Twitter X is an incredible platform to do so.

And if you’re interested in streamlining your marketing strategy on Twitter X, we’re here to help. Our platform can schedule Tweets (X’s?) for you to maximize engagement. Learn more about it here. Or get in touch with us directly below.

Over the past five to 10 years, it’s almost become an innate behavior to announce “phone eats first!” before anyone can even touch their meal. I do it, and I’m sure you do too.

But we’ve since evolved from basic, static images of meals. Now, we’re in a world of lengthy wine review videos, fully dedicated food blogs on Instagram, and even “day in the life” TikToks from private chefs. Creators have found a way to carve their own niche and develop strong communities who genuinely care about their food content. 

@wishbonekitchen

Client’s birthday weekend = non-stop cooking kinda popped off with dinner tho ngl

♬ original sound – wishbonekitchen

However, how do brands and businesses fit into this world? How do they best leverage these food content creators and influencers to get their products out there to the masses? There’s arguably no industry more than food and beverage that needs such high brand loyalty and community. For example, it’s easy to replace a cereal brand when there’s 50 to choose from.

By partnering with content creators, food and beverage brands can differentiate themselves from their competitors in an authentic, engaging way. 

Our top 5 favorite food content creators

Check out these top food and beverage influencers crushing it in the social sphere.

1. Condimentclaire

Claire, otherwise known as @condimentclaire on TikTok, has made a name for herself for loving none other than – you guessed it – condiments! Her passion for all sorts of sauces, mixed with her deep knowledge of various cuisines and cultures, makes her content constantly fresh and exciting. Oftentimes, you’ll find food history lessons, day-in-the-life videos at her father’s Mill in France, and taste-test’s of niche foods and drinks. 

@condimentclaire

new condiment obsession unlocked

♬ original sound – Claire

Her TikTok stands out amongst the rest because no two videos are the same. Her long- and short-form videos really dive into all aspects of food and drink, unafraid to give her opinion or suggest a weird food combination.

And what’s her strategy? No strategy at all. She just posts what she likes, and that’s why her followers love her! You can always expect authenticity from @condimentclaire – she seems like the girl next door, and a rather cultured, interesting, well-traveled one at that. 

Also, her community trusts her knowledge and expertise because she has proven, time and time again, she knows what she’s talking about. 

2. Wishbone Kitchen

Meredith Hayden (@wishbonekitchen) is the private chef of all private chefs. Diving into a world never really explored before on social media, she opened her audience’s eyes to what it means to be a 21st century private chef. Mixing her high-brow job with her likable, relatable demeanour, she finds a way to meld these two worlds together and produce TikToks that any and all can enjoy.

One video, she might be cooking a giant surf-and-turf dinner for her millionaire clients, and the next, she’s enjoying a chicken sandwich and talking to her followers like they’re on Facetime. 

Yes, her job might signify something fancy and exclusive, but the girl works hard. Just take her day-in-the-life videos – it’s not all super glamorous and ritzy, especially when you’re lugging a cart of groceries on the subway in NYC. 

@wishbonekitchen I took a couple, you know I – took some time off to rest and now it’s game time b*tches #dayinmylife #privatechef ♬ Sunday – HNNY

That’s why her community enjoys her videos so much; she keeps it real, showing the high high’s and the low low’s of her profession. Not only is it fun to see what she’s cooking up, it’s also just rewarding to follow alongside someone’s passion. 

3. Drinks By Evie

Not a food content creator as such, but still an influencer in the food and beverage realm, is mixologist @drinksbyevie. Mixology isn’t something many people master, but you could definitely say Evie is a seasoned professional. Posting regular how-to videos and featuring multiple different alcohols/beverages on her page, she’s created a niche for herself on alcohol-Tok. 

Evie’s video production value is high because she knows that the drink can taste good, but if it doesn’t look gorgeous, it’s not going to get those clicks Especially when your followers can’t actually try the drink.

@drinksbyevie

This clarified tomato cocktail will go down in history as one of my favorite drinks to date!! The flavor is so savory and unique and delicious especially if you’re a tomato lovaaaa • 1 oz cherry tomato juice • ¼ oz simple syrup • ½ oz lemon juice • 4 drops white balsamic vinegar • 2 cracks black pepper + pinch of salt • 2½ oz parmesan rind infused vodka • 1 oz whole milk • garnish: olive oil + cherry tomato Muddle a handful of cherry tomatoes and strain it through a fine mesh strainer to extract 1 ounce of tomato juice. Add the juice, simple syrup, lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and vodka, to a jar and give it a quick stir. Slowly add the ounce of whole milk and let the mixture sit for about an hour or two in the refrigerator. Line a fine mesh strainer with a damp coffee filter and strain the entire mixture into another jar. Be mindful not to mix or force the liquid to drain, let gravity do its work!! Give it a quick stir with ice to chill it down, and then strain it into a chilled stemmed glass (or drink it over ice!). Garnish with a few drops of olive oil and a cherry tomato.

♬ Samurai Champloo – FaRe ‘N’ HiTe

She’ll make the classics – margaritas, hot toddies, low ABV drinks – but she’s also willing to spice it up and throw unexpected ingredients into her beverages. Ever tried a matcha martini before? Well, if you haven’t and want to, Evie will teach you how. (Editor’s note: they’re delicious).

Also, who doesn’t love some good alcohol education? Learn about glassware and when to use certain glasses, and even dive into her various TikTok playlists according to what your alcohol of choice is. 

4. Alex Delany

A previous Bon Appetit employee, Alex Delany is quite the renaissance man. Known for his “Trying everything on the menu” video series with Bon Appetit, he’s made a name for himself in the NYC food and beverage content creator scene.

Since leaving the magazine, he’s been developing his own personal brand on Instagram and frequently posting about his assorted interests – music, podcasting, wine, and most importantly, eating. He also now consults for food and beverage businesses.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alex Delany (@alex_delany)

Although he stays quite niche (considering most of his content revolves around the NYC restaurant scene), he makes sure to give different foods and drinks a fair shake. You can always find a wine review or his new favorite coffee brand on his Instagram stories, which helps satiate his non-NYC followers. 

His large following began at Bon Appetit, but it didn’t end after his departure. People have stuck around because this man is truly dedicated to his craft. There really isn’t a day that goes by where he hasn’t eaten out at least once. That’s truly impressive (and FOMO-inducing) and is a testament to his love for all things food and drink. 

5. Molly Baz

Another ex-Bon Appetit-turned-food content creator, Molly Baz is a fun-loving chef and has taken Youtube by storm. Although food  content creators and influencers have primarily found great success with short-form TikToks and Reels, YouTube has also been great for those looking to really dive deeper into cooking.

As a trained, professional chef, it makes sense why Molly would take to YouTube so well. With multiple cookbooks under her belt, she needed a platform where she could walk step-by-step through her delicious creations (her chocolate chip cookie recipe is worth a try).

Scrolling through all her delicious recipes provides instant inspiration for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Molly’s known for her “just have fun in the kitchen” vibe and is never taking herself too seriously, which shows up on camera in a natural, welcoming way. Although seasoned chefs could be enjoying any of her recipes, that’s not really the audience she is trying to target. Instead, Molly’s focused on regular people who are just trying to elevate their basic daily meals. 

Her content could really thrive on any destination of social media, but YouTube really suits her go-with-the-flow nature and cooking style. Followers can return to these videos, time and time again, and feel like they are chef’ing up a meal alongside a legit chef. Who wouldn’t want to do that!?

How brands can partner with food and beverage content creators

Now comes the fun part – building a strategy around leveraging these industry-leading food influencers to promote your brand.

Influencers and creators are changing the way people interact with and perceive brands on social media. On top of that, they have a growing amount of power and influence over their following, which means they can, for instance, send more than 10k people to buy a product they recommend. 

For food and beverage brands specifically, customers want to know that trusted influencers like the food, restaurant, or drink beforehand. Nowadays, more than ever before, those trusted individuals are content creators. 

Luckily, too, these types of creators are growing on all platforms, which means they are getting more and more specific with the content they post. There aren’t just professional chefs anymore. Now, if your business sells wine, there’s everyday creators who solely post about and review wine. That way, you can identify a partner that aligns with your brand, your brand message, and your audience. But how do you find them?

How to find food and beverage content creators to work with

If you’ve been inspired by the above creators but you’re struggling to find food (or any industry) influencers on your own, look into search engines that cook up suggested creators using your pre-existing following and content theme. It takes the work off your plate and allows you to manage them directly in one place.

Or better yet, level up your creator strategy by tapping into an existing creator community like the Influenster App. Influenster is an end-to-end marketing platform powered by a community of over 7.5 million everyday content creators, where you can take advantage of authentic product content and connect with your own brand advocates in one fell swoop.

@influenster Allow us to reintroduce ourselves #greenscreenvideo ♬ Chrysanthemum Tea – Prod. By Rose

People are already creating content about your industry — photos, TikToks, or even just product reviews — you just need to tap into it. For example, when global beauty brand Rimmel wanted to raise sales of a certain eyeliner, they took content created by Influenster members and displayed it across their site and social channels, leading to a 44% sales lift.

The Influenster community represents trusted voices within their industry and can amplify your brand message to their highly-engaged, niche audiences. What more could you ask for? Learn more about it here or get in touch below.

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Since its birth over a decade ago, Instagram has gone through countless rebrands, expansions, and iterations, but one thing still rings true 13 years later. It’s an app created to establish a community, find inspiration, and share your life with others. More recently, it’s become a place to shop as well, with over 200 million Instagrammers visiting at least one Business profile per day.

Enhancements like Instagram stories and Reels have kept audiences engaged, but the one Instagram feature that is often overlooked is the Explore page. Solely created to be a place for discovery, there’s no better place for brand posts to land on than this. 

With over 50% of Instagram accounts using the Explore tab every month, it’s a no-brainer to take advantage of this feature. Here’s how to sneak your way onto someone’s Instagram without ever needing their follow first. 

What is the Instagram Explore page?

Think of the Instagram explore page as your own personalized, curated collection of content based on your individual interests. The algorithm caters the page to what you watch, like, interact with, and follow on Instagram. There’s no one “traditional” or “typical” explore page.

For example, if you spend two weeks watching and following exclusively dog accounts, your Explore page will most likely feature more dog content. Yes, I’m speaking from experience. It evolves as your social media patterns evolve.

How does the Instagram Explore page work?

According to Instagram, posts that appear on your Explore page are selected based on a few factors, which include but aren’t limited to, Instagram accounts you follow, photos and videos you like on Instagram, and who you’re connected to on the platform.

The Instagram Explore page is based on discovery, so it exclusively pushes accounts a user doesn’t already follow. 

Adam Mosseri, the current CEO of Instagram, revealed that the Instagram algorithm works under specific signals in order to rank content for the Explore page. Once the algorithm detects a user that may be of interest to you, it ranks them according to the following signals:  

1. Information about the post
2. A user’s activity on Instagram
3. A user’s history of interacting with the content creator
4. Information about the content creator

But what makes the Explore page different from the rest? Why should targeting the Explore page be an important part of your 2023 social strategy? Let’s just say there’s more than one reason.

Why does it matter for your brand?

The Explore page can be so transformative for brands because it guarantees that your posts will be seen by users outside of your current audience. So, if you’re looking to expand your reach and drive like-minded individuals to your Instagram, the Explore page will do that (for free!) for you.

Brand awareness is more important than ever, especially in a time where people look to social media to find products others like, trust, and promote. Businesses that build their brand awareness, especially on social, will drive more engagement and revenue. Putting relevant users in front of your content is an undeniable way to gain exposure because when users enjoy content, they like, comment, follow and share it. Everyone loves a boost in followers and engagement!

Naturally driving traffic to your Instagram is another upside to appearing on the Explore page. Instead of worrying about paid ads and targeting the right audience, Instagram does all the legwork for you with this page. Because the Explore page is specifically catered to an individual’s unique interests, they should be more inclined to spend time on your page and eventually purchase.

In a world where our attention spans are practically at zero, it’s important to make brand discovery and shopping on social media as frictionless as possible. 78% of shoppers value convenience more than ever before and the Explore page helps provide this experience

Seamlessly driving a user from a relevant post to an entire feed of them is a surefire way to boost sales.   

How to get on the Instagram Explore page

Visibility on Instagram is getting increasingly difficult. However, there’s a few tried and tested ways to increase your chances of pushing your way onto the Instagram Explore page.

1. Post at the right time

Have you ever looked into when your followers are most engaged and active on Instagram? If you haven’t already, you really need to. When you post content has a huge effect on the likes, comments, and shares your post receives. Just posting content isn’t enough, you need to look at when to post.

The Instagram feed prioritizes fresh content, so diving deeper into your brand-specific metrics on suggested times will help your Instagram stay relevant. And it’s never been easier to find those insights. The right Instagram scheduling tool like our own provides you with the best days and times to post, all based on the Instagram AI and your specific Instagram following.

Remember – the more engagement your post receives on the main Feed, the better your chances of getting on the Explore page are.  

2. Share engaging content

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to creating and publishing engaging content. What one audience may deem interesting isn’t necessarily the same for another audience. I’ll always like (and sometimes share) dog pics but others in my social circle are #TeamCat all the way.

For this reason, take a look at what kind of content your followers like and interact with the most. Skincare brands may find they get the most interaction on Reels demonstrating how-to and tutorial videos because people want to see the products in action.

A good example is Versed Skincare, which has done an exceptional job at tailoring their Instagram to serve their consumer. That’s why their feed is chock-full of interactive Reels that not only feature a product but also how that product works, its benefits, and why you may need it. Once you understand your existing content and current audience a bit better, it’s easier to cater to their specific needs.

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A post shared by Versed (@versed)

Furthermore, social media users are more aware and intelligent than ever. Consumers can tell when a brand is just trying to take advantage of trends and get an easy follow, compared to those who create authentic content that aligns with their business’ values.

The algorithm rewards meaningful content because it more often than not gains traction on the app. Content creation should feel natural, and if it does, it will translate well onto Instagram and garner more attention.

3. Take inspiration from your own Instagram Explore page

As we all know by now, the Explore page includes already highly inspiring, likable content, so take a look at your own and study it. What do these posts include that make them so appealing to users? Is it a specific format? What about this post makes me want to click on the page?

Asking yourself these questions and understanding what makes posts successful helps you get a firm grasp on how this algorithm works. Finding inspiration from high-performing posts and then tweaking it to fit your specific business model should help you find a spot on the coveted Explore page. 

4. Stay on top of Instagram updates and trends

Every day the Instagram algorithm seemingly changes and promotes something entirely different than the day prior. However, if you can’t beat the algorithm, you can at least know what’s trending and what new formats are gaining traction on the app.

For example, in 2022, Instagram was pushing Reels as a way to compete with TikTok. Video was what everyone wanted to see. So back then it would’ve made sense to recommend primarily creating and posting Reels in order to keep up with Instagram’s specific pushes.

However, that trend has already evolved into something else, not even a year later and Adam Mosseri recently admitted that they over-focused on video in 2022 and pushed ranking too far and basically showed too many videos and not enough photos. So now it makes more sense to focus back on photos, or the growing audio trend.

One brand that has done a fantastic job of paying attention to and catering to the social media landscape is Yeti. With a proportional mix of image and video, their content is colorful, varied, and puts their product at the center. 

All this is a lesson in the importance of being in the know on all things social media. Pay attention to what Instagram seems to favor every week or month, and work within those means.

5. Consider paid ads

The beauty of the Instagram Explore page is the fact brands don’t have to shell out cash to get on it. However, if you are finding it increasingly difficult to naturally boost engagement, try investing in paid ads on Instagram. The app does allow promotional ads to appear on the Explore page, so it does boost your chances of securing a prominent spot for someone to discover your products. 

Go beyond the Instagram Explore page

The Instagram Explore page is a coveted place for good reason and these tips and tricks will improve your chances of infiltrating it.

Engaging content will always stand out and be favored on all social platforms. As long as you feel your brand’s voice and image is consistent, have fun with trends, pay attention to metrics, evolve with the updates, and you’ll be handsomely rewarded. 

But the Explore page is only the beginning when it comes to Instagram. It will help you drive brand awareness and recognition, but to really grow your brand you’ll next need to learn how to increase sales on Instagram.

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We question something we’ve used for years in less than 10 seconds. But why? How did that happen?

@ultasmile Its too easy #threesidedtoothbrush #ultasmile #websiteinbio ♬ original sound – TONY STATOVCI

An engaging video with a trending audio or sound behind it is how Ultasmile, a three-sided toothbrush brand, has garnered more than 10 million likes on TikTok. A company not necessarily bound for immediate TikTok fame, their technique proves that what works on social doesn’t necessarily have to do with how large or well-known a brand is.

Instead, it’s about taking advantage of the trends, which includes discovering and using engaging audio with your video content. 

Why is using audio trends important?

COVID-19 helped spur the meteoric rise of short-form video. Video-based social platforms arrived at a time when people were seeking human connection and community all the more. Entertaining TikTok dances, funny voiceover videos, and long monologues about various topics kept people’s social batteries filled and satisfied.

Video has stayed on top ever since, leading the pack in 2022 and into 2023. But, this doesn’t mean each and every video will have success. As more and more people post and consume videos, the market becomes increasingly saturated. Brands have to work harder than ever before to capture their audience’s attention, which is where audio trends come in.

According to TikTok’s own study in 2022, “if a brand’s TikTok video features a song that is popular on the platform, 68% of users say they remember the brand better and 62% say they’re more curious to learn about the brand.”

And this matters, because in our survey of 10,000 global shoppers, 97% of respondents said they’ve purchased something through social media. And in a separate survey of 7,000 global shoppers, 69% of respondents reported that they’ve been inspired by social media to make a purchase through another channel. Using audio trends on social isn’t just a quirky nice to have.

An on-brand piece of content, paired with a hit song or amusing voiceover, has the potential to reach millions of people, and drive product sales. Just ask Ultasmile. 

How to find trending audio on Instagram

There’s a few key ways to find trending audio on Instagram, which is particularly beneficial for Reels.

1. Follow the arrows

Firstly, Instagram itself will place an upward trending arrow next to the name of a sound performing well. Although Instagram hasn’t defined exactly what constitutes a sound as trending, you can assume momentum and interaction have a lot to do with it. While scrolling, it’s likely you’ll come across this arrow various times and will instinctively know what audio trend to jump on.

Also, once you tap on that audio, you can see where the sound originates from, the number of Reels that have been made with it, and all the videos that have used it. 

2. Follow the creators

The @creators account on Instagram, which is run by Instagram themselves, is well worth a follow, for finding trending audio. Every Friday, they post on their stories the top Reels trends for creators. This could spark lots of inspiration and help your brand stay up-to-date with little effort on your side.

3. Cross-reference TikTok

Lastly, Reels and TikTok often share audio trends because they share similar content, audiences, and engagement. What does well on TikTok generally does well on Instagram. It’s worthwhile for you to keep connected to that social platform in order to discover popular sounds, too. 

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A post shared by Influenster (@influenster)

Above, Influenster livens up an otherwise mundane video by including a trending audio on Instagram Reels.

How to find trending sounds on TikTok

Audio trends are a huge aspect of TikTok, with hit songs (both new and old) going viral all the time. Here’s how to find trending sounds of your own.

1. TikTok Creative Center

The TikTok Creative Center has a wealth of knowledge for brands, especially relating to popular songs, creators, hashtags, and videos. These metrics allow you to make better, more intentional content in three easy steps:

1. Go to the trending page on the Creative Center
2. Click on sounds
3. Browse through both popular and breakout songs

Other filters also allow you to sift through content based on region, time frame, and more. However, make note that this list doesn’t include user-generated sounds.

2. TikTok search bar

Another place to discover trending sounds is on TikTok itself. In the search bar, useful searches to scour include:

• “Viral sounds”
• “Trending sounds”
• “Popular songs”

Tap see more and explore the audio list. If you click on a sound, similar to Instagram Reels, the number of videos using this sound will be listed, alongside all those videos.

It’s also valuable to explore videos with the hashtag #trendingsounds because creators will often sort through those themselves and give recommendations based on the information they gathered. The TikTok search feature is a great place to source inspiration for your brand.

3. Tokboard section title

Finally, Tokboard produces weekly lists of trending TikTok sounds. They provide other metrics on the sound, such as views, number of popular videos it has, and the sound’s creator. This list does include user-generated sounds, unlike TikTok’s Creative Center list. So, if you want to see how certain original sounds stack up against hit songs, this list will be your go-to.

How to use audio trends in your video content

Both Instagram and TikTok have streamlined the process of saving and incorporating trending sounds to your content. 

On Instagram, when you find a sound you enjoy, tap on the music icon and you’ll be taken to that specific audio, where you’ll have the option to bookmark it. All your saved sounds will then appear in the saved tab on your Instagram. When you finally want to create or upload a video with sound, simply click the audio and select use audio. 

TikTok has a similar workflow when saving and using trending sounds. You can also bookmark or save sounds on TikTok, and they’ll appear in a folder on your personal page under sounds. From there, you can both preview the sound and click use this sound when you’re either ready to film or want to upload a pre-existing video. 

TikTok and Instagram make creating content seamless, and that includes adding entertaining sounds, music, or funny voices over the video. There’s no excuse not to hop on the trends and level up your brand’s social media marketing.

How to master audio strategy in your video content

Just because a video includes the latest audio trends, it doesn’t mean it will suddenly skyrocket in popularity. The algorithms would never make it that easy! There’s a few things at play when understanding and perfecting your trending audio strategy to bear in mind.

Authenticity rules

Authenticity matters in all aspects of commerce. But consumers especially care about authenticity more than ever before on social media. It’s not enough to hop on a trend and pray it works. You need to think about how it aligns with your brand messaging or values.

Consumers can tell when little thought goes into content, so make sure the video and audio is relevant to your overall social media strategy. Originality goes a long way when building a good rapport with your community.

For example, Duolingo makes great use of the funny “kid snapping” sound to describe people knowing and switching languages when speaking.

@duolingo Stay toxic my bilingual besties #duolingo ♬ original sound – Chip Chap

Remember — it’s not all about just the sound or video, and instead, about how they work harmoniously together.

Organization is key

Organization is everything. Social media trends, especially on TikTok come and go quicker than you can say “trending audio.” Take advantage of a sound or song almost immediately after you see it garnering attention. The “saved” folders in Instagram and TikTok will help you keep track of what videos you have and have not created.

Then you can use analytics to determine how successful it was (more on that to follow).

Study up

Studying rallying themes on social media also helps. For example, voiceovers might be the “it” thing for three months. Then, long form monologues or instructional videos might replace them. The social media world is constantly evolving so noticing when a general shift happens can help drive views and clicks on your various platforms.

@ryanair We’ve all had a broke era #ryanair #travelhacks #fyp ♬ original sound – vicmram

Ryanair has taken TikTok by storm in the past year, and the above post is no different. Here, they include a sound from the movie, “The Devil Wears Prada” to promote flying Ryanair.

Measure your trending audio analytics

The best way to get started with trending audio is to do just that: get started. Start playing around with different audio and sounds on your Instagram Reels and TikToks to see what resonates. Once you’ve posted a few, what really counts is analyzing your metrics. 

Measuring success with social analytics tools provides you with indisputable data about what is and isn’t working on your social channels. There’s no arguing the cold, hard data, so put them to use. That way you know how to improve your social strategy going forward. The more you analyze, the more metrics you’ll have, the more you’ll know what consumers are enjoying.

The right social publishing tool, like Bazaarvoice , provides not only the ability to schedule Instagram Reels and TikTok videos, but also easily analyze the performance of that content and show you why your content is (or isn’t) so great.

Give your brand a voice with audio trends

In a world where people genuinely enjoy ridiculous voiceovers and hearing songs from their youth become popular again, it should be obvious that social content doesn’t have to be serious. Instead, look at it as an extension of your brand, a voice you can give to your products that otherwise might not be there.

Audio trends are how you make your brand go viral and appear in peoples feeds. Which, if you look at how shoppers use social media for product discovery and purchase, will work wonders for your bottom line.

54% of shoppers would buy a product on social media if they could click the post and get product info directly there. Lure consumers in with viral audio trends. Convert them into buyers by making posts shoppable. Bazaarvoice Social Commerce can help you with both. Learn more about it here.

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