In the ever-evolving world of retail marketing, it’s often the unexpected brands that deliver the most inspiring and effective influencer campaigns. Big Lots, the discount home goods retailer, is one such brand that has defied expectations and found tremendous success in leveraging influencer partnerships to drive brand awareness, engagement, and sales. We sat down with Josh Chaney, the Public Relations and Influencer Marketing Lead at Big Lots, to go behind the scenes of their impressive influencer program and uncover the key strategies and insights that have propelled their efforts. Full d ..read more

With over 5.4 million followers across major social platforms, Duke Men’s Basketball has the largest following of any college sports team – even bigger than Duke University itself. Their social media presence is truly in a league of its own. So how have they built such a commanding social media empire? I recently had the chance to go behind-the-scenes with Dave Bradley, the creative director masterminding Duke’s social strategy, to learn the secrets behind their staggering success. Full disclosure, I’m a longtime Duke basketball fan and therefore biased on this topic. However, while Duke cer ..read more

You may have seen some buzz around something called “deinfluencing” and wondered what impact this emerging trend could have on influencer marketing strategies. In short, deinfluencing refers to a bit of backlash against non-stop sponsored recommendations from some influencers. Why the fatigue from followers? And do brands using influencers need to worry? We’ll summarize the trend and key takeaways in this quick article. In essence, deinfluencing stems from weariness over influencers who promote new products daily with little discrimination. To some, these fast-talking influencers come off mo ..read more

We’ve been doing nothing but social media marketing for brands since 2007. And with every social media year feeling like 7 human years (or something like that), we’ve been at this a really long time. But we know we’re not the only ones. Are you a social media marketing O.G.? We compiled this list to help you decide. You know you’ve been doing social media marketing a really long time when: 1. You can remember when social media really was a cocktail party; 2. You remember when you could reach your fans with a text only post; 3. You may still be the mayor of your local taco place; 4. You t ..read more

Influencer marketing has exploded across industries in recent years as brands partner with popular social media creators to promote products. Now we’re seeing this trend increasingly make its way into US politics. Presidential campaigns have leveraged influencers for organic outreach and credibility with key voter demographics. Collaborations in 2016 and 2020 set the stage for expanded usage in future election cycles. To dig deeper into this evolving tactic, I’m summarizing insights from a recent conversation we had with our influencer marketing team discussing the potential impacts influenc ..read more

The 2024 Super Bowl ads fell flat when it came to social media integration, a stark contrast from previous years where brands led real-time conversations and engagement on platforms like Twitter and Instagram. This year, brands played it safe with celebrity-filled ads light on calls-to-action, resulting in little online discussion. If you’d rather read along, we’ve also summarized the discussion in the article below. In our analysis of over 60 commercials that aired during the 2024 Super Bowl, we found that only a handful utilized hashtags or prompted viewers to connect on social. Dove was ..read more

With over 1 billion monthly active users, TikTok has become a platform that brands simply cannot ignore. The addicting short-form videos keep users highly engaged, and the built-in creative tools make it easy for brands to create viral content. However, many brands are hesitant to create a TikTok account. Either they don’t have the resources to maintain an active presence or they face restrictions from their global offices. The good news is that brands can run TikTok ads without having a brand account on the platform. In this video, our Social Media experts, Victoria Rogers and Steven DeYarm ..read more

In the fast-paced world of social media marketing, it’s essential to stay up to date with the latest trends and terminology. As marketing professionals, you’ll want to be in the know about the buzzwords that are shaping the landscape in 2024. So, without further ado, let’s dive into these 30 must-know terms. What does UGC mean? This is User-Generated Content, the holy grail of social media. It’s the content your audience creates for you. It’s like having an army of brand ambassadors spreading your message. What does Evergreen Content mean? Think of this as the timeless content that keeps on ..read more

Deciding which social media platforms to be on can be overwhelming for brands today. With new channels launching and others declining in popularity, how do you know where to focus your efforts? Watch as SVPs Lisa Braziel and Misi McClelland talk about key factors in choosing social platforms with Senior Community Manager, John Wylie. If you’d rather read along, we’ve also summarized the key takeaways on choosing channels for your brand in the article below. Know Your Audience As John, a senior community manager at Ignite, notes, “it starts with the audience and the people – people first.” B ..read more

Social media moves fast. Trends come and go in the blink of an eye. As a social media marketer, it can be tempting to jump on every viral trend in hopes of riding that wave of engagement. However, not all trends are created equal when it comes to brand marketing. In this video, Community Managers AnnE Ford and Dervon Thompson will explore how to identify relevant trends for your brand, when to join in on viral trend conversations, and tips for putting your unique spin on trending topics. If you’d rather read along, we’ve also summarized the discussion in the article below. Choosing Trends T ..read more