The Engagement Rate

An industry bulletin for marketing pros.

Post of the week

If you’ve watched American Horror Story, you’ll know how progressively over-the-top their intros get season by season. When Uno saw their reverse card featured in this spoof, they couldn’t help but agree in the comments.

Influencer & brand wins of the week 🏅

🚗The fast, furious & influenced

Charli D’Amelio recently got her driver’s license and surprise, surprise - she’s made it into a marketing occasion by starring in a Ford ad. The feat, however, marks a huge step forward in bridging the gap between traditional and digital celebrities who often feature in car commercials.

✊Liberté, égalité, fraternité, TikTokité

In response to the pressures of a possible U.S. ban on TikTok, the platform is taking action by forming a "Youth Council." Made up of teenagers aged 15 to 18, the campaign aims to focus on teen well-being and inclusion to maintain TikTok as a safe and welcoming space for young users.

^{Sponsored by Surfshark}

Concerned about your online privacy in 2024? You are not the only one.

Surfshark's latest findings recently unveiled the shocking truth about data collection in today's app landscape with shopping and food delivery apps as the biggest culprits. Apps like Wish lead the pack by collecting a staggering 24 out of 32 data points, linking nearly all data to your identity.

If you're tired of being a data buffet for apps, it's time to level up your privacy game with Surfshark's cutting-edge VPN and suite. Stay savvy, stay secure, and take back control of your digital footprint.

Pinterest takes fashion and IRL experiences to Coachella

Every year, millions of searches related to Coachella-outfit-inspo hit Pinterest. With festival season approaching, Pinterest has capitalized on being the go-to platform for inspiration by partnering with Coachella for a trend forecasting campaign and IRL experience. 

The trend forecast includes a curated list of most searched styles, showcasing the sheer traction core-aesthetics have gained thanks to Gen Z discourse online. Lana Del Rey, 2014, fairy and dark feminine cores rank as this year’s look styles to watch. 

A big shout out goes to the Pinterest’s team for getting it right, not only by understanding the optics of Gen Z fashion in digital spaces but by also hiring celebrity stylists Chloe and Chenelle who know a thing or two about bringing these trends to life through a curated Pinterest board. The Pinterest Manifest Station, which will be held at the festival, will also provide visitors with immersive opportunities to explore trending beauty trends and styling experiences. 

Tapping into audiences who never connect with content 

Social media fatigue is real, everyday people are posting less on platforms like Instagram and in all honesty, we don’t talk enough about ‘lurkers’ - those who use social media and absorb content but aren’t often going beyond surface level metrics like impressions.

In fact, it’s quite difficult to trace a percentage of how many lurkers constitute the digital ecosystem across social media. Some studies have suggested they make up at least half or more of all users, reinforcing the notion that the glass ceiling on content performance and engagement is something worth aiming to break. There’s a true untapped potential of lurkers just waiting to be converted into engaged users. And what’s particularly interesting is that younger Gen Z and Alpha audiences constitute most of this demographic during a time where more anonymity, data consciousness and a disillusionment for performance in social media is on the rise.   

So when devising your content strategies and if feeling brave to tackle the hardest segment of audiences, there could be big rewards to uncover. Here’s a couple considerations: 

👉Focus on sharing photos of real people rather than staged or promotional images 

Authentic photos that resemble something your friend would post are preferred. With the inundation of graphics and ads on Instagram, users are becoming frustrated. By incorporating more image-based content, including user-generated photos, you increase the chances of Gen Z users actually seeing your posts.

👉Avoid putting products directly in the spotlight and trying too hard to sell them

Instead, show how your product is used in real-life situations. Gen Zers want a compelling reason to engage with content on social media. The most effective approach for brand accounts is to showcase your mission or product in creative ways, such as through unique applications. This approach also helps keep your profile from becoming overloaded with too many graphics.

👉Interact with your audience from time to time on Instagram

Share posts that resonate with their interests about twice a month. These could be posts related to current cultural trends or moments, like sharing memes. By joining in on conversations or trends that matter to your audience, you can connect better with Gen Zers. This also gives them a breather from your usual promotional content and encourages them to engage with you more. Take a look at McDonald’s Instagram account for ideas.

👉Move away from just showing products and using plain graphics in your marketing

Instead, create content with personality and depth. In your next social media strategy meeting, think about what your brand would post if it were a real person on Instagram, not just a brand account. Bringing back genuine brand identity on social media can make our Instagram feeds more interesting and help Gen Zers develop a healthier relationship with their own social media use.