Social media changes so much in a week that it’s hard to keep up. Check back with us every week for our roundup of what we think you should know about.
In yet another example that reminds every brand to be careful when selecting the manager of its social media accounts, Home Depot is in hot water for a racist Tweet that was sent from its official account this week. The company says it fired the individual and agency responsible for the Tweet and proceeded to give the same canned response to every user who expressed anger over it.
Facebook has long been the 800-pound gorilla in social media but a recent study shows that it’s not the fastest growing. That status goes to Instagram, the social media network that 71 percent of the world’s largest brands have adopted. Fun fact: the most-followed brand on Instagram is Mercedes-Benz, which experts say uses the network to tell its story visually.
Back when I was in college social media wasn’t allowed in the classroom. Oh, how times have changed. These days a growing number of teachers are using it in lesson plans. A recent study found that 41 percent of college professors use social media as a teaching tool, up from 34 percent in 2012.
Facebook wants to know how you’re feeling, kind of. In one of its latest features a question pops up under a post on some users’ news feeds asking them to rate other posts with a question: “How authentic does this post feel?” Rankings range from “Not at All” to “Extremely”. No word yet on how Facebook will use this information.
Instagram announced this week that its ads have been working despite initial public backlash from users. More than five percent of photo ads have led to further engagement through likes, which Instagram’s CEO classifies as very high. The question still remains if that engagement was simply liking a pretty picture or liking with intent to purchase.
Lastly, as a friendly reminder that there are always opportunities for medical professionals to have fun on social media, a pre-surgery flash mob made the rounds on social media this week. Clocking in at over six minutes it’s a tad long, but you might find it fun for a few verses.
Happy weekend,
@keavey