Where digital meets travel + lifestyle … A collection of can’t-miss news from this week. Sign up to get the TURNER Weekly Download in your inbox every Friday.
The State of Stories
Instagram Stories is a major player in the social media sweepstakes, and advertisers are increasingly hungry to get in on the engagement.
According to Digiday, advertisers are developing massive budgets to reach users of the platform. But despite the greater ad competition, the cost of impressions is falling – in some cases, buying space on Instagram Stories is cheaper than Facebook. Finally, Instagram Stories from brands are being played all the way through. That means people aren’t “changing the channel” when the ads come on – good news!
InstaShop
Hold on to your wallets – Instagram is getting ready to roll out
a new standalone app dedicated to shopping. The Verge has done the investigating: “The app — which may be called IG Shopping — will let users browse collections of goods from merchants that they follow and purchase them directly within the app.” When will this new budget-threatening app be available? Not any time soon, apparently, but it seems as though Instagram is prepping to make a big splash in the e-commerce world. Stay tuned …
Influencer’s Choice
Brands all want to get the organic endorsement of key influencers. But that’s easier said than done. How do influencers choose their brand partnerships?
Entrepreneur goes to the source, asking several influencers how it happens. “Any brand you associate with, you are rubbing a part of your own image on that brand and that brand is rubbing its image on you,” says fitness influencer Ranveer Allahbadia. That means that a simple “pay-to-post” transaction isn’t going to work. Influencers and brands have to align in terms of ethics, style and more. “It’s not just about short-term goals but about long term investments,” says fashion influencer Gia Kashyap.
Delete It All
You may have some friends, family members or colleagues who are doing the (previously) unthinkable. They’re deleting their social media accounts – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram … everything!
Forbes’ Jose Costa suggests that brands consider doing the same. “Building social experiences around that content will be the key,” he writes. “This actually gets to the intended spirit behind Facebook’s news feed change this year—that brands should make their content valuable to people.” What a concept!
Weekly Moment of Zen
This sanctuary in Norway lets you
cuddle with wolves while you watch the Northern Lights.