đź’Ş Set Your Brand up for Success in 2024

Embrace short-form content, get New Year inspiration, and take time to review

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Greg Mondshein & Becky Honeyman
January 11, 2024

Hey all! Happy New Year! It was slow going for us coming out of the holiday break last week, but we’re firing on all cylinders now. New business is flowing, accounts are jamming and 2024 strategies are (for the most part) finalized. We looked at the content landscape to make sure we’re all staying on the cutting edge of content development, planning for timely campaigns in the new year, and, how to quickly and easily take stock of your current outbound communications. Enjoy…and as always, let us know what you think. We’re excited for 2024. It’s going to be a banger.

Embrace short-form content: Creators pick their preferred short-form video platforms

TL;DR: With the prolonged success of TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, short-form content shows no signs of slowing down. Digiday reached out to creators on their top short-form platforms to understand where brands should be directing their attention.

Takeaway: The consensus shows creators favor YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels over TikTok. Creators say both platforms offer more value for their business due to being tied to their already established accounts. Brands should take note of this opportunity. It’s always hard launching a new brand social presence, so if you’re already on these platforms, testing out short-form content could be a natural next step. Shorts and Reels also allow for easier monetization opportunities and provide more in-depth analytics – a vital asset for brands looking to partner with influencers and analyze the success of those campaigns.

Consider:

  • Can you start testing short-form content on social platforms where your brand is already active? Start with something small, like jumping on a trend or answering a Q&A.

  • What are relevant creators in your space doing with short-form content? Don’t copy their work, but take inspiration from it to create your own original stories.

New Year’s campaign inspiration: Halo Top enlists everyday athletes for New Year’s resolutions push

TL;DR: Halo Top, the better-for-you ice cream brand, launched their New Year’s campaign with an open call for everyday athlete endorsers looking to firm up New Year’s resolutions plans. Participants will receive an endorsement deal including free products, a talent manager, and personal coaching sessions in return for sharing their transformation journeys online.

Takeaway: Consumer brands are quick to jump on timely stories, often to a fault. Having an impetus, such as a holiday or annual theme, can be a great time to knit your brand into the common conversation. While B2B comms often require longer lead times for story creation, the great part about these timely stories is that they’re predictable. You can plan now for stories relevant to Financial Literacy Month (April) or International Women’s Day (March 8). The key to take from Halo Top’s campaign is to ensure the stories you’re telling are strategic and authentic to your key audiences. Regardless of your product or service, no brand wants to come across as out-of-touch or offensive to the very audience you’re trying to attract.

Consider:

  • What timely stories align with your brand? Think New Year’s resolutions, Valentine’s Day, spring break…

  • What’s the obvious story your brand could tell related to these timely occasions? Now think strategically. Poke holes in your story before your audience can. What might offend your audience? What might excite them?

Take a moment to review: How to conduct a speedy social media audit

TL;DR: Sprout Social has a great guide on how to conduct a social media audit that doesn’t take weeks to complete. The guide includes tactical tips on what to look for, what to change, and what to analyze.

Takeaway: It’s hard to make new goals and plans without a baseline for success. If you haven’t taken a moment to reflect on your past year’s performance, plan to do that this week and use this guide. While the guide is designed for social media, many steps can be used across communications and marketing focuses (i.e., checking for consistency, defining goals, identifying top-performing content, etc.). Take a moment to identify where you want to grow this year and determine your baseline before rushing toward your next action.

Consider:

  • What goals do you want to reach this year? Do you know what the metric of success is for each particular goal?

  • Are there areas of your marketing and communication efforts that you’d like to better understand? Running a quick audit of your past performance can help identify areas for improvement.

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