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By Amanda Carreiro

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5 Qs with Devon Gleed from Steam Whistle Brewing

We recently interviewed Devon Gleed, one of Steam Whistle’s social media extraordinaires. Here’s what she’s working on and what inspires her.

1. What made you go into social media content?

“To be honest, I more stumbled into social media content. My career started off in PR and publicity when I worked at WE Day but as I moved into my next job at a marketing agency, I started doing more writing and community management for social media clients. From there I learned I really enjoyed being the voice of a brand, being able to answer consumer questions and create exciting visual content. In my current position at Steam Whistle, I get to be the voice of the product and a brand that Canadians have fallen in love with over the last 19 years. It’s a lot of fun!”

2. Tell us about what you’re currently working on.

“There are A LOT of exciting things happening at Steam Whistle Brewing. From opening a brand new event space at Biergarten, to bringing an American craft beer to the Canadian market, there’s so much I’m working on content-wise. It’s such an exciting time to be a part of the team.”

3. In your opinion, what is an example of a compelling campaign?

“To me, a compelling campaign is something that consumers can relate to or (if possible) something that sparks joy (I know, I sound like Marie Kondo). As a consumer, I love when I can easily take in a campaign and relate it to my life. How could I use this product? How will it benefit me? Is this making me happy? If all these boxes are checked, you’re more than halfway there, in my opinion.” 

4. How do you feel influencers differ from traditional media?

“This one relates back to compelling campaigns for me. I think people follow certain influencers because in some way, they feel like they can relate to them. Whether it’s interests, style, lifestyle and/or life experiences. People can relate to influencers as they give the product or service they’re selling a more personal spin than having the consumer view it in a standard ad.”

5. Who inspires you?

“Right now, I work with such a badass team of young professionals who inspire me every day with their brains and their passion. They push me to go above and beyond without even realizing it.”

Follow Steam Whistle Brewing on Instagram.

These five questions were compiled by Amanda Carreiro, community manager at ruckus Digital. Need help with your social media approach? Drop us a line. 

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How enhanced technology has all the answers in 2019

Do you ever search for dinner recipes online, and wonder how you’ve ended up with a range of new Pinterest boards irrelevant to your initial search? If you’ve been down the rabbit hole before, my prediction for 2019 is that you’re about to fall into the deep end.

With enhanced technology on the rise, visual search engines are becoming increasingly popular and user friendly. The evolution of image search recognition tools enables users to receive more information and context beyond finding the images that you want to see.

In 2017, we were introduced to the first-of-its-kind technology through PinterestLens. The latest update to the Pinterest app lets you use your mobile camera to discover ideas inspired by objects you see offline. This offers custom searches for everything from outfit ideas, food recipes, to inspiring home décor, and more.

Since its launch, Pinterest has reported over 600 million visual searches a month- that’s a 140 per cent increase year-over-year. Celebrating the success, Pinterest’s CEO Ben Silbermann has said that “the future of search will be about pictures rather than keywords.”

Some other notable platforms leading this digital search evolution include Google, e-Bay, and Bing, but we’re expected to see more smaller tech firms and marketplaces redesign their websites and mobile apps to support visual search in the coming years.

For example, in 2017 social media *kween,* Kim Kardashian launched her newest app, Screen Shop. Leveraging the newest visual search technology, the app allows users to upload any screenshot or picture and quickly generates links to sites where similar merchandise can be purchased.

With the magic of visual search, our online shopping experience is about to become more convenient than next day delivery. How can you see brands using the tool to enhance the consumer experiences in the coming years?

Nicole Pomeroy is a Senior Integrated Media Strategist at ruckus Digital. Learn more about a developing a fully integrated digital SEO/SEM strategy by visiting our website or emailing us at info@ruckusdigital.ca

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Crystal Ball 2019: Video killed the television star

With 2019 ramping up, expect new trends throughout the news, social media, technology and more. At APEX and ruckus digital we will be sharing our predictions on some of these trends that we think will define 2019 (or at least part of it).

Amanda Carreiro, community manager at ruckus Digital, shares her view on what will happen to video this year.

We’ve all noticed our attention spans shrinking significantly over the last five years, and for marketers it’s become increasingly obvious. With all the information swirling around on social media feeds and news sites, consumers have adopted the feeling of needing to consume as much of it as possible (I blame the phenomenon that is FOMO). Because of this, digital content creators began producing content that sat in the ideal timeframe of 1 minute long – which was later reduced to 30 seconds, then to 10 seconds, then to just six seconds.

This is still the format adopted by most brands today. In fact, studies show that consumers register information from video content within the first second, and that the ideal spot for your brand’s messaging in a video is within the first 3 seconds.

With decreasing attention spans and the evolution of our brains taking in information faster, you may think that short form content is the only way to go, but think again – long form video content is making a comeback.

The reality is, that while consumers need a brand message served to them in 3 seconds, longer form content can grab and hold their attention just as well.

Take Vice Canada for example – as a major video content producer, they are regularly publishing social media videos that are anywhere between three to 10 minutes long; and according to Nina Sudra, General Manager of Vice Canada, it’s working for them.

Even Tasty – the food content experts who found their success online by posting quick 1-2 minute long video recipes – has now started to create longer form video content that ranges from 5-12 minutes long.

The television audience has been shrinking dramatically for years as consumers have shifted their attention to online streaming platforms. You see, when content is left to studios to create you end up with some good content, but mostly lackluster shows that you’ve never heard of because they only got one season on NBC. YouTube and Netflix have created a whole new generation of creators and viewers who know quality content and only want to be served that.

This trend, paired with the additional introductions of long form content platforms like IGTV and Facebook Watch, make it so that consumers now have more outlets to view the long form content they’re interested in.

Throughout 2019, brands will need to start changing their 6 second video strategy, to creating long form video that is relevant and interesting to their audience. They’ll need to reconsider the existing platforms and find new ways to serve their message – think a YouTube series for example.

The goal however remains the same, brands need to create engaging content, and this will be even harder now that there’s more view time to fill.

Amanda Carreiro is a community manager at ruckus digital. Check out more of our Crystal Ball series to know what other trends to expect in 2019. Need help with your video strategy? Drop us a line.

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3 improv lessons that made me a better community manager

With brands like Wendy’s constantly “winning the internet” with clever social content and humourous banter with users, it’s becoming increasingly important for community managers to bring a level of wit and quick thinking to the job.

To sharpen my wit and perfect my ability to create content that resonates with target audiences, I spent 6 weeks taking improv classes, and I think anyone in the creative industry should do the same.

In case the idea of attempting to entertain a room full of strangers triggers your anxiety, here are 3 key takeaways I can share for anyone to apply to their day jobs.

  1. Let go and commit

In improv, the best performances are the ones where the actor fully goes for it. Hesitation or insecurity is obvious to the audience and can hinder the performance. As a creative thinker, when working on your next big idea, it’s best to stay away from the “but” and focus on the “yes, and” (a rule-of-thumb for improv).  When you don’t focus on potential limitations or obstacles, it’s easier to elevate your ideas.

  1. Act naturally

On the first day of class they say, “don’t try to be funny.” It may sound counterproductive, but it makes a lot of sense. It’s a lesson in being natural. Consumers can often tell when a brand is trying too hard to be “relevant”; the best content fits naturally into a brand’s voice.

  1. On the other side of panic is somewhere you really want to be

Just like improv, the creative industry is a fast-paced, ever-changing environment that can get overwhelming. Feelings of panic can impact the way you perform – but if you can ride the waves, push through the panic, and give your best effort without fear, the outcome is worth a standing ovation.

 

Amanda Carreiro is a community manager at ruckus Digital. Need help with your social media approach? Drop us a line. 

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