Continuous learning is a vital part of our culture at KAN. Individually and in groups, we venture to conferences near and far to stay at the forefront of communication. Then we come back and pass on what we learned to the rest of the crew at our regular development lunches. 

I recently had the opportunity to attend Social Media Week in New York City (#SMWNYC). The scope of the four-day conference mirrored the huge role social media plays in our lives, with topics ranging from the future of democracy to our love of animal videos. Here are some of my top take-aways for marketers and brands: 

1. Facebook isn’t going anywhere…yetJust how much has the Cambridge Analytical scandal affected Facebook? The consensus seems to be, not all that much. Some users are deleting Facebook, but for the majority, Facebook is just too embedded in daily life to leave it. Still, attitudes are slowly changing, with 48% of American adults saying that social media has a negative impact on Democracy. Even if users aren’t mad enough about privacy to leave, the scandal has shown them a side of social media that they weren’t aware of before. If a real challenger were to pop up, they may be willing to jump ship. But don’t expect a mass exodus. Casey Newton, senior editor at The Verge, predicts, “If [Facebook usage] declines, it will decline in the same way that radio declined. Very slowly.”

2. Emojis, memes and gifs – nothing to LOL atI admit it, I love emojis and gifs – and I’m not alone. In 2017 there were 2.8 trillion messages sent with emojis, stickers and gifs. According to Viacom Velocity, people use this visual language as a way to express shared interests and senses of humor. Far from being just a silly smiling poop, our use of emojis and gifs help us craft our identity. The take-away for brands? If you want to “talk” like people, you need to embrace the new visual language. Create your own gifs, re-use popular memes in social media and help users create their own content with branded stickers.

3. E-mail: Channel of the future?Don’t cancel your Hotmail account! Just kidding, Hotmail isn’t making a comeback, but e-mail might be. As social media usage has increased, boredom with brand interactions in these spaces is increasing as well. Many speakers brought up the need for brands to build more direct, intimate communication, and suggested that email and newsletters could be an area ready for a renaissance. The challenge is devising an email strategy that helps a brand stand out from the hundreds of newsletters we all get and never read. Two other often cited ways to build more intimate brand connection were podcasts, which are literally in our heads, and subscription content models, which build a sense of ownership.

4. Influencers are a bubble waiting to popIf you’re brand isn’t working with influencers yet, you’re way behind…but maybe a little bit ahead? While Paul Dyer from PR agency Lippe Taylor doesn’t dispute that Influencer Marketing works, he does argue that it’s about to lose steam. Top tier influencers are getting tired or seen as “selling out,” mid-tier influencers are damaging credibility by buying followers and engagement, and micro-influencers are flooding the market. Dyer suggests a few ways brands can maintain successful influencer relationships even after the bubble breaks. Shift the focus from “small talk” influencers that work with surface-level content and focus on deeper partnerships and good storytellers. When you reward influencers, do it with experiences and kickbacks that are in keeping with your brand. Most importantly, work only with influencers that are real fans of your company, people who would, as Dyer put it, “wear the T-shirt.”

5. Think of social media as a serviceNelson Freitas, Chief Strategy Officer at Wunderman, posed one of the week’s strongest questions: if your brand’s social media account disappeared tomorrow, would anyone care? If the answer is no, you’re just creating noise. It’s easy to forget the social in social media. But if it’s not a relationship that both parties like, it’s not going to be successful. Your presence in social media should give your followers something. Whether that’s DIY videos that help them sort their underwear drawer, a funny meme they can share, or a discount code that allows them to buy something they’ve been coveting. Value can be many things, just make sure you’re thinking about how you’re delivering it.