Your Digital Identity Social Media Marketingfor Restaurants

2017 Trend Edition

www.nrn.com December 28, 2016 Article by Ron Ruggless

Yelling Out Your Order at Home

Growing adoption of in-home digital assistants like Amazon Echoand Google Home gave pizza chains a new way to reach consumers.

In February, Domino’s Pizza launched ordering capabilities on Amazon Echo, just before Super Bowl Sunday, the busiest day forpizza delivery. In December, the company expanded the service torival Google Home and its Google Assistant. Domino’s customerswith “pizza profiles” could either awaken Amazon’s Alexa or, if usingthe alternative service, say “OK Google, talk to Domino’s” to beginthe ordering process. The two platforms are linked to Domino’sTracker to chart the progress of an order. “This is yet another way weare making it easier for our customers to order Domino's pizza fromanywhere they turn,” said Dennis Maloney, Domino's chief digital officer, at the Google launch in December.

Domino’s called its portfolio of commerce avenues an “AnyWare”suite, including ordering via social media platforms like Twitter, aswell as pizza-emoji text message, smart TV and Facebook Messenger.

Pizza Hut, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands Inc., added its voice to thechorus in December, when it teamed with Amazon to provide theAlexa-based voice-ordering service on Amazon Echo, Amazon Tap,Echo Dot, Amazon Fire TV and Fire tablets. The hands-free voicecommands to initiate the ordering include: “Alexa, open Pizza Hut”or “Alexa, ask Pizza Hut for a pizza.”

Tapping Social Media for Delivery

In June, Wingstop Inc. inaugurated a conversational ordering platform on Twitter and Facebook Messenger that only required customers to send the word “order” to start the process.

Other restaurants were launching or experimenting with the platforms, variously called chatbot ordering, conversational ordering, social ordering or conversational commerce.

“Social ordering allows us now to actively reach out to consumers in the social media channels that they are already participating in,”said Flynn Dekker, Wingstop’s chief marketing officer. We don’t require you to come to us; we’ll come to you, in the two most popular social media channels,” he said. “You can transact your entire order and customize it all within the channels.”

Other brands soon embraced the so-called chatbots, including tests at casual-dining chains TGI Fridays and Pizza Hut. In April, Taco Bell Corp. began testing a TacoBot on the Slack real-time messaging platform.

“Taco Bell is about food tailor-made for social consumption withfriends, and that’s why integrating with a social communicationsplatform like Slack makes perfect sense,” said Lawrence Kim, TacoBell director of digital innovation, at the time. “TacoBot is the nextbest thing to having your own Taco Bell butler. And who wouldn’twant that?”

Creating Delivery-Only Restaurants

Delivery-only restaurants attracted the interest of investors in 2016.Ando, the delivery-only restaurant from Momofuku founder DavidChang, closed a $7 million funding round in November to expandthe new company’s delivery reach throughout New York City. Changalso founded Maple, a New York City-based, delivery-only restaurant.

“Mobile technology has completely transformed our daily lives, andit’s certainly impacting the overall dining experience with the easeof delivery,” Chang said.

Chang’s Momofuku and Expa, a San Francisco-based startup investment company created by Uber co-founder Garrett Camp,launched Ando in the spring.

For Ando, Momofuku provides the food made famous at its restau-rants, such as ginger shrimp salad, chicken tenders and spicy tofu,and the culinary and back-of-house expertise. Expa provides the logistical, technical and startup background, along with delivery.Ando uses data and analytics to examine how customers orderfood, how efficiently the kitchen is moving and the effectiveness of delivery partners.

Other entrepreneurs entered the delivery-only space as well.At the National Restaurant Association’s Innovation Summit inAustin, Texas, in September, Jeremiah Green, co-founder and CEO of the Chicago-based Eat Purely Co., said his delivery-only restaurantcompany has doubled sales every month since debuting in March.Eat Purely promises organic meals delivered in 20 minutes.

5 Technologies Poised to Disrupt

(L) Chain restaurants including Pizza Hut and Wingstop are testing new social media-based ordering methods.

(R) Momofuku founder David Chang is expanding thereach of Ando, his delivery-only restaurant concept.

Providing the App-y Homemaker

New York City-based Umi Kitchen, with backing from Union SquareHospitality Group’s Danny Meyer, enlists area home cooks to providemeals, ordered through an iOS app, that are delivered through thethird-party service Postmates.

The platform was co-founded by Khalil Tawil and Hallie Meyer, Danny Meyer’s daughter. In February, they brought on former Tumblrengineering vice president Derek Gottfrid as a third co-founder to integrate Umi's technology into Postmates.

With that pedigree, the Umi Kitchen app menu features four to sevenoptions each evening, with users choosing the time slot in whichthey wish to have the meals delivered. Some have likened it to Etsyfor dinner.

"I think very big picture, we want to affect a paradigm shift in howpeople eat," Tawil told Crain’s New York Business in September, when the platform launched broadly.

Umi Kitchen recruits home cooks, which it calls "umis,” through various channels, including culinary school networks and job boards.The company also reaches out to people who post photos of theirhome cooking on Instagram, which Meyer said was the bestrecruiting tool for the service so far. They are vetted and added to Umi Kitchen’s roster if they pass muster.

Meals are offered at three prices: $12, $14 and $16. Delivery costs an additional $4, not including tip.

As of early fall, Umi Kitchen had raised $1.4 million. Umi meals alsocome with a low-tech, high-touch benefit: a handwritten note fromthe home cook who created it.

Providing the Un-staffed Grab-and-Go Experience

In early December, online-ordering monolith Amazon announceddetails of a new brick-and-mortar convenience store, to be calledAmazon Go, to provide consumers with prepared foods to go, grocery essentials and convenience items, without requiring themto check out.

The 1,800-square-foot store, located in Seattle, is now open to Amazon employees who are using it in a beta test. The store willopen to the public early in 2017.

Amazon said the store uses proprietary technology that allowsshoppers to take items and walk out — without checking out. They are billed later.

“Our ‘Just Walk Out’ technology automatically detects when products are taken from or returned to the shelves and keeps track of them in a virtual cart,” Amazon said in a press release. “When you’re done shopping, you can just leave the store. Shortly after, we’ll charge your Amazon account and send you a receipt.” The company said Amazon Go offers ready-to-eat breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack options, as well as meal kits.

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Amazon is re-inventing retail with their announced brick-and-mortarconvenience store that will offer prepared foods and grocery essentials without requiring customers to check out.

5 Trends that will Dominate 2017forbes.com January 3, 2017 Article by Jimmy Rohampton

1. Social MessagingWhen people discuss social media, there always seems to be morefocus on social networks than social networking. That’s strange, considering that messaging apps have a much wider community ofusers than social networks. In fact, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger,Viber and WeChat together have more users than the big networks:Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Over-the-top (OTT) messaging and SMS messaging are millennials’preferred form of communication. Sixty-two percent of millennialsare more loyal to brands that engage them via those channels and an estimated two billion users will be messaging through OTT apps by 2018. Why more loyal? Millennials want the personaltouch, transparency and collaboration that the one-on-one, direct messaging communication allows.

Businesses are already taking advantage of the huge audience baseon social messaging platforms -- on Facebook, you can click on an ad and it takes you directly to a chat window with the brand. As morebrands start to realize the value of social messaging compared to regular social networks, they’ll make even more efforts to have a presence there.

2. The Fight Against Fake NewsEvery year, more and more people, especially millennials, are turningto the internet as their main news source instead of TV, newspaper, or radio. As a result, there’s been a rise in “fake news” from sites thatdeliberately publish and circulate inaccurate information about current events.

We saw the worst of it during the 2016 presidential election -- fakenews about both candidates was shared widely across Facebook,Twitter, and other social platforms. Now, Facebook is taking steps to curb fake news appearing on the site. These “news outlets” are no longer allowed to advertise on the platform.

But the fight against fake news isn’t likely to stop there. Germany isconsidering legislation to fine social media sites that let fake newsproliferate. That’s bound to catch the attention of all the major platforms. Millennials are tech-savvy, get their news predominantlyfrom social media and value honesty, so they’re likely to investigateand verify news they see, push for more transparency from mediaoutlets and reward factual reportage by sharing such content.

3. Authentic Content (a.k.a. Live Video)

YouTube was built on videos that capture real, unfiltered moments.Now social media is taking it to the next level by offering the content in real-time. Live streaming video was first made popular by Twitter’s Periscope. Now Facebook Live is here, and growing. Social videos have much more engagement than any other content format, and have been responsible for recent growth on Facebook.Even news sources are citing Facebook Live videos when coveringmajor events. The world of media is changing thanks to live video.

Instagram is now testing their own live video option, and they won’t be the last platform to implement live streaming video. Social media is becoming fascinated with live, authentic content.Millennials love video content and are currently the most activevideo viewers of any age group in the U.S. and they're not likelyto slow down in 2017.

4. Augmented Reality

Snapchat selfie lenses brought the ideaof augmented reality into the socialsphere. Pokémon Go (arguably a socialmedia app) turned it into a sensation.

So expect the other social platforms to jump on the bandwagon in 2017.Mark Zuckerberg has confirmed thatFacebook is already experimenting with augmented reality and lenses. They acquired Masquerade, a live filter and selfie app for live streaming video.

Augmented reality is actually an oldtechnology that’s started to go viralthanks to social media. While Snapchathas come a long way since puking rainbows (their first filter), there’s still a lot of room to expand on the concept in 2017.

And like live video, augmented reality creates new opportunities for brands to connect with their audience by sharing experiences,rather than just information, on social media. Almost 75% of millennials are interested in virtual reality, and 2017 may just be the year they blow up the idea of self insertion into media.

5. ChatbotsChatbots are a kind of artificial intelligence that can have a conversation with someone. Facebook had integrated themwithin Facebook Messenger, and businesses are now using them to communicate with customers.

Chatbots are already helping businesses improve customer serviceby quickly responding to their comments and questions. Expect thetool to become more popular in 2017 -- especially since socialmedia sites are doing everything they can to keep people on theirplatform instead of navigating away to a business website.

It’s still early days, but chatbots already have the intelligence andability to help people consume content, answer questions, andcomplete transaction. More than a third of people already prefer social media over a phone call for customer support. Millennialswant self-service and like to resolve their customer service issuesmainly via technology as it's fast, efficient, and brief. Soon, brandsmight not bother having a website at all, and conduct all their customer relations through social media.4

Top Social Media Trends to Prepare For

Continued Rise of Posting Content in Real Time

In 2016 we saw Facebook, Snapchat (or “Snap,” the new name of the company) and Instagram go head to head, debuting andimproving features that allow users to experience and engagewith content in real time. We saw the debut of Facebook Live as well as Instagram Stories, ephemeral livestreaming, and videomessaging. Snapchat is expected to continue growing considerably in 2017, as it surpassed YouTube as the most popularvideo sharing platform with over 10 billion video views a day. It’s no longer enough to talk about what’s happening; it is essential to give your audience the feeling of being there. Data from various brands show that users are captivated by firstperson experiences shared on social media, performing considerably higher than infographics, app use and more.

Dark Social

In 2016 companies continued to struggled to navigate “dark social.” Dark social, aka private messaging platforms such as Facebook Messenger and the encrypted WhatsApp, are now responsible for 70% of shared content online. Less data is availablefor information shared through “dark social,” making it harder forbrands to engage audiences and track data. In 2017, we expect to see innovation in data tracking to help brands better target audiences originating from dark social. Companies will begin to communicate privately with social media users in order to engage them more with the brand and build relationships.

Bots and the Need for Companies to Provide Timely Customer Service Online

Social media, unlike traditional media such as television and newspaper, is a two way street. Part of the reason you use socialmedia is to engage users with your content, so why wouldn’t yourespond when they try to engage you? According to Twitter, 71%of their users expect a brand to respond to their questions and issues within an hour. Monitoring social media channels this frequently can be tricky, especially for businesses with smallerstaffs. We are anticipating a rise in companies utilizing chatbotsacross their digital channels in order to alleviate some of thisstress. Bots may also be beneficial when it comes to building relationships and engaging consumers in “dark social.”

Twitter Will Continue to Decline

While Twitter’s bite-sized bits of content were fun at first, we’veseen a shift in the popularity of short, frequent posts to more detailed content shared less often, similar to that on Instagram.We’re still ecstatic that the micro-blogging platform has lifted images and usernames from counting against its character count,but the brand needs to find more ways to reimagine itself in thenext year besides integrating its live video platform, Periscope,into the Twitter app.

The Year of the Influencer

When you think of Influencer Marketing, does Shaq for Gold Bond or Sofia Vergara for Head and Shoulderscome to mind? Influencer marketing on social mediadoesn’t have to be limited to celebrity endorsements.

Snapchat or Instagram takeovers, if promoted correctly,can significantly increase brand engagement. The use ofa simple and thoughtful hashtag can create a dialoguebetween users and your brand while providing you witheven more trackable data.

socialmediabeast.com Dec. 23, 2016

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4 Millennial Social Media Trends To Watch

The millennial affinity for technology is reshaping the digital land-scape, and a strong brand presence on a few social channels isn’tenough. Millennial social-media usage, commitment, and habits arechanging. Some millennials are taking a step back and reevaluatingtheir social-media usage and determining which platforms theywant to participate on and what kind of content they want to consume.

Here’s a quick break down of four millennial social-media trends to look out for in 2017.

Millennials are Setting Boundaries on Facebook.

Over the past year, we’ve wondered about the fate of Facebook withmillennials. What started out as a social platform only for college students quickly expanded to those college students’ parents (and drove many millennials away). So when the percentage of older people using social media gets closer to that of millennials,does that change the way millennials see or use social media?

In a recent survey, 41% of millennials still use Facebook every day,however, Facebook was found to be more popular with non-millen-nials. Every other measured social media platform (YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, Twitter and LinkedIn) was found to be more popular with millennials than non-millennials.

Another reason for this shift could be that Facebook actuallymakes us unhappy, and millennials are tired of it. Comparing ourselves to our friends’ highlight reels is no longer as exciting as it once was. Longtime Facebook users — millennials —are growing older and, in many ways, wiser. Unlike our younger cohorts, we’re unimpressed by a dogmatic newsfeed that serves to polarize audiences, and we’re moving away from traditional Facebook in search of smaller, less-constricting platforms.

Disappearing Media Is Hot Among Younger Millennials.

Older millennials have grown up with and become accustomed tothe thought that once something is posted on the internet, it is thereto stay, forever. And we’re okay with that, even as new technologiesclaim to make this notion moot. But, for most younger millennials,the allure of disappearing digital content is too tempting to ignore.They love that intimate thoughts, risqué pictures, and incoherent ramblings disappear forever.

And, while most older millennials understand the attraction, many of us roll our eyes while watching our younger brothers and sistersuse Snapchat and Instagram with what we can only described asnaiveté and an over-exuberant youthfulness. Surveys show thatwhile 25% of millennials ages 25-34 are on Instagram every day, 34% of younger millennials 18-24 are using the platform daily. Even more telling, 30% of millennials 18-24 are on Snapchatevery day compared to a mere 19% of older millennials ages 25-34.

We Dig Live Video, Augmented Reality (AR) Lenses, and Filters.

While this might go a bit against the concept of disappearingmedia, live video is where it’s at right now. With capabilities to share video content in real-time on nearly every social platform(Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc.), there’s no shortage of live vlogging, Q&A’s, or just sharing a specific moment in time.

With live video (and video content in general) comes lens filtering –like Snapchat’s Selfie Lens or Masquerade, a tool that lets usersrecord video-selfie animation — that is perfect for keeping us enter-tained and engaged. These lenses animate what may be mundanemoments and have truly been a playful introduction of augmentedreality into our lives.

Last year’s complete infatuation with Pokémon Go foreshadowedthe widespread attraction millennials have toward AR. It’s entirelypossible that Facebook, attempting to remain relevant, will becomea major leader in the AR scene. Live video, AR lenses, and filters arelikely to be huge drivers in 2017. Yet major social channels had better differentiate themselves — even in their application of buzzworthy technologies — or they’ll quickly risk losing millennialattention to smaller platforms that aren’t scrambling to catch up.

We Crave Technology That Simplifies Life.

A good number of millennials are at that stage in their lives in whichthey’re turning to technology to make life easier. It’s all about a positive experience, whether it be with brands or bots, to ensurewe have the information to set our days up for success.

From the weather forecast for tomorrow’s game to quick informa-tion about how to return an online purchase — in 2017, consumersof every age will demand more seamless customer experiences, but millennials will be willing to interact with technology to obtainit. In fact, we couldn’t care less that we’re speaking to machines —unless, of course, the interaction goes wrong. Innovative new technologies such as Google Home make our lives easier, and we trust technology to do things for us.

Nevertheless, there’s a balancing act developing — between convenience and the need for privacy — that’s likely to grow in intensity. Anonymous search engine, Duck Duck Go, has seen a huge spike in popularity lately, even beginning to compete with Google simply because it doesn’t track browsing experience. Erosion of privacy doesn’t happen overnight, but ultimately, millennial consumers will be the ones to decide how much of it they’re willing to trade for convenience.

www.forbes.com December 29, 2016 Article by Lauren Friedman

Lisa BuyerAuthor & Consultant

Social Media PredictionsPrioritizationBrands will need to fine tune focus on the platforms that are most important to their audience and figure outhow to make the most of them. Do an audit of best performers and eliminate the time suckers.

The Need for Greater CreativityWith platforms such as Canva, Adobe Spark and Buffer’s Pablo, visuals are spoonfed to social media marketers.Brands will be expected to take canned visuals to the next level in 2017. Standing out in the newsfeed’s visualcompetition will require more than just using stock visuals.

www.searchenginejournal.com

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Go Beyond the Basics of Snapchat

It’s time to pay attention to Snapchat. The social channel reaches41% of 18- to 34-year-olds in the U.S. on a given day, according to a Nielsen study. And it’s beating out the big guys—a recent PiperJaffray survey noted that 28% of teen respondents considerSnapchat to be the most important social media channel, firsteclipsing Facebook, and now all other players, including Twitter and Instagram, for the first time.

“[Snapchat] continues to be the best for reaching millennials andGen Z,” says Christine Ferris, recent PR and marketing manager at Smashburger. Yet it isn’t all smiling ghosts and wacky selfies.

As with any evolving technology, there are challenges for brands,says Melanie Cohn, social media manager for Dunkin’ Donuts. They have worked closely with Snapchat to improve theirengagement on the channel, she notes, and are aiming to be moreagile to take advantage of new content delivery opportunities as they roll out.

For an app that intentionally tried to go against the grain (it was designed to be tough for parents to use, let alone brands), Snapchathas debuted an interface that puts branded content front and center. Here’s how some companies are getting results.

1. Work the ‘NEW’ angle“We’re always experimenting with Snapchat’s new offerings,” Cohnsays, adding that Dunkin’ was one of the first brands to employ what she calls the “Snap to Unlock” feature, where users can takephotos of a Snapcode (the Snapchat version of a QR code) to unlock geofilters. It also uses the channel to offer fans sneak peeks at new products, such as its cold-brew coffee.

2. Be branded—but barelyWith the help of an internal designer, Smashburger aims to strike a tough balance: keeping its content from feeling overly brandedwhile still remaining unique to the chain. Dunkin’ strives for a similarvibe. “The essence of Snapchat is to have unedited, unfiltered andreal, everyday stories—so we create a plan in that way,” Cohn says.

3. Leave breadcrumbsIn the early days, Snapchat engagement was baked in by way of requiring users to keep their fingers on-screen to see content.That’s changed in recent versions, leaving brands to foster interac-tion in fresh ways. One workaround: Smashburger places callouts on its “stories,” or collections of Snaps, reminding viewers to tap to get to the next screen.

4. Bring the online IRLSmashburger ties its geofilters to incentives—customers who showthey’ve used a geofilter can receive coupons for a free item duringtheir next visit. The brand also uses in-store collateral to drive guestengagement in the social realm; the Snapchat logo is on brandedto-go bags and more.

www.restaurantbusinessonline.com Sept. 19, 2016 Article by Kelsey Nash

Social Media Sways Restaurant-Goers

Social media has become an integral part of consumers’ everydaylives, and according to Zagat’s latest National Dining Trends survey,it’s influencing how and why they dine out.

60% of U.S. diners said they browse food photos on social media,the survey found, and 75% said they have chosen a place to eatbased on these photos alone.

So who is taking and posting these photos to social media? Almosthalf of diners nationally (44%) said they snap photos of their foodwhile dining out to share on social media, and 19% said they havepicked a specific restaurant just to take food photos.

Once at the restaurant, 60% of diners admitted to stopping theircompanions from eating so they can photograph the food. 50% of those surveyed said they have taken pictures of every dish at the table, and 5% have even asked another table if they couldphotograph their dish. When posting the pictures to social media, 41% said they do so right at the table.

The foods appearing most often on social media feeds includetrendy foods such as avocado toast, which 33% of respondents saidthey “love,” up 24% from last year. Ramen, sriracha and pork belly arealso popular; each received “love” votes from 31% of respondents.

However, not all trendy foods are earning favor or social mediaspace from consumers. Food mashups such as the cronut, ramenburger and rainbow bagels are on their way out, according to the38% of national diners who said they are “over it.”

www.foodbusinessnews.net Sept. 14, 2016 Article by Rebekah Schouten

Periscope users watch 110 years of live video every day using the app.

1) Live video content will become even bigger.

Live video content is on the rise -- in fact, 14% of marketers experimented with it in 2016, according to Social Media Examiner,and 43% plan to use interactive video this year, according to newsurvey data from Wyzowl.

While there are a ton of streaming sites and platforms out there, both Periscope and Facebook Live are among the most popular --and they have the numbers to prove it.

In its 2016 annual recap, Periscope noted that users watched 110years of live video every day using the app. And just this New Year’sEve, live streaming on Facebook reached record-breaking numbersaround the globe. In addition to Facebook Live and Periscope, Instagram and Twitter launched their versions of live video streaming in November and December 2016, respectively.

First and foremost, you’ll want to consider where your audience already spends time on social media -- and try to connect with them on those networks.

As for what to broadcast, there are a lot of brands out there that are nailing this strategy across several use cases. For example, manybrands are using Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to live streamevents. This approach aims to keep your followers engaged withyour brand by bringing an event they otherwise might not be able to attend directly to their screens.

Brands can also use live video for customer service by hosting Q&Asessions and product demonstrations. These videos drive engage-ment because hosts can ask for comments, questions, and feedbackfrom the audience.

Brands can also stream multiple live videos in a series, providingmore opportunities for engagement, which Facebook said happensat a rate 10X higher with live videos.

This year, keep an eye out for new features rolling out to the differentlive streaming platforms to amp up your video strategy. For example,Facebook Live is launching 360-degree capabilities, which would be a neat way to record a crowded event, a beautiful landscape, or a behind-the-scenes tour.

2) Brands will lean on messaging apps more than ever.

If you’re only thinking about messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and WeChat as alternatives to traditional text messaging, think again -- messaging apps are used by 4 billionusers worldwide, and there’s tremendous opportunity for brands to leverage this presence.

More specifically, many brands are using messaging apps to communicate one-on-one with customers, which is completelychanging the way customer service gets done. These apps provide a faster and easier way for customers to get the assistance theyneed, rather than being placed on hold or waiting for a returnedemail. Deploying messaging for customer service is more scalableand cost-effective for businesses, and by providing a better experience for the customer, brands can solve their problemsquickly and retain customers more easily.

For example, Hyatt uses Facebook Messenger for 24-hour customerservice, where guests can make reservations, ask questions, and getrecommendations for their trips.

HubSpot Vice President of Marketing, Meghan Keaney Anderson,predicts that messaging apps will eventually become a part of every online interaction. “Maybe we shouldn't be thinking aboutmessaging in terms of apps at all,” Anderson notes, “but rather as an evolving infrastructure.”

So far, Anderson’s theory is well-supported by the stats: A quarter of all apps that are downloaded are abandoned after just one use --except for messaging apps. In 2017 and beyond, marketers shouldanticipate less social networking and more messaging for instant,real-time connection with audiences.

3) Social media e-commerce will become a powerful avenue for sales.

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest offer ways for users to purchase products from directly within their apps, and Snapchatstarted testing and rolling out e-commerce features in the spring of 2016.

According to a survey from Aimia, 56% of consumers said they followed brands on social media to browse products for sale, and31% of online shoppers say they’re using social media specifically to look for new items to purchase.

Brands should leverage these shopping habits when thinking abouttheir social media strategy for 2017. People come to social media to interact with interesting content, so instead of sharing a photo of a product on Instagram with a “Buy Now” call-to-action, share gift ideas and product trends (24% and 16% of survey respondentsrelied on social media for these, respectively) and encourage onlineshopping without directly asking for it.

Another idea? Product demonstration videos on social media. According to research from Animoto, 4X as many customers preferto watch a video about a new product, so share them on socialmedia to encourage online shoppers.

blog.hubspot.com January 13, 2017 Article by Sophia Bernazzani

7 Trends That will Change Social Media in 2017

4) Virtual reality will find its way into more and more marketingexperiences.

Virtual reality is still new to the marketing scene, and in 2017, we predict the market will get even more popular. What's uniqueabout virtual reality is that it encourages engagement by offering an immersive, memorable experience unlike any other medium --and brands are quickly recognizing that value.

For example, TOMS uses virtual reality to shed light on the missionand impact customers are having. Its mission, “One for One,” refers to its pledge to match with each pair of shoes purchased a new pairfor a child in need around the world. While visiting children who received new shoes during a trip to Peru, TOMS shot the following360-degree virtual reality video to create a firsthand account of theimpact this initiative is making:

What’s so great about this video is how transportative it is. Most customers might not be planning a trip to Peru, but all of them can see the direct impact of their purchase. The experience is improved when they use a VR headset or viewer, but the video is still viewable on mobile or desktop devices, so the brand can effectively share its story.

This year, video streaming will represent almost 75% of all internettraffic, and since audiences want more video content, brands shouldcontinue experimenting with different formats -- including virtual reality -- to see which audiences respond best to.

5) Ephemeral content will continue to find its place and purpose.

HubSpot Social Media Marketing Manager Marissa Emanuele artfullycoined the term “Frankenfeatures,” which are born when a socialmedia platform launches its own version of another platform’s successful feature.

One example? Snapchat started the ephemeral, or disappearing, visual content sharing trend, and Instagram recently launched a similar disappearing video feature -- but with the ability to sharelive ephemeral video, too.

We’re not suggesting that you abandon professional photographyand marketing video production, but ephemeral content onSnapchat and Instagram is a great way to showcase the ‘other side’ of your brand’s personality with authentic, unscripted, unpolishedcontent. Content ideas for ephemeral stories include:

• How-to videos• Behind-the-scenes looks• Contests and giveaways• Recipes• Interviews• “Takeovers” – when a different user chooses what content to share• Live events• Daily or weekly video series• Holidays• Announcements or product reveals

“The most important part of ephemeral content is to be human. This is a unique opportunity to show an unpolished, lightheartedside to your brand, so don’t be afraid to share content that’s humorous or otherwise 'flawed' in some way," urges Emanuele.

6) Many brands will make the shift from Snapchat to Instagram for Stories.

Instagram introduced its Stories feature in August 2016. After justtwo months, Instagram Stories were experiencing 100 million dailyactive viewers, and as of February 2017, it’s up to 150 million eachday -- the equivalent of Snapchat’s entire user base. For this andother reasons, Emanuele predicts that brands will start transitioningfrom Snapchat to Instagram for sharing Stories (photos and videosthat disappear after 24 hours).

At 600 million users (and growing), Instagram offers a vastly larger audience than Snapchat at 150 million users. And because Facebook owns Instagram, Instagram advertisers can target basedon Facebook and Instagram insights.

Instagram also lets users publish photos and videos in a permanentportfolio in addition to ephemeral Stories, so users can more easilyshare content with their friends.

BrandFire CEO Adam Padilla agrees with Emanuele's prediction, alsonoting the adoption of Instagram by a larger number of celebritiesand public figures, and a slicker Instagram interface.

Despite its rapid growth and sheer volume of content being shared,Snapchat offers fewer means of measurement and analysis for socialmedia marketers, so Instagram may offer greater ROI in 2017.

7) Mobile advertising will grow more competitive.

In 2017, marketers should expect greater investment in mobile advertising. Here’s a rundown of what that will look like on some of the largest social networks:

Facebook is the behemoth when it comes to social media ad revenues, bringing in more than $7 billion last year -- 80% of whichcame from mobile ads. Facebook’s News Feed algorithmic changesnow prioritize content from friends and family first, so the 75% of brands on Facebook that pay to promote ads will have to get creative and design visual, engaging ads to get noticed first.

Twitter’s ad revenue is increasing, especially in the mobile format,and in 2017, they’ll likely continue experimenting with visual content, such as sponsored hashtag icons and stickers, to provide a variety of ad options to users.

As we’ve discussed previously in this article, Snapchat and Instagram will be competing for a lot of attention this year, and advertising revenue will be no exception. Where do they stand in terms of developments? Snapchat recently launched a new advertising API that makes it easier to buy ad space, in addition to a greater variety of video ads and sponsored filters. Instagram, on the other hand, is doubling down on e-commerce with the introduction of Shoppable Instagram, a feature that lets users buy products directly by clicking on a call-to-action in the app.

According to an Adweek survey among millennial Snapchat and Instagram users about their experiences with ads, the results areroughly split -- with a few noteworthy distinctions. While a greaterpercentage thought Instagram ads were more memorable thanthose on Snapchat, more millennials loved Snapchat ads than Instagram ads.

In short: Marketers should experiment with ads on different platforms to see which perform better among their audience and take advantage of the cool new features each rolls out.

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Social Media Trends for Small Businesses in 2017 www.entrepreneur.com December 21, 2016

Article by Santosh Kanekar

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Video is KingFacebook Live and Periscope are creating a deep personal engage-ment platform for videos. Facebook users alone watch 100 millionhours of video every single day! Small businesses are using video to stay topical and quickly communicate relevant information to their customers. Here are some stats to get you kicking:

• Real estate listings which have video receive 403% more inquiries than those without.

• 64% of users are more likely to buy a product online after watching a video.

• 90% of users confess that product videos help them in their decision-making.

Video helps communicate everything from the complex to the simple in an engaging way. Whether it is big companies like Caterpillar using video to demonstrate their machines or the local bistro highlighting their latest specialty dish, video connects you to your customers and increases engagement.

Social Media Engagement is VitalDoes your content create engagement? There are various measures,but the three critical ones are:

Engagement %: What is your ratio of comments to followers? If your Facebook post generates 100 comments and you have 1,000followers, then your Engagement % is 100/1,000 i.e. 10%. Good orbad, comments mean your audience is engaged with your content. They have an opinion, and they are voicing it.

Share %: What is your ratio of shares to followers?If your blog post generates 200 shares and you have 1,000 followersthen your Share % is 200/1,000 i.e. 20%. A good Share % means thatyour audience loves your content and is spreading your message.They are on their way to becoming your raving fans.

Conversion%: What is your ratio of leads to followers? If your Instagram post generates ten sales leads and you have 1,000 followers then your Conversion % is 10/1,000 i.e. 1%. Conversion % is the Holy Grail of social media.

Domination, Not Just ParticipationFind out where your audience is hanging out.

If your audience is most active on Facebook, engage with themthere. Entice them with Facebook Ads and then move them to yourFacebook Business page, and then your website. If your audienceis younger, be sure to have an Instagram business account.

Develop a social media personality that’s both true to your brandand relevant to the medium and then dominate the medium. While long form content rules in blog posts, quick snackable content is the rule in the world of Instagram and Facebook.

Content RulesSocial media feeds on content. Develop content which Informs, Inspires, and Entertains. Find out what is relevant to your customer's life and give them the information that they want.

Are you a corner restaurant? Talk about the latest food trends in your local area. Shoot videos of how you are making your signature dishes. Show your chef visiting the market for picking up ingredients. Showcase and celebrate your staff.

Content which takes your customers on a journey should be thefocus of your social media. Content is the step before Conversion. Conversion is the real goal.

What are the Next Steps for You?Do a review of your social media marketing efforts from the pastyear. What worked? Can you do more of it? How? What didn’t work?Can you shut it down and cut your losses?

Develop goals for every stage of your social media marketing fornext year. These goals will set up a measurement system for you to evaluate whether you are on target.

Use the above trends as a checklist to guide your social media marketing initiatives on a week-to-week and month-to-month basis.

Social media is a big leveler. Big budgets don’t necessarily win thiswar. Smart Planning and focusing on results do. Don’t let marketingbecome just an expense item. Make your marketing drive your business results.

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Top Food Marketing Trendswww.condimentmarketing.com Article by Sara Lancaster

1. Targeted Social AdvertisingExpect targeted social media advertising to become more commonamong food businesses. According to the Direct Marketing Associa-tion, “Social media will grow to 24% of marketing budgets within fiveyears, up from 10% today.”

The ability to thoughtfully target social media ads using data as aguide has never been better. The new Facebook pixel helps with that.Target your ads to users with specific interests or demographics andtrack impressions and clicks with intense precision, not just from theinsights of the social media network, but from your website analytics,too. You can run ads on most social networks, even Snapchat.

We have found that:• Pinterest and Facebook ads work well to drive traffic to your site • LinkedIn ads are best for generating B2B leads• Twitter ads help you get market research done

Social media advertising is far less expensive than a magazine ad,billboard, radio spot, or a trade show booth.

2. New-ish Word of Mouth MarketingInfluencer marketing is a form of word of mouth marketing. An influencer is someone who, either on their own or with coaxingfrom you, shares the good news about your brand. That promotioncould take place on social media, on the street, in a book — wherever — and it is fantastic.

Influencer marketing is not new, but there are a lot of terms for this concept: influencer marketing, relationship marketing, brand advocates, brand ambassadors, and on and on.

In 2017, expect to see more food businesses partnering up withinfluencers to further the brand’s content reach.

3. Real Authenticity

The trend in marketing for nearly all industries, including food, is to be transparent; to show your customers who you really are in creative ways and create an avenue for personal connection. However, many food businesses are getting busted for being dishonest in their seemingly transparent claims.

The public and media are not kind to bogus representation. Take, for example, Mast Brothers Chocolate and Chick-Fil-A.

Bottom line…make your message true to your company values and your ingredient list. The marketing trend toward a transparentcompany-consumer connection is not going away. Do it right.

4. Food as CommunityThe Bacon Social House in Denver could be a case study in currentfood trends. Bacon continues to delight food lovers with locally-sourced ingredients and boozy brunches. But all that aside, the location strikes us as an excellent example of food as community, a definite 2017 food marketing trend.

Bacon (the restaurant) is set back and not obvious from the street.Once you find the door, you will likely need to wait for a table, whichis fine because you’ll want to meander in the nearby boutiques andspecialty food shop. With garage doors and windows open at all establishments, you can easily hear your name called while you arebuying your pineapple earrings (true story).

Once seated, share a bacon flight and watch your fellow diners in the multi-level restaurant. You really do feel like you are part of something here.

Other ways to create food as community…

• Support a cause (e.g., child hunger, reducing food waste, etc.)• Purchase ingredients from suppliers in line with your

vision / mission / brand identity• Get creative with loyalty programs• Community tables

5. Awe-Inspiring Food VideosJon Levy, a human behavior expert, said the emotion that promptsthe biggest engagement from people is not happiness, sadness, or anger – it’s awe.

This ties very closely into the video marketing trend you’ve no doubtseen all over social media and the web. There are a variety of reasonswhy video works so well in marketing food, but one of the biggest reasons,I think, is because when done well, video can effectively generate that feeling of awe.

LATE-BREAKING NEWS AND STATISTICS

Instagram faithful are protesting a new feature currently in beta-testing: Instagram Albums. Core users claim that letting anyonepost up to 10 photos at a time would strip Instagram of its only core differentiating idea - the focus on carefully curated, perfect single photos, in favor of making the network more like Facebook (Instagram’s parent company.)

Facebook is testing augmented reality lenses, borrowing one of Snapchat’s most popular features.

There are currently 1.86 Billion active users on Facebook and 600 Million active users on Instagram. Over 150 Million people useInstagram Stories daily. 1.2 Billion users are active on WhatsApp while 1 Billion are active on Facebook Messenger.

Despite once claiming 200 Million users, Twitter is shutting down the Vine community website. The app has been rebranded VineCamera. Time to start looking for the next hot social media startup technology.

Restaurant use of social media continues to increase as operators realize the medium's marketing potential. People of all ages use social media to make dining decisions and share their experiences.But simply having a social media presence for your restaurant isn’tenough. If you’re investing time and resources into social media, you need to guarantee meaningful results tied to your business goals.

So how can you maximize your social media marketing impact? Employ the EAT strategy:

Engage your community.Align with your brand identity.Turn social actions into traffic.

Engage your Community

When it comes to a brand's social media fan base, quality is more important than quantity. Though many businesses measure a campaign's success by verifiable numbers, such as Facebook "likes" and Instagram followers, these metrics don't necessarily indicate success.

Focus your efforts on building an active community, rather than a high number of followers. Understand your audience and developcontent catered to their interests. If your restaurant has pages representing each location, tailor the content accordingly.

Listen to what your patrons are saying and engage with them in real time. Reacting to positive feedback via social media offers yourbrand an opportunity to convert those making casual commentsinto true brand ambassadors. By addressing negative experiences,you can quickly diffuse situations, demonstrate that you care andpossibly even convert an upset customer into a loyal one.

Building an active, engaged community requires nonstop monitoring of the conversations about your brand. Streamline thisprocess by employing a social media management solution such as Nuvi, Hootsuite or Sysomos. These tools can help automate theprocess of posting content, while providing insight to measure campaign progress.

Align with your Brand's Identity

You likely go to great pains to unify your brand across its many usesin your logo, on your website, in your restaurant design, menu andserver uniforms. This should also carry over to your social media useof your brand. Granted, with an ever-changing array of emergingnew social media venues, this can be tough to keep up with, but it's still critical to unify your message across all channels.

Develop brand guidelines and outline how they extend to socialmedia, including use of color, font, logos and other graphics, as wellas the tone of voice your brand projects through these venues. So, will you interact with customers using humor? Or do you want to be more formal or conversational? If you know your customersand your audience, you can develop your brand's voice accordingly.

Once you have a plan, develop monthly content calendars thatschedule social media copy and graphics. Indicate which contentcan be reused across platforms, such as converting a blog into an infographic. Creating a content calendar can help show you the bigpicture across venues so you can align your identity.

Turn Social Actions into Foot Traffic

Having 200 fans "like" your Facebook post about the upcomingopening of your newest location is great, but it's likely you'd ratherhave 200 people walk through your door on the first day. To inspireyour social community and garner their interest and business, takeadvantage of the power of location-based engagements. LBEs in-clude any action taken to interact with individuals on their mobiledevices when they are in a specific geographic place. Some of themost common LBEs include direct check-ins, Yelp reviews, orphoto/video tagging in specific retail locations.

Some social media management solutions combine keyword-based monitoring with location-based listening to track online conversations in or near restaurants. There are also a variety of geo-specific monitoring tools that can locate customer feedback,identify influencers, uncover service issues and discover potentialcustomers. These insights can be used to proactively reach out to local audiences and shape other aspects of your marketing plan.

E.A.T. Your Way to Social Media Successwww.pizzamarketplace.com September 13, 2016 Article by Megan Redzia

3 Unwritten Rules of Food Pornwww.restaurantbusinessonline.com Oct. 3, 2016 Article by Alaina Lancaster

Good lighting and delicious-looking food are musts for attractingfoodie eyeballs. But here are a few lesser-known best practices.

1. Show of HandsThe appeal of uber-popular (and frequently shared) recipe videosshowing a pair of hands preparing a simple dish carries over to foodphotos as well. Shake Shack and Ben & Jerry’s both load their Instagram feeds with appetite-triggering, food-in-hand shots with wish-you-were-here backdrops.

2. Highlight IngredientsAs customers hunger for more transparency, some restaurant brands,such as Noodles & Co., are taking a high-art approach to not just thefinished dish but the fresh ingredients that go into it.

3. Call it How They See ItWhen a colorful secret menu item became an Instagram sensationthis summer, Starbucks carefully capitalized. Formally a StrawberryAcai Refresher made with fresh berries and coconut milk instead of water, fans dubbed the remix #PinkDrink, and it went viral. Starbucks played along, even suggesting more colorful riffs such as #PurpleDrink, which garnered nearly 32,000 likes.

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Restaurants have traditionally been a means to an end. But due to mountains of options, they’ve surpassed the basic utility of satiating hunger, and have created new need and want states.

This phenomenon is especially prevalent among Generation Z.For them, brands have evolved into cultural and social state-ments. Translation: Restaurants are no longer here to simply satisfy hunger.

In today’s world, young diners and would-be brand ambassa-dors want brands that reflect and contribute to their sharedvalues. Great products and superior customer service are cost-of-entry table stakes.

Restaurants that help exert and receive influence among this generation’s peer group get their attention, and eventually theirloyalty. The culmination of brand experiences has to be more than just purely transactional. They must connect with authentic participation as the catalyst.

A recent study conducted by Iris Worldwide looked at shoppingbehaviors of Millennials and Gen Z. Overall, this group looks forbrands that deliver a unified and genuine message that alignswith every experience, including the transaction of buying. They want seamlessness in all the ways they communicate. After all, these brands do the talking for the consumer.

There are brands that are ahead of the curve and understand thisevolution, and others that must innovate or perish. Here are fourthings restaurants should consider in cultivating more meaning-ful relationships with Gen Z:

1. Celebrate communities that share the same values. Focusing on core influencer groups within your market is a stellarway to gain traction and build buzz. Celebrate the things that getthem excited inside and outside your four walls. Aligning withtheir passions will position you as a “friend” and spark more opportunities for word of mouth, social chatter and buy-in fromthose who have a much larger reach and loudspeaker.

Freebirds World Burrito does a stellar job of connecting the brandto a cause that resonates with the same values as their audience.The chain’s program leverages the power of locality with the helpof “tribe members” — staff members who are engaged in the localcommunities. This effort is honest and effective at aligning thebrand with the values in each community.

2. Present your brand and food within their culture. Too often, restaurants only consider the experience inside theirfour walls. Instead, they need to consider the potential for theirbrand to be a lifestyle, not just a hunger cure. This happens outside the four walls and within different subcultures. So ask nothow the culture of Gen Z fits into your brand, but how your brandfits into their culture. They want real, authentic experiences thataren’t afraid to be human. That means fessing up to mistakes, listening to people and having a personality.

Many local, independent restaurant brands excel at communityintegration by having strong showings at local events large andsmall. It’s more genuine than throwing money at sponsorshipsand calling it a day. These brands get face to face with the peoplein their market and create connections with each other and withthe brand.

3. Help them experience your brand in their channels. The restaurant industry has been stuck in a rut with old-fash-ioned dining experiences. Gen Z is tech savvy and tech depend-ent, and, in the traditional sense, they don’t always wantsomeone to take their order, provide suggestions and interrupttheir conversations to ask them how their meal is. They’re wellversed at handling the process — and complaining when something isn’t right.

Brands like Domino’s in the U.K. allow customers to build theirown pizza with any toppings of their choosing. Then they namethem and promote their creation through social media. This example hasn’t only proven engaging — it has driven sales.

Utilizing new features on popular social platforms can also worktowards building your brand. For instance, Instagram’s new “shop now” capabilities can quickly convert a passive viewer into a potential customer. It just takes some extra thinking and an attention to creative opportunities.

Many restaurants saw the value in emerging platforms last summer, when Pokémon Go hit like a tidal wave. By setting up PokéStops and using the platform’s lure item creatively, they were able to draw in people quickly, effectively and inexpensively.

4. Make dining super simple and super social. Many full-service brands have been hesitant to implement a kiosk or a digital-forward approach to ordering. The rationaleusually includes the lack of personal touch and the ability to upsell. However, the industry continues to fail to reinvent theway we grow with ever-changing consumer needs and wants.Rethinking how customers order and engage could be the disruptive game-changer, akin to Uber’s overhaul of personaltransportation. It wasn’t that personal transportation wasn’tavailable before Uber; it’s that Uber made it simple and intuitive.For instance, Taco Bell is constantly pushing its cultural relevanceby simplifying and streamlining the way customers order tacos.From ordering using taco emojis on Twitter, to simple message-based ordering on popular communications platforms like Slack,Taco Bell obviously understands that simplicity is king.

Attracting Gen Z isn’t an enigma. These customers aren’t mythicalbeasts that require magic to be found. Above all, they require authenticity from brands across the board. By following the four points above, you can conform your brand to their will andwants effectively. After all, their buying power is only growing.Those who choose to stay ahead of the curve will win.

4 Ways RestaurantsCan Win Over Gen Zwww.nationsrestaurantnews.com January 31, 2017 Article by Joseph Szala

sproutsocial.com/insights January 4, 2017 Article by Alex York

There was no shortage of changes to the social media industry in2016, which included several new features, consumer preferencesand brand opportunities. Looking toward 2017, social media trendswill continue to evolve and surprise us.

While it’s impossible to predict how the social media marketinglandscape will change over the course of a year, we’re here to point out six social media trends marketers should keep an eye on.

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10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Social Media Consultantwww.socialmediatoday.com January 31, 2017 Article by Lucy Rendler-Kaplan

Today, more than ever, people are leaving in-house marketing jobs,choosing instead to begin their own consulting business. There areboth pros and cons for small businesses looking to hire a consultant.The pro is that you can find people with years of experience and canhire them as consultants. Not bringing them in-house means yousave money on their insurance, bonuses and at times, even equity.

The cons come when you realize there's a much lower barrier toentry now - anyone with a personal Facebook Page and a large number of Twitter followers can offer their services to you.

And while they might be more affordable, it can sometime be hardto discern if they have any experience building brands, or if they’resimply any good at promoting themselves. Once you make the deci-sion to outsource, you'll want to strongly vet potential consultantsand/or agencies. Here are 10 things to ask or consider:

1. Can they demonstrate a proven track record?Ask what brands the person or agency has worked with and is currently working with (to ensure they're not working with a competing brand).

Don’t be shy about asking for references. Ask about a brand theyworked with where something didn't work out – how did they handle that? Were they able to quickly adapt and change course? Do they have the necessary experience in your industry to properlyadvance your business?

The more they know about your industry, the less of a learning curve there'll be, and the more resources they'll bring to your brand.What are their first steps when taking on new clients?

2. Where can I find current and past examples of your work?Anyone with experience will be readily able to show you a portfolioof work as well as links to initiatives they've either run or been involved in creating. Look for campaigns that have been repeated. You know things are working when you keep doing it.

Have the campaigns led to brand exposure? Sales leads? Will this experience help in your market?

3. Who will be handling my account and what backgrounddoes this person come from?The background of each person working on behalf of your brand is important. If you're looking for marketing, PR and/or social mediahelp, you want people that have leveraged those skills working withprior companies.

Do these people have knowledge and experience with trends in these areas?

4. How will we track Return on Investment?We know that not everything has immediate return that's trackablewhen it comes to social media. But you can track most things. You want to know that this consultant or agency isn’t simply lookingto add likes, followers or fans, but is actually able to analyze conversion rates.

Brands that hire an outside agency will want to know that theagency or consultant is consistently monitoring results, and is beingheld accountable. You'll want to know there's a standard monitoringand reporting process in place that works for both you and theagency or consultant.

5. What is their process for reporting?How often will you meet with them? How often will you be provided status updates or check-ins?

If the agency doesn’t have a method to suggest immediately to youon how they'll communicate, it might be a red flag that the agencyisn’t as connected with their clients as you'll want to be (or that theyhaven’t even thought of this yet).

6. What will you do if something goes wrong?How would you handle a social media crisis? Marketing campaignsthat look great on paper can go wrong in application, no matterhow seasoned the consultant is. How will they react? How do they respond to negative reviews? Tweets? Negative Facebook comments?

7. How do they come up with strategic plans?How much does writing content figure into their experience andplan for your business? A good consultant will have a workflow thatworks for them and you. They'll know how to integrate social mediawith PR and traditional media. They'll want to talk to your sales teamand find out what plans they have and will know how to integratethem into all they are doing.

8. How will content be developed?And, will you have to approve all of the content written on behalf of your brand? Will it all have to be planned, or will you trust thisperson or agency to create on-the-fly content for you? Does thisperson have the experience necessary to understand the nuances of writing content specific for each platform and for your audience?

Content developed for your brand needs to be likeable and share-able. A consultant or agency should be able to show you examplesof previously created content for other clients, as well as their content calendar, or what their content creation process looks like.

9. What does success look like, and how will we measure it?Brands that are investing in consultants and agencies must haveclear goals in mind when starting this process. An agency should be able to help you achieve your KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).The consultant or agency you choose will help you establish theseKPIs and will work with you to write strategies and tactics to hitthose goals.

10. What will this cost?Outside of the monthly retainer or fee you agree to with the consultant or agency, you want to know that your budget is beingkept in mind in all they're doing. Are there going to be additionalcosts in monitoring brand mentions? What's the process for getting additional budget approved, before this consultant agrees to something? Do they have a plan for ads on Facebook and Twitter?What will that cost?

By no means is this an exhaustive list. Choosing a consultant oragency is a big decision for every brand. You're entrusting your babyto someone outside the “inner circle.” You want to know what influ-encers they're friends with and for how long, what their personal social media profiles look like, and how they conduct their network.