Kettle boiled? Check.
Ready to learn? Check.
Biscuits at the ready? Check.
That’s how you know you’re back for another Tea & Trends.
We’re bringing together some of the most impactful trends and updates in digital each month so you don’t have to, putting a focus on one of our sector specialties: pubs and restaurants.
Of course, these trends and tips could apply to any brand, really, so stay open-minded and creative! Oh, and don’t miss out on last month’s Tea & Trends…
Now let’s get into it before your brew goes cold. Here’s everything you need to know from October 2022…
1. Social media is becoming more authentic
You may already know that social media is becoming a more authentic place, with people preferring rough-and-ready photoshoots, live video, and messy behind-the-scenes snapshots, but did you know it was getting this authentic?
According to a “Secrets & Lies” study by WPP Australia, 49% of us misrepresented our lives in social media in 2018. Now, in 2022, this number has reportedly fallen to just 11%.
This can likely be accredited to changing attitudes – potentially driven by Gen Z – towards all kinds of lifestyles and choices, with people being more open than ever on platforms like TikTok. When real life becomes content, why would you be anything but real?
How to make these work for your pub or restaurant:
Being authentic should be easier than trying to show only the most perfect, Feed-worthy content. You can create behind-the-scenes content that shows the reality of working at a pub or restaurant, including staff opinions and even mistakes – as long as they’re funny or endearing and not a regular occurrence!
Mostly, just be yourself – that’s why people come to you in the first place.
Find out more*.
*Opens the report PDF.
2. TikTok uses continue to grow
As you might expect, TikTok is changing and growing every month to meet the demand of its massive audience. This month, two user-experience updates were announced:
- Profile Kits were launched: This allows its users to pin up to six videos at the top of their profile page, where previously they could only pin three videos.
- Partnered with LinkTree: This partnership means that users can add a LinkTree to their profile, which links off to other places (e.g., other social platforms, websites, or videos). Plus, for linked videos, users can watch without ever leaving TikTok – which is all any platform really wants.
How to make it work for your pub or restaurant:
These updates are worth noting if you’re on – or thinking about getting on – TikTok. You can pin a few more of your most popular videos (or your most important videos) to your bio, and even link out to multiple pages.
For pubs and restaurants, this may be your latest menu or booking page.
3. Instagram trials in-app scheduling (and so much more!)
As Instagram is trying to keep up with TikTok, it’s naturally also trying many new features and updates to keep its audience interested. In October, these updates included:
- In-app scheduling: This has been a long time coming and is finally being tested on specific accounts. Watch this space!
- Incentivised Reels: To motivate people to share more portrait video content – like TikTok, of course – Instagram are working on giving people private-only ‘Achievement’ badges for creating Reels. Would this work for you?
- Multiple links: Until now, only one link has been allowed in profile bios, but some users have noticed multiple links being tested.
- A return of a classic: Some have reported that the ability to add a song to your profile may be coming back.
How to make it work for your pub or restaurant:
The most important two updates for businesses are the ability to schedule your posts within Instagram – previously only possible via third-party platforms – and the potential for multiple links in your bio, allowing you to make certain pages much more accessible.
For example, you could have a link to your website homepage and a more direct link to booking. The easier it is to book a table, the more likely someone is to do it.
4. Twitter allows tweets to show images and videos at the same time!
Multimedia tweets have arrived, meaning videos, images, and GIFs can now be shared in the same Tweet!
It’s a simple update, in theory, but it opens the door to all kinds of creativity between video and image formats. For example, Twitter shared this new update with a funny tweet that merged a Jurassic Park GIF with a Kermit the Frog image – the perfect combo:
whoa, it works
now everyone can mix GIFs, videos, and images in one Tweet, available on iOS and Android pic.twitter.com/LVVolAQPZi
— Twitter (@Twitter) October 5, 2022
How to make it work for your pub or restaurant:
Get creative! You could go down the more meme-related route, like the Twitter example above, or you could think of ways to make it more hospitality focused.
For example, a video on the left could show a dish or drink being prepared and then being served to the right, where an image of the finished product is waiting.
5. Engaging Christmas content is being unwrapped…
View this post on Instagram
Dates to keep in mind for November marketing!
3rd: Champion’s League begins!
5th: Bonfire Night
10th: Remembrance Sunday
25th: One month until Christmas…
Planning your November 2022 marketing: What should you focus on now?
Effective marketing is all about planning ahead, so where should your mind be as we head into November? Well, here’s what we’re starting to think about now:
- Champion’s League matches: There are so many football matches in November – is there any better reason for a trip to the pub? If you’re showing the matches, make sure the locals know it.
- Bonfire Night: Even though this is only a minor annual event, it still is an event, and one which people often enjoy with family and friends. You may not have a Bonfire Night event yourself, but you could be the place where people meet for a few drinks and good food before heading back out for a night of fireworks.
- Christmas (we’re not there yet!): Other brands are going all out for Christmas now – we’re getting close to the big day, after all. Like the examples shown this month, take a bit of time to plan out your Christmas offering and the most engaging, attention-grabbing way to tell people about it.
Finish your brew…
That’s all for this month, but we’ll be back again at the end of November for another Tea & Trends, keeping you at the forefront of digital, from brand websites to social media innovation and everything in-between.