Stories by Seth Arenstein

This week’s Data Dive, which looks at consumer engagement with U.S. B2C brands during Q3 (July 1-Sept. 30) on Instagram, is more proof that brands shifted their effort to the photo-based platform, as opposed to Facebook, where engagement was relatively tame during the quarter. The data, provided by Shareablee exclusively to PRNews Pro, also shows the power of video, even on Instagram, which was designed originally as a platform for mobile photos.

[Editor’s Note: Due to popular demand, Rebecca Haynes is back with us to provide gift ideas for the discriminating PR pro. And in accord with the findings of the PR News Pro Salary Survey, Rebecca has listed few gifts that cost more than $40.]

Facebook: Almost Everyone’s Doin’ It: How many times have you heard it said that everything flows from the top down? Well, not quite everything. In the case of social media, some CEOs trail their employees, particularly communicators. That needs to change, at least for CEOs using Facebook for business, Facebook says.

Anne Glauber is using her 30 years in PR and communications to offer a hand to people like her. In truth, of course, there really are not many people like her. It’s become her mission to inform pancreatic patients of the possibility of clinical trials and experimental treatments.

In previous editions, we’ve noted engagement with brands’ social posts on Facebook in Q3 has been modest or even down (see PRNP, Nov. 7 & 21, for example). The thinking then was brands were investing more effort in other social channels, such as Instagram. Data for U.S. B2B brands in Q3 (July 1 – Sept. 30) on Instagram, provided exclusively to PR News Pro by Shareablee, proves the point. Total consumer actions, or engagement, with B2B brands posts on Instagram increased a whopping 80% compared to Q2 2015. Engagement with photos grew a modest 4%, yet video engagement grew a healthy 74%. Actions are defined here as the sum of reactions and comments.

For all the good that social media provides, it also, during times of crisis, can be the venue for horror stories about brands. We mentioned in our Dec. 5 edition the plight of Delta Air Lines, whose Thanksgiving turkey was ruined when an unruly passenger’s tirade—and the cabin crew’s failure to boot him from the aircraft—was captured on video.

W2O Group continues its buying spree. The SF-based agency acquired Sentient Interactive, a firm specializing in digital paid and owned media analytics, strategy and marketing. Sentient president/co-founder Adam Cossman will serve as chief digital officer of W2O Group. Earlier this year, W2O said Mountaingate Capital secured an investment position in the firm to accelerate growth. W2O’s acquisition of Sentient, Pure and Marketeching during the past 6 months has added 100 employees and $25 million in revenue. — Ruder Finn acquired Daylight Partnership, a digital marketing and analytics consultancy. Daylight will merge with Ruder Finn’s digital arm and be known as RFI Daylight. Daylight founder David Ko will become SVP, RFI Studios Asia.

The news release is not dead. Even in the constantly evolving digital age, a news release is one of the best ways to disseminate a message. It’s also a great vehicle to reach media contacts. A news release for social media and one for traditional news media are different, however. To reach an online audience, releases need to be social. By being so, the release can be shared in various communities by people beyond media contacts. Journalists, bloggers or social media users who work mostly online prefer a news release containing embedded video, audio files, images and links. Links to social news releases can be sent via email to a reporter or tweeted to an audience.

Among the keys to a successful Snapchat effort is an editorial calendar, says Larissa von Lockner, PR & social media manager at PwC. A sample of the brand’s editorial calendar for Snapchat is shared exclusively with PR News Pro readers below. PwC’s belief that using Snapchat must track with a brand’s larger PR and business goals is seen in columns 2, 3 and 5, as the campaign, stakeholders/requestors and strategy are listed.

As a PR pro, you’ve heard the advice often: Stick to the basics that you learned in Communications 101. It applies in so many situations, including thinking about paid social, according to PR pros we spoke with about the subject. And, yes, all of them have modest budgets for social media.