Philipp:
Hello Felix, thank you for taking the time to do an interview here at OMKB despite your busy schedule.
Felix:
Hello Philipp, thank you for the invitation.
{{divider}}
The issue of EU copyright reform...
Philipp:
Axel surfs – What is your opinion on the EU copyright reform? And what impact could it have on social media marketing in the worst-case scenario?
Felix:
There is currently a tremendous amount of hype surrounding this topic. And that applies to both sides. Unfortunately, this leads to both sides exaggerating to an excessive degree in some cases. Simply because fear is involved.
From an online marketer's perspective, I do consider the upload filter issue to be a problem, because it could mean that many things would no longer be possible. However, it must also be said that there have always been new regulations. And we have always found solutions so far.
The best example is the user IDs on Facebook, which were often scraped in the past and used by resourceful online marketers to place ads. This method no longer works today. Nevertheless, we still have online marketing.
In other words, online marketing will not die out, but the GDPR has already made it clear to me that we need to adapt it. Now it's e-privacy. Conclusion: marketing remains exciting.
{{divider}}
The trend networks of 2019
Philipp:
Social media trends – Which networks will grow in 2019 and why?
Felix:
In short: Instagram and LinkedIn. When it comes to the German market, I believe LinkedIn in particular will increasingly replace Xing. I also see particularly high growth potential in messaging apps.
However, this growth does not refer to the number of users of WhatsApp and similar apps, but rather to the functions and intensity of use. If we compare the use of WhatsApp in our country with WeChat in China, there is still a lot of room for improvement when it comes to classic everyday applications such as shopping.
In this context, Facebook could be described as a faltering giant. On the other hand, I don't currently see any network that has the potential to become the Facebook killer.
Philipp:
Facebook's advertising business is still doing well. However, when it comes to organic reach, the situation is somewhat different. Björn Tantau recommended in his presentation that we focus more on Facebook groups.
I find this method so interesting because the introductory keynote speech put forward the theory that organic reach will cease to exist in the foreseeable future. What is your opinion on this theory?
Felix:
I don't believe in this theory. However, I also believe that social media should always be viewed as a paid media channel that offers free bonus reach.
It is not possible to build a business solely on free reach. Every entrepreneur plans an advertising budget from the outset and adds this to their pricing. If you then generate viral effects via social media, that is a nice side effect.
{{divider}}
Your opinion on influencers...
Philipp: Influencers – Are they still credible? If so, why?
Felix: We are in the process of destroying this marketing discipline as well. We are destroying everything: we destroyed SEO, we destroyed Facebook. And why? Because we always exaggerate and mercilessly exploit everything.
We have now reached a point in influencer marketing where simple formats are no longer credible. A pretty girl smiles at the camera while holding a product, and people buy it: that's just worn out.
However, this should not be seen as a swan song for influencer marketing itself. There are still some good approaches that I very much welcome. These include collaborations that deliberately go deeper and involve influencers and companies working together to develop products and brands.
The topic of influencers itself will never completely disappear because it has always been around, albeit in a different form. The method of "using external ambassadors for my brand" is nothing new. What is new is how it is done today.
But to sum up: what we see in influencer marketing for the most part is hackneyed, no longer credible, and will definitely disappear again.
Philipp: Speaking of credibility: Micro influencers could counteract this . Do you have an opinion on them?
Felix: Micro-influencers are almost outdated now. We're already talking about nano-influencers (haha). But no matter what you call them, I find them far more credible than the big names in the industry.
Philipp: Can you elaborate on that?
Felix: It's actually quite simple: an influencer with a small but active community generates more genuine interactions than large influencers with millions of followers.
This is particularly evident among major beauty influencers. When they hold a product up to the camera, whether on YouTube or Instagram, the comments are usually along the lines of: Wow, you're so pretty. But the product itself is hardly noticed because the influencer outshines it.
The situation is different with micro- and nano-influencers. Here, fans have a much stronger connection to their favorite influencer, which goes much deeper. When a product is discussed or explained, genuine interactions and conversations about the product take place. This is extremely valuable for companies.
Philipp: Let's stick with influencers: young self-promoters – which Instagram pictures are most popular?
Felix: To my horror, those typical Instagram poses are still popular.
Philipp: What do you mean by the classic Instagram pose?
Felix: These are, for example, photos in which you see a woman stretching her arm backward and seemingly pulling a man with it. You see this image millions of times. Or a hand in the hair, gazing dreamily into the distance. You can find another good example under the hashtag "trolltunga."
Philipp: Trolltunga?
Felix: Yes, it's a rocky outcrop in Norway. On Instagram alone, you can currently find 128,000 posts with the same motif under the hashtag. Always the same pose, on the same rock somewhere in Norway. It's mass-produced.
What I find particularly curious about this, however, is the fact that long lines are now forming in front of this stone. To be honest, I find that very sad, because it has nothing to do with creativity. But creativity isn't what's in demand. Mass-produced goods work, but I honestly don't think that's a good thing.
Philipp: Then we already have a hashtag for our interview: #morecreativity.
Felix: Definitely: More creativity, more uniqueness, and less mass-produced goods! This applies to the entire community: brands, influencers, and the average user.
{{divider}}
Social Media = Content Marketing?
Philipp: That's a nice statement, which actually serves as a good transition. As a social media expert, what is your opinion on content marketing?
Felix: For me, content marketing and social media marketing are largely the same thing. Both disciplines are very closely linked: in social media, I have to produce content that meets or awakens needs and then market it. This is extremely similar to the daily business of a content marketer.
Philipp: We've already talked about paid ads. Do you think people should use paid ads more on Facebook to promote their own content?
Felix: It used to be pretty simple: you published a post and everyone saw it. But those days are long gone.
Instead, there are now only two ways to showcase your content with a wide reach. Either you make your content go viral so that people share it themselves, or you market your content via paid ads.
Philipp: To counteract the loss of organic reach, new methods are being established every day. Currently, many coaches and freelancers are trying to share their content by sending friend requests.
The logic behind this is as follows: if Facebook prioritizes posts from friends and acquaintances, my content will also be displayed to them first. What do you think of this strategy?
Felix: Fortunately, I don't get friend requests like that because I've adjusted my settings on Facebook accordingly. This means that only people who have a mutual friend with me can send me a friend request.
I find such strategies simply awful. It's typical push marketing: you force something on people that they don't actually want. I'm absolutely not a fan of this, even if it might work in some cases.
Philipp: Yes, that's the crux of the matter: you don't want to be spammed with it.
Felix: Not only that, but I also simply don't want to be solicited. I want to be interested in things and maybe come across something cool.
However, as soon as I feel like I'm in a sales funnel, in a company's sales process, it really puts me off.
{{divider}}
Using Pinterest marketing effectively in online marketing
Philipp: Okay, changing the subject: Totally on trend— how can I use Pinterest for my online marketing?
Felix: Unlike Facebook and various other networks, Pinterest does not have a dominant news feed. People actively search for recipes, household tips, and other industries. This means that, unlike Facebook, it doesn't really matter when you upload your pinboards to Pinterest. The most important thing is that you are available with boards for the relevant hashtags in your industry and generate more targeted traffic.
Philipp: You raise an important point: on Pinterest, it doesn't really matter when you publish a post. So publishing 10 pins at once is absolutely no problem.
Felix: Yes, that's the advantage of this archive format. It wouldn't work on Facebook because all activities and posts are focused on the news feed. A huge advantage: With Pinterest, you can first upload the image material you already have and then immediately check whether it's generating the impressions you hoped for.
{{divider}}
TikTok on the clock and the marketing party don't stop now
Philipp: Let's move straight on to the next trending network: How does TikTok work, and is it suitable for marketing purposes?
Felix: TikTok is currently undergoing a transformation. Originally, it was purely an app with 15-second videos and playback singing for teenagers. However, the company now wants to move away from this and broaden its appeal. That's why there are new updates that allow you to shoot longer videos in landscape format.
As with all new channels, we will have to wait and see how things develop. Nevertheless, I think it is very possible that TikTok could become big in the future. From a marketing perspective, there are definitely some good opportunities there.
Philipp: What kind of approaches would those be?
Felix: Since it's a video app, there's no getting around moving image productions. And that's where it gets exciting: on the one hand, you as a company can provide your own videos, and on the other hand, you can encourage your target group to produce user-generated content.
To this end, I would come up with a suitable hashtag and a challenge: Produce videos with the hashtag... what did we say earlier?
Philipp: #morecreativity
Felix: Exactly! Produce videos with the hashtag "mehrkreativität" (more creativity), do something really creative, and win a trip to L.A. That could be a great format. Currently, however, it's still limited to the teen target group.
{{divider}}
Reach across networks with YouTube users
Philipp: Last question: Watching videos – Should companies focus more on YouTube? If so, why?
Felix: Listing all the reasons in favor of YouTube would go beyond the scope of this interview. So I'll just stick to the most important one: the videos can be found on Google.
This means that with YouTube, you can reach users across networks who may not even use YouTube themselves. As a result, you always have additional reach via third-party channels. And after all, we're all happy about additional reach.
Philipp: A good closing remark. Thank you for talking to me, Felix.
Felix: It was a pleasure. I'd love to come back next year.
{{divider}}
Quote of the day from online marketing expert Felix Beilharz
For me, content marketing and social media marketing are largely synonymous. Both disciplines are very closely linked: in social media, I have to produce content that meets or awakens needs and then market it. This is extremely similar to the daily business of a content marketer.
