August 26, 2016
This week the Twitterverse witnessed the rise and fall of social influencers on the media battleground. Here are my favorite trending hashtags from the week:
- #LochMess – While the buzz about the Olympics may be over, Ryan Lochte is still making headlines and tre
nding on social media. Four sponsors have dropped the medal-winning swimmer since his infamous night out in Rio. The incident can serve as a valuable lesson for PR pros who work with #influencers.
- #DogsofInstagram – The newest online influencers are four-legged and furry! Dogs are now major social media stars, posing for photo shoots and bringing in the big Hollywood bucks. Meet Toast, a puppy mill rescue who earns $3,500 – $5,000 per sponsored Instagram post on his site #ToastMeetsWorld.
- #Snapchat – From the recently launched Promoted Video on Pinterest to Instagram Stories, the battle of messaging apps intensifies as challengers try to compete with Snapchat. Adweek gives a breakdown of how Snapchat’s competitors stack up.
- #Gawker – The shutdown of Gawker, the controversial website with an unapologetic brand of journalism, reignited heated discussion about privacy and freedoms of speech. Founder Nick Denton published a lengthy obituary to the website, further fueling the online debate.
- #SocialJournalism – A new study offers insight on how to reach more journalists on social media. More than half of the surveyed journalists said they use three or more social sites for sourcing, but their habits and preferences differ by age, beat and geographic location.