In an exciting announcement Instagram posted on their own business blog that scheduling posts will now be part of the Instagram Graph API.

This is great news but isn’t being rolled out to the public. The feature is exclusive to software developers using Instagram’s platform API like Cortex, Hootsuite, Sprout Social, etc.

Unlike Facebook or Twitter, this won’t be native to the product itself.

Of course if you work with an agency, like Pandemic Labs, all your weekend and 3am posting is covered. No need to worry and now all it means is that we don’t need to set an alarm to wake our Creative Director so he can do it.

Cayman Cookout, Grand Cayman

Each year, over President’s Day weekend, The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman and Eric Ripert host the island’s most anticipated culinary event – Cayman Cookout. World-renowned chefs come together to create an unforgettable and delicious experience, including the hilarious José Andrés, legendary Emeril Lagasse and most interesting man in the world, Anthony Bourdain.

I was lucky enough to be able to attend their 9^th installment to cover the events through social media on The Ritz-Carlton brand’s major channels. From watching José Andrés and Emeril Lagasse jet ski onto Seven Mile Beach and pop champagne, to playing shot roulette with Tim Love after he showed us how to cook the perfect steak, these four days were some of the most memorable of my life (#RCMemories).

But it wasn’t all fun and games. My 10+ years as a social media consumer and 1.5 as a social media account executive prepared me as much as possible for the comprehensive campaign we had planned; but with about 10 events happening each day on opposite ends of the hotel, candid moments among spirited chefs and unpredictable weather, being flexible was also integral to the campaign’s success.

Our strategy was to capture as much live content as possible for Twitter and Instagram stories (The Ritz-Carlton brand’s debut on this format) to raise awareness for the event, while also gathering recipes, quotes, videos and images to later turn into long-form content for @RitzCarltonChefs Instagram account, Pinterest, and Facebook. Understanding each channels’ strengths, formats and the ways in which they are consumed was key to allocating my time and attention to each event.

I began every morning by trying to memorize times and locations of cooking demonstrations so I could be in the right place at the right time. I was never without my bag of essentials – press pass to enter events ahead of time, Theta for seeking out 360 photo opportunities, itinerary, shot list, phone and portable charger. Overlapping beach demos meant obnoxiously sneaking to the front of the crowd to take pictures of the chefs, listening intently to their ingredients and tips, and waiting until the dish was handed out to snap a picture. Once I got the shot (and devoured the dish) I rushed to the opposite side of the beach to do the same for the next demo.

By Sunday evening we had published 28 live tweets, daily Facebook posts to recap the days’ events, 20+ Instagram Stories, 6 @RitzCarltonChefs posts, and a big enough bank of images for me to #tbt for the rest of my life.

What I got out of this experience was not only an enviable “highlight reel” (and a sunburn), but a fully immersive social media experience. I learned that being able to adapt is just as important to a strategy as a step-by-step plan, as long as you know your overall goal and target audience. I got the chance to meet, collaborate, and learn the crafts of really interesting people also working the event including Tasting Table contributors, incredible photographer Trey Ratcliff and the seasoned Cayman Cookout professionals from the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism. Of course, I couldn’t have done it without my amazing Pandemic Labs team who helped proofread and schedule my content, and FaceTimed me when I needed a reminder to just breathe and enjoy the view.

Speaking of highlight reel…

2017 is already a big year for social giants Facebook and Instagram. For users there are many new features that make both platforms engaging and fun to use. These changes will have a deeper impact for brands and marketers.

Facebook

In-Stream Video – With the Audience Network launch last May, Facebook now runs In-Stream Videos which allows Facebook’s 4 Million Advertisers to reach more people with pre-roll and mid-roll placements. This also includes Facebook Live. In-Stream Video has proven to increase overall CPM results and continuing to show potential as the popularity of video increases. If you have quality video to share, this may be an option for your next campaign.

Messenger Advertising – Facebook Messenger has changed extensively in the last few months. Some say it has officially emulated SnapChat with the use of filters (and stories). However, The good thing about Facebook Messenger in terms of business is the ability to interact with fans in real-time and has changed the ecommerce space entirely. For example: Jasper’s Market – The user has clicked on the call-to-action button which started a messenger chat including the 20% offer. From there a real-time conversation can begin.

Instagram
Carousel Photos and Videos – For a few weeks now, social marketers and users alike have been excited with the carousel photo and video feature that is now available on Instagram. The Carousel Ad has been in the Advertising space for a awhile but now the Carousel option lets you create a single Instagram post with a slideshow of up to 10 images and/or videos. Users can scroll them. You can tag users on individual slides within the post and marketers can upload their product catalog to the mix. This will allow for users to click on items within the photo, see how much it costs and purchase the item in just a few steps. Amazing!

Instagram Stories – With 300 million daily viewers and 500 million monthly viewers, Instagram is leagues ahead of Snapchat when it comes to the ability of advertising reach within stories. At first, Instagram only allowed 30 brands to participate in advertising within the new feature and now it is a placement option for all with access to Business Manager and Power Editor. Of course, this option should be used only if you have quality imagery and video to connect with appropriate target market.  Airbnb was one of the first brands to capitalize on this awesome feature. As the year continues, look for many new trends with video content, advertising and metrics. Remember, don’t be afraid to try new objectives to fully optimize your social campaigns.

Ogden, Utah

Dana and Ski Patrol at Powder Mountain, UT

Last year I was on location in Ogden, Utah with our photographer Nate, from Speed Photos, for a Content Spree. This is what we call our intensive quick focus shoots of an area where we capture stills, video, 360, depending on the immediate need, in a quick 2-3 days. When we are mapping out a Content Spree, the itinerary and routes are meticulously planned using Google Earth, first hand referrals and researching, but always allows for spontaneity to drive the creative flow, as when you’re on location you can’t plan for everything! Weather, talent, traffic, equipment failure and more are all waiting to create havoc in your strategically planned shoot! Sometimes, these non-calculated moments some of the best and most unique content is captured.

We were slated shoot content all over the Ogden valley including three ski/snowboard locations (Snow Basin, Nordic Valley and Powder Mountain), while also covering downtown Ogden. Temperatures were single digits the majority of the time, which makes getting out of bed early to capture sunrise over the Nordic Valley really tough, but a large hot coffee and this glorious sunrise made it worth it!

The last afternoon of the Content Spree, was shooting at Powder Mountain, which consists of over 7,000 miles of back country terrain covered in 500 inches of Utah’s pristine powder only accessible by a few lifts or hiking. Luckily Ski Patrol gave us a lift via snowmobiles, allowing us access to shots we wouldn’t have been able to capture otherwise. They were even stoked to be in the shoot!

These Content Sprees are a lot of fun, and you really get immersed into the area you’re shooting. It’s a great learning experience as well to work hand-in-hand with the photographer creating content together as we go. Most importantly, it’s a great benefit to our Clients and they’ve been extremely happy with all of our results.

Content Spree Summary: 2.5-day Content Spree | 500 stills developed | 12 hrs of B-Roll scenic video produced | 100% organic talent

Check out a few of our favorite shots:

“What should we watch?”

The rallying cry should ring familiar. Netflix, Hulu and their ilk use sophisticated algorithms to provide tailor-made recommendations based on your viewing habits, and those of your friends.

And Chill takes this to the next, logical inflection: a chat bot you interact with in natural language. The bot analyzes words and phrases to deliver personalized movie recommendations, complemented by a YouTube trailer for the flick it’s suggested. Coolness factor aside – because chatting with an A.I. as if it were a human is nothing if not cool – And Chill is just one more bot heralding the renaissance of chat.