2018 Wrap-Up: Our Top Promo Social Media Stories of the Year

It's hard to believe, but 2018 is pretty much over. And to think, we just stopped writing "2017" for every date! To give it a proper send-off, we're running a series of retrospectives recapping the year that was. Today's subject: promo social media. These were our top stories of the year involving Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and anything else social. Share away!

The 2018 #Online18

Dale Denham's much anticipated 2018 Online 18—the list of the promo industry's top social media influencers—did not disappoint. This year's list added several new names to the usual collection of industry standouts. If you're looking to break through on social media or otherwise up your business (and personal) online presence, this is a good starting point. We also talked to Dale on our podcast, where he shared some behind the scenes info on the list.

Instagram for Promo: 5 Ways to Build and Connect With Audiences

The most visual social media channel, Instagram holds a special place in our hearts. We tried to help users get the most out of the platform with input from a couple of promo industry Instagram standouts.

IHOP Blew It: Rebranding, Viral Marketing and Sticking the Landing

Hey, remember IHOB, the viral marketing stunt from IHOP that took over the internet for a few weeks? If you forgot about it by now, our look at the whole fiasco is a good refresher, and a reminder that the internet, for all it giveth, can just as quickly taketh away.

The Promotional Products Industry's Unlikely Secret Weapon: Selfies?

The selfie craze is showing no signs of slowing down, and it turns out it's shaping fashion in a big way. The same principles that make it such a boon for fashion brands give an unlikely boost to certain promotional products categories, especially apparel.

Taco Bell’s Holiday Branded Merch Collection Shows How You Target the Instagram Crowd

As we'll cover in the coming days, lots (and lots) of fast-food brands got into branded merchandise this year. But few did it as well as Taco Bell, whose holiday collection was a textbook example of how to target its core demographic—the online crowd—with promotional products.

Keep Calm and Sell On: How Those Insanely Specific Custom T-shirts You See on Facebook Get Made

If you've used Facebook at any point in the last couple of years, you've no doubt seen ads for shirts that say things like "I'm a Game of Thrones-loving biker chick who loves Starbucks and can't stand the New England Patriots—deal with it!" Here, we took a look at where those shirts come from and the rise of the algorithm economy.

The Right Way to Use Social Media for Business

Looking for tips on lead generation, networking and social selling? This story, with advice from a couple of social media all-stars, is a good starting point.

More Logo Fun: Burger King Becomes 'Pancake King' on Twitter in Vicious Jab at 'IHOb'

Just a follow-up to the IHOP story, as a whole bunch of brands had some fun at the restaurant chain's expense.

What Are the Most Effective B2B Social Media Channels?

We broke down a study from Content Marketing Institute exploring the top social channels for B2B marketing. LinkedIn was the leader by a mile, but there were some surprising appearances on the list, especially in the top five.

BlackBerry Mobile Strikes Out With Branded Merch, Social Media Campaign

We applauded this BlackBerry vendor's effort to use branded merchandise to drive social engagement, but the execution was lacking. If you're looking to run similar campaigns for your clients, this is a good place for some ideas on what not to do.

Snapchat Proved It Can Work for E-commerce—Here's Why That Matters

As Snapchat moved to implement e-commerce capabilities into its app, we speculated on the possibilities for branded merch. A few months later, it's all happening, with pop superstars getting in on the action and Snapchat expanding further into custom merchandise sales.