At first glance, it’s difficult to find more than lip-synching videos and choreographed dances posted by teenagers on TikTok. Most recently, famous TikTok stars such as Charli D’Amelio and Addison Rae were seen at the 2020 Celebrity All-Star game. However, this video-based social application goes beyond personal popularity among Gen Z. TikTok is transforming the way brands can digitally communicate with their customers. It’s time for your business to use TikTok and gain followers.

Ok Boomer! Let’s engage with Gen Z

Social media today is all about engagement. Creative digital content drives customers to your website, store and products. Most brands focus their social media efforts and strategies on applications such as Instagram and Facebook. But TikTok, has over 500 million active users per month. This is a perfect opportunity for brands to increase awareness within Gen Z and millennials.

The first step in engaging with younger audiences is highlighting the lighter side of your business. Use TikTok and gain followers for your brand through laughter. In fact, younger generations are most responsive to humour on their social feeds. Comedy unites individuals and shares a more humane side of a brand rather than corporate. TikTok invites users to share funny and quick videos and brands now have the opportunity to shift their social content. What works on Instagram such as sponsored posts, won’t go viral on this quirky app. TikTok has a vast selection of music and memes that will enable your creative marketing efforts.

Dance online and drive traffic to stores

Here are a few video ideas based on your industry to use TikTok and gain followers. If you are in the restaurant industry, highlight your menu items with a dance challenge. Choreographed dances on TikTok quickly go viral and invite thousands to participate as well. One brand that used TikTok to gain brand awareness was Chipotle. #GuacDanceChallenge went viral as Chipotle challenged their followers to show off their best dance moves while raising attention for the restaurant’s offering of free guacamole. Chipotle used TikTok to drive foot traffic in stores and engage with their younger consumers online.

Chipotle, however, isn’t the only brand using TikTok. Organizations such as the National Basketball Association (NBA) use TikTok to post bloopers during games or behind the scene moments while a team travels. The NBA is enabling users to witness their favorite players not only on the court, but off the court as well. Use your brand’s TikTok and gain followers by sharing about employees and everyday moments in the office. A business is more than it’s products and social apps like TikTok are a creative way to engage your employees with your followers.

A final note, TikTok tips

TikTok is meant to be fun. There are no rules and most importantly, you have creative freedom to showcase your brand. Post silly videos that engage users and invite them to recreate and add a personal twist. Ultimately, if your business wants to reach a younger audience use Tiktok and gain followers.

Virtual meeting etiquette is a fundamental component of communication in today’s interconnected world. Virtual meetings require high levels of professionalism despite their casual appearances. Keep reading to learn how to maintain virtual meeting etiquette in every online meeting.

Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn: Which Social Media Channel Is Right For You?

With so many social media networks to choose from, it is easy to become overwhelmed. However, each social media channel caters to a different type of user; individuals are using platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn for a variety of reasons. Before deciding which network is appropriate for your brand, research which channels meet the needs of your target audience. Your decision should not only align with the needs of your audience, but it should reflect the goals of your social media marketing strategy

Social Media Uses Everyone

The advancements in technology and social media that expand every single day have made the world a more connected place, but it has made a major disconnect. People are more and more disconnected every time Apple releases a new iPhone or the next new tech toy. In some ways, communication is kept alive by all of the new technology. It is great for when loved ones and business associates are overseas but technology has made a gap in a personal connection. You may have Wi-Fi and are “connected” but we are not actually listening to one another.

The Idea of Listening

Listening is a concept everyone is taught at a very early age. Instructions are given and people are to do what they are told to do. According to Merriam-Webster, “listening is to hear something with thoughtful attention; give consideration.” The act of listening is not only to physically hear what someone is saying but to understand what they are trying to convey to you. This skill is especially important to communication professionals.

Listening and Communicating are Essential

From a business outlook, active listening and effective communication are imperative to success. In advertising, you must listen to your publics to provide a compelling campaign to sell or promote new products or services. Public relations professionals must listen to your client’s publics to understand the perceived notions of your client. In any industry, the power of listening and communicating together provides the most impactful skillset any professional may obtain.

You must use these skills to enhance the power of social media, but you cannot forget about personal, real connections. Those are more important than any likes, retweets, or social connections you could ever receive.

Tailoring your organization’s content on social media platforms to your consumer is essential to attracting and maintaining a devoted audience. While the specifics of your company’s social media activity depends on the company itself and the industry, there are certain generally applicable factors that can help guide your social media usage.

The most applicable platforms to discuss are Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Snapchat and YouTube. These outlets have consistently ranked among the most popular with people of all regions, ages, genders, and ethnicities.

Platform Purpose and Voice

Different voices and content must be applied to each different platform to capitalize on what users want from others on the platform.

Instagram should be used to display thoughtful or aesthetically pleasing content. Here, aligning yourself with other popular creators or brands can help boost your audience.

Twitter is fast-paced and casual and should be used to connect with your audience through short conversations. Twitter can be used to humanize the business through the creation or reinforcement of the business’s voice and interaction with followers.

Facebook can be more professional or personal, depending on your organization. This is a great place to highlight group or employee accomplishments and share important information. Facebook can be used to humanize the group if the organization shares photos or videos of day-to-day or behind-the-scenes work.

Pinterest should be used to share more artistic content or helpful information. Captions of the content are less important than the other platforms, but the images should drive users to become followers.

YouTube is unique because there is not one style that defines the platform. YouTube has a wide array of content, so following industry norms is likely to do best here.

Read more about Instagram analytics for businesses here

Platforms for Target Audiences

While remaining active on each of these five platforms would be ideal, companies often don’t have the ability to do so. To get the greatest benefit social media activity has to offer, organizations should focus on platforms used most by their audience and where the organization’s content will do well. 

Businesses may target social media content to men or women. The two generally have the same social media platform preferences, with the exception being Pinterest. If your organization wants to target content to women, Pinterest may be a beneficial platform to do so.

If age is important to your group’s target audience, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram are the top three most popular platforms for those ages 18 to 49. Snapchat and Twitter are more favorable for people ages 18 to 39, whereas Pinterest and Twitter are more favorable for people ages 39 to 49. The 50+ age group deviates slightly from the norm. If your group’s target is 50+, Pinterest ranks among the top three favorites of this crowd, beating out Instagram.

Other possible considerations include how often users use each platform, how long users spend on the platform, and whether the platform is growing in popularity or is in decline. The platforms with the most daily users are Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter capture users’ attention and win the top three for the longest amount of time users spend on the app. Finally, Twitter engagement has grown the most over the past two years with a 6 percent increase. Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube are tied with a modest increase in engagement. Interestingly, Facebook engagement has declined by 26 percent over the past two years.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube consistently rank among the most popular platforms, but they are also oversaturated with organizations and seem to be in decline. Instagram and Twitter seem to offer the most opportunities for your organization to build a strong, younger audience. For older audiences, Pinterest and Facebook are likely the two social media platforms with the most promise.

Sources

Share of U.S. adults using social media, including Facebook, is mostly unchanged since 2018

Change in user engagement with selected social media platforms in the United States from 2017 to September 2019

Most popular social media apps in the U.S. 2019, by session length

Most popular social media apps in the U.S. 2019, by audience

SEO Tribunal states that Google has more than 90 percent of search engine market share worldwide. Receiving more than 63,000 searches per second everyday, Google is central to everyday research. Moreover, its analytics function is also highly used in marketing strategies. Understanding the results of a campaign can be difficult, but becoming Google Analytics certified helps. The Google Analytics Individual Qualification (GAIQ) exam certifies you as the go-to expert on all things Google Analytics.

Instagram’s decision to stop posts from appearing in chronological order back in 2016 sent shockwaves through the digital world. One of the first companies to ever promote the use of an algorithm, Instagram claimed to know what content users wanted to see by analyzing their interactions on the app. There has never been much explanation as to how the algorithm works, why it makes certain posts appear before others, or why it stops particular content from showing on user’s feeds… until now. The new Instagram analytics tool displays the accounts users most and least frequently interact with in two separate categories, making the once incomprehensible algorithm just slightly more user-friendly.

How Does Instagram’s New Analytics Tool Categorize Followers?

Based on data Instagram gathers over a 90 day period, the feature uses calculations to determine what accounts belong to the “Least Interacted With” category, or the “Most Shown in Feed” category. The groups are based off of user actions such as reacting to stories and liking posts. To the benefit of all influencers, youtubers and fashionistas, the new Instagram analytics gadget can help Instagrammers everywhere understand why the company’s algorithm prioritizes certain posts over others. In doing so, this new addition highlights accounts who don’t show on the algorithm-based feeds in the first place. Leading the path to the “unfollow” button, this is Instagram’s way of justifying user’s decisions to cut ties.

How Can Follower Categories Help Your Business?

The new Instagram analytics tool has the capacity to accomplish much more than the detection of non-essential accounts on user profiles. The tool’s ability to identify weak relationships can help businesses recognize the audiences they need to engage with more frequently. By targeting accounts with the least amount of engagement, companies can widen their demographics and better understand their consumers. In the same manner, users now have the opportunity to see what companies they follow, but need to get more involved with, if they wish to have those company’s posts on their feeds. This new Instagram analytics addition can support both businesses and consumers in learning and sharing information with one another, overall decreasing the likelihood of Instagram’s algorithm concealing company posts on loyal customer’s feeds.

For more information on this topic, read https://smusmc.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=17887&action=edit

If you were born before 2000, you’re probably a little confused about TikTok. Despite its reputation as a lip-synching app for teenie-boppers, TikTok is quickly becoming a marketing goldmine. Keep reading to learn how to use TikTok for business.

According to the social media team at Hubspot, TikTok is the number one social media platform marketers should be watching in 2020. Now more popular in the app store than Instagram and Facebook, the one-year-old platform is a creative way for companies to show a different side of their brand and engage followers on a new level.

TikTok: A Marketer’s Playscape

Rather than using TikTok to generate traffic or leads, companies are leveraging the app’s 500 million monthly active users to increase brand awareness.

Using hashtags and overlays of popular songs, brands are getting Gen Z’s attention. One way companies can effectively utilize hashtags for maximum awareness is through Challenges. Challenges encourage users to endlessly iterate certain videos, usually involving a song.

Opportunities for companies on TikTok are only becoming greater. The app just recently launched an advertising process and hyperlinking capabilities for brands.

Look How These Companies Use TikTok for Business

• Guess

Guess was the first company to launch a challenge via TikTok. When TikTok launched, the app partnered with Guess to initiate the #InMyDenim challenge, encouraging users to post creative videos wearing their Guess denim, overlaid by the song “I’m a Mess” by Bebe Rexha.

Watch one of the #inmydenim challenge videos.

• Chipotle

Chipotle is the best example of a brand utilizing TikTok to show off its funny side. The company has garnered 55,000 fans on the app, frequently posting creative and humorous posts. Like Guess, Chipotle has also launched a successful challenge. Chipotle’s “Guac Dance” is the highest-performing branded challenge on TikTok. According to Forbes Chipotle’s bet on TikTok is paying off. Since launching its TIkTok, the company has seen a correlated increase in sales.

Tips for Using TikTok for Business

• Get creative. Unlike well-established platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, TikTok has very few norms and expectations. Don’t be afraid to experiment. It might just get you noticed.
• Show off the humorous side of your company. TikTok users don’t take themselves too seriously, and neither should your business. Take the opportunity to show off your company’s flare.
• Get your followers involved. Encouraging engagement with challenges, comments, and likes will get you far. With the right challenge, you just may go viral.

If you want to learn more about how to use TikTok, click here for Wired’s beginner’s guide. If you follow these tips, your company might be the next one to become a viral TikTok sensation.

Grow your company with these three social media strategies.

Social media strategies should address your business needs and lay a solid foundation for managing multiple social media channels. Due to the fact that social media has rapidly expanded within the past decade, it has become necessary for every business to have a social media presence. Although navigating the world of social media may seem complicated, it has become much more straightforward than it used to be. Developing a social media strategy is imperative if you want your business profile to succeed.

Social networking channels are becoming more important to public relations professionals each day. Being in the this industry requires a deep understanding of social media channels. They help with client relationships, two-way communication, reputation management and much more. Each social networking channel is unique, and the platforms should be used for a specific purpose.

Here is a how to guide outlining the intended uses of the four main social networking channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Social Channel: Facebook

Facebook is the top social networking channel for all ages except Gen Z. It is meant to be a conversational platform. Because of this, Facebook allows PR practitioners to easily engage with their audience. By crafting posts that include high-quality images, links, and videos, a company can participate in two-way engagement with their audience.

PR Mention broke down the key features that will engage audiences. For example, Facebook has leverage capabilities such as groups, mentions, a donate button for a call to action and fundraising, and Facebook Professional Services that will assist PR strategies. 

Social Channel: Twitter

Twitter is a social channel focused on microblogging and social networking, where users post and interact with messages known as “tweets”. The application is a valuable channel for when a company needs to release information quickly. With a max of 280 words per post, Twitter forces users to get the message across without any fluff. Twitter is a place to showcase a company’s personality through witty tweets and user engagement.

Tweets are quick thoughts, which makes it acceptable to post often and more frequently. It’s excellent for all types of announcements, upcoming events, introducing a new product and breaking news. One way users increase audience engagement is through live-tweeting. Companies can give their followers an inside look into any event by live-tweeting the experience. Because this is an up to the minute information platform, it’s acceptable to regularly post.

Adding hashtags to a tweet will instantly grow the reach of your account to a larger audience. They are an easy way to track what the audience is saying about your company. Twitter has software that makes it easy for a user to research what clients, competitors, and media are tweeting.

Social Channel: Instagram

Instagram is a social networking channel that creates high engagement with audiences. This network should contain a balance of fun, personal and promotional content. PR professionals should use eye-catching visuals. Such visuals create awareness, promote an event, live stream behind the scenes, generate conversation about the company or brand. Instagram is all about user engagement to increase your reach. One way to do this is through following, liking and tagging relevant accounts.

Instagram can be used as a powerful sales tool by showcasing a new product or its client’s offerings. PR professionals should capitalize on the use of social media influencers to reach a new client base. According to B2C online, some of the most successful Instagram campaigns have utilized influencers. A company’s Instagram account creates insights and engagement statistics showing valuable research that is useful for companies to grow their online presence. 

Social Channel: LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a strictly professional social networking channel that presents the latest business information. A company can highlight the client’s experiences, share valuable company news, connect with new clients and gain industry insights. Users on LinkedIn are looking for reliable information, not opinion-based pieces. Company pages have a feature to create tabs that will emphasize product offerings through pictures, videos and links. By joining LinkedIn Groups, a company can gain insight into specific industries or generate new contacts. 

Final Thoughts

Understanding the intended use of each social networking channel will ensure the best engagement with the intended audience. Because these channels are based on the latest trends, news, and constant advances in social media technology, it’s essential to keep up with the newest features offered. For more helpful tips, visit PR Mention!

Becoming a Content Creator

You can still be a content creator even with a full-time job. Use the weekends to shoot your content and then slowly release the content throughout the week. When you run out of material then you will have to do another shoot. When you plan to create the content in advance, you do not have to worry about creating new content daily when there may not be time to.

Creating a Unique Space

If you want to become an “influencer” or a specialized “content creator” you need to figure out what you love, what you are skilled at, do you have something niche to focus on and share insights about. Create a small strong community around your niche topic and build from that. Come up with two to three pillars or reasons as to why someone should follow your account and why your account will resonate with your followers. To be a successful content creator you have to be an expert in a specific field and be able to tell your expertise in a thought-provoking and intriguing way

The “Perfect” Feed

When new followers come to your Instagram page, they see nine to twelve photos in the grid and your bio. Your grid will either intrigue these new followers and make them stay or they will leave. You want to show these new followers a reason to stay and give them a clear picture of what type of content creator you are. When brands look for influencers and content creators to work with or partner with, they need an idea of the type of content you could produce for them. Keeping this “perfect feed” in mind sometimes the most aesthetically pleasing accounts are not always the most engaging. A true content creator understands that aesthetics are important but what you put out needs to stand out and reflect your personal brand.

Final Thoughts

• Your page should reflect you
• Have a purpose for your page
• Post quality content
• Post content consistently
• Engage with your audience and other brands
• Be thoughtful and strategic with your content to become an effective content creator

Read more helpful tips!

Eager to master social media platforms? Get informed with the top social media mistakes to avoid!

In the year of 2019, social media plays a constant part in the development and success of corporate brands. Learning how to manage social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook. Snapchat, Instagram, and Pinterest, is a vital part of upholding positive communication with an audience. However, a company must learn how to successfully handle these platforms, which is not always an easy task. Read below to learn about social media mistakes to avoid!

1. Trying to master every platform.

With such a large number of social media platforms, it is nearly impossible to be present on all of them. If your company’s social media team is small, focus on the main three platforms – Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. By focusing attention solely on these platforms, a brand can enhance their engagement levels.

2. Disregarding video content.

Video creates opportunity for engagement and excitement amongst audience members. Companies should utilize video content on social platforms, especially Instagram and Facebook. Video reaches people in an engaging, personal manner, which can help promote products, brands, or people. To read more about the power of video content, click here.

3. Ignoring or deleting negative commentary.

In order to properly engage with your audience, a company must respond to feedback – both negative and positive. If a company ignores negative commentary, it looks dismissive and uninvolved. If a brand decides to deal with the issue or negative comments immediately, credibility and trust is established.

4. Posting heavy promotional content.

While it is important to promote your company or product, promotional content is often considered unappealing. While social media is a good place for this content, it must be posted sparingly. Posts that engage with audience members tend to be more affective and interesting.

Now that you’ve learned what not to do on social media, start posting!

Draw clients in through digital and traditional efforts on Adobe software

As a promoter, it is important to ask yourself, “Which marketing strategy will provide you the perfect reach and also drive engagement with your target audience?” This blog will expand on why both traditional marketing and digital marketing techniques are used in many corporations when promoting your brand and how Adobe software can help you to be successful.

Traditional vs Digital Marketing: 

Traditional marketing includes handouts, the newspaper, banners, business promotions on the radio or Television, print advertisements, and magazines to publicize news or products. However, as technology continues to advance, the digital marketing world continues to propel. Digital marketing includes websites, social media, and YouTube videos to drive engagement and promote products. 

Digital marketing in ways is somewhat like traditional marketing, meaning they are both used for similar objectives. Ultimately, these techniques are used to draw in clients and to construct brand awareness. 

Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign:

A great example is Adobe software. When mastered, tools used on either Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign can help spark new levels of creativity. Adobe software is designed for anyone to create anything from posters to banners and websites. 

• Photoshop: this graphic design software allows you to create and enhance photographs, illustrations, and 3D artwork. You can also use these tools to design websites and mobile apps, edit videos and create real-life paintings. 
• Illustrator: this vector graphic software allows you to create logos, icons, typography, drawings, and illustrations for print or web. Many designers and artists use this tool to create anything from web icons to product packaging and billboards. You can easily turn simple shapes and colors into custom logos, icons, and graphics. This software is a vector based software, meaning it can scale down for mobile screens and scale up to billboards. 
• InDesign: this design software and layout app allows you to create, preflight, and publish documents for print and digital media. It has anything from making posters, books, digital magazines, and interactive PDFs. Whether you are working in print of digital media, InDesign is a good tool to help you create unique layouts. With professional layout and typesetting tools, you can build multicolumn pages that display rich graphics, images, and tables. To add, you can prep your documents for printing in just a few, simple steps. InDesign is always staying up-to-date with new features.

Adobe software continues to accelerate every day and technology is changing the way people think. Today, Adobe is igniting creativity in young individuals through the Adobe Creativity Scholarships which recognizes the next generation of creatives and helps them to propel in careers. Click here to learn more.