LinkedIn is the top professional networking platform for anyone who is in their job search process. Certain factors can prevent a job recruiter from finding your profile. So, I have gathered these helpful tips to help optimize your ability to be found online!

Find a Professional Profile Picture

Unlike your Facebook profile picture, your LinkedIn picture should contain a business professional representation of who you are. Dress for success- a headshot in professional clothing or whatever attire is acceptable for the industry. A smiling photo, with eye contact, shows that one is calm and confident in themselves. Do not hide behind sunglasses or dark colors. This profile is the opportunity for you to shed the best light on your professional self.

Effective SEO in Your Resume

Your LinkedIn profile should contain the same information as your resume, if not more. Discover keywords like marketing, communication, sales, etc. to help boost your profile’s searchability. Active words allow you to show off the many skills you have gained through past work experience. Consistency throughout your profile will create a clear picture of the type of job you are searching for.

Headlines Matter

The headline and summary allow you to create a short story of who you are and what you are looking for. The headline draws the job recruiter to your profile while the summary gives a bigger picture of who you are. According to LinkedIn Insights, only 8 out of 10 people won’t read past your headline. Which means your headline is as important as the first time you shake someone’s hand. With that in mind, it is important to come up with a unique phrase that will draw the job recruiter past the first level of your profile.

Connect

Lastly, LinkedIn is an incredible online networking platform. It was created to easily connect professionals with one another. So, my advice is to connect with anyone and everyone- past professors, friends from high school, or even bosses from old internships. The more connections you have the more likely your profile is seen as a legitimate connection!

Every day there is a new colorful brand that pops up on Instagram to promote their product. Whatever that product may be, the secret to the success of sales is dependent on the person who is the face of that brand. Can a brand be driven by the experiential feel of an account rather than the product itself? What are the driving factors that make startup brands successful? I researched online to find out.

What is a Brand?

A brand is made through specific marketing and communication that distinguishes one product from another. The most successful brands create a relatable feeling that can be associated with the company itself. The idea of a brand is tricky because it is determined by the target audience and is not always controllable by the marketing team. It is important for a brand to stay clear and transparent with their marketing messages in order to serve the needs of its customers. This method creates brand loyalty with an audience.

Poosh

Kourtney Kardashian started her own brand called Poosh. She marketed Poosh through her already popular Instagram account. Recently, she opened up about what her brand Poosh will bring to the public- a lifestyle website with e-commerce beauty products. Yet another Kardashian enters the beauty world! However, this brand will differentiate from Kylie Lip Kits or Kim Kardashian-West beauty products. Kourtney plans on selling already established beauty brands to her customers. Her strategy to sway her current followers to her new brand allowed the Poosh name to grow overnight. Instead of starting from scratch, Kourtney can steer her loyal followers to brands she wants to sell. Poosh can focus on improving marketing techniques to reach an even larger audience without the distraction of product production.

What Can We Learn?

Although an everyday person might not have the luxury of a verified account with millions of followers. The key is to find an audience looking for what you have to offer. Think about how your brand creates a story that people will fall in love with. Then, continue to feed your audience with the same honest message. This will bring your brand to life and hopefully become as successful as Poosh!

After participating in a phone interview with Meadows School of the Arts alumni, Eskinder Abebe, I found myself intrigued by his broad level of creativity he had developed during his studies at SMU.

Upon Transitioning into SMU

Entering SMU as a third-year junior, Abebe graduated with his Bachelor in Creative Computin. He then went on to complete his Master’s degree in Design and Innovation from the Meadows School of the Arts. Abebe was open about how his experience in such diverse programs.

Before he came to SMU, Abebe enhanced his knowledge of art at Richland College in Dallas.

Abebe came to SMU with a unique plan. “I came in wanting to do design and computer science field,” Abebe said.

Merging both degrees would allow him to become an expert in both science and art. This would optimize his knowledge on creative computation.  

Post Graduation

Abebe discussed his post-graduation endeavors. He worked as an intern in Portland, Oregon for both Asics and Footlocker. The globally run program called, “The Pencil in Footlocker,” was very exclusive and strategically selected 18 students to attend with only one art submission. Abebe truly embraced the opportunity he was given, and in just three weeks, asics used one of his shoe designs.

With a better grasp and more sophisticated knowledge on product design, Abebe returned to Dallas. Soon later he collaborated with close friends to launch their upcoming creative design agency called Design Frame.

Abebe explained that the group focuses on, “new product visions, creation of 3d and 2d renderings, digital marketing such as product photography, virtual reality, video editing, graphic design and SEO.”

Additionally, he was frequently participating in interviews and landed a job at Evolve Scholastic, a company that manufactures school, church, and party decorations. Abebe currently works within the jewelry design sector, specializing in necklaces, bracelets, pendants, and soft goods like performance hoodies, joggers, quarter-zips, leggings, and T-shirts.

“So far, designing a shoe for asics was my favorite project I’ve worked on,” Abebe said.

Abebe’s most exciting aspect of his work is, “designing products for people who use it day-to-day.”

He went on to explain the process to his success, “it begins with visualizing new ideas, seeing the final results in manufacturing, and lastly, taking pride in the work I’ve accomplished for that individual.”

His voice lit-up as he said, “coming in live is the most exciting thing.”

Abebe credits his success to the skills he acquired at SMU as well as his mentor. His embedded skill and background of art helped him learn more on computer science programming. This enabled him to do web development for his company, while simultaneously, “designing jewelry, rings or any artistic things they need.”

Keen Mentors

Abebe mentioned SMU’s Ira Greenberg, a professor of painting, drawing, creative computation and the standing department chair of Creative Computation.

Professor Greenberg had a large influence on Abebe, and encouraged him to do more freelance. This small push allowed him to focus on projects that he had more interest in. This skill required a more advanced and creative focus in terms of diverse topics

Abebe mentioned that, “Yong Bakos, Suzette Henry, Dwayne Edwards and Advanced Design Sketching as mentors as well they hugely helped me shape my career.”

Concluding Advise

Abebe’s advice to undergraduate students entering the workplace is to, “take internships and get experience even if it is unpaid. It will give you direction, exposure, and give you something to talk about.”

Eskinder Abebe is skilled at his unique combination of  merging both art and computer science into a different and desirable platform. Meadows School of the Arts prides itself on graduating such a dedicated, motivated, and intelligent student and is excited to watch where his work takes him in the future.

The world of social media has grown exponentially and doesn’t look close to stopping anytime soon. Social media used to be a place of creativity and expression, but that was a simpler time. Nowadays, everyone and their employer are on social media, raising limitations on what we should and shouldn’t be posting on our beloved Instagram. It may feel exasperating but here’s a list of five “no no’s” everyone should avoid across all social media platforms. 

People want to see the same post across three platforms. 

That’s a negative, ghost rider. And a ghost rider following is exactly what you’ll have if you partake in the annoying sport of cross-posting. No one wants to see the same post repeated. If they do, chances are they’ll stop following you on all three platforms and choose just one. Lesson learned: no cross-posting. Ever. 

Saying whatever’s on your mind. 

Let’s never forget, social media platforms are public. That means anything you say can and will be used against you. Think before tweeting a random thought or posting a compromising photo on Instagram. Even if you have your account set to private, nothing is private anymore (thank you screenshots). A good rule of thumb is if you’re confident you could show what you posted to your grandmother and your future employer, you’re good to post away!

Social media is your own therapist. 

Unfortunately, social media isn’t a place to practice your monologue for open mic night. Online rants are out, and conversation is in. Engagement is fundamental when posting regularly on social media. There’s a community out there, interact with it and listen as much as you want to be heard. There’s a balance of giving and take, finding it will make your experience on social media much more enjoyable. 

Retweeting and liking posts don’t count. 

If you think people aren’t looking at what other posts you’re sharing or favoriting, you’d be wrong. Your activity on social media matters. Engaging and interacting on social media is a great way to build a following and connect with others, but what you choose to re-post and like will follow you. Even if it wasn’t you who originally posted an idea, commenting or favoriting it automatically makes it associated with your personal brand, so be careful.

Politics are a light and fun subject.   

Ha! If only. Now, this doesn’t mean we don’t have a right to our own opinion. However, this does mean our opinion may not match those of another and nothing can heat up faster than a political debate. And let’s face it, on social media, no one wins. Regardless of what you’re posting, your politically-based thoughts can always be misconstrued by another so it’s always best to avoid it.

For young communication professionals, working in a completely new environment can be intimidating. While matriculating into the corporate business world, it’s essential to adapt into your organization’s internal culture. Whether you are a beginner or the leading CEO, you play a significant role in your organization’s culture.

The relationship between all employees are the biggest contributors to your workplace’s success. Within your workplace relationships, you orchestrate an interrelated network (or culture) that demonstrates similar core visions and values. This is referred to as organizational culture.

The Key Component To Your Workplace’s SuccessT

Two studies emphasis the importance of organizational culture and the influence it has on workplace success.

The first study is from the IZA World of Labor and Dr. Eugenio Proto. Dr. Proto’s (the department chair of Economics at the University of Warwick) findings underlie the key to casual relationships within the workplace. He reminds us how this boosts employees’ happiness snd generate higher productivity, “the worker well-being needs to be the central tenet of any company culture initative” (William Craig).

The second study reports the significance of work colloboation. This four-year study was conducted within the Survey Business School and France’s Genoble Ecole de Management. The report highlights how building a culture when all employees engage with each other on a regular basis is essential. The high energy encourages an environment of open and collorative nature.

Both of these studies reinforce the value behind an organization’s success based on their culture.

To learn more on this study, click here.

What Comes Out Of Closed Cultures

Well known author and speaker, Nan Russell takes a look on how workplaces benefit from participating in a climate full of trust. When trust is embedded into the values and visions of the culture, Russell argues the organization will have the following:

• high productivity
• better employee interaction
• increased profitability
• improved return in shareholder investment
• untroubled staff engagement
• more collaboration and teammate orienatetd tasks

Maintaining a controlled environment of trust is easier said than done. In order to actually foster a workplace that priortizes this relationship, two way open communication is essential in practice.

Next time you find yourself in a situation where you can speak transparently to another employee, know how important this can be toward reaching your organizations long term success.

Learn about the importance and impact a successful blog can have on your organization.

The Components

A blog is a way for you to tell your audience more about your organization in an easily readable and accessible way. Additionally, blogs can be entertaining. The content should be appealing and relevant to your audience. Each blog should be between 300 and 500 words, long enough to get the point across but short enough to capture and keep the reader’s attention.

Included in your blog homepage should be quick links to posts, other social media and a way to subscribe to the content. As seen on the photo on the right, linking to previous posts can increase users’ interest. Adding an ability to subscribe to the blog will ensure that users return to the site.

Choosing a title is another important component of the blog. This goes for the title of the overall blog as well as the posts. The blog title should reflect your organization directly as to avoid confusion from the reader. Each blog post should reflect the content of that specific post in a concise yet creative way.

How to Increase Traffic

One of the most difficult parts of creating a successful blog is increasing user traffic. Most importantly, your blog should be linked to all social media as well as the main website of your organization.

Utilizing social media is an integral part of promoting a blog. Each time you post a relevant blog, you should link it to a tweet, photo, story, or post. This allows followers and users to easily access the information you are trying to communicate.

Also, each blog post should be SEO perfect. SEO stands for search engine optimization. This is achieved through focused key phrases, correct grammar, and relevant content. Perfect SEO allows for your blog to be higher on search engine results, therefore increasing traffic.

Follow these easy tips to ensure you have a successful blog and organization!

There are only so many hours in the day that you have time to listen to your favorite podcasts, nonetheless, find new ones. As podcasts continue to rise, new content is pushing creative boundaries of all types. Podcast niches serve to educate and entertain listeners at the same time. Episodes are great platforms for communication professionals to share their knowledge with others in the fast-paced industry. Lucky for you, we have found a few of the best podcasts for PR professionals ranging from marketing to corporate communications to social media and more.

Talking Points

Need a quick way to jump into the world of PR news? In the podcast Talking Points, Arik Hanson and Kevin Hunt cover everything relevant for you to stay in the know. They offer a wide range of episodes from “Hot Topics” to exclusive interviews with PR professionals and are always taking suggestions from listeners! New episodes come out on Thursdays every three to four weeks.

An episode that may interest you:

Talking Points #107- Data journalism for content marketing, why email could be the best answer for reaching external and internal audiences and the Edelman Trust Barometer.

Marketing Smarts

Just because this title has the word “marketing” included doesn’t mean it is not a podcast for PR professionals! Marketing Smarts is hosted by MarketingProfs. In only 30-minutes, listeners get insight into how creative strategies can relate to both marketing and communications professionals alike.

An episode that may interest you:

Futureproof Your Marketing: Minter Dial on Marketing Smarts– Minter Dial shares digital marketing insights on business and project planning for a stronger future.

Social Zoom Factor

If anyone can keep up with the ever-changing world of social media, it is Pam Moore, the host of Social Zoom Factor and CEO/Founder of Marketing Nutz. Forbes even considers her to be one of the Top 10 Social Media Power Influencers. In addition, each podcast includes supplementary materials for listeners to use. In other words, Moore gives you all of the tools to become a social media expert!

An episode that may interest you:

10 Reasons a Marketing Calendar Is Your Most Important Tool in 2019

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Starting today, you will have more control over your experience on FaceBook.

Facebook recently launched “Why am I seeing this post?” to help viewers have a better understanding and more control on what they scroll through from friends and groups in their personalized News Feed. This improved technology will structure how ranking works directly on the app. In addition, they also improve the “Why am I seeing this ad?” by using a tool that was launched in 2014. All of these improvements over the past several years has helped them to expand the information that is shared with people and the ads that they see.

From Now On, You Are In Control:

You will be able to tap on posts and ads, view the context on why you are seeing these ads in News Feed, and take control to further personalize what you want to see. For example, if a post is from a friend of yours that you made, or a Group you joined or a Page you followed this new feature will explain why you are seeing this specific post.

What is the Purpose of This?:

The goal of News Feed is to showcase posts that are considered most relevant to the person viewing the post. Next time you are on Facebook, try searching for “Why am I seeing this post?” which can be found in the drop down menu in the right corner of the post.

To add, going directly to See First, Unfollow, News Feed Preferences and Privacy Shortcuts will help you personalize and control your News Feed.

Businesses can also engage with their customers by uploading information they might already have like emails and phone numbers. Facebook will then try to pair the ad to the most relevant audience without showing any identifiable information to the business.

Facebook is Staying Committed:

Both of these improved updates are part of Facebook’s ongoing commitment to giving people more control and information across all personalized News Feed. They will continue to listen to feedback and use the feedback to evolve these updated features even further over time.

For more information on Facebook news and updates, please visit the Help Center:

https://www.facebook.com/help/?helpref=hc_global_nav

Instagram checkout is finally here. Third parties, such as rewardStyle, have linked Instagram with shopping for years. But, now the app has launched its own checkout platform that can all be done with the click of a button.

What is it?

Checkout on Instagram allows users to buy items they love from their favorite brands. While flipping through their feed, users will be able to buy items directly on Instagram without ever having to leave the app. Twenty-three different brands will be involved in the launch of checkout. These include Adidas, H&M, Kylie Cosmetics, Revolve and various others.

How does it work?

When tapping an item on a brand’s shopping post, a button in the corner will read “Check out on Instagram.” Tap this button to view the various colors and sizes the product comes in. Once adding the item to your cart, Instagram will direct you to a secure checkout page without leaving the app. This payment page includes name, email, billing address and shipping address for your first time. Instagram has promised its users that this payment page is entirely confidential and that all information will remain safe. Once the order is complete, updates on your order status, shipment and delivery will come from Instagram. This allows all your personal information to remain in one place and all notifications to be kept organized.

How will this affect other Instagram shopping platforms?

Only time will tell. RewardStyle came about to monetize being an influencer. From there, the company launched LiketoKnow.It to create an easier platform for buying items directly from your favorite influencer. Other third party shopping stages include ShopStyle. These companies pride themselves off creating lasting relationships between influencers and brands. But, with the convenience of never having to leave Instagram, it is unsure how they will hold up against Instagram checkout. They may hold up when it comes to creating brand partnerships. But, when it comes to shopping off Instagram, we’ll have to wait and see. 

Instagram’s long awaited Checkout feature is finally here. Checkout will allow for quick and secure in-app purchases of material items through select retailers. Coming after multiple updates to the app that geared its users towards shopping, Instagram is finally ready to take the leap into commerce.

The Power of Influencers

In Instagram’s announcement of the new feature, they noted that users have always loved to shop in the app. With the rise in popularity of the Instagram influencer, Instagram has made the app even more shopper friendly. Until now, only the Influencers and the brands that partner with them to promote their products benefitted from user purchases. With Checkout, Instagram will finally get a cut of these deals. This will occur through the fee charged to the retailers that use the feature.

Updates to the app inspired by the growing Influencer presence on the platform include product tags in Feed, product stickers in Stories and a shopping destination in Explore. The Instagram Checkout feature marks a new era of online shopping.

What’s Next for Instagram?

The future of Instagram will be shaped by this new feature. As technology and social media platforms continue to converge, we may see Instagram following suit with Amazon or Apple. From offering a click-to-purchase feature to your very own Instagram credit card, the possibilities are endless.

Instagram’s evolution as an app since its launch in 2010 in the way that it is used and the business that it supports has given way to a growing industry of entrepreneurs. While some may wonder if the new Checkout feature is a way to cut out the middle man, but that’s not the case. The new feature will leverage the loyal users relationships with Influencers. This will draw more engagement and increase the breadth of services on the app.

Shopping made easy – everything you need to know before using Instagram’s checkout feature.

Due to the high popularity of social media influencers, products are shared at a faster, more frequent speed. To keep up with this new-found demand, Instagram recently installed a checkout feature. The feature allows for a seamless shopping experience for the application’s users. With this change, users will no longer need to “swipe-up” or click the link in the company’s bio. Ultimately, Instagram’s checkout feature allows for direct action, not just interest, in a particular brand or product. To read more about Instagram’s newest feature from the source itself, click here.

Why the change?

Instagram wants its users to remain within the platform. If users can see a product on a page and immediately make a purchase, a trip to a company’s site becomes a meaningless step. Therefore, the checkout feature allows users to stay on Instagram, which limits distractions of other sites or platforms. This feature incentivizes brands to constantly update and maintain an aesthetically pleasing page. In conclusion, if users enjoy a page’s content, they are more like to remain on the platform.

What is the difference between a profile visitor vs. a website visitor?

Essentially, nothing. With Instagram’s checkout feature, a profile and website visitor are considered equal, due to their ability to make immediate purchases. Therefore, companies must put time and effort into maintaining an aesthetically pleasing page. If a company fails to produce eye-catching content, followers will not make purchases or revisit the profile in the future.

How can my brand successful utilize Instagram’s checkout feature?

When using Instagram’s checkout feature, it is important to be consistent on all platforms. Ultimately, other social media platforms must drive traffic and attention to a brand’s page. If all platforms are consistent and active, users are more likely to make immediate purchases. Next, social media engagement is a must. If users see a brand posting regularly, the purchase does not seem as random. Therefore, customers will remain loyal if a brand engages and properly utilize the platform’s features. Moreover, social media engagement also builds a brand’s credibility.

To read more about this topic, click here.

In the age of influencers, social media and digital marketing play a large role in building brands. Social media increases brand awareness and organic reach. Additionally, it improves a business. In the past, building a brand could take years, even decades. Yet, Kylie Jenner was able to build her cosmetic empire in just two years with social media. Kylie Jenner’s social media effect propelled her beauty brand to success. 

At the age of 21, Jenner is a reality television and social media personality, a model and an entrepreneur. She launched Kylie Lip Kits in 2015 and renamed her brand to Kylie Cosmetics in 2016 to encompass all her products. In August 2018, Kylie was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 and is the youngest self-made billionaire. 

Most of Jenner’s marketing is on social media where she has a massive following. On Instagram alone, Jenner has 130 million followers on her personal account and 20 million on Kylie Cosmetics. “It’s the power of social media. I had such a strong reach before I was able to start anything,” she says to Forbes. 

So, why did Jenner used social media to build her brand and sell her cosmetics. Here are three reasons why Kylie Jenner’s social media effect worked for the 21-year-old.

Kylie Knew Her Audience

Millennials and Gen Z are best influenced digitally. Jenner knew her fans and targeted them through platforms they used every day. She began distributing content about her cosmetic brand across Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Her brand was discovered on these channels all at no cost to her.  

Social Media Cross-Marketing Strategy

Jenner used her Instagram for personal and professional marketing. First, she began creating professional content on her personal social media because she knew she would reach more viewers this way. Now, Jenner has a separate social media account for her cosmetics brand. Thus far, she has not accumulated as many followers on this account. Therefore, she has a link to her beauty page and store website on her personal social media account to drive more traffic.

Created and Sold a Brand Experience

Lastly, Jenner keeps her fans in the loop by updating them on new products that will launch in the future. With social media, she has the ability to integrate everyone into the experience. Kylie posts stories on Instagram and Snapchat that provide her followers with an insider or behind-the-scene look at products. She swatches and applies her product on her own skin in these clips. Ultimately, her followers are able to see a product’s pigmentation on someone’s actual skin.

In November 2018, Jenner signed a distribution deal with Ulta Beauty. Fans can now buy Kylie Cosmetics in stores nationwide. This partnership has increased her net revenue exponentially. All in all, The Kylie Jenner Social Media Effect has brought this young entrepreneur much success. No matter what happens next for the successful digital marketer, she plans to continue using social media to brand and inform her followers.

Twitter is one of the most widespread and influential social media platforms worldwide. Perfecting Twitter is key to a successful organization.

What is Twitter?

Founded in 2006, Twitter has grown to become one of the largest social media platforms worldwide. It’s simple to use. There are currently over 275 million users and that number only continues to grow. The ability to reach audiences this large is extremely important and influential.

The Basics

First things first, how do you tweet? A tweet is comprised of 280 characters, so users are able to get their point across clearly and quickly. This helps condense and focus the message you’re trying to convey. Additionally, it also keeps the attention of users for longer, so they are more likely to read what you want to say. Also, you can include links to more in depth information about the topic of your tweet.

Twitter also has a variety of uses; humor, news, politics, and more. This is highlighted on the discover page, where users choose what kind of content they want to look at. Consequently, this page also highlights trending topics, hashtags, and popular stories.

How can this benefit your organization?

All organizations should be on Twitter. This social media platform reaches across generations because of its easy accessibility and readability. Other than tweeting about important events or news for the organization, Twitter is used to interact with your audience. By responding to, liking, or retweeting followers’ tweets, organizations are able to engage with their audience. Additionally, it can be used to track what you are doing well, poorly, or things that can be improved upon.

If your organization is not on Twitter, now is the time to hop on!

How to create a successful social media strategy and how it can help your clients grow their businesses.

Electronic communication dates back to the telegraph that used Morse code to send messages long distance over wires. After that, the electronics industry added the wired telephone, the wireless radio and television. Since then, the industry has exploded. People are now living in the Information Age where people now share information with each other anywhere, anytime and in many ways, via – email, mobile phones, tablets, text and instant messaging, social networks, video chat, websites and more. 

In particular, SOCIAL MEDIA has revolutionized communication in the modern world. It is important for people to understand the power of social media and how it can help your clients grow their businesses. Here are top tips and tricks to doing social media marketing for your clients. 

1. Create a Social Media Strategy: Set goals for your client. Don’t just deal with metrics like “likes” and “retweets”. Also focus on generated leads, conversion rates and referrals to your website. Use the SMART principle when defining goals: goals should be specific, measurable, appealing, realistic and timed. Conduct a social media audit by identifying who your client is already connected to on social media, which networks your client uses, and how your client’s social media presence compares to the competition. 
2. Determine which platforms are best suited for your client. Not every social media platform is suitable for your business or set goals. Here is an overview of some of the more popular platforms, including pros and cons, and number of users.
   • Facebook: The world’s most popular social media network with more than 2 billion users. It has the largest reach and thus is the most competitive (many advertisers). Facebook is more social. It might be perfect for your clients in the apparel industry but not used by your clients in the financial services industry. 
   • YouTube: If your brand has the resources and budget, the best way to take advantage of the power of video. YouTube has almost 2 billion users. As you know, YouTube has had a very successful campaign for their client Tony Robbins. Our most recent video, Tony Robbins Keys To Massive Success – TOP 13 IN 2019, has 8,572 views and 150 likes as of today. YouTube is a necessary social media network for many of your clients; such as authors, influential speakers, and famous people. 
   • Instagram: Instagram owes its success to its visual approach and has around 1 billion users. Successful marketing, therefore, has a lot to do with the appealing aesthetics of the shared content. 
   • LinkedIn: With over 300 million users, the platform is the world’s largest careers network. LinkedIn is not a place for selling, but you can generate and nurture leads.
   • Twitter: With a limit of 280 characters per tweet, Twitter is known for brevity and spice. Twitter also has over 300 million users. It is priced and requires a lot of content for multiple and regular tweets. However, it is good for directing users to a client’s website and social media platforms. 
   • Snapchat: The platform, with almost 300 million users, has content which disappears. This feature is especially popular with younger users. If your client wants to reach a young audience, this might be a good network for them. 

3. Work with your client to determine which social media platform(s) work best for their business. Then set-up new accounts and/or complete existing ones for each client. 

• Get inspiration by looking at competitors’ content from our client’s industry. Adopt and evolve successful strategy of other brands. Get inspiration from social media brands inside and outside the client’s industry and globally. Track what your client’s competitors are doing. 

4. Create a social media calendar for your client. The calendar is central to your client’s content marketing plan. It should include the day and time we want to post and to which networks. There are many tools which can assist you in doing this. Hootsuite for example, can help schedule and measure posts. 

5. Lastly and very importantly, test, evaluate and correct our client’s strategy. Adjust the strategy over and over again using performance metrics. Analyze facts such as the number of clicks per post, the reach of our campaigns, and the number of page views made through social media. 

Social media, when used strategically over time, is the most powerful form of marketing the world has ever seen. There are 2.62 billion social media users worldwide and this number is growing rapidly. Unlike some other traditional marketing methods, social media advertising does not cost a fortune. For these reasons, small, medium, and large businesses are increasing their social media marketing budgets. Fitting with our firm’s culture of “Clients First”, it is your goal to create a successful social media strategy for every client. 

Cryptocurrency and Social Media have a long-standing relationship. Now, a new wave of crypto tokens are sweeping social media. After seeing a decline in the buzz around Bitcoin in 2017, a new technology is on the rise. You may have seen talk of next-gen tokens on various platforms. While similar to traditional cryptocurrencies, they are not the same. So, what exactly are those things?

What are next-gen tokens?

Next-gen tokens are a reinvention of traditional cryptocurrencies. Focused on using engagement and functionality to attract investor confidence, these tokens aim to steer away from the negative connotations of currencies like Bitcoin and Ripple. Now, there are even some new tokens backed with real assets. These were born out of the hope create a more stable online trading environment. 

How do they work?

New social media platforms are popping up that actually rely on these tokens as part of their infrastructure. They are used to reward users for engagement. This means they can include a financial incentive for the user at no cost to the platform. For example, Sapien Network allows users to reward each other through the decentralized Ethereum blockchain. This is for their contributions to news stories shared with the platform. The mission statement says it all- to reward creators and champion truth over financial gain. 

Why does this matter?

Cryptocurrencies on social media may only exist on obscure platforms, but their popularity is growing. While in its infancy now, this experimental model could become the norm for the most popular social media platforms. With a base of knowledge on next-gen tokens, you’ll be ahead the curve in your professional field. Watch out Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Online currencies could be your future.

With over 30 million Youtube visitors per day, the world of content marketing influencers is rapidly exploding. Attempting to reach the target demographic of 18-34 year-olds, Youtube personalities create diverse content on a variety of topics. Fashion, beauty, lifestyle, sports, and comedy are the site’s most popular genres. For large corporations, partnering with a Youtube influencer is highly recommended, especially if the company strives to increase product sales growth. However, certain types of content are more effective and engaging than others. Read below to learn about different types of Youtube influencer content!

How-To Videos

Otherwise known as a tutorial, a how-to video provides step-by-step instructions. For example, successful beauty Youtube personality, James Charles, often posts step-by-step makeup tutorials that achieve a specific look. These videos feature multiple different products – therefore, providing a potential partnership opportunity for influencers and brands. Besides beauty, popular Youtube personalties create content in the food and lifestyle space. For example, cooking and meal preparation tutorials are highly popular among Youtube’s core demographic.

Vlogs

Essentially, vlogs are personal blogs with video content. Typically, these videos do not have an overarching theme – instead the influencer videos a series of clips over a span of time. Followers get to know the Youtube personality on a personal level and get insight into their lives. While vlogs are informal, brand partnerships still are present. For example, certain products that the influencer uses on a daily basis, such as a teeth whitening kit or meal delivery service, would be an appropriate sponsorship.

Hauls/Unboxing Videos

Besides tutorials and vlogs, hauls and unboxing videos are popular among the Youtube community. In haul style videos, an influencer will typically share a large quantity of new items. Often, the influencer will describe the quality, price, and their personal opinion on each item. In most cases, haul style videos appeal to those interested in fashion and beauty. Next, unboxing videos showcase an influencer’s reaction to opening large, expensive gifts or boxes sent from other companies. If an influencer is filming an unboxing haul of a personal gift, they often discuss the item’s price point and if they find the item worthy of that specific dollar amount. If a Youtuber posts about a box sent from a company, the video is most likely a sponsorship.

If you are still interested in the power of Youtube influencers, click this link. To learn more about the most popular influencers of 2018, click here.

One can say the ever-evolving worldwide social networking site, Facebook is truly taking over how our world communicates and connects to one each other and brands. With over 2.32 billion active monthly users, the site increases by 14 percent in accounts per year. Knowing this, it’s hard as communication professionals to ignore the benefits of Facebook’s digital marketing aspects. The insights below will help you boost the page’s awareness, while also driving more traffic to either your product or service.

The Baby Steps Count

First, if you haven’t already created your brand’s business Facebook page, it’s time to optimize your brand’s performance by utilizing the fast growing channel. This will drive engagement and awareness with your target audiences. Secondly, it’s important to stay updated with reports that contain updated statictics. Knowing these insights help us as communicators improve our navigation of the site. In addition, we can make better decisions to optimize our brand’s performance on how we connect with publics.

What You Must Know to Optimize Most Success

Statistic reports are released frequently, so in order to grasp all aspects of the constantly changing site, it’s important to be on task by keeping up with them. On January 30, 2019, Facebook reported to Wall Street newly released statistics. Listening to these insights will automatically contribute to navigating the site, as well as your brand’s Facebook page.

On average, there are over 1.52 billion mobile users who logged on daily, demonstrating a 23 percent increase since December 2016. This produced a 93 percent boost of total advertising revenue.

Like and share buttons are viewed across on average 10 million websites every day. This drives even more users to the site.

The most common age demographic of users are 25 to 34. This means, this is your key target audience to engage with using the Facebook channel.

76% of all users are females, while 66% are male. To access more information on Men vs. Women go to https://www.brandwatch.com/blog/men-vs-women-active-social-media//

Every second that passes, there are five new profiles created. It’s important to know how your audiences may grow exponentially.

The highest traffic of the site occurs between 1 to 3 p.m. However, 50% of 18 to 24 year olds log on right when they wake up. In order to drive the most traffic to your brand’s page, post during these peak hours by strategically scheduling ahead to reach more audiences attention.

Engagement on Thursdays and Fridays is 18% higher. Knowing this will assist your planning ahead to help determine when to schedule your posts as a way to boost engagement and of course, optimize your marketing presence.

83 million scam profiles exist. Know that many of your own audiences maybe fake profiles for reasons associated with testing and research. Ignore them by remaining strategic and consistent.

Visits last only 20 minutes. Because of this is a short time period, make sure your content is unique and adequately piques the attention of your audiences.

The Takeaway

We can make better, well informed decisions by understanding the fundamentals of these updated report statistics that will boost your brand’s Facebook page performance and enhance engagement. To keep up with these frequent changes, go to https://www.facebook.com/business/insights/tools/audience-insights.