According to PR Daily, eight out of ten businesses are using video to engage consumers. Social media marketing through videos is becoming even more relevant. There are a lot of elements that go into a social media marketing videos: content, subtitles, length, sound, and more. Even the most minute details can affect the response you get from consumers. Here are the best tips and tricks for creating them:

Size Matters

Whether you are posting a video on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, you need to know specs, sizes, dimensions, and ratios for your videos. Making the best use out of these variables can lend itself to more engaging content. Therefore, you end up with a more positive response from consumers and a successful campaign.

Get Inspired

If you have been sticking with the same social media strategy for awhile, it’s time to get inspired! Search for some other successful marketing video campaigns to get your ideas flowing. Remember: fresh, timely content is usually the best route to take.

Add Extras in Social Media Marketing Videos

Most social media platforms allow for the adding in of cool effects on videos, such as filters and stickers. Using these effects can help your videos stand out. In addition, they can help consumers connect more meaningfully with your content. Be careful though, adding in too many effects can crowd your videos and your marketing message might get lost.

Storytime!

The “story” feature on social media platforms is also another great way to share video content with consumers, with a more casual approach. Stories are usually only up for 24 hours, so make sure to make it count. The “Live” feature on these platforms is also a good tool for connecting with your audience. However, a good social media marketing campaign through videos should be planned well in advance. Even though live feeds and stories seem casual and off-the-cuff, they must be planned ahead of time.

When it comes to whether or not to trust social media, the first thing that comes to your mind is probably “fake news”. Fake news refers to a form of news that consists of deliberate disinformation spread via traditional news or social media. With the popularity of digital news in today’s times, fake news is more wildly rampant.

According to an article from The Hill, which interviewed Edelman CEO Richard Edelman, the distrust surrounding social media has become worse due to the coronavirus pandemic in the last few months. “Social media is deeply distrusted right now because there’s too much fake news,” Edelman told Hill.TV. “People trust those who have credentials. … Everybody wants to know specifics. They don’t just want to get facts through social media”.

So should we be trusting social media? Or not?

What to Do

While the answer to this question is not necessarily black and white, there are things you can do to ensure that the news you read from social media is credible. Firstly, a good rule of thumb is to not trust news from social media unless it comes from a credible source. Credible sources are educational or scientific. NEVER take coronavirus or health-related information from random websites or social media profiles. Ensure they are a reputable source before trusting social media news. Also, do not trust any medical advice or “cures for coronavirus” without checking the website for the CDC. The CDC website is full of credible information regarding the pandemic.

Rise in Agnotology Studies

In addition, novel coronavirus has become a popular subject for experts in “agnotology”. Agnotology is the study of the cultural production of misinformation. “Misinformation spreads rapidly, especially in a time of great fear,” says Robert N. Proctor, a professor of the history of science at Stanford and a pioneer in this field. “That’s always been true, from the burning of witches on up to hydroxychloroquine. When people are faced with a crisis, they become desperate.”

So, during this unprecedented time, when it comes to trusting social media, particularly news coming from it, make sure to do your homework on the source first. You health could depend on it!

The semester is ending, and with it, many seniors are graduating college and heading out into the real world. While we are living in an unprecedented time, recent grads are scrambling for job opportunities. One way to ensure you make a good impression on a potential employer is perfecting your social profiles.

According to Monster.com, a study was done to determine the importance of social media profiles to employers. Employers in the communications and public relations field ranked social media as most highly, with 82% describing it as important. This further emphasizes the relevance of social media profiles while searching for jobs in the communications and public relations field and the importance of perfecting your social profiles.

The same Monster article also highlighted the importance of employers using social media to search for potential hires. This means that the first impression an employer gets of you could be one of your social profiles, which does not exclusively apply to LinkedIn. Organizations could look at your Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or even Tik Tok accounts! Here are some helpful tips for perfecting you social profiles:

Keep It Professional

Make sure that your profile, no matter the platform, gives an air of appropriateness and professionalism. Delete content that could possibly be considered inappropriate, a good rule of thumb is to ask the question for each post, “Would I want my mom to see this?”. Another good way to perfect your social profiles is to add a professional headshot photo as your profile picture.

Update, Update, Update!

Update your social profiles regularly to show enthusiasm and interest, especially if you are going into the communications or public relations fields. Commentary on interesting articles, promotion updates, and general posts of interest can not only increase your following, but also impress employers.

Include Contact Information

Something you may not have thought of when perfecting your social profiles is including your contact information. This does not have to be everything; a simple email address will suffice. As long as potential employers have a way to reach you, you’re in business!

Due to lockdown orders, people have been spending their time on social media now more than ever. Twitter during COVID-19 has been especially popular. The social media platform has been a go-to for information. It is a resource for people to consult in such a difficult time. It also gives a look into public opinion during this crisis.

Not everything on Twitter should be believed. However, according to Tech Crunch, Twitter has announced that it will be using its blue check verification mark by “…mobilizing the badge system to help signal more authoritative and verified voices that can provide credible updates on the topic of the coronavirus”. This adds to the recent efforts made by Twitter to rid itself of false information.

Using the blue check verification mark wields its power for credible sources only. A good source would be a verified expert. This also helps people determine what is factual on Twitter. Twitter is also working with global health authorities, such as the WHO and CDC, to identify these experts and ensure they are deserving of the blue check.

The social media platform is even making sure that factual information comes from other sources during COVID-19. Twitter announced that it would be donating $1 million, split equally, to the Committee to Protect Journalists and the International Women’s Media Foundation. This money will go towards advancing their important work. Specifically, work done by the media reporting during COVID-19. Twitter even told its employees to work from home to prevent the spread of the virus in early March.

Twitter’s response to COVID-19 has been a great example. Other social media platforms should learn from Twitter and fight the virus in any way they can. Even just making sure information about the virus on these platforms is correct could be a start.

Networking is a fantastic strategy to make connections within your job field that can help propel your career forward. Wondering how to network on LinkedIn can be daunting, but no need to worry! LinkedIn is a relatively easy social media platform to use. It can end up being extremely informative and advantageous to any job search, especially for young professionals fresh out of college and ready to work their way up the ladder.

According to an article from Business.com, “LinkedIn has more than 467 million users…On this professional platform, you can apply for jobs and connect with people in your industry as well as former co-workers”. LinkedIn also gives people the opportunity to connect and network with industry titans who you might never have had the chance to meet.

Here are some tips on how to network on LinkedIn like a professional:

#1 Have a Profile that Pops

A profile on LinkedIn is usually the first impression that people get, so make sure not only that it has professional language, but it also make it unique in order to stand out. In addition, an appropriate headshot is usually best as a profile picture.

#2 Join Groups

If you aren’t sure about how to network on LinkedIn and connect with other professionals, join some LinkedIn groups! Find a few groups that are relevant to your job or industry and participate in them. This is a sure strategy for getting more eyes on your profile, and opportunities could arise from it.

#3 Interact and Engage!

The easiest way to make connections on LinkedIn is to post engaging content and interact with other users and their posts. Create content that interests and educates people; show your own unique perspective and add some cool graphics or article links to spice things up.

Use these tips to help form some great professional connections, they might help you find your next job!