Tag: social

social
by James Adam

Instagram Stories Ultimate Marketing Guide: Tips & Tactics


Lifestyle

It is an undeniable fact that people prefer visual content over the written one and this is the one main reason that justifies why social media marketing is effective. You’ll see all the marketers out there trying hard to work on their visual marketing skills instead of the written and this is something that actually helps them with their ongoing marketing campaigns.

Now, on the other hand, we all know the fact that Instagram is just like any other social media site but still it stands out among all the other sites and that’s only because this platform is the most visual one. On instagram, your visuals are what matter the most, the pictures you put and the stories you upload count a lot. Yes, there is definitely some space for the text but then again, the main focus of the audience and the marketer, both, is on the pictures and videos uploaded on this platform.

Another reason why we think of Instagram to be better is because it’s easier to build your presence here. Yes, you read it right, unlike Facebook and other platforms, this one is comparatively easier and here you can gain real likes and followers easily. You just need to work on your photography skills, your graphic designing skills and then comes the skill of using the right hashtags and honestly, this is it, you fulfil all these criterias and spoof, you are famous.

Instagram Stories & Everything You Need To Know About Them

When the Instagram stories feature came along, people thought that this will be nothing but just another Snapchat rip off and people actually didn’t like or use it much in the beginning but with the passage of time, this feature actually got famous on a whole another level and people started using it for their marketing campaigns using different tactics. Now, it’s that time when we actually know that yes, using the story feature of Instagram is actually very useful and when used in marketing, it actually pays off.

Now, if you are someone who wants to excel in using his Instagram stories to gain followers and likes then here we have compiled a few tips for you that will actually help you improve your stories because to us, there is always a room for betterment.

–  Using GEO location

Using geo location will always benefit you no matter what you say because let’s face it, you cannot market your brand to each and every audience of the world and you can never cover the whole globe at once so it’s always a wiser thing to do, to actually pick up a target audience and then focus on them. Now, you can do marketing using geolocation tags. All you have to do in order to find geo location tags is to explore and see the ones that are already being used and in case, there you don’t find what you need then don’t worry and create a location tag of your own using Facebook. Secondly you can use the geo sticker on your stories and that’s pretty simple, just turn on your location access on your phone and then simply go to the sticker section, there you will have your location name in the form of a sticker and that’s exactly what you need to pick.

– Using Instagram Story Highlights

Instagram stories allow you to post ephemeral content that disappears after 24 hours which means that whatever story you put, it won’t be available to your fans after 24 hours. But what if we tell you that you can actually make your story stay on your profile for as long as you want? Yes, you read it right, if you actually think that some of your stories are worth watching again and again and keeping for a longer time than at least 24 hours then you can opt for highlighting those stories and they all will ultimately stay there until you want to remove them.

This is a great marketing strategy, you can highlight your customer reviews, you can highlight some event that you covered or you can highlight a story in which someone  famous gave you a shoutout, all these tactics can help people gain more trust in you and it can build your credibility.

These are just a few tips that can help you improve your Instagram stories. So, now without wasting any more time just make sure that you are using these tips and you are striving for excellence when it comes to your stories.


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by Incredible Planet Staff

Questions to never ask someone with Cancer


Lifestyle

If you are taking care of people with cancer, you have to understand that the battle they are facing can greatly affect them. Their life has been greatly impacted by the condition which can result in stress, anxiety and depression. This is why you need to be extra sensitive in how you communicate with a cancer patient.

Here are some of the questions to never ask a cancer patient.

1. How are you feeling?

This is a typical example that might come as a surprise to a lot of people but the fact of the matter is that it isn’t. Most people tend to ask this question to cancer patients a lot because they assume it will show that they are concerned about the patient and really care but most cancer patients agree that such a question, if asked frequently can get a bit overwhelming and after a while will become annoying. In most cases, someone suffering from cancer might not be feeling so great, so instead of taking away their pain, such a question can act to remind them of what they are going through which won’t really work well with them.

2. Can I do anything to help?

This is another question which you should try to think twice over before asking. The only probable response you are likely to receive from asking such a question is a polite ‘No’. And a no doesn’t necessarily mean that the patient don’t want you to do anything about the situation. It’s most likely that they want you to but are just a bit overwhelmed to think of anything. Besides asking the specific question, you should try to avoid having to put them in situations that will push them to think a lot. If possible, do the thinking and just portray your concern through your actions instead.

3. How serious is the cancer?

I am not going to beat around the bush on this one. You should never ever in your lifetime ask such a question to someone recovering from cancer, it will just trigger a lot of negative emotions in them. If possible, try avoiding any sensitive questions that are related to their diagnosis or current treatment plans. Other questions in this category includes those questions related to their Chemo sessions such as how many chemo sessions they have and if they are getting any radiation and such. They are stressful and should be avoided.

4. Have you ever tried doing [insert advice]?

If you are not an experienced medical professional or in some cases, a cancer survivor yourself, then never offer to give unsolicited advice to a cancer patient. These days, information is basically everywhere and yes, you can Google for some tips on how to deal with cancer but trust me, it won’t be cool to copy those tips and try to advice someone to apply them in their own life. All a cancer patient needs from you is your unconditional support and trust me, it will give them a lot of relief knowing that they will always have it regardless of the situation.

5. What happened for you to get cancer?

The answer to the above question is simple, they don’t know. Ask any cancer patient what they did to get cancer, they most probable reply they will give you is that they don’t really know and that reply is a really honest one. The only thing people know about cancer is what it is and how it affects the body not what causes it. Consider something like lung cancer, the major cause of lung cancer is smoking but did you know that that’s just an assumption? There are other causes of that type of cancer which are not popular. By asking the patient what caused their type of cancer, you would be indirectly assigning blame to them which might cause them to end up feeling guilty over it.

6. Are you scared?

I’ve heard a lot of people ask this question to cancer patients. Well, it’s not such a good idea. Cancer is among one of the most widespread diseases that can be complicated to cure. Chances are when one is affected by it, they are most likely scared most of the times. Dealing with that fear takes a lot of work in itself which is why you should not bring it up by asking them if they are afraid time and again. Just be there to reassure them and let them believe and know that they will get through it. Everything is just a phase in the end.

7. I know how you feel

I know this is not a question but it’s still something that should be avoided. If you haven’t had an experience with cancer before, chances are, you really don’t understand and know how they feel about. Remember, it’s not about you, it’s about then. You should try avoiding to use the word I whenever you are communicating with a cancer patient. It’s not about you.

I know the tone seemed a little bit tough but I figured there was no better way for me to use for you to really get it. Cancer is a sensitive condition and those going through it are warriors in their own right and as such, they should be handled with extreme care.

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by Kathy Parker

Top Web Design Tricks to Exponentially Increase Conversion Rates


Technology

Virtually anything can be done via the Internet thanks to today’s digital evolution, from connecting with friends oversee, to “researching” data to purchasing items you sometimes don’t need. This led many businesses to take their stores online, riding on the wave of technological advancements and reaching billions of potential consumers. What many of these businesses don’t realize is that a website is just the beginning, and it isn’t enough to propel your business to the top of Google’s search results page.

Your site must also convert. Because of the cutthroat competition, your own business must take extra steps to make your brand stand out. This starts with a carefully, and strategically, thought-out web design.

Here are top website design trends that could boost conversion rates and sales and increase consumer loyalty:

Parallax Scrolling

Parallax scrolling is one design trend that has stuck around. It refuses to go away. In fact, this trend has made a big impact on UX design, for both websites and mobile apps.

But for those who are unfamiliar with the term, what is a parallax effect?

Derived from the Greek word ‘parallaxis’ which means ‘alteration,’ this creates a 3D scrolling effect where the web page’s background layer moves at a slower rate to the foreground layer. This is one of many scrolling patterns allowing you to easily adjust how the users will receive the content.

Although sometimes it can come out as overwhelming, if sparingly used, it can provide a seamless UX for both the mobile app and your website. The result will be a subtle element of depth, making your site memorable and distinctive.

Animated CTAs

CTA (Call to action) buttons are an integral part of an effective web design since they’re essential to making conversions. Regardless if your users are well-informed, they still require a little prodding leading them to finally hit that “Buy Now” or “Join Now” button. Having a CTA for every page is not enough. You need to consider the shape, size and its placement.

Lucky for you, there is another trend that could help improve conversion rates—this is adding a subtle animation to your CTA button. However, this animated CTA should be subtle enough to draw the user’s attention, but not take away their interest in the brand’s product or other vital visuals. Keep in mind that the animation should be tasteful and carry the feel and visual look of your site. The movement is only another way of enhancing the button’s visibility.

Video on Landing Page

We can’t stress enough how vital your landing page is. So, how else can you improve this page and attract consumer attention?

What about a video?

Well, the answer to this is obvious. Approximately 78% of Internet users watch online videos on a weekly basis, while around 93% of today’s marketers admitted that their medium for communication, sales and other forms of digital marketing is video.

This just shows us that online videos go are more than cute kittens or adorable puppies.

Video content is dominating online traffic figures.

But wait…

Don’t just embed a YouTube clip on your landing page. Take it a step further with a video landing page.

You could create an immersive video that automatically plays on your site’s home page or a video that directs toward a CTA on a specific page. Either way, this strategy will definitely improve user’s impression of your brand and boost UX.

Cinemagraph Hero Photos

Yes, they’re very captivating. Theirs is something about the continuous subtle motion of cinemagraphs in an otherwise still image that easily captures user attention. And this is the first step in getting web visitors who are sometimes too busy. This will make them take a pause and notice the message or content of your site.

The plus side—you can use cinemagraphs for social media marketing as well, saving your marketing budget.

Simplicity is key!

A well-designed website is uncluttered, simple, deliver the message and interacts with the consumer, creating a lasting impression. But above all, a successful website converts! An effective web design is an art—it requires a lot of careful planning. Your brand’s website should not only have aesthetics in mind but also you need to consider your brand’s goals and the end result.

by Incredible Planet Staff

3 Key Traits of Effective Business Videos for Social Media


Business

No business can afford to ignore the potential of videos on social media – especially not seeing as more and more people continue to watch more and more videos on an almost daily basis. That being said if you intend to start publishing videos on social media, it is important that you ensure they have what it takes to reach and engage viewers.

If you want to come up with effective business videos for social media, one of the best places to start is by understanding the three key traits that they tend to have:

  • Emotional connection

Have you noticed that videos that are humorous, inspiring, surprising, or downright shocking tend to get shared and commented on a lot? The ability of these videos to draw out reactions is no coincidence, and it stems from the emotional connection viewers feel when watching them.

If you want your business videos to make an impact, you should try to do the same. Create videos that are likely to provoke an emotional reaction or connect with viewers emotionally, and you’ll find the results are nothing short of impressive.

  • Bite-sized and ‘snackable’

People on social media don’t sit through long and drawn out videos that often, and prefer ‘snacking’ on videos that are bite-sized. That is something your business should take to heart, and come up with videos that are short, succinct, and direct.

Try to keep all your business videos on social media as short as possible. In fact aiming for videos that are between 15 to 60 seconds long is probably best.

  • Visually oriented

A big part of the appeal of videos as opposed to other forms of content is their unique visual nature. Ideally your business videos make it a point to take advantage of this, and try to make videos that put across their points and message as visually as possible.

It helps to rely more on visuals and less on audio in your business videos too. Increasing numbers of people are watching social media videos sans audio, which makes it important that your message can be delivered without relying on audio too much.

While the three traits highlighted above will enable your business videos to attract and engage more viewers, there are other factors that are important too. In particular it is important that you create the right type of videos, with topics your viewers are interested in.

One way to come up with business videos for social media is to use Movavi Screen Recorder for Mac to record your screen. By doing so you could create how-to guides for digital products, record interviews via video calls, record streaming video on Mac and much more.

Rest assured it is easy to set up Movavi Screen Recorder for Mac and configure its recording parameters including the framerate, audio source, capture area, and so on. Its features will even let you record keyboard and mouse actions – which can be very useful when creating how-to guides or product demonstrations.

All in all it should take just a few minutes you should be able to set it up and start recording your very first business video. With the range of options in Movavi Screen Recorder for Mac you’ll be able to ensure that you record exactly the footage that you need to create your video.

by James Tredwell

8 Powerful Ways to Grow Brand Awareness


Business

Brand awareness is a powerful tool to capture the hearts of consumers. It is the level of consumer awareness of a business. It determines the potential of a customer’s ability to recognise a brand image and to connect it with a specific product or service of the business. The efforts put in by a business to build brand awareness help succour the consumers to become familiar with its products and services. With continuous exposure of your brand in different exciting ways that leave a remarkable impact on the consumers you will earn their trust.

Internet and smartphone have made things quite easy for businesses these days. They just need to do smart work. Proper brand awareness not only boosts the sales of the business but also adds to its credibility. If you are looking to a guide that will help you with the brand awareness of your company then keep reading for some clever tips.

  1. Social Media

Blindly, social media is one of the best ways to get your business brand recognition. However, depending on the product or service that your business is offering and the target audience you should pick the social media platforms. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram are the most used. Social media platforms let you connect with millions of people – GLOBALLY!! The better you use the tools of the platform and create your content wisely the more people you will be able to cover. Remember to be active in your account and keep your followers engaged. There should be interaction on the account. Organising contests, giveaways, discount coupons etc. are some of the ways to promote your brand.

  1. Blogging

Content blogging also helps in building brand awareness and is also a part of SEO. Company that manages to create powerful content also creates a trail of dedicated customers. Content should be relevant to the product and services that your business is offering – make sure the website of your company is linked. Search engines love content that is appropriate to the linked website.

  1. Search Ads

A recent study found that paid search ads help in boosting consumer awareness. They seem to serve dual purpose – first of increasing sales and second building brand awareness for your businesses products and services. Moreover you have analytical tools that will help you track the response especially if your ads have been placed with Google.

  1. Influencer Marketing

This may be somewhat connected to social media because the influencer that will work on your brands products use social media to promote them. While your business may be new to social media an influencer already has a huge fan following. These influencers have followers who trust them and what they recommend. However, pick an influencer wisely you cannot just pick one randomly. For instance you cannot have an influencer who deals in beauty products to review an electronic product that your company is dealing with. You need to check whether the target audience that he/she has is what you are also looking for.

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  1. Press Release

Another way to get instant brand recognition is through a press release. Press is a powerful media and announcing events or product releases can make it go viral through internet and television in no time. Remember to follow the rules of how you draft your content for the press. They follow a different format, you can look up details on the internet. This instantly drives huge traffic and you get a lot of conversions if the press release is done properly.

  1. Promotional Merchandise

Corporate giveaways are a great way to promote your brand. Although you might consider keeping it quite budgeted but remember cheap giveaways will have a negative impact. You can have limited giveaways but keep the quality high. They don’t have to be biggies even small things such as a key-ring or a pen with your company’s name engraved on it would be something to cherish. Of course if your budget permits you can go ahead with something bigger and better.

  1. Videos are Powerful

Ever since internet has become cheap people freely watch videos. Videos are also an important part of SEO. Company that makes video a part of their branding camping also boosts their site’s SEO. Besides just using video on your website you should also consider YouTube or Facebook that video viewing in billions. People look for realistic content remember to make the video short, sweet and memorable.

  1. Collaborate with Other Budding Companies

You will not only promote your brand but also save money through this campaign. For instance, if you have a flower shop you can offer discounts to customers of a bridal store. You can have similar tie-ups with related businesses.

These are the power tips for you that will help you in your company’s brand recognition.

by Incredible Planet Staff

5 Creative Ways to Build a Strong Social Media Presence


Business

Managing a brand’s social media profiles is considered to be greatly essential as a skill and for the brand itself. Today, no business or brand can dismiss cultivating a presence on social media. Creating and handling social media presence is both science and art; it requires creativity and innovation, backed by statistics regarding consumer feedback and case studies. Here are some sure fire tips that will help you build and elevate your brand’s social media presence that I’ve learned from my own experiences.

#1 Create an Enthusiastic Strategy

While crafting a strategy, the social media manager should keep the content as enthusiastic and passionate as possible, in order to keep it catchy and interesting for the masses on social media. Avoid being boring or pedantic. Keep it short, and make it engaging for the audience – something they can relate to. Try to keep it more visual using videos, GIFS, and pictures, as they get the best response. Make a calendar for yourself, comprised of all the events, posts, and chats you need to keep up on. This will help to keep all of your social media pages aligned. Get Xfinity Internet. They not only assure a stable internet connection, but the landline will help you to stay in touch even when your mobile has bad reception. The television services will keep you updated, as well. You cannot be a pro in social media unless you are very well aware of the news and happenings around the world.

#2 Respond Politely

If there is any complaint, criticism, or concern from the audience, accept it gracefully. Respond to them in a timely and polite manner. Don’t forget the fact that you are not just managing social media profiles, but you are also representing the brand itself. All the efforts and investments, either online or offline, are predominantly made to make a positive and friendly image of the brand.

#3 Follow the Goals and Objectives

Make sure that everything is moving in the proper direction – that the motivation behind every action meets the aims of the brand. Creating an expert strategy and implementing the most appropriate tools for your social media image isn’t enough if the aims and objectives of the brand are not being followed. Neglecting your brand’s goals may harm the reputation of the brand, and you might end up losing potential leads or loyal followers.

#4 Stay on Top of Your Social Media

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On average, every brand has 4-5 social media pages/profiles across different social networking sites. It can be overwhelming for the manager to give equal attention to all platforms. Therefore, the best solution to keeping up is to make a calendar and follow it fastidiously, without delay. From generating and designing content to posting everything online, everything would be preplanned, and it would definitely make things much more convenient.

#5 Follow Trends

The hashtags on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter represent current trends. They could be based on news, memes, a movement, or something totally random. There are viral videos, pictures, and sometimes simply a buzzword floating around on social media. These things become a sensation on social media. Being a social media manager, you cannot afford to lose track of these things interconnected to your job. Plus, the smartest and most opportunistic manager would somehow take advantage of the situation by going with the flow and making an endorsement of their brand in a wise, creative way that does not offend any individual or organization.

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by Incredible Planet Staff

4 Things to Keep In Mind When Looking To Become a Social Housing Officer


People

 

Being a social housing officer not only gives you a stable job, but also provides you with an opportunity to do some good in your life by enabling you to allocate homes to the homeless and needy. And if this profession interests you, then you need to know a few things as to what the job is all about.

Understand The Role

You should have a clear understanding as to what the duties of a housing officer. An officer is usually responsible for checking the needs of the people who are applying for social housing, to keep track of vacant homes, and to allocate such homes to the people with the greatest need. In addition, the officer is also responsible for deciding on the rent of the homes, for collecting such rents at correct times, and to collect the arrears when they become due.

They should also be mentally strong enough to deal with all kinds of anti-social and violent behaviors some tenants might show. In addition, the officers are also required to do a routine inspection of all homes and check them thoroughly to ensure that they are in a good state and have not been damaged in any way. And in case they do see any damage to a house, they must arrange for repairs as soon as possible.

Pick A Good Hiring Agency

The best way to get hired by a good social housing provider is to go through a reputed social housing recruitment agency. Such agencies are always in touch with the numerous housing organizations. As such, you can get your desired job by meeting a single agency rather than having to deal with multiple social landlords.

Have Good Communication Skills

When you become a social housing officer, you will be dealing with a lot of people from diverse backgrounds. These include homeless people who may have even forgotten what it is to have a roof above them, minorities who may feel threatened, abused people who may have to leave their homes under stressful conditions, and so on. As such, it is necessary that you have the communication skills to talk with them in a way that does not offend or hurt them in any way.

Education Qualifications

As far as education is concerned, a few of the employers might expect you to have a degree in a subject matter related to the job. These include degrees in community development, social development, housing etc. And in case you already have work experience related to any of these fields, then the employer will definitely see you more favorably. You should also have good knowledge about the issues tenants may face, like drug abuse, welfare, and so on.

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by Ayham Gorani

5 Keys To Building A Truly Engaging App Interface


Technology

Mobile phones, and the apps that we install on them, have revolutionized our lives. From fitness to business, from communication to entertainment, these apps have ingrained themselves in every aspect of our modern lives.

There is a reason that “there is an app for that” is such a cultural marker.

If you are a budding app developer who wants to take your app to join the roster of those deemed “download-worthy,” then you need to ensure you are building a genuinely engaging app interface.

Here are six characteristics to keep in mind when designing your app.

  1. Responsive Design & En Vogue Interface

Implementing responsive design into your app is crucial, as it needs to be compatible with a wide variety of devices.

Keep in mind that design also goes through trend cycles and currently, flat design — a minimalist user interface — is en vogue. Use this style of design to ensure your app is keeping up with the industry standards. Additional components such as thumb placement, orientation and posture can also significantly affect the usability of your app.

Colors can also be “in” or “out” and is the single-most appealing characteristic of an app’s design. The colors you choose instantly provide a user with an interpretation of what the vibe of the app is and how it is going to make them feel.

Colors engage our emotions, and you want to confirm that you are invoking the suitable sentiments.

  1. Security

In addition to having an en vogue interface, the design of your app must also adhere to security and 508 compliance. To do this, have frequent conversations with your back-end team to guarantee that all data is being bestowed and gathered in a suitable manner.

If this part of the process excites you, you may be interested in mobile application developer jobs in Dubai.

  1. Social Media Integration

In this day and age, this seems like it should be a given! But in order to build a truly engaging app interface, you want to provide users with the option to sign up for/register for your app via their social media accounts.

This simple option makes it a lot easier for them, as they don’t have to spend the time creating an account (we can be quite lazy animals!) and don’t have to remember yet another password.

Forcing users to log in with a new account specifically for your app is a sure-fire way to see dwindling numbers of sign-ups.

  1. Simplicity

Because there are so many different avenues that app design can go down, it is understandable to want to load your project up with features. However, adding too many features to your app is an easy way to guarantee it looks cluttered and unstylish — not to mention that it may drain all of a user’s battery.

Stick to your clear, singular purpose and then optimize that in the most spectacular way possible. Keep referring back to your app’s mission statement and checking that focused declaration against any new content or features that you want to add.

The worst thing you can do is to design an app that perplexes a first-time user, prompting them to put their phone down — this is the opposite of building a truly engaging app interface.

  1. Keep the User in Mind

A personalized UX is what every user prefers. How you personalize the app is going to depend on what your specific app is, but make sure your team is continuously brainstorming ways to involve the user.

Building an interactive app will help you provide a better visitor experience.

When it comes to evaluating the design of your app, in the early stages of its development, involve real users who can point out glitches and suggest improvements. This is an essential part of the development process as these prospective customers help reduce the chance that you put buttons in the wrong place or have a color scheme that makes users flee. The earlier you can receive this feedback, the better!

No matter what niche your app falls into, the rules of engagement will apply.

Users:

  • Learn by having things shown to them
  • Continue to perform tasks when incentivized (either through rewards, punishments, etc.)
  • Long for things to be easy
  • Enjoy personalization
  • Want to be social

Again, how you choose to implement these rules of engagement depends on the purpose of your app. But people are people, and these sentiments remain accurate across the board.

To the success of your app!