The social media website Twitter has recently starting taking new measures to manage the growing problem of cyber-bullying and harassment on their site. A user may now be dealt a digital “timeout” if they are found to use language or behavior that is deemed worthy of such punishment by Twitter. Early last month, reports of the new timeout measure started coming in. So far the details are vague and reported cases are scattered. But what is for sure is that some users are having their Twitter capabilities temporarily restricted due to the crackdown on language and online behavior.

A Twitter user who has broken the code of conduct as determined by Twitter might get an email which reads, “We’ve detected some potentially abusive behavior from your account.” In which case, the violator is subjected to a temporary restriction from certain Twitter privileges. The timeout generally lasts for a period of 12 hours, or is determined by Twitter based upon the infraction. During the probationary time, a user may still tweet, but their posts will only be seen by those who follow them.

The exact specifications as to what justifies a timeout are still vague. Some users are frustrated at the lack of explanation for their timeout. Twitter doesn’t comment on the exact reason a user may be in hot water. The timeout appears to be issued at the discretion of Twitter itself, and is not based solely on user-submitted reports. Some users are also upset at the lack of consistency in dealing with harassment cases by Twitter.

Twitter has long faced criticism for its history of cyber-bullying and harassment, but it is also facing criticism over its lack of explanation for the current timeout punishment. While some users are happy to see the push for censorship on Twitter, others feel there needs to be more structure and visibility in how these cases are dealt with. Jillian York, the director for international freedom of expression of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, urged Twitter and other social media platforms to “lay out exactly how these rules are enforced, and when” so that individual users can make more informed choices.

Twitter has also taken several other measures to curb its harassment issues. Some of these measures include removal of offensive Tweets from search results, keeping suspended users from creating new accounts, and hiding offensive @ replies. A release from Twitter states, “Conversations are core to Twitter, but if we detect behavior that may violate the Twitter Rules or inhibit other people’s ability to express themselves freely, we may temporarily limit certain account features.”

Contact Blast Creative today for all of your Social Media needs.

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A social media influencer is anybody who has established credibility on social media. These kinds of people have large audiences, so targeting them will almost always help you grow your own online audience. On the surface, that sounds like a simple plan. All you need to do is target those people who have large followings on Twitter and Facebook, and you should be just fine, right? Well, it’s not that easy. Different things appeal to different audiences, so not all of your biggest influencers will be appropriate to every campaign you run. If you want your influencer marketing campaign to be successful, you need to choose the right influencers. Here are some tips that will help you with that.

Look at Age and Gender

Since like attracts like, social media influencers often develop followings of people much like themselves. Middle-aged women who run mommy blogs will attract other middle-aged women, and young male gamers will attract other young male gamers. Find out what kind of audience your services will likely attract, and find an influencer that falls into that demographic. The key here is to think about your audience and potential clients. You might be tempted to just focus on one influential person, but that’s just one person. They are one of many people you want to attract to your campaign. Focus on the big picture.

Look at Total Reach

Reach refers to the number of people who saw a piece of content, whether they found it on their Facebook feed organically or it showed up as part of an ad. While an influencer’s total reach shouldn’t be the only reason why you would target them, it is something that shouldn’t be ignored. Take a look at the number of people who have seen something that an influencer has posted if you want to get an idea of how influential they are.

Choose the Right Platforms

There are several social media platforms out there that go beyond Facebook and Twitter. Depending on what your product is and who you want to reach, you might be better off looking for influencers on Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr, or one of the many other social media sites on the Internet. You will probably want to stick to established networks that already have plenty of users, but you don’t need to limit yourself to them. Take a look at the audience you want to reach, and see what kinds of networks they are using. Chances are that there is a huge influencer on these networks that will help you grow your audience into something bigger than you could imagine.

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Reputation has always been important for businesses and other professionals, but it seems to have become especially important in the Internet age. Everything people say or do online is preserved forever in some form, and we are all one tweet or Facebook update away from ruining our reputations. It might be easy for some people to say that this problem can be avoided if we stay off of social media altogether, but that doesn’t really work for millennials. Many of these younger people all but live on the Internet. In some cases, their online reputations say everything about them. When you add that to the fact that many businesses operate mainly online, reputation management becomes even more important.

How to Manage Your Reputation

Since it’s all but impossible to disconnect from the Internet in this day and age, you need to be able to manage your reputation. The easiest way to do this is to watch what you say online. Be careful about how you comment on Facebook posts lest you say something that could be taken the wrong way, and always think twice before you tweet anything. Even a joke that you think is perfectly innocent can be taken the wrong way by some people.

You also need to be careful about how you engage with others online. A lot of people are still under the impression that the Internet is totally anonymous, that we are still living in a time when all others see online when we post anything is a vague screen name. That kind of anonymity gives people the idea that there are no consequences to saying anything online, yet most of us have Facebook profiles that tell people our real names, what we look like, and what we do for a living. It’s hardly anonymous anymore, yet people will still lose their temper and say something terrible that could come back to haunt them. Trolls will try to annoy you into doing this, but you need to rise above it.

Online Reviews

Watching what you say is only a part of managing your reputation online, especially if you run a small business. You also need to keep an eye on what people are saying about you and your company. Online reviews on sites such as Yelp and Google are great ways to boost your reputation, but a bad review can also really hurt your business. Everyone has the right to say what they want, and they can certainly give you a bad review. However, that also means that you can say what you want. If you find a bad review online, feel free to speak up and defend yourself. You should do so respectfully and in a way that acknowledges that someone was unhappy with your service, but do what you can to make amends and let any readers of that review know that you are working to improve your business. At the same time, don’t be afraid to thank those who write good reviews. It shows that you are engaging with your customers and that you value their business. 

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By now, you have likely heard of Twitter and have possibly even used it before. It is a very popular social media platform where users can post status updates using 140 characters or less. Even if you are familiar with Twitter, you may not have heard of Twitter-Lite before. Twitter-Lite was officially released by the company on April 6, 2017 and there are many benefits to using it. Twitter-Lite is a mobile web experience for users of Twitter. This new experience is a great option because it will load quicker on slower connections than the full version of the app, it minimizes data usage, it takes up less than 1MB on any device, and it is very reliable on mobile networks that may not be very reliable at all. Twitter has optimized this new experience for speed by creating up to 30% faster launch times for the web experience. There is also much faster navigation through Twitter. It is not the full version of the app in web form but it does have all of the key features that you would want including your personal Twitter timeline, Tweets, trends, profiles, Direct Messages, notifications, and media uploads.

Now, Twitter is even easier to access than ever before. With the new Twitter-Lite, all you need now is a browser on a smartphone or tablet and you will be ready to Tweet and communicate with friends. Beyond that, there is a data saver mode which can allow people to reduce the mobile data that they use on the app even more. Because you do not have to download an app, you can even save room on your device. While saving data, you can still see a preview of images and videos to decide if it is something you want to fully load.

Twitter is more affordable than ever to use, especially if you live in a place where data usage can be pricey. Anytime you want to use a lighter version of the app, you can use your browser to save data and your battery while still getting all of the necessities from the social media platform.

Social Media: Friend or Foe For a Brand Crisis?

In recent years, it’s become increasingly important to be able to deftly handle a brand crisis for a company. We’ve all seen the seemingly never-ending horror stories from certain companies–whether it’s reports from employees, customers, or both. You may be wondering if social media can be a tool to use to put out a reputation fire. It can, just as easily as it can fan the flames. Here are a few things to remember as you make your social media your friend and not your foe.

1. You should already have a crisis management plan in place. If not, you should create and implement one as soon as possible. The worst thing is being caught flat-footed when a PR crisis arises. There are a variety of online resources to help you including this insightful post from HootSuite. Even if you have a plan in place for crisis management, you may want to review it and see how social media is a part of it, if at all.
2. Do a SWOT analysis with your PR team on your brand to find where you may have some blind spots or vulnerabilities. Identify the media folks that your company has good relationships with–these relationships can be your company’s strengths. Make sure your PR folks are up to speed with what your company is doing so they can act accordingly, not blindly.
3. Realize that a brand crisis can stem from social media. As people have smartphones, complaints and issues can be lobbed on your Twitter and Facebook pages (with pictures and video)–and you must be ready. Social media has now become the face of many companies, and how quickly you respond to a little brush fire of a problem can prevent it from growing into a full-blown forest fire. Do you have seasoned community managers that are equipped to answer questions calmly, quickly, and tactfully?
4. Social media can be a way to create and maintain customer relationships. Your brand crisis could unwittingly come by your company’s own social media foible–a mishandled tweet or a curt customer interaction. Another way to prevent a brand crisis is to be known for excellent service. If you’re not responsive on social media, maybe you should reconsider this position.

By having a cohesive, comprehensive PR strategy, you can make social media a useful tool for improving and maintaining your company’s brand and reputation.

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There’s a subterranean layer to Instagram. Young people share via real Instagram accounts, called rinsta, and also fake accounts, called finsta.

Why Fake Accounts on Instagram?

A fake account lets these users post videos and photos that they don’t feel comfortable posting on their real accounts. They are usually funny and often embarrassing. Some are sexual in natural, though only a percentage. A few are actually scandalous.

It is also the favorite avenue of cyber bullies. Since they are fake, the accounts offer bullies anonymity. They can humiliate and ostracize fellow students and girls in their social networks.

What all of the Finstra posts have in common is the fact that the users don’t want to be identified with them. Using a fake account solves the problem: they can share, but still keep their genuine accounts free of awkward photos.

Who Uses Finsta?

Most of the users are female and young. Kids of 9 and 10 are common. Most are teens, some are in their 20s. Most of the young girls are Caucasian. Boys also use these fake accounts, but not to the degree girls do.

Even if the teens don’t post much to their fake accounts, almost all of them have one. It’s a way to keep an eye on current social ranking in their network. By staying abreast of current posts, they can also figure out if they are becoming a target.

“Wild West”

Finstas are called the “Wild West of social media” by online experts. Anonymous and no long under the scrutiny of nosy parents, teens can give their alter ego free rein. Their posts can express angst, let them explore their emerging sexuality, and serve as an outlet for social rivalries.

Most teens think it’s fun when they first create an account. But eventually they get smacked by the dark side. The bullying can become intense and soul-destroying. Malicious posts can turn a fun kid-zone into a humiliating, frightening online monster.

Advice for Parents

Counselors who specialize in cyber bullying recommend that parents research finstas. They should open up a free and non-threatening discussion with youngsters and teens to better understand the impact these accounts and their posts have on the kids.

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In response to Periscope and Facebook Live, YouTube now lets you livestream from your mobile device. Just push a button on your YouTube app and start connecting with your followers.

YouTube has been livestreaming major events since 2011. It offered viewers a look at the Royal Wedding in 2011. Felix Baumgartner did his space leap on YouTube in 2012. Music lovers could watch Coachella in 360-degree glory this year.

But it wasn’t until February that it opened the ability up to people with at least 10,000 followers. And in April, it reduced that number to just 1,000 subscribers.

How Do You Do It?

The mobile app for YouTube has a red button for livestreaming. The capture button is in the right corner of the app. Just select a thumbnail and start your live broadcast.

Your fans can chat as they watch you. The chat bubble appears over the video so you can connect directly with your viewers. To make it easier for the presenter, chat messages are paced. This handy feature keeps you from getting overwhelmed with messages all at once.

You can actually make some money out of this. With Super Chat, your viewers pay to have their comment pinned at the top of the window. It stays in place for up to 5 hours. For big fans, it’s an excellent way to make a splash. For presenters, it’s an easy way to make some extra cash.

Just like other YouTube videos, you can search for interesting streams. Check other people’s reviews and playlists to find those most suitable.

Why Can’t Everyone LiveStream?

Some users are disgruntled that the service isn’t open to everyone with a YouTube account. But the company is worried about boring content clogging up their bandwidth. They figure that anyone who has managed to attract at least 1,000 followers has experience keeping people interested and entertained.

The company is also late to the table with this capability. That means they are still getting the glitches out. Limiting the number now lets them clean it up without getting everyone angry.

Another concern for any online platform is illegal content. YouTube is protecting its flanks by limiting livestreaming to people with an established channel and following. Account holders are much less likely to try something illegal if they can end up losing their channel.

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Facebook has recently made an upgrade to its Business Page by adding the capability to post job openings on the News Feed. This is a competitive move that might edge into the growth of job sites such as LinkedIn, Monster and InDeed.

Businesses in Canada and the United States can now post job listings on their own Facebook page and on a “new jobs” page. This is a free service for the businesses, as well as for users to apply.

It is easy to apply for a job on Facebook. You can search for jobs within a 100 mile radius and narrow your selection based upon industry and job type, including volunteer and internship opportunities. There is an “apply now” button, and Facebook automatically fills in the information you have already provided in your profile. You can write up 1,000 characters as to why you would be a good fit for the job. According to Facebook, businesses can only see what you’ve made public on your profile. The employer will receive your application and connect with you via Messenger.

Facebook Jobs

Facebook is definitely focusing on business users with their new launch. They have been pushing Facebook Workplace to business users and now have a jobs section. Facebook wants its millions of already active users to now be able to find jobs while frequenting the site.

Some people are skeptical as to the popularity of the new Facebook jobs feature. Beth Lawton, owner of Canoe Media Services, says “it’s certainly not the first place I’d think to go. I’d start with more traditional job boards…before searching Facebook for a job.”

Andrew Bosworth, Facebook’s VP of Ads and Business Platform, wanted to know “How can we make Facebook more useful in your everyday life?” He has shown overwhelming enthusiasm for the new product. He believes it will bring help small businesses hiring and give opportunities for the opportunistic or casual job seeker. Bosworth stated, “Two-thirds of job seekers are already employed. They’re not spending their days and nights out there canvassing for jobs. They’re open to a job if a job comes.”

LinkedIn might be the leader in the employment network space, but Facebook’s user count dwarfs that of LinkedIn by millions. It might be hard for LinkedIn and other job companies to compete with the amount of visibility that Facebook has. Even if a Facebook user’s reason for logging in doesn’t involve applying for a new job, it might be hard to resist searching the local listings for what new opportunities might arise.

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LinkedIn is one of the most effective ways to connect online. Whether you are a job hunter, employer, salesperson or businessperson, you can find people who have your interests and answers to your questions.

But how do you make the connection? What do you say? You’re not alone in your fear when it’s time to ask advice or find out about job openings.

To help break the ice, LinkedIn is now offering conversation starters. These are suggestions for ways to open your message.

Click the Light Bulb

Open the app to write a message to your contact. Click on the light bulb icon that appears within the message area. Voila! A set of suggested opening remarks will appear.

The tips are personalized for each member, based on your profile and history. They aren’t just one-size-fits-all message starters. LinkedIn suggests picking the opener that fits your current contact the best and your normal style. Then rewrite it to match how you speak and write.

3 Types of Starters

There are three types of conversation starters:

Updates on your professional life: You can report your current activities to your correspondent or your impressions of recent news or articles. Did your contact recently get a promotion? Congratulate her! Is it an anniversary, either work or personal? Give them a pat on the back. Everyone likes milestones recognized and celebrated.

Shared background: Doo you see that both of you have a company or school in common? Open with a brief reference to your shared history. Perhaps they are in a hobby group where you have experience. Give them some input about what you’re doing with these skills and interests. It establishes common ground, making it easier to get the conversation going.

Contacts in common: Do they know someone you have met? Mention it in your opening remarks. This will help establish your bonafides and your work and personal history. People like to communicate with people with a shared history and similar roots.

The Benefit of Conversation Starters

The goal for these conversation tips is to make messaging more casual and less pressured. According to Mark Hull, the director of product management at LinkedIn, they noticed that many members had lots of connections, but seldom sent messages.

Though it is simple to message someone that you contact often, it can be intimidating to approach someone you don’t know or someone you’ve lost contact with.

The aim is for members to feel more comfortable approaching new contacts and those you haven’t traded messages with in a long time. A quick note, using one of the tips. takes the pressure off. Members say the tips make it easier to start casual conversations, and to send a quick message more often.

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There is a subtle shift underway in the world of influencer marketing, which involves companies moving away from aligning with people considered to be major influencers on social media, and moving toward those seen as much less popular, in terms of their followings and the potential they might exert on behalf of such companies.

Traditionally, influencer marketing has prescribed that a company should align itself with social media stars who had huge followings, and could therefore potentially sway many of them toward purchasing products offered by the company. More and more however, many companies are now seeing the value of collaborating with micro-influencers, who usually have far fewer followers, but may be able to reach a more focused audience through tailored storytelling.

What’s behind the shift

Marketing managers and executives have determined through research, surveys, and other feedback methods, that generation Z consumers who represent the first generation to be enslaved by electronic devices, have simply become disillusioned with the polished, glossy representation of reality TV stars and social media stars.

Instead, they prefer to consume more genuine experiences, and to be led by personalities having a more unique and personal point of view, with a deeper story to tell. In effect, the shift toward micro-influencers is happening because there has been a corresponding shift in consumer perspectives, and having identified that trend, many companies have accordingly hitched their wagons to this new horse.

Rather than relying on the social media star power of a single individual, marketing executives now see the value of working with several social media influencers who can combine their own perspectives with the message being disseminated by the company. The storytelling advantages provided by these micro-influencer individuals on social media are more deeply personal, yet still in alignment with company marketing objectives, and thus resonate more truly with Generation Z consumers. Collaborating with several micro-influencers also allows for a certain amount of flexibility in the ultimate message being conveyed to a targeted audience.

Micro-influencer ROI

Business being a bottom-line entity, the logical question about the success of micro-influencers centers around what kind of return is yielded by shifting toward this kind of marketing strategy. This is where it gets a little tricky. While the success of specific campaigns can certainly be measured in hard numbers, many marketers feel that doesn’t tell the whole story, and prefer to view micro-influencer storytelling in a broader, longer-term context. Tapping into the collective psyche of a generation can be a very elusive goal to achieve, but it is becoming increasingly clear that micro-influencers may have the potential to do just that.

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You share what you’re doing on a day-to-day basis with friends on Facebook. So why not include what happens at work? One good reason is you could get fired.

Companies don’t want to place their reputations at the mercy of unthinking posts. On the internet, word gets around quickly. The juicier the gossip and the crazier the photo, the faster it spreads. At times that means free, viral advertising. Other times it means embarrassing notoriety.

Cultures vary greatly from one company to another. Find out what yours expects when you post. Meanwhile, here are 3 dos and 3 don’ts that are suitable for every workplace.

3 Dos

#1. Be positive and upbeat.

Tell followers about new projects, company get-togethers and your new co-workers. This shows the human side of the business.

#2. Match your company’s tone and expectations.

If you’re smart, you take a good look at what others are wearing, so you can match the prevailing dress choices. Do the same with Facebook postings. If you work at an insurance company, the tone will most likely be more conservative. If you’re at a tech startup, it will probably be more relaxed.

#3. Proactively decide what is public and private.

Before you start posting on your Facebook account about work, decide what aspects are for public consumption. What do you want your supervisor to see? What do you want to keep private? Consider using another social media platform for private sharing.

3 Don’ts

#1. Don’t badmouth the company.

You may be frustrated with your supervisor or cubicle mate, but Facebook isn’t the place to mention it.

#2. Don’t take the day off and post that fact.

Mental health days are a fact of life. But you’re daring the fates if you post what you’ve done on your Facebook page.

#3. Never post about illegal activities.

So you and your friends went crazy over the weekend and stole a street sign and took photos. Don’t post the photos. Anything illegal like that can easily get you fired.

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