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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Running a business is never easy, but social media can help. Whether you’re starting a new business or simply want to grow your current company, there are several ways you can utilize social media websites to expand your brand. Many companies make the mistake of believing that all advertising and marketing should be done in-person, but this is no longer true. With the widespread use of social media, it’s now imperative that your company be active on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram if you want to grow your business. Here’s what you need to know.

Stay active

Do you have a company Facebook page? Did you start a Twitter account? Do you update regularly? If you don’t, you’re missing out on potential revenue. One of the biggest mistakes companies make is neglecting to update their-social media pages. Keep in mind that people who follow you on social media won’t necessarily visit your individual pages when they log on. Instead, they’ll wait to see posts from you appear in their news feeds, and this won’t happen if you aren’t updating. Aim to update your social media pages at least three times each week with useful, engaging content.

Share coupons

Do you offer coupons or promotion codes for customers? Why not share these on your social media pages? People love good deals and they love discounts. If someone has been waiting to try your company, getting a coupon could be just the push they need to make a purchase. Make sure you share coupons on all of your social media sites. Send the discount to your mailing list, as well.

Develop an action plan to reach your specific audience

A rookie mistake that many businesses make is to simply open accounts on every popular social media service, assuming that more = better. Each account you’ll open is a time expense in terms of maintaining it, however, and users you accumulate will start leaving in droves as soon as the regular updates stop.

It’s important to be aware of the demographic makeup of the various social media services, and assess whether that’s a group that you are attempting to reach. For example, according to statistics collected by Pew Research, the user base of Pinterest skews very much female, and the average Tumblr user is under the age of 24. Facebook and Twitter are solid bets for any business, since they have very large and diverse user bases, but once you get beyond those two you’ll want to start looking much more closely at demographic information and how it lines up with your customer profiles.

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LinkedIn, the must-have social network for working professionals, unveiled impactful changes to its site earlier this year. Many of the changes are simple fixes aimed at improving user experience. Yet there have also been several more drastic updates that will surely broaden the ways in which the site is utilized. Below, you will find the main ways that LinkedIn’s design overhaul has changed the site.

Homepage

LinkedIn’s largest design change is centered on its homepage. One of the first things that you will likely notice about the site’s new home screen is its uncanny similarity to Facebook, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

For starters, the site’s appearance is remarkably cleaner and more straightforward. Another much appreciated update is correcting the inconsistencies between the desktop and mobile homepages. The upgrade also makes it easier to share articles, photos, and updates by centering these options on the center of the homepage.

Search

The site’s search function is now largely different from what it was before. The slightly confusing advanced search options were removed, placing a more streamlined method to search for specific keywords in its place.

New options also now make it easier for recruiters to find potential candidates. By selecting the “Let recruiters know you’re open” button, you’ll be able to signal to recruiters that you’re activity looking for new opportunities.

Messaging

Although upon first glance the messaging portion of the site may seem unchanged, LinkedIn’s newest messaging feature makes it easier than ever to successfully network online. New additions include examples of ideal responses, making it simple and quick to tailor the perfect message to a recruiter. In sum, the new messaging section is considerably more intuitive and allows for room to increase the success rate of

Activity Log

The latest update to the site’s activity log also draws parallels to one of Facebook’s most favorable features. LinkedIn’s activity log stores all your movements on the site, conveniently storing every article you favorite, profile you connect with, company you search for, and more. It’s a great way to keep track of any research you may be conducting on a company or amazing articles you have recently read.

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

The post Linkedin’s Top Design + Development Changes in 2017 appeared first on Website Design and Marketing.

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.

The post YouTube Live from Mobile appeared first on Website Design and Marketing.

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.

The post 6 Dos and Don’ts for Employees Using Facebook at Work appeared first on Website Design and Marketing.

Eight billion photos a day, from 100 million users! That’s how many get shared with the Shapchat app every single day around the world. Smart business owners want to tap into this huge social media platform.

Here is a look at what Snapchat is, who uses it, and how you can use it to promote your products and services.

What Is Snapchat?

Snapchat is an app that lets people share photos and videos. What they send self-destructs after the recipient views them. They will last for 24 hours if the sender saves them to the My Story function.

The app lets senders enhance their photos and videos with graphics and text. It has doodles and interactive filters to personalize the images.

Who Uses Snapchat?

Millennials are the big users of Snapchat. But other demographics also play a part. Here is a breakdown:

• 13 to 24 years old: More than 60 percent of this age group in the U.S. use Snapchat.
• 34 years old or under: More than 70 percent use the app.

Businesses also use Snapchat. Gatorade conducted a successful camping using the filter function. Users of the Gatorade Super Bowl filter could make it look like Gatorade was pouring over the heads of people in their images. Taco Bell used another app function called moments to send Valentine’s Day cards. The virtual cards, funny and customizable, were a big hit.

How Can You Use Snapchat?

Here are three ways to get attention on Snapchat:

• Set up a series of photos, or snaps, to show a day in the life of your business. Make sure it’s no more than 10 seconds long. Avoid boring at all costs. Entertain and try to engage with your viewers, not sell to them.

• Do you make commercials for your company? Send the bloopers and outtakes over Snapchat. People love to see what goes on behind the scenes.

• Offer good deals on your product or service via Snapchat, and do it in an entertaining way. For example, start a contest. Anyone who sends a snap showing him using your product gets a coupon.

Snapchat offers businesses a huge marketplace. With the right approach, you can raise your brand recognition and entice users to investigate what you offer.

Please contact Blast Creative for all of your Social Media Marketing needs!

The post Why using Snapchat is the new, smart way to boost your business appeared first on Website Design and Marketing.

Your physical body dies, but Facebook is forever. What you post on your social media platforms is available here long after you’ve moved on to the Great Internet in the Sky.

Most of what you contribute to your accounts is probably harmless. But in some cases it can cause estate problems for family. Here is a look at the impact of your posts and how you and your family can handle them.

From Identity Theft to Lawsuits

Identity theft and financial lost are the biggest dangers of leaving social media accounts open after a person dies or becomes incapable of handling their own affairs. Criminals can hack your shopping accounts, bank accounts and personal data.

They can harvest financial information and personal data from your profiles and posts. There is a real danger that assets will end up as unclaimed funds, creating headaches for executors.

If a lawsuit is in progress when you die, social media posts can give your opponents evidence to bolster their case. If a relative decides to contest your will, the social posts can provide them with insights to help them further their claim.

It’s not just your internet accounts that leave a big data footprint. Your computer, laptop, tablet and smartphone also contain personal information. With the Internet of Things, all your mobile devices can be linked and share data.

Take Steps Now

Do you want others to have access to your emails, photos, data and documents after you’re gone? Probably not. The time to handle future problems is now.

List the accounts, usernames and passwords for your online presence in your estate documents and power of attorney. These can include:

• Social media accounts
• Shopping accounts
• Bank and financial institution accounts
• Tax and government accounts
• Video, photo and music accounts
• Email accounts

In your will and estate papers, specifically give your executors permission to access your accounts. This will avoid problems with privacy laws.

Find out how to remove data from your electronics. Leave all the necessary instructions in your estate papers.

And if you are a family member, don’t be sentimental and feel you are memorializing your loved one by keeping their accounts active. Close accounts to avoid identity theft.

Please contact Blast Creative for all of your Reputation Management needs!

The post Digital Ghosts: How Your Identity Lives on After Death appeared first on Website Design and Marketing.

#blastcreative, what’s all about? If you’ve spent any amount of time on social media, you probably know what a hashtag is. Sadly, you may not know how to use one properly. Just about everyone has seen a tweet or Facebook status update in which #every other #word has a #hashtag attached to it. You might have also noticed hashtags on very long phrases (#kindoflikewhatisbeingwrittenhere). While hashtags do make it easier for others to find your content or to get a certain topic trending, they only really work if they are used properly. Here are a few tips for doing exactly that.

Keep It Simple

First of all, hashtags should never go on long phrases or anything that is too unique. Yes, some writers are good at using this exactly strategy for comedic effect, but they aren’t trying to start a conversation across social media. If you want to grab everyone’s attention with a hashtag, put it on a short phrase that can be easily repeated, preferably one that is a single word. Keep in mind that putting a space in a hashtagged phrase will only result in the first word being tagged, so any phrase you want to get trending should be easy to read without any spacing.

Do Not Hashtag Every Word on Your Post

Putting a hashtag on every word on a tweet or a post not only looks unprofessional, but it will fail to get anybody’s attention. You are essentially trying to start a conversation about every individual word you write. That makes your post read more like spam than anything that is supposed to advertise your services or start a trending topic.

Look for Trending Hashtags

If you’re using hashtags and social media for marketing purposes, it always helps to search Facebook or Twitter for trending topics. By borrowing certain hashtags, you can generate traffic to your website or social media accounts. Just make sure you know what a hashtag really means before you use it. You don’t want to borrow a hashtag that turns out to have nothing to do with what you want to talk about or sell. Using an unrelated hashtag looks desperate at best and offensive at worst. Always know what a conversation is about before you jump in.

For all of your Social Media Marketing needs, please contact us today!

The post Here’s How You Should Actually Use Hashtags appeared first on Website Design and Marketing.

On September 1, 2016, Google updated its algorithm in a big way which has greatly changed how search engine results are displayed. This update has been termed Possum since despite many businesses believing that their websites have been removed instead, these websites have just been filtered differently. Below are a few of the major changes that come with this update.

Filtering is Now Based on Address and Affiliation
Google’s new way of filtering shows the most relevant listings by filtering out other listings that are too similar. This means that in addition to businesses that share a similar domain or phone number being filtered out, businesses that share the same address as other businesses in the same category are also being filtered out.

Listings are not being prevented from ranking or being removed but instead, Google chooses one business to rank higher and pushes other business with the same address further down the results page.

Good for Businesses Outside of the City Limits
Businesses that are technically outside a physical city limit and depend on keyword searches involving that city name should see a boost in ranking. In the past, businesses that do not have an address inside the city limits find it extremely difficult to rank high in a city keyword search. The new Possum update seems to have fixed any of these issues since city limits are playing less of a role.

Small Keyword Variations Change Search Results More
With this update, keyword order has become more important. Similar keyword searches produce a different results page than before the update. Simply switching around the order of words in a phrase can greatly impact search results. Consequently, it may be best to utilize multiple iterations of a keyword in order to obtain a high ranking across many different keyword search variations.

Searcher Location is More Important Than Before
Making sure the searcher’s location is set to the correct city is more important than before. Depending on where the searcher is located greatly effects where a particular business ranks on a search page. Even including the city name in the search bar may still result in a lower ranking if the searcher is not located in that same city.

For instance, if a searcher is farther from the city in which they are searching for a business, the Google Search map appears more zoomed out.

Organic and Local Filters Run More Independently
Since the Possum update, the local filter and the organic filter are less synchronized, resulting in completely different behavior. Before the update, websites filtered organically by Google often resulted in a lower ranking. In contrast, the update allows most websites to enjoy a higher ranking when filtered organically. An example of this would be that companies now have two opportunities to rank in the 3-pack, with a www version and a version that does not use www.

 Contact Blast Creative for all of you SEO needs!

The post What Is The New Possum Google Algorithm Update? appeared first on Website Design and Marketing.

You’ve certainly heard of Snapchat by now, particularly given that the CEO turned down a $3 billion purchase offer from Facebook a few years back. The fledgling social media platform is now worth upwards of $20 billion, according to Forbes and Fortune – and that figure is only growing.

So, how is taking video with a short lifetime beneficial to helping you boost your business? It is precisely the fleeting nature of the interaction that makes it attractive to companies. The following are just a few of the tried-and-true methods for making this social media workhorse one of your platforms of choice.

Do a Video FAQ Using Snapchat

One thing that will never change about business is that your consumers will always have questions. It’s the reason most websites have a FAQ section; instead of hoping they navigate to that part of the site, do a Snapchat video and displaying the kind of dedication to customer issues that keeps them coming back. You can also use this feature to send out coupon information and promo codes.

Your Customers are a Part of Your Company

All this means is that you can use Snapchat to increase engagement by being inclusive. For example, GrubHub used Snapchat to include their users in a campaign that involved promotions and giveaways; they experienced a whopping 20% increase in new users after their exclusive Snapchat campaign. If you always remember to employ the platform to engage your followers and provide them with valuable information, then there’s little reason why a campaign like this can’t work for you, too.

Additionally, being inclusive also means showing them how your company works and what’s going on behind the scenes. For example, if you sell the kinds of products that are amenable to conventions – take “Snaps” while there of interesting things and send them to your followers; studies show that this keeps them engaged.

Touch on Social Issues

Although this one can be a bit dicey if not done correctly, it represents a tremendous opportunity to connect with your audience. First off, you should use Analytics to identify your demographic; then, you can better tailor your snaps to represent social issues that concern them. Dove soap did this by jumping on the body image bandwagon to resonate with young women. Soap doesn’t have much to do with body image per se; but their core group of buyers is certainly concerned with this issue – so it works out very well for both parties.

Just think of Snapchat as the most modern distillation of the essence of communication – conveying a story or message. What better way to do that than with images; and better yet, video that captivates and holds the attention of your audience? As a business, you can hardly ask for much more than that.

Contact Blast Creative for all of your Social Media Marketing needs!

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