https://ift.tt/30r8ZOI
How to Create Videos That Sell https://ift.tt/2MxmCIT Do you use videos to sell your products or services? Looking for a proven model to help you sell with videos? To explore how to create videos that sell, I interview Owen Video on the Social Media Marketing Podcast. Owen is a speaker, live-stream host, and event MC. He’s also the founder of The Video Marketing School, an online learning center for video marketing training. Owen shares his process for consistently producing quality video content. You’ll also learn why video is such a powerful marketing tool, how to develop video topics, and more. Why Videos Are Important in MarketingVideo is hyper-effective for marketing and brings prospects to your brand. A report from Oracle revealed that 82% of all content viewed online has a video on the web page. If you want people to view your content, you have to create video or live video content. Otherwise, people aren’t going to stop on your site and look at it. Video can be useful beyond attracting people to your page. It can also improve your business and make customers want to buy your products or services. In a separate study, 90% of customers also say that videos help them make buying decisions and 88% of marketers report being satisfied with the ROI of their video marketing efforts on social media. Video not only offers your customers a chance to see your product in action but also lets them see the passion in your eyes when you talk about your product and your company. Video allows people to envision themselves using the product and gives them the ability to hear from the customers you serve. How to Deliver Better Results With Your Facebook Ads—Online Training! An example of this is real estate. A joint study from Google and the National Association of Realtors revealed that there’s a 40% increase in buyer inquiries from home listings that featured video. This goes beyond clicks on a listing. These are aspiring homeowners clicking the link and actually saying, “I want to see this house” simply because there was a video posted next to it. If you want to succeed as a business owner, you’ve got to get good at selling with video. Developing Parasocial Relationships With VideoVideo is a powerful, scalable way for brands and businesses to develop awareness, affinity, and trust with their audiences without them having to know or encounter you. In psychology, this phenomenon is called a parasocial relationship or a one-way relationship, where the viewer gets to know, like, and trust you without ever meeting you in person. To illustrate, when Owen was recovering from a surgery and undergoing 7 months of chemotherapy and radiation, he began indulging in the popular sitcom, Frasier. The more Owen watched the show, the more be began liking and bonding with the main character, Dr. Frasier Crane. Although Frasier is a fictional character played by actor Kelsey Grammer, Owen developed a parasocial relationship with Frasier. You can achieve a kind of parasocial relationship through other types of content like audio or through writing but video allows you to achieve a higher-level connection with your audiences. Other Benefits of Video MarketingOn a practical level, video is easier, faster, and more affordable compared to other forms of content marketing and advertising efforts. For instance, blogging, SEO, and Google ads can be difficult to manage and take months to see any traction. Even then, the data shows that the pages you’re trying to rank need to have a video on them to succeed anyway. Owen’s Proven Video Creation ProcessEvery marketer has a mobile device and a message. You don’t need any fancy video gear or a film crew. Rather than having your boss or clients memorize lines or paying someone to write a script and hiring an editor to chop all the bad stuff out, use whatever you already have and get good at systemizing your video production. For marketers, this means having a process that integrates into the rhythms of your business. Expect the first video to be the worst, but know that over time, you’ll improve and begin to see benefits for your business. The first step is to create momentum. From there, come up with a method for duplication and the ability to outsource. Once you get to this point, you no longer need to even be involved in the process. The key is having a process. Owen shares how one of his clients, Dr. Sten Ekberg at Wellness for Life in Atlanta, mastered the art of duplicating Owen’s video production and has more than 100,000 YouTube subscribers and more new patients than his office can handle to show for it. His office has a permanent video creation station set up and constantly running. This enables him to sit down, shoot a video, and upload it whenever he isn’t with patients. Anyone can set up a camera in their office and sit down to answer questions they get from email or at the front desk. Record a video and upload it to YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram. Owen has made more than 1,000 videos for the web and admits there’s been a lot of trial and error. Over time, he developed a highly successful process for video creation called the GREAT video formula. GREAT is an acronym for each step of the framework for a producing sales video that you can duplicate every time with little to no preparation. G – Grab the Viewer’s AttentionThe very first step in creating a great video is G, Grab the viewer’s attention. This is your visual or your audible hook, the very first thing that the viewer hears or reads in the captions. It must immediately draw them into the video. The internet is full of video content. Gone are the days of producing video and knowing that people will naturally watch it just because it’s there. You’re in a constant transaction with your viewers for every second they’re willing to watch your video. You’ve got to hit them hard. If you don’t, they’re going to go watch something else. The Audio HookDon’t waste time getting your wheels moving with something like, “Hey everybody. Welcome to the video. We’ll hang out until someone else logs in.” Immediately captivate the viewer within the first 10 seconds of your video. The best way to do this is to focus on a problem that you’re going to solve. That problem and the pain are more effective than the pleasure. Begin with a powerful question or statement as soon as you hit record. Hit the pain points and the problem your video is about to solve for the viewers and get them to stay for the next 30 seconds of the video. During these 30 seconds, you need to earn the right to have them watch the next 30 seconds. Then earn the right to the next 30 seconds and so forth until the end of the video. VIDEO Owen uses Ryan Rodenbeck of Spyglass Realty in Austin, Texas as an example of grabbing people’s attention right away. His videos on teaching realtors how to use Instagram and video in their business open to a clean office and a clear statement. “Do you struggle with X? We’re going to show you the solution today.” When you play his video, you know right away if it’s something you want to watch. The Visual HookYou don’t always have to begin your videos by presenting a problem or question at the onset. As you become more comfortable with producing video, you can experiment with reversing this formula. A good example of this is Dan Norton, a student at The Video Marketing School and a repurpose video editor. Dan helps live video and video content creators repurpose their content. Dan opens some of his videos with the end product or end result, which can be a great-looking video meme or technique. He says, “Hey, do you have a hard time producing videos that look this good?” He goes on with the rest of his video in which he shows viewers how they can do it too. The video hooks viewers with a great-looking product and then backs it up with an audio hook in which he promises to solve a problem they’re having today. It captures the mind and the eyes of the viewers and keeps them engaged longer because they want to know more. Also, consider the framing and background of your videos. What viewers see should be nice and neat, not sloppy, distracting, or messy. This is also part of your visual hook. Add Branding After the HookIt was once commonplace to start videos with an opening animation or logo. These bumpers could take up to 35 seconds before getting to the content and will kill your videos. Branding is important. Owen simply suggests holding off on any branding or introductions in your video until after the viewers have already committed to spending more time on your video. Having a powerful opening hook and keeping your viewers interested longer has the added benefit of furthering your marketing and retargeting efforts on Facebook or Google. You only want to retarget people who have watched a decent amount of your video, not those who only watched for 10 seconds before clicking on something else. Keeping more people engaged longer helps broaden your retargeting audiences. R – Restate the ProblemThe next step is R, which is Restate the problem. This is where you poke the bear and get into the mind of the viewer. There’s this concept that Owen teaches called the before state and the after state. The before state is the bad or frustrated place your customer is in before they buy your product or service. The after state is the satisfaction and relief they feel after they’ve received your product or service. In the R, we have to zero in and find a way to relate to the before state. The Before StateLet’s say you’re talking about generating leads on social media in your videos. You could approach the problem with, “Hey, are you having a hard time generating leads on social media? I mean, you’re posting every day. You’re spending a ton of money on a marketer and you don’t even understand anything that they’re saying. You’re not getting any leads. It’s frustrating! Your wife’s mad at you. Your kids are mad at you. Your dog won’t even talk to you.” There’s a tendency to be too nice and reassuring to customers sometimes. You tell them that you know they’re trying hard and doing their best to make their social media work. This only assures them that they’re doing a great job and makes them believe that they don’t need what you’re selling. Instead, you want to hit them hard and focus on what hurts and why they need the product or service you offer. Listen to the show to hear how Social Media Examiner employs this technique for marketing the Facebook Ads Summit. Get Facebook Ads Training—Online!The Facebook Ads Summit is ideal for any marketer who wants to better understand the latest Facebook ads strategies and improve their testing and analysis. The world’s top Facebook ads experts show you their proven techniques. The Facebook Ads Summit is a live online training event from your friends at Social Media Examiner. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MOREThe After StateReally digging in on the before state allows your viewer to feel like you’re talking directly to them and understand what they’re going through. Show your viewers that you’re focused on their pain and use words that point out exactly what hurts. Make yourself relatable and position yourself as being in a unique position to help. This sets you up to take them into the after state, which is the joy they’ll ultimately find once they have experienced your product or service and get the outcome they desire. Create a relationship with your video viewers that makes them want to watch more of your videos and see what else you can offer. E – Explain Your SolutionE is Explain your solution. Don’t explain the solution or just any solution. Explain your unique solution that only you can offer and that’s unfindable anywhere else in the marketplace other than with you. Another term for this is product framing or service framing. For instance, too many marketers are positioning themselves as just another social media manager. Instead, you should be marketing yourself and your products or services as something new and different from anything else out there. The brain naturally gravitates to the new and novel, and being unique will take your business to that next level. Reframe the ConversationRather than saying something like, “Hey, let me help you manage your social media,” which is what everybody else says, you want to restate the problem: “Are you tired of not getting leads, and social media’s a pain in the rear for you?” Then explain your solution. “Well hey, let me introduce you to Social Media Power Pro (or some other terms that no one else is currently using). It’s a social media plan that will make your business lift off and cause all these great results to happen.” Owen points again to Dan Norton to show how this can be done. Dan was initially just “another video editor” until Owen helped him position himself as the Repurpose Video Editor, which was something previously unheard of in their industry. Dan talks about how he can take your existing video on YouTube or webinars on your site, cut them up into square memes for repurposing on Facebook and Instagram. All of a sudden, he becomes exactly what a brand or business needs to expand their social media content. When you explain your solution, frame the conversation in terms that are specific to your industry. Even though your competitors may clamor to align themselves with your new solution, or as in Dan’s case, your new job title, being the first sets you apart. It also puts more search traffic and attention on you and your business because you’re the one that started it all. Listen to the show to hear how Mike explains in his first book, Writing White Papers, how to introduce a new label for others to adopt and claim attributes unique to your business. Transitioning Into Explaining the SolutionAt his core, Owen is a salesperson. Early in his career, Owen spent his days listening to tapes of Jeffrey Gitomer and Brian Tracy in his car and learning the art of sales. He has a great love for helping people find the products and services that will make their lives better. However, you don’t have to be a natural salesperson, extroverted and vibrant on camera, or be very persuasive to transition into the explaining the solution step in the GREAT formula. Salesmanship is really just passion and expertise. Not every marketer is going to have the same level of energy as Owen, nor will every customer be able to relate to it. Be who you are and run through this process in your own way. To help overcome these barriers, The Video Marketing School runs through an exercise in which students are asked to draw a line down a sheet of paper and list all of the features and benefits of their products. Take a second paper and run through all of the pain points and solutions. You basically end up with a large list of the different things you can offer and provide to customers. Each line should be paired with a corresponding sentence or phraseology to accompany it. Each pairing then becomes a video topic that you can create and distribute. Develop a Value StatementOnce you’ve determined what you do best and how you can serve your customers, create a value statement in which you state, “I help X do Y using Z.” Another way to consider this is, “I help [demographic] achieve [the desired result] using [my specific product or service].” In the previous example of Dan Norton, he could very simply say that he helps business owners repurpose video using their existing videos. Following your value statement, go into a step-by-step tutorial that highlights the features and benefits statement. Show your audience that first you do this and second you do this. Moving on to third when you do this and so on until you’ve gone through your entire tutorial. Limit your video to three, five, or seven high-level steps. Your audience can easily grasp the numbers and this keeps their interest and attention. To stay focused and on track, Owen uses fill-in-the-blank scripted templates for walking customers through this part of the video. Pacing Your VideoMost marketers take a whole lot of time explaining their solution because they love to talk about themselves. Owen recommends spending more time on restating the problem and relating to the pain points of the customer. Then scaling the entire length of your video based on the specific platform you’re uploading it to. Once you’ve gone through G and R, you should be about a minute into your video. Expect E to be the bulk of your video, knowing that it should be up to, but not beyond, 3 minutes if you’re planning to upload the video to Facebook. YouTube videos should aim for 7–10 minutes long. Instagram is a 1-minute platform for feed videos and 15 seconds for Stories. That will have a big impact on how you pace your videos as you go through the entire process. A – Actual ProofA stands for Actual proof and happens to be the part that everyone usually misses. You must provide numerical, third-party evidence that shows what you’re selling works. This means testimonials from customers who are willing to share how much they love and appreciate your product. In the previous steps in the process, you’ve explained what you have and how it will help people do A, B, C, and D. But now you’re telling people, “Don’t just take my word for it. Take a look at what our customers have to say about it…” You can either share the testimonials yourself or ask others to provide their testimonials for you. Collect TestimonialsThere are many ways to go about collecting testimonials. If you aren’t already doing this, you should be stockpiling your testimonials, whether it’s saving emails from happy customers or maintaining a testimonial form. You can collect them from Google Business reviews, Yelp reviews, and more or capture them when you’re at an in-person event or your physical store. Set up a webcam in your store if you have a brick-and-mortar establishment. As satisfied customers come to see you or buy from you, ask if they would be willing to share their experience on camera. Flip the switch, shoot the video, and you’re done. If you’re short on time and can’t get a full video, the next best solution is to read the saved testimonials aloud. You don’t need to take too much time with this part. Three quick testimonials or one long, in-depth testimonial will suffice. The goal is to provide actual proof that your product or service works. Adding Validity and Credibility to ClaimsProvide numbers and include an actual name and a city for each testimonial. Put the customer’s face and the text of what they wrote or said on the screen to further validate and provide credibility behind the testimonial. People can see that it’s an actual person. Owen cautions not to call them “Actual Customer,” which looks fake, inauthentic, and too easy to do. If you’re a new business or lack any one-on-one interactions with your customers, capture and promote industry statistics in place of personal testimonials. You can supplement what experts or research studies have to say about your business and how your great product or service can help. T – Tell Viewers What to DoThe last step is T, which stands for Tell them what to do. To be more precise, this step tells people what you want them to do right after seeing your video. Is there something you want people to avoid or a follow-up step you want them to take? It can be “Visit our website,” “Call us today,” or any other call to action. If you’re running an ad on YouTube, you can say, “Click on the View Ad button below” and underneath the video, a button appears that says View Ad or View Offer. Similarly, you might say, “Click on the link in the description box below.” The viewers can see the description box and know exactly where to click. On Facebook, the call to action “Click the Learn More button below” means there will be a Learn More button prominently featured right in front of the user. It’s the same thing with a Sign Up button. Having a strong, specific call to action is measurable but it isn’t the end goal. It’s simply a stepping stone that allows you to lead people to the next step, which is the sale or the opt-in. Discovery of the WeekBG Photo Background Eraser is a mobile app that not only removes an image background right in the palm of your hand, it also gives you the ability to completely change the background too. When you use the app to take a new photo or import an image that’s already on your camera roll, it uses machine learning and AI to auto-detect and trace the main focus or objects in the foreground of your image. You can then select from different backgrounds like a solid color or design or import your own image. You can also add effects like blurring and filters. BG Photo Background Eraser is in the App Store for iOS devices. Listen to the show to hear more about BG Photo Background Eraser. Key Takeaways From This Episode:What do you think? What are your thoughts on creating videos to sell? Please share your comments below. Get your 2020 tickets! There are 17 tracks of content available from the world's top marketing pros! Social Media via Social Media Marketing | Social Media Examiner https://ift.tt/1LtH18p August 23, 2019 at 05:04AM
0 Comments
How to Create Videos That Sell: A Proven Formula - 368 https://ift.tt/2MxmCIT Do you use videos to sell your products or services? Looking for a proven model to help you sell with videos? To explore how to create videos that sell, in this episode I interview Owen Video. Owen is the founder of The Video Marketing School, an online learning center for video marketing training. USEFUL INFORMATION: Check out our Facebook Ads Summit We'd love you to review our show on Apple Podcasts. Social Media via Social Media Marketing Podcast https://ift.tt/1LtH18p August 23, 2019 at 04:57AM
https://ift.tt/31UxGU6
Google says China used YouTube to meddle in Hong Kong protests https://ift.tt/2TWcXwl Google has disabled 210 YouTube accounts after it said China used the video platform to sow discord among protesters in Hong Kong. The search giant, which owns YouTube, followed in the footsteps of Twitter and Facebook, which earlier this week said China had used their social media sites to spread misinformation and discord among the protesters, who have spent weeks taking to the streets to demand China stops interfering with the semi-autonomous region’s affairs. Earlier this week Twitter said China was using its service to “sow discord” through fake accounts as part of a “a coordinated state-backed operation.” In a brief blog post, Google’s Shane Huntley said the company took action after it detected activity which “behaved in a coordinated manner while uploading videos related to the ongoing protests in Hong Kong.” “This discovery was consistent with recent observations and actions related to China announced by Facebook and Twitter,” said Huntley. In line with Twitter and Facebook’s findings, Google said it detected the use of virtual private networks — or VPNs — which can be used to tunnel through China’s censorship system, known as the Great Firewall. Facebook, Twitter and Google are all banned in China. But Google said little more about the accounts, what they shared, or whether it would disclose its findings to researchers. When reached, a Google spokesperson only referred back to the blog post and did not comment further. Over a million protesters took to the streets this weekend to peacefully demonstrate against the Chinese regime, which took over rule from the United Kingdom in 1997. Protests erupted earlier this year after a bid by Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam to push through a highly controversial bill that would allow criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China for trial. The bill was suspended, effectively killing it from reaching the law books, but protests have continued, pushing back at claims that China is trying to meddle in Hong Kong’s affairs. Social Media via Twitter – TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com August 22, 2019 at 04:34PM
https://ift.tt/2Z9muWF
Apple's wild instructions for cleaning your Apple Card are inspiring lots of memes https://ift.tt/2L8cHXk The Apple Card finally launched in the U.S. on Wednesday, and with it came a set of extremely specific care instructions. Why do you need care instructions for a credit card, you ask? Well, this isn't just any credit card. It's a credit card that makes you better than other people. Here's how Apple wants you to care for your special hunk of titanium. First, you must store the card in a slot in your wallet without it touching any other cards. (If you don't, you could damage the card's white coating, Apple says.) When it's time to clean your card, the company recommends "gently [wiping] with a soft, slightly damp, lint-free microfiber cloth," then moistening another microfiber cloth with isopropyl alcohol and wiping the card again. And please keep your precious wealth rectangle away from harmful materials, including leather (the stuff used to make wallets) and denim (the stuff used to make a lot of pants). Of course, these suggestions are absolutely wild, but people will probably still abide by them. So, as you tuck your new Apple Card into a buttery lambskin iPouch, please enjoy a few jokes on the subject.
Social Media via Mashable https://ift.tt/2DCFv97 August 22, 2019 at 09:44AM
https://ift.tt/2L1tk6U
Top 3 Simple Online Steps to Turn Fun Into Funds https://ift.tt/2TZicvq We’ve all been there. You pick up a little hobby. To begin with, you’re not very good at it, but it’s fun, so you practice. First, a little. Then some more. Soon you become really good at it. People start to ask where you got something from and are surprised to find out that you actually made it. Slowly you begin to get asked how much you would charge to make them something like that. It’s at this point you should consider getting paid for doing something you enjoy. Let’s look into how easy it is with a few online tips to get you there. Have Online PresenceProbably one of the first things you’ll need is to get online. With so many social media platforms offering a free online presence, it’s tempting to open a few accounts and leaving it at that. Don’t. Go that extra mile and register a domain name. There are many cheap options. It gives your potential customers a bit more confidence to see a standalone website. Plus you can have it looking exactly how you want it. Once you have thought of a cool name and registered it, you should considermaintenance services for business website. When first starting out it’s best to get as much help as possible. Getting someone else to check your website daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly will leave more time to focus on other things, such as building your audience. Follow MeSure it’s nice to get your friends’ support, but at the end of the day, you’ll need an actual audience. To do that you’ll need the big social media players; Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. There area few others you could consider too. Get them all and link them to your website. You could help to save some time by using a social media management platform like Hootsuite to post regularly. Growing your audience means you can reach more potential customers. Social media is perfect for this. Make your website and all your social media accounts engaging. Ask followers questions. Get them to take part in polls. Make people enjoy your product as much you as enjoy making them. E-CommerceSo everyone knows about your product now due to your entertaining posts. Now to get paid.This is easily done, even if you wouldn’t class yourself as being very technical. Formally registering your company is the next step. It may not sound like such fun compared to everything else, but it does mean you won’t be liable for what happens to your business. This will protect your personal assets. While on the subject of essential things, you also need a sales tax ID. Your state’s Department of Revenue website will provide all the info you need. Ker-ching!Once you have done these three steps, who knows where it could lead. Yesterday a fun past time, today an online shop, and maybe tomorrow an actual store. Wherever you end up, don’t forget to enjoy doing it as that’s what got you started in the first place. The post Top 3 Simple Online Steps to Turn Fun Into Funds appeared first on Social Media Explorer. Social Media via Social Media Explorer https://ift.tt/2onGYog August 22, 2019 at 12:07AM Twitter picks up team from narrative app Lightwell in its latest effort to improve conversations8/21/2019
https://ift.tt/33Sfc8r
Twitter picks up team from narrative app Lightwell in its latest effort to improve conversations https://ift.tt/2Z6rETy Twitter’s ongoing, long-term efforts to make conversations easier to follow and engage with on its platform is getting a boost with the company’s latest acquihire. The company has picked up the team behind Lightwell, a startup that had built a set of developer tools to build interactive, narrative apps, for an undisclosed sum. Lightwell’s founder and CEO, Suzanne Xie, is becoming a director of product leading Twitter’s Conversations initiative, with the rest of her small four-person team joining her on the conversations project. (Sidenote: Sara Haider, who had been leading the charge on rethinking the design of Conversations on Twitter, most recently through the release of twttr, Twitter’s newish prototyping app, announced that she would be moving on to a new project at the company after a short break. I understand twttr will continue to be used to openly test conversation tweaks and other potential changes to how the app works. ) The Lightwell/Twitter news was announced late yesterday both by Lightwell itself and Twitter’s VP of product Keith Coleman. A Twitter spokesperson also confirmed the deal to TechCrunch in a short statement today: “We are excited to welcome Suzanne and her team to Twitter to help drive forward the important work we are doing to serve the public conversation,” he said. Interestingly, Twitter is on a product hiring push it seems. Other recent hires Coleman noted were Other recent product hires include Angela Wise and Tom Hauburger. Coincidentally, both joined from autonomous companies, respectively Waymo and Voyage. To be clear, this is more acqui-hire than hire: only the Lightwell team (of what looks like three people) is joining Twitter. The Lightwell product will no longer be developed, but it is not going away, either. Xie noted in a separate Medium post that apps that have already been built (or plan to be built) on the platform will continue to work. It will also now be free to use. Lightwell originally started life in 2012 as Hullabalu, as one of the many companies producing original-content interactive children’s stories for smartphones and tablets. In a sea of children-focused storybook apps, Hullabalu’s stories stood out not just because of the distinctive cast of characters that the startup had created, but for how the narratives were presented: part book, part interactive game, the stories engaged children and moved narratives along by getting the users to touch and drag elements across the screen. After some years, Hullabalu saw an opportunity to package its technology and make it available as a platform for all developers, to be used not just by other creators of children’s content, but advertisers and more. It seems the company shifted at that time to make Lightwell its main focus. The Hullabalu apps remained live on the App Store, even when the company moved on to focus on Lightwell. However, they hadn’t been updated in two years’ time. Xie says they will remain as is. In its startup life, the company went through YCombinator, TechStars, and picked up some $6.5 million in funding (per Crunchbase), from investors that included Joanne Wilson, SV Angel, Vayner, Spark Labs, Great Oak, Scout Ventures and more. If turning Hullabalu into Lightwell was a pivot, then the exit to Twitter can be considered yet another interesting shift in how talent and expertise optimized for one end can be repurposed to meet another. One of Twitter’s biggest challenges over the years has been trying to create a way to make conversations (also narratives of a kind) easy to follow — both for those who are power users, and for those who are not and might otherwise easily be put off from using the product. The crux of the problem has been that Twitter’s DNA is about real-time rivers of chatter that flow in one single feed, while conversations by their nature linger around a specific topic and become hard to follow when there are too many people talking. Trying to build a way to fit the two concepts together has foxed the company for a long time now. At its best, bringing in a new team from the outside will potentially give Twitter a fresh perspective on how to approach conversations on the platform, and the fact that Lightwell has been thinking about creative ways to present narratives gives them some cred as a group that might come up completely new concepts for presenting conversations. At a time when it seems that the conversation around Conversations had somewhat stagnated, it’s good to see a new chapter opening up. Social Media via Twitter – TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com August 21, 2019 at 05:05PM
https://ift.tt/2Za1hfp
Cyber Crime, Social Media and Cyber Essentials Certification https://ift.tt/31REMbW The last ten years have seen a massive rise in the everyday use of social media platforms. Most of us have at least one personal account that we check every day and businesses see social media as a free advertising opportunity. The dark side of this popularity is that uploaded information is recorded online – for any hacker to find if they want to. Just how secure is our social media account information and does Cyber Essentials Certification hold the key to making our business accounts safer? The Popularity of Social Media What makes cybersecurity such a big problem? The sharp rise in social media use quickly outgrew official regulation in the early 2000s. Nowadays, statistics say that there are an estimated 1.2 billion users per day – on Facebook alone! It doesn’t stop with personal accounts either. Some 88% of companies are also using social media accounts is a method of increasing customer transparency, boosting brand recognition and getting a little free advertising. While we were all engaging in social media, we didn’t think about the privacy issues we were exposing ourselves to. It only emerged in 2019 that MySpace was using a listening tool named ‘Overlord’ to spy on user’s private messages. Social Media security breaches were happening before the general public was aware that it was even possible for our data to be stolen and sold on. For at least a decade, consumers were left in the dark. Luckily for those in the EU, the GDPR laws came into enforcement in May of 2018. They offered a clear set of guidelines on what was, and what was not, acceptable information for companies to share on your behalf. This law protects the general public from having data kept or sold about them without their express permission. It might have been a terrible headache for everyone who owned a website tailored to European clients, but it did have more than a few benefits for business of its own. Compliance with GDPR Regulations Protects Your Business Compliance with the GDPR laws when you are on social media sites should be an integral part of your firm’s IT governance. For one thing, non-compliance in the EU is now against the law. Any firm that handles private data must take appropriate measures to protect that data… or risk a hefty fine. While this seems like extra work for your business, it helps protect it, in the long term. Ensuring GDPR are followed while your business interacts with social media sites is suitable for your firm in the following ways:
So, compliance with GDPR might be necessary, but it shouldn’t be a loss. When you raise your businesses cybersecurity by endorsing in Cyber Essentials Certification you are marking yourself as a source to be trusted with all data-handling. It doesn’t just apply to your businesses social media accounts but also extends throughout all the aspects of your firm. GDPR Certification Protects your Business Social Media Accounts Getting GRPR certification for your business helps protect you from all sorts of cyberattacks. Cyber Essentials is a government-backed scheme that was introduced to help protect data stored by contractors. Legally speaking, participation in the Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus scheme is only mandatory for those that actively seek government contracts… but certification has a variety perks that covers your business against Cyber threats on social media sites. Cyber Essentials Certification involves participation in a self-review of the cybersecurity of your firm. If you want to be extra secure, you can partake in the Cyber Essentials Plus scheme. This scheme involves an external evaluation of your company’s data storage systems to ensure GDPR compliance. Once completed, both reviews will earn you Cyber Essentials certification. Certification ensures your customers can trust you with their data. More importantly, it actively prevents 80% of cyber-attacks. Cyber Essentials Supports Your Businesses IT Governance As well as protecting any data that your firm collects through its social media sites, GDPR certification supports your IT governance systems. Most Cyber Essentials certification provides an ongoing opportunity for streamlining your IT department. Any data stored is current and useful, information is more comfortable to retrieve, and the IT department has fewer software issues. Although cyber essentials certification may seem like extra work in the beginning; it won’t be long before that streamlined service starts offering its rewards in terms of time saved and productivity gained. Both online and offline, your businesses data will be better protected when you choose to endorse the Cyber Essentials Scheme. Social Media sites will be directly impacted by this, since they give you the best opportunities for brand recognition. Some businesses in the modern age choose to use social media sites as their sole source of advertising. It means that any of the marketing data they hold on their customers through this means is subject to data breach… a problem that cost businesses £2.7 million in 2018 alone. Does Your Business Use Social Media? All data that your business processes must be as secure as possible under the Cyber Essentials scheme. How safe is your business while it engages with social media sites? Could cyber essentials certification be used to distinguish your firm as one to be trusted with consumer data? Do you want to join active users on your social media platforms – without the risk of exposing yourself to cybercrime? If the answer to any of those questions is “yes”, then Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus Certification could be precisely the solution you have been searching for! The post Cyber Crime, Social Media and Cyber Essentials Certification appeared first on Social Media Explorer. Social Media via Social Media Explorer https://ift.tt/2onGYog August 21, 2019 at 03:56PM
https://ift.tt/2ZhFBgK
Instagram to start paying researchers to find apps abusing its data https://ift.tt/2P6HVmV "Our goal is to help protect the information people share on Instagram and encourage security researchers to report potential abuse to us so we can quickly take action." Social Media via Mashable https://ift.tt/2DCFv97 August 21, 2019 at 10:27AM
https://ift.tt/2P2aBgv
How to Use LinkedIn Live: The Complete Guide for Marketers https://ift.tt/2MBNrfh Curious about LinkedIn Live? You’re not alone. Since launching native video in 2017, LinkedIn video has taken off. According to insights from LinkedIn, video is the fastest-growing content-type on the platform, and is 5x more likely to generate conversations with members and 20x more likely to be re-shared. LinkedIn Live is the latest and most anticipated of these video features. Through live streaming, it lets marketers connect with their communities in real-time. Think of it like Facebook Live, with a more professional twist. Hootsuite participated in the LinkedIn Live pilot and was an early adopter of LinkedIn Live. In this post, we’ll share everything we’ve learned about mastering the tool, including:
Bonus: Download a free guide to discover four time-saving tools to help you grow your LinkedIn network faster. Includes one tool that lets you schedule a week’s worth of LinkedIn updates in just three minutes. How to use LinkedIn LiveNote: To get started with LinkedIn Live, please submit an application. To create your first LinkedIn Live video, follow these simple steps: Step 1. Make sure you have at least two devices available before you stream. You’ll need one for streaming the video, and one for monitoring live comments. Step 2. Sign up for a third-party broadcasting tool to create your video. For those just getting started, we recommend Socialive and Switcher Studio. Step 3. Authenticate your LinkedIn account using the tool. Also, sync it to the phone, table or device you’re planning to stream from. Step 4. Test your internet connection. You’ll need an upload speed of at least 3 mbps, or your video won’t stream properly. Use a tool like speedtest.net to check. Plug in an ethernet cable if your signal is too weak. Step 5. Get support. It can be hard to keep up with live comments while you’re talking. Ask a colleague to log onto LinkedIn and monitor your stream for you. Your partner should receive a notification as soon as you start streaming. They can also find your video on the “recent activity” tab of your page. (Get them to refresh their browser if they’re having trouble.) Engage viewers by liking and replying to comments as you stream. Have your colleague reply to user comments for you if possible. Otherwise, ask them to write down the best questions on a piece of paper. That way, you can reply once you have time to catch your breath. Step 6. Optimize your set up. We already mentioned how important a strong internet connection is. But there are a few other technical details to consider:
For more tips on how to set up, check out our blog post about creating other types of Linkedin videos. Step 7. Start streaming. Now that you’ve got your support system and equipment set up, push the broadcast button on the third-party tool to start streaming. Make sure you have contact information for the third-party’s support team on hand. You don’t want any technical issues interrupting the stream! Step 8. To stop streaming, hit the end broadcast button. LinkedIn will post your video on your Recent Activity or Page feed after you’re done. That way, members who missed it can still access your content. LinkedIn Live best practicesSo, now you know how to create a LinkedIn Live video. What does it take to create a great one, though? Choose a relevant topicKnowing your audience is key for creating engaging content. On LinkedIn, that audience largely consists of educated, business-minded people, as well as students and hospitality workers. Stick to topics that perform well on LinkedIn, and that are related to your brand in some way. You can also grab ideas from LinkedIn’s monthly blog series on trending content. Knowing your audience is key to creating relevant content too. Here’s some tips for doing that:
Our guide to defining a target audience has lots of helpful tips too. Choose a unique topicSure, you can post live video on Instagram and Facebook. But that doesn’t mean the same video will work on all three platforms. Make sure you create original content for LinkedIn—topics you wouldn’t cover elsewhere. For example, Hootsuite uses LinkedIn Live to share partner announcements, Q&As with different teams within the company, HR hiring initiatives, and insight reports. Other ideas include bringing audiences behind the scenes to events, and hosting live Q&As with leadership. Set a scheduleConsistency is key when it comes to effective marketing. Plan to stream at a set time each day, week, or month. That way, your followers will know when to expect your next (awesome) video. You can even create a recurring show, like Andre Iguodala’s #LinkedInSpeakerSeries. Cross-promoteLeave yourself plenty of time for promotion before going live. Reach out to your community across multiple platforms. This includes any social channels, as well as your website and newsletter. Tailor your tone and voice to each platform for best results. Mobilize your LinkedIn communityMake sure you get the word out on LinkedIn, too. Invite employees, followers, and other connections to follow your profile or page. That way, they’ll get a notification as soon as you go live. Schedule some promotional posts in the days before you plan to stream. Tag any guest speakers (if they have Pages) and add a few well-chosen hashtags. Keep hashtags specific, relevant, and on-brand—and don’t forget to include #LinkedInlive! Rhett Power’s promotional post is short and sweet. Plus, it includes some great hashtags. Practice, practice, practice!Slip ups happen—especially in live video. Avoid the worst mistakes by rehearsing lots before the show. Organize a practice run-through to help everyone feel more comfortable. …but keep things freshThat said, don’t rehearse too much. Authenticity is key when it comes to social video. Avoid memorizing your video word-for-word. Your video will be more natural (and more engaging) that way. Go longWith live video, it can take a bit of time for viewers to join in and start interacting. Aim to stream for at least 10 to 15 minutes, so folks have time to settle in. Repeat the discussion topicBecause your video is live, chances are, not everyone will have caught the beginning. Reintroduce your discussion topic a few times during your stream. That way, you can be sure everyone is up-to-speed. Write a great descriptionCreate a brief description to accompany your video while you stream. LinkedIn hides most of your description in search. Front-load your write-up to take advantage of this prime real estate. Include the key information in the first 1-2 sentences. Start with a brief overview of what the video’s about. Add keywords and speaker names “above the fold”, like Rob Balasa does here. Use the rest of your description to add a couple of hashtags (again, include #LinkedinLive). You can also outline key points, helpful links, or video highlights. Bonus: Download a free guide to discover four time-saving tools to help you grow your LinkedIn network faster. Includes one tool that lets you schedule a week’s worth of LinkedIn updates in just three minutes. Get the free guide right now!Include a stellar CTAAdd a strong call-to-action (CTA) to your description. (You can also include one in the video itself). Use clear, compelling language that urges viewers to do something specific. For example, you could encourage people to subscribe or tag a friend, like Rob Balasabas (above). Promoting a new product, event, whitepaper, or blog post also works well. Optimize your LinkedIn presenceA great video can generate lots of traffic. Make sure your LinkedIn presence is ready for it: If you’re an individual, go through your LinkedIn profile carefully. Use a professional headshot and update your work experience. Write a brief, informative headline that catches people’s attention. Winnie Sun’s profile is polished and punchy. Her headline even includes a plug for her LinkedIn Live show! If you’re an organization, make sure you’ve filled out your entire Page. According to insights from LinkedIn, complete Pages receive 30% more views as incomplete ones. To craft a perfect Page, start with compelling profile and banner images. Add an engaging “About us” section, including relevant keywords where possible. LinkedIn Live video ideasAccording to LinkedIn, the best live videos are timely or interactive. Here are just a few examples of content ideas that work well on the platform: Host a “fireside chat”Fireside chats are informal conversations or presentations. Done well, they can be an effective strategy for generating leads. If you’re an individual, hosting a chat can be a great way to showcase your expertise. Chat about a topic you know well that’s relevant to your industry. Repurpose content from past conferences or presentations to save time and energy. If you’re an organization, invite staff members or guest speakers to lead the chat. For example, Hootsuite recently created this LinkedIn Live video about Google My Business. We spoke with Meagan Tanner, head of Google My Business Strategic Partnerships, Americas at Google, for some special insights. Live-stream an eventAre you hosting a conference? Presenting a talk? Attending a special workshop? Events are an easy way to engage audiences on LinkedIn Live. You can stream the presentation, relaying audience questions to the speaker in real-time. Summarizing key takeaways and conducting on-site speaker interviews can also work well. Launch or demo a new productFor organizations, LinkedIn Live can be a great way to launch products or services. Live lets you walk potential customers through your latest offering, step-by-step. You can also answer questions as they come up using Linkedin’s live comment feature. For example, TAP Innovations recently streamed a live demo of its “Admin tool.” The demo helped customers, by teaching them how to make the most of the tool. But it also helped TAP get the word out about their latest product. A win-win for everyone. For individuals, live-review a new product to show your thought leadership. Walk viewers through what works well and what doesn’t. Comment on any challenges you experience along the way. You can also offer insider tips on how to make the most of the product. Share a big updateGot big news? LinkedIn Live can be an ideal way to share it: For organizations: Welcome members to the team, promote job postings, highlight new partnerships, and more. For individuals: Let connections know about awards, promotions, job changes, or new ventures. Interview an expertExpert Q&As make up some of the top-performing LinkedIn Live videos. Done well, they can help you demonstrate authority in your field. Q&As are also a great way to promote your professional services to the interviewee’s client base. Example interview ideas include:
Pendo.io uses LinkedIn Live interviews to highlight team members’ expertise. This strategy is a great way to demonstrate thought leadership. Organize an AMAJust like interviews, Ask-Me-Anythings (AMAs) follow a simple question-and-answer format. The main difference is that the viewers, not the host, get to ask the questions. With the right promotion, AMAs encourage tons of viewers to tune in at once. They also offer real value, by answering questions that matter most to your community. But AMAs can be risky, too. Some viewers may have tough questions or negative feedback. Be ready to handle it with class if it happens. Review industry highlightsHighlighting industry trends can be a great way to prove your expertise. This applies to both organizations and individuals. Provide weekly or monthly “round-ups” of news stories that matter to your community. Offer commentary on controversial issues, highlight upcoming events, and more. Go behind-the-scenesPersonal and raw, behind-the-scenes videos help humanize your organization. They also help viewers feel like they’re getting something “exclusive.” Brian Schulman did this really well in this recent LinkedIn Live video. The video offers viewers an insider look at MusicFest 2019. It also lets fans from out of town experience the festival remotely. Holidays and seasonal trendsFinally, try going seasonal. Holiday videos can reach new viewers and humanize your LinkedIn presence. Plus, they can be fun! But remember: even trending content should be useful and relevant. Your Valentine’s Day-themed AMA idea might be adorable. Just make sure it can offer real value, too. Easily manage your LinkedIn presence alongside your other social channels using Hootsuite. From a single platform you can schedule and share content—including video—and engage your network. Try it today.
The post How to Use LinkedIn Live: The Complete Guide for Marketers appeared first on Hootsuite Social Media Management. Social Media via Hootsuite Social Media Management https://ift.tt/1LdunxE August 21, 2019 at 10:12AM
https://ift.tt/2Nmh0Ru
The Pros and Cons of Athletes as Social Media Influencers https://ift.tt/30mYA6D Due to their high-profile roles, athletes have always been key influencers on social and cultural issues. And now, thanks to the extended reach of social media platforms, they are finding that they can have a voice on just about any issue. With a single tweet or a single image on Instagram, they can galvanize hundreds of thousands of fans and followers to follow their lead. The pros of athletes as social influencersThere’s obviously a lot of good that can come about if top athletes lend their voice to important social and cultural issues. For example, consider the example of outspoken women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe, who has become an advocate of equal pay for women, as well as a supporter of improved race relations. As she noted in an interview following the epic women’s World Cup victory, all athletes have a responsibility to make the world a better place. And, indeed, over the past five decades, athletes have played an important role in advancing social justice, improved race relations, and important democratic principles. Who can forget the iconic image of Olympic athletes raising their fists in support of black power back in 1968? Or how top athletes like Muhammad Ali have become spokespersons for human rights around the world? In addition, professional athletes can raise awareness about important health and social issues. If you’ve ever turned on a professional sports game and wondered why all the athletes were dressed in pink, then you can understand why visual imagery is so important when advocating for change. The cons of athletes as social influencersBut what about the downside of athletes as advocates and influencers? Perhaps the best example here is former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has been embraced by brands like Nike at the same time that he has become arguably the most controversial figure in the world of professional sports. While actions such as refusing to sand for the national anthem might be based on deeply held beliefs, such actions are also deeply divisive to society as a whole. And there’s also the issue of professional athletes opining on issues of which they might have little or no real knowledge. In the constant search for media publicity, some athletes take on causes that they might – or might not – really have any real knowledge about. On social media, it’s far too easy to like, share or comment on content in order to be “on trend.” Unfortunately, changing the color of your social media avatar is not going to change the world, even if you convince thousands of other people to do the same. Ultimately, social media is a very powerful platform for athletes to make their views heard on social and cultural issues. Given their power as role models and 24/7 visibility on TV and the Internet, it’s easy to see how they can give momentum to any movement or raise awareness on any important issue. Final thoughtJust remember, however, that just because an individual is good at dunking a round ball or running extremely fast on a grass field does not mean that they need to be unquestioned or unchallenged. Just as athletes have a responsibility to make the world a better place, fans also have a responsibility not to engage in blind hero worship. Social media should be about dialogue, not just about following. The post The Pros and Cons of Athletes as Social Media Influencers appeared first on Social Media Explorer. Social Media via Social Media Explorer https://ift.tt/2onGYog August 21, 2019 at 09:31AM |
Amazing WeightLossCategories
All
Archives
November 2020
|