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5 Instagram Marketing Tips for Startups and Brands

instagram

Instagram has become one of the most popular social media networks in the world within a very short time. Every day millions of users upload and share content directly associated with brands, start ups and organizations, presenting huge opportunities for you to inspire and influence current and potential customers.

 

1. HASHTAGS

Hashtags are the best way to find people who are talking about your brand or startup, follow the conversations people are having. From there you can develop unique ways of engaging them.

Create their own unique hashtags when they post images of their products and encourage customers to use the same hashtags to share images.

Hashtags can help business by making it easy for people to find images related to the brand, improve the reach or engagement, and in making their Instagram content engaging on its own.

2. CREATE A STORY THROUGH IMAGES

The best way to get your customers to remember your brand is to create a deep impact on their minds. Through Instagram businesses can post images of existing products/services, share pictures taken during events, product launches and behind the scenes. This would give customers a glimpse into the inside world of the brand and intrigue a higher interest in them for the brand.

Businesses should also encourage customers to share the images that showcase the brand’s products through specific Hashtags. One of the brands that has received great success with this is Starbucks.

3. INVOLVE THE WHOLE TEAM

Employees are considered most important asset for a business, and when it comes to social media the best way to create a legitimate activity is to encourage your employees to be part of it. They should be encouraged to follow your brand, like the images, post the images and to comment on them. They must incorporate this into their routine. The constant involvement of employees will give customers entry into behind the scenes and create a community for everyone to share their ideas and images.

Employees must be encouraged to take photos with their iPhone, android and tablets. This will make photo sharing very easy for them.

4. TIMING IS EVERYTHING

Select the best times for posting and sharing. Simply Measured did an amazing study on Instagram engagement showing which times have the greatest correlation to comments on photos. The results of the study are as follows:

3.-Distribution-of-Comments-by-Day-and-TIme-v2

5. MAKE AND SHARE VIDEOS

Instagram was acquired by Facebook in 2012 and in June 2013 the company announced their new video feature which would allow users to share 15 sec long videos. Instagram has more than 130M active users and in the first day Instagram Video was announced, more than 5M videos were shared. With such large number of users, Instagram has made it very easy for companies to share videos. This video feature enables businesses to share intro videos of their employees, fun facts about their brand, how-to videos, address customer’s questions, FAQs and create cool contests to engage customers and drive interaction.

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Multi-viewpoint robotic camera system creates real ‘bullet time’ slow motion replays.


This multi-viewpoint robotic camera system, under development by NHK, links the motion of eight sub-cameras to that of an individual camera, so that all the cameras film the same moving object.

“Using this system, you can create the effect of stopping time, and moving the viewpoint all around the subject.”

“Previous methods used a fixed camera, so they could only capture subjects moving in a narrow or limited space. But this multi-viewpoint robot camera system can film dynamically moving sports, or subjects at lots of locations in an extensive space.”

Each robot camera has two motors, for pan and tilt. The cameras also share lens data, so they can zoom in unison.

“Pictures taken with robot cameras inevitably have discrepancies in direction control. So simply switching between them doesn’t give smooth pictures. To solve that problem, we’ve brought in a computer, which redoes the direction control virtually. Image processing is done, to virtually orient the cameras in the direction of the subject, making it possible to switch between the cameras.”

“Pictures from this system can be sent out about one minute after filming is finished. First of all, we intend to use this for live sports broadcasting. We’d like to make it easy to understand what’s happening, by providing multi-viewpoint pictures instead of the current slow-motion replay.”

This multi-viewpoint robotic camera system can also be used as an image capture system for integral 3D TV, under development by NHK. By generating integral 3D video from multiple-viewpoint footage, 3D video of sports events will be viewable on integral 3D TV.

5 Social Media Content Tips For Startups

by David Murdico In the land of social media, content is king. Respect the king and he will reward your loyalty. Creating and sharing content, along with active engagement, is the key to marketing via social media, but whether your startup is heavily funded or operating on a shoestring, your budgets are carefully scrutinized and there is a strong need for results. Therefore an emphasis must be put on creating and sharing the right content so your startup doesn’t burn through valuable resources in the process.

The biggest myth about social media is that once you create a page or account it will automatically boost your company’s visibility and popularity. This is extremely false! Social media is practically useless if you don’t regularly manage your accounts and provide content that is relevant,  engaging and sharable.

1. Post relatable content

Startups often face the question, “What should we post?” when managing their brands’ social media accounts. This is where providing relatable content comes into play. A social media page should not solely be used for spamming marketing and ad content to followers; marketers should also regularly post indirectly-related content to keep followers interested and hit a wider swath of people.

Relatable content can also include posts about events, pop culture trends or the holidays, particularly in ways that mesh with your brand, such as holiday sales. In other words, when thinking about what to post, approach it in a very personal manner so that you post content that your followers will easily relate to and be interested in. Also, don’t  forget to actively engage the people who are responding to and sharing your content!

2. Post pictures

Pictures are an easy way to draw attention to your social media posts. Let’s take Facebook for example. Posts that come up in the newsfeed with a picture are a million times more likely to draw attention than a simple text status. Try to pick an image that is related to your post and will also stand out when appearing in the newsfeed. Every post should come with a picture or should at least provide a link with a relevant thumbnail.

3. Post videos

Like pictures, video is another great tactic to draw attention and engage your followers through your social media page. Websites such as YouTube and Vimeo have developed ways for their videos to be embedded almost anywhere on the internet, including social media sites! Take advantage of this versatile feature and share your videos and/or other relatable videos across all of your social media platforms engage your fan base.

4. Do giveaways

Followers needed a reason to begin following your social media page and they also need reasons to stay engaged. Giveaways are a great strategy to keep your followers happy while at the same time promoting your products. Create social media giveaways that require followers to share your content with friends before they can enter for a chance to win one your products, services or prizes. Not only does your page gain more followers, but your products and services are also broadcasted to a widening audience.

5. Focus on Aesthetics

Once again, marketing always comes down to drawing attention through visually pleasing and eye-grabbing content. The look and feel of your social media page should be taken just as seriously as the design of your main website. An aesthetically polished social media page can go a long way in making your brand appear more professional and will separate you from your competitors. Social media sites all offer different ways of designing your page (some more than others) and putting on the finishing touches. Facebook’s “Cover Photo” is a recently developed concept that allows for companies to upload a photo banner to the top of brand page to be used creatively for marketing, branding, etc. Remember the most important part of aesthetics is being creative; do this and you will surely have success!

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About time—Apple now experimenting with a watch-like device

Little is known, but NYT, WSJ both report using anonymous sources.

Apple is experimenting internally with the development of a watch-like device with smartphone capabilities, according to separate reports from The New York Times and Wall Street Journal today.

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Details beyond that fact remain murky. The NYT report indicates the watch may “operate on Apple’s iOS platform” and be built with a curved glass surface, leveraging “the company’s understanding of how such glass can curve around the human body.” WSJ reports Apple has already talked with manufacturing partner Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. (aka Foxconn) about the idea, and this initiative could be the centerpiece of Apple’s next large product group beyond smartphones and tablets.

Both pieces relied entirely on anonymous sourcing from Apple—”according to people briefed on the effort” for WSJ and “according to people familiar with the company’s explorations, who spoke on the condition that they not be named because they are not allowed to publicly discuss unreleased products” for NYT.

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If all this pans out, Apple would be primed to break into the emerging wearable computing market. It’s an area focused mostly on fitness today, but Apple has shown public interest. The company partnered with Nike on devices like the FuelBand or those iPod-connecting shoes. Apple has also previously partnered with Corning Glass, using the company’s Gorilla Glass, so it’s not a reach to say finding a use for the stretchable, new Willow Glass could be on Cupertino’s agenda.

The lack of on-the-record info didn’t stop NYT from speculated on some logical future uses for such a device—mobile payments using Passbook, GPS functionality, Dick Tracy-like communications.

Strum app turns a status update into music video

USA TODAY11:20a.m. EST December 13, 2012

Smule’s new Strum app turns status updates into music videos.

That’s what the folks at Smule, which makes popular music-oriented apps, have done this week with Strum.The free app for Apple iOS devices lets you shoot a 15-second status update and use their tools to vocalize your musings with a backing track, and add Instagram-like photo filters to pretty up the image.

The app “turns your life into a music video,” says Prerna Gupta, the general manager of Smule, which is best known for its Magic Piano app, with over 20 million installs.

“A really fun app. that friends and family can enjoy”
Stephen Cataldo

Smule has virtual instrument apps for flute, trombone and violin as well. It also used auto-tune technology on the Songify app, which was developed by Gupta’s then-Atlanta-based Khush before it was acquired by Smule in 2011.

Gupta and the Khush staff moved to California. Strum is the first collaboration between the two teams, she says.

Smule has reaped nearly 80 million downloads since first formed by Stanford University professor Ge Wang in 2007 as a side project, and now has 60 staffers.

Strum is the company’s first video app, and has 22 visual filters to enhance the image.

While the app is free, the company plans to make money by selling add-on filters.

Status updates have a limit of 15 seconds, and can be produced within the app.

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These high quality Animated HD Video Templates will help build awareness to your business, products and services. The custom template samples can all utilize Video Footage, Content, Photo Stills, your selected Music and company logo. Videos can be viewed on your Website, YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, a Presentation or added to a television spot. 

It’s easy – to get started in producing your Animated HD Video….. you pick a template and send us the media/content you want to use. We then edit your production. When that has been completed we will provide you with a finished production file rendered for your needs. In addition to being a cost effective marketing tool these templates are visually stunning and professional. 

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A Quick and Accurate way to get you into your clients Address Books and STAY THERE!

A QUICK AND ACCURATE WAY TO GET YOU INTO YOUR

CLIENTS’ ADDRESS BOOKS AND STAY THERE!

EMAIL SIGNATURE A download link embedded in your e-mail signature which takes users’ to your branded web/mobile page, allowing them to save and receive updates of your information to any desktop, web or mobile address book (BlackBerry, iPhone, Android, Outlook, SalesForce.com).


WEBSITE WIDGET A “download contact” icon applied to your existing profile web page that allows users’ to quickly and easily download the selected information to any desktop, web or mobile address book. Current “vCard” methods may only support Outlook and Mac address books, whereas we support 19 different address books!

QR CODE A Quick Response (QR) code for use on your business card (or any printed ad) which, when scanned with a mobile device, takes users to your branded mobile web page, allowing them to save your information directly to their mobile address book.

NOTIFICATIONS AND REPORTS Our service tracks how many people have viewed and downloaded your contact information, as well as notifying you by e-mail when someone has downloaded, followed or referred your contact information.


Kelsey Media Productions | Burlington, Massachusetts USA | www.kelseypro.com

 

Email Is Still Huge, And That’s Where People Want To Be Marketed To

By Chris Crum

Email is thirty years old, and it’s arguably bigger than ever, despite other technological advancements in computing and communication. The number of emails sent per day continues to increase, and there are way more accounts than even Facebook has.

What has been more successful for you in your marketing efforts? Email or social media?

This week, ReadWriteWeb interviewed “father of email,” Ray Tomlinson, who implemented an email system in 1971 on the ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network). The piece cites some stats from the Radicati Group, saying that 144.8 billion emails are sent per day, and the number projected to hit 192.2 billion in 2016. Another stat from the same source: there are currently 3.4 billion email accounts worldwide, and somewhere around 75% of them are actually individual people.

That works out to be over 2.5 billion accounts of individual users. Facebook recently announced that it had hit the 955 million active user milestone, with just 552 million of them accessing it daily.

In the interview, Tomlinson is quoted as saying, “Email has the time difference – that is, you send it now, you read it later – you don’t have to have someone sitting there and ready to respond like you do with instant messaging to make it work and make it effective. You can use instant messaging that way, but if they’re not there, nothing happens, and you gotta remember that there may be a message coming back to you and go back to the IM client and look for the response.”

He also said he expects email to be around for “a good long time,” adding that “We may find that these other forms of communication may be merged with email.”

We are indeed still seeing the merge of other online communication channels with email. For example, earlier this summer, Facebook started listing Facebook email addresses as the default email address for users, as even the world’s largest social network recognizes email’s importance to the communication landscape. Google+ and Twitter have both recently made moves indicating that they are relying more on email for user engagement.

Email is even making its way to Google searches. Last month, Google introduced a new way for you to search your Gmail account right from the Google search box, perhaps enabling users to access old emails when they’re at their most relevant. It’s only in limited trial mode right now, but this could become an important Google feature sometime soon.

In this article, I talked about why this could make email marketing even better for conversions. The point I was trying to make is that it can make marketing messages available perhaps when they’re more relevant to the audience, when they’re actually searching for something that you’re selling. Basically, it adds some search marketing advantage to your email marketing efforts, though perhaps not in a way that’s as visible as straight paid search. But hey, it’s free.

ExactTarget’s Jeff Rohrs said in a piece about email’s 30th anniversary, “In fact, an overwhelming 77 percent of all consumers surveyed prefer to receive promotional messages from companies via email compared to five percent who prefer text messages and four percent who prefer Facebook. Email is also one of the most utilized apps on every smartphone — right up there with the phone, text messaging and the browser itself.”

Emphasis is mine, because those numbers are quite interesting, given how much we see about Facebook marketing these days.

According to a recent study from Experian, email volume rose 10% in the second quarter, compared to the second quarter of last year. This is only a continuation in a trend the firm says it has seen each quarter for the past three years. Open rates were similar to those in Q2 2011. While click rates declined from last year, the pace of that decline slowed. Revenue per email fro multi-channel retailers increased from $0.13 to $0.14.

According to that study, the average click rate rose for business products and services in Q2.