Do you remember the days when you used an actual map to get around?  Yes, a paper map – the one you purchased from a local gas station and stored in your glovebox.  If you’re a millennial, then probably not.  Nowadays we all have our favorite go-to map app but sometimes typing an address can be a lot of work.  Now there’s a new iOS map app that’s accelerating the way you use maps on your phone in a visually compelling way.  Emoji-based map app WYD, short for “what you doing”, uses emojis rather than a text keyboard to search for nearby places to explore and share with friends. Continue reading →

If you’re like pretty much everyone on the planet, keeping up with the latest social media trends can be a daunting task. As soon as you’ve learned a new feature or believe you’ve figured out the ever-elusive algorithm, new features are released and past tricks are obsolete. So how is a digital marketer to stay on top of the latest and greatest? Here are 3 ways to keep up with social media trends.

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To pod or not to pod? That is the question. 

Unless you’re someone who is deep in the trenches of all things Instagram, you may not even know what an Instagram Pod is, so let’s review.

An Instagram pod is when a group of people that have similar IG accounts (e.g. photographers, makeup artists, lifestyle bloggers, etc.) get together and agree to Like and comment on each other’s photos to increase engagement and activity. Since Instagram’s ever-changing algorithm is so elusive, this has become a popular way for accounts to be deemed more relevant. This method increases the chance of current followers seeing your content in their feed and new followers seeing it in the Discovery feed. But does it actually work? Here are  pros and cons of Instagram Pods.

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Picture this: A long line of eager fans wait patiently outside the doors of your small business. Everyone is talking about the grand opening and are excited to use your product or service. Months leading up to this very day, they have been following your social media and already feel a sense of community with your brand. Why? Because you are leveraging the power of the ‘Gram. Sound too good to be true? Here are 4 tips on successfully using Instagram to help launch your business.

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Photo by Marius Ciocirlan

There are currently more than a dozen popular social media platforms for businesses to choose from. From Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, to Snapchat, choosing the right social media channels for your business can yield a significant ROI. The challenge lies in uncovering which platforms support not only your business objectives but also your target audience’s interests. It behooves you to understand the personality of each platform. How do your products and services align with the personalities of these social media channels? Does your target audience gravitate toward visual content? To select the right social media channels, you’ll need to develop a strategy around your products and services, as well as your target audience.  Continue reading →

Photo by Brooke Lark

Social media helps brands connect with their target audience. However, many brands are faced with a content challenge. How can brands write content for social media in an effective manner? The answer lies in developing distinct audience personas and a social media brand voice. This will serve as the foundation for your efforts. Social media is one of the most cost-effective ways to speak to any audience. It behooves brands to create meaningful, memorable digital content.

“This content should be so valuable that it compels the reader to share it with others across social media channels.” – Shanda Henley, SEO Copywriter / Digital Marketer / Indie Author Continue reading →

Continuing with our series of articles about the power of gemstones in fashion, we will cover the benefits attributed to quartz. First of all, its beauty enhances outfits from a wide variety of styles.

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Beyond the furor of Frida’s birthday celebrations, the Frida fever continues influencing art and fashion around the world.

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Since thousands of years, several cultures around the world use gemstones for energy and style.  These beautiful elements not only elevate any fashion style but they could also provide other great benefits such as healing, protection and attraction properties. Continue reading →

Don’t wait for Halloween to dress like your favorite artist. Here are three fashion trends that you can use to create your own Frida Kahlo style and stay current: Continue reading →

Enjoy celebrity treatment with an easy to make Greek goddess style. Here are great ideas to create this look with some of the items you already have:

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Tired of the same old workout? For a fun and effective way to exercise, take yourself to the islands for an hour a day and burn calories dancing hula – but don’t forget to pack your aloha.   Continue reading →

Yelp Isn’t Just for Wannabe Food Critics

I was once sharing my affinity for Yelp and asked my friend if she uses the app. She said, “No, Yelp is for wannabe food critics.” I understood what she meant, but I use yelp in a much different way. Here are five reasons Yelp isn’t just for wannabe food critics.

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Standout from the crowd and impress with a unique Western style. Just add handmade accessories that reflect your personality to your favorite outfit. Here are a few tips to get started:

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Don’t get stuck here!

You’ve been hitting the gym quite regularly lately and you’re seeing some positive results.  But for some reason, your results are slowing and the gains are fewer.  This is the dreaded fitness plateau.  This is one of the most frustrating and de-motivating phenomena that you can encounter in your fitness program.  You can overcome your fitness plateau by changing some things in your routine.  The following are some tips and advice to help you get off the plateau. Continue reading →

Customers want awesome social media customer service. As customer service expectations rise, the need for a solid, well planned and executed program is table stakes if you want to compete. This is a great time to make great social customer care your competitive advantage. We are discussing how to build an awesome social media customer service program in three parts. This is Part 1 – Philosophy and Approach. Continue reading →

Start Slow, Think Big

Starting a fitness program? Great! You are on your way to a healthier more enjoyable life. That said, the next step is to hit the gym and get some big results, right? Slow down. Jumping headlong into a fitness program can leave you physically exhausted and injured. Before you head out there and tear it up, consider the following. Continue reading →

Tasked with managing your agency’s next website development project? No doubt that it’s a challenging and complex task. Checklists for this process vary by role. Factors like agency size and whether the site will be developed in-house or outsourced influence project management as well. If you are working with a vendor to outsource your website development project, these tips are for you.  Continue reading →

Are you training for fat loss and lean muscle?  For increased chance of success, focus on workout intensity, cardiovascular training, and eating a balanced diet.
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Social media can serve many purposes for a non-profit. It can be educational, bring cause awareness, or raise money. Likely it will be a combination of all of the above. But as many business haves a bottom line of making money, nonprofits have a motivating need to raise funds in order to execute the services for which they exist. Some nonprofits have done a great job building a fan and follower base on social media, but the key is converting fans into donors. Who seems to be doing this well, and who could probably use a boost? Continue reading →

Are those high numbers on the video post real Facebook video views?

If the  Facebook video views are not dissected and one is relying on those inflated Facebook video view numbers, we’re afraid that everyone is being fooled. Let’s talk about Facebook video views and let’s get real. What are accurate Facebook video views? According to the latest statistics on a Facebook video view, if the video is watched for three seconds it is counted as a video view.  Within both Instagram and Facebook if a video is viewed for three seconds it counts as a video view. Let’s compare the Facebook and Instagram video view to a You Tube video view. In a You Tube world a video view must be viewed for thirty seconds to count as a true video view. This brings us to the question is three seconds in Facebook really long enough to qualify for a video view? Continue reading →

Leaders and Managers

Today, leaders and managers must be able to set the goals, develop a plan, communicate the plan, supervise execution of the plan and continually build a motivational climate.  Many companies must meet the new challenges in the global world.  Globalization has changed the way leaders and managers do business.  What make a good leaders and managers?   Continue reading →

Your customer is mad and heads online to let everyone know, can you (should you) respond to a bad review in a positive way? You work hard to create a great guest experience at your winery and criticism may hurt, but how you respond to a bad review matters and it can impact your future.

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5 tips to get bloggers talking about your wines

If they are not already, you absolutely want to find a way to get bloggers talking about your wines. Data collected by BlogHer shows that 87% of people have made a purchase after reading a blog review of it. There are more than 1,300 wine bloggers currently writing worldwide. It’s the new media. Continue reading →

College Faculty Use Social Media More Than Workplace Employees

Faculty in the collegiate space, typically thought of by the corporate world as slow moving and behind the times, use social media platforms more than workplace employees. An April 2011 survey shows that college faculty use social media in myriad ways both professionally and personally, outpacing their corporate counterparts 2-1. While faculty reported that they were aware of most of the social platforms, Facebook, YouTube, and Blogs were noted as those that were most frequently visited and used, some out of necessity and not out of desire. Interestingly, faculty who have been in the professoriate for more than 20 years showed the same level of awareness of social media as those who have been in the field for fewer than 5.

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You know women love wine and social media. The question is can you encourage women to try, and buy, your wines by engaging them in conversation online.

According to a 2014 Gallop poll, women are wine drinkers, more than 46% of women who drink alcohol choose wine as their drink of choice. Women buy 57% of all wine sold and they are buying it for consumption, not collecting it. With this kind of buying power, the potential is huge for any wine brand that can win them over. But how to reach female buyers? Pew research shows that 80% of women online regularly use social media and 77% of them are on Facebook. Women love wine and social media, to reach more female wine buyers, connect with them online.

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An Effective Winter Yoga Practice Balances Kapha

Do you suffer from the “winter blues?” 10 million Americans are impacted by Seasonal Affective Disorder, the most common form of which is winter depression. Yoga and Ayurveda offer guidance on how we can create a winter yoga practice and adjust our lifestyle to combat feelings of depression and lethargy.  Continue reading →

A list of the top 5 FREE social media tools every social media manager needs to know about:

Hootsuite – a complete social media management system. From posting content to multiple channels, to measuring analytics to monitoring what people are saying about your brand. This platform is go-to social media platform and is one of the top rated free social media tools. Continue reading →

Everyone and there dogs (literally) have an Instagram account these days, and with so many accounts it’s hard to find the top accounts to follow on Instagram. With over 300 million monthly active users, there is an Instagram account for just about anything. From fashion blogs, health tips, foodie blogs, and inspirational quotes, here is a list of Instagram accounts you don’t want to miss out on:

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There are 5 steps to mastering the fears of a new social manager. Becoming a social media manager can be scary. What if you post the wrong article, what if you post with a misspelling. There are so many things that can go wrong, but you have to get over that fear in order to be successful. With a little bit of practice all will be fine. Continue reading →