New Instagram Tools For Brand Management

Jen Lambert on November 27, 2020

Over the last few years, Instagram has become the go-to social network for online branding and digital marketing. Since its billionaire acquisition by Facebook, Instagram has undergone a gradual transformation from image sharing platform to a powerful tool for brands to interact with customers and prospects, and this has a lot to do with the vision of the business and development teams at the social network.

In November 2020, just before the start of the holiday shopping season in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Instagram rolled out two new features that should be of special interest to brand managers, influencers, and content creators. Let’s take a closer look at these features:

Branded Content Advertisers Get More Freedom

In June 2019, Instagram rolled out a feature that allows advertisers to work closer with content creators. Branded Content Ads serve a couple of purposes; first of all, they let Instagram users know that certain stories appearing in their feeds are paid advertisements. Second, these branded stories highlight the collaboration between influencers and the advertisers, thus allowing users to interact directly with the content creators as well as the brands should they choose to do so.

The new feature augmenting Branded Content Ads gives brand managers more creative control. Let’s say a fashion boutique has an existing partnership with a busy influencer but does not want to wait for her to create new Instagram Stories. The boutique can now produce the ad and pitch it to the influencer for instant approval. Although this feature intends to streamline existing processes, it could also create friction if approvals are not obtained right away.

New Branded Hashtags

Take a look at this example of Instagram profile hashtag use; notice how the relevant tags in each post are assigned naturally. Starting in November 2020, a new kind of hashtag will be available to Instagram content creators and the brands they work with. Branded content tags for paid advertising will be part of Instagram Live as well as Reels, two features that have proven to be very popular on the network, and which are designed to compete against the likes of Facebook Live, Snapchat, and Tik-Tok. Although these tags will be visible to users, they will not have an impact on the viewing experience. The purpose of branded tags can be appreciated in the background by the publishers and advertisers; similar to Facebook pixels, they provide advanced analytics on the performance of Instagram campaigns, and marketers will be able to develop strategies based on these actionable insights.

Thus far, Instagram influencers and their commercial partners have reacted positively to the new features, particularly the new ability given to brands to interact directly with users. Let’s say a professional soccer player works with an online casino on a series of Instagram Stories, but she is not able to respond to questions from followers because she needs to focus on the current season. With the new Branded Content Ads feature, advertisers will be able to respond directly to such questions without having to consult with the player or get access to her account.

Keeping Up With Shopping Priorities in ecommerce

Jen Lambert on November 23, 2020

The current pandemic has caused a dramatic change in U.S shopping behavior in-store. Availability is now prioritized by shoppers over the quality of the product. Concerns about catching the virus and product shortages such as toilet paper have all caused the shift in priority. Store managers and owners should consider these new priorities and implement them into their current operations. For example, setting up online ordering for pickup in-store guarantees that the product is in store. Being able to adjust and understand consumer shopping behavior will position your organization more likely to succeed. Make sure to check out the infographic below for creating a convenient and safe shopping experience.

Infographic created by First Data, a merchant processing company

Top Cleaners You Should Learn About Before Spring Cleaning

Jen Lambert on October 31, 2020

When you think of cleaning supplies, soap and water are the first materials that come to mind. While these items are crucial when it comes to keeping your environment sanitary, particularly for cleaning your body, they aren’t the only cleaners you should know about.

Compressed Air

Not everything can be cleaned with water, especially not large machines. Frequently, factory owners turn to a compressed air service Jacksonville FLto clear their equipment of dust and other particles. It’s important to check that the air is purified and the machine does not have any breakable parts, or cleaning it with compressed air can cause problems.

Pressurized Water

For large surfaces that are visibly dirty and able to withstand extreme pressure, pressurized water is a great way to get rid of grime. Because of how much force pressure washers exert, you don’t need to add soap when you use these machines. Make sure to wear long sleeves and shoes when you operate one; the water sprays at such a high velocity that it can remove your skin. 

Chemical Disinfectants

Chemical disinfectants are those that you find in the cleaning supplies aisle at the grocery store. Use extreme caution when handling these substances, since most of them are poisonous. One of the most common is chlorine, which people generally use in its liquid form, bleach. Chlorine is a highly toxic substance, particularly if mixed with other chemicals, but it does effectively kill most germs. Alcohol also has disinfectant properties, but it is not potent enough to clean bathrooms or industrial areas. Still, if you have a cut and you’re worried about getting an infection, alcohol is a good choice. 

All-Natural Cleaners

If you want to sanitize your workplace or house but you’re worried about the dangers of chemical cleaners, explore the different all-natural disinfectants. These are perfect if you have pets or babies who might accidentally eat your cleaning products. Standard kitchen acids such as white vinegar are great for taking care of small spills. Products such as Bon Ami, which is made of powdered limestone, and baking soda are good substitutes for chemical abrasives. Additionally, companies such as Mrs. Meyer’s and Dr. Bronner’s manufacture stronger cleaners that still are good for you and the environment.

When you have a sanitation problem at home or at work, get creative with your solution by trying one of these cleaners. After all, the cleaner your environment is, the healthier you are.

Create a Wikipedia Page For Your Business With These Simple Tips

Jen Lambert on October 30, 2020

If you have managed to turn on a computer in the last twenty years, you are likely familiar with Wikipedia. Thought of as the Library of the Internet, Wikipedia is an immense database that offers knowledge on everything you can imagine. As one of the best resource hubs on the web for accurate information, many companies are doing their best to get their business page listed. Unfortunately, it isn’t exactly easy to get a Wikipedia page for your business.

Today, let’s walk you through the process of getting your company listed on Wikipedia.

1) Establish a Reputable Business – First and foremost, you are going to have to have an actual business to share with the world. Wikipedia is notoriously fickle about the content that is allowed to stay on its platform. Understand that the more notable your business is, the easier it will be to get your page added. With that being said, there are no guarantees but with hard work and a bit of effort, you can improve your odds.

2) Create Your Account – Every great journey on the internet starts with account creation. Register for an account on Wikipedia so that you have the power and ability to update pages. When you use a registered account on Wikipedia, you will have more control over your content as well as what data you release to the world about yourself.

3) Cultivate a Reputation – If you are going to contribute your page to Wikipedia, you might want to start by contributing elsewhere. Take some time offering authentic edits to pages that you are knowledgeable about. These edits don’t have to be on major pages. In fact, you might even prefer to do smaller edits to get a feel for the platform. This may seem like a bit of work, but it is important work to do.

4) Create Your Page – Before creating your page, take some time to browse Wikipedia. Is your business already listed anywhere else? If it isn’t, go ahead and create the page for yourself by clicking ‘Ask For The Page to Be Created’ after you type in your business name. You will be sent to the Wikipedia Article Wizard where you can begin to create your page.

5) Work With the Wizard – Once you are on the Wizard page, you can start creating your draft within the associated text editor. Remember to utilize as many citations as you can while focusing your content on your business and little else. Wikipedia wants focused content that is verifiable and free from bias. Do your best to create content that matches the character and tone of other similar businesses within your field. You can take a look at this example of a company’s Wikipedia page to get a better idea of what we are talking about.

Once you establish your Wikipedia page, it will be up to you to ensure that it is properly edited and maintained. As a public page, your Wikipedia business entry can work to funnel traffic and legitimacy toward your business.

Are Apples and Grapes Making You Fat?

Jen Lambert on October 27, 2020

I get asked all the time “what should I eat” or “what is the best diet to lose weight and get in better shape.” 

I’m no “foodie”.  I love delicious food as much as the next guy, but I can also eat a pretty boring diet.  Usually it isn’t because of great discipline, but more because of laziness and lack of creativity when it comes to preparing food.  I know what I like and I can eat that day after day.  Heck, I lived in Brazil for two years and looked forward to my one large meal of beans and rice every day.

So, if you are looking for variety and and cool healthy recipes, I’m not your guy.  But there is a method to my madness and I do have a concept that I stick with to avoid gaining fat.  I have tried every diet and experimented with all kinds of fads, but the one thing that I always come back to is making an effort to avoid an insulin spike from whatever I decide to eat.

Insulin is a hormone that regulates the levels of glucose in the blood.  Another name for this is blood sugar. Insulin works by helping the body’s cells to absorb glucose. Insulin causes weight gain when the cells absorb too much glucose and the body converts this into fat.

Numerous studies have shown that lean protein with every meal is proven to keep insulin spikes at bay.

Let’s just keep this simple.

1) I recommend .6 to 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight every day.

2) Have some protein with EVERY meal.

Protein helps slow digestion and that reduces insulin spikes, which results in less calories being converted to fat.

I love lean beef, and it’s a great choice a few times a week, but the best sources of protein are chicken or turkey without the skin, fish, egg whites, and the easiest and one of the best sources that I use is whey protein powder, mixed with ‘No Added Sugar Almond Milk.’

So today’s idea is pretty simple.  Sugar causes a spike in insulin.  Protein with every meal, reduces the effect of carbohydrates/ sugar on insulin spikes.

Eat more protein with every meal and I bet you will lose weight and fat.  Give it a try!

Have a great day and try to get in some exercise as well!  I also promise that a Nanohydr8 before your workout will make it better!  Thanks again for all your support!

Oh, so do apples and grapes make you fat?  It depends.  

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Adam Legas
Founder/ CEO Nanohydr8
Discount Code “adam”

How Technology Has Made this World a Global Village

Jen Lambert on September 25, 2020

We all have read that the world has become a global village, but not many of us really know what it actually means. The world was called a global village because people are connected to each other in villages. They know everyone and everything that happens in the village. One’s happiness is everyone’s happiness and one’s grief is everyone’s grief. If you don’t think the world is a global village, think about the 9/11 and Beirut explosion when everyone around the world stood in grief with these nations. This article has discussed some new ways compared to the old ways and how technology has created a global village. 

Communication is Faster than Ever

The importance of communication was realized after technology showed us how it should be. There was a time when people had to travel miles to send a piece of information. It had to be a human who would take letters and then walk or ride for days and months to reach the destination. For this reason, communication was not only slow and ineffective but also very expensive. Today, you can just call anyone on Skype and have a video chat for as long as you want and that too free of cost. It doesn’t even matter where you live as technology has spread to all corners of the world. 

Money Transfer is No Longer a Problem

Sending money was more difficult than communicating with someone who lives far away. There weren’t many job opportunities in every town, so people had to leave their homes and go to other cities and countries to earn a living. Like this was not a challenge enough, they would have to work for months before going back home to give them enough money to keep running the house until the next visit. You can’t just trust anyone with your money. However, today everyone knows how to receive money transfers within minutes. There are so many banks and other services that sending or receiving money is easier and cheaper than ever. 

No Distance is Too Long

There is no distance that would take more than a few hours to reach in the twenty-first century. People had to travel for weeks and months when migrating from one country to another. All thanks to advancements in technology, there are fast trains and airplanes that would take you overseas in the fastest time and reasonable amount. Traveling is not only fast but also comfortable enough that you won’t even feel like you just traveled thousands of miles. 

You Get Latest and Credible Information

Knowledge of power and people really lacked it in old times. Today, you get all kinds of information you need on the internet within seconds. It doesn’t even cost you anything, and that information always comes from a credible source. There are search engines like Google that look for the most relevant and accurate information for the queries you search. You can even like social media pages or follow a few blogs to stay up to date with news and other things you like.

How to Grow Your Home-Based Digital Marketing Business

Jen Lambert on September 10, 2020

Digital marketers come in all shapes and sizes. There are those that run their own agencies while other work at some of the top companies in the world. Others battle against corporate giants from the comfort of home as they have assembled a team that spans the globe. Growing a home-based business will be based on revenue and income that is generated. Employee number and offerings do not matter unless they are profitable. Growing the business needs to be done carefully as quality of services should stay consistent to avoid alienating the current client base when adding new clients. The following are tips to grow your home-based digital marketing business as efficiently as possible.

Rent an Office Space/Build Office on Your Property

You might want to meet with clients in your office so renting or building an office on your property is important. You do not want to host a VP of marketing from a huge company in your kitchen or child’s playroom. A separate office space can allow for private discussions to be had as certain marketing campaigns require quite a bit of discretion. Craftsman sheds could be the answer as they can be delivered and are more affordable than building another concrete block structure.

Build a Team of Top Digital Marketing Freelancers

Freelancers are going to be the lifeblood of a number of digital marketing agencies. Being able to produce thousands of pieces of content in a small amount of time is essential for certain online retail giants. A team that can deliver the content by the deadline with few to no edits will keep the company coming back. Being able to track an exact amount of profit per piece allows a company to price their services accordingly. Renting out freelancers or employees is another common tactic that is used. Renting out a developer or web designer for a certain number of hours then taking money off of the top allows you to staff a position for your clients.

Invest in a Sales Team

Investing in a sales team can be done with freelancers as knowing the digital marketing landscape is imperative for this role. Certain sales professionals will be able to produce almost immediately due to current connections that they have. Digital marketing is a much small niche of business than many people imagine as a limited number of people have the skills to work at the top levels of the industry. Writing out a sales script needs to be done by a seasoned sales professional. Building a client base is about volume in digital marketing as all businesses need some form of digital marketing or another.

Do Not Be Afraid to Target a Company Due to being “Too Large”

Never avoid pitching a company due to being intimidated by the size of the company. Certain large companies started very small and are looking to work with small companies to give them a chance. This does not mean that you should accept a contract with a huge company that you will never be able to deliver. Set expectations realistically when landing a huge new client as setting expectations is far better than disappointing during the infancy of the relationship.

Grow your digital marketing business consistently with a focus on client experience. Client retention is one of the best ways to drive client number up month after month. 

Is BarxBuddy Really The Best Anti-Barking Device? [2020 Review]

Jen Lambert on September 2, 2020

A picture containing indoor, dog, sitting, holding Description automatically generated

When you have a dog in your home, they bring their personalities into your home as well. While some dogs may be easy and breezy, the truth is, most dogs have some sort of personality quirk. 

This could be something benign, but when it comes down to it, most dogs definitely have an unpleasant habit or two up their furry sleeve. Enter: excessive barking. 

Excessive barking can be a real headache, and can be tough to work with, because when your dog is barking, they’re not paying much attention to you. If you have a dog that excessively barks, and you’ve hit a dead end, there’s a new anti-barking device on the market you can try.

Called BarxBuddy anti-barking device, this is an all-around dog training device, that seems to work particularly well when it comes to excessive barking. We wanted to know: is BarxBuddy really the best anti-barking device on the market? Let’s dive into it.

What is BarxBuddy?

BarxBuddy uses ultrasonic technology to get your dog’s attention and interrupt their barking. When you press the button on BarxBuddy, the device emits a high-pitched tone, which is harmless to dogs, and not even audible to humans. This noise simply gets your dog’s attention, and when you have it, you have the perfect training opportunity. This is especially helpful when they’re barking non-stop, because that’s when it’s typically tough to get their attention.

BarxBuddy versus other anti-barking devices

When we’re looking at anti-barking devices, the market is actually not that great. Many of these devices, such as shock and prong collars, are actually not all that humane, and can easily be mishandled by humans. Plus, other options that use sound seem to be less effective and less affordable than BarxBuddy.

Perks of BarxBuddy

There are several pros of using BarxBuddy anti-barking device which makes it a great anti-barking device. Firstly, BarxBuddy allows you to be fully in control of the training, and also train consistently with other members of your household. 

So, in contrast, when you use an outside trainer or classes for training, your pup may be confused with who is the leader, and how to utilize that training inside the home. When you’re in charge of the training, you avoid any confusion, and everyone in your house can train consistently using the same methods.

Next, BarxBuddy makes it easy to make every moment a teaching moment. Your dog could misbehave at any moment, and if you have your BarxBuddy nearby, you can consistently train your dog during these times. 

For example, whenever your dog starts excessively barking, you can reach for your BarxBuddy and get their attention. You won’t be caught off-guard or be trying to incorporate difficult training techniques.

In general, BarxBuddy anti-barking device is portable, affordable, and effective. It makes it easy for every member of the family to use the same training methods across the board, which is definitely helpful for consistency.

Telling Stories Through Business Profiles

Jen Lambert on August 26, 2020

How much stock do we really put on business profiles? At a time when LinkedIn profiles have become mandatory for job seekers and professionals who wish to advance their careers, it is more important than ever to consider what we are communicating through our professional bios.

Even though LinkedIn profiles have evolved from resume templates to more narrative experiences, we are still serving up the same old stream of achievements, work history, interests, and missions. To a great extent, this is a formula that works for hiring managers and recruiters whose career nutrition consists of the basic four groups: Personal Information, Current Job, Prior Job, and Education. Headhunters and HR managers are lean machines who only need those four groups to survive in their respective fields; we should not assume that everyone else, including potential business partners, will have similar appetites.

You have probably heard marketing specialists talk about corporate storytelling. In some circles, this is known as friendly branding, but the idea is the same: When you tell an interesting story, you are bound to get interesting results.

Writing a Story About Your Professional Life

Few of us look at a resume or professional bio in order to guess where someone is going; we usually rely on storytellers for that purpose. Think about those feel-good stories about rookie athletes you never heard about, but whose hard work with their team appears to be leading them somewhere. You want to project a similar sentiment with your professional bio; there should be an indication that your hard work is leading you in a certain direction.

With the above in mind, take a look at this professional profile of an angel investor listed on Crunchbase. Notice how it is written in narrative format, which is a style that resonates among modern readers, and also notice how his achievements seem to be leading him towards making future investments in the biotechnology and health sciences sectors. When we read this bio, we get a sense that this angel investor is looking to raise capital for a tech startup that can improve lives, and this can be considered to be a happy ending.

Learning About Your Audience

We often fall into the trap of writing biographies that we enjoy reading. This is very common because we are naturally idealistic; in other words, we want our LinkedIn bios to connect us with the kind of companies and individuals we think will lead to greater success.

The reality of making business connections these days is that this is an exercise in positioning ourselves. Who do we really want to reach? Who would be more interested in reading about the happy ending of our careers? This is something we need to think about in order to narrow our audience.

Identifying the needs of our targeted audiences is crucial when writing our bios. We need to understand what they may be looking for and how we can be of help. An angel investor needs to think about the founders of companies who are truly in need of capital to develop their business plans, not just founders who could use some extra cash to negotiate a successful business exit.

Things to Do Before Reopening Your Business

Jen Lambert on August 26, 2020

The closure orders over the last months were extremely painful for a lot of business owners. Most of these companies got zero profit due to the lack of economic activity. Therefore, a lot of them couldn’t wait to open back up and keep the ball rolling. However, the pandemic is still wreaking havoc all over the world. If you wish to reopen after hearing the relaxed policies from the government, these are the things you need to do to prepare.

Get a copy of the guidelines

The government will release a guideline containing details about how businesses can stay safe while operating under this pandemic. If there is no confirmation that the category where your business falls can reopen, you should suspend all your plans. You also need to check with the national and local governments since there might be different policies. Clarify these discrepancies and determine which of them would get enforced in your area.

Survey your employees 

Not all your employees might feel comfortable getting back to work again. Considering that there are still transmissions going on around the world, many people fear leaving their homes. It helps if you can survey your employees first to ask them about their willingness to get back to normal operations. Don’t force those who don’t want to work again since health is their priority.

Deep clean the area

Hire a company that will conduct deep cleaning services in the area where you’re going to operate. If you’re selling products in a brick and mortar store, the entire place needs thorough cleaning. You have to disinfect every corner and ensure that no one gets sick from visiting the store. You also need to create a guideline that will guarantee the cleanliness of the store throughout the day.

Check if it’s worth opening

Some businesses decided against reopening even if the government already allowed them to do so because they don’t see the value of doing it. If they continue operations, they will end up with more expenses over profits. If you think that you want to earn a lot if you reopen now due to the lack of customers, you might have to suspend your plans.

Keep the spirits high

Working from home over the last several months changed many people’s lives. Others even lost their jobs and are no longer making income right now. If you’re going to employ these people, you should understand that most of them aren’t in the mood to work. Give them enough time to adjust. You should also conduct fun activities that will keep the spirits up again. For instance, you can host a team-building activity so that everyone gets used to working with one another. You can also host a funfair hire in your area so that everyone will have fun even only for a day. As long as you receive permission from the government to conduct these activities, there’s nothing to worry about.

Hopefully, things will move forward as planned. You want to salvage your business, and reopening is the next best step.