Instagram Has Helped Make Shopping Easier

If you are like me, you spend half of your days scrolling through your Instagram feed double tapping on different posts and watching funny videos or memes. Again if you are anything like me, we also follow way too many clothing brands and cosmetic companies that continuously post new items. When I first had Instagram, you would have to write down what the item was you were interested in and look it up separately on the internet. Now? You can just tap once on the post and a link pops up that you can click on and it will take you directly to the product page and website. How convenient is this?!

Being able to shop on Instagram makes it much easier for shoppers the buy items. Shoppers like me who have no will power when it comes to online shopping! It is also gives companies an opportunity to grow their brand awareness and open up areas for more revenue. If you are advertising the product you might as well sell the product in the same place right?

Instagram is still for watching fun videos and seeing cute posts of your friends, but branching out into a new area can be a big step in a new direction. What do you think social medias will do next to make shopping even easier for the consumer??

Written by LeAnn Frank - Intern at Rebecca Adele PR and Events

Branding Your Small Business on Social Media

Do you find it challenging to stand out from other businesses on social media? With nearly 30.2 million small businesses in the U.S. we understand it is no small task to stand out; however, here are 6 tips to  point your business’ social media accounts in the right direction. 

1. Develop a color palette

Color may seem unimportant compared to other factors of your business, but it is one small

detail that will make your life much easier. Colors represent brand personality and meaning,

which relates to target consumers. For instance, we associate the color pink to femininity or

being sweet in comparison to red signifying courage or excitement. Take a look at the differet

meanings in the logo below just by changing the color. Based on these two images, which

bank would you entrust your money with?  

 https://www.newdesigngroup.ca/graphic-design/psychology-colour-advertising/

2. Create a logo
If you do not have a business logo already break out your sketchpad! Logos are crucial in brand
awareness and personality. It should include your color scheme, insight on what your business does, and your business name in a legible font. It is also important to keep your design simplistic due to size variations. If you find yourself struggling with design reach out to designers, students, or colleges for assistance. Once your logo is created it needs to be your profile image on all of its social media platforms for branding purposes. Establish your brand’s voice

3. Maintain a Brand Voice

A challenging step is building and maintaining your brand’s voice. A useful tool is to think

of your business as a person and how that person can connect to different audiences. Social media expert Stephanie Schwab’s helpful guide on finding a brand voice lays out several factors, including:

Tone. Be clear to followers about what and how the brand will communicate online. Is your brand cheeky and irreverent or serious and formal?

Language. What type of language will the brand use online? A young hip brand might get awaywith more slang or a niche brand may use more acronyms and industry-specific language

Purpose. Identify the main reason the brand is on social media? Is your goal to educate or entertain? 

https://damolade.com/how-to-create-a-social-media-style-guide/

4. Be consistent across platformsWhether you are posting on Facebook or Instagram, your business posts should be consistent.

If you want to feature a community event your business participated in you can post about it on whichever platforms you please; however, make sure the content is not identical. The reason your content needs to vary is you are talking to different audiences. Facebook tends to have older active users compared to Instagram and to gain their attention you have to appeal to them in different ways. 

5. Know your audienceAn essential part of your business’ success is knowing your audience. As mentioned above we want to relate to different audiences and make them aware of your brand. Ask yourself questions like the ones listed below to gain greater insight:

- What is going to make someone buy your product rather than the competitions? - What are consumers saying about me and my competitors? - Who is purchasing your products?- Who is in your area?- Who is currently following my social media accounts? 

https://www.hueandtonecreative.com/blog/tag/Buyer+persona

6. Build relationships The most important tip of all is to build relationships! If viewers post comments or ask questions, try to respond within 24 hours. This demonstrates the passion and care you have for your business. A simple thank you for liking a post or responding to a negative comment in an appropriate way will show viewers that you are a professional and deserve their business. Mistakes do happen in business, but remain transparent and display appreciation to those communicating with you. 

Now it is your turn to implement these steps into your small business! We hope you found this information helpful and utilize it in your social accounts. Social media is a powerful tool for brand awareness, but remember to use it to communicate and engage with your audiences too.

Written by: Logan Sellers, Rebecca Adele PR & Events InternSources:https://www.canva.com/learn/introduction-brand-building-social-media/

Activities to Replace Summer 2020 Cancelled Events

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. When life gives you Covid-19, you make many adjustments in your life to help flatten the curve. Many of these adjustments include our upcoming summer 2020 plans including concerts, sports games, vacations, festivals, parades, and more. So how can you make the most out of summer, while the stay at home order and CDC guidelines are still in place? Here are some of my favorite at home activities that you can do just about anywhere, while maintaining a safe distance.

 

First, I am pretty sure we have all been doing this already, but streaming devices have been my life. When the weather is less than appealing, I hunker down in my comfy chair and blankets, and I watch shows and movies until I get hungry or tired. When this gets tiring or old, I grab a good book. Many authors have been releasing books, or when in doubt read an old classic. Stephanie Meyer is releasing a new book from Edward's perspective for all the millennials out there. 

Concerts have been cancelled or rescheduled due to the virus, but do not fret. Some artists have been performing on Instagram Live or through Zoom meetings with their band. Taylor Swift's Live from Paris concert will be uploaded to Hulu and Disney+ for our at home concert series. 

When the weather cooperates, sunbathing outside or taking a nap in my hammock are my go tos. Hey, why not watch one of those concerts while outside? It may not be the festival atmosphere you're use to, but it's still a good way to unwind!

Our favorite sports teams are starting their seasons back up, and although we cannot be in the stands, we can cheer from our family rooms while eating the same junk food snacks that cost an arm and a leg at a ballpark. No one will give you looks for cheering too loudly or giving your opinion to the referee who doesn't seem to listen to you.

A few more activities might include painting, coloring, puzzling, organizing everything, four-wheeling, socially distant hikes or picnics with friends, or playing Animal Crossing on the Nintendo Switch. 

Whichever you choose to do, this summer might not be as we planned, but we can still make the best of it in the current situation. Hopefully some of these ideas inspire you to try something new or start something old. 

Written by: LEANN FRANK, REBECCA ADELE PR AND EVENTS INTERN 

Covid-19 Effects on Businesses Worldwide

Covid-19 has caused chaos all throughout the world since it first appeared in late 2019. Now, over five months later, there are lasting effects that the novel corona virus has caused. Not looking at the virus itself, the corona virus has caused many businesses to stop operations and some to close for good. What can we do to help support these businesses that are closing due to the stay at home order and the fact that they do not fall under the essential business market?

Some of the ways we can help is by supporting our local businesses. Small, family owned businesses are especially hurting during these trying times. They have had to cut staff, move to curbside only pickup, and reduce store hours and operations to follow proper CDC guidelines. One way my family is helping our local businesses, is by ordering dinner to go at least once a week from a local restaurant around us that remains open for curbside ordering. If everyone bought a meal from a local restaurant once a week, it would significantly help these businesses out. We can also continue to donate goods to our healthcare workers on the front line. Donating masks, cleaning products, meals, etc. are just some ideas of donations. We're all in this together, so let's make it count!

On a positive note, covid-19 has caused greenhouse gas emissions and CO2 emissions to decline greatly due to the shutdown of factories worldwide. Will this last? Probably not. We are already seeing an increase within different areas and countries with factories and large companies opening back up for production and business. Hopefully, the economy will bounce back, taking into account the proper precautions to help keep greenhouse emissions to a minimum.

Written by: LeAnn Frank, Intern at Rebecca Adele PR & Events

Facebook, Fact-Checking, and Fake News!

Fake News. It’s a phrase that’s been thrown around a lot on social media, especially during this past election. But what does it mean, really? Fake news can be defined as, a type of yellow journalism or propaganda that consists of deliberate misinformation or hoaxes spread via traditional print and broadcast news media or online social media.

Facebook can be a cesspool of fake news articles. I’m sure you’ve seen articles along the lines of, “Hillary Clinton Orders the Execution of Donald Trump’s Daughter,” from a website with a name like “FreedomEagleSoldier.com,” or an article like this one from “News Bible Report,” claiming Sasha Obama had been shot and killed. These articles are clearly ludicrous and the thought that someone could believe it is borderline hilarious.

Unfortunately, these articles can do some real damage. Propaganda and fake news during the 2016 election had such a profound impact that it outperformed real news. Facebook received a considerable amount of backlash because of this to the point where they needed to do something to combat it. Now, if you see an article you believe is fake, you have the option to report it. If enough people report it as fake, it gets sent to a fact-checking organization like Snopes or Politifact. Once determined that it is indeed fake, the article shows up on Facebook with a red banner saying, “Disputed by Third-Party Fact Checkers.”

In some instances, these precautions don’t have the desired effect. Usually fake news stories don’t get branded as fake until after they go viral and the damage has been done. Certain groups see that Facebook flagged a particular story and say, “Hey, they’re trying to censor us! Share this!” This is what happened with Christian Winthrop’s false story that claimed hundreds of thousands of Irish people were brought to the US as slaves. By saying, “Don’t share this, it’s fake news,” it had the opposite effect.

 A number of technologists, academics, and media experts have pitched ideas to Facebook to help them with their fake news problem. Some ideas include verifying news pages, sort of like how Twitter uses a blue checkmark for verified celebrity accounts; sharer reputation ranking which takes into account the types of articles a person shares; and connecting fake news to fact-checking sites, so that when you click a link to a false story, it can also open a page debunking it.

Even with all of these modifications, some think that the more Facebook tries to debunk a story, the more people will still decide to believe it. So, the question remains: How can we get people to agree with facts when the fact in question doesn’t fit how they want to view the world?

Written by Alexia Amato of Rebecca Adele PR & Events

Squiggle Eyebrows Take Over Social Media!

First there was the Ice Bucket Challenge, and who could forget the Great Dress Debate of 2015; so what’s this year’s social media trend? Well strap yourself in, cause it’s squiggle brows! 

What are squiggle brows you may ask? Well the whole trend started earlier this year with Youtube beauty star Promise Tamang-Phan (pictured above) when she posted a photo on her Instagram with her eyebrows in the unique shape. As it turns out, she drew her inspiration from a photo that she had seen were a woman had photoshopped her eyebrow to make it look wavy. Promise took this and made it a reality! When asked why she would want to try such a… bizarre look, Promise told the Huffington Post “I am always experimenting and trying different makeup looks on my social pages. It was done for fun to show my followers something new.”

But wait! Social media isn’t stopping there. Some are taking it so far as to draw their lips on that way. What!?

If you want to try the look for yourself, there are plenty of websites online that are posting how to do it. But be warned, it involves gluing down your eyebrows which does not sound particularly present. See below for a link to the instructions.

Before you leave, feel free to leave a comment and tell us how you feel about this interesting trend. 

Directions: https://www.women.com/shannon/lists/how-to-make-squiggle-brows-video-photos-details

Written by Mitchell Clifford of Rebecca Adele PR & Events

Has Social Media Gone Too Far with Location Sharing?

Snapchat has recently come out with an update that automatically shares your location to your entire list of friends. It is only once you go into your settings and set your profile to “ghost mode” that you are hidden from being seen. Many are concerned that this feature could be potentially dangerous due to over sharing.

This update takes creepy to a whole new level. It will even show your “bitmoji” or your avatar in the car if you’re driving, or with headphones if you are listening to music off of your phone. It also includes street names on the map and locates you in the specific area of whatever building you may be in.

Updates on various apps including location settings and features such as check-ins call for a constant reminder to always be selective and smart about how much information you put out there about yourself. Many people of all ages are guilty of over sharing information on various platforms or social media.

Although Snapchat’s new location feature only allows Snapchat friends to see your whereabouts, it’s always smart to be aware of who you are adding as friends, and that if you choose to keep this feature turned on that all of those people can watch where you go at the swipe of a finger!

If you don’t like being watched but are unaware of how to turn this location feature off, follow these quick instructions!

           

1.     Open up the Snapchat app

2.     Use 2 fingers in a pinching motion to swipe open the map

3.     Tap the bar next to “Ghost Mode” to turn it on

Lastly, if you want to customize which friends can see your location with this feature, you can go into settings and handpick the 

Written by Meagan Catalfmao of Rebecca Adele PR & Events

Alfred Angelo Bridal Causes PR Disaster

This past month Alfred Angelo Bridal has caused quite the uproar with the closing of their stores nationwide. The company closed their doors after nearly 80 years in business with no warnings to their employees or brides-to-be. Many brides were left without word of where their dress was, whether it was going to be located, or whether they would be able to obtain a refund. Some were lucky enough to obtain their dresses right before the company closed the doors.

One can only image what a mess this has made for the company’s publicists. As someone in PR I think there are many ways that this situation could have been avoided. With the knowledge that they were going out of business Alfred Angelo Bridal should have informed employees and brides that their stores were closing. This would have given employees enough time to find new work and more time for brides to either get their refund or get their dress faster. Their publicists would have had an easier time doing damage control had they taken that route instead of keeping everyone in the dark.

So why did Alfred Angelo not make it known that they were going out of business? Probably because they were embarrassed to announce that they were filing for bankruptcy and because chances are they didn’t and still don’t have the money to give brides refunds. Hopefully, brides are able to get their dresses sorted out in time for their big day!

Written by Tiffany Jackson from Rebecca Adele PR & Events