How to grow your business using social media in 2020.
#1- Social Media is growing NONSTOP
In 2017, 1 million new people joined social networks EVERYDAY. Social media keeps evolving making it possible for brands to advertise on multiple platforms. Instagram is the fastest growing social media platform with a wide range of demographics. There are more 54-54 year olds using instagram than kids aged 13-17.
#2- Product Discovery Becomes Visual
Most people follow brands they like or are planning to buy from on social media. This information is usually discovered through search engines, PR, and online reviews. In 2020, we will see growth in social for product research, visual searches, voice control, messaging apps, and chatbots.
#3- Social Video Potential is Rising
Social videos are being used to advertise and the audience keeps growing. 56% of internet users are watching videos on Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and Facebook every month. Areas to look out for are social ecommerce, one-to-one communication and passive networking.
#4- Gen Z is Leading the Way With VR and AR
Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are allowing people to try on clothes online and are increasing revenue from advertising. Gen Z is making VR and AR more popular as they are always looking for new fun and exciting things. Want to prepare? Start putting out more AR features for consumer to increase engagement.
#5- Mobile Phones are a Necessity
More and more people are getting mobile phones. Facebook predicts that this year, more people are going to have mobile phones than running water or electricity within their homes. Messaging apps are going to be crucial this year and businesses need to be able to adapt quickly.
This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.
While reading Jonah Berger’s book, Contagious: Why Things Catch On, I learned that there are six principles of contagiousness. The six priciples are social currency, triggers, emotion, public, practical value, and stories. In this essay, I will be focusing on social currency, emotion, pubilc, and practical value.
For this principle, I posted a drink review of the different drinks at Funky’s. For the first photo, I showed a picture of two of their most commonly ordered daquiris. For the second photo, I posted a picture of a whiskey coke and vodka soda. The main concept behind the social currency principle is that people share things that make them look good to others. Many people in Oxford know that finding a good daquriri around town is somewhat hard. Funky’s offers a product that is scarce and exclusive to their customers. If people know that they can get a great daquiri from Funky’s, then they will go there when they are craving one. This touches on the aspects of scarcity and exclusivity. Not many bars in Oxford offer daquiris, but if you know what Funky’s has to offer, then you have gained the exclusive knowledge of where to go when that craving hits.
The book states that, “Remarkable things provide social currency because they make the people who talk about them seem, well, more remarkable” (pg 39). Since remarkable things are described as something unusual, extraordinary, or worthy of notice or attention, I thought the drinks from Funkys fit the criteria. The book explains that in a study conducted by the author and Wharton professor Raghu Iyengar, remarkable things were talked about and shared way more. They found that remarkable brands like Facebook and Hollywood movies are talked about way more than brands like Tylenol and Wells Fargo. I found this to be true with the daquiris from Funkys as well. When I asked my friends where their go-to spot was to get a daquiri they all responded with the same answer, Funkys. There is a drive through daquiri barn on Jackson Avenue and while that is extremely convenient, no one mentioned that as their go-to spot.
To wrap up this section, I made this post to represent the social currency principle because many people find Funkys daquiris as remarkable. If they were unaware of this product, my post helped inform them of it and gave them the knowledge on where to get this scarce product in Oxford.
For this principle, I chose to show a TikTok that I made on my @drinksofox account. The book describes awe, excitement, and amusement as positive high arousal emotions. This video was amusing and was something that a lot of college students in Oxford could relate to. The book states, “Arousal is also one reason funny things get shared” (pg 110). Since the TikTok was amusing it provoked a positive, high arousal emotion among viewers. Out of everything I posted this semester on each @drinksofox account, this is the post that did the best. I recieved 218 likes and over 11,000 views. I think this video did so well because it was extremely relatable to students in Oxford. I always hear myself and others complaining about how much the bars are charging for drinks at the local bars. The book explains, “one way to generate word of mouth is to find people when they are already fired up” (pg 122). Since students have been feeling aggravated by the high prices, this TikTok really resonated with them causing them to like and share the video.
In conclusion, this video was amusing but also triggered a feeling of aggravation among viewers. It could be found hilarious and relatable, but also triggered an angry emotion where they want to do something about the issue and share it with more people.
For this Instagram post, I posted a photo of my Library card. On page 24, the book explains, “We need to design products and initiatives that advertise themselves and create behavioral residue”. The Library card does just that, it advertises itself and has become very popular within Oxford. People are constantly looking towards others when it comes to decision making, where to go to dinner, when to laugh at a joke, the best bar in town, and many more things. Berger writes, “People imitate, in part, because others’ choices provide information” (pg 128). Over the past year, library cards have become extremely popular among students. Having this card allows you to skip the line and pay $0 in cover, even on gamedays when cover is up to $100.
When students see other students with library cards it makes them want to have one too. “To get our products and ideas to become popular we need to make them more publicly observable” (pg 153). The libary card can be carried around with you anytime you go to the square and you must present it to the bouncer to be admitted entry to the bar. Posting an image of this on Instagram showed my followers that I have one and that I get special benefits from having one. This can also tie into the next principle, practicle value.
For this principle, I posted photos of the margaritas that el Mariachi offers on their 2 for 1 nights. On this night, you can get two margaritas for the price of one. Berger explains, “sharing something useful with others is a quick and easy way to help them out” (pg 159). He also goes on to say, “When most people think about practical value, saving money is one of the first things that comes to mind- getting something for less than its original price or getting more of something than you usually would for the same price” (pg 160). This post helps my followers know which margaritas to get when they go to this restaurant. It also informs them that el Mariachi has two for one margarita nights Monday-Thursday. This provides my followers with useful information and helps them save a few bucks here and there.
In conclusion, this post provides my followers with practical value by showing them a way to save money. On top of saving money, I also give them information on the best margaritas that they have to offer.
In closing…
I posted content on my social accounts that related to the principles of social currency, emotion, public, and practicle value. While each post contained one of Bergers philosophies, strategies, or methods, the post that performed the best was the TikTok that provoked emotion among viewers. This showed me that this principle was the best to make my posts “contagious” with my audience. I learned a lot from this book and I am seriously considering keeping my accounts even after this course is over. I think this account could remain popular among students and that if I keep it going with the principles I learned, I could have a lot of things go viral. I will keep you updated on that in the future if I keep the accounts going.
I decided to sponsor the meme post that I posted on my @drinksofox Instagram account (Linked below). I decided to sponsor this post because of the humor that is behind it. It is a funny meme relating to both drinking and Ole Miss football. Those are two topics that Ole Miss students relate to a lot and I thought it would be a great post to sponsor and get my account to reach more people.
I put $7 behind this post and boosted it on November 29, 2021. I defined my audience as Men and Women aged 18-40, in Oxford, Mississippi who are interested in bars, drinking, or alcohol. I chose this age range because it includes college students, as well young to middle aged adults. I chose the area to display the sponsored post as Oxford because Oxford residents would relate the most to the post. Almost everyone in Oxford is an Ole Miss football fan, so they can understand the meaning behind the meme. I decided to make the interests bars, drinking, or alcohol because the overall theme of my brand is drinking and recomendations for drinking establishments within the Oxford community.
The goal of my promotion was to recieve more profile visits.
From November 29-December 1 I had reached 141 accounts with 64.5% of those accounts reached from my promotion. My account had reached 48 of my followers and 93 accounts that do not follow me.
Now for the semi-dissappointing news.. I did not get the results that I expected. My goal was to recieve more profile visits, but I only had 7 new profile visits after the promotion. While I am a little dissappointed, this is definitely a learning experience. I guess meme posts are not as popular as I thought, or the post did not generate a lot of buzz since the game I was referencing in the post took place over two weeks ago. Memes die down fast, so I should have known an old joke would not be as funny today as it was weeks ago.
Overall, I enjoyed this assignment. It was interesting to see how my results turned out vs. how I expected them to turn out. If I sponsored a post again in the future, I would put more money behind it and put it behind a post that is more serious. I think I would choose a post where I am showing off one of my drink reviews, maybe one from Volta, el Mariachi, or the Library. In conclusion, I was upset that I only recieved 7 profile visits, but I reached 141 accounts and I think that is something to be excited about. I only have 59 followers for this account, so that is over two times the amount of followers I have. Another thing I think I would need to consider is changing the age range from 21-40 since it is a post relating to drinking. I thought it was a good idea to have 18-40 because it included college students, but from a legal standpoint, that could be bad for a brand. There were a lot of things to learn from this assignment and I think it will help me out a lot in the future when I boost posts again.
I am a HUGE Christmas fan. I’ve been in the Christmas spirit since November 1 and am totally not ashamed of it. Every holiday season there are a few movies that I must watch before Christmas and once I finish watching those, I start watching the new ones that are put onto Netflix and Hulu. I have made a list of my top 10 favorite Christmas movies of all time to share with you.
Starting off with #10: A Bad Moms Christmas
This hilarious comedy is about three moms who have their own mothers drop in unexpectedly for the holidays. They realize the holidays are stressful enough with their own families, but now they have to deal with their mothers too! They cope with the stress by completely letting loose. If you haven’t seen this yet, you’re missing out!
This romantic comedy is perfect to watch around the holidays. It starts off with two strangers who accidentally meet and express their hatred towards being single during the holidays. The two start inviting each other to their family events as plus ones and well, you need to watch to find out what happens next!
This movie is a classic! I have been watching it for as long as I can remember. This movie is based around a Dad who wants to make Christmas special for his son, but gets caught up in some mischief and ends up at the North Pole as Santa! Many events unfold throughout the movie, but I won’t spoil anymore for you!
I discovered this movie on Netflix last year and instantly fell in love with it. It’s about a brother and sister who plan to capture Santa on Christmas Eve. Their plan does not go as expected and they have to spend the whole night trying to save Christmas. It’s a really great film and I can’t wait to watch it again this holiday season.
This animated movie is so realistic, the first time I saw it in theaters as a child I was actually somewhat scared, LOL. This film is based around a miserable man named Ebenezer Scrooge who hates everything relating to Christmas. That changes on Christmas Eve when he is visited by the ghosts of his past, present, and future.
Me trying to ration out all of my favourite christmas movies so i dont run out before watching disneys a christmas carol on christmas eve pic.twitter.com/AdXpTgJBB2
No, I am not talking about the original version.. we will get to that later. I am talking about the animated version that came out in 2018. The animations in this movie are great and it is ALMOST as good as the original. There’s something about this movie that just really puts you in the Christmas spirit.
This film takes us on a Christmas adventure through the eyes of a young boy who doubts the existence of Santa. This is one of my all time favorites because of how realistic the animations look. I also love the scene where the kids are at the North Pole exploring through the Christmas present organizing center. If you don’t know which scene I’m talking about, you should really watch it today!
This movie is one of the best holiday movies of all time! The first one was good, but the second one is great! This movie takes us through the journey that main character Kevin McCallister goes through after losing his parents and getting on the wrong airplane. He ended up in New York City where he had to stop the Sticky Bandits and get the hotel management off of his case. It’s only November 14 and I have already watched this movie twice!
This film came out in 2000 and is a live action film of one of Dr. Suess’ best stories. This movie is one of my favorites because the grinch is absolutely hilarious. He is usually hidden away in his mountain top home, but this year decides that he wants to steal Christmas. He is unable to completely follow through with his plan after meeting a little girl named Cindy Lou Who.
21 years ago today, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” premiered.
Although this movie would receive mixed reviews for how much darker it was from the original, Jim Carey killed this role from start to finish grossing $55 million opening weekend
This is my favorite Christmas movie of all time! I could honestly watch it any time of year and still love it just as much. This movie revolves around the main character Buddy the Elf. Buddy travels to New York from the North Pole to find his dad and is met with many challenges along the way. Buddy is played by Will Ferrell who actually rejected his very expensive offer to make an Elf 2. Some things are just better left as one! You need to watch this if you haven’t yet!
Well, there you have it, my top 10 favorite Christmas movies of all time. There are so many great Christmas films that I did not include, it was so hard to pick! I hope you enjoy these recommendations and start watching them soon!
Here is why many social media users are angry with Chris Pratt
On November 2, Chris Pratt took to Instagram to express his love towards his wife Katherine Schwarzenegger. The post had a lengthy caption with many positive words, but social media users were drawn towards a few negative aspects.
In the caption, you can see where he expresses his admiration towards his wife. He talks about her pure heart and the amazing life she has given him. While he said some positive remarks, social media users were drawn to one sentence in particular. The sentence reads, “She’s given me an amazing life, a gorgeous healthy daughter, she chews so loudly that sometimes I put my ear buds in to drown it out, but that’s love!”.
There is so much wrong with the offhand way Chris Pratt thanked his wife for their healthy daughter while not mentioning his son (his wife's stepson), Jack who has had numerous health issues since birth
Users are upset that Pratt mentioned his healthy daughter, without mentioning his son who was born premature and with many health issues. Pratt and his ex-wife Anna Farris have a son together named Jack that has undergone many health issues since he was born. Many users began commenting on his Instagram post asking if he forgot about his son. I mean, they have a good point..How could he forget something like that?
Chris Pratt’s caption is causing users to point out his clear ableism towards his own son. This has social media users calling him the “worst Chris” and has people digging into his past as well.
This brings us into issue #2: Homophobic
Pratt has a reputation of being homophobic as he attends anti-LGBTQ churches. Ellen Page took to Twitter in 2019 to say, “If you are a famous actor and you belong to an organization that hates a certain group of people, don’t be surprised if someone simply wonders why it’s not addressed”. Ellen Page was one of the first celebrities to call him out years ago and the same information is resurfacing now.
Read more about this issue below:
It’s an absolutely terrible day if your name is Chris Pratt and you belong to a homophobic church – More at: https://t.co/hRmxxnBNLc
In Pratt’s caption, he writes, “She helps me with everything. In return, periodically, I open a jar of pickles”. He then goes on to say she is his greatest treasure NEXT to his Ken Griffey Jr Rookie card. This had users pointing out his misogynistic language throughout the post and even had users poking jokes at him as well.
Chris Pratt’s anniversary post was so casually misogynistic I’m now fine with him playing an Italian
Issue #4: Ignoring the mistake and making himself the victim
According to Yahoo Entertainment, “Chris Pratt went to bed ‘upset’ and ‘depressed’ following social media backlash”. Social media users were upset to see that Pratt posted on his Instagram story that he felt upset and depressed after the controversy. Many felt that he was playing victim and trying to make others feel bad for trying to cancel him.
Users were not happy with his posts. One social media user went on to explain their thoughts.
I used to go to bed ‘upset’ and ‘depressed’ when I was little gay kid because churches like Chris Pratt’s told me I was an abomination. https://t.co/mzym6MCFw3
Pratt went on to explain in his Instagram stories that he felt better once he worked out and listened to his Christian music playlist. Many users were annoyed by this statement and thought he was trying to almost get his critics more angry.
If you’re upset by Chris Pratt maybe going out for a run and listening to some music will help you feel better.
— Ian Miles Cheong @ stillgray.substack.com (@stillgray) November 6, 2021
On another note…
While there are many people upset with Pratt, there are many people coming to his defense as well. Someone who quickly jumped to his defense was his mother-in-law, Maria Shriver. She uplifted him by telling him to keep being his ‘wonderful self’ and to rise above the noise.
Chris Pratt's mother-in-law Maria Shriver encouraged him to "rise above the noise" after receiving intense backlash for thanking his wife Katherine Schwarzenegger for giving him a "healthy daughter." https://t.co/4r7I67IiID
The large platform, Fox News came to his defense as well. They explained how he was ignoring cancel culture and decided to turn towards his faith.
What does this mean for Chris Pratt?
Pratt is going to have to deal with some backlash for a little while now. The best thing for him would be to issue an apology for his insensitive post and to express his desire to do better. To read more about this topic visit Twitter and/or Facebook and type in the search bar, “Chris Pratt”.
I think it was so popular because no one has ever really seen Gordon Ramsey with a beard like that before. He also referenced Christmas in the caption which I think could have generated more interactions because people are starting to get in the Christmas spirit.
Here’s the one that has overperformed the most (last 30 days).
Based on the results I think Branded Content on these pages is successful because it relates to their brand a lot. It should be received well by their audience because it would relate to them too if they like the brand.
What question would I want to use this list to answer?
Which food account receives the highest interaction rate?
Mr. George, owner of Kelly’s Kitchen and Bakery in Baltimore, Maryland is well-known by everyone in town! He immigrated to the United States in his early 20s from Greece and has made many friends and memories along the way. His restaurant is named after his daughter, Kelly, and is ran completely by his family. Mr. George is known for his extreme generosity and his willingness to always lend a helping hand to the community.
Recommendation #1– Cafe Hon
Cafe Hon is known for the giant pink flamingo that sits on the front porch and the vibrant colors displayed throughout the restaurant. The restaurant received it’s name from locals who tend to refer to each other as “hon”.
Mr. George says Pizza Johns is an inexpensive place to receive high quality pizza. It is also family owned, just like his business.
This is what Mr. George ordered last time he went: One large cheese pizza, one large pepperoni pizza, and one order of stuffed shells. He was so excited that he had to take a picture of it!
You can look at their menu and order ahead, but Mr. George says if it’s your first time going, you should dine in.
Recommendation #4- Edorrito Asian Bistro
Edorrito is different from the other restaurants as you order from a kiosk and create your own sushi burrito!
Mr. George says you can’t really go wrong here, anything you order will be great! You can look at their website before hand to see every option they have to add to your sushi burrito.
Recommendation #5- By The Docks
By The Docks is a popular seafood restaurant in Baltimore that is known for their crab cakes.
Mr. George recommends any item on the menu that features crab! His favorite things to get are the crab egg rolls for an appetizer, cream of crab soup (second appetizer), and by the docks award winning colossal crab cakes as his main dish.
As you can tell, Mr. George is not a picky eater as his favorite restaurants feature a lot of different options. If you try one of his recommendations, call his restaurant to let him know! He loves to meet new people and is always looking to spark up new conversations.
If you are ever in the Baltimore, Maryland area and are craving anything from a delicious entree to a warm baked good, head over to Kelly’s Kitchen and Bakery. Mr. George has got it all!
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is being celebrated all over the country on October 11th, taking precedence over Columbus Day.
Congress woman Stephanie Bice explains the significance of the holiday.
Indigenous Peoples' Day is celebrated to honor the cultures, histories, and traditions of the Native American people. Today we reflect on their great contributions to our country. pic.twitter.com/QiS0rL0v5S
The former governor of Iowa, Tom Vilsack joins in on the topic, reiterating the fact that our government has an obligation to protect Tribal Nations.
On Indigenous Peoples' Day, our Nation celebrates the invaluable contributions and resilience of Indigenous peoples, recognizes their inherent sovereignty, and commits to honoring the Federal Government's trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations.
Colleges across the nation are honoring the holiday.
Our campuses were built on the ancestral territories of many Indigenous nations.
Today, on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we recognize and appreciate those who came before us in these West Virginia hills we call home. pic.twitter.com/9AUcgws63A
More and more cities are recognizing today as a holiday for the first time ever.
Happy Indigenous People’s Day! This year, Philadelphia is officially honoring the experiences and legacy of indigenous peoples, as is the nation, via a first-ever presidential proclamation. #IndigenousPeoplesDay
People are expressing their support and gratitude for indigenous people.
On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, I am grateful to the indigenous voices around the world, whose resiliency and unwavering spirits are a reminder to us that we are all from this earth and we must protect it. #IndigenousPeoplesDay
People are taking part in celebrations around the country.
Beautiful: Pauline Songbird, who has Seminole and Creek heritage, sits in the foreground watching #IndigenousPeoplesDay festivities at Penn Treaty Park. This is the first time #Philadelphia has recognized Indigenous Peoples’ Day. @6abcpic.twitter.com/T55dVvsPWp
This is the first year in history that Indigenous Peoples’ Day is being recognized by so many across the country. Take today to learn about the holiday and why it is so significant.
Don’t be fooled, this wasn’t a ‘save & share from Pinterest’photo. This was a photo of our ‘lots of cheese & meat’ charcuterie board order that left our kitchen yesterday.😊 #sharebulathroughfoodpic.twitter.com/TDqdpibjGQ
Everyone loves a good charcuterie board. All of the pickles and nuts were seasoned and made by me as well as the bread and cheese formations and the veggie tureen 🤤🤤 pic.twitter.com/54mttKQ6h0
Baby giraffe, Mashamba, was born on site of the Memphis Zoo on Friday, August 10.
Mashamba was born to Akili, who was also born on site of the Memphis Zoo in 2010.
This is Akilis second baby in over a year, and she is doing great as a mother! Zoo keepers say that nursing is going well and she is showing mothering tendencies.
Mashamba received close monitoring and was given her first medical check-up 24 hours after birth.
Mashamba weighed in at 115 pounds and 6-feet tall. Keepers say she is strong and healthy.
Crooked legs are common in giraffes and usually realign with no issues a few days after birth. Splints have been temporarily placed on her hind legs to help align her lower leg joints.
Mashamba is the ninth giraffe at the Memphis Zoo and they are excited to have her join the herd!
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