How to Create a Social Story for Your Brand

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When thinking about a brand that you love, what comes to mind? Are you thinking of a product or the actual brand itself? If you only thought of a product, there are strategies brands can use to transform that thinking of the product into the actual brand itself. This can be done through storytelling, an extremely powerful marketing tool that inspires and connects customers to your brand. For example, when one wears a sustainable brand, they feel like a friend of the planet and should embrace the outdoors. When brands create successful social stories, they make customers feel as if they are characters in their brand journey when they use their products and services. Brands can use a social story to create brand loyalty and increase engagement with their audiences.

What is Brand Storytelling and Why is it Important to Your Brand? 

Brand storytelling is crucial in developing relationships and connections with your audiences. Creating a brand social story is the idea of crafting a narrative of your brand that will further the emotional connection between audiences and your brand. By having a brand social story, brands can showcase their values, goals, and shared experiences to form connections with their audiences. Through the use of narrative techniques and shared values, brands can create loyal and long-lasting relationships between customers and themselves.

There are numerous reasons as to why having a social story is beneficial to your brand. First of all, these stories contribute to your brand identity. Telling a social story about how your brand came to be, the setbacks you may have faced along the way, or your core values will show audiences how and why your brand came to be, thus giving them a sense of identity. It promotes understanding of what issues your brand is working to solve, and how you came to the brand’s purpose and mission. Overall having a brand story, showcases your brand’s roots and identity, and will create loyal customers, prompting business growth and higher customer engagement rates. 

Using social stories also helps brands connect with customers in a range of ways. Stories can evoke emotional responses to brands, and allow for customers to connect on a deeper level. Social stories can promote relatability and allow customers to see themselves as part of the brand as they become characters as they go on their journey with the brand. Using brand stories is greatly beneficial in developing a closer connection with customers.

One more thing that is greatly beneficial from brand social stories is differentiating your brand from others. Stories offer the ability to show customers what makes your brand different and why they should choose you instead of another brand. This is a chance to show your audiences what makes your brand special and unique.

How to Create and Use Social Stories as a Part of Your Marketing Plan

When implementing a social story into your marketing plan, you should be aware of various factors before you start. The first one is to understand why your brand came to exist and the purpose it works to serve. It may seem obvious, but it is crucial to be aware and have a thorough understanding of your brand’s values, missions, and the stories that are to be told, as well as the purpose of the products. Additionally, you should be aware of the audience you are attempting to reach. Market research should be performed, and you should be sure of the platforms and methods you will use to successfully share your story.

When telling a social story, the factors you want to include are closely related to those of an actual story. These include the current state of things, characters, setting, conflict, and resolution. By using these narrative factors, you can tell an effective social story. 

You create a character that the audience can relate to, and introduce a conflict that your product solves resulting in the resolution. By using these factors you can create a compelling story where at the heart of it you are incorporating the core values of your brand.  

When implementing your social story into your brand’s social media marketing strategy there are various ways to do it. With various social media platforms, your content creation will vary. For example, you could create a short clip video and upload it to Instagram Reels or TikTok, or a longer format video for YouTube. It is important to use visual and thought-provoking elements when portraying your story, as well as know the audience you intend to reach and where they are.

The Value of Monitoring Current Strategies

It is always important to see how your current strategies are working, and how your audiences are receiving the storytelling content. You can look at what customers are saying about your products so you can see where there may need to be an improvement, the sentiment around your brand, and if you are being received positively or negatively. There is great value in seeing what your audiences are saying about your brand and what is and is not successful. Brands should be monitoring social analytics through listening tools to see how effective their storytelling is.

Social stories are a core social media marketing strategy. Through the use of a narrative format to display the purpose, products, and values of your brand, there is an extensive opportunity to form a closer and deeper emotional connection with your target audience. Bright Age can help you on your journey of forming social stories, whether it’s starting the brand from the beginning, developing strategies, or performing research to see if your methods are successful!

Why Competitor Analysis is Key for Social Marketing

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Knowing where your business stands in comparison to your competitors is an essential part of any business strategy.  Competitor analysis is an important aid for marketers to use, and there are several tools out there that can be utilized to do this.  

What is Competitor Analysis

Competitor Analysis is a process that companies use to benchmark their performance against others in their industry. This is incredibly important for businesses because it helps them identify where their strengths and weaknesses are, and which areas they will need to improve on to increase their competitive advantage.  It is a great aid to identify trends, understand the given market in an industry, and set goals for companies in their future.  

Computer Analytics with intention of showing Competitor Analysis Example

Pricing and positioning strategies are some of the important things for businesses to consider when conducting a competitor analysis, but there are several other factors to note that are just as important.  The social media presence and website content of another brand are just as necessary to analyze because they help improve SEO, online visibility, and content strategy against competition.  Especially with the current market of our world today, ensuring that data is collected in these specific online spaces is crucial in order to conduct a proper analysis.   

Why it’s Key for Marketers

To best cater to your customer’s wants, and needs, and increase overall customer satisfaction, a competitive analysis is essential for marketers.  Marketing is all about ensuring that your company’s offerings stand out against other brands.  The only way to truly do this is to see where your competition benchmarks and find innovative ways to stand out.  By leveraging insights gained from this kind of analysis, companies will be able to identify future goal points and achieve them as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Marketers can also utilize this process when they are looking to enter new markets. As companies conduct market research on their industry, they may see opportunities for growth or improvement after seeing where their competitors have failed/ been successful.  Whether these be opportunities within the company or possibilities for new market entry, a competitor analysis can open doors for new innovations that companies may have never otherwise known about.  Brands can also capitalize on these opportunities to differentiate themselves further.  If they are able to see firsthand how they stand against competitors, then they might be able to find new ways to differentiate against them.   For instance, it is important for companies like BigStub to conduct this process against competitors in their industry like StubHub so that they can differentiate themselves and find ways to leverage against this similar company. 

Stub Hub Social Media Example to show differentiation of competitors
BigStub Social Media Example to show differentiation of competitors

How to Conduct a Competitor Analysis

There are so many tools and platforms available that can help companies conduct this kind of analysis.  SproutSocial is one platform that offers a template that can guide businesses through this process.  

When beginning to conduct an analysis, the first thing to consider is what the overall goal is. You want to ensure that you have a key focus and understanding of the space you are working in so that you can adequately determine who your key competitors are, and then work forward from there. After identifying those key competitors, you can compare their business model and insights to your company, and assess where you stand when positioned next to them.  

Following your analysis, it can be really beneficial to put all the insights into one organized space.  There are several frameworks available that can help you identify what you learned through your analysis, and where you plan on moving from this point forward.  Porter’s 5 Forces Framework, PESTLE, and SWOT analyses are all frameworks that can clearly define where your brand goes after conducting a competitor analysis.  

Example of Comupter Analysis to aid in understanding of competitor analysis

When marketers are able to properly utilize this analysis, they will see how beneficial having these insights can be for the future of their company.  It is so important to know what the environment around you looks like when deciding where you will go with your next marketing campaign, and one of the best ways to do this is through a competitor analysis.  It will be the key to your company’s success!

The Different Social Softwares on the Market

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Now that social media has become such an integral part of all of our lives, the development of Social Scheduling Programs has become essential for businesses looking for efficiency in the management of their social media platforms. Social media accounts like BigStub are always creating content days in advance, and social scheduling programs are what allow them to do so.  Several of these programs exist out there, and we’re going to dissect a few and compare and contrast what separates them in the market today.  

Most social softwares involve content planning through AI-powered features that provide insights for businesses on their content.  With the current market research that exists today, (showing the most popular social media platforms) these softwares integrate several different platforms and put them onto a single dashboard allowing businesses to improve upon and further customize their content.  While these sites have several commonalities, there are things that set them apart from one another as well.  

Social media apps showing the common platforms used by social scheduling programs on the market.

Sprout Social 

SproutSocial is a social media management tool that businesses can use to see analytics and reports across Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, Whatsapp, and YouTube.  Using SproutSocial, you can schedule and publish content for any of these platforms directly from the site itself.  SproutSocial also allows for review management and a centralized social media inbox where messages coming in from the number of platforms they integrate can all be viewed and replied to in the same place. 

Social media analytics used by social scheduling programs

Something that separates SproutSocial from other scheduling platforms is its social listening tool, which helps businesses reach out to their target audiences in more effective ways.  SproutSocial’s variety of platforms makes it a strong contender in the market of social scheduling programs.  

Sprinklr

Sprinklr is another program that businesses can use to report analytics, create, and schedule content from a selection of social media platforms (X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest).  Users reviewing Sprinklr agree that it is a very easy-to-use platform that quickly uploads things like the delivery of tweets from X.  Reviewers also say that the customer service at Sprinklr is extremely responsive, which is important when dealing with any online program.  

Sprinklr also offers a competitor analysis feature for reporting and analytics that allows companies to benchmark where they stand in relation to their competitors.  A downside to Sprinklr is that there are certain content formats (like Instagram story videos, or polls) that cannot be posted using the program.  

Monday 

Monday is a project management program that participates in social scheduling as well.  With the help of AI, Monday has powerful reporting and analytics integrating tools like Slack, Asana, Trella, Google Drive,  Hubspot, Gmail, Zendesk, Jira, Dropbox, Google Calendar, and Excel.  One of the things that separates Monday from other platforms is its price.  It is pretty moderately priced in comparison to other programs.  Monday excels in providing formats that help with organizational management for businesses where they can separate different projects within the same dash.  They also provide pre-built templates making the usability of the program easy for its users to navigate. 

Computer research used to show example of research on social scheduling programs.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a social scheduling program that allows for scheduling messages, inbox monitoring, and managing posts.  An advantage of Hootsuite is that it is one of the few programming sites that fully support X, previously known as Twitter. Similar to Sprinklr, Hootsuite also allows users to benchmark their statistics against their competitors.  A good thing to know about Hootsuite is that it integrates with Proofpoint  (protects brands, people, and data against cyber attacks), to flag compliance issues.  

Meta

Meta is probably the most well-known of these social scheduling programs, as it represents the main platforms most businesses use today (Instagram, Facebook, etc.).  Meta offers effective audience targeting and provides insights on ads and targeting of several social media platforms.  

Something that separates Meta from other platforms is its ability to create reels and allow for story scheduling on Instagram whereas other platforms do not.  

All of these programs are beneficial for the social scheduling of content creation and have differences that can help determine what the right program is for you!

How to Use AI-Generated Messages without Losing Personalization

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AI-Generated Content Creation 

Artificial intelligence has grown exponentially, both privately and publicly, over the last couple of years.  ChatGPT’s  release to the public a little over a year ago has changed the game when it comes to AI-generated content, as it’s now accessible to anyone at any time.  While artificial intelligence can aid in producing meaningful content, it is important for businesses to prioritize personalization in order to retain a level of human connection and continue producing high-quality content.  

When it comes to adding value and ensuring cohesiveness within your brand, content creation is one of the most effective ways to engage audiences and build a community.  This is because its intention is to find a way to resonate with target audiences in a way that feels personalized to them specifically.

Content Creation

AI-generated content has become an extremely popular tool for businesses to use as it provides a way to create any type of media quickly and at a relatively low cost. This is especially seen when considering the improvements made in the last couple of years that allow AI to go in and use past behaviors and audience preferences to create its content. There are platforms out there, like Sprout Social, that aim to provide insights and analytics to allow businesses to make informed decisions regarding their own content creation. Although it serves as an essential tool, it’s important for creators to remember that there are some missing elements in AI-generated content that only a human can provide.  

Knowledgeable and reputable content creators are that way because they know how to add an extended element of trust and emotion to their content that doesn’t always come across when something is solely AI-generated content.  It is imperative that content creators review any and all AI-generated content in order to avoid losing personalization that they would have otherwise had had they created the content themselves.

Why AI Can’t do it all Alone 

Copywriting is another element that has been affected by AI since its existence. In order to have effective copywriting, the content written must be emotionally stimulating where the words written fit the style, purpose, and tone of voice of whatever it is you may be trying to convey.  

Copywriting

Utilizing content that is AI-generated as a tool to enhance copywriting can be beneficial, but solely relying on it without any human review is potentially damaging. Relationships are the key to successful businesses, and the only way for businesses to create these relationships is to ensure that their audience feels that trust and emotion come across throughout all content, which is why AI can’t do it alone.  

Building a Community Using AI to your Advantage

When the same message is sent out in large numbers where little personalization is necessary, AI can be used to speed up the process.  That being said, diligence when it comes to monitoring and responding to different clients or accounts are important to increase personal relationships outside of content that was AI-generated.

Community management is a top priority for most businesses. While AI-generated content serves as a great aid, there are ways to add personalization here without AI that are essential to a business’s success. This is an example of the kind of responsiveness that shows a company values its customers and their questions.  

WONKA instagram post
WONKA Instagram Comment and Reply

It is imperative that businesses find a way to leverage AI-generated content in a way that’s beneficial to them, without losing the sense of personalization and creativity that comes from human review. 

The Importance of Monitoring and Responding on Social Media

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Social media revolves around engaging and interacting with your audience, where simply being present on social media platforms is no longer enough to stand out against other brands and creators. To build authentic relationships with your followers, establishing a community of individuals who feel heard, seen, cared about, and ultimately connected to your brand is essential. Therefore, when customers share inquiries, complaints, or compliments through comments on your posts, it is crucial to respond promptly to express appreciation for their business and demonstrate attentiveness, a reason for the existence of a community management agency, which can assist in your social engagement efforts.

According to The Sprout Social Index™ 2023, 51% of consumers surveyed say that the most memorable brands on social media are those that respond to customers, and 68% of customers follow brands on social media to stay informed about new products and services. This information highlights the importance of monitoring and responding to comments on social media for long-term brand success.

But, as we all know, the world of social media is full of bots, trolls, and irrelevant opinions/comments, so we must understand how to engage with audiences on diverse social platforms and, specifically, how to address different types of comments in unique situations. In this article, we will guide you in the different approaches to handling a range of social media comments and offer our tips on the most optimal ways to respond.

Positive Comments

Positive comments can be anything from a simple “thank you” to an in-depth product or service review. Because consumers take the time to show you their appreciation, responding to these messages and reciprocating the gratitude is essential. When crafting your response to positive comments, be sure to use a sincere tone, thank the individual for their feedback, and personalize each message so each person feels directly spoken to, which can further their connection to your brand. For example, the ticket vendor BigStub uses an effective community management strategy to respond to comments promptly and enthusiastically. Below is an example of how BigStub addressed a positive comment on Facebook, but this practice can be seen across all of the brand’s social accounts. Ultimately, your response demonstrates to consumers that you value their business and feedback, fostering trust and a sense of community.

Neutral Comments

When it comes to neutral comments, it is often easy for them to go unnoticed, but responding to them is as important as addressing positive or negative feedback. The most significant advantage of responding to neutral comments is that it shows your audience you are available whenever they need you to be. Additionally, it allows you to engage in a casual conversation with your audience, which helps to personify your brand and further build consumer relationships that can foster brand loyalty. Check out the Instagram activities of Galaxy Theatres below, for instance. In this example, the brand responded to a neutral customer inquiry with a detailed, eager response that opened up the floor for further conversation. Thus, it would be silly to miss out on a similar opportunity to engage with your audience in a fun, relatively low-stakes manner. Consider working with a community management agency to guide your response strategy.

Negative Comments

As a brand, it’s crucial not only to listen to negative comments but also to respond to them appropriately. Negative comments can look like a range of issues surrounding the product or service, including customer care experiences. Before heading straight for the keyboard to defend your brand, remember to approach your response with delicacy, understanding, and empathy to avoid fueling an existing fire. A dissatisfied customer can leave the conversation feeling content and attended to by demonstrating respect for their opinion in your response. As for negative comments that take the form of offensive remarks and hate speech, it is essential to clarify your brand’s boundaries for this behavior and address it as unacceptable. You can take additional measures like blocking and reporting the social media account to the platform. Suppose your brand receives social media comments related to a crisis. In that case, you should have an established crisis communication plan to handle the situation best, and a community management agency can assist you with this. Overall, properly monitoring negative comments on social media helps you steer clear of any subsequent harm to your brand’s reputation, correctly identify serious or timely situations, and uphold strong brand values and a positive online community.

Analyzing All Comments

Many tests and tools exist to provide valuable brand insights derived from all of your social media comments. A social media sentiment analysis considers the emotions and opinions of those talking about your brand online, which is beneficial for identifying and addressing negative comments before they escalate. On top of that, conversation analytics uses AI and machine learning to find patterns and form reports derived from customer conversations. There are many social listening techniques worth exploring to keep your brand ahead of the conversation, and a community management agency can support you in gathering valuable insights from your data. 

A well-executed plan for engaging with social media comments helps you establish your brand, gain loyalty, and connect with the right audience. Improve your brand reputation and skillfully navigate potentially harmful situations by adopting the abovementioned strategies and practices.

Creating Brand Loyalty with Social Media

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Today’s consumers seek more than just attractive deals; they want to support authentic and trustworthy brands. Consistent, exceptional customer care experiences are a key way to establish this trust, which brands can reap the benefits of. But how do you retain your hard-earned customer base over the long term? This article will explore how social media is a powerful tool for creating brand loyalty, along with a few examples of successful brand strategies to get you started.

What is Brand Loyalty?

First and foremost, brand loyalty refers to a customer’s commitment or attachment to a particular brand or company’s products or services. It goes beyond purchasing behavior; it involves a strong preference for a certain brand and a willingness to choose that brand over others with similar offerings repeatedly. In a crowded marketplace with countless products and services vying for attention, brand loyalty is key to securing your customers’ commitment. Below are brand loyalty strategies to consider implementing for greater reach!

Deliver Stellar Customer Care

Exceptional customer service demonstrates that a brand places its customers at the center of its operations. Customers who feel cared about and valued are likelier to be loyal, so brands should utilize social media as a tool for building and managing their community in a public-facing, authentic way. For instance, brands should monitor customer service inquiries on all social media accounts and respond promptly, regardless if the inquiry is positive or negative. Acknowledging feedback will not only enhance that particular customer’s experience but will also demonstrate to the entire online community that your brand takes their feelings seriously. Further, a customer care agency can be of use to ensure that no inquiry slips through the cracks. By engaging with customers on social media, brands can establish trust with a wide audience, leading to brand loyalty.

Utilize Word-of-Mouth

Digital word-of-mouth recommendations include praise on social media, user-generated content, and product or service reviews. The strong influence of word-of-mouth recommendations can be attributed to the perceived credibility and unbiased opinion that it offers to customers, in contrast with traditional advertising or promotional messages that often attempt to force a connection. With user-generated content (UGC), customers voluntarily share their experiences with a brand; leveraging the influence and credibility of satisfied customers to promote your brand is essential. Additionally, a negative review on social media can be advantageous when wholeheartedly addressed, which shows other consumers that you care. From posting customer reviews on your Instagram story, reposting a user’s praise, or commenting on a consumer’s post, there are many ways to engage in digital conversation.

Establish a Brand Voice

As mentioned earlier, brand loyalty can be attributed to a consumer’s emotional or personal attachment to a brand. Establishing this emotional connection comes with greater ease when the consumer feels like they are speaking to a real person behind the screen rather than a robotic, emotionless entity on behalf of a brand. So, finding your brand voice is a great way to give your brand a more personable and approachable feel. For example, if your brand exudes a light-hearted aura, sharing witty statements or memes on social media can demonstrate a consistent tone that aligns with your core values, which customers will recognize and respect. By humanizing your brand, emotional connections based on feelings of relatability and support can be established with customers, thus fostering a sense of trust and loyalty. Here are a few successful brand loyalty strategy examples to get you started.

The Golden Girls

The 1985 sitcom recently tapped into its audience’s emotional needs by creating a book titled “Quit Being an Idiot” that consists of all the best life lessons from the Golden Girls. The release was announced on Instagram; the brand leveraged this platform by presenting a unique offering directly to its existing fan base, demonstrating its effort to appeal to consumers’ interests and highlight the show’s most iconic moments in a tangible, exclusive format.

Galaxy Theatres

This movie theatre chain offers an in-app loyalty program exclusive to Galaxy Rewards Members. The membership includes unique offerings and discounts at no cost that appeal to the desires of movie-goers, such as a free candy at your next visit to Galaxy Theatres. Going beyond occasional discounts, this rewards program boosts loyalty by giving consumers an incentive to choose the brand over its competitors and a reason to stick around to earn more special offers.

BigStub

The ticket vendor BigStub uses its social media platforms to foster an online community of like-minded users with interests such as live events, sports, music, and entertainment. BigStub’s consistent and conversational tone can be seen in the caption of every post, which often prompts its audience to participate in the conversation via the comments section. The approachable tone of BigStub helps to foster brand loyalty through emotional connections based on shared interests.

In conclusion, brands can cultivate brand loyalty by appealing to customers’ ever-changing interests and desires. In today’s world, there is a large emphasis on the trustworthiness and credibility of product and service providers. By strategically using social media or working with a customer care agency, brands can highlight these sought-after traits, strengthen customer relationships from purchase to loyalty, expand reach, and ensure long-term success in the digital age.

The Importance of Google Reviews for Your Brand

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How do I Use Google Reviews to my Advantage?

Today, your internet presence for your brand matters. Google Reviews, for many, is an instant way to pick your next stop for dinner, a new hair salon, or check out the best local coffee shop. It may be obvious that these reviews may have an impact on how customers view your brand: with just a few clicks, a list of reviews on your business is at the hands of a potential customer.  But might you use Google Reviews to better your brand? Consider the following points to use Google Reviews to your advantage while you build your brand.

Increase Visibility and Credibility

People trust people: according to recent research, 93% of users have made buying decisions based on an online review. Seeing what other people think is incredibly important in customers’ decisions: Google Reviews are essential in gaining credibility.

Google Reviews are prominently displayed on Google search results and Google Maps. When potential customers search for your business or relevant keywords, they are likely to see your average rating and the number of reviews. Positive reviews can instantly boost your credibility and attract more clicks. 

These Google Reviews also provide social proof that others have used and liked your products or services. People tend to trust the opinions of fellow consumers more than advertising or marketing messages.

Increasing-blocks-image

Improve Local SEO

Google Reviews can play a significant role in local search engine optimization (SEO). The more, the better: more positive reviews can improve your local ranking online, making it more likely that your business will appear in local search results. This can be especially crucial for your business in attracting local customers. 

Even for larger brands with multiple locations, using Google Reviews to monitor specific locations may help in improving your brand reputation, as insights may vary by location. Take for example Galaxy Theatres’ reviews for their Austin versus Victorian location.

Google-review-5-star

Gain Customer Insight

Reviews may offer valuable insights into your customers’ experiences, preferences, and potential areas to improve on. They can help you identify what you’re doing right and areas where you need help. This feedback can guide your business decisions and improve customer satisfaction. You’ll be able to gain insight on your business just by taking a quick look online.

Free Advertising

Lastly, positive reviews can act as free advertising for your business. Satisfied customers who leave a review are essentially endorsing your brand to their friends, but more importantly to a wider online community. This sort of marketing can have a significant impact on spreading the word about your business. 

Try Using a Management Software for Google Reviews

While these tips may be helpful in terms of gaining insight into your business, it can get difficult to organize and sort through each review, especially with businesses gaining hundreds or even thousands of reviews over time. Utilizing software like Sprout Social or Birdeye can help you to manage feedback more effectively.

Also consider checking out the services we offer at Bright Age. As a Google partner, our services will help better your business with a campaign designed just for you. From managing Google Ads to improving your SEO, we go further than Google Reviews to grow your brand.   

Google Reviews can be a crucial aspect of increasing your business’s online presence and brand reputation. They not only influence potential customers, but they also provide valuable insights and opportunities for growth and improvement. Therefore, it’s important to actively encourage and manage reviews as part of your overall brand strategy. Use this free tool to increase credibility and visibility, improve local SEO, gain customer insight, and free advertising. Using a software, or Bright Age services, to monitor your Google Reviews will make growing your business even simpler and more effective

Content Copyrights and Social Media Sharing

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Content Copyrights and Social Media Sharing

In the digital age, creating and sharing content has become a ubiquitous part of our lives – from both a personal and professional perspective. Today, content creation and sharing across social media platforms is a part of the everyday for businesses. However, it’s important to understand content copyright laws to ensure you can respect other creators while producing creative and authentic content for your success. 

 

How does Content Copyright work?

Copyright laws vary by country – so keep that in mind while reading, as these regulations are exclusive to the US. However, across countries, social media platforms function off of User Generated Content (UGC). While you own the copywrite to the content you produce on social media, the platform you post this content on does oftentimes require you to grant them license to use and distribute it – meaning they can display it for others within the platform. 

iphone-social-apps

However, it’s important to note that, in the US, there is a legal doctrine titled Fair Use. Fair use allows use of copyrighted material without permission for certain contexts. This includes education, criticism, news reporting, or educational purposes.

Lastly, while you and other users have ownership of the content you create – and therefore legal rights over that content depending on the platform’s licensing agreements – there are still some creators who choose to share their work under licenses like Creative Commons. This makes that content open to the public domain.

keys-handing-employee

In order to ensure any content is not at risk of content copyright infringement, consider the following points before posting.

  1. Create Original Content 

Creating your own, completely original content is the easiest way to avoid copyright infringement across platforms. Even better, it encourages creativity and provides a way for you to build your brand uniquely – without producing repetitive content for your audience.

  1. Attribute Credit Properly

When using another user’s content, it’s important to give proper credit to the creator by mentioning them in your caption. In terms of UGC, oftentimes creators will describe how to give credit in their post. Or, simply sending them a direct message is a safe way to ask permission on how to provide credits. On some platforms, like Instagram, gaining permission from the creator can be handled securely through the app.

  1. Note Platform Guidelines

The copyright policies are maintained at a legal level and do not vary by platform. But, information related to copyright and intellectual property should be included in the platform’s terms of service and community guidelines. Keep this in mind when sharing or reposting content. How users may share content may differ according to the platform’s guidelines. 

  1. Keep Up to Date

But remember, it’s possible for copyright laws to change overtime and according to the platform you’re using. Be sure to stay in the know about changes in these policies. 

woman-holding-phone

Navigating social media copyright laws may appear intimidating. However, simply gaining a basic understanding of these laws will help you to better your online presence. For both your consumers and your own success across platforms, keeping these points in mind will ensure best practice on social media, so you can be your most creative self while respecting the work of other content creators.

How to Integrate AI into a Social Media Marketing Strategy

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Close up photo of a typewriter with text

In the landscape of social media marketing today, businesses need to stay ahead of the curve to maintain a competitive edge. One such approach that has gained significant traction is the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into social media marketing strategies. AI offers a wide range of benefits, from creating graphics and copywriting to optimizing scheduling. AI is the newest tool to improve efficiency and help aid social media managers. According to the Harris poll, 97% of leaders agree AI will allow companies to analyze data and insights more efficiently. Explore how to effectively incorporate AI into your social media marketing strategy.

Enhancing Graphics and Visual Content

Having compelling content is essential for social media. Incorporating AI-powered tools can significantly improve the quality, consistency, and appeal of visual content shared on social media platforms. Artificial Intelligence can analyze data from previous successful posts, user engagement patterns, and industry trends to generate visually engaging graphics and images. There are so many different AI tools you can use for creating graphics, a popular one being Canva. Some of the tools they offer are text-to-image ability and Magic Design which will create templates for images you can upload. 

AI-driven image recognition can also help businesses better understand their audience’s preferences by analyzing the types of visuals that garner the most interest and engagement. This data can be used to create more targeted and appealing visuals in future marketing campaigns. By using AI to create stunning visual content, social media marketers can capture the audience’s attention and increase engagement.

Empowering Copywriting and Content Creation

Crafting captivating and relevant social media copy is a vital aspect of any marketing strategy. AI-powered tools can aid social media marketers by suggesting compelling blog posts, generating content ideas, and even drafting social media posts. AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data and identify trending topics, customer preferences, and suitable language styles, streamlining the content creation process. 

One tool is Copy.ai, which can be used to write captions, product descriptions, or blog posts which can all be customized to fit the style and voice of your brand. While AI can suggest content ideas, the human touch is still necessary to ensure the content aligns with the brand’s tone, voice, and messaging. Social media marketers should use AI-generated content as a starting point and then personalize and tailor it to resonate better with their target audience.

A group of team members working collaboratively on a project

Optimizing Scheduling and Posting

The timing of social media posts plays a crucial role in reaching the target audience effectively. AI tools can analyze historical data and user behavior to identify the optimal times for posting content on different platforms. By scheduling posts during peak engagement periods, businesses can maximize the impact of their social media campaigns.

ClickUp is an AI tool which can assist in a variety of ways, ranging from campaign strategy to event planning. Moreover, AI-driven automation can help manage and streamline posting across various social media channels. Marketers can use AI to schedule posts in advance, ensuring a consistent presence on social platforms without manually handling every post.

Integrating artificial intelligence into your social media marketing strategy can undoubtedly enhance various aspects of your campaigns, from graphics and copywriting to scheduling. AI-powered tools can streamline processes, improve efficiency, and provide valuable insights to optimize your marketing efforts. However, it is crucial to remember that AI is a valuable aid to your team and not a replacement for human creativity and expertise. By combining the strengths of AI with human insights, businesses can create compelling social media marketing campaigns that engage and resonate with their audience effectively. Learn more about Bright Age and its services. 

Fostering an Engaging Company Culture at a Digital Marketing Agency

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In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, strong company culture is essential for success. As important as it is for a brand to foster a relationship with their audience, it is also pivotal to have a strong team as the foundation. Company culture can be described as shared goals, behaviors, practices and other attributes in the workplace. An inclusive workplace culture fosters a sense of belonging and promotes teamwork, engagement and employee retention. In this blog, we will explore various methods of promoting a positive environment at a digital marketing agency. 

Highlighting Milestone Moments:

At Bright Age, we love to celebrate the special days. Whether it is a birthday or a “workaversary” (work anniversary), we love celebrating our team! We value each team member’s contribution and make it a point to acknowledge them and their hard work. We love posting birthdays and workaversaries on social media with photos and personalized messages, in between content creation for our clients. It not only brings a smile to the person’s face but also helps create a strong sense of community.

Additionally, we have implemented a Kudoboard to celebrate birthdays. This digital platform allows employees to foster their relationships with each other especially in a hybrid setting. From wishing them a great year or applauding their creativity, Kudoboards foster a culture of gratitude and encouragement, boosting morale and motivation.

Welcoming the Newbies:

Interns are an invaluable part of our agency, and we strive to provide them with a warm and inclusive experience. We value communication and encourage interns to ask as many questions as possible. One way we like to welcome our newcomers is through intern posts on our social media platforms. These posts introduce them, highlight their contributions to projects, and express our gratitude for their hard work.

Also, we love to welcome our interns with thoughtful welcome baskets. These baskets are filled with delicious snacks, office supplies, books and a handwritten note welcoming them to the team. This gesture goes a long way in making them feel valued and part of the team from the moment they start their first day.

Game Faces On:

In the era of remote work, maintaining a vibrant company culture can be challenging. To combat this, we have implemented regularly playing games at the end of Zoom meetings. One popular option is the Jeopardy! style game, where team members answer fun questions about themselves. This game sparks conversations, reveals shared interests, and deepens connections, even in a virtual setting. By injecting some fun and lightheartedness into our meetings, we ensure that our team members feel engaged and bonded.

Connected Outside of the Workplace:

In addition to day-to-day work, we believe in creating opportunities for team bonding and fostering a sense of unity. Our agency organizes various group events throughout the year, including an annual Christmas brunch and work trips. These events provide an avenue for team members to switch up the hybrid routine, interact, and build relationships beyond the confines of their offices at home. They help break down barriers, stimulate creativity, and invite collaboration.

At our digital marketing agency, we prioritize fostering a vibrant and inclusive company culture. From birthday posts and Kudoboards to intern welcome baskets and group events, we celebrate achievements, create a sense of belonging, and strengthen relationships. By embracing these practices, we create a positive work environment that fuels collaboration, innovation, and employee satisfaction. Learn more about Bright Age and the services we offer.